DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with the Harry Potter universe. Sadly, because if I did, the cursed child would never have happened.

This is a very long, strictly canon-compliant interpretation of the life of the marauders from 1971-1981. When I say canon-compliant, I mean that it should feel entirely consistent with what we read in the books; I only rely on other things JK Rowling have published about the characters or events if I feel it's additive to the story.

If you want to spend a lot of time with the marauders from the book series - this should be a good story for you!

PART 1: 'NO FRIENDSHIP IS AN ACCIDENT' - O. Henry

Chapter 1 - The letter to Mrs Black

For the first time in his life, Remus Lupin believed he was on his way to making a friend. He had met Peter Pettigrew on the train to Hogwarts, and had been relieved to find someone who was equally as shy as he was. Peter was a small boy with mousy hair and a pointed nose, who had engaged him nervously in a conversation about what the sorting ceremony would be like. Remus had found he had been able to calm the boy, telling him it was unlikely to be anything that required magic or pre-existing knowledge, and the two had then slipped happily into a conversation about the four houses.

Peter, upon learning that Remus hadn't followed Quidditch - the wizarding sport - also began explaining the game, and his own team Puddlemere United. This, he told Remus enthusiastically, was the oldest team in the league and it had been very successful too. Remus wasn't sure what he thought about this sport, played on broomsticks, but he had been happy as long as this topic ensured they had something to talk about.

To Remus' relief, Peter had been sorted into Gryffindor, which now was Remus' house. It had taken the hat a long time to decide for Peter, and Remus had been crossing his fingers under the table the entire time, especially as the other boy that had been sorted into Gryffindor at this point was a hauty-looking, handsome boy that Remus was quite sure would have no interest in someone like him.

He had been proven right about that boy, Sirius Black, as he seemed to already know a 'Potter, James', that was sorted into Gryffindor shortly after Peter, and the two boys seemed to be utterly uninterested in Remus and Peter during tea.

'How come you didn't know about Quidditch?' Peter asked as they were climbing the stairs to their dormitory, resuming their previous conversation from the train.

'Please tell me you are muggle-born.'

Sirius Black had turned around, suddenly looking interested.

'I am not. My father is a wizard,' Remus said, wondering why this was of interest to the proud-looking boy, but deciding not to inquire.

'So your mum's a muggle, then?' the boy pushed.

'What's it to you anyways?' Peter asked, hotly, but Remus just nodded.

Black shrugged.

'Wow!' the Potter-boy exclaimed, clearly having missed the previous exchange. He turned to the three others as they entered their dormitory, his hazel eyes alight with excitement behind his glasses: 'I can't believe we're here! We've made it! We - are Gryffindors!'

'Imagine how my family will feel when they find out, if you are having trouble believing it,' Black said, his face suddenly darkening. Then he brightened.

'That's an idea.'

'What's an idea?' Potter asked, sitting up in the bed he had just thrown himself into with such enthusiasm that his glasses had fallen to the floor. Potter bent down and picked them up, hastily.

Black waved a hand and said: 'Give me a few minutes, will you?'

Remus and Peter had found their own beds.

'Oi, Pettigrew, you're not muggle-born by any chance?' Black called over from his bed, where he had made a make-shift table out of a large book, quill and parchment in hand.

This time, Potter eyed him warily: 'Blimey... Don't tell me you care about that sort of nonsense?'

'I don't,' Black said, frowning as his hand moved across the parchment, 'but my mother does. So are you?'

The last bit was directed at Peter.

'No luck,' Peter said.

Remus couldn't help but notice that the whole atmosphere had changed. Having grown up in isolation from other witches and wizards, he didn't quite know what was happening, but he took it that the subject of whether your parents were - or weren't - wizards seemed to be a sensitive one.

'But you're not pureblood?' Black asked.

'No,' Peter said, looking defiant.

'Great,' Black said, with such sincerity that Peter seemed a little proud, despite the frown he was trying to maintain.

'A bit hypocritical of you, not liking purebloods,' Potter said. His tone was light, but the enthusiasm he had shown earlier had vanished.

Black didn't answer for a bit, and Peter started getting changed into his pyjamas. Remus and Potter both sat in silence. Remus had planned to change once he had drawn the curtain, and Potter seemed unwilling to do anything until he had gotten some form of explaination from the Black-boy.

'I don't mind you,' Black said finally, his eyes scanning the letter.

'How gracious,' Potter said, coolly.

'The Potters are blood-traitors,' Black added, distractedly.

Potter flushed with anger, but also, Remus recognised, pride.

'So what if we are?'

'Hold your hippogriffs, will you? I am not saying that's a bad thing. Hold on.'

Black put down his letter, and found a corner of his deep-red velvet curtains.

'None of you happens to know a severing charm, by any chance?' he asked, and Remus found himself nodding. His father had, after all, started teaching him magic at home, believing he would never attend Hogwarts.

'I am not very good at it,' Remus added, as Black's grey eyes fixed on him.

'Doesn't matter much, as long as you can help me tear of a small bit.'

The corner was roughly torn off, but it was unmistakably a patch of red velvet.

'Great,' Black said, and there was something malicious in the way his eyes glinted. He stood up, and, when he was sure all the boys were giving him their full attention, he held the parchment up in front of him, like he was reading some sort of declaration:

'Mother,

You will be grieved to know that I was sorted into Gryffindor on September 1, 1971. I have enclosed some of my Gryffindor bedding as proof of my house allegiance. Cissy-'

Here, Black stopped for a second and looked up: 'that's my cousin, Narcissa Black, she's in Slytherin, of course.'

Then he continued:

'Cissy will no doubt write to aunt Druella about this scandalous affair, and our family will wonder where you and Father went wrong in raising me.

However, there is still more loathsome news. Not only have I failed to get sorted into Slytherin, but I share a bedroom with a blood-traitor and two half-bloods, one of whom has a muggle parent.

I won't see you at Christmas.

Non-cordially,
Your son, Sirius

PS: Feel free to send a Howler at Breakfast. I would love for the rest of the school to learn about this misfortune.'

Black sighed as he finished, looking up at them: 'It's really such a shame none of you are muggle-born.'

An uncomfortable silence followed this. Remus felt absolutely bewildered. Then, James Potter burst out laughing, though Remus failed to see what was funny.

'Sirius-mate, your family sounds absolutely awful.'

'They are! Pureblood maniacs the lot of them.'

'Well, then,' Potter said with a mischievous look: 'we ought to send this tonight.'

'You can't,' Remus said. 'It's past curfew.'

Potter and Black exchanged looks.

'You're right, of course,' Potter said.

'What were we thinking,' Black continued.

'We weren't thinking,' Potter corrected.

'No, but Lupin was,' Black agreed.

'Alright then, we better get ready for bed,' Potter said, grinning at Black.

'Nothing's like a good night of sleep,' Black nodded sincerely before he grinned back.

Remus had a sneaking suspicion he was missing something, and sure enough, an hour later, when they had all gone to bed, Remus could hear the dormitory door open and shut again. When he looked out from his curtain, he saw two empty beds, and Peter's face, scanning the room just like he did.

Peter groaned.

'Quite,' Remus agreed.

'Gits,' Peter muttered.

'Quite,' Remus agreed again.

But as he laid in bed, thinking of the next full moon, Remus wondered whether Sirius Black had bargained for a more controversial room-mate than he was prepared to stomach. Of course he had, Remus thought morosely, nobody wanted to share a bedroom with a werewolf.

A/N

It's never quite clear whether there were more Gryffindor boys in the year than the four, but based on how Sirius, in OotP, is like: of the four of us, obviously Remus became Prefect, I am inclined to think not. Also, I am intending for Peter to have a muggle father, he just isn't willing to correct Sirius about his letter.

Tea = dinner depending on where you're from in the UK.

I will update this story about once a week.