Better - The Marauders

THIRTY-ONE

- Chapter Thirty-One -
"Regulus, I would've stayed with you."

And just like the holidays never happened, the marauders were on the train back to Hogwarts. Remus and Elladora were shattered, neither of them slept a wink after the events of the night before. The morning had come quicker than expected and both were sluggishly pulling up their trunks whilst fighting to keep their eyes open enough to see.

Elladora wouldn't normally be like that, but thanks to the freezing cold after effect and the early start to the day, it felt a whole damn war was raging inside of her head. Hexes and curses being ricocheted off of her brain, only to go back, over and over like a broken record stuck on repeat. Over and over. Over and over. Over and over. Over and- wait.

It explain why her mouth was currently slightly agape and her head rested on Sirius' shoulder, with her cloak draped over her as a sort of blanket. She was sound asleep, not dreaming, nor storing, it didn't even look like she was breathing. But she was, just asleep, peaceful with her facial features resting silently.

Remus was trying his absolute best to read a book, key word: trying. His eyes were skipping lines and they often came blurry, until he had to screw his eyes shut before opening them to look at his book and piece the words together again so they make sense. Peter, James and Sirius were chatting away, albeit quietly so that Elladora could stay asleep.

A rustling from the doorway of their compartment drew all their attention and their heads turned to see someone at their door. The ends of Sirius' hair skimmed Elladora's head and she stirred slightly, her head getting comfortable on his shoulder whilst her small exhales blew the boys hair back and forth slightly.

Lily Evans stood at the doorway and opened it with some extra effort. James' eyes lit up and he sat up straighter, looking towards the redhead with a smile on his face. Remus glanced up tiredly but slowly returned to his book, rereading the lines again and again, and again, but he couldn't seem to grasp them. Peter just gave the girl a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Oh." Was all she muttered, looking at the girl on Sirius's shoulder.

"What?" James furrowed his eyebrows together slightly, glancing in between the two.

"I just came to see if maybe Elladora wanted to sit with us for a second, get some girlfriends, but I see she's occupied." Lily frowned slightly.

"Well, I'm not occupied." James smirked slightly and Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes with a smile whilst she turned on her heel and left, her red hair swishing after her in the wind.

"And she already has four boyfriends!" Peter shouted after her before realising what he said. "Wait-what?"

The four boys chuckled quietly, Remus set his book down and looked up, rubbing his eyes.

"Why are you so tired?" Sirius asked, looking at his friend. "It's like-" He checked his watch. "-11:30 and you're normally up and at it at 9:00 at max."