It was the second Saturday since the beginning of the school year, the weather being unusually hot for a mid-September day. Hogwarts students took the opportunity to whip out their summer clothes and flock about the grounds before the fall cool settled in. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were no exception. The two friends were settled underneath the shade of an oak tree near the edge of the Black Lake, Remus reading a book on historical incantations while Peter dwindled down a pile of Cauldron Cakes. Many students around them had brought out House tapestries and laid them on the floor to have picnics. The atmosphere was peaceful and tranquil. Until of course it wasn't.
"Oi, you two look like a pair of mummies." Sirius and James had just arrived from playing a spot of Quidditch, with windswept hair and broomsticks in hand.
"It's called relaxing," Remus explained playfully. "One does not always have to be in constant movement, you know."
"Speak for yourself," James said, smirking. He flopped down next to Remus and proceeded to throw an apple over his head and catch it in mid-air.
"How was your game of Quidditch?" Peter asked eagerly.
"Quite nice. James is knackered because I beat him to a pulp." Sirius said.
James threw the apple at Sirius, who caught it with ease inches before his perfectly bridged nose.
Peter watched the whole exchange with admiration. "Can I come along next time?" he asked timidly.
"Sure, mate, if you're really up for it." James answered, yawning monstrously. He did not see the huge grin that spread across his chubby friend's face.
"Hey, James, look out." Sirius said smirking and gesturing to something behind James' head. He whirled around to see Lily Evans, clad in a multicolored striped miniskirt and plain white top. She had just emerged from the building with Mary, Marlene and Emmeline and was laughing beautifully along with them. Lily hadn't noticed James looking at her, but Marlene did, and she made a great show of nudging Lily in the ribs so she would notice. Lily's green eyes fell on the messy-haired Marauder, and after blushing significantly, she just rolled her eyes. The group of four girls would have continued walking right past them if Sirius hadn't opened his mouth to say:
"Oi, girls! Aren't you planning on at least saying hello?"
"Oh, hello, Remus and Peter. Nice to see you two out on such a lovely day!" said Mary in her traditional sardonic tone.
"You hear that, Padfoot? Apparently we're invisible now!" James said with mock astonishment.
"Wouldn't be the first time, if you know what I mean." Sirius replied, alluding to their midnight excursions.
"Padfoot? What kind of a nickname is that?" said a cross-armed Emmeline, almost incredulously.
"Wouldn't you like to know, Vance?" said Sirius in the most alluring way he could manage.
Emmeline just scoffed dismissively in return.
"So, um, where's Alice?" said Remus, trying to avoid an awkward moment between the two groups.
"She's off with Frank, they're having a picnic together." Lily answered.
James sighed. "Someday, that will be you and me, Evans. Having picnics together, taking sunset strolls, meeting up after hou—"
"Listen, Potter, I am in too much of a good mood to let one of your stupidities ruin it. But just know that I wouldn't date you if we were the last two breathing mammals on the planet. It was nice seeing you, Remus and Peter. Black." And without another word, the scarlet haired Gryffindor turned on her heel and left, her friends muttering their goodbyes and following her.
Peter was left in a state of catatonic shock while Remus sniggered quietly at his reaction. Sirius let out his barking laughter and said, "A feisty one, she is."
James simply smiled. "She'll come around someday."
"Speaking of coming around, look who's coming our way." Said Remus bitterly, nodding in the direction that the girls had walked towards. Except it wasn't the girls.
James, Sirius, Remus and a rather hesitant Peter rose up to their full height to meet Milton Avery, Evan Rosier, Alfred Mulciber and Severus Snape face to face.
"Well, if it isn't the most ridiculous quartet in all of Hogwarts' history." Said Avery with his unwipable smug smile, his cronies chuckling alongside him.
"Honestly, Avery, you musn't speak of yourselves in that way; you lot already have trouble with the ladies." James said coolly with a confident smirk.
"It seems the only person having trouble here is you," Snape returned. "You can't even get the one you like."
James tensed at Snape's words, for he knew exactly what Snape was referring to. The fact that Lily and Snape were friends made his blood churn and his head boil. The sight of them laughing and talking made James much more jealous than he cared to admit, and he could always feel the back of his neck burning in rage. It was like a sick game the fates had played on him, that the person that he despised the most had to be his unrequited love's confidant.
Before James had the chance to open his mouth and give a nasty response, Sirius interjected. "Sod off, Snivellus. Why don't you all go crawling back to that slimy hole you live in?"
"Rather cranky are we, Black?" said Mulciber with a knowing smile.
"Did you have a ruff night?" chuckled Rosier, the rest of the Slytherins joining him.
Sirius blanched. "Excuse me?" he said through clenched teeth, already reaching for his wand in his back pocket.
"What do you know? Stupid and deaf!" Avery laughed.
By now, both James' and Sirius' wands were poised in front of them, ready for action. "Why don't you four take a dive in the lake and snoop somewhere you haven't before?"
"No need to get all aggressive, lads. We're all good friends here…after all, we do know each other's secrets." Mulciber said.
"James, Sirius, don't." Remus said sternly, recognizing the crazy in look in both of his friends' eyes whenever they were about to enunciate a hex.
With a reproachful look, both Marauders reluctantly brought down their wands. The Slytherins chuckled contemptuously as Snape said, "Try not to get into too much trouble, boys. Your nanny won't always be there to save you."
And with that, they turned on their heel and left in the direction they came from. Once they were completely out of earshot, Sirius faced Remus. "Moony, are you mad? Those nosebleeds were about to get what they deserved!"
"Don't you see, Sirius? If in fact they do know what they say they do, they just need a reason to go spilling it all to Dumbledore!" Remus said, getting agitated. "You three are unregistered Animagi, and the consequence would not be a month's work with Filch like last year. This is Azkaban we're talking about!"
"Moony's right, Padfoot." James agreed, rubbing his forehead. "There's too much at risk right now."
Peter whimpered loudly at the thought of dementors being the first thing they saw when waking up.
Sirius huffed. "You're right. But only this time I let them go! If they keep looking for me, they will find me, Azkaban or not."