Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Eighty-Eight - Splashdown!

"FREEDOM!"

Sirius immediately stripped his robes and vest off, James following suit, then Peter, and Remus took off his robes. The four of them ran outside to claim a section near the lake. A lot of students were hanging out by the lake so it was a bit noisy.

Remus sat on a rock, pulling a book out.

"NO!" Sirius grabbed the book from him. "No. More. Studying." He put it back into Remus's bag then took the bag away.

"I was just--"

"I know what you were just," Sirius said, dropping the bag with the other bags. "You were just going to go over History and Charms and agonize yourself over whether you got the answers right or not. And the scowl proves I'm right."

"Why is Remus scowling?" Lily appeared, with Colgate and Inkwood. Without even asking they joined the boys, the girls having taken off their robes and vests as well, dumping their stuff in a pile.

"Because I won't let him stress himself out into a frenzy," replied Sirius.

Lily looked at him and he ducked his head, scowling more. "I w-was just going to look at the--the stuff we did today. I was not g-going to put myself into a--a frenzy.

She sat next to him kicking her shoes and socks off. Inkwood stretched out in the grass, making a flower crown (did all girls learn to make flower crowns, Remus wondered, or were they just born with the knowledge?), while Colgate joined James and Peter in skipping rocks. Lily began poking Remus's foot with hers till he obediently took his shoes and socks off as well. He set them aside, tucking the (mismatched) socks into the shoes, aware that Sirius was giving him a strange look though not entirely sure what it meant.

"So, how do you think you all did?" Lily asked.

"ARGGGH!" Sirius shouted causing her to jump. "No! No school talk! Exams are OVER! We are absolutely free for two weeks now!"

"We still have classes," Inkwood said as she deftly wove flowers together.

Sirius glared at her. "Not the same thing. Just some general stuff. Not important. And no exams," he added, pointing to Lily.

She stuck her tongue out at him then turned to Remus. "How do you think you did?"

"Pretty sure I failed Potions," he said, wriggling his bare toes, ignoring Sirius's furious ranting. "Probably Defense, too. You?"

"Pretty sure I failed Herbology. Possibly History. I did really good with Charms though. Professor Flitwick seemed really pleased."

Remus wondered what he had done best in. Transfiguration, maybe? McGonagall had given him a rare smile when he finished up so that was something. Before they could keep talking about their grades there was a scream followed by a loud splash. Colgate was in the lake. Remus and Lily jumped to their feet but she was just in the shallow part, standing up angrily as she yanked seaweed (lakeweed?) off of her body.

"James Potter I am going to KILL YOU!" Colgate screamed.

"It was an accident!" James protested.

"Did you push her in the lake?!" Lily demanded.

James spun around. "It was an accident!" he said again. "I didn't realize she was on mud and would sli--AAAAAAH!"

Lily charged forward, put her hands on his chest, and shoved him back into the lake. He landed with a big splash then came up, sputtering and coughing, some seaweed tangled around his glasses somehow. Lily dusted her hands off triumphantly. Then screamed as Sirius picked her up. Completely picked her up, her limbs flailing.