I'll Take it Shaken, Not Stirred

Chapter 6: All Those Little Things

"Shut up and tell me, Padfoot."

"I'm supposed to shut up and tell you? Now that would be an accomplishment."

Remus rolled his eyes and looked hopefully at James. "Sorry. I got nothing," said the last Marauder, shaking his head. "No one'll tell us anything."

"Having survived a death eater attack and six years at this damn school, we have yet to prove our mental capacity," Sirius remarked sarcastically.

The other two rolled their eyes in agreement.

"Seen Wormtail?" Sirius asked presently; he looked around the room in the hope of finding the fourth Marauder.

"He's still out cold," Remus informed them. "Madame Pomfrey gave him something last night to make sure he was okay, but she hasn't had time to do whatever it takes to 'wake him up' yet."

"Tell him there's a feast in the Great Hall," said Sirius wisely; "works every time."

The others grinned. "I've been thinking..." Remus then began slowly.

'You and everybody else,' thought James.

"Do you think there were any casualties?"

Sirius shook his head; James remained stoically unbiased. "You and I were down on the platform longest of the students, I think," the former said, and James suspected he'd given his share of thought to the matter; "and the whole time before we came back to the castle, did you see any killing curses?"

Remus shook his head. "No, that's why I was wondering. We should ask Eden though; she was down there as long as we were."

"You can ask her when you get out," snapped Sirius rebelliously; "but she's still giving me shit about... the thing last year."

Remus looked confused for a moment, before comprehension finally dawned. "Really?" he asked. James observed, even if Sirius didn't, a faint color arise in their friend Moony's face- and it wasn't out of anger. He decided to change the subject, before Sirius did notice, or before Remus said something stupid.

"You're not looking well," he lied, more because it was the first thing that popped into his head than anything else. "Full moon coming?" (He muttered this more quietly): "or is it just the effects of last night?"

Moony thought for a moment. "It's the second, right? Must just be last night, then. Did y'hear? Some second year prat hit me with a spell. Fifty death eaters couldn't, but an idiotic twelve year old could. I had three arms most of the night, and that stuff-" Remus pointed nauseously to the potion on his bedside table- "tastes like bottle hell with vinegar."

Sirius took a whiff of the potion. "Smells like it too," he remarked casually.

"So what about you James?" Remus continued, forcing the fragile bottle out of Sirius's hands; "what happened to you last night? I didn't see you down on the platform at all... or were you lucky enough to get into the castle quickly."

"I didn't run if that's what you mean," James said, though he wasn't entirely sure if this was true. He wasn't entirely sure what was true about last night. His memory was hazy. Perhaps that was due to lack of sleep. All he could think of was lots of trees. It had been a terrible night. "I sort of got into some trouble with some other older students... trust me, I had my share of death eaters..."

No lack of sleep could take that memory away from him...

But before anything else could be said or done, Madame Pomfrey rediscovered their presence and told James and Sirius off for having staid seven whole minutes. She then shooed them mercilessly, and they had no choice but to give a final, piteously look to Remus, wave goodbye, and exit the chaotic and insane infirmary.