CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑤𝑜.

The late-April sun was shining down onto the grounds of Hogwarts with a happy gleam, students were getting out of classes for the weekend, and the weather was hitting that perfect spring air when it is neither too hot nor too cold. Anywhere a student or professor went, they could hear the sounds of birds chirping or second years laughing, filling the castle with an idyllic air of happiness.

There was one student, however, who was very discontent, and his name was James Potter.

The boy had been walking through the corridors for the past forty five minutes attempting to find his friends, but to no avail. Because it was the twenty sixth, Hollis was in possession of the Map and he, therefore, had no way to quickly find their location.

He had checked all across the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall, and their corner in the library, but to no avail. The only person's location he knew was that Lily and Marlene were out shopping in Hogsmeade.

At this point, his pace was quickening down the halls with slightly less of his normal saunter, feeling oddly vulnerable without at least one of the other Marauders beside him. He was honestly feeling so annoyed that he was checking every broom cupboard he passed by to see if his friends would be inside.

Which is how he stumbled upon the first Marauder of the hour, Sirius Black.

When he threw open the heavy oak door of the closet on its steel hinges, he honestly hadn't been expecting to find anyone inside, he was just getting desperate.

Yet here he was, staring at his best mate snogging Charlotte's older brother.

Sirius's neck immediately snapped around when the door was opened with a mischevious grin as he straightened his now very loose crimson and gold tie and the Ravenclaw did the same with his navy blue one and a furious blush on his cheeks just as red as Sirius's tie.

"My apologies, Charlotte's older brother," James said pointedly, trying not to laugh. "But the Marauders need to have a meeting."

"Sorry, Seb," Sirius called out behind him as his friend dragged him by the arm.

"Seb?" James asked with a raised eyebrow, both amused and curious.

"Short for Sebastian," he explained in response. "That just started to be too much of a mouthful, if you get what I'm-"

"Shut the bloody hell up before I hex you, you horny motherfucker," James giggled as they walked down the crowded halls, a new strut in his step at not being alone any more. "Now help me find where the others went."

"Have you checked the kitchens for Peter yet?" Sirius asked wisely, veering them in that direction. "Most likely for him, I'd say."

"Clever," James replied, nodding at Dorcas as she walked by. "And then we can have the discussion for the question I have been very confused about."

His friend looked at him with a laugh as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket he wore over his uniform shirt.

"Alrighty then Prongs, why don't you just-"

They were cut off by Peter walking directly into them, having been looking down at the pile of pumpkin pasties cradled in his arms and not where he was going. 

The little pies fell to the ground as he fumbled his arms, their buttery golden flakes littering the stone floor with what looked like edible confetti. Peter's face melted with despair at his loss of food, having been very excited to eat those.

"Okay, now time to find the dream couple," Sirius declared, not apologizing for knocking over the treats. "Now where ever could those two lovebirds be?"