Written for QLFC Season 11, Round 3.

Title: Seventh Year Sunrise

Team: Caerphilly Catapults

Position: Chaser 2

Prompts: Eos 'Goddess of the Dawn' [Greek]: Write a story set at the break of dawn. Optional prompts included: [trope] huddling for warmth, [dialogue] "How could you possibly have forgotten?", [relationship type] best friends

Betas: Queenie, Bea, Ikuni

Warnings: Swearing, Cannon character death

Word Count: 2981 words

Author's Note: Inspired by an American high school tradition where the graduating senior class will watch the sunrise together, representing change and new beginnings. I know that when you watch the sunrise can vary, but my high school did it on the first day of school (to build momentum for the rest of the school year) and so will the event in this fic.

'Seventh Year Sunrise'

"OI!" Sirius shrieked. Sirius had just fallen victim to, a rather cleverly cast, tripping jinx that forced him to fall face-first into the cold dewy grass. He did not meet his fate gracefully, hitting the ground with a loud thud and rising from it unsteadily as he moved to tackle his attacker. "JAMIE, you TERROR-"

Remus trudged in the chilly morning, still in his rumpled pajamas, next to Peter, who seemed to be working on the art of sleeping while walking, an art that would've been much appreciated by Remus if he wasn't currently focusing on not eating shite like Sirius just had.

"Would the two of you slow the fuck down?" he called out, his irritation shining through the timbre of his voice. "I think Peter's getting even slower, and at this rate, you'll end up leaving the both of us behind."

He glanced at Peter, making sure he was still moving forward albeit with his eyes closed. "Not that I'd mind walking back to the castle in this beautiful," he slowed to twirl prettily to James' ire, "weather to go and catch up on some much-needed rest!"

James turned his head back to check that they hadn't actually turned around and gone back to the castle before turning back around, walking, irritatingly, even faster, yelling to the wind, "Save the attitude Moony, and hurry, we're going to miss it."

"Miss what, exactly Prongs?" He rubbed his hands together, trying to produce more heat, yearning for the wand that he'd left at his bedside table because of coaxing from James that this venture would only take a moment, "I don't see what could possibly be important enough to wake us up at bloody 5:30 in the morning." By then Sirius had slowed down from James' demanding pace and was walking in step with Remus.

Sirius sent him a soothing grin. A grin that absolutely did not make his heart start fluttering. Grins don't do that. Especially not Padfoot's. "It's a surprise, Moony. Let him have this, would you? It's a good one."

"Fine…for James," he said softly, ignoring Sirius' silvery warm eyes that brightened as he murmured in the affirmative, muttering as an afterthought, "even if you and him were absolute nutters this morning."

Sirius' smile widened and he grabbed Remus' hand, interlocking the werewolf's fingers (an unintentional action Remus, don't look into it) within his own, and pulled him forward to where James was marching ahead, letting Peter wearily try to catch up behind them, still half asleep.

The bright golden light of the sun was starting to peek over the horizon as the Marauders finally reached the shores of the Great Lake. The Giant Squid lifted a tentacle out of the water to greet them. Remus didn't remember to greet him back as freezing cold water suddenly splashed him.

Shrieking, he folded his arms across his chest and shivered as James turned away from the lake to face them with his arms wide.

"This is it, lads."

"Wow, a freezing beach, so cool."

Ignoring Remus, James said, "We're going to do a ritual!"

"A ritual?" The words seemed to have woken Peter up enough to be confused and slightly scared.

"I read about it in my Muggle Studies textbook!"

"...And?"

"You gather your dear ones on the morning of the commencement of school to manifest your life wishes as the sun rises above the horizon-"

Sirius interrupted, "In other words, we're going to watch the sunrise together as we talk about our futures!"

James plopped down on the wet grass underneath the branches of a leafless hanging tree and pulled out a large wicker basket from where he'd hidden it under his invisibility cloak. He must've put some kind of undetectable extension charm on the basket because the three-liter glass bottle of pumpkin juice he pulled out seemed disproportionately larger than it. He made a show of pulling each item out, letting his face show wonder like a Muggle magician who wasn't completely sure he could summon a rabbit from his hat.

"I had to get Mum to get our elf to make a trip to some Muggle grocery for the chocolate digestives. Who knew that Wizards just don't make them? But, I've brought the necessary food things." He gestured at the excessive amount of food he'd just placed on the dewy ground. "We've got your main food groups, juice, sandwiches, and things for s'mores-" A suddenly bright-eyed Peter made a noise of interest. "Thank you to Moony for the terribly long lecture on the subject a couple of weeks ago, it really helped me get to sleep quickly-"

Moony coughed in warning but moved to sit on the ground near where James sat (his poor cold arse) and Peter and Sirius proceeded to do the same. Sirius in particular squished himself into Remus' space, so much so that Remus could feel Padfoot's warm breath on his neck. But Padfoot had to have done that unintentionally, Remus thought. If Sirius was cool about it, then so was he. He turned his attention away from his beautiful mate next to him and back to James who seemed to still be talking.

"-And my brother from a very different mother—sorry Padfoot—has gracefully brought us the things to get our bonfire started so we can enjoy s'mores!"

Padfoot just stared at James with panic in his eyes from his place beside Remus. James' expression slackened as he closed his eyes, "Padfoot, please tell me you brought the firestuffs."

He winced, "...About that–"

"If only we had our WANDS or something, then maybe we could not lose our fingers to frostbite-" Remus petulantly glanced at James only to receive a glare in response.

"I THOUGHT that it would be nice and charming and I don't know, more memorable maybe, if we could just do this without wands, Remus," James said, rubbing his hands together, "As I've explained to you at least forty-eight times in the time it took to walk over here."

Peter squeaked with panic, "I'm too young to lose my fingers to frostbite-"

"Forget fingers, a part that can be replaced with an easy magical prosthetic with a wave of a healer's wand." Remus' face twitched in humor. "Think more important, Wormy." He let his gaze drift to Wormtail's stomach and then downward, if only for James' ire.

Peter's eyes widened in fear as he turned to James sharply in search of comfort and reassurance, "PRONGS, AM I GONNA LOSE MY BOLLOCKS BECAUSE PADFOOT CAN'T GET HIS SHITE TOGETHER?"

Sirius let his left hand fly to his chest, the perfect image of someone who'd just taken offense. "HEY, I have my shite together-"

"Except for the fact you forgot the one thing that's RATHER IMPORTANT to you and your best mates' survival." Sirius closed his mouth, chastised. James raised an eyebrow quickly, scoffing in irritation "How could you possibly have forgotten?"

"Well, to be FAIR, I was a bit, erm…preoccupied last night." Sirius had spent the night groping Marlene in the middle of the common room. The two of them were so entwined with each other and intent on exploring each other's throats that Remus barely glanced at them as he hurried up to their dormitory.

Remus almost snorted, "Marlene McKinnon will be thrilled that you find her tits more interesting than your own life-"

"I'M GONNA DIE BECAUSE OF MARLENE MCKINNON'S TITS-"

Remus looked up at the bright orange rays of the ever-rising sun and 'muttered' rather clearly, causing James to roll his eyes, "I knew Padfoot was gonna kill me someday. Turns out it was just sooner than expected-"

"ALRIGHT, THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH ABOUT HER, AS LOVELY AS-" Sirius screeched.

James huffed, "We're gonna fucking freeze to death because of your bloody stupidity, Sirius. If only you could have brought the blankets-"

"Well fuck having blankets and fuck you Jamie for banning us from bringing wands-"

"You said you would bring the bloody blankets, Padfoot, I swear to Merlin's saggy left-"

"Dear Lord," Peter groaned, looking up at the sky that was slowly turning blue in the increasing sunlight, praying in escalating fear.

"-And come here you tossers." Sirius proceeded to pull himself impossibly closer to Remus and tugged an unmoving Peter in front of them.

"What are you doing, Pads?" James still sat away from their huddle, confused as to what was happening.

"Warming you unforgiving assholes-"

"Wha-"

"-Come here, would you?" Sirius gestured toward the three of them huddling together. James easily obliged and the four of them sat on the cold grass, huddling for warmth against the cruel wind, snacks and juice momentarily forgotten.

They sat in silence, siphoning each other's warmth for a moment before James raised his head to meet their eyes. "This Muggle ritual has an activity that goes with it that we will be doing; talking about our wishes and hopes for our futures."

Remus hummed, mildly interested, "Do go on, Prongs."

"The future is coming so bloody fast and there's a war and everything, so I thought we should get together and talk about hope, ya' know?

"So we're MANIFESTING our futures, my dear Messrs marauders. All of us will be sharing the true, true, TRUE wishes we have for the future 'cause saying dreams aloud gives them hope and the world could use some bloody hope right now."

"You might as well go first Prongs, lead by example," Peter said to Remus' relief.

"I'd love to Wormy." Prongs took a moment to spring to his feet and cup his hands over his nose to try getting them some much-needed warmth.

"Saying things aloud and to the universe gives them power, a power that dreams are fuelled by-" He pumped his fist into the air.

Remus shifted his gaze right to where Sirius was squished in their huddle, "Did you know he'd prepared a monologue, then?"

"I don't think it's prepared at all actually, I think he's just wingin' it, and a mighty fine job he is doing."

James reached for the pumpkin juice bottle that Sirius easily gave up and took a swig of it as he unsteadily, drunk off the humor of it all, rose to a standing position, a swaying standing position but close enough. He hugged the bottle and joyously screeched with his cheeks flushed from cold and joy.

"I am going to MARRY the lovely Evans-"

Sirius jostled next to Remus to cheer, apparently also drunk off the recently opened pumpkin juice and laughter. "YEA YOU WILL, Jamie. And I, I'M 'NNA BE YOUR BEST MATE-"

Moony stifled a laugh, "Best man, Pads."

"Sure, that too."

"-and FINALLY make her a POTTER!"

"Yeah!" Peter cheered from Remus' other side, "Let those nights you've spent narrowing down the details of your life with her come in handy, mate!"

Remus called out, "Engaged in the Great Hall."

From his side, Sirius joined in, "Married in Godric's Hollow, officiated by Moony."

"Stag Night in Blackpool."

"Honeymoon by the French seaside, with-"

"-Enough sunshine to make Evans' pale ass skin tan!"

Peter jumped in, cheeks flushed with laughter, "First kid's name: HARRY James Potter." Remus started laughing at Peter's joy

"Se- wait Harry? Really, mate?" Sirius asked James, now also laughing. James nodded in the affirmative, grinning brighter than the rising sun.

"Wha- is that short for Harold or something Prongs?"

"Nope."

Sirius laughed harder, "Poor sap."

Remus wiped a tear, still smiling, "Alright, who next?"

Peter straightened his back, "Oooh, me!"

James smiled easily, "Yeah, sure. Wormy go on."

"I'm gonna make so much bloody money that I'll be able to buy out all of Honeyduke's without a sweat-"

"Right on, Wormy!" Sirius patted him on the back in cheer.

"-And be so freakin' powerful that everyone who meets me will have to salute out of respect." The three others immediately saluted him simultaneously to Wormtail's joy.

Sirius chimed in next, the Sun moving bright and quick above them, "I'll watch ALL of the Muggle rock concerts that my Mother hates and I'll send her pictures of me with Muggle women in all of their lovely bikinis."

Remus tried to stop the urge of bitterness biting the back of his throat. "Marlene McKinnon not enough for you now?"

But he just laughed it off, eyes crinkling, "What's she got to do with anything mate? It's just us against the world, Moony-"

Moony blushed, "Do you really mean that-"

"-The Marauders against the world!" Of course, he didn't. Remus quickly grinned shakily back at him, trying to focus his thoughts back onto his three best mates who were all suddenly staring at him, almost as if prompting him to do something.

"What's happening?"

"It's your turn, Remus," James said softly. "What's your dream mate?"

There were so many things on his mind that he could have said: Sirius' interest, an internship, a steady job. But instead, he whispered to them, more honest than he'd usually let himself be, looking at the ground, "Werewolves don't get dreams, James. We aren't allowed them-"

Angry, Sirius glared at him with no remorse for interrupting him, "Don't even start Moony. You deserve the world, you deserve everything, anything you want, and it's so bloody irritating when you think you don't."

"Anyone who says that you don't deserve it deserves a good beating, I swear-" James added, also furious for some reason.

"YEA, we will fight for you to live your dream even if it means Padfoot's grounded, Prongs' has a few bruised knuckles, and I have to play into someone's rat phobia."

"So go on, you absolute git, what's your dream." Sirius crossed his arms across his chest, jutting his chin out.

So, he smiled crookedly and said to them, said to the universe, "I think I'd like to be a teacher. A…a professor at Hogwarts, maybe!"

Peter asked, "And what will you be teaching Professor Lupin?"

James' anger had drained. "Obviously Defense, he's got the best marks in it-"

"Forget marks, he loves it and it makes him happy, which matters more." As those words left Sirius' mouth, Remus tugged his lanky arms around Sirius' neck, Peter's shoulder, and James' back and hugged them. He hugged them tightly as if it was the end of an era instead of the beginning.

And they hugged back. Padfoot breathed into his neck, Wormtail reached up to ruffle his hair, and James squeezed all of them tighter. They were his everything. His best friends and his family.

He spoke into their hug, into their circle, "Cheers mates." And they whooped back.

"Cheers to love!"

"Cheers to living our best lives."

"Cheers to dirty concerts and pretty girls."

Remus let his head turn up to face the risen sun, a bright yellow in all of its glory and power, "Cheers to us."


Remus walked slowly toward the Great Lake at the dawn of his first day of teaching. In his hands, instead of holding a wand, he held chocolate digestives that he'd had to buy from some Muggle grocer, thinking of James' excitement as he did so, and a bottle of pumpkin juice that he had charmed the Hogwarts kitchen elves into giving him the night before.

He dropped to the ground in the same spot on the shores of the lake under the leafless hanging tree that they'd sat under on that night so many years ago. The sun slowly rose above the horizon, its orangey rays bringing light to the tears shimmering in Remus' eyes.

Remus spoke to the rising sun as if talking to his old friends. "It, uh," he sniffled, "It happened lads. I'm actually a teacher! In Defense, James you were right.

"And at Hogwarts, would you believe? I think old Dumbledore must've given me the job because of some kind of guilt or a shocking lack of candidates applying," He laughed wetly, going to wipe his eyes with the hand not holding the pumpkin juice bottle, "But I, uh, I met Harry last night. And you would be so proud Prongs, because he's like the bravest little boy and I wish you could hug him and see him laugh because I know he would just light up your whole world. I know you and Lily are up there somewhere watching him with Wormy and that you might be scared for him or something, as you should really, what with all that he has going on.

"So, I promise too," his voice shook as he choked on his tears, "I…I will keep him safe for you both, I promise."

"I promise I'm trying to do better, to get better, but it's bloody hard, mates." He dropped the pumpkin juice bottle to the ground and crossed his arms across his chest, "All of you just, just left and it's hard to pretend I'm okay when I'm not. And I know, Peter, you might say that no one can be alright all the time and you're right. I know you're right." He rubbed his palms against his eyes, "I uh met this guy, not Sirius, the git, but this other guy at a pub and he could be-"

So Remus sat there on the shores of the beach, crying in the face of the rising sun, in the face of the future that was running towards him fast, too fast. He sobbed for all that he'd lost, for all that could have been, and for all that was. He cried because everything was gone.

His bright red eyes were watery and his nose red from sobbing and sniffling as he shivered. He shivered because he'd left his wand on his bedside table because, after all, he thought he wouldn't need it. He shivered because he hadn't brought blankets.

And he shivered because he had tried to forget that he had no one to keep him warm. To no avail.