pavement :||: marauders era one-shots

Chapter 13

James and Sirius were walking down the corridor with Remus between them. The full moon was only two days ago so the chances of Remus falling asleep standing were incredibly high.

"Where's Wormtail?" Remus yawned rubbing his face.

"McGonagall asked him to stay behind because he didn't do his homework," Sirius said.

"The essay?" Remus asked stopping. "The one about animagus?"

"Yeah," James answered. "Its no big deal, he'll probably just get lines."

"No," Remus said. "We have to go back. Peter did that essay, I saw him do it."

Sirius grabbed Remus by the shoulder. "Moony stop. You didn't write the essay. We voted to see who would get detention. Wormtail got the short end of the stick and turned his essay in under your name."

"That's not fair!" Remus protested. "He shouldn't get bad marks because of me!"

"You are the only marauder with a perfect record," James said stepping in front of Remus. "You have gone seven years without missing a single assignment and I'll be damned if you start now."

"Wormtail won't be mad," Sirius added. "Promise. Now let's go to lunch, I'm starved."

"Yeah all right," He mustered a weak smile which made the scars of his face twinge.

They made it to the last corridor before the entrance hall when a group of third-year Ravenclaw boys passed. James heard the one with blonde hair mutter something to his goonies. He was clearly the leader because they all laughed at his remark. 

The boy's comment made James stop short. "Hey!"

Remus and Sirius stopped to look at James quizically. The four Ravenclaw boys turned around, looking slightly afraid.

"What did you just say?" James demanded.

"I didn't say anything," The blonde one objected. "Back off."

"You said something and you know it!" James countered taking a step closer to the group of boys. One of them looked like he was about to run away.

"James!" Remus shouted. "He said he didn't say anything. Leave it alone."

Either James didn't hear Remus or he chose to ignore him. "Say it again. If you can make a joke like that to your little friends, you can say it to my face."

"I don't have to do anything!" The boy countered crossing his arms. "You're not my prefect."

"I just so happen to be head boy!" James said taking yet another step towards the third year.

"What did he say Prongs?" Sirius demanded.

"He thought it would be amusing to make a comment about Moony's scars," James growled not tearing his gaze away from the blonde boy.

If looks could kill.

Remus who was already standing near a wall leaned against it as Sirius covered the distance between himself and James with a few paces. He was already much taller than James and towered over the thirteen-year-olds.

"I 'ought to curse you right now," Sirius snarled.

He and James both made moves to grab their wands. But the sound of footsteps stopped them. Lily was walking with Peter down the hall. She and James locked eyes for just a moment.

"No," James said, lowering his wand and pushing Sirius' down with it. "What is your name?"

The boy looked petrified. "Thomas Nolan."