A/N: Of those of you who have reviewed, I am glad that you've given feed back! Thanks for reading and for taking the time to review. It's good to see familiar names! I am sorry that this has taken so long to get this second chapter out. I took a break to read a highly recommended story, which was quite enjoyable and made me fall in love with the Marauders all over again.
Disc.: All this, I own naught.
Chapter Two: Last Day 5th Year
James could feel the hand of the Ravenclaw six year on his hand, her birdlike nails painted an iridescent color. She wasn't anything remarkable in the grand scheme of things, but she wasn't totally terrible to look at, either. She had light colored hair, much like Remus' hair, and big, bright blue eyes. James felt bad for a minute. He couldn't remember her name at the moment, and he could only focus on the quiet, thoughtful way she spoke.
"Did you know your arms are much less hairy than Xeno's arms?" the girl said loftily. "The other day he was telling me that the hair on your arm indicates whether a wrackspurt is likely to invade your mind."
James looked at the girl with his head cocked to the side, uncertain as what a `wrackspurt' was and whether or not he should be concerned that he wasn't as hairy as this guy named Xeno. James smiled and brushed some of her hair from her face, the wispy pale strands practically glowing in the moonlight. Dangling from her ears were tiny half-eaten radishes. He fought back a laugh.
"Um, did you know that there are half eaten radishes hanging from your ears?" James asked. The girl looked at him and nodded, her fingers gently touching them.
"I got hungry earlier and nibbled on them for a while," the Ravenclaw said loftily. James shrugged and leaned forward for a kiss, a grin on his face.
"Circe!" James exclaimed suddenly, startling the Ravenclaw. She nearly fell over.
"Yes?" The Ravenclaw said with her blue eyes wide.
"Oh, um, nothing," James said shaking his head. He grinned at her, glad that he remembered her name. There was nothing like rolling over in the morning not to remember the name of the girl next to you.
"You must have been affected by the wrackspurt, after all," Circe said shaking her head. James shrugged.
"Maybe I have," James said feigning affectedness. "I probably shouldn't be left alone tonight, with me in my condition."
"Of course," Circe said with a look of true concern.
Sirius was sitting at the Gryffindor table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the Daily Prophet. He glanced up as James walked in, wearing the same clothes from the night before with his tie loose around his neck and his shirt slightly wrinkled. The boys grinned at each other as James took his seat, pulling a bowl of cereal toward his side of the table. Sirius folded the paper and set it aside, James moving to look at it.
"I swear," James said shaking his head as he looked at the modified Daily Prophet. Whereas before serious articles of disappeared witches and wizards plastered every square inch of the paper, it was now covered in crude jokes and funny little stories. Sirius had charmed it to read as a more comedic piece while still making it look like he was concerned about current events.
"Hey, girls love a guy that they think is up on current things," Sirius said shrugging. He flipped James' tie up. "So you didn't come back to the room last night."
"Nope," James said grinning.
"So did you and that Ravenclaw?" Sirius asked quietly as he lowered his voice as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Ah, well. A gentleman never tells, does he?" James said as he spooned the fruity cereal rings into his mouth. Sirius grinned.
"Good thing you're not a gentleman, then," Sirius teased. James hesitated then grinned.
"Too right," James said as he put his spoon down. He leaned forward. "We didn't, you know, do anything really. She kept going on and on about Xeno Lovegood. Apparently she's engaged to him, but she wanted to see what it was like to go out with me."
"What girl doesn't," Sirius commented.
"I know, right," James laughed. He glanced to Lily.
"She doesn't count," Sirius warned him. "I don't think she's even human, you know? Some sort of robot programmed to always follow the rules and study like a fiend."
"You sum her up perfectly," James laughed. He leaned back. "Yo, Evans! You, me, and Hogsmead today?"
"You call that asking me out?" Lily asked making a face. A slight smile threatened to flood her face. James shrugged.
"So, that'd be a no then?" James asked.
"That'd be a no," Lily confirmed.
"Ok, well there's always next year then," James said shrugging. He turned back to Sirius.
"Wait, that's it?" Lily asked. James turned back to her.
"Yeah, that's it," James said. He grinned.
"Why do you even bother asking me anymore?" Lily asked shaking her head at him. "I always tell you no."
"Because one day you might say yes," James said. She looked at him quite annoyed but for a moment, James was certain that he saw a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. He looked at Sirius, ending the conversation with Lily as a large owl dropped a letter in front of Sirius.
"Great," Sirius grumbled as he slid his finger along the flap.
"What is it?" James asked curiously. Sirius looked up at him uncertainly.
"It's from my mother," Sirius said distastefully.
"Ah, good ol' Mrs. Black," James said.
"Right, good," Sirius snorted. James grinned and continued on his cereal as Sirius read the letter. "God, they disgust me."
"What is it?" James asked.
"She's begging me to not to embarrass the family at Regulus' Dark Mark Ceremony on Saturday next week. Well, she's threatening to lock me in the attic if I even step out of the line of all that is sick, twisted, and evil," Sirius moaned. "The fact that I even have to be there, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. I am already such an outcast, and right damn proud of it, but I've been lumped in with crazy ol' dead Phineas Black for being a blood traitor."
"You know, you can always come and stay with me," James offered. Sirius rolled his eyes but nodded.
"I know," Sirius said. "I'm not about to be running out with my tail between my legs."
"I can imagine that," James teased. "London zoo over Easter holiday."
"That was one time," Sirius said lowering his voice. "You know monkeys give me the creeps. The way that they stare at you like they're intelligent."
"I think that they might be. Studies state that primates have sub-human intelligence, and are as smart as most Slytherins," James reminded him. They both grinned at this fact. Sirius shrugged.
"Well, you know," Sirius said. "They still creep me out."
"Offer still stands," James said as he tipped the bowl and sipped the milk.
"Gotcha," Sirius said. The two sat in silence before James stretched and stood.
"I'd better finish packing," James said. Sirius nodded and also stood. They passed Remus as they exited the great hall. Remus waved at them, but they continued on their path back to the Gryffindor common room. They stopped in shock as the opened up the door to their dormitory. All of their clothes had been bewitched to dance and run around like they were being worn, but on the ceiling out of reach.
"Had to be Remus," Sirius murmured.
"Always looking out for wee Wormtail," James said. He raised his wand. "Accio clothes."
One by one, the clothes pelted and rained down upon them, coating the room in dirty garments. James laughed and looked around, hearing the tale-tell sound of a rat's snickering squeakily. Hidden between the chest of drawers and an upright truck, Peter crouched with his hand over his mouth. James nudged Sirius and the two boys pounced on him, dragging him from his hiding place.
"You think you're funny, don't you?" James taunted as he jerked the tubby little boy's shirt up.
"It was only a joke," Peter defended as James and Sirius rapidly hit Peter in the stomach with open hands. They stopped when Peter's belly was bright red. The three of them were laughing and breathless as Peter struggled under the weight of James and Sirius holding him down.
"It was clever!" James said rolling away from him.
"Remus told me how," Peter confessed as he stood.
"I knew it smelled of werewolf," Sirius laughed. He looked at the mess of clothes and shook his head. "Wingardium Leviosa." The clothes began to levitate and between James and Sirius, were distributed to the correct trunks.
Later on the train, James had his feet up on the seat of the compartment that he, Sirius, and Peter inhabited. They knew eventually Remus would join them, but that he was off doing his prefect duties and it would be a while before he could dash out on Lily and rejoin the others. James was doodling a bit on what looked like a piece of spare parchment, forever adding to the Marauders' Map. Outside of Hogwarts, it didn't work in the same way as everyone was on the train, naturally but James knew that place like the back of his hand.
"I can't believe that we get to spend the summer as animals, if we choose," Peter said in an exited voice. Sirius shot Peter a look and closed the compartment door.
"Keep it down, Peter," James chided him. "We could get into some serious trouble if someone finds out that not only can we do it, but that we haven't immediately reported to the ministry for registration. Remember Professor McGonagall was saying in transfiguration that unregistered Animagi could get into serious trouble."
"You don't think she knows, do you?" Peter asked worriedly as James continued perfecting the map.
"No," James said quietly. "But no need to go rising suspicions, you know?"
"When did you start paying attention in Professor McGonagall's class?" Sirius teased. "I thought the only thing that you paid attention to in class was the girls."
"Very funny, Sirius," James laughed. He tucked his quill behind his ear and blew on the paper, hoping to dry the ink quicker. He held the map to Sirius. "Can you think of anything I've missed?"
"No," Sirius said as he searched the paper. "But to be honest, we know all those passages like the backs of our hands. Aside for knowing where everyone else is, we really don't need a map."
"It kept us out of trouble," Peter piped up. James smiled smugly and nodded.
"Ah, we could have taken those prefects," Sirius scoffed at them. "There were only eight of them, four of us."
"You're full of yourself," James teased. "You were just as worried as I was. You pretend to be all bad and what not, but you care just as much as I do."
"Shhh," Sirius said, covering Peter's ears. "The child might hear you."
"I'm not a child," Peter complained pushing Sirius' hands off of his ears. James laughed.
"He means that in the nicest way," James assured Peter lightly. "Anyways, the Marauder's Map really isn't for us, in the sense of knowing our way around the school. It's our legacy."
"You stole that from me," Sirius declared, crossing his arms laughing.
"Did not," James countered.
"Did so. Remember in first year, right after we both got that week long detention for de-panting Snape in the corridor on our way to Defense Against the Dark Art, we were sitting in Professor Artemis' classroom and I told you that we needed to leave a hell of a legacy," Sirius said emphatically. James laughed.
"I know," James joked. "I was just screwing with you Padfoot. Don't get all excited, now. Can't have you peeing on the carpet, can we?"
"You're a real funny man," Sirius laughed shoving James roughly. James shoved him back, and the boys started to rough each other up in the compartment. Peter flattened himself against the window as the boys struggled to be victorious. For good measure, Sirius socked James in the gut as James put Sirius in a head lock.
"Have you… ok, really, you're rising sixth years!" Lily exclaimed loudly as she stepped into the compartment and tried to pull Sirius and James apart.
"Sod off, woman," Sirius laughed as he continued to take shots at James.
"Let us be," James said as he clamped harder on Sirius' head.
"As a prefect, I can't just sit back and allow you two to kill each other," Lily said defiantly. "You really must stop or I shall give you both detentions."
"It's summer holiday," the boys protested as they continued to struggle with one another.
"Not until we get off the train!" Lily said shrilly.
"I don't know what I see in you," James grumbled as he and Sirius broke apart. "What is it that you wanted?"
"Cross are we Potter?" Lily said self satisfactory as she crossed her arms.
"Spill it or walk, Evans," James said neither amused nor pleased that she was breaking up what he was certain was going to be a James-dominated fight between Sirius and himself.
"Have you seen Longbottom's toad, Travis? He's managed to lose it yet again," Lily said quickly as James stood there.
"Didn't that frog thing die like two years ago?" Sirius asked James coyly. James laughed and Peter snickered from behind his small, boyish hands.
"No," Lily snapped. "So have seen the damn toad?"
"Now who's cross?" James said smartly.
"You are SO infuriating James Potter! Sit on a tack!" Lily said as she turned and walked out the compartment.
"Sit on a tack? What kind of threat is that?" James asked, making a face at Sirius.
"Lame," Sirius said as he lunged for James, putting the messy haired boy in a tight headlock. James landed a few good punches to Sirius as Remus slipped into the compartment.
"Man, Prongs. You really managed to piss Lily off," Remus said as he closed the door behind him and slip into the seat closest to the window. He had to step wide to avoid the two boys struggling for dominance on the floor of their compartment. James opened his mouth to say something but Sirius shifted and accidentally kneed James in the groin.
"Oh, hell Prongs, sorry," Sirius said as he jumped up off of his best friend.
"Ugh," James groaned as he remained on the floor for a moment.
"This is the reason that you are not supposed to be goofing off in the compartments," Remus said. James shot him a look as he struggled to his seat.
"Nothing wrong with a pair of boys wrestling around," James said in a strained voice. He glanced at Sirius. "I think you've sterilized me."
"The world'll be a better place," Sirius teased lightly.
"ANYWAYS, Prongs, what did you do to Lily? She was in such a good mood until she came in here, and now she's acting like a…" Remus trailed off as he thought of a proper word to describe Lily's change in temperament.
"Bitch?" Sirius said. James laughed.
"You wish," James taunted. "Woof woof."
"Oh, I didn't mean like that," Sirius laughed, realizing that James was referring to the term for a female dog.
"I was going with more of a temperamental prefect," Remus said.
"I didn't do anything," James said shaking his head. "She just hates me."
"And yet, my boy Prongs here refused to stop asking her out," Sirius taunted as he mussed James' hair.
"Eventually, she'll agree. I'm not going to worry about it," James said shrugging noncommittally. "So, what are the big Marauder plans for this summer?"
"Beach house? Say around July?" Remus said shrugging. Sirius nodded.
"I don't know that my mum is going to let me go for an entire week," Peter said. Sirius shook his head, and even Remus gave the boy a pathetic look. James threw his arm around Peter.
"Come on, Wormtail. Its seven days of sun, serf, and fun! If my parents are letting me go, yours should too," James said.
"You have your parents wrapped around you little finger, though," Peter whined. James grinned. "My mum is strict."
"Well, should you not be there, I'll gladly take your share of the ladies," Sirius taunted. "Sweet luscious ladies clad in only bikinis and getting trashed by the bonfires."
"I'll ask," Peter said sighing. "But she's not going to let me go."
"So, are you taking the Knight bus home?" Remus asked as the train pulled to a stop at King's Crossing. James looked over at him as he pulled his trunk free.
"That's what I told Mum and Dad," James said grinning. "They're not getting any younger and Mum doesn't do well in London traffic."
"Your parents are rather old," Sirius laughed.
"Hey," James said punching him in the shoulder. "Only I can say that about them, and anyways, I was a blessing. Mum and Dad thought that they were going to be childless."
"And after you were born, they wished that they were," Sirius teased. James punched him again but laughed. The two of them stepped free of the train, laughing. James glanced at Lily briefly; her parents were always so interesting to watch. Muggles always were so wide eyed about magic, especially when their daughter or son was the first of their kind to be a witch or wizard.
James glanced at Sirius as Mrs. Black embraced Sirius' younger brother, Regulus. Sirius' jaw was clenched, a slight tic to his eye, and clenched fist around the handle of his trunk were his only tells. The was that look of hatred and disappointment in Mrs. Black's beady eyes as she looked at Sirius, her nose turned up as if she smelled something foul. James hesitated, giving Sirius a look. Sirius rolled his eyes, shaking his head, and trailed after them. Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do at the moment for Sirius or to get Lily, James gathered his trunk and headed toward the barrier. He stopped when he saw his father appear from the barrier and head toward him. James couldn't help but grin.
"I thought I said that I'd just take the Knight bus," James said as his father gathered him up in a hug. James could feel that the old man was thinner than when he had last seen him but said nothing.
"Your mother wouldn't hear of it, James," Mr. Potter said as he reached for the trunk handle. "The woman nagged my ear off until I promised I'd drive here to retrieve you. I tried to explain to her that you are sixteen years old, and by far old enough to ride the Knight bus home. But you know how your mother gets about you."
"I've got it, Dad," James said as he took the trunk. Mr. Potter nodded, his own wild hair dancing with the motion. James hoped his hair looked that good when he was as old as his father. The hair was the color of snow, thick; with the same unruly wildness that was the Potter trademark. Every male in the Potter family had James' hair, it started off as dark as midnight and ended up as white as snow.
The two Potters headed out to the family car, the trunk eagerly gobbling up the trunk before the two climbed into the car. James laughed, though he had seen it plenty of times before. The old Bentley was one of the original models, and still in pristine condition. Mr. Potter had charmed it himself to fit a grand amount of luggage to accommodate Mrs. Potter's tendency to over pack.
"You know, James," Mr. Potter started as he pulled the Bentley into traffic. "You ought to get one of those muggle licenses so that you can drive around this summer. I bet they'd be wicked easy to get, and frankly, with your mother the way she is, I'm positive that you aren't going to want to hang around the house all summer."
"A'right," James said. He scratched his head a second. "Speaking of this summer, the boys and I were thinking of spending a week about midway at the beach. Do you think that you could breech it to mum?"
"I'm sure she'll agree, but I'll do it," Mr. Potter laughed. "You have that woman so tight around your finger that I'm surprised that you can get your Quidditch gear on properly." James laughed as his father clapped him on the shoulder. James always missed his father's sense of humor, even though Sirius was a very funny guy to hang around with.
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