Pretty Thing
"Ooh, ooh!" Sirius began, giggling to himself. "That one, do you remember? When we had the peanuts?"
The four young men burst into laughter. None of them needed any further explanation than that to recall the event that would, amongst the staff at Hogwarts, be ever known as the 'Day of the Transfigured Peanut Monkeys'.
"I think the hallucinating mermaids was the best one," Peter said, grinning as they all recalled the day when the mermaids started synchronised-swimming in the lake after James had (via gillyweed) delivered them a special potion.
"McGonagall looked scandalised!" James roared with laughter.
"Not half so scandalised as Dumbledore," Remus said, grinning ear to ear. "He had only just negotiated peace with them after the fluorescent squid day."
"That squid has never looked better," Sirius said, and James nodded, both of them grinning.
"Good times, good times," James said.
"Ah, but the good times will still go on," Peter said, enthusiastically.
"True," Sirius said loudly. "Nothing, not even the impending marriage of our dearest James here, could break up the Marauders."
James smiled fondly and nodded in agreement.
"I propose a toast," Remus said. "Though, I have a feeling that Sirius wishes to make a speech..."
"Because he's ever so eloquent after a few pints," Peter said, laughing.
"I am always eloquote." Sirius muttered, frowning at the both of them, and then turning back to James, his drink held high.
"When I first met our dear Prongs," Sirius began. "I had never before met a man who could hold his own against me in a pumpkin-juice sculling competition."
"You were very good," James ceded, nodding.
"Shut up, I'm toasting you!" Sirius snapped, grinning, and went on with his speech. "As I was saying, I had never met a man who could keep up with me. Then young James waltzed into the Great Hall one morning, picked up a jug and downed the lot of it before my eyes in a little under eight seconds."
"Seven and a half was my best recorded time," James interrupted.
"And then the years went by, and we started drinking other things, and then drunkenness ensued, as we can see tonight."
"So many nights wasted." James said grinning.
"Yet not a wasted night." Sirius said.
"Eloquote." Peter muttered, and he and Remus chuckled.
"It was on that day, when I observed that fine display of physical and mental prowess," Sirius continued. "That I knew we would be great friends. As I was saying, the years went by. And as they did, I was proven right. Again We did become great friends, we all did," he swept his hand around the table to include Remus and Peter as well. "Hogwarts shall always remember the Marauders, and that is a result of the fine friendships we here have formed."
"Here, here!" Remus called, and they all cheered and downed a few mouthfuls.
"And now, my friends, our little boy is growing up." Sirius went on, smiling again and wiping a faux tear from his eye. "And he's getting married, becoming a real man, so to speak, with his lovely wife future Lily, which I still find hard to believe."
"All those years of chasing her." Peter laughed.
"Indeed, and I finally caught her." James cheered.
"Don't flatter yourself, Prongs," Remus chuckled. "Lily did the catching."
"But regardless, you're together now, which is something we're all thrilled to see." Sirius said. "And our lives are changing, despite what we'd all like to believe. James is no longer a bachelor, hence our celebrations tonight. He's a big man, now, and the world is a-changing. But my point is this: we are still the Marauders, that is a title we can bear to the end. New backdrop, but the same old play."
James smiled at Sirius, loathe to admit that he was feeling a little sentimental at this point. He took a deep breath and stood up, raising his glass to his three friends.
"My friends, I propose a simple toast," He said. "To friends, who shall remain Marauders till the day we die."
"And beyond, if it can be arranged." Sirius said, grinning.
"Cheers," they all called, and downed their respective drinks.
"And on that note," James added. "I think more drinks are in order."
"And more bloody food." Peter said with a smile. They both went off in search of their prey.
"Very lovely speech," Remus said, nudging Sirius who turned about to speak.
"I thought so," He said, still grinning.
"Cocky bastard," Said Remus.
"And proud of it."
"You looked lovely, making that speech." Remus said, smiling impishly.
"Oh did I?" Sirius asked, stroking Remus' hand where it rested on his thigh under the table.
"Such a pretty thing," Remus said, grinning.
"I sure am." Sirius said. "And so are you."
He kissed Remus quickly and subtly, and then sat back with his drink and eyed Remus carefully.
"I still have that collection, you know?" Sirius said.
"Of what?"
"Photographs."
"Photographs?" Remus repeated, confused.
"Pictures of the boys, passed out in their beds," Sirius explained, and they thought back to the night when they had done a tour of the whole Gryffindor tower the night after the Quidditch cup win, and took a camera with them. It was a fine collection, as Remus remembered. Especially after James had jinxed half of the students to have strange growths, odd coloured hair, and purely unnatural outfits.
"True collector till the end." Remus laughed.
"Indeed." Sirius said, and kissed him again.