The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

November Rain

November proved to be very cold and rainy, and the wind coming off the lake carried sleet and mist every day so that the grounds were void of students most of the time. 

Quidditch was the only exception, and the spectators huddled under their umbrella spells and shielding charms to stay dry as the players magicked their robes warm and wore thick dragon hide gloves. The Gryffindor team was surprisingly very good, despite the risks in placement that James had taken by allowing younger players to sign up, and he was pleasantly shocked when they won the first match of the season, despite the nasty weather. Passion, clearly, went a good deal in Quidditch, and he was quite excited to see how much the littler players would grow as the season went on. Winning had done wonders for their confidence, which could only help. To bolster them, too, James snuck down the passageway to Honeyduke's and bought the lot of them a pile of chocolate frogs as congratulations for the win.

The later into the month of November it got, the more intense classes got. It was getting clearer that they were in the year for their NEWTS because all the teachers were getting quite a lot pickier, and even Garm Tyr was more intense than usual, if that was even possible. Although, oddly enough, Garm was much friendlier with Sirius suddenly.

"I think the poor bloke's just misunderstood," Sirius had announced in mid November, when he was given a better mark than even Remus on a paper - which he'd copied nearly word for word off James, who had copied concepts off Remus.

"Yeah, because it isn't your teeth he fancies ripping out and hanging on a chain about his neck," muttered Remus, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be jealous, Moony," Sirius declared, hugging Remus, "I'll tutor you."

Remus snorted loudly.

"I reckon I ought to grow my own set of dreadlocks," Sirius added, smirking to James with a wink of his eye, knowing he was antagonizing Remus.

Remus made a face. "Filthy nasty things those are. They probably smell like piss up close!"

Sirius laughed, "Yeah? You don't think I'd be sexy in 'em?"

Remus looked at Sirius, not a bit of humor in his eyes. "If you do, I will agrafo you all over again so fast..."

"You wouldn't!" Sirius clutched the tall knot atop his head.

"Wouldn't I?" Remus asked teasingly.

"Bullocks!" Sirius announced, but he stopped going on about Garm's dreadlocks from that moment forward, much to Remus's relief.

In all the business of getting revisions done and doing his rounds, James was struggling with finding a time that worked for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Everyone was just so busy that there didn't seem to be an excellent time to gather, and as the month passed, James got more and more frustrated with the process of setting a time, hearing someone was unavailable, and having to set it all over again.

"Bloody hell," James whined as Marlene, the latest of the back-outers, disappeared back to the Ravenclaw table. He shook his head and dug his schedule book out of his rucksack. "You know," he said, shaking his head, "It may just be easier to wait and hold the ruddy thing after holiday."

"No!" Peter cried, hearing James's conclusion. Everyone looked at him and he flushed, then said, quieter, as everyone turned back to their conversations, "No. Please." He scrambled around Remus, pushing his way in between James and Lily on the bench and looked up at James. "I don't want to go that long. Please. There's no telling what'll happen when I'm not protected by being here at Hogwarts. My mum and dad don't pay attention to anything, they can't help me like you can, James. Please don't make me go home without helping me, please, please, please help me. Please." He was begging, truly begging, his hands clasped before him. James couldn't help but be reminded of his animagus form, for Peter looked exactly like a humanoid version of a rat.