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Headed to Hogsmeade


“Wake up, Potter.” Sirius leaped onto James’s bed from his own, his long hair flying wildly behind him. He landed squarely on James’s stomach, causing him to double up with a great ooophhhfff!! “It’s Hogsmeade day, you blighter, not having lie-in day! Get up, get up!”

James groaned and sat up, shoving Sirius off him playfully so that Sirius tumbled off to one side, reaching to catch himself by grabbing hold on Peter’s blankets and tearing them off his bed in the process. “Siiiirius,” moaned Peter, “Why’ve you gotta be so loud for? It’s still early!”

Remus was already up, having woken at the crack of dawn. He was hopping on his one good leg, pulling his pants and jumper on before folding himself into his wheelchair, breathless. He stared down at the cast, which the boys had doodled all over, and folded up the wrists on his sweater. “If we go early, though, we’ll be at the crowd at the Three Broomsticks and maybe we could get breakfast there instead of the Great Hall for a change!”

James pulled a pillow on over his head.

Sirius grinned and pounced upon his friend a second time. “GET UP POTTER, GET UP POTTER!” he shouted, jumping on the bed around James, causing an absolute earthquake upon the mattress.

James scrambled up so as not to get crushed or stepped on and slammed his glasses up his nose, “Bloody hell!” he shouted, then he turned and headed for the loo.

Sirius grinned at Remus, relishing his triumph of Potter, before turning to grab onto Peter’s wrists, “It’s time to wakey-wakey, Pettigrewww!” Sirius sing-songed.

Downstairs by the toilets there was a bit of a line of Gryffindors waiting to get in. Usually it wasn’t such a challenge but today really was a special day and the Marauders were not the first ones to get up early for Hogsmeade. “Hullo Longbottom,” James mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he joined the queue behind Frank Longbottom and a fifth year boy he was talking to ahead of him.

“Morning, Potter,” Frank answered. He was clutching his toothbrush in his fist. “Your lot headed to Hogsmeade this morning?”

James nodded yawning, “Remus wants to get breakfast at the Three Broomsticks.”

“Very groovy,” Frank said.

“You want to join us?” James asked.

Frank shook his head. “I’m not going.”

“What? So why are you up for then?” James asked. “I’d be having a lie-in for sure if I wasn’t going to Hogsmeade!”

“Oh, I, uh, I told Ali Prewitt that I’d help her with an assignment she’s been working at,” Frank replied, turning red as he said it. “Lily was helping her, but… it’s in Charms and that’s sort of my specialty… so I offered…”

James nodded, “Well that’s nice of you.”

“Yeah, we were going to go hunt down an empty classroom and work on it,” Frank nodded and turned around as the line started moving forward again.

When James got back to the common room, it was to find Peter eating a chocolate bar from Remus’s trunk and Sirius revising the list of goods they were looking for at Zonko’s. “I reckon Frank Longbottom and Ali Prewitt are going to be snogging all day,” James announced as he walked through the door and tossed his toothbrush into his trunk. He ran a hand through his messy hair and pulled on his trainers.

Sirius looked up from the parchments in his hand, “What? Frank and Ali? No. Seriously?”

James nodded. “Well, I suppose technically he’s just helping her with a Charms assignment.”

Peter said, “Perhaps he really is just helping her with a Charms assignment.”

Sirius looked at Peter, “Oh naive little popkin,” he said, getting up and petting Peter’s head. “Sweet, unwordly ickle bean.” He messed up Peter’s hair and then leaped up behind Remus’s wheelchair, manning the helm. “We ready to go to Hogsmeade or what, you lot?”

Remus’s face was flush with excitement, “I am so ready.”

Peter stuffed the last of the chocolate in his mouth and flattened his hair with his palm quickly as he scrambled up and James shrugged on his robes and picked up Sirius’s leather jacket, “It’s chilly,” he said, “You’ll want your jacket.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Alright mother.”

James was right. It only took a couple minutes of being out on the road to Hogsmeade before Sirius nudged him and took his jacket, pulling it on and popping the collar up at the neck like he always did. James’s locomotor charm was pushing Remus along and Peter was practically skipping as he ran a few paces ahead of the others, shouting excitedly for them to hurry it up. Sirius had his fists in his pockets and was looking about the little road. “This isn’t so bad a walk,” he commented, “The woods are nice.”

“Very thick,” James nodded, less enthused with the trees than Sirius was.

It was a very nice autumn day, the air biting just a bit at their noses as they crested the hill that led into Hogsmeade. The village was bustling, though less busy than it would be once all of the Hogwarts students flooded it - they were among the first to arrive. James smiled as they entered the town and Peter ran from one shop window to the next excitedly peeking through the glass with wide, wonder-filled eyes. “Look at this one,” he shouted, pointing at a small quidditch supply shop. “James, it’s just your sort of store! And ohh look at that!” A potions shop with a brewing cauldron bubbling bright green in the window.

James pointed to the quidditch shop, “You know we’re going there before we go back. If I have any money after Zonkos, that is.”

A lot of the shops were just opening, but Honeydukes already had a small queue of Hogwarts students waiting to get inside. “Look,” Remus said, “There’s Lily.”

Sure enough, Lily stood in line at Honeydukes with Annalee and Marlene McKinnon as well as Emmaline Vance and Pandora Jenkins. They were all laughing and smiling as they shuffled closer to the store’s door.

Sirius grinned and went over, sliding an arm ‘round the shoulders of Lily and Marlene each. “Morning, ladies,” he said by way of greeting. “How are we doing this morning?”

“Great,” answered Marlene, smiling up at Sirius.

“Yes, great,” Lily said, shrugging Sirius’s arm off her. “Hullo Remus, Peter… Potter.” She nodded as James pushed Remus’s wheelchair up to where they stood. “Having fun so far?”

“‘Lo,” Peter said, dancing foot-to-foot and looking watery-mouthed at the window display.

“We’ve only just got here,” Sirius answered, arm still over a blushing Marlene McKinnon’s shoulders. “How about you lot? Been here long?”

“Not too long yet,” Annalee said, “We got hot butterbeers at Three Broomsticks and then came here - but we weren’t at the pub long, either.” She smirked at Pandora.

Pandora rolled her eyes, “I thought we weren’t ever speaking of it again?”

“Xenophilius Lovegood declared his love for Pandora,” laughed Marlene by way of explanation, looking up at Sirius. “Made this big production of getting up on a table and telling the whole room how beautiful she was and magicking flowers for her and the whole lot, then asked her out.”

“I still can’t believe you said no!” Lily said, shaking her head, “A boy does something like that for you, and you say no! It was so romantic!”

Sirius grinned at James with a wink, then turned to Pandora, “Heartbreaker!” he said, laughing. “Alright, we’re off. We need some of this fabled butterbeer you speak of -- and besides, if we don’t go now I think Peter’s drooling is going to flood the whole ruddy shop.” He pulled his arm from Marlene’s shoulder. She looked wilted when it left her. “Later, ladies.”

“Bye,” Annalee called, and the girls went back to huddled whispers. Lily paused to wave to Remus as the boys walked away.

Marlene clutched her heart watching as they left, then turned to Lily, “Seriously, how are you so close to that lot without having a major thing for Sirius Black?”

“For Sirius Black?” Lily laughed, “Oh Marlene, you don’t.”

Marlene shrugged, “He’s very handsome.”

“Potter is too,” said Annalee with a sigh.

“Well you lot can have them,” laughed Lily.

Meanwhile, the Marauders had walked on and passed by several bookshops, a quill and parchment shop, the post office, Zonko’s, a little tea shop, and several other tiny storefronts boasting of toads and owl treats and cauldron cakes, and finally they saw the Three Broomsticks looming just up the path a way. They hurried along and through the door into the warm, amber atmosphere of the little pub.

It was very loud in the Three Broomsticks from people shouting and laughing all around. The patrons were a mixture of young and old crowded around heavy wooden tables. James pushed Remus up to one of the tables, kicking a chair out of the way, and the rest of them sat ‘round it, having a look about before going up to order their butterbeers and breakfast. Hagrid was there, talking to Professor Kettleburn, a covered cage of some sort on the bench between them that Hagrid kept having a peek into. Several other members of staff were sitting at another table not too far away - including Madam Hooch, Professor Viridi, and Professor Slughorn. James also recognized Dedalus Diggle, a Hufflepuff boy, who was kneeling on his chair to reach the table, talking to a dejected looking Xenophilius Lovegood.

“No way,” Sirius said, elbowing James. “Look.”

James followed Sirius’s pointing finger, as did Remus and Peter. Remus let out an excited guffaw. James’s eyes searched, trying to take in what was being pointed out to him… There was a very loud and jovial crowd gathered at the end of one bar and flashes of bright light and then a laugh that they recognized too well as the barmaid witch rushed over, waving her towel, “Absolutely no fireworks in this establishment!” she said, “I shouldn’t have to keep saying that, Mr. Weasley!”

The crowd parted a bit and there, sitting on a stool, laughing uproariously, was Bilius Weasley.

“Blimey!” James exclaimed with a grin, “It’s Bilius!”

The people ‘round him were dispersing now that he couldn’t mess with the Filibusters as he’d been doing and Bilius’s hand closed round a glass containing a bright red liquid - firewhiskey, James recognized - and he took a long sip of the stuff before tapping the glass on the bar for the barmaid to refill. “I’ll go over and see if he’d like to join us,” Sirius said, jumping up.

“Brilliant,” agreed James.

Sirius walked over as the glass was being refilled from a thick bottle of the firewhiskey. “Thanks Rosmerta,” murmured Bilius, taking a swig from the cup. He looked down and spotted Sirius, a bleary sort of look in his eyes. “Heyyyy Black, it’s you. How’ve you been?” Bilius asked, reaching a hand out to shake Sirius’s.

“Hey there Bilius,” Sirius said.

“Cool jacket,” Bilius said.

“Thanks,” Sirius grinned, “I rather like it.”

“It suits you,” Bilius answered. He took another long sip of the firewhiskey, then lowered it, making a face as it burned it’s way down his throat. “You here with the old gang?”

“Yeah, it’s me, Remus, James, and Peter,” Sirius said, “Fancy coming over and having a couple butterbeers and breakfast with us?” he waved at their little table.

Bilius considered, then nodded, “Sure, why the hell not.” He quickly downed the rest of the firewhiskey in one go, swiping his mouth, and dropped a galleon onto the counter. “Lead the way.” He said, jumping down off the stool. He followed Sirius back to the table, “HULLO LOT!” he shouted as he approached.

“Hey Bilius!” shouted Peter excitedly, scrambling to push the chair James had kicked away back up to the table so there was enough chairs.

“What happened to you?” Bilius asked Remus as he sat down beside him, looking under the table at the cast.

Remus replied, casual as he could, “I was fighting dragons in the Forbidden Forest.”

Bilius laughed uproariously, “Alright,” he said, though he clearly didn’t believe Remus, he didn’t ask again, either. Rosmerta rushed over and took their orders for butterbeer (“Add a little rum to mine, Rosey,” Bilius requested) and plates of beans and bacon. She hurried off. Bilius looked ‘round at the four of them, “So this is your first trip to Hogsmeade, is it? Third Years, wow. I remember when you were ickle little firsties, fresh off the boats.”

“Yeah,” James nodded, “Time flies, yes?”

Bilius chuckled, “Maybe not as fast as it ought at times, but it does in many ways.” Bilius’s eyes were sad, even as he smiled. “You lot need to go and check out the Shrieking Shack. It’s this haunted old house down the end of the lane, you can’t get too close but you can see it from the fence. Creepy old place, there’s always funny noises coming from it.”

“You don’t say?” said Sirius, grinning, “Sounds interesting. We’ll have to give it a look-see.”

Remus was messing with his napkin.

Rosmerta returned with their breakfast and butterbeers, putting one slightly larger stein of the stuff in front of Bilius, who quickly took a sip, the foam sticking to his upper lip when he lowered the glass.

“So what’ve you been up to?” James asked Bilius.

Bilius shrugged, “Just been here and there, you know, visiting family and such. Spent a little time with my brother, Arthur and his family. London, stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for a few nights… here… I’m staying at an inn over by the Hog’s Head right now. Waiting for some options to open up is all.” He sipped his butterbeer and rum, then added, “It’s traditional for new graduates from Hogwarts to take their time getting into a field, you know. Usually they travel abroad but I thought -- eehh, what’s out there I can’t see right here in the good ol’ U.K., ey?”

James nodded slowly.

Remus looked ‘round at the others, his eyes meeting Sirius’s. He saw the same concern he was feeling reflected in Sirius’s eyes.

Peter was shoveling his food too quickly to really notice the nervous glances around them. “Where are you off to next?” he asked, “It sounds very glamorous, being graduated.”

Bilius shrugged, “Dunno, I reckon I’ll figure it out, though.” He smiled, leaning back in his seat, “That’s the best part, not being tied to any plans, just going where the wind blows me, doing whatever I like. It’s really nice.”

But something about the way he said it, Sirius knew it wasn’t as grand as Bilius was cracking it up to be.