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CHAPTER FOUR. . . His Odyssey
"So, surrender to sleep at last. What a misery, keeping watch through the night, wide awake - you'll soon come up from under all your troubles." Homer, The Odyssey
Under the cover of darkness, August slips through the corridors of Hogwarts, hand in hand with Lily. With everybody else asleep safely in their beds, they dare to roam-to spring from the stone floors in a joyful curvet at the absence of teachers and students. August and Lily's destination the Ravenclaw common room lays ahead of them. The night air is still, quiet and soft laughter hangs comfortably in the air between August and Lily as the former raps his knuckles against the common room door delicately.
Malia opens it, pressing a finger to her mouth in a shushing moment. "Quiet! Do you know how many people are up right now studying?"
August covers a snort with a cough, pulling the sleeves of his Gryffindor jumper over his bruised knuckles, and the mischievous glint in his eyes causes Malia to roll her eyes. She pins him with an exasperated glare as she closes the door behind her and slips into the corridor.
The simple grin that August throws in her direction sends Malia into a fit of light giggles, and she follows him and Lily down the hallway into the Transfiguration Courtyard. The Marauders, as they call themselves, are stood in the shifting air, the Autumn breeze causing them to shiver slightly as they crowd around each other. Sirius looks up from a piece of paper clutched in his gloved hands to the group of approaching friends, before looking back down. He whispers something to his friends, flashing August, Malia and Lily a smile as they approach.
Slipping into the group, August waggles his eyebrows. "Are we ready for the best night of our lives?"
"I was born ready." Sirius replies, slinging an arm over August's shoulder. "The question is, are you?"
August slants him a shining smile, wrapping his own arm around Sirius' waist. They look to the rest of the group, finding their eyes already on them. August locks eyes with Lily who raises her eyebrows. He simply raises his hand, once again linking their fingers, and stretches it across her shoulders as his other arm slips from Sirius' waist. That arm he offers to Malia, who shakes her had as his arm rest around her shoulders.
Sirius almost frowns at the missing contact but catches himself, rubbing the back of his neck before he curses in realisation. "Uh, did anybody choose where we're going?"
As he scans the group, each person shakes their head, all looking towards August.
"This was your idea, Darlington." Malia says, tugging at a stray curl around his temple. "You choose."
