chapter twenty one
Their return to Hogwarts had followed the eight cramming into a single carriage on the train ride rather than their usual two. It was a tight fit, but very few boundaries remained between the group now. Even Mary had been invited in the carriage, and she was greeted with cheery introductions and warm invitations for friendship.
She sat on Dorcas’ lap, an arm around her shoulder as her crush explained the dynamics. Peter and Marlene were squeezed next to the window, the girl teasing him over his short hair as she ran a hand through it. Lily and James were on the other side of him, taking breaks in their longing gazes to join in the chides and talking to Mary about her own seventh year friendships.
Marigold sat on Remus's lap as Sirius hugged them both as if his life depended on it, listening as Dorcas gushed over Mary’s character and Marigold asked her questions about herself.
“So, let me get this straight, none of you are dating?” Mary asked.
“No, but James and Lily may as well be married!” Marigold smirked at the ginger, who blushed and swatted at her.
“I’d date Peter if he’d just let me,” Marlene batted her eyes at him, but he scoffed with a smile.
“Goldie, Mooney, and I don’t like labels, that’s all,” Sirius shrugged.
“Yeah, why should we have to name our affection so other people can respect it? Can’t we just feel what we feel without outside explanation?” Remus explained.
“I like that, very bohemian,” Mary nodded.
“When do you suppose you might make it official?” James winked at Dorcas.
“Sometime soon I reckon,” She blushed, hiding in Mary’s ebony hair.
“Yes, very soon, I hope,” Mary hugged Dorcas tight to her, the outgoing Gryffindor comfortable in the new group.
The semester brought a lot of maturity to the group. Not so much in their minds, but in their relationships. Dorcas and Mary were the brand new happy Gryffindor couple, earning a lot of respect for their bravery in being public with a same-sex relationship in the 70s.
James and Lily started going on dates but kept their relationship a secret for a while because Lily didn’t want all the fuss and attention of going public. Peter and Marlene began a racey friends with benefits, although both of them wanted a serious relationship, they weren’t sure how to initiate it without it feeling awkward.
Sirius, Remus, and Marigold, never ones to go on romantic Hogsmeade dates instead spent their time cuddled up in the common room entertaining themselves while their friends were off planning the perfect scenarios and setups.
There was a shift in their dynamic as well, however, as Marigold experienced sleeping with the boys separately for the first time. Of course, the threesomes continued most of the time, opportunities more open now that the boys weren’t so afraid of the boundaries between them.
But occasionally, when one of them was busy or absent for one reason or another, Marigold got to relish in traditional sex with the guys she loved. The first time occurred after the full moon a few days into the start of the semester.
Marigold hadn’t yet perfected her animagis form, only able to hold it for mere minutes, but the boys were extremely encouraging and grateful for her efforts nonetheless. She was never incredible at spells or any subject at Hogwarts in particular, she far exceeded her academic success with personal relations. She was easy to get along with and found herself acting as a sort of guide for the younger, muggle-born students.
It was a sort of informal role, but as they arrived at the school of wizardry, if they happened upon an assimilation issue they were promptly pointed to the sixth-year quidditch player. She knew how to comfort them as she had learned the skill from pretty much raising Alexander, and knew the ins and outs of both worlds as a half-blood witch herself. Even Professor Dumbledore had complimented her on this role.
Still, the bat form she was occasionally able to transform into meant a lot to the boys. The fur matched her dark chocolate hair and the unusually large jade green eyes made her animagi form appear adorable, they thought. It showed them just how much effort she put into spending time with them, trying to please them, and how much she cared for them. They hadn’t come up with a nickname for her yet, still just shortening her name.
She also wasn’t allowed to join the Marauders on full moons yet, they feared Remus might be too dangerous for her to handle before she could last in her animagi for longer. Still, she kept practicing and visiting Remus after every episode, eager to do what she could to help.
Silently, it hurt his heart every time to find her nursing his wounds and kissing him to sleep in bed. His condition had led him to believe he wasn’t worthy of a traditional romance, he didn’t think he should ever marry or father children in case he was too much of a liability for a family. Of course, he didn’t know how to voice this to the girl, and thus she was none the wiser falling deeper and deeper in love with him.
It was one of those times when she felt overwhelmed with her emotions for him, the first full moon incident after returning to Hogwarts mere days ago. The rest of the Marauders were in detention for one of the few pranks where they got caught, Snape turning them in for hexing his pumpkin juice to be spicy to the point of illness. It was a cruel joke, no one denied.
The girls had spared them no sympathy as they left for detention, Marigold only concerned with Remus who had been bedridden at the time of the incident. While her dorm mates and Mary took the library to get ahead on the semester’s studying, she crept into Remus’ dorm to spend some time with him.
He looked worse for wear, she noted. His hair was matted and oily on his forehead, his jaw seemed strained with stress and pain, his legs bruised and his arms decorated grotesquely of nicks and cuts. At least he hadn’t ended up in the medical wing this time, she thought.
He was awake when she sat on the edge of his bed, reading a textbook and trying to force himself into being productive even though he knew he needed to destress. He smiled at her although it didn’t reach his eyes, and he offered her a bite of his chocolate bar.
“I’m not here for your chocolate,” She declined fondly.
“What are you here for then? To catch me alone and jump my bones?” He joked.
“If you’re lucky,” She winked, standing. “You look like you need a bath first, sorry handsome!”
“Hey, you try turning into a monster in a forest, see how you look after!” He laughed still.
She drew him a warm bath in the connected restroom, filling it with vanilla bubbles and cream colored water. He had been able to walk on his on, seething in pain however when he removed his shirt and some of the scabs reopened on his biceps.
Still, he appreciated her care and let Marigold help him into the small tub. He didn’t take baths often for the reason of his height not always allowing him to be comfortable in the space, but he did admit he enjoyed the activity for its remedy against anxiety.
She washed his hair for him affectionately, massaging shampoo into his scalp and rinsing it out with the warm water. It eased the tension in his muscles and his mind, lulling him into a near meditation state. She was washing his chest gingerly with a bar of soap when he opened his beautiful hazel eyes to look at her.
“What?” She hummed when he grabbed her wrist.
“Thank you, Gold, really, for helping me feel better,”
“Anything for you dear Remus,” She kissed his nose, forehead, chin, and finally lips.
“I’d invite you in but I fear there isn’t much room and you’d be forced to sit on me rather than beside me,” He flirted, a good sign his energy was returning.
“Maybe sometime you’ll sneak me into the prefects' bathroom, everyone’s heard of that bathtub and its perfection,” She mused back, setting the soap down to loosen her tie.
“Maybe I will,” He returned, helping to unbutton her uniform top.
They tried to explore each other in the tub, but the splashing water and slick tub walls only annoyed them. Remus stood, scooping the girl into his strong arms and carrying her back to the bedroom, knowing they’d have hours together alone before the other three-quarters of the Marauders returned from their punishment.
Close to midnight, the two remained in the nude, tangled with one another in his sheets, chatting and making each other laugh. When the other boys did enter again, loud and boisterous as if it weren’t the middle of the night, they ceased their complaints against Snape and the head of Slytherin.
“Oh hello, had enough punishment for your cruelty?” Remus smirked, pulling the woman closer to him for her modesty.
“Well looks like you may have been in for another form of punishment?” James quipped back, ever so arrogant and teasing.
“Nah I think it was Mooney doing the punishing, you two haven’t seen the animal he becomes,” Sirius plopped down at their feet, dragging a thumb over the girl's bare ankle.
“Ew, I don’t think I’d like to either,” Peter gagged.
“Alright grow up, we all know you and Marlene are up to your own devices almost every other night!” Remus threw back.
“She fucks like a princess, always demanding something and looking too pretty for her words,” Peter sighed, dazed.
“I know what you mean, Remus fucks like a rockstar but looks like a sexy librarian while doing it!” Marigold barked out a laugh.
“How swiftly you reveal his secrets!” Sirius faked a scold as he passed her a large shirt from the pile of laundry he’d just done.
“What’s ol’ Pads like, pray tell?” James snickered, shutting the bathroom door not completely so he could hear the conversation as he got ready for bed.
“He’s the opposite, he looks like a Rolling Stones member but acts like screws like some romantic poet,” She shrugged, leaning off the bed to snatch Remus’ discarded boxers and slipping them on under the covers.
"Ah, how embarrassing, you secret softy!" James cooed.
"It's called 'making love', maybe you'll learn how to do it in thirty years!" Sirius teased him back.
She stood to begin folding her own discarded pile of clothes and looked at Peter.
“Why haven’t you taken things to the next level yet with darling princess Mars? You know she’s positively dying because you haven’t asked her to be your girlfriend yet!”
“I’m trying to build up the courage, okay? It’s hard, she’s so beautiful and intimidating and now that words spread we’re messing around, I just keep getting more glares in the great hall and at Hogsmeade!”
“I understand, no pressure, but just remember she’s obsessed with you and she’s waiting for you to ask!”
“I appreciate the insight, thank you, Marigold,” Peter nodded, understanding she didn’t have to reveal her friend's secrets to him. But she felt the need to because she knew Peter wouldn’t do what Marlene wanted otherwise and all she wanted was their joy.
“Has Lily said anything about us?” James piqued, now clad in the open bathroom in pajamas. Peter slipped in behind him, and Sirius and Remus patiently awaited her answer.
“She does, only good things,” Marigold indulged, finding some sleep clothes for Remus.
“Stop being so coy, tell us the gossip!” Sirius urged, picking out his own sleep garments and getting changed right there in the open. Everyone present had seen him do so more times than they could count, and he wasn’t embarrassed.
“Alright, alright… Lily thinks she’s ready to make things public, but she wants you to prove you won’t be immature and rub it in Snape’s face since he’s had a crush on her for so long!” She gave in, pointing an accusing finger at the man with John Lennon glasses.
“Really? I mean, I will show her I can be mature, but is she still guarding him from getting his feelings hurt? He’s called her some horrible things and he’s not even that nice of a guy in general! She shouldn’t feel like she owes him protection, we only pick on him 'cause he’s a proper git,” James groaned.
“Prongs is right, Snifalus isn’t doing himself any favors either, he’s one of the biggest wankers in our year besides Malfoy and Kasson!” Sirius defended.
“Even I have to agree, those three are insufferable,” Remus sighed, nodding as he finished getting dressed on his bed. “I hear Kasson’s parents bid on some Beauxbaton witch for him to marry! I mean, who still pays a dowery like that except those pure-blood racists?”
All three boys now sat on Remus’ bed, gossiping like school girls, almost forgetting about the initial conversation with Marigold as she stood in front of them, folding Sirius’ fresh laundry domestically. Peter reentered the room and the conversation, sitting cross-legged next to Sirius at the footboard.
“Well, you know what I heard in the boys' first-floor lavatory? I don’t know if you know this, Padfoot, but Lucious Malfoy and your cousin Narcissa are courting properly!” He gushed with an air of adolescent tattling.
“Ugh, that’s horrible,” Sirius shuddered at the thought of familial ties with Malfoy. “I’ve seen Regulus talking to Bellatrix and Malfoy in the corridors, it pisses me off. My brother would be so much better off realizing the errors in their hateful ways, I wish he would understand Andromeda and I,”
“How is Andromeda doing? She still not talking to anyone from your family?” James asked, concerned.
“No, but it's mutual, her daughter is almost three now. She and her husband just bought a proper muggle house, we try and talk some though.” All could hear the despair in Sirius’ voice.
“Is Narcissa horribly backward?” Marigold asked, her hands still busy with her chore.
“No, not like Bellatrix at least, who’s absolutely terrible and a really big bully. She just seems complacent, like she doesn’t care enough to have her own opinion. Dating Malfoy will surely make it worse.” He shrugged.
“Regulus and her might come around,” Remus tried to comfort.
“In the meantime, why don’t we focus on pranking Bellatrix instead of Snape? Gotta play nice with the git if I want Lily to actually hold my hand in front of people!” James suggested, changing the subject and lifting the mood.
“Can we really prank a girl on purpose?” Peter scratched his head.
“Sure we can, she’s the biggest bitch in Hogwarts, we’ll be heroes!” Sirius agreed happily.
“How do we get close to her though?” Peter thought, before all four boys slowly looked at Marigold, smirks abundant. She stilled her actions of putting away clothes, a grimace finding its way on her face.
“No way, I’m a half-blood, Bellatrix would attempt a hate crime if I ever got within a twelve-foot diameter with her!” She put her foot down, unwilling to be roped into their troubles, especially after most of them had been organizing every charms essay alphabetically that had ever been turned in.
“How about Andromeda then? She’s her little sister!” Remus suggested, earning nothing but agreements.
“We will need to know, insightful Marigold, what are the worst pranks to inflict on a sixth-year witch?” James asked, and she huffed, sitting on Sirius’ bed to face them now.
“Why don’t we go back to you guys asking me about Marlene and Lily’s feelings?” She protested.
“Oh, we’ll get back to the later, trust me,” James dismissed.
“James definitely needs more clues on Lily, obviously,” Remus teased him with a jab of an elbow in his ribs.
“Oh yeah, what was that Lupin family secret that Marlene, um, liked?” Peter’s brows furrowed, looking between Remus and Marigold. The rest of the group erupted in laughter, but Peter hadn’t understood the joke evidently.