Better - The Marauders

SEVENTEEN

"Fire whiskey." Peter piped up.

"Prank?" Remus shrugged and Sirius unclamped his hands, opening his eyes and staring straight forward, which happened to also be at Elladora as she shrunk back in her seat slightly.

"Prank." Sirius said again. "I've done it again, came up with my brilliant birthday idea." He smiled.

"I thought-" Elladora started, pointing to Remus, but he leaned closer to her to whisper.

"Just leave it." He said and she nodded, waiting for the long-haired Gryffindor to continue.

"Today we will pull a prank." His voice turned into a whisper and he leaned forwards, which made the group huddle together. Elladora joined shortly after, finishing her porridge first before she could lean down to conspire with her friends. "You all in?"

The boys agreed but Elladora was still a bit hesitant, she wasn't that good with pranks and even though she was powerful and stealthy, something in her head told her that she would mess up. She didn't want to ruin Sirius' birthday, especially after he made hers the best she'd ever had.

"Come on, Dora." James pouted, putting on those damn puppy dog eyes that she couldn't resist.

"I don't know, guys."

"We'll prank the Slytherins."

"I'm in." She said almost immediately, glancing up at the Slytherin table to see Mulciber, Avery and Snape in a huddle just like theirs, whispering over a book. She remembered seeing the piece of paper stored in a book about the dark arts, Snape's handwriting. He hadn't listened to her warning that she gave him last year. He hadn't listened and that was on him, yet Elladora still felt a little bit of weighing guilt. "I'm in." She repeated.

"Sweet." Sirius laughed. "We don't even have to eavesdrop on the password anymore." He smiled and winked at the girl opposite, who was still staring at the three at the house of then snake.

Severus seemed to notice someone was staring as he glanced up from the huddle, making eye contact with the girl. They kept it for about a minute as the boys around her launched into conversation once again and Mulciber and Avery kept whispering. Their eyes were conversing on their own, Elladora's were pleading as well as warning, Severus' were scared yet stubborn.

She bit the inside of her cheek as he shook his head and looked away, back to his friends as Elladora went back to hers, they were already making plans on what to do once they're in the Slytherin common room.

She scooped a little bit more porridge into her bowl and ate it with occasional sips of her pumpkin juice as she listened to the boys talk.

It was like when they hadn't approached her and she would be able to hear them from a mile away, due to the quietness that constantly surrounded her. But now she was with them, she could pop into their conversation at any time and they wouldn't think it was weird. She had to admit that she preferred this way, she was happy that they approached her in the library.

•*•*•*•*•

"James, you're walking too loud!" Sirius scolded as the group of five walked under the invisibility cloak towards the Slytherin common room. They had a bucket full of toilet paper with them as well as food from the kitchens that they were going to spread all over the common room and the dorm rooms.

Elladora had only agreed to it when they promised her that she could sleep in their dorm room instead of her toilet papered one. Of course, she made it clear that she was to sleep on the floor, which was agreed by all five of them.