The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Sonorous Maximus

Sonorous Maximus

Peter, it seemed, had had a very bad night indeed since they'd seen them last. He'd waited in the common room for Annalee long after Remus and Sirius had left to go down to the Yule Ball, but she'd never come down in the long parade of girls that had brought along the others in their pouffy, colourful dresses and Peter had been confused by that and asked Vivian Warshaw to go check on her. "Oh Annalee went to the Ball ages ago," Vivian informed him, "She was part of the decorations committee."

Peter had gone on to the ball alone, then, muttering to himself about how it would've been helpful to know that his girlfriend had been on the committee before now.

However, when he arrived to the Ball, it was to find Annalee McKinnon dancing with Jackson Maw, who did not look at all uncomfortable about putting his hands on Annalee's hips when they danced and Peter could tell just by looking at them this was not a new development - he knew her too well... and so Peter stood there in the door of the Great Hall, watching her dance with him, his heart breaking.

He hadn't had the courage to say anything to Annalee.

Instead, Peter Pettigrew had stood there, staring for a very long minute and then turned and ran back to the dormitory, where he'd promptly ratted-up and hid beneath the sheets, where Sirius and Remus found thim hours and hours and hours later.

"But -- but why would she cheat on you?" asked Sirius, "In such an obvious place!? Is she mad? Did she think she'd get away with it?"

"I dunno!" Peter wailed.

"Surely she know we'd find out! We aren't blind!"

Peter shook his head, "I - I dunno, Sirius!"

Sirius was determined to find out, though, and vowed he'd ask Annalee himself the next day the moment he got a chance to, even if it meant going on the hunt on the Hogwarts Express.

His first order of business, however, was much more important than talking to Annalee. Cheering up his mates was always the most important thing that he would do in a day's work. He just hated the idea of any of the three of them being sad or upset, and so it was that after staying up for what had remained of the night, Sirius decided that the best thing to do was to give Peter something to laugh about instead.

Sirius raised his wand a moment and cleared his throat.

"This s a bad idea," Remus said. "You know you'll end up with detention."

"I know."

"But you've already got about twelve detentions waiting to be served," Remus pointed out.

"All with Minnie," Sirius said, "Minnie's barely even count as detention!"

Remus was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching as Sirius, leaning back in his chair at the desk, his feet up on the footboard of Peter's bed frame, grinning up at the ceiling as he rocked and spoke, holding his wand to his adam's apple.

Sirius's eyes twinkled.

"I can't watch." Remus closed his eyes and his hands went to his Prefect badge on his chest, as though covering it up would keep the badge from witnessing what a horrible dishonor he was doing it by not stopping Sirius Black.

"Sonoros Maximus," Sirius sad. Then, "Goooooood morrrrrrning, students of Hogwarts!" And even from there, he could hear it echoing all around him, his voice magically magnified throughout the entire school - like a muggle intercom. "This is your Key Purveyor of Magical Mischief Making speaking... Today is 23 December 1975, the day of departure aboard the Hogwarts Express for the holidays... The forecast for today is a heavy downpour of pranks, tricks, and gags. We ask that you please keep your pouting to a minimum as this is a no-sulking-zone. And now a special word from our guest stars..."