Loverboy

It's a date

Their classes were finally over, so the Marauders took the free time to lounge around the grounds.

It was September, so it was rather chilly out. To fight this cold, each of them wore a warm sweater. Ollie was wearing her cherry blossom sweater, while James wore a Gryffindor sweater. Peter had the regular grey sweater that was part of their school uniform, Sirius wore the vest version of this garment, and Remus wore a thick knit jumper from a Muggle store.

Of course, they weren't the only kids with this idea. Glancing around, there were small groups of students scattered around the courtyard. Ollie spotted Lily with her usual entourage across the yard, knowing James would sooner or later.

The five of them decided to sit down under the beech tree. James was, as per usual, in the middle, with Ollie leaning into his side. Sirius was on the other side of James, with Peter next to him. Remus sat beside Ollie, and if an outsider were to look at the group, they would see the most popular kids in school, just happy to be together.

"Have you guys heard the news?" Sirius asked nervously. "It's all in the Prophet and even the Muggles are taking notice."

"You mean that Dark Wizard that's been on the rise?" Ollie asked, recalling the discussion she'd had at the beginning of the summer with her parents.

"Yeah," James said. "He's been gaining traction since about our first year, but he's gotten a lot bigger recently."

"I read about it," Remus said. "In the paper. I bet your mum's all over that stuff, Sirius."

"You bet," Sirius huffed. "One of the many reasons I moved in with James. Anyway, you three are half-blood."

"Really," Peter said, rolling his big, blue eyes. "I had no idea."

Ollie questioned Peter's suddenly more sarcastic disposition, but brushed it away. "So are a lot of our friends. And Lily and Mary are Muggle-born. I've been worried since I heard."

"You're not alone," James said, putting an arm around his friend. "Your father is a massive blood traitor, your family is just as likely to be a target as Remus's."

"Why would my family be targeted? My dad's half-blood and my mom's muggle-born, but they're not going out parading their views on blood purity," Remus said.

"Your dad had problems with Greyback, remember?" Sirius pointed out. "You guys are a target for the same reason as your furry little problem."

"Yikes," Peter said. "My father was pureblood and my mum's a well-off half-blood. I'll probably be fine."

"Let's hope so," Ollie said. "Let's hope we all are."

"I don't know what I would do if I lost any of you guys," James declared, pulling Ollie and Sirius into tight hugs since they were within reach.

"I believe I've heard this story before," Remus joked, returning the atmosphere to the usual lighthearted feeling.

And once their tone was fixed, the Marauders were interrupted.

"Excuse me, Olivia?" a voice with a thick French accent said. The five teens looked up at the face of Pierre, the boy from the wedding that they'd seen on the train.

"Hello," Ollie said eagerly, sitting up straighter and subconsciously fixing her bangs. "It's so nice to see you."

"I could say the same to you," Pierre replied. "How's your first day back been?"

"It's been great," Ollie said. "It is good to be back."

"Yes, good to be back." Pierre paused. "I was wondering, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

Ollie grinned. "I would love to. I'm assuming you mean in the Great Hall?"

Pierre let out a small laugh. "Yes, I could join you and your friends, or you could come to the Ravenclaw table with me? Perhaps I should just sit with your group."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Ollie said. "I'm sure these boys would like to get to know you just as much as I would."

Pierre looked at the four boys with Ollie. The scrawny blond boy looked amused at most, but didn't seem terribly worried about his presence. The boy with the longer black hair, the same one that had opened the door on the train, looked at Pierre with contempt. The lanky boy beside Ollie, with the scars running down his face, looked like he was appraising Pierre, like he was judging if he was good enough for Ollie. In the middle of the group, the boy whose arm was around the girl, with the crooked glasses and warm smile. He looked at Pierre partly like he was evaluating him, but also like he was curious.

"I sure hope so," Pierre remarked, glancing back at the boy with the long hair. His vague contempt and dislike was replaced by a distinct glare. "Well, I'll leave you guys to it. See you tonight, seven?"

"It's a date," Ollie replied, absolutely beaming. Pierre, too, was grinning ear to ear, and with that he turned and gave the group a wave before walking away.

"If it's a date, it's going to be really awkward with us there," Remus remarked.

"Oh, shut up Remus," Ollie said, pushing her friend over, her look of absolute joy not wavering.

And with Pierre having left the five of them on their own once more, they were back to their usual antics.

From the outside, it would look like the Marauders, infamous for the pranks they pulled and the jokes they made, weren't in their normal environment. It would seem odd to some to see them just together, laughing together and hanging out, but at the end of the day, all five were just regular teens.

Sure, they were popular, James was an athlete, he and Sirius were wealthy, and all were probably going to be successful before their thirties, but they were just kids. Kids being pushed into the darkening world outside.

But they were kids who loved their friends more than anything, and at the end of the day, that's what's important.
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guys did you know they're just kids who really just love each other so much and would do anything for each other🥺 I knew that. Anyway, OLLIES GOT ANOTHER DATE. HELL YEAH. also idk if i mentioned this but I have girlfriend so fun fact ig, love, atlas
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