The Little Sister

08 || rewritten

The Marauders visited the Lupin household twice that summer. One Late June morning, Madie had Minnie and Emma over as well and the seven of them were down by the nearest lake. Neighborhood children splashed away as they waited for dinnertime when the sun would start to go down and it would hopefully cool down.

"And next up is our personal favorite, Queen!" A voice from the radio said and Madie reached across her friends to spin the volume dial just in time to have the beginning of their song, Bohemian Rhapsody, blast through. Several children near them jumped in surprised and James and Sirius, who had jumped in the lake a few minutes prior, came jogging over.

"Are any of you going in, or are you luds just going to lay around?" James asked as Sirius shook his head, droplets landing on everyone. Remus hummed from where he was curled up, still tired from the last full moon, while Minnie eyed the lake suspiciously.

"Emma and I will go in once this song's over," Madie said, her own eyes closed as she slouched into her friend, muttering the lyrics with the song.

"I'm sorry, what?" Emma pushed at Madie.

"What even is this?" Sirius asked, his nose scrunching up as he tried to figure out what they were saying. He sat down in front of Madie, making sure to shake his head again, this time in her direction.

"It's Madie's favorite band," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "With all the flirting you two do, I'd thought you'd already know that."

At those words, Remus shot up and Madie opened her eyes, nudging her friend rather hard. "I'd hardly call what we do flirting."

"Right," Minnie said and Madie stood up, stretching her limbs and nodding her head to the last bits of the song. Remus was still staring at them.

"You coming Mouse?" She asked Minnie as Emma stood up with her. Minnie shook her head, sliding her legs out straight in front of her.

"No, I'll stay here."

"Okay, suit yourself." She turned to Remus and Peter. "What about you two?"

Peter also declined to join them, glancing nervously at Minnie, but Remus stood up following them down to the lake, where Madie and Emma proceeded to push James and Sirius in and then tried to do the same to Remus.

They left long after the younger children, waiting for the last rays of sun to dry them before tromping through the grass. It was then, with half of them yawning and Madie already falling behind, that she heard a small whisper of a noise. Not like a human whisper, but the whisper of a small animal when it doesn't want to be left alone. And maybe it was because her hearing had been heightened when she became an animagus, that she heard it a second time because when she looked to Minnie and Emma, neither seemed bothered.

When she heard it a third time, she knew she couldn't ignore it. She slowed down, stopping, and Remus turned around.

"Madie, what are you doing?"

"There's an animal somewhere over here," she said, already stepping into the small cluster of trees. She scanned the area closest to her. "A cat, maybe. Did you hear it?"

"Yes," he said with a sigh, pointing to his own ears. "I still have the best hearing, incase you forgot."

She stuck her tongue out at him and moved slightly deeper into the trees.

"Madie, come on."

"I'm finding this cat," she said, perking up a little as she heard another small meow. Soon enough Sirius, James, and Emma had joined in the search, reluctantly joined by the other three soon after.