It All Fell Down | A Marauder's Story

Seven

    "It's your story. Feel free to hit 'em with a plot twist." - Unknown

     James Potter munched numbly on the piece of toast that was placed before him at breakfast on a clear, Friday morning. He had been up late with the rest of his friends studying for a potions exam they had later that day. In his hazy state, he looked up and noticed Charlie nodding off against the palm of her hand that was keeping her head upright.

     "Riggs," he muttered, throwing a spare piece of toast at her face.

     Charlie jerked upright, eyes suddenly wide but still dazed by exhaustion. "Huh? What?"

     "You were falling asleep," he said lazily, blinking the sleep from his own eyes.

     "No, I wasn't."

     "Yes, you were," Remus added. His head was bent over to study the notebook in his hands, but he wasn't making much progress as the notes seemed rather blurry in his tired state.

     "Fuck you, Remus," Charlie muttered, before collapsing her head into her arms placed on the table as a makeshift pillow.

     "Wow," Marlene said, downing her second cup of coffee. "I am so convinced you weren't falling asleep."

     "Fight me, McKinnon," Charlie mumbled into the sleeves of her uniform.

     Marlene snorted into her coffee cup. "Anytime, babe."

     A silence settled over the group of seven. There was the occasional noise of someone munching on a random food item or slurping down some much needed caffeine, but none of them could manage any words. Remus was the only one still attempting to study, the rest had decided they could push no more information into their minds.

     The night before had seen them in a complete mess of notes and books and cauldrons spread out in the boys' dormitory. Remus had paced back and forth, quizzing them all ruthlessly with his harsh questions; Lily just read facts aloud to no one in particular; James repeated things over and over again, beating the textbook against his head; Charlie sat cross-legged practicing stirring motions in the empty cauldron in her lap; Marlene and Sirius took turns quizzing each other sitting across from one another in a forgotten corner of the room; Peter laid flat on his back munching on licorice wands, occasionally answering one of Remus' questions. It stayed like that until the sky turned pink, lighting the inside of the bedroom on fire. They each managed maybe an hour or two of sleep.

     Charlie kept drifting in and out on the great hall table, getting flashes of their previous night of studying. No matter how tired she was, she felt grateful to have friends to be exhausted, deliriously studying with. She was smiling into her arms, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

     "I think you have some visitors," Sirius mumbled.

     Charlie sat up and turned to see a small, familiar blonde standing proud in her blue and silver robes with what looked to be a small friend in tow. Charlie smiled.

     "What can I do for you, little cousin?"

     Rubertta smiled; she always liked being reminded that she was related to the fierce Gryffindor.

     "Cousin?" James demanded.

     Charlie turned and arched an eyebrow at his outburst. "I thought you were half-muggle?"

     "I am," Charlie replied amused. "And, the other half isn't."

     "She literally told us her mom belonged to the Addington family," Marlene muttered against the palm of her hand, eyes still closed. "Don't you pay attention?"