It was a quiet, late summer day at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The fresh, cold breeze danced and tricked its way through the many towers and walls of the castle, brushing sweet spring weather upon every stone it touched.
This tranquil scene, however, was soon rather ruined.
"IT'S OVER!" Sirius Black darted through the year seven boys dormitory, a wide smile brightening his face, "No more teachers, no more charms…"
Remus Lupin looked up from packing his rather old trunk and shook his head at his rather exuberant friend.
"Git."
His hoarse mutter reached Sirius's ears. Rather soon after, there was a startled cry as Sirius ran over, grabbed Remus in a headlock, and rubbed his brown hair with his knuckles.
"NOOGIE!"
Remus shook Sirius off and fixed him with an amber glare.
"Get off me, you overly hyperactive buffoon!"
Sirius pretend-pouted.
"But Moony…" He sniffed, pathetically, "It was just a goodbye noogie…"
Remus shook his head again and turned back to his orderly packing.
"Padfoot, there is no way on this earth you are seventeen…" He mumbled in the general direction of his nicely folded socks.
Sirius threw a bunch of robes into his already half full and not very tidily packed trunk. He threw another grin at Remus.
"Ah ha! You are just jealous because I, Sirius "the Gorgeous" Black, have found the secret to eternal youth!"
Remus cocked a sardonic eyebrow.
"Act like you are twelve?"
Sirius grinned.
"Correct, Mr Fuzzy!"
Remus raised his eyes skywards with a silent prayer of patience and got back to his packing.
He had just placed his final book, 'The Encyclopaedia of Dark Demons, Volume 21', on top of his clothes when the dormitory door opened to admit a very satisfied James Potter, complete with ruffled hair and massive grin.
Remus glanced up at him and sighed.
"She's going with you?"
James's already large grin extended to his ears.
"Mum's going to be so excited! Lily will finally get to meet my family."
Sirius was pushing down hard on his trunk lid, trying to close it as random clothes kept popping out the sides.
"Great Prongs." He threw over his shoulder through gritted teeth, "I'm… so happy… for you…"
James walked calmly over the room and sat on the lid of Sirius's trunk, pushing the lid down firmly. Sirius glanced up at his smiling face.
"Thanks Prongs." He muttered, doing up the catches, "Moony, why didn't you help me?"
Remus straightened up with a groan and twisted, cracking his back.
"You didn't ask.' He replied with a shrug, "I was also in the middle of rather neatly packing my own belongings."
Sirius folded his arms and stuck out his lower lip.
"But Moooooony!" He whined, drawing out the 'o', "Am I not the most important thing in your life?"
Remus chuckled.
"Padfoot, my friend, the most important things in my life are the moon, my marks, my books and then somewhere down the line is you."
Sirius huffed.
"Fine then. I'm taking you off the list of 'Sirius Black's top Blokes'."
James laughed. Sirius shot him a narrow eyed look.
"I'm serious, Prongs."
He took out his wand and drew a silver line in the air, from which a roll of parchment fell out of. James walked over to read over his shoulder.
"I see. This really is 'Sirius Black's top Blokes'."
He stopped reading, a confused expression on his face.
"Hey Padfoot, this is a list with your own name written about a hundred or so times, then squished in down the bottom is Padfoot, Prongs, Moony and Wormtail…"
Sirius grinned.
"Uh-huh. And now to remove Moony."
Sirius pulled out a quill and scratched along the parchment.
"Done!"
James bit his lip.
"You just crossed off your own name."
Sirius gaped.
"I did not!"
James rolled his eyes.
"So I suppose that Remus's nickname is 'Padfoot', right?"
Sirius threw his head back and barked out a laugh.
"No, tosser. I'm Padfoot! He's just Mr Moony…"
James threw his hands up in the air in frustration and wandered over to his already packed trunk, to do a last minute check for spare things.
"Hey Moony, how weird does this feel?" James called back to Remus, who was dusting off his black robes.
"What do you mean?"
James sighed.
"I mean that these walls have held all our mischief making for seven years and now… now it seems like only yesterday that we started here."
Remus looked up out the window at the Whomping Willow. He smiled slightly, a far away look in his amber eyes.
"I know." He replied, softly, "It's been only a blink of an eye…"
The dormitory door opened to emit Peter, who squeaked as the other boys looked up at him.
'Don't look at me like that!" he said to his friends, "It makes me feel conspicuous."
Sirius snorted.
"Wormtail, you are everything but conspicthingy."
"Conspicuous, Padfoot." Remus auto-corrected without really thinking.
James swung his arms.
"So, boys. The Marauders are together for the last time at Hogwarts…"
Remus walked over to his old bed and sat down on it, sighing.
"It's been a great time, gents."
Peter glanced from the sitting werewolf to the standing head boy.
"So what now?" he asked, only to be swatted sideways by Sirius and a pillow.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" Sirius catcalled, charging Peter, who fell over with an'oof'.
Remus looked at James, who grinned.
"Shall we?"
James shrugged.
'Oh what the heck! For old times sake!"
Both of them picked up a pillow and joined in with what was beginning to look like a very major battle.
Unfortunately, both of their attacks hit Sirius at the same time.
"Oi! No fair."
When Lily walked in an hour later, searching for James, the four seventeen year old boys were sitting, laughing, amongst a pile of loose feathers.
She shook her head, green eyes sparkling, and closed the door. Once a Marauder, always a Marauder.
A/N: This is a new one I've been thinking about for a few weeks. I realised as soon as I went to post this that I now have about seventeen or so years of Remus to write. I can't decide whether to drool or grit my teeth in frustration... All that Moony, so little minutes...
Oh well, you see that review button down the bottom? Know what it's for? I don't, so give me a few examples, hey?
Pwease?