metanoia

Chapter Eighteen

After telling Moony about her past and talking to Sirius about her nightmares, Alex slowly began to blossom into becoming the unofficial fifth Marauder. With each of them knowing her whole story, it made it easier for her to fully trust them with the exception of the fact that as per Professor Dumbledore's orders she had to keep a rather big secret from them.

"Happy Birthday Snuffles," Alex sang, placing the completed Marauder's Map in front of him at breakfast.

On that windy November morning each of the Marauders gasped in surprise, reveling in the completed project the five of them started nearly a month ago. Sirius not even acknowledging the name the blonde had called him. Alex tapped the parchment with the end of her wand, whispering in a low voice so the people around them couldn't hear, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The front page read: MESSRS MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS PROUDLY PRESENT THE MARAUDER'S MAP. As they fully opened the map at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, the first and last names of all the students shuffled around the page with every step a person took in Hogwarts.

Remus and James looked at the masterpiece in awe, truly amazed by the talent and effort that was put into this miraculous piece of parchment.

"When did you finish this?" Wormtail squeaks out in a hushed tone, turning his body more towards her so no one could see what the five of them were gawking at.

"Last night. I thought that since it was Padfoot's birthday, it would be a nice way of formally presenting it to you guys," Alex whispers, smiling at her friends.

"Why is my name last and Remus is first? I thought I was your favorite," James whined referencing the order she put their respective names.

She shrugged, reaching across the table for the bacon, "Because Rem is actually my favorite and because it just sounded better this way."

"Why isn't your name on it, Alex?" Remus asked, smirking at Potter's pout, earning a snicker from Pettigrew as he took a long drink from his goblet.

The other two boys looked to her, waiting for an answer, when in reality she didn't have one because she didn't know if she was actually a part of this group or just a temporary addition. She runs her fingers through her curls, shrugging as she twists it into a knot at the base of her neck, "I didn't know if I was supposed to be on it. And I mean, I don't even have a nickname like you lot so I just went with what I had."

Johnson, Evans and Lightwood began to walk up to the group of five, all three smiling at the only girl in present company. Seeing the redhead, James became slack jawed then completely aware of what they had displayed in front of them whispering at the parchment, tapping it with his cedar wand, "Mischief managed."

"Thank you, Lex. Best birthday present ever," Sirius holds his arms out to hug the girl, hoping that this once she'd make an exception to her no physical contact rule. She looks at him for a minute and slowly hugs him, wrapping her arms around his torso which made Sirius smell her perfume very strongly before they pulled apart and continued to eat his breakfast.

Lightwood sat next to the brunette, stealing a piece of bacon off of her best friends plate, "Good morning all. Happy Birthday, Black. Are you still having your party in the Room of Requirements?"

All still buzzing from the excitement of their map, look at her as though she had announced she'd broken up with Fabian and began dating the Giant Squid in the Black Lake. All at once they processed the question, nodding vigorously since they'd only invited 5th years and up and were surrounded by lower years.

"Leave it to Sirius Black to have a party on a Wednesday," Lily chuckled as they finished their breakfast before class. 

In each class they traded off on who got to admire the map, in Defense Against the Dark Arts Remus and Peter had it because they sat together while in Muggle Studies Sirius and James had it. Within three hours, they had completely memorized the map and watched in fascination of how beautifully it worked. Potions class was the only place that day where the five of them couldn't admire their work because Professor Slughorn made Amortentia and they as a class were each supposed to announce what they smelled.