When They Were Marauders || A Marauders Tale

Year Two: Part Three (2.3)

"There!" Remus said with victory, but it was wasted as he said in a quieter, more slow tone, "No, no. Nevermind. . .what are we doing wrong?"

James removed his glasses, rubbing his tired face. It had been a week and the four friends skipped meals and ran on sugar. They only went to classes because Remus refused to miss the classes. But, during the lessons, he wrote down anything that could help them. Every day, he thought he was a step closer to figuring out the secret to unlocking the parchment map, but it proved difficult.

The four would walk around the school, making little notes on everything they saw on bits of parchment. Peter went as far as to draw miniature maps and stuffed them into his pockets whenever a professor walked by. One of them had to accompany James after a rather misfortunate event involving Lily Evans and Snape and a rather wonderful Bat-Bogey Hex that went askew.

One of the only breaks they had was on Tuesday morning, when Sirius and James waited patiently for the Quidditch Captain, a pretty girl named Emmaline Diggle, to post to Quidditch tryout results.

When she finally came down from the girl's dormitory with a rolled piece of parchment under her arm, Sirius jumped up from his armchair as if he had been shocked. James, however, waited patiently for her to stick it to the wall before bolting over to see it, knocking Sirius and Peter down in the process.

"Be civil!" Remus called as Sirius grabbed James by the back of his robes. The long-haired boy's jaw dropped as he read the names. James cried, "I'm a Chaser! Yes!"

James sauntered over to Lily, saying, "I'll bet you're proud of me, Evans. Are you?"

Lily rolled her emerald eyes. "No, because Severus is a Chaser as well."

"Oh, afraid I'll best poor, ickle Snivellus, are we?"

Lily scoffed and went with her friends out the portrait door. "Her loss, " Peter grinned. "Sirius? What are you still doing over there?"

Sirius gulped as Remus questioned, "Did you not get in?"

Sirius' mercury eyes trailed down the parchment for a fourth time, thinking that there was a mistake. He read down from the Chasers to the one new Beater and the Keeper, and, finally, to the new Seeker.

Sirius took a breath as he turned to his friends. "I'm. . .the Seeker."

"What?!" James laughed. "The Seeker, Sirius Black?"

"Er, it seems so."

Remus grinned. "That's amazing!" He ran to his friend, hugging him tightly, but he pulled away quickly, saying, "Sorry."

"Damn, Sirius, " James said with a shake of his head. "I thought you hadn't made the team."

"Sorry. . ." muttered Sirius.

Peter asked, "Aren't you going to write to your mum? Won't she or your father be excited about the news?"

Sirius shook his head. "They don't need to know. I don't care if they do."

"Oh, " Remus murmured. "Mum will be thrilled to hear about you, though! And you too, James!"

James grinned. "I'll be the best Chaser. Just wait."

"What about the Marauders M---" started Peter, but James covered his mouth quickly, hissing, "Peter, remember what we said?"

Peter nodded slowly. "Yeah, " he told James, his voice muffled. "I do."

"Good, "

The four made their way to their classes and ate breakfast in almost complete silence until James pulled the piece of parchment with pranks written on it from the pocket of his robes. Remus tried to snatch it away, but James pulled it out of his reach. "Calm down, Moony, " he told him. "We aren't doing anything yet. Just deciding."