Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

Gryffindor and Slytherin

"I don't see why you can't just get your mail delivered to the Great Hall like everyone else," Sirius said, yanking the folded piece of parchment from Geoffrey Mansfield's hand, ignoring his fellow Gryffindor's protests as the seventh years made their way through the common room. "Makes those of us who don't have caring families jealous and all."

"Like you care, Padfoot," James said, yawning and stretching his arms above his head before snatching the morning edition of the Daily Prophet out of Geoffrey's other hand. "Besides, with Geoff's parents sending his mail up to the Tower, we get first dibs on the morning news. We never have to worry about being behind the times."

"Sirius, give me my letter--"

"Would you listen to this rubbish? 'Quodpot and Quidditch don't mix as easily as one might expect, both of them being played on brooms and all. Exploding Quaffles, I ask you! What will the Americans think of next?' If your mum's going to write to you, can't she at least say something worth reading?" Sirius scoffed and handed the parchment back to the redheaded boy. "Doesn't your dad do something for the Ministry? Can't they put some gossip about Death Eaters into their letters or something?"

"I told you already," Geoffrey said as they climbed through the portrait hole, "my parents don't know anything. Even if they did, d'you think they'd put it in a letter? Dad works for the Department of Regulation--"

"And Control of Magical Creatures, yeah, yeah, we know. I just want some news for once."

Thanks to the many neuroses of Geoffrey Mansfield's beloved tawny owl, the bird had refused to deliver his mail to the Great Hall for the past four years, instead bringing it to the boys' dormitory every morning before breakfast. This same argument about news had taken place nearly every morning since the first whispers of a war had arisen, and always ended with the same result: Sirius and Geoff both rather put-out with the other, and Remus exasperated with the both of them, James content to scour the Daily Prophet for any new rumors.

By the time they reached the Great Hall, James and Remus had their heads buried in the newspaper and Sirius was just warming up his morning tirade against all things Slytherin. The hall was already crowded with other students sitting at the long tables, halfway through their breakfasts.

"--and look at Snivellus over there, cozying up with Rosier and Avery. Too bad he didn't bite it when--yeeowch!" Sirius jerked away from James, glaring at his friend for stamping on his foot to interrupt him. "I'm just saying, if somebody hadn't decided to be all noble and let him in on someone's secret..."

As James and Sirius fell to bickering with each other, Geoff glanced over at the Slytherin table. Severus Snape was indeed sitting with Evan Rosier and his goons Avery and Mulciber. The dark-haired girl that had been holding Rosier's hand abruptly picked up her books and stood from the table. Geoff had the fleeting thought that she was walking toward him and the Marauders, and a moment of panic swept over him.

He had met Emilie Delacroix on the train ride to Hogwarts their first year. Sirius and James had been riding in the same compartment, and the former had taken an instant dislike to girl. Geoff thought this was exceedingly unfair to her, but before the witch with the trolley had even come down the corridor with her cart full of sweets, Emilie had become so fed up that she had left to find somewhere else to sit.

She hadn't liked any of them after that, especially once they had all been Sorted and she had ended up in Slytherin House, but it was when James and Sirius began their near constant torture of Snape that her general dislike of the Marauders had seemed to shift into actual loathing. As the years went on, the Marauders' methods of torment, and in turn the Slytherins' retaliatory measures, became more and more severe. Geoff had learned first-hand that Emilie had quite a knack for hexes and curses.