The Marauders (a HP fanfiction)

Chapter nine

September 6, 1972

James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus had all chatted merrily on the train ride back to Hogwarts. Sirius had told them that his younger brother, Regulus, was going to be at Hogwarts.

"He'll in up in Slytheirn, though," Sirius had said as he looked out the window and sighed.

And sure enough, Regulus was sorted into Slytherin, causing Sirius to moan at the Gryffindor table. Things for Sirius had been blurry even since then.

It was after hours, and James and Sirius were walking down the corridors because Sirius had been bored and wanted to find something to do. Anything so that he wasn't thinking about his parents and how proud they would be of Regulus when they found out he was in Slytherin, which they probably already did.

"That Filtch is getting on my last nerves," Sirius said as he and James stepped from behind a suite of armor that they had been hiding behind. "I say we teach him a lesson."

"I don't know," James surprisingly said, his eyes daring to reach the ground. "Besides, how could we go about it?"

And then a screeching sound hit their ears and they both tried covering it with their hands. Peeves, the castle Poltergeist, was now in front of them.

"Ickle Jamesy and Siriusy wants to find trouble."

"Not your kind of trouble, Peeves," James said, grabbing Sirius's arm and pulling him past Peeves and back to Gryffindor Tower. As James and Sirius walked, Sirius looking back every now and then, Peeves flew in front of them again.

"Leave us be, Peeves," James told him. "I wouldn't be surprised if Filtch is already on his way with the noise you're making!"

"He does know how to play a good prank," Sirius commented, looking at Peeves with admiration.

"Sirius..." James said in shock.

Peeves began laughing and flew away.

"I have an idea," Sirius said.

With that, Sirius and James went to the Gryffindor common room.

xxx

September 7, 1972

Mary, a girl in Lily's year and good friend, was trying to wake a distressed Lily.

"Lily? Lily!" Mary called out.

Lily moaned and sat up in bed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Wh...What?" she asked.

"I've been trying to get you up for the last minute. What's the matter?" Mary asked. "You haven't been yourself since this afternoon. And now you're having bad dreams."

"Sorry, Mary," Lily apologized, her gaze hitting the clovers on her bed.

She hadn't expected what she had seen to get to her like it was. Surely Severus had a reasonable excuse as to why he was talking to Lucius Malfoy, the new Head Boy who was a Slytherin. Maybe it was nothing. After all, they both were in the same house.

"Oh, you saw that Snape kid," Mary exclaimed, remembering now what had happened. "Why do you talk to him anyway, Lily?"

Mary never understood her friend's taste in the greasy-haired boy, even though Lily had told her that they had been friends before starting Hogwarts.

"He's my friend. He's my best friend," Lily told her, filling her cheeks surprisingly redden.

"Excuse me?" Mary asked.

Lily looked up at Mary sympathetically.

"My best guy friend. Mary," she corrected herself. "I've known Severus since we were ten. I can't just not be friends with him because he's in Slytherin."