Harry Potter Oneshots and Headcanons

The Marauder's Map

"Goodnight, Harry," I called and waited until I heard the oak door click shut. I stood in the dimly lit classroom and stared for a few moments, feeling my chest grow tight. I didn't want to think about it, or look at it or try and use it.

It was hard enough seeing Harry each day and hearing him talk about James. He looks so much like his father and every time I saw him I felt a stab of sharp pain. But he also has his mother's eyes. He's been told many times, of course, but I don't believe he knows how much it hurts when I see both his mother and father staring back at me. How much it makes me want to rip my eyes out and forget. I remember when I saw him on the train it startled me. Asleep one moment and then the next James is sitting in front of me and Lily is staring back at me. That shocked me and it hurt but he wouldn't know that.

I glanced down at the battered parchment before me. It was yellow. Darker in colour after all of the years it had been in use. The inside was blank and not damaged but the corners were dog eared and one edge looked as if it had been torn and someone not very skilled had attempted to repair it. Harry? I doubted it, he had only just found it. I considered who else must have come across it but brushed the thought off with a smile; I hoped they put it to good use.

I traced my hand along the intricate lettering. The Marauder's Map, was splayed across an illustration of the castle and four names, nicknames, were above it. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. When I saw 'Padfoot' a lump appeared in my throat. It still hurt, still tore me apart to think about it. I was in two minds because I hated him. Hated him for his betrayal... to all of us. Responsible for the deaths of Lily, James and Peter. But he was my best friend and I went over everything that happened a thousand times in my head, desperate to find a scrap of evidence to prove his innocence. Why did he do it? Were there signs? Could we have helped him? I didn't think so, deep down, but that didn't quieten my mind.

"I solemnly swear I am up to good," I whispered, with a tap of my wand. Incorrect, I know, but I wanted to hear my friends speak again. Wanted to see the ridiculous insults that Snape had become victim to half an hour before and ten years ago too.
"Wormtail asks you kindly to keep your hideously ugly face away from this parchment," caused a smile to stretch across my face. "Messr Prongs asks you to keep your big nose out of other people's business," caused the smile to grow. But when "Padfoot says" began to appear on the map, I quickly put it aside and closed my eyes feeling the anger, pain and sadness bubble up inside.

So many thoughts were running through my head, that always did happen close to the full moon. Especially now that I was older. I would only just have recovered from the previous night of transformation and, before I knew it, the pearly white globe was drawing me in and stretching my bones. But I pushed aside the thoughts, or tried to. I attempted not to think of Sirius or Peter, or James and Lily, or even Harry. Instead, I stowed the map away in a draw and promised myself I would not look at it again tonight, and decided that bed was the only place for me. I wiped the tears that had escaped and made it to my cheeks and hoped sleep would take my troubles away, and numb the pain that had been dragged up from the past by the map, not that it had before. Anyone can sleep, and anyone can dream, but the problem is that not all dreams are good.

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So I hope you liked this guys! It was a request from @payallamba54 (which won't tag???) and I'm a bit late so sorry! I love you all, thank you so much for voting! We're nearly at 1K votes and I'll probably cry when that happens ;)