James sat down in the most plush chair that he could find in the expansive room. The four marauders were stationed in the Room of Requirement and it had mutated itself to become their mischief-making headquarters. Scarlet drapes hung on the walls, the floor was carpeted in a thick, fluffy gold. Four plush velvet chairs were situated around a large table on which pieces of parchment, quills, unending food and sweets, and four wands were placed.

Sirius cleared his throat tapping the map with his wand, "Ahem. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Now, this meeting is starting. Mr. Moony has a suggestion to make. Mr. Moony, you have the floor."

"Thank you, Mr. Padfoot." Said Remus looking around at the rest of them, "Now, as we've got Lily to fall for Mr. Prongs much faster than I ever thought possible, I suggest that we come up with a new master plan. One more mischievous, ruckus-making, and much, much, more stupid."

"I like the way you think, Mr. Moony," Said James smiling at Remus, "A stupid plan would be great fun, but...what?"

The four of them sat, in a circle, stumped, thinking.

Peter slammed his hand down on the table, "We should enchant the suits of armor to follow Snape to his classes!"

Sirius waved his hand, "Don't be a moron, Mr. Wormtail. We did that in fourth year."

"No need to be rude, Mr. Padfoot."

"Sorry, Mr. Moony."

"That's quite all right Mr. Padfoot."

James laughed at the two of them, "Well...how about we let some nifflers loose in the castle? Snivellus wears so many of those gaudy gold rings, his fingers with practically be knawed off!"

Sirius grinned, "That's brilliant, Mr. Prongs!"

Remus smiled, "How many in favor?"

"Mr. Prongs in favor."

"Mr. Padfoot in favor."

"Mr. Wormtail in favor."

Remus nodded, "And Mr. Moony in favor."

He wrote down the plan on a piece of parchment. Next to the summary of the plan, he wrote the word attempted and made a check box next to it. Then he wrote the words failed andsucceeded next to that, and drew a check box next to each of those.

Sirius pulled the parchment towards him and checked the box next to attempted.

James sighed and stroked the arm of his chair, "Do you all realize that once we leave the marauder empire will be lost?"

Remus patted his arm, "It's hard to believe, Prongs, but we'll have to get used to it."

Peter sniffed theatrically, "It's the end of an era..."

James looked around at them all and they all joined hands. He sighed, "Friends for life?"

"For life." They repeated.

"Never betray each other?" asked Sirius.

"Never betray." they said simultaneously.

"Never fail each other?" asked Remus.

"Never fail." They chanted in unison.

Peter stared at them all, "Marauders till the end of time?"

They clutched each other's hands harder, "Marauders forever."

Lily sat with Dorcas and Emmeline under the beech tree by the lake. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was bringing out the blond highlights in Dorcas's light brown toffee-colored hair. Emmeline was toying with her black hair and looking out over the lake. A peaceful, contented silence hung over the three of them. They had just eaten lunch so they were extremely full and fit to burst.

Lily smiled up at the sun, a stake suddenly piercing through her heart. This was the last year they would ever have to relax on the grass, enjoying each other's company like this. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

Emmeline looked over in shock, "Lils! Whats wrong?" Roused by Emmeline's voice, Dorcas looked over too, worried.

Lily laughed, her eyes red, "Oh, it's nothing, love. Just...a little emotional, I guess."

"Why are you emotional?" asked Dorcas in her usual blunt fashion.

Lily sighed, "It's just...I don't know...I'm going to miss all of you is all."

"Miss us when?" asked Emmeline, her brow furrowing.

"When we all have our own professions and we're far away from each other. Did you realize that this year is the last chance we have to relax with each other, unlimited leisure time. After school, we just might drift apart, and never see each other again."

Dorcas scowled, "Don't be silly. That will never happen. We love each other."

Emmeline nodded fervently, "I won't ever leave either of you."

Lily smiled and snuggled closer to the two of them, "Promise?"

Emmeline and Dorcas rolled their eyes like she was being silly, but nevertheless, they nodded, "Promise."

Lily walked down the grounds with Dorcas. Emmeline was throwing a quaffle back and forth with Gideon Prewett on the quidditch field.

Dorcas skipped absentmindedly in a circle around Lily as they walked, "Lils? Can I ask you something?"

Lily raised her eyebrows, "Do go on, meadowes."

She smiled, "Do you think I have a chance with Sirius?"

Lily gaped, "Sirius?! But Ems likes Sirius!"

She snickered, "I know. I just said that to get your attention. You were staring off into space, and it was creeping me out! You were this close drooling."

Lily frowned, "Not funny, Dorcas."

"Okay, okay. Sorry, love."

Lily sighed, "It's okay. Now, is there something you actually wanted to ask me, or was that it?"

She shook her head, "I wanted to ask you...well...do you think I have a chance with Remus?"

Lily looked up in surprise, "Remus? Hmm...I don't know. He likes that second year girl in ravenclaw, doesn't he? Nymphadora?"

Dorcas shrugged, "I guess. But it's kind of weird. A seventeen year old liking a twelve year old?"

Lily shrugged back, "I dont know. He really seems to like her. And you know, if he was twenty five and she was twenty, nobody would look twice."

"I suppose. It's just disappointing, you know? He's so sweet, and smart, and he's nothing like the rest of the guys in our year."

"I know, love, I know." said Lily, rubbing Dorcas's shoulders. They were crossing into the forbidden forest now and it was well past midnight.

"I guess I don't love him or anything, it's just a crush, so it should go away s-aah!" Dorcas screamed in terror. A full-grown werewolf was staring the two girls in the face.

Lily stared in dumb wonderment at it. It was so terrifying, yet so gentle-looking. It growled, baring its teeth at them.

Dorcas grabbed Lily's arm and clutched it in fright, "Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no no no!" she mumbled, a note of panic apparent in her voice.

Lily rubbed her shoulder trying to calm her down, "If we just back away slowly it may leave us alone."

Dorcas nodded and the two of them took a step backward, but immediately retraced their step because the werewolf, at the sight of them moving had let out an ear-piercing howl and if possible, looked more menacing than ever.

"Oh what do we do? What do we do, what do we do?" moaned Dorcas.

Before Lily could say anything a handsome stag bounded out of the trees and onto the werewolf. It was shortly followed by a huge, black, bearlike dog who nipped at the werewolf's heels until it turned around and fled.

The stag and dog ran after it into the darkness without a backwards look.

Stumbling over their own feet, the two girls scrambled to get out of the forest. Lily let out a cry, tripped over a tree root, and fell facedown in the dirt. A rat had scurried past her feet.

"Come on, Lils! It could come back."

Before they could move another inch, James, Sirius, and Peter came walking through the trees towards them.

"Hello girls," Said James coming up and kissing Lily, "Hello, sweetheart."

"What are doing here?" demanded Dorcas.

Sirius scowled, "I think the question is what are you doing here? We were merely hexing trees as we are now being followed by a battalion of prefects to make sure we don't hex slytherins."

Lily massaged her ankle, "We were just walking through the forest when a bloody werewolf came bounding out of the trees toward us. It howled every time we moved so we didn't know what to do when-"

Dorcas took over, "An enormous, giant bloody stag and a huge, bearlike dog jumped on him and chased him off, then they ran off too."

James looked them in the eyes, "That was us."

Lily frowned, "What?"

Sirius's eyes flashed at James, "What are you doing, Prongs?"

Peter gasped, "Don't tell them, James!"

"Why not?" he demanded, "They're not going to tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?!" asked Dorcas impatiently.

Sirius gave James a shrug and a look that clearly said tell them if you want to, but I'm not going to help you.

James nodded, "Well...Remus is a werewolf."

"What?!"

James nodded again, "No interruptions, please."

"Sorry." whispered Dorcas.

"Well...he is, he was bitten as a young boy. And...his transformations were really painful and lonely. Dumbledore lets him transform in the shrieking shack. Those aren't ghosts making that racket."

Lily gazed in wonderment, "You mean..."

"It was Remus. His transformations were so terrible that...in our fifth year we decided to help him so that he would have more fun transforming, and so that he wouldn't be as lonely."

"What did you do?" asked Dorcas.

James grinned, "We became animagus's."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Lily and Dorca

"But-but-but that's, like, intense, magical skill! Even the most trained wizards can't perform that spell! And you did it as fifth years?!" Lily spluttered incredulously.

He grinned in reply.

"It's-it's a miracle you didn't kill yourselves."

Sirius smiled, "Yeah, well, Prongs and I figured it out pretty well, and we helped Peter."

Peter scowled in return.

James sighed impatiently, "May I continue? So, that stag you saw was me, that dog you saw was Sirius, and Peter here, is a rat."

Dorcas shook her finger at the three of them, "So that's why!"

"Why what?"

"Prongs...Padfoot...Wormtail..."

James grinned happily, glad that she was catching on, "Yeah."

But that wasn't what astonished Lily, "Poor Remus..."

Sirius nodded, "It's a sad tale."

James nodded solenmly, "Everybody seems to leave Remus out of this, even though he's the most important component."

More coming soon! Well, not of chapter 6, thats done, but I'm writing chapter 7! You know the drill...read...review...read...review...repeat 60 more times and you'll live forever!