Falling // Wolfstar

Two

Conversation bounces wall to wall in the Great Hall the morning of September 2nd. Many familiar faces greet each other along with many unfriendly ones. It's easiest to spot the first years out of the lot, considering they were either amazed at the sky ceiling or avoiding eye contact with anybody slightly older than them.

Remus seats himself in his usual spot, reviewing his timetable. Beside him, Sirius is cutting his pancakes with an unused quill.

"Er...Sirius?" Remus questions. Sirius snaps his head up with raised eyebrows. "There are these things called knives. They cut things."

"I know Moony," Sirius says with a laugh. "Prongs said he'd give me five sickles if I went the entire day using only a quill."

"What about classes?"

"Well considering I got by the last month of sixth year with only a quill and a bottle of grape juice for ink, I'd say my survival rate is fairly high."

Remus, at a loss for words, chooses to go back to his own meal and disregard everything Sirius had just told him. He picks up his timetable as well as Sirius' to compare their schedules. Most of their classes were the same, except Sirius was on the route to become an Auror. Remus himself had chosen a different profession in the Ministry of Magic, though he would find it hard considering his father's status. Perhaps teaching as a profession wouldn't be so bad either.

"Double potions with Slytherins?" Remus mumbles to Sirius. "Brutal. At least you'll be with Prongs." He sets down the card, well aware of the two empty seats in front of them. "Where are those two anyway? They weren't in the dorm when I woke up."

A smirk appears on Sirius' face, answering Remus' question to an extent.

Suddenly, through the double doors a mariachi band, though only the instruments, floats through and weaves their way towards the Slytherin table. Sitting, or rather sulking, is Severus Snape. His posture is just as bad - if not worse - than the year before, and his hair had seen better days. All heads turn towards the direction of noise. The instruments surround Snape and his so called friends, playing an arrangement of extraordinarily loud songs.

Remus turns back around only for James and Peter to catch his attention. He sputters out his orange juice and quickly reaches for a napkin. The two boys stroll into the Great Hall, one with a large sombrero on and the other with a bushy mustache with curled tips. They wear matching ponchos striped with festive colors over their robes and hold maracas.

"Bloody hell," Remus mutters as they take a seat across from him. "What is this?"

James only laughs, reaching for his wand. He conjures a hat just like his and places it on Remus' head. "A fiesta Moony!" he exclaims giddily.

"Charmed the instruments to follow the Slytherin's around all day long," Peter adds.

"And you think parading around wearing that won't give away you are the ones that did it?" Sirius questions.

"Mate they already would have guessed it was us, so why not flaunt it?" James says.

Sirius considers it for a second before shrugging. "Fair enough, give me a mustache!"

A looming shadow casts over Sirius' shoulder and he slowly lowers his hand. Both Peter and James avert their eyes from Sirius upwards. Remus turns around at once, offering a polite smile to Professor McGonagall.

"Welcome back boys," she greets them with an authoritative voice. "I see you've wasted no time making sure nobody has forgotten you over the summer."

James flashes a charming smile. "Professor, do you really think anybody could forget this face?" He motions to himself and she lets out a lengthy breath.

Sirius rests his chin in his hand as he stares up at her. "How was your summer?" he asks. "Reckon you went to the beach, eh? A green swimsuit would look smashing on you!" Remus smacks Sirius' arm. "Ouch!"

"Watch your tongue Mr. Black," McGonagall warns. "Wouldn't want to start the year off scrubbing the trophy room with your toothbrush."

"Only if that means Friday nights with you."

McGonagall holds out two timetables to James and Peter, eyeing Sirius with a confused look once seeing him eat a strawberry with a quill. "I hope that your position as Head Boy will teach you some responsibility, Mr. Potter. And Mr. Black...one can only hope you learn how to use a fork. As for the music - it does not enter my classroom."

"Yes ma'am!" James calls as she continues down the aisle. He grabs a forkful of corned beef hash with a chuckle. "She's so going to miss us when we leave. Can't imagine the lot that'll have to follow our legacy."

"You know it'll be our own kids," Sirius comments.

Peter laughs at the mere thought. "Can you imagine the look on McGonagall's face when she has to read the name Potter all over again!"

"Maybe we don't tell her we have kids and then they all just show up September first," James suggests. "She'll have a bloody heart attack!"

Remus can't help but smile at the idea of the future generation. "Good thing she's got nine lives," he joins in.

They share a laugh, reminiscing on their past encounters with Professor McGonagall when a handful of fliers is passed down the table. Remus sorts through the colorful papers when one in particular catches his eye. He hands the rest to Peter, examining the blue sheet before him. HOGWARTS BOOK CLUB is printed at the top in bold letters.

"What's that?" Sirius asks, glancing over his shoulder. "Hey you should join that! Sounds like a bunch of Moony's in one room talking about books."

"Maybe you should join then Pads," James teases.

"I don't recall a book club last year," Remus states, folding the flier in half. "Suppose I'll have to check it out. It said meetings are Friday's at five in Professor Binn's classroom."

"Talk about a snooze fest," Peter remarks.

Remus shrugs, tucking the flier into his robes pocket.

After finishing their breakfast to the lovely background music, the four boys head back to the Gryffindor Tower to gather their things before their first classes of the day - all which were separate. Remus is off to Ancient Runes, Peter to Astronomy, James to Divination, and Sirius to Muggle Studies. It feels a bit odd for them not to have nearly every class together, but that only meant the classes they did have together are going to be a riot.

Remus walks slightly ahead with Peter, constantly fixing his abnormally large sombrero. Behind him, James and Sirius are animatedly discussing their bet.

"Prongs am I allowed to use more than one quill?" Sirius asks; his words are slightly muffled from his faux mustache. "Or does it have to be the same one?"

Though the group appeared completely ridiculous dressed as some sort of mariachi band of their own, Remus walks through the corridors with a brilliant smile on his face. The school year is starting off as it always did with his best mates and he wouldn't trade this feeling for anything in the world.