Chapter Seven: Changes
October seemed to both drag on and fly by for the students. There was the promise of another Hogsmeade weekend at the end of the month and the excitement that started halfway through the month about the Halloween feast. Fall was swooping across the grounds, leaves changed colours and the windy gusts sent drafts through the big castle. Up in Gryffindor Tower, changes were happening too. Changes that the students in the house couldn't miss even if they were blind.
An interesting assortment of sixth- and seventh-year students had taken the best spot by the fire on that rainy Saturday night. Marlene and Remus had squished together on the couch with an Ancient Runes book opened on their laps. They were working to translate something and kept arguing over this symbol or that. Alice was sitting on the floor with her back against the couch Remus and Marlene were sharing. Frank was leaning against the squishy armchair next to her and Alice had laid her legs across his lap. James and Sirius were flat on the stomach stretched out in front of the fire. Sirius had a book about the English Quidditch team in front of him. James was scribbling Quidditch plays into his playbook, occasionally asking for Sirius's input. Lily was sitting sideways in the second armchair with her legs hooked over the side. A book of charms in her lap. Colin was leaning against her armchair with his head leaned back against his girlfriend's thigh. It was one of those few nights where Aiden had also joined them. He and another seventh-year boy, Andrew Keaton, were sitting at the table behind Remus and Marlene. Peter had managed a detention earlier in the week during one of the Marauders' pranks.
Alice kept throwing glances at Lily and throwing her eyes up to indicate the two students behind her. Lily smirked and watched her two friends sitting on the couch. They were having a heated argument about the line they had just translated.
"Remus, that doesn't make any sense!" Marlene was scratching out whatever had been written on the parchment.
"Yes, it does!" Remus snatched the quill from Marlene and stretched it above his head.
The girl tried to reach the quill, "Merlin, you have freakishly long arms! Give me back my quill!"
The group of students stopped to watch them. Marlene was now standing on the couch trying to reach for the quill. Remus stretched his arm out to the side and raised an eyebrow in challenge. Alice, seeing that she was in danger of getting kicked in the head, scooted away from the couch and closer to Frank. James and Sirius watched as Marlene leaned over Remus to reach the quill. Both parchment and Runes book had tumbled onto the floor, forgotten. Remus waited until all of Marlene's weight was resting on him. He tossed the quill into Lily's lap and stood up with Marlene slung over his shoulder.
Marlene screeched as Remus spun her around. "Put me down!"
The Gryffindors around them were all laughing. Even Sirius got a kick out of it. Remus dumped Marlene's body down on the couch. He reached down to pick up the book and parchment. Marlene swatted at his head. "Lily, can I have my quill back please?"
Lily had the quill out to Marlene and then handed it Colin. Marlene glared at Lily and pushed Remus out of the way as she scrambled off the couch. Colin tossed the quill to Sirius who passed it to James. The quill was passed around the circle. The teens were all standing now and playing the game of keep away. When the quill was passed back to James, Marlene launched herself into a full-body tackle. Sirius got out of the way in time but Lily was blindsided by his body. Marlene, James, and Lily went down into a heap on the rug. The blonde snatched the quill and untangled herself from James. She grabbed the book and parchment from the couch and stalked off to the dormitory.
"Sorry, Evans." James murmured as he pulled her up from the floor. "I knew I shouldn't have taught that girl how to tackle."
Lily's hand lingered in James's a moment longer than Colin was comfortable with. The seventh-year sent a look that James caught. He dropped Lily's hand and returned to his seat by the fire. Alice and Frank had taken the opportunity to steal the couch for themselves. Lily dashed for her armchair to prevent anyone from stealing it. Colin settled in front of her, eyes still on James. Sirius laid back down on the floor, watching Colin. Almost daring him to say something to James. Remus took the empty armchair opposite Lily. Alice and Lily both caught the flush that was just creeping across his face and the dopey smile. Aiden and Andrew had remained at their table as spectators during the whole thing.
"How perfect is it that Halloween is on a Saturday this year?" Sirius piled breakfast potatoes onto his plate. "And it's a Hogsmeade weekend. I mean the only thing that could make next weekend better would be if it was a full moon too."
Remus glared across the table at Sirius. "Speak for yourself. I'm glad that it's not."
"Aw, but we love your furry little problem, Moony!" James grinned as he smothered his pancakes in syrup and butter. "You know we do."
Peter nodded enthusiastically as he reached for the pumpkin juice. The boys' endorsement of his furry little problem didn't cheer Remus up. He was more focused on another problem at the moment. The boys animatedly discussed their plans for their annual Halloween prank. Sirius was determined to have white jumpsuits involved. He was waving his hands all around and nearly knocked over the pumpkin juice.
A little way down the table, Marlene and Lily were watching them suspiciously. Both girls knew they were planning something for Halloween. First, it was tradition for the Marauders to play some sort of prank for Halloween. Second, pranks were the only thing that made Sirius that excited. Not even girls could evoke such a look of pure joy on the boy's face. Lily looked at James to see how excited he was. His hazel eyes looked up at just the right moment. Lily caught them. There was something different about them. They were no longer filled with a boyish longing. James looked happy. Lily smiled at him and turned back to her friends. Maybe Marlene and Alice were on to something. Maybe she and James could stop being enemies. She was certainly enjoying not yelling at him anymore.
Sirius and Peter left the table, Sirius to go and fetch his Herbology book that he'd forgotten and Peter off for his free period. James and Remus headed out into the grounds for Herbology. The morning was rather cool, some students had even worn their scarves out. James could tell Remus was a little anxious about something.
"Spit it out, Moony." James slung his arm around Remus's shoulder.
"Would it be okay if I asked Marlene to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Remus looked sideways at James trying to gage his reaction.
James wasn't too surprised, especially after that past Saturday night in the Common Room. "Absolutely, Moony! You don't need my permission to ask her."
"She's like a sister to you," Remus shrugged a little bit. "I didn't want it to be weird or anything."
"It won't be weird for me but I don't know how Padfoot will feel about it." James felt himself yanked backwards a little bit.
"How I'll feel about what?" Sirius eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Not changing our plans for Halloween, are you?"
Remus explained to Sirius that he was going to ask Marlene to go with him to Hogsmeade next weekend. "Remus! How could you do this to me? You're deserting me for McKinnon? Oh, what cruel world is this?"
James and Remus shoved Sirius backwards and then sprinted down the lawn to the greenhouses. Sirius landed in a puddle and scowled. Marlene, Lily, and Alice walked by him and laughed. The boy picked up a glob of mud and hurled it at them as they passed by. Lily's wand was out and she flicked her wrist, sending the mudball flying back into Sirius's face. The girls cackled as they picked up their pace. They arrived just in time for Professor Sprout to open the greenhouse door and let the students in. Emmeline Vance was their fourth in Herbology and she greeted the girls warmly as they joined her at their table. Sirius was the last student to enter. He still had a little bit of mud in his hair.
"Oy! Black! You've got something in your hair!" Marlene burst into giggles as Sirius slowly pulled the gunk of mud from his hair and threw it to the greenhouse floor. Professor Sprout ushered him to join James and Remus at their table. The only table of three in class.
"Go for a romp in the mud, Padfoot?" James chuckled as he pulled another clump of mud from his friend's hair.
"Sod off, Potter."
Marlene was sitting in the library late on a Sunday afternoon. She was trying to finish the essay for Divination and was not having much luck finding the right book. It only added to her frustration that none of her friends had taken Divination this year. Unless you counted Peter and no one ever did. She was about to give up and return to the tower before dinner when someone sat down across from her. Marlene looked up at Remus and smiled. "Hey, Remus. I was just about to head back to the tower."
"Oh, I'll walk with you then." Remus had his bag with him to pretend he had come to the library to do work.
"Didn't you come to do work?" Marlene didn't think Remus was type of person to skive off his work.
"I was actually headed back when I saw you sitting by yourself. Thought you might like some company." On the outside he was completely composed, inside his mind was screaming.
The pair left the library side by side under Madam Pince's disapproving look. She always thought the worst of the students. The younger ones disrespected the books and the older ones behaved inappropriately in the corners of the library. Marlene was excitedly telling Remus about her birthday on Wednesday. She was pretty sure she was going to get her grandmother's old watch that she had fallen in love with as a child. Remus smiled at her. He could start to feel the uneasy feeling in his stomach as he started to get a little anxious about asking her.
They were walking along an empty hallway as they made their way to the stairs from the sixth to seventh floor. Remus stopped them and pulled Marlene into a little alcove. Marlene looked at him curiously. There was the smallest of flushes on his face. Other than that you couldn't tell how nervous he was to ask Marlene.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me to Hogsmeade on Halloween?" Remus didn't stutter and didn't speak too quickly.
A beautiful smile stretched across Marlene's face. She leaned in and gave Remus a peck on the cheek. "I would love to go with you to Hogsmeade, Remus."
Remus grinned. All of the shyness seemed to vanish in that instant. Marlene's face was still hovering close to his. Remus slowly reached a hand up to her cheek. She didn't flinch or move away, Remus took that as an okay and leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met a little clumsily at first but it didn't take long for the two teens to hit their stride. Remus sat down on the bench against the wall and pulled Marlene into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
Someone clearing their voice brought the two students back to reality. Professor McGonagall was standing in the corridor with one of her strict expressions. Marlene and Remus stood up quickly and looked at McGonagall petrified. "Mr. Lupin, Miss McKinnon. I suggest you return to your Common Room before dinner. Remember you're a prefect, Mr. Lupin." Both students grabbed their bags and took off down the corridor.
"Your lips are a little swollen there, Remus." James teased his friend. "Get hit in the mouth by something?"
Remus didn't even blush. He grinned wolfishly at his friends as they sat down in the Great Hall. Marlene was sitting down the table with Lily, Alice, Frank, Colin, and a seventh-year girl. She kept glancing at Remus and he kept grinning. The two had spent plenty of time together that week and were excited for their date to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Sirius had turned the tables on Remus and pretended to lecture him every time he came back from a late night 'walk.' These lectures usually consisted of Remus not upholding his duties as Marauder, what with their Halloween prank happening tomorrow. Sirius would even lecture him about his duties as a prefect and how he needed to be a good role model for the younger students. This he did in an impeccable Lily Evans impression that even James found it hard not to laugh.
"I think for my birthday I want some of what Moony is getting." Sirius grinned, it had been a while since he'd had a good snog. The boys didn't understand the context of Sirius's comment and they just sort of looked at him like he was a nutter. "Not Marlene! A snog. I want to snog someone on my birthday. You sick bastards. Why would I ever want to snog McKinnon?"
James exchanged looks with Remus. "Sure. That's what you meant, Padfoot. You're not jealous at all that Moony here is going on a date with Marlene."
Sirius huffed and muttered something about respecting elders under his breath. "Don't come looking for me when you need wisdom from such an experienced expert."
"You're four months older than us, Padfoot. Please forgive us if we look elsewhere for wisdom." James was in stitches, he was laughing so hard.
James, Sirius, and Peter spent their trip to Hogsmeade camped out in the Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeer. The weather outside was abominable. Wind was howling and rain was falling sideways. It didn't deter the students from getting out of the castle. No one wanted to pass up the opportunity of being mostly unchaperoned for the day. They hadn't run into the three couples that had been spending an awful lot of time together in the past week. The sky was darkening outside as the storm picked up. James frowned, he thought Remus and Marlene would have come to the Three Broomsticks at some point. The boys finished off their fourth round of Butterbeers and started the trek back to school.
Groups of students were all along the path that led back to Hogwarts. All struggling with the onslaught of wind and rain. Argus Filch, the caretaker was at the entrance to the castle, forcing the students to dry off when they entered. Professor McGonagall was there to help the younger students perform the drying spells. The Gryffindor boys took their Zonko and Honeyduke purchases up to Gryffindor Tower and waited for Remus in the dormitory. The storm outside was raging and it was almost time for the students to head down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. Still there was no sight of Remus.
About ten minutes before the boys were ready to head down, Remus burst through the door. "I hate Filch! Sorry I'm late."
The boys made sure they had everything they needed before they headed down. They smiled as innocently as they could as they passed McGonagall who was standing outside the grand double doors. James and Sirius were flanking Peter so that he couldn't give them away to McGonagall. The quartet sat down at the very end of the Gryffindor table, James and Sirius were on the outside and the other two had their backs to the Ravenclaw table. The Head of Gryffindor scowled at them as she made her way up the hall. She knew they were up to something.
"Remus, you're sure this will work?" Sirius whispered across the table as he watched McGonagall's back.
"Of course, it will work!" Remus scowled across the table. "Have I ever miscalculated?"
Sirius opened his mouth and then closed it again. "No, that was me and James. Never mind."
The four boys watched Dumbledore very attentively as he shared his usual Halloween feast speech. They leaned forward as Dumbledore said he wouldn't keep them from their treats any longer. He brought his hands together. The gold trays, platters, and plates on the tables vanished instead of filling with sweets. The professors at the head table looked around the room. McGonagall had her eyes trained on the four boys in the very back corner of the hall. She was about to stand up when there was a loud crack of thunder and all the light went out from the hall.
"Go! Go! Go!" Sirius whispered loudly. Shoving James out of seat.
Students weren't even trying to hide their confusion. People could hear the panic in some of the younger students' voices. Anyone who was in the fourth year or older knew it had something to do with the Marauders and they waited anxiously to see what special 'treat' they had planned for this year's Halloween. Suddenly music was playing from all around the hall even though it was still dark. A spotlight shone at the end of the Gryffindor table where Remus was standing in a white jumpsuit. The Ravenclaw table got a spotlight and James was up on that table, also in a white jumpsuit. Sirius was under the spotlight that shone on the Hufflepuff table. The Slytherin table was the last to get a spotlight at the end of the table, Peter was still clamoring onto the table when the light appeared. The four boys started to strut down the long house tables in time with the music.
"You're so hot, teasing me," Sirius was singing along to the music. "So you're blue but I can't take a chance on a chick like you. It's something I couldn't do."
There's that look in your eyes
I can read in your face
That your feelings are driving you wild
Ah, but girl you're only a child
The boys kept moving on up the tables, their spotlights following them. The Slytherins were so baffled that they weren't even trying to heckle Peter who having a little more difficulty with the disco choreography than the other three were. As they went they began pointing their wands at students who flinched at first, scared of what type of prank this was. It turned out the Marauders had decided that the Halloween feast this year would feature a costume party.
Well I can dance with you honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out
And I can chat with you baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out
"Take it easy." Sirius was getting towards the middle of the Hufflepuff table.
"Take it easy!" James, Remus, and Peter chorused.
Better slow down girl
That's no way to go
Does your mother know?
"Take it easy." Sirius changed three fourth-year girls' robes into butterfly costumes.
"Take it easy!" James, Remus, and Peter chorused.
Try to cool it girl
Take it nice and slow
Does your mother know?
Remus had reached the part of the table where Marlene, Lily, and Alice were sitting with Colin and Frank. He went down the row flicking his wand at each of them. Lily's costume was a doe with face paint and ears and all. Colin was a hunter complete with a wool hunting cap. Frank's robes transformed into a tree and Alice sprouted fairy wings out the back of her now pale green robes. Remus got to Marlene last. When he flicked his wand at her, her robes transformed into the clothes of a muggle rockstar with a tambourine and a black top hat. Remus pulled her up onto the table to dance with him.
Other students took the lead from Remus and were getting up to dance as their robes transformed into costumes. Meanwhile, Sirius had reached the end of the Hufflepuff table which strategically placed him directly in front of Professor McGonagall.
"I can see what you want, but you seem pretty young to be searching for that kind of fun!" Sirius was pointing at McGonagall, singing directly to her. "So maybe I'm not the one."
The students at the front of the hall who could see what Sirius was doing couldn't contain their laughter or excitement. Hagrid's clothing erupted in smoke into a glittering dragon with a grand hat on top of his head that continued to spout smoke. Sirius flicked his wand in McGonagall's direction and a pair of fuzzy cat ears replaced her green witch's hat.
"Now you're so cute, I like your style." Sirius grinned as McGonagall shouted at him to get down from the table immediately. "And I know what you mean when you give me a flash of that smile."
"Smile!" James and Peter were at the tops of their table. Remus and Marlene were dashing up to the top of the Gryffindor table, albeit with a little more difficulty because Gryffindor house was rather enthusiastic about this impromptu concert.
"But girl you're only a child!" Sirius hopped off the table and ran up to the head table.
Well I can dance with you honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out
And I can chat with you baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out
"Take it easy!" Sirius had reached McGonagall and was trying to get her to dance with him.
"Take it easy!" James flicked his wand at Dumbledore's robes. Everyone who could see the front of the hall through the groups of students dancing were thrilled with Dumbledore's costume. His robes had transformed into the ones the McGonagall had been wearing.
Better slow down girl
That's no way to go
Does your mother know?
"Take it easy." Sirius desperately tried to hold in his laughter at Dumbledore's costume but was having a poor time of it.
"Take it easy!" James, Remus, Marlene and Peter chorused.
Try to cool it girl
Take it nice and slow
Does your mother know?
Sirius gave up and offered his hand to Dumbledore. Inviting the McGonagall costumed headmaster to dance with him instead. The headmaster graciously accepted and let Sirius lead him in the disco dance.
Well I can dance with you honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out
And I can chat with you baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out
Almost all of the students were up and dancing. Everyone was wearing costumes, much to the dismay of some of the older students and a large number of Slytherin students.
Well I can dance with you honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out
And I can chat with you baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out
James, Remus, and Peter made their way to where Sirius was.
Well I can dance with you honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out
And I can chat with you baby
As Sirius twirled Dumbledore away at the last few beats of the music, the three boys came up beside him. They struck a pose together as the last beat of music played. The hall erupted into cheers and excitement. The boys looked over to Snape and were excited to see that he had on a rather impressive bat-like set of robes. Alice and Lily had come to stand with Marlene up at the front of the Gryffindor table and watched to see what would happen next.
The headmaster waited for the cheers to quiet down. He returned the podium at the front of the room. "It looks like this year's Halloween feast has turned into a Halloween party!" Dumbledore waved his wand and the four house tables vanished. Tables appeared along the sides of the Great Hall filled with food and drink. Another flourish of the wand and ABBA's Dancing Queen started to play. The students all continued to dance and cheer.
James caught sight of Lily in the corner with Marlene and Alice. There was no mistaking what her costume was. She was a doe. He whipped around and looked at Remus who shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't do it on purpose, Prongs!" Remus called over the noise. "If it's any consolation, Colin is a hunter!"
Sirius had continued to dance with Dumbledore much to the displeasure of a number of female students. A girl in a ballerina costume cut in and Dumbledore returned to the other teachers. A few moments later he was seen pulling McGonagall out onto the dance floor. Everyone would remember the famous Halloween party of '76, the Marauder trick that turned out to be a treat and they got away without a detention.