The second school week began with double Transfiguration - Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Traditionally it was with Slytherin, but due to the magical duel that Black and Malfoy arranged at the end of last year, proffesors decided to postpone the battle Gryffindor vs Slytherin till the Potions.
Professor McGonagall personally expressed her opinion to Dumbledore about students disrupting transfiguration exam and ending up in a hospital room with numerous fractures. "Cockfighting, Albus, is not what I teach students!" she told headmaster in front of the whole school and he conceded with a sigh.
On this bright day the Marauders decided to come to classes without delay and, as Sirius Black woken by inexorable Lupin put it "For the first and last time this term." Remus only shook his head with a smile, mockingly examining Black on whom he had just practiced Aguamenti as a way of awakening.
"Even James woke up with no such drastic measures, Padfoot. Is it really so difficult to wake up at least twenty minutes before period?"
"Do you really think that I want to exchange precious twenty minutes of erotic dream with Maygrid Callaghan to seeing your boring face?" Black waved his wand, trying to dry his clothes and head, as a result his pants began to char, hair rose and flared. "Holy shit!"
"You look like a dandelion," James laughed. "Callaghan will definitely approve of your new image. And by the way, who is she?"
"Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff... Who cares?" Sirius muttered, jumping on one leg and trying to pull off ruined pants. "Argh! It's burning!"
"Yah you!" Remus suddenly turned around, waving his hand. "Peter, let's go without them. There's no use in them in classes anyway."
Accompanied by the indignant cries of their friends, Remus and Peter went down the stairs and headed for the lesson.
✨✨✨
The class was almost completely filled with students. Ravenclaws, as the most responsible and aspiring to knowledge representatives of Hogwarts, sat at desks in full force. Someone was laying out parchment sheets, feathers and jars of ink, someone was concentrating on the textbook.
Gryffindors in the majority (or more likely in minority) dropped their heads on the folded hands and sweetly dozed. Some of them snored from time to time.
On the first desk, completely ignoring surprised looks, sat a black-haired girl. Her hair was tied in a tight tail with a green ribbon. Throwing her legs in heavy black boots on the table, she meticulously examined the nails on her right hand and drummed impatiently with fingers of left hand. Her black robe was carelessly flung open, hanging from her shoulder and sweeping the dust under the table.
Beata Sprinkles, the best student of Slytherin.
"Sprinkles! You're in wrong class!" Black lifted an eyebrow, looking at her mockingly.
The girl glanced at him briefly, a venomous smirk spread across her face.
"You look great, Black. New style? Honestly, I'm somewhat surprised to see you here. I didn't think you ever went to the class so far, right up to the first row. I don't think I should report you, but I'm waiting for Parker. Clear the horizon, weirdo, your hair fills the whole space."
Black, who was about to say something equally sarcastic, was unceremoniously interrupted.
"Sprinkles, take your dirty feet off my clean table," Parker marched straight to the girl, without forewords pushing her off the chair and throwing the bag on the countertop.
"Oh Merlin, Parker, don't be so boring," Beata moaned, not very gracefully rising from the floor and dusting herself off.
Parker looked even more gloomy than usual. Black hair was inaccurately tied with an elastic band, the robe was crocheted and buttoned up to the last button. High, with a straight back and proudly raised head. When she turned to Black, he heard the sound of a sword being taken out of its scabbard. Her gaze acquired a cutting edge that strangely organically combined with a soft, ironic smile.
"Sirius Black? Great hairstyle choice. If I blow on your hair, will it fly like a dandelion?"
Sirius, recovering from the glamor, immediately went on the offensive. "Dare to check, Parker? First make sure the wind is not blowing in your direction."
"Oh, I always foresee every little detail, Sirius," she giggled quite childishly, confusing him. And then suddenly taking a step forward, she was under the very nose of the guy. More precisely, the top of her head was.
Light, almost imperceptible fragrance of lilies reached his nose and he was sure that it wasn't a perfume. However, his suspicions didn't have time to properly form as the next moment she lifted her head and, again with a childish smile, touched his excessively fluffy hair with her fingertips.
For a second, they looked into each other's eyes. He was enchanted and surprised at the same time.
Parker smirked and, lifting an eyebrow, said in a deceptively mild voice: "What, are you counting on something, Black?"
"Crazy," he muttered, coming to his senses and stepping back.
He hurried to James who was already snoring at the last desk.
"What was that, Mel?" Beata narrowed her eyes, watching Parker's expression.
"Curiosity and a little wiliness, Bea. A small experiment, to be precise," Parker shrugged carelessly, returning her customary detached expression. "So, what did you want?"
"Here. This is the list of potions books that we need to study until Friday," Beata pulled a rumpled sheet from her pocket with a list of at least six items.
"No problem. Library during lunch?"
"Yeah, I'll wait," throwing the bag over her shoulder, the Slytherin walked leisurely to the door and before disappearing into the corridor casted a sly glance at her friend and sent another sarcastic chuckle in the direction of Black.
✨✨✨
"Tell me, James, why these two abnormals are best friends, eh?" Sirius, who has successfully stirred disgruntled Potter, now tormented him with questions.
James, trying to make himself comfortable again, caught Lily's angry look and as if on command straightened up. He tried to smile innocently at her, but girl had already turned away. James sighed sadly and turned to his friend.
"Maybe because they are among the top ten students of the school?"
"You mean, the most boring top ten? Oi, Moony, wanna join their club? You can set up the society of the most 'brilliant' students of Hogwarts," Black chuckled and collapsed on a chair, stretching his legs under the desk.
Lupin remained silent, still slightly shocked by the trick of usually gloomy and detached Parker.
"Well, I get that one of them is a Ravenclaw, she's supposed to be deranged. But another one," Sirius grimaced, expressing his entire degree of contempt for the Slytherin.
"I'm not sure," Peter said thoughtfully, "but it seems they're not such fans of studying. I mean, they don't read books from consulted list of literature. They sit in the Restricted Section quite often."
"Probably looking for terrible curses and dark spells," Black grumbled.
"Padfoot," Lupin joined conversation, "I think we have something else to think about now. AB is our problem."
"Are you serious? Moony, is it you? You worry about our victory?" James and Sirius were surprised.
"I'm not thinking about winning. Last year, when AB started fighting for power with us," Lupin winced, "very dangerous jokes began. I wanna say that we need to think about N.E.W.T.s, not this nonsense. In addition, if things go even further, who knows, someone might get hurt. All AB's plans were...large-scale. He doesn't waste time on trifles and I don't like it at all."
"Very true train of thought, Mr. Lupin," McGonagall entered the classroom at a wide pace. "Right now it's time to think about studying. Open your textbooks on the first chapter, please. Today we will try the transfiguration of non-living objects in winged insects. To begin with, we will turn these stones into..."
"Stop it, Moony," Sirius continued in a whisper. "He never touched those who weren't involved in our war. Neither Hufflepuff, nor Ravenclaw probably didn't even notice what was happening."
"Whether they noticed it or not, that's not the point. The fact is that our thirst for victory can lead us very far. So I have an idea about how to find out who this AB is-"
"Mr. Lupin! Be so kind to get involved in the work! I have enough of your ever-idle friends."
The Marauders fell silent and glared at the stones in front of them.
"I'll tell you at break," Remus whispered and, opening the textbook, plunged into reading.
✨✨✨
As soon as the bell rang, the Marauders tossed their sluggishly stirring stones into the box and hurried out of the classroom.
"Come on, Moony, talk!"
"I'm somewhat scared of your enthusiasm, Padfoot, but okay, listen," Remus pondered for a second. "I was thinking: his label 'AB' is, probably, the standard drawing spell. However, in order for wand to be used not only as a drawing brush, several additions can be made. Like color, style-"
"Yeah, we get it. So?"
"Patience, Padfoot. The fact is that all these parameters are usually changed after applying."
"Moony, no need to teach us Charms!"
"Well, maybe, at least this time you'll listen to it partially? Okay, okay," Remus smirked at angry faces of his friends. "I believe that this is not just a label, it's a signature."
Lupin stared victoriously at the Marauders. James and Sirius exchanged glances and looked inquiringly at Remus.
Peter frowned and said slowly, "I think I understand what you mean..."
"And what does he mean?" James and Sirius asked in chorus, obviously offended by the fact that only the two of them had not yet guessed what that was.
"Second course in Charms wouldn't be superfluous," Remus said happily. "The signature spell inevitably takes into account the nature of its master. It's the same as signing a pen; your handwriting will give you away. Only here magic wand is used, but the essence is the same."
"I think I'm beginning to understand... In AB signature we can find all the information about him? Character, habits, house and stuff?"
"Not everything, but you caught the gist. Let's say we can find some imprint of a character and try to figure out its owner."
"But there are several hundred students at Hogwarts!" Peter exclaimed.
"Wormtail, I'm sure that none of Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws can do this. The first are modest; the latter mind their own business, their only interest is study and scientific discoveries. Gryffindors are also falling away; none of ours fit the role of competitor. And why should they fight against their own house? So, there are snakes," Black grimaced.
"Your logic, Padfoot, is too categorical."
"Moony's right, Sirius," James stared thoughtfully at the wall as if about to see the full dossier on AB on it. "If he's from Slytherin, we'd have figured it out. It's someone we suspect the least."
"We've already collected data about everyone, Prongs, and it didn't lead to anything."
"Yes, but we tried to play fair. We wanted to show the merry fellow that Marauders would do anything and that nothing would hinder us. We didn't particularly try to find out his name."
"That is, now, when we try to reveal his identity, does this mean that we admitted our defeat?" Sirius looked insulted to the core.
"Merlin, Padfoot!" Lupin exclaimed irritably. "It's not some stupid 'who is cooler' argument but-"
"Relax, Moony. We realized long ago that you are incorrigible bore. You proved it when you were appointed as a prefect," Sirius interrupted, grinning.
"Hey! I'm going to the library, gonna look for something to decipher the signature spell."
"Run, run to your favorite Ravenclaw."
✨✨✨
On his way to the library Remus involuntarily thought about Black's last words.
To be honest, he couldn't call Mel his friend. She was always so absent-minded as if wandering somewhere deep inside herself. Only next to Beata her face really came to life, like carefully arranged mask flew off, the gray steel in her eyes melted, acquiring a warm tinge.
Remus, however, could say the same thing about himself: politely detached with the surrounding people, he came to life in company of his best friends, smiling and laughing warmly.
He met Emily Parker where you would expect it the most - in the library. They were looking for the same rare book and reasoned sensibly that they could get along at the same table.
The girl was a pleasant companion. Quietly cold outside, she lit up like a match when really interesting topic was raised. And there were surprisingly many of them with Remus.
They communicated already for three years; Lupin gladly borrowed books from her collection and she showed him very interesting authors.
For hours sitting in the library at the same table, they could deal with their own affairs not feeling uncomfortable or tense from prolonged silence. Sometimes they would raise their heads to share the fragment they liked and start laughing, realizing that they had done it at the same moment.
How can a person be so different? Prickly and sarcastic with Black and warm with him, Lupin?
Remus stopped abruptly: his thoughts clearly started to go off the right course. Emily Parker was no more than his friend. He knew this as clearly as that the full moon would come in a week.
Suddenly a student ran into him. Lupin staggered, coming out from stupor. The student was about to run further, but Lupin grabbed his sleeve.
"Hey! Something happened?"
"Another message from AB!" student blurted out and, pulling the sleeve out Lupin's fingers, rushed forward.
Again? So quickly and even in broad daylight; it wasn't like their last year competitor.
Remus quickened his pace and almost ran, jumping over the steps of a large staircase, heading for the wall, where a crowd of students gathered again and Filch was at the head of it. Out of rage, caretaker was unsuccessfully trying to erase new inscription and iridescent label of AB under the ceiling and simultaneously disperse all the students.
Remus pushed through the crowd, seeing his friends already standing in the circle of talking students. The inscription was shorter than yesterday:
"Dear Marauders!
Have you decided to find out who I am? Have you decided to identify my name and personality?
It's not fair play and you know it. At least, I'm glad to hear that you admitted your defeat so quickly!
I'm going to strike a preemptive blow. Wait for it.
Always yours, AB."
"How did he know?" Sirius said dumbfoundedly before they were overtaken by voice of head of their house.
"Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, Mr.Potter! To my office, quick!"