Golden TRageDY-A Marauder Headcanon

Caught in the Act

***

The long-awaited Hogsmeade visit arrived on a sunny day at the end of November. The sky was bright blue, the only disturbance being the ruffling leaves of whomping willow. Filch, the caretaker, was advising a long list of students with permission to attend Hogsmeade as his cat Mrs. Norris purred at his feet.

"How are you doing old friend?" Sirius grinned as Filch checked his name on the list.

"I'm no friend of yours, you filthy rogue."

"Oh, come on now, even you gotta admit that we have been rather well-behaved since the beginning of the term!" James smiled broadly.

"How many times have we got detention since September Moony?" asked James business-like.

"Six," answered Remus laconically. 

"Six! That's a definite record! Actually...now that I think of it we're outdoing ourselves, being such good boys. What do you say, Wormtail?" James went on.

"Yeah...I guess," replied Peter, his watery eyes fixed on James admiringly.

"Move along, move along!" Filch was clearly trying to get this over with. 

It was no secret that while Filch hated all students equally, but there was a special place of hate in his heart reserved just for the quartet. And it came as no surprise given all the trouble they caused him.

Marlene, Lily, and Alice walked toward the high street.

"Should we go to the three broomsticks? Frank and I wanted to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop later," said Alice.

"Yeah, all right," agreed Marlene.

Soon they entered the tiny inn. As usual, it was crowded, warm, and smoky. A group of goblins was sitting near the entrance speaking in an unfamiliar language. At the other end, sat a hag wearing a long black dress and looking around hungrily as if searching for a baby to eat. It wasn't unusual for three broomsticks to have eccentric customers. Madam Rosmerta-the landlady of the Three Broomsticks, a young and attractive lady with a curvy body and a pretty face, was sitting at the bar across from James and Sirius-chatting and laughing loudly.

"Oh, stop, you're gonna make me tear up from laughing so much!" she said as she pushed Sirius's arm lightly.

They seemed to be rather enjoying themselves. In a moment, Marlene appeared with three jugs of butterbeer and a sullen expression on her face. She put the cups on the table with a thud.

"What's with you?" asked Lily, noticing Marlene's temper.

"Nothing. It's just that I'd prefer it if people did the job they get paid for," she said, shooting a sharp look at Madam Rosmerta and threw herself on the chair next to Alice.

They drank the delicious drink feeling the instant warming effect spread their bodies.

"I'd kill for a butterbeer," said Alice.

"Oh, please, Alice, you wouldn't even hurt a fly," Marlene looked at her teasingly.

Soon the girls left the inn to bump into Frank Longbottom. Alice left them to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop with her boyfriend.

"Well...where should we go now?" Lily asked Marlene.

"Let's go to Honeydukes. I know you want to. You've got such a sweet tooth, Lil."

"Well, I can't deny that!" answered her best friend.

They crossed the road and entered the shop that could as well be heaven for children. It was filled with shelves upon shelves of any type of sweets imaginable. Today it was crammed with Hogwarts students most excited of all third years, many of whom had come to the shop for the first time. Lily remembered the first time she had come here with Marlene and Alice.