The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

Shh! Dumbles is Talking!

The Gryffindor common room was absolutely explosive with celebration that night. They could be heard from all over the castle until the wee hours of the morning, Sirius Black's record player turned as loud as it could go and then charmed to be even louder than that. There was butterbeer and quaffle-shaped cakes and pies that were filled with lemon and raspberry jelly.

Ollie found himself the center of attention, something he never got to be, and he was pink with excitement as he told and retold everyone who wanted to hear the story of how he'd caught the snitch, and he even reenacted it a couple times with Dexter pretending to be Regulus Black, making a big show of the whole thing while the onlookers clapped and cheered, heckling Dexter-Regulus as Ollie was hoisted up again onto the shoulders of some of the fifth year students.

Late in the evening, when Lily and James returned to the common room, the noise exploded all over again as people reacted to James's arrival and Lily stood back as they hoisted James up, too, like they'd done to Ollie, and everyone cheered and called out that he was the greatest Captain the Gryffindor Quidditch team had ever had.

Lily snuck 'round the crowd to where Remus was sitting on the steps going up to the boys dormitory, drawing in a sketchbook he had balanced on his knees. Lily sat down beside him, wrapped in James's old Gryffindor jumper, the sleeves rolled down so that they covered her hands as she hugged herself. "Hey," she said, bumping her knees against Remus's knees.

"Hey," Remus murmured.

Lily leaned to look at his sketchbook. He'd sketched and was now adding immaculate details to a drawing of the common room itself, with the fireplace and shelves of books lining the walls. "Wow, that's so good."

Remus smiled, "Thanks."

"You're excellent at drawing."

Remus's face reddened and he stared down at the drawing. "I just want to remember it all. I'm going to miss Hogwarts."

Lily nodded, "Me, too."

"It's been home to me, the first time in my entire life that I was accepted for who... what... I am." He looked at Lily. "In every way possible."

Lily reached her arm around him, hugging him close, her hand tightening 'round his shoulder. He smiled and leaned his cheek against her hand... then pulled his head up, "Ow, what's that on your --" he looked down at her fingers and he let out a gasp, then looked at her. "He bleeding did it, he bleeding bloody fucking did it!"

Lily started laughing.

Remus jumped up, shaky on his feet still from the full moon, and Lily had to catch his arm to steady him as his sketchbook went flying and he yelled, "SIRIUS! SIRIUS GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE AND LOOK AT THIS!!!"

"MOONY WHAT IS IT MY LOVE?!" Sirius was in the midst of the thickest part of the crowded common room.

"COME!"

Lily laughed as Sirius bounded through the crowd like a dog being called by his master - the only thing missing was his tongue lolling out. Remus grabbed hold of Lily's hand the moment Sirius had reached them and he jabbed it out under Sirius's nose. "LOOK!" he practically shouted, "LOOK AT THIS."

Sirius stared at the ring for a split second before letting out a shriek that was so high-pitched it could've belonged to a woman. He flung himself at Lily, knocking her back into the stairs. "HOLY HUMPING HIPPOGRIFFS!" he wailed, "FINALLY!"

When he'd finished attacking Lily with his praises and excitement, Sirius disappeared into the fray once more to collect James and a moment later shouts from the center of the crowded room could be heard as Sirius knocked James down with a shriek just as loud and high-pitched as the one he'd let out at Lily just moments before.