It was the first week back after fourth year. "Where's Sirius gone?" James asked, ripping back the blankets on his empty bed. "I dunno, maybe he already went down to breakfast?" Peter replied. "Sirius up first, that's got to be unheard of." James muttered, pulling on his robes.
Remus stirred in the warm bed, sunlight leaking onto his pillow. He turned on to his side to find Sirius, his hair in front of his face, breathing deeply, his mouth slightly open, curled uncomfortably on a chair beside Remus' bed, fast asleep. Remus smiled at the young boy who had forced his way into the hospital wing, simply to be beside him as he slept.
A door opened at the end of the ward and Madam Pomfrey entered. She placed a large slab of chocolate on Remus' bedside table and sighed at Sirius, still curled up in the chair. "You've got a good friend there Mr. Lupin, that's all I'll say." she said. "But do wake him up, I don't want to be responsible for him missing class." she added, walking back towards her office.
Remus prodded Sirius hard on the shoulder and he jerked awake. "Ah Remus, it's you." Sirius said, relaxing slightly. "Come on Sirius, James and Pete will be wondering where you are." Remus said. "I can't believe I've been doing this since we found out and they still haven't fucking realised." Sirius said with a laugh, getting to his feet and picking up his bag. "They are pretty clueless." Remus agreed. "I'll bring your breakfast up alright mate?" Sirius said, taking a piece of chocolate, throwing it into his mouth, ruffling Remus' hair and walking away down the ward. "You really don't have to." Remus called. "Shut up Remus, I know you better than you know yourself." Sirius said without turning around and he slammed the doors behind him. Remus smiled and slumped back on his pillows, knowing that somehow breakfast from the Great Hall always tasted so much better than breakfast from the hospital wing, even though it was technically the exact same thing.
Sirius walked alone down to the Great Hall, massaging his neck from the cramped position he'd slept in. He entered the Great Hall, spotted James and Peter at the Gryffindor table and hurried over to them. Sirius dropped his bag by his feet and tipped a few sausages and a couple of pieces of buttered toast onto his plate. "Where were you?" James asked. "Hmm?" Sirius said, his mouth full of food, looking up. "How come you were up so early?" Peter asked. Sirius swallowed, sighed and dropped his fork. "Umm, well kinda ever since second year, I went down to the hospital wing to sit by Remus after he'd been moved out the Whomping Willow. Usually I would make it back in time before you guys woke up, but this morning I slept in." Sirius said. "Really?" James asked. "You've done that for two years? And we never noticed?" Peter said. "You're deep sleepers." Sirius said with a shrug, returning to his breakfast. "And you never bloody told us? You're making me and Peter look like fucking arseholes, sleeping comfortably in bed while you're sitting there watching Remus sleep." James said. "I didn't want him to be alone the first night, and things kinda took off from there. Besides, I'd better take up his breakfast." Sirius said, stuffing the last sausage into his mouth, swinging his bag onto his back and pouring milk over Remus' favourite muesli. He snatched up a mug of tea, muttered "See you in Charms." and took off, leaving James and Peter to stare dumbfounded at each other.
Sirius kicked open the door to the hospital wing and handed the breakfast over to Remus. He tossed his half finished homework aside, accepted the bowl and placed the mug on the bedside table. "You'd better get to Charms mate. Thanks for the breakfast." Remus said, grinning at Sirius. Sirius noticed a fresh, deep cut on Remus' arm that would later blend into the other scars, but decided not to mention it. He said goodbye and hurried out of the ward.
A few months later as James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all lay in bed James broke the silence. "We need a name." he said. "What for?" Peter asked. "For us, I mean isn't it boring saying James, Sirius, Remus and Peter." James replied. "Yeah I guess." Peter replied. "I've been thinking that too, I mean we should have a group name and individual nicknames." Sirius said. "Yeah, we should decide nicknames once we decide what animal we're going to change into." James replied. "What about the Animagi boys?" Peter suggested. "Pete, we're trying to keep the whole Animagus thing a secret." Sirius replied. "What about the Potters? I think that would wor-" James said until - "Will you all please fucking go to sleep, it's half past two in the fucking morning." Remus said angrily. Sirius rolled his eyes at the ceiling, but decided he was too tired to argue and simply made himself more comfortable in his warm bed. After a good few minutes of silence it was broken again. "But what about the Potters though? I mean I think it's got potential." James said. The other three boys decided feigning sleep would be easiest and didn't reply.
They continued to argue about names for a good month before one afternoon when they were bewitching Severus Snape's hair to change colours from behind a suit of armour McGonagall caught them and said "Detention for you marauders tonight I think." and then walked away. It took a moment for her words to sink in then James turned to face his friends with his mouth open. "The Marauders." he said. "Hell yeah, we're the Marauders!" Sirius said excitedly, high fiving James. "Works for me." Remus said. "It sounds cool." Peter said. And so the name was born.