the marauders- an inseparable bond

[16] the war

"EVERYWHERE WE GOOOOOOOOO!

PEOPLE WANNA KNOOOOOW!

WHOOOOOOOO THESE HANDSOME BLOKES ARE!

SOOOOOOOO WE TELL THEM!

WE ARE THE MARAUUUUUDERS!

THE FREAKING AWESOME MARAUUUDERS!

AND IF YOU CAN'T HEAR US!

WE'LL SHOUT A LITTLE LOUUDER!

EVERYWHERE WE G-"

The group of friends immediately ceased their cacophony when Proffessor McGonagall entered the compartment.

"Proffessor," said Sirius weakly, "what are you doing on the train?"

She stared at them coldly, looking mutinous. It was then that they realised the train wasn't moving.

"Oh," said James, just as weak as Sirius, "Are we here already?"

"If by here, Mr. Potter, you mean at the school, the answer is yes, you are here, and you've been here for the past HOUR AND A HALF!"

Her voice rose climactically louder until she was yelling.

"THESE ARE TERRIBLE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN, VOLDEMORT IS KILLING LEFT AND RIGHT, AND YOU THINK THAT IT'S COMPLETELY FINE IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP AT THE START OF TERM? PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"

"We're really sorry proffessor, honestly." shook Remus, who was pratically crying. "We lost track of time."

"Lupin! I am seriously starting to doubt you deserve the title of prefect!"

Remus started to cry. Sirius wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder and tentatively tried to stand up to her.

"He was trying to apologize! What more do you want?"

He should have stayed quiet, though, because this unleashed a whole new wave of fury from McGonagall.

"WE ARE LIVING A WAR HERE MR. BLACK! SO I THINK YOU BETTER START ACTING LIKE IT!"

A wave of silence broke over the compartment. Finally, their teacher spoke solemnly:

"You will all receive detention for a week." And after a long breath, she added, "Follow me, let's go inside."

They followed through the doors without uttering a word.

***

They were brought to McGonagall's office, where some food was laid out for them.

"The feast has just finished. You will eat and then return to your dormitories," she said, as she sat down and began organizing things. They barely said a word to each other, wolfing down the food as fast as they could to escape the piercing, disappointed glare of Minerva McGonagall. Out in the hallway, Sirius said:

"What does she mean, anyways, that we're living a war? I mean sure, Voldemort does do stuff now and then, but-"

"Do you read the newspaper?" Remus cut him off coldly.

"I-uh- what does that have to do with this, love?"

"I asked you, do you read the newspaper?"

"Well," said Sirius, as though considering it, "I don't have a subscription, but, I guess I glance at other people's once in a while..."

Remus looked at him, gaze harsh.

"Okay, geez! I don't read the newspaper! It doesn't interest me! Is that so wrong? If something really important happens, I'll hear about it."

Shaking his head, he pulled out a crumpled copy of The Daily Prophet from his robes and wordlessly handed it to his boyfriend. Sirius' eyes scanned the front page. The date was September the first. Then he got to the headlines. In the air, his lips traced printed words' speech companions. Names upon names were mouthed, slowly. After a long moment, he looked up, horror-struck, and said;

"But Moony... tons of people died. Why didn't you tell us?"

The other boy looked up, tears in his eyes, and for the first time, the others could clearly see the effect of his lone transformations. He looked ill and pale, and in this moment, his face looked older, like that of someone who had lived many lifetimes, someone who had seen the horrors of the world.

"Don't you understand? It's like this everyday! It's all around you, how can you not see it?" Tears were running down his face now. "What about Patricia Blandry? Did you just not notice when she went home before the end of last year?"

"Everyone said her mother was ill," said James in a soft tone, because it was clear that now Remus was talking to all of them.

"Yes, ill! Insane, actually, tortured till she was that way by the Death Eaters!" he stopped for a moment a took ragged sobs, then continued, "I know everything is all fun and who-cares in marauder world, but if we are oblivious to the suffering around us, maybe I don't want to be one anymore!"

He took off down the hall. No one tried to go after him.