The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Giddy and Fabulous

Left out of Frank and Andy's conversation, and no Ali to talk to, Lily turned to the Marauders instead. Remus was kneeling on the bench, leaning over the table, listening as James talked lowly... Sirius was standing, doing the same, and Peter was clustered close, too, chewing on a piece of toast loaded with gobs of peanut butter and getting crumbs all down his chest.

"What're you lot up to?" Lily asked suspicously.

Remus looked over his shoulder at her and sat himself down, "Nothing," he answered. Sirius and Peter both sat back, too.

James's face was flush as he came into view now that the other boys weren't gathered over him like a swarm. "Can't stay away from us, can you Evans? Always wanna know what we're up to?"

"More like need to know so I can be sure not to get involved by accident."

James grinned at her as Sirius guffawed, "James certainly wishes you would be involved in this one, don't you, Prongsie?" James kicked Sirius under the table, hard enough that the table jolted and the pumpkin juice in the goblets shook as the silverware clanked. Remus and Peter just laughed.

Lily as even more suspicious, "What are you lot talking about over there?"

"That's for us to know, Lily, love, and you to wonder," Sirius's eyes sparkled.

Lily eyed them, "You're such naughty boys." She took a warm biscuit from the stack in a basket and a sausage and started buttering the biscuit.

"Those are fabulous," said Peter, pointing at the biscuits. "I could've eaten twenty of them."

"But you somehow managed to hold off at nineteen," snickered Sirius.

"No, only three!" Peter said defensively.

Sirius, Remus, and James all laughed as Peter's face went red. Suddenly, a biscuit was lobbed at James's chest, exploding in a great buttery pop of crumbs. Lily smirked as he looked up in surprise at her. "You bloody got butter all over my vest!" James whined - though even as he said it, amusement was crawling in his voice.

"Serves you right, git," Lily answered. "You're lucky I don't give you detention, making fun of poor Peter!"

"James," Sirius snickered, "She's gonna punish you. Maybe you can dream about that next time."

James grabbed a biscuit and chucked it at Sirius - hard. It hit him in the face and bounced off to hit Remus in the shoulder. "Hey!" Rey said, dusting off the crumbs quickly.

"Dream? What dream?" Lily asked.

Sirius grinned in horrible amusement as James turned scarlet and stammered, "No dream - nobody had any dreams. Shut up, Black." Sirius was laughing - wheezing, really.

"Remus?" Lily looked at her one ally.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes diverted, an amused little smirk teetering on the edge of his lips. "Sorry, Lil... You don't want to know anyway."

Sirius grinned over Remus's shoulder. "Boys code of conduct and friendship 101, Evans."

"You lot are idiots," she said.

When they'd finished breakfast, they all headed up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor. Remus hung back as Sirius ran ahead and jumped up on James's back, shouting, "GIDDYAP!" at the top of his voice and hugging James 'round the neck as he hung there off him and James stumbled forward, slamming into one of the suits of armor and nearly tipping him over. Peter laughed and scrambled along.

"Sorry about before," Remus said.

"What were you lot talking about?"

"Dream that James had," Remus shrugged. "Like Sirius said... boy code, I can't tell you too much."