All in the Family

Chapter 49: Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw

Remus gazed up blearily to the painted stars above and immediately knew something wasn't right. He'd spent the majority of his life gazing up to see those patterns and learn what they meant to him, and even before he sat up and saw the four-poster beds he realized they were only enchanted symbols, and they were once again in dorm rooms. He slumped back down onto the bit of floor he was on and didn't want to bother getting up, they were all exhausted from this nonstop travel.

He wasn't the only one, everyone seemed to be muttering about this fortuitous timing and was claiming beds, though there were only four to go around. The dark blue comforters did look inviting, and Prongs claimed one to drape across all four of them as they piled onto the floor nearly on top of each other as the other four settled in, Regulus still curling up under the sheets that were left in the stripped bed.

He felt surprisingly well rested when his eyes glummed open and once again no time had seemingly passed around them, the sun still hovering at dusk in the windows. He found himself once again curled into Sirius' chest, and should have felt much more worried if he hadn't been the first to awake and begin trying to edge away, despite Padfoot's arms trying to tighten around his waist in protest. He managed to get himself into an upright position at the foot of Regulus' chosen bed, and began absently stroking Sirius' hair to wake him.

Bright grey eyes cracked open and he made a quite adorable little mewling noise of protest, moving again to curl himself back around Remus' legs and head now resting inappropriately in Remus' lap. Remus awkwardly, and still very quietly, gave a little throat clearing and began tugging on the long locks none so lightly. "I don't think anyone else in here needs to be woken up to that Sirius," he offered. He muttered a few obscenities, but already James and Peter too were beginning to toss around with sleep wearing off and Sirius finally sat upright by himself and rubbed at his eyes.

There was no promise of breakfast to really get them moving, so the four Marauders just sat near each other in a huddle and looked around curiously at their surroundings proper.

They were a bit bias in saying the place wasn't nearly as opulent as their dorm, the stars twinkling above only seemed to invite them to close their eyes again, the sun coming in from the wrong direction they were used to making them feel even more off. They couldn't deny its splendor though, the carpet they could attest was a fluffy rich purple, the trunks reminiscent of their own spilling over with school supplies and memorabilia of the current students living in here tacked up along the wall. The photo on the nearest nightstand was of a girl with straggly blond hair and perturbant eyes being hugged by a woman of the same features, another picture beside it of the same girl slightly older now hugging a strangely dressed man.

All sorts of interesting items seemed to be scattered about her space, including a rolled up magazine peeking out from under the pillow Regulus was still using, a gurdyroot with holes sporadically carved into it, a jar of cat litter with odd things that certainly were Ruins painted in bright pink, and a Muggle Dream catcher hanging crooked in the drapes around her curtains. The other three beds in comparison looked tame.

Curious, and already bored waiting for the others to rouse, the four went snooping with only slight restraint through the girls belongings, half of the things they couldn't even identify, the rest beyond them why a girl would keep these on her person. There was a bit of charms homework with odd little notes along the margins full of warnings that didn't seem to have anything to do with the Alohomora spell it was over, and a complete potions essay that had a seven out of ten, the stylistic flowers and other unidentifiable things that could only be divined from this girls imagination in the margins a clear point of consternation to Snape as it was likely him who'd viciously struck-through them with red rink. They did find the book amongst her things though, next to a clearly hand stitched together novel called, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and You.

James was disappointed to open it and find the words weren't yet visible until everyone woke up, so he gave the book a toss away and kept spinning an odd device filled with sand around in his hands.

The book landed on Frank, startling him awake and in tandem causing the others just as rude awakenings. The Marauders mildly apologized without even meaning that and kept up their browsing. Frank rubbed sleep out of his eyes and instead of retaliating just smiled around at the familiar surroundings. Even if it wasn't his exact dorm, the familiarity was still the first bit of comfort he'd had since this madness took off. Alice shivered as she crawled out from under her covers and pulled her school robes tight around her as she made her way over to Frank, nudging him aside and crawling into the warm space beside him, head resting on his shoulder as he flipped the book open to begin now that everyone was awake, whether they wanted to be or not.

Harry's story was doing no better to lighten their morning mood. The end of Ron and Hermione's friendship would be a sad blow to them, even having never met these kids. They had at least four more years to hear of Harry's life they presumed, and if he really lost a friend this early on it was likely to be awkward the rest of his time, especially over a pet.

There was some noisy pleasure from the Marauders in finally getting to hear of the Firebolt in action, though Alice's little noise of displeasure at still only getting to hear it rather than feel the sensations herself were apparent in his ear. He stopped to kiss her forehead in sympathy and hoped aloud they'd get to come across Harry's broom themselves eventually in this madness so that his girlfriend could have a go.

Excitement only grew as the whole of before, and the actual Quidditch game was being described in excruciating detail. Frank felt a small bit of revenge at Potter cursing himself not having kept the book so he could be reading this even if he had no real interest in the game, but it seemed he and Evans were the only ones. She was still sprawled out in the bed under the covers, twirling her wand absently and clearly in her own mind.

The rest of the boys, Regulus especially, were all having a merry time critiquing the techniques of both Seekers on display as well as heavily analyzing every aspect of what was mentioned form the other players. Alice was clearly listening, but mostly laughing at them taking it all so seriously.

He nearly threw Alice from the bed in surprise as dementors made an appearance again, he'd startled so hard in his own seat at the idea. Harry handled them like a pro this time though, hardly even flinching and displaying magic beyond his ears in nearly creating a fully corporal patronus to send them away as he kept his attention focused.

Harry caught the snitch, a victory was won and not even slightly dampened by the reveal those dementors were in fact Malfoy in disguise. If anything, it made the moment sweeter Harry's victory was doubled over on that boy getting some comeuppance. The were all laughing and being as jubilant in their celebration as the rest of Gryffindor tower.

"What do you think the Ravenclaws are doing, mourning their loss?" Alice asked him, eyes gazing curiously around the respective dorm room.

"Likely, the Quidditch Captain's throwing his own party and strategizing ways to win next time, and the rest of the dorm's enjoying their own various activities. I know what I'd be doing," he finished in a quiet whispering in her ear, making her giggle while being uncomfortably aware of sharing a bed with him in a room full of people.

Frank flushed as well and read on to save them both. He expected it all to wind down, Harry's odd little dream being just that, and was as surprised as anyone for the boy to be awoken with Ron's fears of a nightmare, that were quickly being proven as anything but. He didn't want to believe it, trying to convince himself the rest of the chapter Ron had been having a bad dream and magically caused his hangings to be ripped in distress. Frank had been trying to convince himself the Black he'd been forced to share time with lately couldn't be capable of such madness in the face of how he clearly cared for his friends, but there was little explanation left as it was confirmed by the Portrait Sirius had made yet another murder attempt on Harry's life. He closed his eyes as he finished, rather than look up and see the four friends being ripped from this room, and possibly apart from each other for good.