The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Something Has Changed

Something Has Changed

Hogsmeade was busy indeed. There was loads of people, loads to see, loads to do... Regulus felt overwhelmed by it as he came to a stop in the square by the big water fountain. He had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his Slytherin scarf swooped 'round his neck neatly, one tail thrown over his shoulder, the other hanging down over his chest. He smiled about at the people and vendors that filled the square - and breathed deep of the smell of popcorn and roasted nuts and chocolate from Honeydukes and warm butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks.

Suddenly somebody came to a stop beside him and he looked up and there was Maryrose Jenkins, her dirty blonde hair hanging over her shoulders. She'd opted to wear her glasses today and she wore her Hufflepuff scarf loose around her neck. "Hey Regulus," she said.

"Hi Maryrose," he replied. They stood there awkwardly a moment and he sort of smiled shyly. "I didn't get a chance to... to explain... the other day..." Regulus said slowly.

"I didn't really give you one," she admitted.

Regulus gathered up all his nerves. "You could give me one now," he said, "Over a butterbeer, perhaps?" He tried very, very hard to say it in a voice like he pictured Sirius would use in this sort of situation. Be smooth, be cool, be calm... he kept telling himself, his heart leaping about in his chest like a gazelle.

Maryrose smiled. "Okay."

"Okay." Regulus smiled back. Inside, he felt like fireworks were exploding all around his bloodstream. They turned toward the Three Broomsticks, and Regulus looked over at her, then, using the very last of his bravery, he reached out and took hold on her hand. "Don't wanna get separated, he announced, lacing their fingers together.

Maryrose squeezed his hand.

James ended up going to see Madam Pomfrey when he got back to Hogwarts, his face red with fever. She gave him some pepper-up potion and a small vial of sleeping draught and kept him overnight. Sirius, Remus, and Peter went up to check on him later in the afternoon, once the other two had got back from Hogsmeade, but he was asleep and they went back to the dormitory fairly quickly. At dinner time, the three of them went down to the Great Hall to eat and they found Lily Evans sitting all by herself at the furthest end of the table, away from everyone else, staring at her plate with a sort of sad expression.

It was Peter that sat with her first, directly across from her. Sirius and Remus sank in next to him so the three of them sat in a row opposite her.

Lily looked up, a nervous expression to her features. "Where's...?"

"Hospital wing," Sirius said, "The idiot slept outside on the porch of the Shack in nothing more than his bleedin' quidditch jumper. Caught himself a nasty cold. His nose is all dripping bogeys and the whole deal."

Lily didn't say anything to this, she just looked back to her plate, a funny expression on her face.

Peter reached into his pocket and withdrew a small handful of miniature raspberry cauldrons and he put them down on the table beside her hand.

Lily looked up again.

"I thought those might cheer you up," Peter explained, "They're your favorite aren't they?"

"Yes," she said, but she didn't recall having ever told Peter that.

"I thought so, you buy them a lot at Honeydukes," Peter said.

Sirius put his arm about Peter, "Pete's got a weird talent of knowing everyone's favorite sweets and snacks," he said, reading the confusion on Lily's face. "When it comes to food, Peter's a bit of an expert." Sirius poked Peter in the gut with a smirk.