The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

A Spirit to Speak With

A Spirit to Speak With

"Alright you lot, on your feet!" Sirius said, banging open the door to the dormitory.

James looked up from his bed, where he was sitting with his knees folded before him, his History of Magic textbook balanced on his feet. "What?"

Peter was laying in bed, back-to, pretending to be asleep, even though it was barely even lunch time. He'd ignored James's arrival nearly twenty minutes before, and was determined to ignore Sirius and Remus, too.

Sirius let go of Remus's hand as he walked in, clutching a large mantel clock to his chest. "Get the Map, Moony. And your jumper. You'll want two. Wear that red one, with the funny arm patch thingies - I'm not listening to you moan how cold you are. Get up, Peter!" He grabbed hold of Peter's duvet and yanked.

"Stop it!" Peter snapped and he grabbed onto the duvet and pulled it back over himself, "Just leave me be so you lot won't have to put up with me."

"Stop playing the victim, Pete, and get up," Sirius said, too filled with adrenaline to remember his earlier promise to Remus about thinking things over in his head before saying them, "You know we don't just put up with you, bloody hell you're one of the Marauders. Get thicker skin mate, you know we don't just put up with you."

"Maybe I don't wanna put up with you lot," Peter snapped, and he pulled his blanket clear over his head.

"Pete, come now, seriously," Sirius sad with a roll of his eyes. "We haven't the time for one of your pity parties, we have a Spirit to speak with."

"A spirit?" James asked, sitting up straighter, his textbook slipping off his knee, "What're you on about, Black?"

"We'll tell you when we get there."

"Out where?" James demanded.

Sirius gestured to the Forbidden Forest through the wide dormitory window.

"Are you mad? It's a school night," James said.

"Are you mad? That's literally never stopped us before."

"Yeah but... O.W.L.s, Sirius..."

Sirius shook his head, "Bloody hell, Prongs, you aren't going soft on me, are you?"

"No..."

"Then fuck the O.W.L.s, mate! This is more important than grades anyways!" Sirius grabbed Peter's duvet again and ripped it right off the bed and chucked it into a corner. "GET UP, PETER!"

Peter looked very angry and hot tears were pooling in the corners of his eyes, but he did get up and he pushed his feet into his shoes and sat there sourly waiting for the other boys to get their jumpers and shoes on and Sirius tangled his hair up in a great knot at the back of his head, shoving his wand through the epicenter, tugging his leather jacket on and tying an extra jumper 'round his waist - which was more intended for Moony than it was for himself because he knew despite what he'd said Rey would still be cold later.

They passed through the common room, Sirius with his arm around Remus, who was looking quite pale and odd as he stumbled along. Lily was just coming down the stairs, actually looking for Ali Prewitt, but found the four Marauders walking toward the portrait hole and she ran over, "Are you lot going to lunch?" she asked and she flushed at how odd her voice sounded and felt a weird flutter in her belly when James looked over at her.

"I dunno where we're going, Sirius won't tell us," James said.

"What? What're you doing with that clock? You aren't defacing Hogwarts property again, are you, Sirius Black?" Lily demanded.