The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

It snowed not long after that, blanketing the castle and grounds in a pristine white layer which was soon trampled by the streams of people crossing between the castle and the greenhouses; they hunched down as they tried to escape the cold, hurrying into the greenhouses where their breath rose in misty puffs in front of them and their fingers and ears went numb in the frosty air. Various students could be heard to mutter mutinously under their breath about the second years, who were looking after mandrakes in accordance with the syllabus, and so were allowed to wear earmuffs during this time; in various classes James and Sirius managed to sneak a number of pairs out of Professor Sprout’s cupboard, distributing them to some of the students, before she spotted them and told them off; however, only a week later Professor Sprout made an announcement that, provided they returned them all afterwards – she couldn’t have the second years collapsing – they could wear the earmuffs during lessons.

The bottoms of their robes only just had time to dry before they went back up to the castle, soggy hems dripping melt water all over the Entrance Hall and leaving Filch trailing round behind them moaning about every student ever to grace the halls of Hogwarts. Cassie would gloat as they reunited at lunch, socks soaked and hands hurting – all of her lessons were inside the castle and, although the classrooms were draughty and she often ended up tucking her hands up into the sleeves of her jumper to keep them warm, she was free of the snow. Her gloating did not, however, last for long because as the weather worsened and she found herself back on the Quidditch team she found herself walking past her friends as they lounged in the common room in their pyjamas, hot chocolates steaming beside them, and she knew that she had to go out into the dark night; although she enjoyed Quidditch immensely, she often found herself wishing that she could be back in the Gryffindor Tower and this longing only grew stronger when snow began to swirl through the air and settle on the team as they practised.

“I feel really bad for Cass,” Lily muttered absentmindedly as she turned the page of the book she was reading; she had just seen her climbing out of the portrait hole, broom slung over her shoulder, Gryffindor hat firmly clamped over her head and Gryffindor scarf trailing behind her. Lily thought with affection of the way she knew Cassie would stop in the Hall and wrap it around her neck, tucking the ends into her Quidditch kit so that nothing would get past; she found her friend’s adherence to the routine way which she had to do certain things sweet.

“Yeah,” Alice agreed through a mouthful of marshmallow, “I wouldn’t go out again for all the money in the world. Besides there is nothing I need more right now than this hot chocolate.”

“Sucks to be on the Quidditch team,” Mary just added with a chuckle, scratching the end of her nose with her quill.

On the other side of the room Sirius was lying along a whole sofa, his head hanging over the edge of one of the arms, hair nearly brushing the floor and shirt – which had come free of his trousers for ‘added flexibility’ according to Sirius – hanging messily from his lean frame. He had thrown himself on it and, unfortunately for Lupin, the sofa he had chosen was the one that Remus had been sitting on; he had had Sirius’ legs draped across him for the best part of an hour and was extremely bored because each time he went to pick up his book – which was what he had been doing before Sirius had decided that he wanted to see how much blood could rush to his head before it swelled to twice its normal size – Sirius would kick it out of his hands.

“You know people might want to sit here Sirius,” Remus said wryly as he looked at his friend, who sat up slightly to look at him; he was completely unsupported and from where Remus was sitting he was able to see Sirius’ abs clench slightly, something which, judging by a couple of staring fourth years, other people could see too. “Or alternatively, the people you are sitting on might want to move. Also cover yourself up, it’s indecent.”