The New Marauders

Secretly dating and caught in the act

Edward stood nervously outside a broom cupboard, glancing around the dimly lit corridor. The distant chatter of students heading back to their common rooms echoed through the halls, but here, it was quiet and empty. He shifted on his feet, checking the time again and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Where is she?" he muttered under his breath. Just then, he caught sight of movement from the end of the hallway. Sophie Ellis appeared, her Gryffindor scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and a mischievous smile on her face.

“Took you long enough,” Edward teased, relief washing over him as she approached.

Sophie grinned, stepping up to him. “You try sneaking away without Rose Weasley questioning your every move.” She glanced around quickly before slipping into the broom cupboard with Edward following closely behind.

Inside, it was cramped but cozy enough for the two of them. As soon as the door shut behind them, they were wrapped up in each other, snogging in the dimly lit space.

Between kisses, Sophie asked, “So, why here? What made you want to hide away?”

Edward pulled back slightly, chuckling as he pressed his forehead against hers. “Well, for one, those fangirls won’t give me any peace. It’s like I can’t walk down a corridor without hearing someone whispering or staring.”

Sophie laughed softly, “Oh, so you’re hiding from your fans now?”

“And…” Edward hesitated, his smile faltering a bit. “Well, there’s also James.”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “James? What does he have to do with this?”

Edward sighed. “He’s my best mate, and he hasn’t exactly been subtle about not wanting to see me snogging anyone—especially you, after all the teasing about Mia. He’d never let me live it down.”

Sophie chuckled, her hands trailing down his arms. “Well, he’s not going to find us here.”

Just as the words left her mouth, the door to the broom cupboard burst open, and the narrow space was suddenly filled with light. Standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear, were the rest of the New Marauders—James, Sam, Nate, and Luke.

“I knew it!” James declared triumphantly, crossing his arms with a smug look. He glanced between Edward and Sophie, who were both flushed and caught completely off guard.

Edward groaned, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. “How did you even find us?”

Sam, still grinning like an imp, held up the Marauder’s Map. “Come on, Ed. You didn’t really think you could hide from us, did you?”

“Of course, we saw you sneak off after dinner,” Nate added, nudging Luke, who was snickering behind him. “And the map confirmed it.”

James leaned against the doorframe, looking far too pleased with himself. “Honestly, mate, I expected more subtlety from you. A broom cupboard? Really?”

Sophie, still leaning against Edward, couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. “Caught by your own friends. That’s impressive.”

Edward shot a playful glare at James. “Right, well, you’ve had your fun. Can you lot kindly clear off?”

Sam shook his head, smirking. “Oh no, this is too good. We might just have to make a public announcement in the common room later.”

Edward rolled his eyes, stepping out of the cupboard with Sophie. “Do that, and I’ll make sure you’re on the receiving end of a well-aimed Bat-Bogey Hex.”

The Marauders laughed, clearly enjoying the moment, but Edward knew they wouldn’t push it too far. They were all close enough to know when to back off.

“Alright, alright,” James said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “We’ll leave you two to… whatever this is. Just, you know, don’t get caught by Filch.”

Edward smiled, shaking his head as the rest of the Marauders began to retreat down the corridor, still chuckling to themselves. As they disappeared around the corner, Sophie leaned into him, a smile playing on her lips.

“Well, that was… interesting,” she teased.

Edward sighed dramatically, though a grin quickly formed. “Welcome to life with the Marauders. Nothing stays a secret for long.”

Sophie laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “I think I’ll manage.”

And with that, they headed back toward the Gryffindor common room, arm in arm, knowing full well the teasing wasn’t over—but at least they’d managed to sneak away for a moment, even if it didn’t last long.