Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-Forty-Three - Only Three Teenagers

Author's note: CW child abuse

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The rest of the Day of Lourey went by fine. During supper Dumbledore set off many fireworks, most in the Beauxbatons color scheme which both Charlemagnes looked enchanted by. James and Sirius set off fireworks as well, very big ones that filled the Great Hall with gold and scarlet light. They didn't get in trouble for it, at least.

Post-supper was spent outside setting off more fireworks even though it was bright out, and then running around playing tag with the girls. Sirius ended up kicking off his heels and running in his stockinged feet. Some others from other houses joined them including Evelyn Landers who didn't look like much of a boy despite her trousers. After more running about, Sirius and Landers slipped away from the crowd, heading off towards the lake with their arms around one another's waists. Sirius returned ten minutes before curfew, looking immensely pleased with himself.

Back up in the Gryffindor tower, Remus went ahead and got a shower, changing into his pajamas. Peter did so as well, but James and Sirius stayed in their skirts for a bit longer.

"I hope we have the Day of Lourey every year," Sirius said later that night when he returned from his shower in his pajamas, a towel over his head as he dried his hair. His makeup was gone but his nails were still scarlet.

"I hope we don't," Spinnet said grumpily. "It's bizarre."

"You're bizarre," Sirius muttered, but either Spinnet didn't hear him or he didn't care.

The Marauders sat on James's bed as Spinnet and Struthers went to sleep, the four of them whispering to each other and playing cards while keeping an eye on the clock. At one point Peter fell asleep, and at another Remus did too. They were both awakened by James and Sirius at about two-thirty in the morning.

"It's time."

James grabbed his broom, Sirius grabbed the broom he had nicked from the Quidditch shed, Peter grabbed the bag of supplies, and Remus grabbed the invisibility cloak. They tiptoed out of the dorm, out of the common room, and through the school. Only Sirius remained outside the invisibility cloak, so the others could be invisible. Remus whispered to Sirius whenever he heard anyone nearby, but all in all they only ran across Filch once.

Down to the dungeons and into the Slytherin common room. The three under the cloak went first, poking their heads in to make sure the common room was empty—which it was, other than a seventh year boy sound asleep near the empty fireplace. Just to make sure he stayed asleep for the entire prank, Sirius crept over and released a SleepPuff in his face. The Slytherin sighed dreamily and rolled over, smacking his lips.

Up the boys' side they went and into the dorm shared by Mulciber, Avery, and Bulstrode. It stank a bit more than the other Slytherin third year dorm, of unwashed socks and other unpleasant things; which, really the boys dorms Remus had been in did smell like that but this one was worse. Remus pinched his nose. James and Sirius pulled SleepPuffs into all three faces, and then James scrounged around under Avery's bed until he found Avery's broom.

It was a complete nightmare getting two boys out of the Slytherin common room. It took a lot of effort between all four Marauders to do so, and by the time they got out of the castle and onto the grounds they were all exhausted and sweaty again. Remus was carrying Avery by himself while James and Sirius had Mulciber between the two of them, and Peter had everything else. Avery was over Remus's shoulder like Snape had been, and at one point Remus thought he felt drool seeping through his pajama top. Ugh.

They stayed close to the castle walls, making their way around to where the Slytherin dungeon was. The common room and most of the dorm rooms were under water however the way the dorms were built, the staircase twirled upward higher and higher until the seventh years had enormous rooms that were essentially on the ground floor—albeit overlooking the lake and without a broom, inaccessible.