AN:
Hi all! Happy Halloween!
You get a lovely new chapter to celebrate this Marauderish occasion!
As a side note, I'm posting a one shot in this series, the Halloween I robbed you of earlier in the story. Look out for This Is Halloween if you want to read.
Please enjoy!
Winter came upon Hogwarts suddenly, snow falling thickly overnight. Herbology lessons were cancelled, and Professor Kettleburn redid his lesson on salamanders, just so the students could cluster around the fires on the snow covered grounds. And yet, the near Antarctic conditions did not stop James Potter from calling quidditch practice. Three days a week and early Sunday mornings, James corralled his team and dragged them out of their warm beds and out into the freezing winter air. However, December 10 saw a blizzard blow into the castle, and even James had to see sense (and the point of Sirius' wand that evening) and call off practice.
The sixth year Gryffindor students were soon the only ones in the Common Room, sitting around the fire and holding steaming mugs of hot chocolate. They had a week until they broke up for Christmas, and the festive spirit was promoting a rare sense of unity. Alice and Frank were curled up on the couch, Benjy perching on the arm furthest from the canoodling couple. Hestia and Dorcas shared the other couch, with Marlene and Emmeline elegantly leaning against the bottom bit of it. Peter was stretched out furthest from the fire, dropping more marshmallows in his cup than was probably good for him. He kept up with the conversations, tossing in odd comments about the Slytherin students acting the oddest after the Hogsmeade Incident (as the students had taken to calling it). James and Lily sat on opposite armchairs, keeping up a grudging truce for the sake of harmony. Sirius leaned against the hearth, legs stretched out in front of him, Rose happily sitting against the bottom of Remus' chair, watching the firelight dance across Sirius' handsome features. His eyes were closed, but she could tell he was listening to the growing list of Slytherin's Acting Suspiciously, the slight tensing of his jaw giving him away. "You can say Regulus, you know" he announced tiredly, anger and worry lurking within his words. "He's counting the days until he can be 'of service', the stupid little git."
"I can't honestly believe that You-Know-Who is recruiting Hogwarts students" Mary spoke up, biting her bottom lip. Sirius laughed bitterly.
"I envy you your conviction, MacDonald" he said, his eyes opening and filling with a kind of pain. "When war is around the corner, which it is, then everyone is looking to recruit soldiers. And believe me, not even school kids are safe."
"But we don't know that for certain" Emmeline cut in hopefully, ignoring the frantic shaking of James's head.
"We do" Sirius replied, all five Marauders implied in his statement. Rose looked away from them all, knowing and hating the truth of what Sirius was about to say. "I won't say it, Rosebud, if you don't want me to." As ever, Sirius knew what she was thinking.
"I hate that it happened, Siri, not that you want to say it" she told him sadly.
"I know, Sweetheart" he sighed, already worn down by the stress of the war. Even James turned downcast. Marlene narrowed her dark blue eyes at them, anger darkening the midnight shade further.
"That's it" she announced, sounding very much like a drill sergeant. "I've had enough of this pity party."
"Pity party?" Remus repeated, scrunching up his nose. "What are you on about, Marlene?"
"You lot are seeing Death Eaters in every Slytherin" Marlene told them seriously. "Now, most of them are more suspicious than three hags hanging around a vampire (including your brother, Sirius, and our resident unwashed potions expert), but you're letting Voldemort get to you. Where the hell have the Marauders gone? What, you beat them once and then they beat you? Come on." Her eyes rolled audibly. "You five immature morons keep this place in good spirits, you make us laugh even when we should be worrying about the war to come."
"Face it" Hestia continued, nodding gratefully at Marlene. "We need you. After Christmas, we want the Marauders back. Prank Slytherin's, turn the Great Hall into a food fight warzone. I don't know, just get your acts together." A slow smirk spread across Sirius' face, mischief once again dancing in his eyes.
"Much as I hate to agree when the Girls on principle, they have a point, Prongs."
"So they do, Pads" James agreed, a blinding grin on his lips. "Marley, Hestia, thank you both. Moony, Wormtail, Astra; the Marauders are in."
"Merlin help us" Lily groaned, her smile hidden behind her snowflake patterned mug. Sirius frowned, shifted and set his empty mug to the side, his eyes darting to Rose and then his legs. Marauder actions always spoke louder than their words, and Rose knew exactly what Sirius was after. She patted Remus' leg and dropped down to lean against Sirius. He hummed contentedly, resting one hand on her hip, while the other stole her hot chocolate. Frank wrinkled his nose at the two of them.
"And you say that Alice and I are nauseating."
"You are" James informed him seriously, promptly breaking cover and grinning at his best friend, who answered with a beaming smile of his own. "But that doesn't mean that Rosie and Pads aren't equally nauseating. If not more so."
"Sod off, Prongs" Sirius requested, idly turning the flames into bright Gryffindor colours.
"Yes, do sod off, James" Rose agreed, sipping her rescued hot chocolate.
"My heart breaks" James announced dramatically. "My best friend is ganging up on me."
"Tough" Remus offered, glaring at Emmeline's attempt to steal some of his chocolate. "You touch it, you pay for it, Vance."
"I have to break it to you, Lupin, but nobody is actually afraid of you" Emmeline shrugged, looking apologetic.
"You know, Moony may seem like a sweetheart, but that's only until there's chocolate involved" Rose told her dormmate seriously.
"Then it's every Gryffindor for themselves" Sirius finished, Remus scowling but not disputing their conclusions.
"Did you finish that essay for Muggle Studies, Prongs?" Remus asked, his attempt to divert the conversation as desperate as it was transparent.
"Nice try, Moons, but it's not going to work" James smirked, that expression the most common to Marauders.
"Speaking of avoiding conversations" Lily spoke up suddenly. "Are you accepting the invitation?" Rose occupied herself in the very interesting dregs of her hot chocolate, while her fellow Marauders shared confused looks.
"What invitation?" James asked, confusion evident in his accent.
"Rose Marianne Evans" Lily glared, and was that an owl by the window - Rose really ought to check. Sadly, Sirius was canny to her plan and stopped her from moving with the slightest tensing of his hand.
"Rosebud" he began casually, like they were merely discussing plans for the prank everyone knew was coming. "Did we get invited somewhere?" Rose wanted nothing more than to vehemently disavow any knowledge of invitations whatsoever, but was epically incapable of lying to her friends.
"Christmaswithmyparents" she said quickly, looking at the time. "Is that the time? We should've been in bed-"
"What was that first bit?" Sirius asked in that airy, light, conversational tone she knew meant nothing good.
"Mum and Dad wrote and basically ordered me to bring you for Christmas" Rose told them all, curling inwards. "I don't want them to overreact and make me leave Hogwarts. I can't, I won't-"
"That is not going to happen" James announced clearly. "I think your parents have more common sense than that. At least your Dad does. Mum's are always more emotional."
"Mine is" Sirius shrugged, easily lightening the mood. "If by emotional you mean insane, bitter and bigoted." Lily shook her head at them, leaving the Marauders stuff to the Marauders.
"So, are you coming for Christmas, or not?"
"Coming" all four male Marauders chorused in perfect unison. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled; she knew that the holiday would be good for all of them. Mary broke the moment by yawning and dropping off to sleep, that seeming to be the cue for everyone not a Marauder to yawn, stretch, and then go up to bed. The Marauders just couldn't be bothered and went to sleep where they were, Rose hearing James and Sirius playfully bicker as she drifted off.
Remus had ice in his eyes as he glared down at Avery, the idiot having the audacity to laugh about muggle-borns (in that case, Rose) being tortured. Sirius was shaking out his hand, having decked the bastard, and James was being physically restrained by Peter to stop him from doing something he would regret. "Let me go, Peter, I want to strangle the bastard" James hissed, the look on his face one of revenge and damn the consequences. Fortunately, or unfortunately in the case of Avery, everybody else was in their second period potions class, and not able to bear witness to the incredible stupidity of the Slytherin. Rose had her hand on Sirius' chest, hoping to calm him before his temper landed them all in trouble. His grey eyes blazed with hatred and the savage pleasure that came with cold-cocking someone, but he drew her into his arms - as much for himself as it was to save Avery from his temper. It was Remus that really worried her though. She had rarely seen him let his territorial side out with the full force of its anger. She could almost sense the wolf pacing in the back of his mind.
"Do you know why they call me the responsible Marauder, Avery?" Remus growled, eerily like the wolf sensing prey. "I'll tell you. It's because I read the rules before I break them." He glanced over at the still-restrained James and Sirius. "Would you mind if we skipped potions class again?"
"I can't see how we would mind, Moony" James replied eerily calmly. "After all, the Girls do want the Marauders back."
"I'd be more worried about Avery, myself" Rose smirked, feeling the tension ease from Sirius' body. "Lily told me that he's failing potions."
"Frankly, Rosebud" Sirius began with a dangerous smirk of his own. "I couldn't give a flying flobberworm about Avery."
"Me neither" Peter added, releasing his grip on James's arm. The stag animagus shook out the limb and looked thoughtfully at their resident werewolf.
"What exactly do you have in mind, Moony?" Remus gave them what could only be described as an evil grin. "Okay, what do you need, Moony?"
"Access to the stores, a distraction, Peeves, and impeccable timing" he smirked, grabbing Avery by the arm. "Pete, knock this moron out and shove him in the trunk. We'll be needing him later." James got a nod and continued with the typical pre-prank job delegation.
"Pads, you're on distraction duty. I do believe the fifth years are in Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall currently, if you feel the need to be inventive. Moony, tell me what you need and I'll find it in the stores and then grab Pads and join you. Astra, you and Moony need to go and recruit Peeves to the plan. We'll meet up in the-"
"Courtyard" Remus interrupted with an bigger smirk than usual.
"As our furry little friend says" James agreed, practically rubbing his hands with glee. "And we'll take it from there." Peter and Avery went for their little walk, while Remus whispered intently to a fully smirking James.
"What are you going to do?" Rose asked Sirius, grinning at the mischief in his eyes.
"Nothing much, just an old classic" Sirius shrugged with a casual grace. "Prongs slipped me the Cloak, and I'm gonna pelt Reggie and his mates with dungbombs."
"How very third year" Rose approved, nodding in consideration. "It's a pity you don't have time to redo Operation Ectoplasm." Sirius' eyes widened, and he kissed her full on the mouth.
"You, my darling Rosebud, are a genius" he announced, setting her down. "Oi, Prongs! You and I need a bit more time." The stag animagus looked over with raised eyebrows.
"Why?"
"Indiscriminate pranking, Old Boy" Sirius smirked, bouncing on the spot. "We're going to slime 'em."
"A prank that big is the perfect distraction" Remus offered cheerfully. "Rosie and I will join you after we've got Peeves to help us."
"No need" James cracked his knuckles. "We've got this."
Finding Peeves wasn't the problem - catching him was. The poltergeist always knew when it would be best for him to stay put, and promptly bounced around doing the exact opposite. "This is getting ridiculous" Remus announced, racing down the charms corridor after the elusive poltergeist.
"Then give him what he wants" Rose recommended, nodding at the convenient broom cupboard next to them.
"He'll raise hell with it" Remus groaned, then promptly shrugged. "But if it works." He 'borrowed' a well-worn broom (Filch's favourite) from the cupboard. "Peeves! We've got Filch's broom!" The luridly coloured poltergeist hurtled towards them.
"Ooh, Filchy won't be happy. Tell him I should" Peeves said innocently, far too innocently. He swooped and made a grab for it, but got conked for his troubles.
"Peeves, we're the Marauders - the ones who taught you how to pull the bust prank, and how to sneak into Sluggys office" Rose reminded him. "And we've got you a present. But it wouldn't be fair to give you the present if, say, you wouldn't go and force everyone out of the Great Hall ten minutes after lunch starts." Peeves snapped to a salute.
"It would be the honour and glory of this poltergeist!" He grabbed the broom and sped off down the corridor.
"You haven't given us much time, Rosie" Remus sighed, running his hand though his hair. "Come on, we've got some things to set up."
Sitting on the other side of the frozen courtyard, the Marauders laid in wait. Peter, in his rat form, chittered nervously on the other side of the doors, his job to watch for the hoard of coming students. James had his wand at the ready, eyes fixed on the doors. At precisely the allotted time, a loud roar of 'PEEVES' came from within the castle, Peter running across the courtyard to join them. Sirius drew his wand, sharing a smirk with James. The castle doors blew open with a crash, students and professors alike staring in confusion at the apparently empty courtyard. Marlene's voice murmured the name that they all blamed, and rightly so. "Marauders." With the perfect synchronicity of five wands moving together as one, all hell promptly broke loose. Peter removed the disillusionment charm on Avery, James and Sirius set off carefully hidden bundles of fireworks, and Remus and Rose cast a simple atmospheric charm to make it snow lightly - the snow then flashing gold and silver and shaping itself into the wolf, rat, stag, dog and unicorn of the Marauders. To the observer, it looked like Avery was suspended in mid air, surrounded by fireworks that shaped an M and the symbols of the Marauders. Adding to the carnival atmosphere were the rotten fruit/vegetables that fired from cannons (also concealed around the courtyard) and hit Avery with every shot. Sirius' smirk grew with every cabbage aimed unerringly at Avery's broken nose. Remus' real genius was that every time Avery struggled and tried to scream for help, all that came out was the words he'd said to infuriate the Marauders on an endless loop. Torture is too good for mudbloods like her; they deserve everything they'll get. McGonagall stepped in front of the students, mouth thinning at the words and the prank. James swirled his wand, Avery shutting up and dropping to the ground. The fireworks continued for the amusement of the students; the Marauders had made their point.
The Marauders went different ways after grabbing lunch in the kitchens. Remus dragged a protesting Peter to their Arithmancy class, while the others climbed the long way up to the North Tower and Divination. Sirius and James chatted idly with Sir Cadogan as they waited, the knight gleefully challenging them to duels every ten seconds. Hestia and Dorcas grinned at them from amidst a few Ravenclaws, a certain blonde female absent from the ranks of the swots. "Looks like Moony's got a date again" Sirius muttered, James grinning widely at him.
"He'd be in with a shot if he could ever get over himself" Rose muttered, Sirius barking out a laugh of agreement.
"I will never understand you Marauders" Hestia announced, walking over so that all the Gryffindors were together.
"You're never meant to understand us, Jones" James told her cheerfully. "That would rid us of all our mystery. You wouldn't want to be responsible for the loss of our mysteriousness ."
"Whereas you lot wouldn't want to be responsible full stop" Dorcas muttered, but her eyes were shining.
"You wanted the Marauders back" Sirius reminded them. "You got us."
"I think the whole school got that memo, Sirius" Hestia smiled. "That prank was the perfect blend of Marauder and making a point."
"Avery opened his stupid mouth" Sirius growled, briefly showing the man that had fought in Hogsmeade. "We merely dispensed justice."
"You broke his nose, Siri" Rose pointed out, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"He deserved it" Sirius replied flatly.
"There'll be worse said than that about me by the time this war is over, Siri" Rose smiled sadly. "I'm a mudblood, you know." Sirius cast her a dark look.
"Don't." Not caring about the sixth years around them, Rose cupped his jaw, forcing him to look at her. To understand.
"My sister is one too, Siri, but maybe if I say it loud and often enough they'll ignore her and come after me. And I'm not afraid of that, because I know that you will never let anything happen to me." His eyes closed, but even pained by her, he still looked unfairly handsome.
"We're all targets anyway, Rosebud" Sirius whispered, his words just for her, although James was close enough to overhear. His hands pulled her closer to him. "Painting a bullseye on your back isn't going to save your sister from them. Leave that to Prongs." Sirius pinned her with a gaze that was just a little too intense. "I can't watch anything happen to you again. I won't do it." Her heart broke at the pain and remembered fear in his eyes; they weren't just words, every word he said was the truth.
"I can't stand by and do nothing, Siri" she said, pouring what she couldn't say into the words. "But, I solemnly swear, I won't put you through that again." Sirius visibly struggled to find words, finally heaving an aggrieved sigh and kissing her. He poured his feelings into the kiss, and Rose tried her best to reply and not just get swept up in him. Sirius was a walking contraction; dangerous but the safest person on Earth, confident but lost, aristocratic but so down to earth, an unredeemable flirt but loyal to a fault.
"Oi! Pads! Late for class!" James yelled, his smirk bright in his voice. Sirius groaned, clearly unhappy to be reminded. They climbed the ladder to the classroom, ignoring the chattering that came as they took their usual seats in the very back of the class.
"Well, at least we stopped the rumours" Sirius said dryly. Rose raised an eyebrow curiously.
"What rumours?"
"You and Moony." James shrugged as if it was nothing. Rose choked on thin air and giggled.
"Rem? No!" Sirius and James shared dumbfounded looks.
"Er, should we be offended on Moony's behalf?" James wondered, Rose still giggling like mad.
"No" she shook her head, trying to get rid of the mental image. "Godric. That would be like snogging you, James. Ew." She leaned back against the wall, now in gales.
"Now I'm getting offended, Rose" James informed her, frowning. "What is it with you Evans'? Would you rather kiss the Giant Squid too?"
"No, just Sirius" Rose shrugged, not getting what his problem was. Sirius shook his head at James, both looking confused. To be fair, Sirius also looked pleased with himself, but adorably clueless. "What?"
"Sorry, Pads" James said in advance. He cleared his throat and turned his hazel gaze on her. "Rosie, tell me, what is so great about Pads that you, and probably the entirety of the female Hogwarts population, would rather snog him than Remus, Peter or myself?" Rose rolled her eyes. Sirius just slapped James upside the head.
"It is a reasonable question" Sirius conceded, after James glared at him some. Rose sighed, and tried to think of a way to explain.
"First, James, you are our quidditch star, you have a gaggle of girls following you around hoping you'll get tired of going stag to Hogsmeade. Second, just look at Sirius." James spluttered, but Sirius hummed in agreement. "Third, Pete's too shy and Rem has Raven Lovegood waiting for him to stop his martyred act. And, speaking purely for myself, the reason the thought of fancying Rem or Pete or you is hilarious is because that would be fancying my brothers. Incest does not work for me."
"I'm your brother?" James looked absurdly touched.
"You're only just getting that now?" Rose shook her head fondly. "Honestly, Prongs, it's no wonder everyone thinks you're a bit slow." Sirius barked a laugh.
"I thought that was because he can't understand the word 'no' and keeps stalking Evans" he smirked, ducking away from the teapot James threw at him.
"Sod off, Padfoot. And I don't stalk Lily." He glanced at Rose. "And nor am I ridiculously overprotective of her."
"Please" Rose scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You once camped out on the bottom of the girls dormitory steps because you thought - and I quote - that Lily was up there having a tea party with an acromantula, two hags, a vampire and a banshee." James scowled at her, elbowing Sirius in a vain attempt to stop his laughter.
"I miss old lightweight Prongs" Sirius sighed nostalgically. "So susceptible after so little firewhiskey."
"You're a bastard" James glowered, sulking back into his chair. Fortunately, the Divination professor, Professor Snotra, chose that moment to enter in a cloud of heavily perfumed pink smoke. "Good Godric" James muttered, holding back his laughter. "Upshe rises."
"A galleon says she starts with dire predictions and moves us on to reading tea leaves again" Sirius wagered, James nodding once to seal the bet.
"Good afternoon, class" Snotra called in her spaced out voice. Peter had lasted all of one class before asking if she was a remnant of the hippie movement. He then spent detention tie-dyeing fabric. "The skills you use in Divination are never more important than today."
"Because drinking tea and staring into a ball is just so much more useful than learning spells and hexes and curses" Rose whispered sarcastically.
"Dark forces cloud the Sight" Snotra announced dramatically. "We must brave this storm, and seek to see beyond the darkness to the truth within. The Grim lurks within all we see. Come, fill your teapots and look, look within to understand the signs the Sight will show you. Fear not, for enlightenment will brighten this darkness and all shall See again." Rose summoned their absent teapot with a sigh, joining the queue to get it filled with the representatives of the rest of the class.
Hazel eyes blinked as they scanned the interior of a rose patterned teacup. "I see a little squiggly line" James gasped, widening his eyes dramatically. "It must mean that Moony's going to say that we're wasting our time with this crap."
"Or, it might mean that Lily's going to yell at you again" Rose offered helpfully, swirling her tea in the cup.
"You know you're supposed to exchange cups, right?" Hestia checked, leaning over the back of her armchair. Sirius grinned and promptly grabbed James's cup.
"Definitely getting yelled at by Evans, mate, sorry." He sounded anything but. "And, oh, looks like you'll be travelling somewhere soon."
"You're making it up" Dorcas laughed, pretending to find something gleeful in Hestia's cup when Snotra looked over. James grabbed Rose's cup from her saucer, Marauder smirk firmly lighting up his handsome features.
"Rosie, yours says that you're going to unexpectedly have to deal with me hexing your-" Sirius growled at him.
"Oi! You're pissed with me, fine, don't take it out on my Rosebud." James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"You're right. Sorry, Rosie. You've got a sun, happiness. Gingerbread man, obviously Christmas related. So maybe you're going to have a happy Christmas" James tilted his head. "Good news for us. Er, there's a star, don't need to guess what that means, Astra. There's a dog, also no surprise. A distant dagger, we already know danger is coming. Oh, and a wreath - Christmas again?"
"How can one cup hold so much?" Rose deadpanned, slumping back against the seat.
"Maybe you've got a busy cup?" James suggested, yawning and ruffling his hair.
"Godric help us" Rose rolled her eyes. "Prongs , is that Lily over there?"
"Where?!" James turned around and flailed wildly, falling out of his chair with a splat. Sirius' laughter filled the room with a warm, happy sound, and James picked himself up with a scowl.
"Not funny, Rosie."
"Padfoot thought it was" Rose beamed innocently, Dorcas nodding in agreement.
"He did" the brunette smiled. "And, if it helps, Hestia and I thought it was pretty funny too."
"The great James Potter, quidditch hero and Marauder, splat on the ground at the thought of Lily Evans" Sirius announced dramatically, like the quidditch commentator he was when Gryffindor wasn't playing. "And the crowd doesn't give a Flobberworm."
"Piss off, Padfoot" James muttered, unable to hold back a laugh.
"Your cup said you'd say that" Sirius smirked, eyes twinkling merrily.
"Why do we still take this class?" James wondered, shaking his head.
"It's brilliant entertainment value" Rose grinned, pouring herself another cup of tea.
"And you're always up for a lesson where you can nap and drink tea?" Hestia added, holding out a plate of biscuits. "You're not the only ones with access to kitchens. Try one, they're my mum's."
"Tea and biscuits" Dorcas picked one up. "How terribly British of us."
"We are English" Hestia pointed out. "I wonder how the others are spending their lesson."
"Studiously , if we know Moony" James decided, nibbling on a biscuit thoughtfully. Hestia glanced at them with a furrowed brow.
"Why do you call him Moony? It makes no sense." Sirius leaned back, taking his chair up on only two legs
"On the contrary, Jones" he winked, pushing his chair to the limits. "It does make sense, it makes perfect sense - from a Marauder point of view."
"From a Marauder point of view?" Dorcas' eyebrows rose into her fringe. "Nobody understands the Marauder point of view."
"Marauders do" Rose smiled, James and Sirius nodding in agreement.
"You're all mental" Hestia told them seriously.
"Kookie, if you please" Sirius requested, charming to the last. Hestia threw her hands up into the air.
"Marauders!"
Thank you for reading!