Broken Feathers || Marauders Era

{12} Marlene

I prided myself on never getting caught.

Within the first six months of school, I settled into a steady rhythm with the self-proclaimed Marauders. They still didn't know my secret, even though they knew Remus', and to my thinly-veiled delight, Remus had stayed friends with me even though his own now knew the truth.

I was still stubbornly refusing to call the other Marauders friends, however, as indicated by the fact I would ditch them and make a quick escape if it looked like we were going to get caught planting Wailing Waterlilies in makeshift ponds in the hallways, or filling Filch's office with self-replicating marbles.

To their credit, they never seemed mad. They were more impressed about how I managed it, which I was something I was definitely not going to tell them.

Despite never being caught pulling pranks, the professors' perceptions of me were certainly changing. My grades were slipping, and my homework was consistently being turned in unfinished or rushed, or just not turned in at all. I was still excelling at the practical parts of class, however.

There was still a small part of my brain that worried about it though, and what other people thought of me, and sometimes that part took over at the most inconvenient of times, like when, I was helping the Marauders magically paint the school, and I started to spiral.

I could see Filch and his lantern coming closer, as well as Sirius and James sneaking into a closet, and Peter scrambling to get away, but I couldn't make myself move. It took until he was only a metre or so away and bearing down on me like a hyena that I managed to stow my wand away - a movement he didn't see - and stand up, moving several steps away from the now pink floor - which he did see, and was also pointless, as the whole floor was pink.

I flinched as Filch's grubby hand closed around my shoulder, a twisted grin on his face.

"Ha!" he practically shouted, "Thought you would get away, did you?"

I didn't respond, swallowing nervously instead. My eyes darted to the closet where Sirius and James were hiding. One of them had poked their head out, since it was behind Filch, but retreated inside when they saw me looking.

"Where are your co-conspirators, brat?" Filch sneered.

"I don't have any," I replied, tearing my eyes away from the closet and silently cursing my anxiety.

"Sure you don't," he scoffed.

"I'm telling the truth," I insisted.

"You're not," Filch growled.

"I am."

"Tell me where they are and maybe I'll lessen your sentence."

I had to admit, that was tempting. Extremely tempting. But if I ratted them out then I really would have no friends - not that they were my friends.

"You can't have done this on your own, girl," he snapped.

That pissed me off.

"Well, I did. I'm a Ravenclaw, we tend to be good planners."

"What?" Filch said, sounding genuinely surprised.

He lifted his lantern so the light shone in my face. I narrowed my eyes and looked away so I wouldn't be blinded, but Filch still got a good look at my face and cackled with laugher.

"You're Sallow's little brat," he crowed, "Oh, this is goin' be good."

I cringed internally as he latched onto my arm and pulled me in the direction of his office. I caught a glimpse of the closet as we passed it. James had poked his head out, and I swear I saw him mouth 'thank you' at me before we disappeared around the corner.