the cadence of part time poets

Chapter 79: The Long Week

Vicious,
You want me to hit you with a stick,
But all I've got's a guitar pick;
Huh, baby, you're so vicious... 

- "Vicious" Lou Reed, 1972

Tuesday 14th November 1977

"It's no use! Mock exams are right around the corner and I can't retain any of it! I might as well give up now..." With a heavy moan, Lily pressed her forehead onto her open law textbook, stifling all chances of studying. Another library goer shushed her, and she lifted her head just long enough to shoot them a nasty glare.

"Five minutes ago you were just lecturing us on the importance of flash cards," Marlene replied dully. Across the table, Remus cracked a small smile. Lily's habit of switching between stark reinforcement and utter despair was entertaining to say the least.

"Seven years," the red-head whimpered; "Seven years at this godforsaken school and I haven't learned enough to fill a thimble!"

"It's only November," Remus reminded her. "I'm sure you'll reach thimble capacity before uni applications are due."

"No!" She practically shrieked. "Applications have to be in before Christmas. Otherwise, you might as well throw them in the bin! We're already considered too far away to attend interviews—we have to impress on paper or we haven't got a chance."

"If you actually plan to apply, that is," Marlene remarked, eyeing Remus pointedly.

She was right of course. As busy as he was between their exams, musical affairs, and Sirius affairs, Remus was not worried. He had no plans to apply for university. He was going to be in a band.

"Shhhh!"

Madam Pince appeared next to their table, scowling venomously, and all three of them cowered until she'd finally moved on.

"I've only got practice until six," Marlene whispered. "We could study again afterwards. Lupin, you want in?"

Remus shook his head. "Can't, got plans. Band stuff."

It wasn't a total lie. The night before, all four Marauders had agreed that it was finally time to nail down exactly what it was they were going to say to get their families to agree to a life of pursuing music. James planned on pitching the idea as a gap year; they'd take a single year off and if nothing came of Marauders, then he'd go to uni and make something out of himself. Remus had initially thought it a bit of a gamble—a year was mere plonk change in the record industry—but James didn't appear worried. In fact, out of all of them, Peter's parents seemed to be the hardest sell. Mr. Pettigrew was a working man through and through, and although he'd been behind a desk at his newspaper company for many years now, he'd been preaching the value of a hard day's work for as long as his children could remember.

Sirius had it a bit easier. Though he'd received no word as to whether or not he'd been officially disowned by his family, he still wanted to appease the Potters—but then again, no one was going to blame him for following music. He was a prodigy. And as for Remus, well... he was never going to accomplish what Lyall Lupin wanted of him anyway. He just hoped Giles took the news alright. It was enough for Remus just to lounge around in surreptitious bliss, which he did on the floor of their dorm room, gorging on tarts sent by Effie and listening to Dr. Hook play off the stereo.

'We take all kinds of pills, that give us all kind of thrills,
But the thrill we've never known;
Is the thrill that'll getcha when you get your picture,
On the cover of the Rollin' Stone...'

Next to him, Remus watched as Peter licked the jam from his fingers while pouring over his open notebook. Homework aside, the other boy had written and rewritten his 'gap year' pitch about twelve times, though Remus doubted it was bound to get any better. If they didn't have this in the bag by now, then Marauders wasn't going to get anywhere.