Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing them, and no profit is gained.
Dell was the first one out of her dormitory that morning, her roommates barely having had put their socks on. Last night after the Headmistress had sent them off to bed, their prefects had led them to their houses and they had made their way to their dormitories. There, Dell had met her four other dorm mates, and she hadn't much liked them.
Carly Creevey, Hailey Jordan, Kailey Jordan (twins) and Liberty Freeman. All Carly and Liberty had wanted to talk about was boys, specifically James Potter. They apparently were 'head over heels' for him already. Hailey and Kailey's father, however, was best friends with Fred's father, so in turn they knew Fred, and had met James on a few occasions. But people wondered how the girls ended up in the same house. If you looked at each in turn closely enough, they had all the aspects of a Gryffindor, but the two were total opposites, and they hated each other. Well, they didn't hate each other, but they strongly disliked each other, and were always found fighting about one thing or another, and it was so annoying. Dell couldn't be stuck with worse roommates (though, she had a feeling if she caught Hailey and Kailey separately, they'd be pretty cool people). So Dell booted it out of her dormitory fast.
Like planned the night before, she met the guys in the dormitory. "So how are your roommates?" Fred asked, falling into step beside her as they left the common room.
"Don't ask," She replied flatly. Fred raised his eyebrows but didn't push the subject any further.
They soon arrived in the Great Hall, and immediately all four of them looked up at the ceiling. It looked like it was going to be a clear day. They smiled as they slid into their seats, Dell and Fred next to each other, Tyler and James across from them. Dell looked at the three boys and could already tell that this was going to be a long friendship. She smiled glad she had bumped into Tyler that day at the robe shop.
"What are you smiling about?" Asked James suspiciously, his eyebrows raised.
"Oh, nothing," Dell said, buttering a piece of toast. She looked up as Dominique slipped into the seat beside her, and Lucy across from Dom.
"Hey," Said Lucy breathless, "Timetables arrived yet?" Tyler shook his head, but they were all looking at Dominique for she looked annoyed about something.
"What's the matter Dom?" James finally asked, eyebrows raised. Dominique's angry eyes found Lucy. Lucy slid down in her seat, letting her brown hair fall in front on her face. "I'll tell you what's wrong. It seems Lucy can't see my sister without having a row with her! It's the first day back, and she's already gone and lost some house points from my sister because they got into another argument! If she can't last two minutes out of the common room, how is she going to last the whole school year?" Dom said, her breathing now heavy.
"Well, at least she's not the one who'll be receiving a howler," Fred said shrugging.
"I'm not receiving a howler!" James said indignantly, as Tyler smirked and Dell turned back, wondering how good the chances were.
"Well, if your dad tells your mom what you did when he finds out you nicked it, then yes, you'll be getting a howler," Fred said. Seemed the chances were good. James scowled.
Lucy looked at James and said, "What did you do this time James?"
"None of your business," Muttered James, scowling darkly at Fred for having broached the subject again.
Before anything else could be said though, Professor Longbottom came down with the timetables. Dell quickly read which subjects she had. These were the subjects she had –
Potions – Professor Warren
Transfiguration – Professor Lynn
Charms – Professor Flitwick
Herbology – Professor Longbottom
Defense Against The Dark Arts – Professor Scott
Astronomy – Professor Sinistra
History of Magic – Professor Binns
Dell didn't have them in that order, of course, nor did she have them all every day, but she had them each more than once spread throughout each week. She saw that she had History of Magic first thing.
"Ew, bad first class Monday. Binns puts everybody to sleep, I think only Aunt Hermione could withstand her voice. Maybe Rose or Hugo might have inherited it." Dominique said, looking at Dell's schedule.
"Probably Rose, she's more the study type. Hugo isn't really into that," Fred said absent-mindedly as the post came in. Dell had been ready for this; she'd been warned that hundreds of owls came in every morning to deliver the post.
Lola just landed in front of Dell with a letter from her parents when Fred gave a delightful yell. "I knew you'd get a howler!" He said with a smirk.
"Hey, your name will probably be in here too," James said, trying to make his voice sound strong though his face was pale and the hand undoing the letter from the owl was shaking the owl.
At first Dell wondered how they could tell it was a howler by just looking at it? Then she understood. The letter was red – blood red. It had also started smoking at where you'd opened it. At the word 'howler' a few people were looking over curiously, wondering how a person could get one on the first day. Then, with a look that clearly said 'kill me now' James opened it.
"James Sirius Potter!" A voice yelled out of the envelope that Dell took to be James mothers, magnified to three times as loud. By this point, everybody was looking. "How DARE you take that out of your fathers desk, when you knew perfectly well that you weren't supposed to! And I have no doubt you helped Fred, your parents will be hearing about this!"
"Told you she'd slip your name in there," James muttered as Fred said over and over, "But I had nothing to do with it!"
"I just can't believe you; you can't leave anything alone, can you? I can't believe I even sent you to Hogwarts; you'll be expelled in your first year! And don't you even dare show him how to use it Teddy!" Down the table Teddy ducked his head beneath the table, since it was already a bit too late for that. "You better send it back here this instant or else you'll be in even more trouble when you get home, you hear me?! I am NOT joking around James. What are we going to do with you?" And with that the letter burned up. The hall was silent for a few more seconds before Fred said once more, "But I didn't even know you took it, why's she telling my parents?" Then laughter broke out.
"You aren't going to tell us what it is you stole then, are you?" Lucy asked with raised eyebrows, glad Dominique's attention was finally off of her. James shook his head while Fred was banging his head against the table, something Tyler was watching with amusement, and Dell was trying to stop since he was sitting beside her. "How 'bout you, since you obviously know what it is?" Lucy said, turning to Teddy who had slid in next to them.
"I'm not going to tell you if these four aren't," Teddy said shaking his head. "So, I'm guessing you aren't giving it back," He added to James.
"Hell no," James said, finally turning away from the Howler and looking at Teddy as though he was crazy. Fred was still banging his head against the table, and Dell had finally given up stopping him and was just moving all the food out of harm's way.
"Does Vic know?" Asked Dom looking at Teddy piercingly. Teddy smirked.
"Too late, I've reached her before you; she isn't going to tell you anything."
James looked relieved though he did say, "Why'd you show her?"
"You showed your best friends, I showed mine. Mine just so happened to be your cousin." Teddy shrugged at his explanation before heading off with a wave.
"Ya, we'd better go to. Oh, and a warning; Miss. Prefect comes this way," Lucy said, getting up, Dominique following her. The two passed Victoire, or 'Miss. Prefect' on the way out, and Lucy made a rude hand gesture to her that Dominique covered with her hand and pulled her out.
"Oh, this will be good," Muttered Fred, who had finally stopped banging his head against the table, and was rubbing it.
Victoire stopped at the Gryffindor table, her prefects badge gleaming on her robes. "Who's your friend?" She asked glancing at Dell.
"This is Dell, Dell, this is our cousin, or as Lucy calls her, Miss. Prefect," Fred said, still rubbing his head. Victoire scowled at the last comment, glaring at Lucy's retreating back.
"She knows about the…?" Vic asked quietly.
"Yeah, she does, but only us four, Teddy, and you." James said, obviously not liking the last part.
Vic just rolled her eyes and said, "Well, I'm not going to make you send the map back -"
"As if you could," Mumbled James, but Victoire ignored this too.
"- since I used it enough times myself with Teddy. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to turn you in if I ever catch you wandering the halls at night, even if you have the map, which means you shouldn't get caught. Oh, and I won't say a word to Dom, or Lucy (like I would anyways) or any of the other cousins about what it is you stole. Merlin, you guys are going to do so much bad with it, I don't know why I let Teddy convince me to not say a word about you taking it."
"Because you like him," Muttered Fred which made the other guys snicker and Victoire turn red. Dell just rolled her head and hit Fred on the back of the head, which Victoire gave her a smile for.
"You guys are so immature," Dell said as soon as Victoire was out of earshot.
"That's why you love us," James said, flicking her in the ear. Dell just batted his hand away, grabbing her bag and they headed out of the hall together.
"Who said I loved you?" Asked Dell with her eyebrows raised.
"Well, you're hanging out with us, aren't you?" Tyler said, putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Who said I'm hanging out with you because I like you? I'm hanging out with you because all the girls in my dormitory are bigger idiots than you," Dell said, ducking out from under Tyler's arm. She laughed at their faces, and they laughed along with her as they followed her up the stairs.
"Come on idiots, we don't want to be too late for our first class," Dell said, already looking bored of History of Magic.
"Said like a true Marauder!" James said with a smile.
"A what?" Asked Dell, with raised eyebrows before remembering – "That was the name on the map."
"Ya, it was what my dad's dad and his friends called themselves – the Marauders. His name was James Potter, and his best friend was Sirius – they're who I'm named after. I thought it would be a good name for us – the new Marauders. Send the teachers running." James said, looking at the others. 'For us' - they were welcoming her into the group! Fred and Tyler agreed, and all three looked at Dell.
"Marauders – I like it."
Edited 2020-02-15