All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

Third Year : Summer Plans

As April gave way to May, the Hogwarts castle whipped into its usual revision-induced frenzy. Professors recited their yearly admonishments about the importance of year-end grades, fifth-years despaired over the upcoming OWLs, and Madam Pince became the busiest woman in the castle as she fielded the waves of students coming in and out of her library.

As with previous years, the marauders were not immune. Peter melted into a puddle of nerves any time he opened a book, moaning that he was going to fail everything. James was a whirlwind of activity, rushing from class to quidditch practice to the library with a seemingly endless supply of energy. Moony became more elusive than the Grey Lady, disappearing in the early hours of morning and returning to the common room just before curfew from wherever he’d holed up to study. Often, he was accompanied by Mary, Marlene, Lily, or some combination of the three.

This new development irked Sirius; at least when Peter and James abandoned him, it was so that they could go revise miserably by themselves. Remus seemed to be enjoying his little study club, and it didn’t sit right with Sirius that someone was choosing a bunch of girls over his delightful company.

Of course, the only appropriate response to the situation was to give Remus an endless amount of grief over it.

“Go on then, Moony,” Sirius grinned around the toothbrush in his mouth, “Tell us who’s the lucky lady! Mary? Marlene? Don’t say Lily—you’ll break Potter’s heart!”

James, who had just walked through the door to their room, looked alarmed.

“What? Something going on with Evans?”

“No,” Remus scowled, rolling his eyes, “Black’s just being a prick.”

“Playing hard to get, eh?”

“They’re my friends.”

“That’s how it always starts…”

Remus chucked a pillow, and Sirius laughed as he dodged. As James settled onto his bed, he grinned and said slyly,

“Now, now, Mr. Black, I think we both know the real object of our dear Master Lupin’s affections…”

“Oh? Pray tell, good sir, who might that be?”

James smirked evilly, wiggling his eyebrows. “Madam Pince.”

Remus groaned and blushed bright red, burying his face in his hands as the other marauders wheezed with laughter. They had been teasing him about the sour old librarian ever since they noticed that she seemed to favour him—shushing him less, allowing him to keep checkouts a day or two past their deadlines, and nodding in approval whenever he re-shelved his books. Remus insisted that the only reason it seemed like she was being nicer to him was because, unlike James and Sirius, he refrained from “disruptive behaviour” in the hallowed halls of the Hogwarts library. This was a compelling argument, but they enjoyed teasing him about it anyway.

“Who knew our Moony’d become such a heartbreaker, eh?” Sirius shook his head, still chuckling. James nodded solemnly.

“A right menace, that one. Pretty soon he’ll have every girl in the castle joining his ‘study club.’”

Remus did not dignify them with a response, choosing instead to demonstrate a few choice hand gestures—which only made the other boys laugh harder.