The Sun, The Stars, and The Moon Year one?

Another prank is in order because it’s approaching the end of the year. The prank my ba targeted at Snivillus for being a greasy little snitch. See, Marauders don’t get detention for the same reason twice in a row for nothing. And being a Marauder means all for one and one for all. At least that’s how Regulus understands it. Well, that’s what Sirius told him on the summer before he went to Hogwarts.

So, seeing as Regulus is now an official (alleged) Marauder, he must help with the stupid pranks. Regulus doesn’t know what they did for this prank on Severus, but he refused to get involved.

James, Peter, and Sirius were all in a right state that day. Remus just seems very irritated. By everything. He has been very irritated for the past week. Regulus has steered clear.

He has been spending a lot more time with Barty, Evan, Pandora, and Dorcas that week. Purely because he doesn’t want to get on Remus’ bad side. He likes Remus, he’s a very sensible person. He’s also facing the torture that is hanging out with Evan and Barty simultaneously because he has seen Remus when he gets going, and it is utterly terrifying. Filled with Welsh ranting, and much more swearing than would be expected of a thirteen year old. Regulus doesn’t want to be on the other side of that. So, he steers clear.

“Regulus?” Evan sing-songs from the other side of the table, it earns him a harsh “shh”ing from the table next to them. Evan is being much too loud for the library. Madam Pince will have them kicked out of her precious sanctuary of a library. “Reggie!”

“What?” Regulus hisses, looking up from his Defence Against the Dark Arts homework.

“When’s your birthday?” Evan asks. Regulus narrows his eyes.

“Why?” He asks suspiciously.

“No reason.” Evan says, batting his lashes innocently. Regulus sighs, shaking his head.

“August thirteenth.” Regulus murmurs.

“Summer baby.” Evan muses. “And a Leo. Ironic, that.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Just then, a very annoying presence shows up and plops right down next to Regulus in the form of James potter.

“Reggie! I’ve been looking for you!” He says. Regulus rolls his eyes. James is almost as bad as Slughorn in that way. He’s much too cheerful.

See, Regulus came to the conclusion that he hated James Potter the moment Sirius came home the summer after his first year and started ranting on about how amazing James was. Regulus knew he was replaced. Regulus knows he will never be as good as James is to Sirius. And it hurts.

There’s no sense in denying that it hurts. Regulus feels like something is taking his heart and squeezing it, while simultaneously taking his lungs and wringing them out until there is no oxygen left in them whenever he thinks about it. About now James bloody Potter, someone who isn’t even related to Sirius (somehow), is a better brother than Regulus will ever be to him. And it hurts.

It hurts, and it hurts, and it hurts.

“What do you want, Potter?” Regulus snips.

“Just wanted to see what you were doing.” James responds cheerily.

“Studying. Something you should do, seeing as exams are so close.” Regulus raises. James laughs. He sodding laughs. What is wrong with him?

“You’re funny, Reg.” James says, patting his shoulder, standing up, and just as quickly as he appeared, he’s gone. Why was he acting like that?.

~*~

A few weeks after the full moon, exams are upon the school. It’s perfect timing, really, because Remus feels the most human in the middle of the month. He’s able to think more clearly and doesn’t get distracted by loud noises or bright lights. So, studying, even with Sirius and James on his back. is a much easier task than it could have been.

Remus and Peter have been studying together, along with the girls and Regulus and all his friends. James and Sirius tag along sometimes, but not as much as Remus thinks they should. James gets on with all of Regulus’ friends. It’s almost concerning how James can get along with everyone. James is quite literally the embodiment of ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ or however that phrase goes.

The first couple of exams go very well for Remus. The essay he had to write for professor Binns was immaculate, thank you very much. Remus thinks he might have even done better than Sirius (a real achievement, because Sirius is very good with his words) and is quite proud of his work.

By the time exams are done everyone is exhausted. Particularly Regulus. It’s his first year, and he is terrified of getting anything less than an Outstanding, as well as what his parents would do if he didn’t. As a result, Regulus barely slept in the weeks prior to exams to study. Sirius was similar his first year, only he studied so hard because he wanted to prove to his parents that he can have better grades than a Slytherin. Sirius has told the Marauders it did not work.

After exams there are only two weeks left of the school year, which finds the Marauders wandering around the castle, brainstorming ideas to close the year out with a bang.

“We could let loose all the pixies in the Defence Against the Dark Arts room?” Peter suggests.

“No, that’s too basic, Petey, anyone could think of that.” Sirius complains.

Remus thinks. He doesn’t have any ideas for new pranks. Not at the moment. Remus is bloody tired. He used most of his brain power on the exams and is ready to sleep for about a month. So it’s out of pure tiredness that he offers the next idea.

“We could cover the Slytherin common room in glitter.”

“Merlin and Morgana both, you’re brilliant Moony!” James exclaims.

“Christ, that wasn’t a real suggestion, please don’t use that.” Remus complains.

“It is being used!” Peter informs him. Remus buries his head in his hands. Why is he friends with these people?

—

The week before the last day of school, the Marauders start preparing the prank.

Step one: they have to get glitter.

A lot of glitter. The Marauders have collectively decided that the glitter must be red because Gryffindors are better than Slytherins (no offence to Evan, he’s the exception).

They don’t want to use one of those glitter bomb things at Zonkos. Those don’t have a big enough range, and they’re bloody loud. So they have to find an abundance of shiny pieces of plastic. Great.

Regulus has been roped in, of course. He and Remus are the only ones with any common sense between the five of them. James has found a guy who will supply them with the glitter. He told them not to ask. Which is a bit weird, but they have their glitter. So.

Step two: find a sticking charm strong enough to hold for at least a day, and it has to work on all surfaces.

So, they get to work on that. Once they’ve found a few contenders they try it out on the Marauders’ dorm.

(Regulus might have tried one on James’ broom and made it sticky but let’s not talk about that.)

They have to modify one of the spells to work. Now the marauders have a patch of glitter on their wall that has been there for a few days without budging. None of the counter spells have worked so far, which is amazing. Mostly because the Slytherins won’t be able to find out how to get it off either.

Step three: find out the password to the Slytherin common room.

Regulus and Sirius spent almost three hours outside the Slytherin common room to get the password. They got it off someone who practically shouted the password, so it wasn’t that hard to get.

Step four: implement the prank.

The night before the last day of school the Marauders, plus Regulus, all head down to the dungeons. They’re careful. Yet again, they have something heavy that Remus is being forced to carry. Come on, people. Give the responsibilities to the ones whose body doesn’t turn into a different animal every month. It’s not that hard.

So, yet again, Remus has to ask someone else to carry it for him.

“Hey, James?” Remus hisses, halting Sirius and Regulus. “Can you carry this, please?”

“Oh, yeah, sure, mate.” He says as he takes the bag of glitter off Remus’ hands. Remus notices Regulus looking at him strangely, but brushes it off.

They continue down to the common room on stealthy feet, cringing at any noise they make. Once they arrive at their destination they get straight to work. James whispers the password and Remus, Regulus, and Sirius all start casting the sticking charm on the walls of the room while James and Peter slather the glitter all over the walls. Once they finish the walls (it took about two hours, but they don’t talk about that) the Marauders start on the floor, then the tables. Then the couches, the shelves, the books.

They then use the cloak to go into the boys dorms and quietly, oh so quietly, use the sticking charm in the beds and walls of the dorm. They continue this for all the boy’s dorms and then start with the girls' dorms. They had to use a broom to get up the stairs because if a boy tries to go up the stairs they would turn into a slide.

They finish the girls’ dorms, they do the stairs to the girls and boys’ dorms and slip out of the (dazzling) common room.

It all takes about 5 hours. Which is completely worth it. At five in the morning they get back to the dorm. All exhausted.

~*~
Step five: enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The next morning (one hour later), the Marauders all wake up and head down to the great hall, waiting for the first Slytherins. They ought to be absolutely dosed in glitter.

Regulus thinks this is stupid. Well, yes, it will be funny to see all the Slytherins, whom he’s probably related to if they’re pure blooded, covered in glitter. But the amount of sleep he got was not ideal. Not at all. He is not at all happy about it, so there’s that.

When the first Slytherin walks in, their hair full of glitter, it is… well. It’s actually kind of funny.

By the time the whole of Slytherin house is in the great hall the benches of their table are covered with glitter from their hair and clothes. The professors (as well as the student body) are all profusely confused as to why Slytherin, the house of green, is covered in red glitter.

Eventually, Slughorn, after McGonagall tells him to, goes over to check on his house, asking why they are covered in glitter. Snape, the slimy snitch, tells them that their common room and dorm is smothered in glitter and that the Marauders are the cause of it. Of course, Snivillus doesn’t have any proof that it was them, so obviously, Slughorn can’t do anything about it. Wonderful.

~*~

On the train back to Twelve Grimmauld Place Regulus just looks out the window of his compartment with Evan, Barty, Pandora, and Dorcas. He wonders what his summer will be like. Regulus doesn’t think his mother is proud of him. Even if he got all Outstandings on his exams. The fact that he’s a Gryffindor is still, well, a fact.

This has been a good year for Regulus. He even befriended a werewolf. Yes, Regulus found out that Remus is a werewolf. Remus is very bad at lying. And the name, that’s just funny. For a man who hates werewolves so much, Lyall Lupin sure knows how to name one.

Regulus is scared for the future, mostly because he’s a Gryffindor.

But, Regulus thinks he’ll live. He has friends, an amazing brother. Regulus thinks he’s happy to not be in Slytherin.

Maybe Regulus can still have the sun, the stars and the moon