The Marauders Era

Graduation

   "Can you guys fucking believe it?" James asked, pacing the common room excitedly. "Believe what?" Peter asked. "Think about it Peter, we're going to be actual adults, graduates of Hogwarts." James replied. "I've got enough money to support us. We can work for the Order. I can buy a house. We can all buy houses." James said. "I mean, I don't think I can last much longer in the same house as Petunia." Lily said. "Exactly. Lily, you can come and live with me." James said excitedly, holding out a hand to pull her to her feet. She giggled and allowed him to wrap his arms tightly around her and kiss the top of her head. "Come on Prongsie, I would have gone to bed half an hour ago if I knew it would take you so long to get to the point." Sirius said. "The point is, I'll buy a house for us, I can support us all and we can work for the Order full time." James said. "Would you really do that for us James?" Remus asked. "Course I would Moony, then you can just stay at home during the full moon." James said, sitting on the couch beside him. Remus smiled. "Don't worry about me James, Mum is already setting me up in a nice little Muggle apartment in downtown London." Peter said. "That's great Peter." James replied, smiling at Peter. "C'mon, we should probably go to bed." he added and kissed Lily goodnight. He watched her climb the stairs to bed then Sirius tugged him closer, put an arm around his shoulders and muttered quietly "I'll buy a house with the money from my Uncle and Remus can stay with me. You and Lily can have a place to yourself, think how nice that'll be?" Sirius said with a wink, massaging James' shoulders. "Fuck off Pads, but if Remus wants to be around you 24/7 then I don't have any complaints about it." James replied.

The next day James woke up for the last time in his comfortable four poster bed with red and gold hangings. He glanced around at the room, his second bedroom, Peter was a large lump underneath his blankets, Sirius was spread out across his whole bed, his limbs hanging off the mattress in different directions, his long hair all over his face, Remus was breathing deeply, his blankets half kicked off, huddled in a little of the space Sirius had left him in the bed. James grinned and ruffled up his hair. His eyes took in the four trunks beside the door, the empty bookcase, the occasional sweet wrapper on the ground, and Sirius' shirt inside out on the opposite side of the room to his bed. James grinned again, really Sirius was very hopeless when it came to his possessions. James got out of bed and crossed the room beside Peter's bed. He glanced out of the window and out into the grounds, images flooded his brain of a wrestling wolf and a massive black dog. He sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor where Sirius' shirt was beside his foot. James picked it up, turned it the right way and in and folded it as he walked towards Sirius' bed. His friends all looked so peaceful, it seemed a shame to wake them up without having some fun first.

James' eyes caught Remus' sleeping figure. The mouth twitched into a grin and Remus opened his eyes. "Let's have some fun eh?" Remus said, climbing out of bed, careful not to wake Sirius. "You get Pete." James said, grinning, with a flick of his head in Peter's direction. Remus winked and pulled out his wand. With a flick of two wands Sirius and Peter rose out of their beds and into the air with a yell, dangling upside down. "Ahh, fuck off Prongs." Sirius shouted. "Remus! Put me down." Peter yelled. Remus laughed and Sirius and Peter fell back down onto their beds. "Nice one Moony." James said, clapping Remus on the shoulder and pulling him in for a one armed hug. "Boys, get over here!" James shouted. Sirius jumped at the opportunity, he leapt out of bed and ran over, throwing an arm around James. Peter snuck into the circle between Remus and James and put his arms around them. "Let's go into the world my brothers." James said. Sirius kissed James' forehead, then Peter's, then half tackled Remus onto James' bed and kissed him.

Down in the common room, away from all the excited younger students Lily, Marlene and Alice were sitting by the fireplace. James hurried over and hugged Lily, kissing her forehead. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had admittingly got very drunk the night before, James' head was spinning and he could barely take in his surroundings. He noticed Lily sneak her warm hand into his and lead him down to breakfast. She poured him coffee and he drank it, even though he knew it was too hot, making his eyes stream. 

After breakfast the rest of the school got up to collect their trunks and other belongings, leaving the seventh years in the Great Hall. "I would just like to thank you all for seven brilliant years! Good luck out there, I can't wait to see what wonderful people you'll all become, but before you leave this Hall one last time, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore called. James grinned over at Sirius and they sang along slowly and sadly, to a funeral march. They were left singing alone at the end, Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, then wiped a tear from behind his glasses. "Ah music." he said.

They then climbed aboard the little boats that they rode seven years before and travelled across the lake, back to Hogsmeade Station. There was the Hogwarts Express, just as it always was. Sirius climbed onto the train first, followed by Peter, then Remus. James took one more look around at everybody in their school robes, chatting happily, before he climbed aboard after his friends and held out a hand for Lily. 

James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, Marlene and Alice all sat in one compartment. After about half an hour James fell asleep on Lily's shoulder. She smiled, kissed his head and snuggled closer to him, closing her own eyes. It was at this moment that Remus also gave a slight snore. Sirius jumped, because he thought Remus was wide awake, lying down across two seats with head in Sirius' lap. Realising he was quite tired himself he put his head back and drifted off as well. This left Peter, Marlene and Alice talking about all sorts of things. Peter couldn't help but think how beautiful Marlene was. Leaving Hogwarts forever, he wished he would have made it better. He wished he would have asked Marlene out, he could be leaving school with his very own girlfriend, having someone to fall asleep on him and whisper things in his ear. Peter was filled with regrets, including the thing he was about to do.

That night Lily, Remus and Peter joined Sirius and James at the Potter's house. Lily introduced them to Muggle movies and they stayed up all night, watching classics and drinking butterbeers. At half past four that morning Peter fell asleep on the couch and the other four climbed the stairs up to James and Sirius' room. Remus had of course slept here before. He pulled on his favourite sweater, which he had recently stolen back from Sirius and climbed into Sirius' bed. Lily was in the bathroom, getting changed and doing whatever else she was doing. Sirius pulled off his shirt and changed into some pyjama pants before climbing into bed beside Remus. He laid down, snuggling close to Remus' sweater and fell asleep quickly. 

James bustled about his room, kicking his dirty clothes out of sight from Lily and closing the curtains and throwing back his sheets. He smiled down at Remus, lying comfortably with Sirius laying on his chest and Remus smiled back, closing his eyes peacefully. James pulled off his shirt as Lily arrived and she noticed just how good he looked, with his messed up hair, cheeky smile, tattoos on his arms and chest, his sixpack, though that too was littered with tattoos and his welcoming, comfortable, James-smelling bed. Although she'd never slept in this bed before, she knew it would be just the same as his four poster bed back in Gryffindor tower.

James folded his t-shirt, placed it on his desk and climbed into bed. Lily put her bag on the floor, shut the door, flicked off the light and got into bed silently beside James. She felt him put an arm around her, she was in her summer pyjamas, with much more skin exposed than usual. "I love you." James muttered in her ear. She turned around to face him, whispering a cheeky reply into the silent bedroom. James ran a finger through her long red hair and placed a kiss upon her lips. They fell asleep just like that, their foreheads resting against each other on the same pillow, James' hand in her hair, Lily's pressed upon his shoulder, their lips inches away from each other.