Year 7
N.E.W.T.s had just wrapped up, and the Marauders were relaxing in the dorm brainstorming how to spend the final few days off before graduation. They were tied, James and Sirius wanted to go to hogsmeade and celebrate, Peter and Remus wanted to stay in and enjoy being underage for a little while longer. Sirius wasn’t one to tell Remus no so they compromised.
A quiet celebration amongst the four of them. Butterbeer was passed out, a record played softly in the background, and truth or dare was started. Remus didn’t care much for such a game, but he wasn’t one to deny Sirius his fun. By the time the moon was visible through their window, the soft rosy glow of their cheeks dictated that whatever logic or common sense controls their impulses was long gone.
“Pete, Pete, truth or dare?” James watched the most soft spoken of the friends like a crow watches a coin.
“Truth”
“Bah! You’re no fun!”
“I’ve already got a temporary tattoo from Sirius, ate the mystery honeydukes candy, and a scorch mark on my back from McKinnon’s hex, any more and I’ll be mailed back to my mum in a box!” Peter whined. He had been the unfortunate victim to most of the dares that night.
“Fine fine, who do you fancy?” James seemed bored by the question already
“No one” Peter avoids eye contact with the other boys when he says this.
“You cheeky little liar.” Sirius sits up. “Who? That Hufflepuff from charms?”
“No. I don’t fancy no one” Peter tries to brush off the conversation.
“Cmon Pete got to tell the truth”
“I’ll need more collateral. You two have not had an unsuccessful dare yet” Peter tries to bargain his way out of it. Remus leans in amused. The other two boys would never turn down a bet.
“Well let’s make a bet then. We complete your dare, you take veritaserum and answer the question” James challenges.
“Bet” Peter smiles devilishly. Sirius goes to object but Remus shushes him, more intrigued by what dare could be worth veritaserum to Peter, and more importantly who is Peter hiding from them.
“Alright, get on with it what’s the dare?” James leaned back onto the bedpost confidently.
“You two blow up the moon, and I’ll drink the veritaserum.” Peter grins. Sirius groans knowing it’s impossible, having tried once personally before.
James narrows his eyes. “That was my fault for not being specific enough on the terms. I should know better after the prank war of ‘75. Touché wormy, touché”
James hauls both himself and Sirius up, opening the window. Remus looks at them. “You two aren’t seriously going to try that?”
“Why not,” Sirius shrugs, “we know it won’t work, and if it does, you’ll be free and Peter gets to spill his guts.”
Remus groans “what if you hit something?”
“Like what?”
Remus immediately thinks of airplanes but declines to explain as they are all far too wankered for that, and airplanes couldn’t get that close to Hogwarts anyway. “Like a bird?”
“Such a worry wart” James shakes his head readying his wand. “Ready mate?”
Sirius nods “Ready.”
“Bombarda maxima!”
Two jets of light disappear into the night sky. The moon stares back unharmed and mildly annoyed.
“Worth a shot” James shrugs
Peter laughs.
“I live with gits. Complete and utter gits.”