Adventurous-Another Marauders Fanfic

7- A Close Call.

Halley left the shower on, wrapped her towel round her, and ran back down the stairs. Sirius wolf-whistled her as she crossed the common room, and she flicked him off as she went.

"Lily, where is Marlene?"

Lily looked confused. She shut her book with a snap.

"Is she not in the dorm?"

Halley shook her head.

"She must be in the dorm." Lily scrambled up, and Halley, still in her towel, followed the ginger haired girl up the stairs to their clearly empty dorm room.

"That's impossible" Lily stammered. "We argued-I saw her flounce off up here..."

Samantha appeared at Halley's naked elbow.

"Marlene left the common room half an hour ago. Dunno where she went. She sneaked out" she informed them.

"Where the hell's she gone?" Lily groaned, raking a hand through her hair.

"We'll go find her" Halley assured her friend. "Just let me get some clothes on."

"What happens if we get caught?" Lily complained.

"We won't get caught" Samantha sighed, as Halley scrambled past to get a hoodie and some shorts on. "We've been doing this sort of thing for years. I'll get Sephy."

Lily looked unconvinced.

"We've been doing this for years" Samantha repeated. "I'll get Sephy."

Samantha then disappeared, and as Halley slipped some shoes on Lily still stood, unsure, in the doorway.

"What do you do if you get caught?" she asked Halley, as the latter scrambled for her wand.

"Stall the teachers, and don't give anyone else away" Halley replied lightly. "Come on."

The two of them clattered down the stairs, to find Remus waiting for them at the bottom. Sirius and James were sitting a little way away, trying not to look like they knew what was going on. Peter was nowhere in sight.

"Sephy's gone out with Sammie" Remus told the girls. We can go out as well if you want."

"Does James know what's happening?" Lily demanded instantly. Remus paled. As did Halley.

"Cos I'm assuming, if you know, Remus, then the rest of your gang is gonna know as well! Honestly-it's not so much of a big deal that everyone needs to get involved..."

Halley cringed as James, who clearly had been listening, clambered up and strode over to them.

"Excuse me, Evans" he snapped. "But we offered you our help. And by 'we' I mean 'all seven of us'. You should know this by now. We don't call ourselves best friends for nothing. Now, Sirius and I were about to set off too, but if you'd rather, we can call Sephy and Sammie back and all go to bed. It's your call."

Lily deflated.

"Go out" she muttered. "All of you. Please."

"We'll do our best" James replied steadily. "Hopefully it'll be nothing. Sirius? Hal?"

"Coming" Halley chorused, along with Sirius, who now he stood up had a noticeable Invisibility Cloak-shaped bump under his jumper.

The three of them left Remus and Lily in the common room, sneaked out past the Fat Lady, and slipped under the Cloak.

"We're gonna struggle staying hidden under here" Sirius commented quietly.

"I'll fox it" Halley muttered. Wand in mouth. So long as nobody gets too close I'll pass for an awkwardly large cat."