The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Who Else Knew?

So they had agreed at last to go to Hogsmeade on 24 December, the day of the festival, and, together, try to find Severus Snape and find out exactly what was going on, including if and why he might have told Walburga Black that Lily had once had possession of the locket. This would enable them also to check on Regulus and Peter, as well as exchange gifts with the other Marauders in the morning of Christmas before going home to celebrate with their families.

They apparated together from the backyard of the Evans's house, where no one would see them, and arrived in Hogsmeade with two loud cracks, a little ways down the road past the Three Broomsticks. They met Sirius at the fountain, where he was attempting an engorgio charm on a tea cup to bring hot chocolate back for Remus. "Oh Sirius, really," Lily said, and she transfigured his teacup into a large thermos. 

"Brilliant," he said, and he made four more and filled those as well, making James carry two of them as they made their way through the village, toward the Shrieking Shack.

"So how's Wormy doing?" James asked, "Was he terribly hung over last week?"

"He's been quiet," Sirius replied, shrugging, "I think he's embarrassed."

"Of being drunk?"

"Yeah, and also of Wendy having dumped him... Apparently she did some time ago, Remus said she told him, and Peter never told us lot."

Lily looked surprised, "He's told me that he's been seeing her."

"Me also," Sirius said with a shrug, "Guess he was lying to cover it up that they broke up."

James frowned.

"Anyways, he's been mostly only in the dormitory when it's time for bed. I've been trying to be good to him, Prongs, really I have. I haven't called him stupid or fat or any of the things I usually do. Every time I go to open my mouth to Wormy I ask myself, Sirius, what would Prongsie say right about now? and if it isn't something you'd say, I don't say it."

James said, "Well, jolly good. Maybe you ought to make that common practice if it'll keep you out of trouble."

Sirius grinned, "Maybe."

"So where is Pete now, then?" James asked.

"Probably in Honeydukes, knowing Peter," Sirius said, thumbing back at the village behind them.

"Did he come with you and Remus?"

"Well we came through the tunnel," Sirius said. "Remus is really sore this month and he couldn't really walk very well. I actually had thought about driving the motorbike over during the night so he wouldn't have to walk much, but we ended up going through the tunnel so we could take it as slow as he needed. Wormtail wasn't in the dormitory when we left, so I left him a note to come join us. Don't know if he got it yet, but I haven't seen him."

James decided that it was be very important that he would make sure to find Peter before he left to go home.

They arrived to the Shrieking Shack, their footprints magically clearing in the snow behind them, thanks to the sweeping charm Sirius had put on the path, and they ducked into the house through a backdoor, James used his magic to board it back up from the outside. When the final nails had banged into place, James turned about and spotted Remus Lupin laying across the couch in the dusty living room area, his eyes swollen and dark from lack of sleep, and his body stiff and uncomfortable looking, mouth wincing in pain, even as Lily sat beside him and held his hand softly.

Sirius stepped up beside James as Lily whispered to Remus, "It really is getting worse, you know. The transformations."

"I've noticed that, too."