"Okay, go over the plan again," Marlene looked up from where she was applying her lipstick in a mirror from the Room of Requirement. "I wasn't listening."
Draco was unimpressed as he stared at Frannie's mother, his lip curling. "You do realize you're the definition of blonde jokes?"
Marlene glared, her chocolate gaze boiling. "Says the one who uses enough hair grease to scrub the kitchens!"
Frannie snorted. "Actually, it was much worse first year. Practically intolerable, really," she pulled on the sleeves of James's sweater that she had snagged from the Quidditch locker room. Unfortunately, they were about the same size and Frannie's long arms were rather difficult to fit.
"Okay, enough!" Draco scowled as Sirius sent him a gleeful look. "Anyways, since the rest of you were probably too busy chasing fleas," his gaze rested on the older Black briefly, "to pay attention, I'll go over the plan again. We need to collect the horcruxes faster, as according to Regulus the Dark Lord has already grown suspicious. We won't know where the Slytherin locket is for another month."
Frannie's eyes darkened as she thought of the fake locket Harry had gone to such lengths to find. The locket that had caused Regulus's death. Not this time, she vowed.
"Not until old Voldy asks my brother for our dreadful house-elf," Sirius shuddered, grimacing with disgust. "Nasty little—"
"WAIT!" Frannie sat up from the ground, her expression brightening. "Do you think if I call, Kreacher will answer? I mean, I am a Black after all."
Sirius's nose wrinkled in disgust as he drew Marlene closer, until she was practically in his lap. "Why would you want to lay eyes on that toe-rag?"
"I thought that was my term, Black," Lily interjected coolly, raising a ginger eyebrow.
"I mean I think he wears a literal rag," Sirius shrugged, tossing a ball of parchment to Peter. "Always wondered why mother didn't loan him one of my suits. I never had much use for them."
Remus rolled his eyes from where he had tucked himself into an armchair with a book, his face barely visible. "Because if she gave him clothes, he would be set free, genius."
"OH!" Sirius's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that."
"SHUT UP!" Draco roared as James and Peter sniggered. Frannie's cousin shook his head, the quill in his hand snapping in two. "At this rate, Voldemort may as well murder us in our sleep. Frannie, Sirius, Regulus, Lily, and I will work on finding Hufflepuff's Cup. In our time, it was hidden in the Lestrange's vault. But—"
"WAIT!" Sirius sat up immediately, his eyes widening as Draco turned a faint scarlet. "Relax, Malfoy, my interruption is actually relevant," he waved his hand excitedly. "Mother once had a golden cup on the mantle that I used to spit all my gum in. Gave me several beati—anyways, she had it moved into her vault at Gringotts about a year before I left home!"
There was a brief silence as Draco pinched his nose, taking a steadying breath. "And you're only just mentioning this NOW?"
"Well, I only just remembered it," Sirius defended, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I know there was a badger engraved on the outside because I used to aim at its mouth when I blew Drooble's gum."
Remus muttered something that sounded like "uncultured swine."
"And then James, Peter, Marlene, Remus, and I will go to Marvolo Gaunt's house and retrieve the ring," Alice continued, smiling at Draco gently. "Afterwards, Mary will see to any injuries and we will put the horcruxes back into the room of—" she frowned slightly, her forehead wrinkling.
"Hidden things," James finished, playing with Frannie's hair as she leaned against his shoulder. "Someone must have thought really hard about that name."
Frannie swatted his hand gently, rolling her eyes as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. "Just remember, its absolutely essential that no one touches the ring." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "Its what eventually would have killed Dumbledore in the future."
"I hate when we do the whole time jump thing," Sirius whined, stretching out his legs. "I already have a hard enough time paying attention. And I have a complaint!" He raised his hand in outrage, nearly hitting Marlene. "How come I'm the only Marauder stuck with you?" he glared at Draco.
"Because you're the one with the least reliability," Draco replied smoothly, a smirk twisting his face. "And it's going to take all our efforts to babysit you."
Lily chewed on the inside of her cheek, her emerald gaze focused. "How are we planning to break into Gringotts?" She shook her head at Frannie, "you have read the saying on the doors, haven't you?"
Peter let out a sad sigh. "I never understood it."
"Me neither, Wormy," Sirius slung a shoulder around his friend. "That whole finding more than treasure nonsense?" his nose wrinkled. "Ruddy goblins."
"It's been broken into before," Frannie reassured the redhead, grabbing her friend's hand. "And they escaped on the back of a dragon."
"WICKED!" James straightened, grinning at Frannie as he pumped a fist in the air. "Count me—"
"Which we will not be doing," Draco interceded sourly, shaking his head in disbelief. "Honestly, that was completely unnecessary and only happened out of the result of poor planning." He smoothed out a roll of parchment covered in his fancy handwriting. "We're doing this the Slytherin way."
"Prongs," Sirius whined, grabbing his friend and pulling him into a tight embrace. "I believe this is farewell."