Severus entered the Gryffindor Common Room with a smile on his face. Arcturus had told him everything he knew about his mother, though it was not a lot. A lot of the interactions they had were at the Wizengamot meetings. But he had learned that his mother used to brew potions to send to wizarding hospitals from all over Europe. She had also improved some of the healing potions that were used today.
Severus had brewed the potions Arcturus wanted him to brew, and he knew he had done well, when Arcturus smiled at him. To get a smile from Arcturus was not often, but when that happened, it was always a good thing.
"Well? How did it go?" Sirius asked when he saw him.
"He says he's going to talk to Slughorn tomorrow, but by the smile he gave me, I believe I passed," Severus replied.
"That's awesome, Sev!" Lily exclaimed, hugging him.
"Come on!" James said excitedly. "Let's go exploring!"
"But it's nearly curfew!" Lily exclaimed. "We'll lose points! We'll get detention!"
Sirius was reminded of Hermione Granger. "We can go exploring, but only if we take the cloak," Sirius said. "Also, no leaving the school this time."
"Great!" James exclaimed, ignoring Lily's concerns. "I'll go get the cloak!" He raced up to the boys dormitory.
"He is going to get us in trouble somehow, I just know it," Severus said.
"We can just blame him again," Remus joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"But we would still all get in trouble for not stopping him!" Lily argued.
Remus shrugged. "Let's just not get caught then," he said just as James came back with the cloak.
"Alice and Mary!" James called out. The two girls looked up from their homework. "You can come with us!"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Mary exclaimed, jumping up and slamming her Potions textbook shut. Alice closed her textbook and stood as well.
"You know, James, they should just join us," Lily said, giving him a pleading look. "I hate being the only girl!"
"Alice and Mary, do you two want to become members of the Marauders?" James asked.
"Yes!" both said in unison.
"Welcome to the Marauders!" Sirius said with a grin.
"James wants to go exploring," Remus explained. "Are you two in?"
"Oh, we've been ready since James asked if we wanted to come too," Alice responded.
"James, could we go to the kitchens?" Remus asked. "I've wanted to go since you talked about it before Amara was attacked."
"Oh! Right!" James said. "Come on!" The seven Marauders left Gryffindor Tower quietly. They went down many flights of stairs until they arrived at a door with a picture of a bowl of fruit. James tickled the pear and it turned into a door handle. He opened the door and they walked inside.
"Hi Tibby!" James exclaimed.
"Hi Dinky," Sirius greeted.
"Students should not be in here after curfew, young masters and mistresses!" Tibby said, pointing a little finger at them. "Tibby should get Mistress McGonagall!"
"No! Please don't!" James said with panic.
"Tibby won't get Mistress McGonagall, but only if young masters and mistresses promise to leave right after getting something to eat," Tibby compromised.
James was about to open his mouth, but Remus quickly said, "Deal!"
"What would yous like, young masters and mistresses?" Dinky asked.
"Just anything you can find, maybe leftovers from dinner," Sirius requested. "And perhaps seven butterbeers."
Dinky had her hands on her hips. "House-elves are not be allowed to give first years butterbeer," she said sternly. "Only third years and above!"
"Alright, then what about Firewhisky?" James asked, knowing full well that was even more off limits.
The house-elves in the room went crazy. Dinky looked upset. "Firewhisky is for adults only, young Master James," she scolded. "And Headmaster Black has forbidden all adult drinks at this school!"
Sirius could understand why. He remembered from his old timeline that whenever someone got drunk at a Black family gathering, Arcturus would have them kicked out until they were sober. Pollux had gotten drunk at the Yule Ball when Sirius was eight. Pollux had found himself banned from Black Castle until he sobered up. Arcturus most likely didn't want any teachers getting drunk, especially Hagrid.
"Oh, come on!" James argued. "You call me Young Master, so since I'm your master, you need to do as I say!" Sirius groaned. He knew James would keep trying, but he also knew that James was perfectly aware that house-elves had to follow the orders from the adults, not the children.
Severus, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Alice, and Mary knew that if James kept this up, the house-elves would go tell someone.
"James, let's forget about it," Remus pleaded.
"Yes, we don't want to get into trouble," Alice added.
"You're all no fun!" James complained. "Fine! Get us butterbeer, and we'll never tell anyone you gave it to us!"
"James! No!" Sirius hissed. "They can't disobey orders!"
"Yeah, we're not third years yet!" Lily exclaimed.
"Listen to young friends!" another house-elf exclaimed.
Before James could argue any further, they heard footsteps. It sounded like McGonagall's footsteps.
"Hide!" Sirius hissed. They threw the cloak over themselves and stood in one of the corners. Just in time too. The door opened to reveal Minerva McGonagall.
"Good evening," she said. "The staff will be having their staff meeting soon, and we need some snacks. Please have the snacks sent up to the staffroom as soon as possible." Several elves started putting together the snacks while Tibby and Dinky stood nervously.
"Mistress McGonagall, there are students trying to break rules," Tibby told her mistress.
"Oh really?" McGonagall asked. "Who? And what are they doing?"
" Young masters James is being the worst, but with him are young masters Sirius, Severus, and Remus, and young mistresses Lily, Alice, and Mary," Tibby replied. "They are being naughty by being out after curfew and young master James wanted butterbeer or firewhisky, but we house-elves said no. He still argued, even when young friends tried telling him to stop."
McGonagall sighed. "Where are they now?" she asked.
"In the corner, Mistress McGonagall," Tibby said, pointing to the corner they were standing in. As McGonagall turned to them, they knew they were doomed.
McGonagall then said, "Take off the invisibility cloak. Now!" James pulled off the cloak, and they faced her. "Twenty-five points each from Gryffindor for being out after curfew and for trying to get drinks you clearly cannot have," she said sternly. "You will each have a week's worth of detention with Professor Slughorn. Do not let me catch you out after curfew again. Now, back to your common room, and no detours."
The seven of them nodded, realizing they had lost one hundred seventy-five points altogether.
"That didn't go well," James said when they got back to the common room. "Oh well! There's always next time!"
The other six groaned. What would James try next? They didn't know if they wanted to find out.
McGonagall entered the staffroom and sat. "You're a few minutes late, Minerva," Pamona teased.
"Yes, well, James Potter will be the death of me," Minerva replied. "And wherever he goes, his friends are there with him."
"What did those five do now?" Pamona asked curiously.
"You mean seven," Minerva corrected.
"Seven?" Horace asked.
"Yes, Miss McDonald and Miss Fortescue were with them," Minerva explained. "They were down in the kitchens, and it was after curfew, of course. Mr. Potter wanted butterbeer or firewhisky." The staff gasped. "The house-elves refused, but he apparently kept arguing, even when his friends told him to stop," Minerva continued. "They have been dealt with. Gryffindor has lost one hundred seventy-five points tonight."
Some of the staff chuckled. The headmaster then started the meeting while wondering what those students would do next.