first year - remus got run over by a hippogriff....
28th March
Gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross
James plopped another rat’s eye into the glass jar in front of him.
He was in detention sorting out potions ingredients because Slughorn had been too lazy to actually do the detention himself and so had handed it over to Filch, who despised every single student, but not as much as he despised James Potter and his accomplices.
Mainly Sirius though, because they were often the ones treading in ‘unnecessary amounts of mud’. Was it his fault the grounds were muddy? Nooo. But did he get blamed anyway? Yessss.
James sighed ready to pick up the last rat’s eye, and then held his breath.
Gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross gross
Plop.
He exhaled, relieved that it was over.
He looked over at Filch sat in the corner of the room, who was smiling nastily, all his yellowing crooked teeth on show, splayed out in front of his eyes.
Gross.
And oh no.
Because Filch smiling meant something real nasty was coming up. What was worse than rat’s eyes?!
It’s not like he had broken a million school rules, all he had done was tamper with Snivellus’ potion in high pre-birthday spirits.
Ok well now that he thought about it, it was quite bad, but it had also been really funny. He just wished that Evans hadn’t got caught up in all of it, even if it did get her attention.
The girl had been outright furious, from the tips of her toes to her sludge-covered hair. Newly washed as well he had heard when she was muttering angrily to her friends, Mary and Marlene, before leaving the lesson early to have a shower.
And as Lily Evans did leave the lesson, she gave him - James Potter - a look so full to the top with disgust that he wouldn’t have been surprised if the potion sludge had starting shooting in the direction of his face, as if controlled by Lily's eyes..
And obliviously James had not seen it, or had just simply ignored it, but you could see right then and there that a burning and searing hatred had sparked and set alight at the very core of Lily Evans’ soul.
“Come on Peter” Marlene smirked, nudging him playfully
“I’m sorry” Peter shrugged “Not your business”
“What are you planning?”
“Marls, respectfully no”
“Respectfully yes” Marlene looked at him straight in the eyes. Peter kept a blank face. “I’m your best friend”
“Still no”
“You can’t disappoint your best friend”
“I do have other best friends Marlene”
“Traitor”
“Hey! I’m not a traitor” Peter flicked her on the arm “I can’t disappoint them either, and there’s three of them, one of you”
“Petty excuse” she pouted
In truth, Marlene by herself probably counted not just for one person, not even three people, but four, because that’s how much influence a girl like Marlene McKinnon had on the world around her. Still, Peter didn’t want to upset the other marauders by leaking their plan, he didn’t want to be blamed.
Although Marlene probably would’ve been totally up for it, but still, she was friends with that red-headed girl Evans and if Marlene relayed their ploys to her, which Marlene probably would’ve, then all their plans would be ruined because Lily Evans was nothing but a teachers pet.
Peter wasn’t going to be the disappointment of the group,
Marls would just have to be patient.
“You can’t call me a traitor”
“I bloody well can, especially when you’ve got other best friends”
“So..” Peter shook his head “So what are Evans and McDonald to you then?”
“Colleagues”
“Sirius said you were giggling like hyenas the other day”
“Black said that?” Marlene cocked an eyebrow, obviously disapproving
Peter just shrugged. Sirius hadn’t been wrong.
Marlene scoffed “Lily is not going to like that”
“Colleagues don’t giggle, neither do they gossip”
“Piss off won’t you”
Peter just smiled and dug out a fudge fly from his pocket
“Truce?”
“Fine” she said reluctantly, taking the frog “You’re still a traitor though”
“Even if I am I’ve got some pretty great friends out of it” he took a fudge fly for himself and ate it as they walked up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.
"Alright Lupin?" Sirius came out of the bathroom, wet hair plastered to his face
"Yeah, I'm ok" Remus didn't look up from the book he'd been radiing "Found a passageway between the charms classroom and the transfiguration closet."
"Nice! Do you reckon McGonagall knows about it?" Sirius rummaged around for the pyjamas James had given him, making a mess of his duvet as he did so.
"Dunno, she's pretty clever"
"Cleverness doesn't equal observational skills. James has proven that many a time"
"Well she has those as well" Remus finally looked up "she caught you passing notes the other day"
"Don't look at me like that! I must talk to James upon the hour, otherwise, he'll forget I even exist"
"Well if that was actually true, then James would've long forgotten you by now."
"Ah" Sirius waved a pointed finger around "that's the thing though! James is incapable of forgetting me"
"You're a real idiot you know, you've just completely contradicted what you said before."
"I wouldn't be top of the class if I was an idiot"
"Top of the class?” Remus considered this, slightly tilting his head to the side “Maybe. You share that title with James, Evans and unfortunately Snivellus."
"And you”
“Erm” Remus just looked at him, a little confused. What was there to be confused about? Lupin was a genius!
Sirius scoffed “Well circling back to what you said, you don't really think I'm an idiot then?" Sirius stated.
"Hang on" Remus rolled his eyes, smirking slightly "I wasn't finished. So. Yes. Top of the Class. You're good at most magic. But common sense? That's something you don't have. And you have many other qualities that make you a stupid, annoying prick. There are too many of those qualities to list, so therefore you are an idiot. Thanks for listening to my speech on why Sirius Orion Black is a moron"
"You should give more speeches, that was exceptionally motivating" Remus shot him an exasperated look “And it was the most I’ve ever heard you talk without interruption”
Apparently this had rubbed Remus the wrong way because his pale face suddenly twisted into a weird expression “How anti-social do you think I am?”
Sirius stared at him for a second, thinking of what to say, what was he meant to say to that?
Lupin got there before him though “I’m sorry, didn’t mean it like that” his face untwisted and he smirked “At least I'm not anti-social in a Snape way”
Sirius relaxed into a grin and went back to trying to find his pjyamas, which he then found entwined in the sheets he'd messed up a minute before.
As he pulled them on, he looked out of the window to see the full moon hanging in the sky - it was really very pretty - casting a warm, milky glow into the night.
"Look at the moon Lupin. It's so beautiful when it's full don't you think?"
"What?!" Remus abruptly stood up, making the book he was reading fly off his lap as he joined Sirius at the window
"Calm down, weirdo" Sirius looked over at his friend in concern
Remus muttered something that sounded a lot like “Idiot”
“What? Do you have some obsession with the moon or something?”
“The full moon isn't until tomorrow Sirius" the other boy had a funny look on his face as he sighed, looking puzzled as he squinted at the moon.
"Are you blind Remus? It's very clearly a full moon"
"Look closer" he pointed "There's still a slither missing"
He squinted at the sky trying to see the apparently non-full moon.
"Still don't see it" he looked at his friend incredulously "I'm positive it's full"
"Well alright" Remus sighed, turning away. He then promptly climbed into his bed and shut the curtains.
“Are you sleeping already?!”
“Going to my mum’s tomorrow”
“Again really?”
“Yes Sirius”
“Why?”
“Told you” Remus gave an exhausted sigh from behind the curtain
“She’s not better”
“Wouldn’t be going if she was”
“Right, is she worse?”
“No, she’s the same”
“Sorry, I just-”
“Hi Sirius!” Peter waltzed through the door, smiling softly and Sirius gave a small wave back not really paying attention to the boy and opening his mouth to speak
“Goodnight guys” Remus’s voice announced, sounding oddly triumphant as once again Sirius was interrupted, and he couldn’t help but being annoyed with him.
“Oh” Peter turned to look at Remus’ bed in shock “Night Remus”
It struck Sirius oddly, that Lupin wasn’t looking too well himself - he’d been pale and out of it for the last two days. Why would he want to visit his sick mother if he was unwell? Possibly even contagious? Wouldn't that make her worse?
29th March
Remus was picking at his soggy bowl of cornflakes
“Mate that is disgusting” James grimaced
Remus shrugged and took a spoonful.
There was a weird, tense silence where all the three marauders stared at the fourth with narrowed eyes.
“Remus” James started “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing” Remus furrowed his brow, looking confused even when they could all see through his act
“You’ve taken ten minutes to eat that bowl” James softened his look, not that he had to though, because James always had a welcoming sense about him.
“Yeah” Sirius added, his face probably wasn’t as soft as James’ was, he was in a confrontational mood - all he wanted was more answers “You usually eat about three in that time”
“I guess I’m just worried”
“Well maybe you should start worrying about yourself” James tilted his head to the side with an affectionate smile, he had jerkily moved his hand across the table a centimetre as if he was about to reach out and touch Remus’ hand but then apparently thought better of it
“I’m fine James, honestly”
“No, I agree with him” Sirius nodded “You aren’t fine”
“Why don’t you go and see Madame Pomfrey?” Peter questioned after swallowing a bite of his toast
Remus then raised his tone by only a bit, but enough to be noticeable “I don’t want to” He was obviously fed up with them.
The boy then took another spoonful of his soggy cereal, and Peter returned to his toast. Sirius and James were still looking at him, his pallid face, sunken eyes, shrinked behaviour. He looked like he’d been run over by a hippogriff.
James continued once Remus set his spoon down “At least…” he exhaled “At least stay at Hogwarts, I don’t think you should visit your sick mum when you yourself are unwell”
“She wouldn’t mind” Sirius added, backing up his best friend
“Yeah mate she’d understand”
“No” Remus shook his head determined “You don’t understand I have to see her”
Just then Lily Evans came up behind him and spoke directly to Lupin because he was the only one out of the Marauders she would actually willingly talk to “Hey Remus, could you pass the jam?”
Remus turned his head and smiled a little, looking grateful to get out of this painful conversation “Sure Lily” and did as she’d asked, reaching over the table to give her the strawberry jam that Peter had been using previously
She didn’t go away however and instead furrowed her brow, staring at the boy for a few seconds as he returned to his cereal “Remus...are you feeling ok? You don’t look too well”
Remus, who had just lifted his spoon just to set it down again, tutted “I’m fine”
She then looked between Sirius and James with a funny look, almost as if she was angry
“Problem Evans?” Sirius questioned
She shook her head slowly, still staring
“We’re not bad friends you know, we’ve been pestering him about it all breakfast”
“Too right you have” Remus mumbled as he picked his spoon up again to shove some more cereal in his mouth
“Ok” she nodded slowly and then looked back to Remus “Please, go to the hospital wing Remus, Madam Pomfrey can work more wonders than you know” and then she left, strawberry jam in hand.
“See Evans agrees”
“Mhm”
“Remus if you need anything” James then proceeded to make strong eye-contact with the boy across the table “You can come to us, you know that right?”
“Yeah” Remus nodded, smiling a little “Thanks James”
30th March
“Where in Merlin’s name have you been?!” James exclaimed as Sirius opened the dormitory door
“Oh just out and about” Sirius waved a casual hand “Fancied a morning walk is all”
“Right…” James peered at him through his glasses “I was just a bit concerned you know, losing one marauder for the day is bad enough”
Sirius scoffed "Well I'm here now"
"Morning walk?! For half the day!"
"I don't see the problem" he shrugged, smirking at James slightly who was looking a just a little bit confused.
He wasn't lying, he had been for a walk. What did James think he was getting around on? A trolley?
He then swiftly changed the subject “Right so when are we doing this prank?”
“First day back from the easter holidays” James nodded, proudly - they had figured out the final details of the plan just yesterday and they had even nominated Peter to write it down on a very official very secretive document - in other words a piece of parchment that was now shoved in a box under Sirius' bed.
“So we get one more day of holiday” Peter, who was sitting on his bed reading a quidditch magazine, added
Sirius sighed contentedly “Just what I like to hear”