The Next Marauders

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter! Please let me know if you think I should continue this.

Chapter One

They had labeled themselves the second generation of marauders. Teddy, Neville, Ron, and Harry were all popular Gryffindor boys with girls from every house vying for their attention. They were also stars on their house team, Harry playing seeker like his father before him, Ron as keeper, and Neville and Teddy were the beaters once the Weasley Twins had finally graduated and left the two most coveted (and open) positions ready to be filled.

They spent the majority of their time not taken up by Quidditch or school work doing exactly the same thing they were up to at the moment. Lounging near the Whomping Willow, far enough to keep from being hit for going too close was there favorite shared activity. Harry was playing with a snitch he'd been permitted to keep, (the first he'd ever caught) Ron was eating what the rest of the group assumed to be a third lunch, Neville studied a plant he'd recently found an interest with, and Teddy was reading from one of his text books while his hair changed color in ripples.

Few things ever topped their relaxation, especially because their attention could stray anywhere they wanted. For instance, Harry wasn't focused on the snitch he was toying around with at all. He kept glancing over at the lake where a group of girls were all chatting together. His friends were the only ones who knew about his legitimate crush on Hermione Granger, and their only judgement towards him on that subject was that he needed to quit watching from a distance and just ask her out already. The problem was that Harry didn't know how to appeal to her. Sure, he was great with beautiful girls and wasn't exactly innocent, but Granger was different. She wasn't a quick, easy, meaningless shag. Granger was smart, sweet, and interesting. She was unique amongst the girls of Hogwarts and it scared Harry that he was so drawn to her.

Ron huffed and vanished the remains of his food. "Quit staring at her like a love sick puppy," he grunted at Harry and rolled his eyes. "Either ask her out or give it up."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Can't do either yet mate, if it bothers you find something else to occupy yourself with."

Teddy laughed and turned the page in his book. "You say that every day Harry, why do you keep putting yourself down?"

Harry shrugged. "She's not typical, my usual tactics wouldn't work and you know it."

Neville turned to face Harry. "Send her anonymous letters?" He suggested.

Harry thought to himself for a moment about Neville's idea and shrugged yet again. "Maybe," he concluded. "She might see through it though."

Ron groaned and sat up with a scowl. "You're pathetic, you know that? Got about twenty girls desperate to get in your pants and not only are you stuck on Granger, you won't even make a move."

Harry rolled his eyes, "One of those girls is your sister; you think I should give her what she wants?" Ron pretended to gag and shook his head.

"Bloody hell Harry you don't have to make me lose my lunch. I was just saying you should either enjoy yourself with a few of the girls that want you, or make a bloody move with Granger. Anyway, I heard McLaggen wants to ask her out so you better get a move on or give it up." Harry seethed for a moment and put away the snitch before a hex went flying his way. He dodged just in time and pulled his wand to find Draco Malfoy at the other end of it.

The blond pureblood that attacked Harry was one of the few people in the world that Harry hated. Draco Malfoy's father had sided with Harry's parents' murderer before the bastard died. Now Draco was clinging to the old beliefs that those of pure blood were better than everyone else because his father force fed him that garbage from day one.

Harry stepped away from the tree, holding up his wand in a defensive motion. Draco had his own wand held out in front of him, his eyes wild. Harry concluded that the blond had just run into Harry's latest prank, devil's snare in the Slytherin common room. "You're gonna pay Potter!" Malfoy yelled and a light shot out of his wand. Harry pulled up a shield in time to block whatever it was Malfoy sent his way and disarmed him.

"Oh am I?" Harry asked as he transfigured Draco into a ferret. "Pathetic rodent," he muttered and started levitating his transfigured enemy up and down and all around almost like a show. Crabbe and Goyle came running up to defend their "leader," but Teddy had them suspended in mid-air by their ankles only a moment after they arrived. Ron was leaning on Neville as he laughed and Neville simply had his arms crossed over his chest with a huge grin on his face.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" A loud, feminine voice shouted and before Harry knew it Hermione Granger was right in front of him with a stony expression and her hands on her hips. Her wildly curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail that fell to the center of her back. "Is this really necessary?" She asked, waving a hand in their direction.

"Malfoy attacked Harry first," Ron stated in defense of Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Never heard the phrase 'the bigger man walks away'? Just leave them alone and walk away, it's pathetic to humiliate someone this way."

Harry shrugged. "If you really think they deserve to be left alone, fair enough." He flicked his wand and a moment later Malfoy was back to normal, lying on the ground, along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Thank you," Hermione said and turned around, walking away from Harry with her ponytail swaying back and forth.

Before she was out of ear shot though, Malfoy did something unforgivable in Harry's book. "I don't need your help mudblood!"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Malfoy with scorn. After a moment she shrugged and scratched the bridge of her nose. "Twitchy little ferret, aren't you?" She asked and suddenly he was back to being exactly that.

Harry was beyond impressed and planned on telling her exactly that, but she was already long gone. "She's the one mate," Harry stated to Ron with a smirk and Ron merely rolled his eyes.

"Then make a bloody move already! You're gonna lose her before you've gotten her if you don't hurry up!"