The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

The Bloody Scarf

Frek apparated at the edge of Hogsmeade, by a broken down fence near the foot of the mountain that overlooked the village. He looked around the empty street, early morning air sending a shiver down his spine as he patted his gloved hands together and breathed out, warming his fingers before tugging his red plaid scarf tighter around his neck. He waited in silence, watching the street and the woods, his eyes flitting about, as though searching for something.

After several moments passed, he clearly had not seen whatever it was, and he turned and started walking directly down the main road, wand withdrawn, eyes closed, muttering spells beneath his breath. Ghost-pale sparks rose up from his wand, turning into a smoke-like essence that floated up into the sky before disappearing, rippling like a bubble out of existence.

It was not until he had walked all the way around the perimeter of the village, arriving back at the place where he started, that he opened his eyes again and put away his wand. He drew a deep breath, then turned and walked into the woods.

"You're a bloody nutter," Sirius's voice echoed through the trees. He jabbed his wand at brush as he walked, scowling at branches as they were blasted out of their path in a shower of sparks. Ahead of him, Regulus was hurrying along, dodging the branches and logs Sirius was simply casting reductos on. "Greyback's not out here, you've hallucinated it, haven't you? You're barking mad."

"Actually," said James, following along behind Sirius, ducking out of the way of flying debris, "Of the two of you, I rather think you're the one who's barking."

Sirius chortled, looking back over his shoulder. "Ah shut the fuck up, Prongsy."

"Besides that I'm not mad!" Regulus chimed in, frustration clear in his tone. "He was here, I swear to it. He was looking for Mr. Frek, and --"

"Frek! In the bloody woods? Riiiiiight," Sirius interrupted, "Would've done better going to the castle looking for a professor, wouldn't he?"

"And what then? Greyback just walks through the front doors into the entry hall and asks politely which way to the DADA corridor?" Regulus challenged.

James laughed at the thought of it. "Imagine Minnie's response to that, though?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but he didn't have a smart comeback for Regulus so he remained silent for once. James couldn't help but smirk down at his trainers as he followed Regulus and Sirius along. The bickering was precisely what he would expect of two brothers; after all, he and Sirius often had conversations with a similar beat to what he and Regulus were doing now. However, the Black brothers were especially good at it, raising the bar to a whole other level of sibling argument. And they were so much alike - James couldn't help but notice the way Regulus's motions and tones mimicked his brother's and the way Sirius seemed to exaggerate himself, as thought he and Regulus were in a competition of who could act more Sirius-ly than the other...

Suddenly Regulus stopped short in the path and Sirius, who was focused on a rotting log he was blasting, nearly walked into him as the bits of wood and bark exploded. "What the fuck are we stopping for?"

"Will you be quiet a second?!" Regulus snapped.

James looked over their shoulders, "What is it?" he whispered.

Regulus bent down and gingerly plucked a red plaid scarf from a branch and turned to Sirius and James, holding it up. The end was torn, and bloody. He stared at Sirius and James for a long moment, and silence surrounded them.

"I've seen Mr. Frek wearing that," James confirmed, his eyes widening as he scanned the dark woods around them.

"Well fuck," muttered Sirius.