Author's Note: Wow...Sparked some interest back into the story with that. Thanks to my loyal readers! ^^ And...Seeing as a Pregnancy is sort of long run...Instead of making one chapter like a day...I'm gonna boost this one to the end of the year, the next couple will course the summer, and the one after will be the time when they return...^_~ You can expect these chapters to be a bit longer than the others...Hope you enjoy it! I know I will enjoy writing it...===(Updated Author's Notes at the bottom, nothing changed in the story line)===
For the next few chapters, I'm going to use different styles of separation, seeing as it's spanning over a longer period of time.
------------------------------- = Next Day
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene Change
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The next few weeks had passed as if they were minutes. One day it was April, the next it was May, and before they knew it, here the boys sat in the final week of school. James and Sirius' secret was still well kept, but the love they shared was nearly bursting at the seems whenever they were around each other. Most times Remus and Peter had to tag along with them to make sure they didn't snog in the Great Hall or on their way to class. They were just like they used to be...All together in a group, or so it had appeared to the public. Upon closer inspection, however, one could see the way they were. It was no longer "The Marauders", it had turned into "Sirius and James" and "Remus" and "Peter". They rarely spoke about anything but schoolwork, seeing as James and Sirius had a nasty habit of disappearing whenever the group was to meet.
Remus, for one, had grown to accept it. His friends were in love, and he was happy for them. He understood if they had disappeared for some time...They were teenagers, and it was hard to keep down the urges they had. Though the young werewolf found himself spending more time alone, he wasn't unhappy. The peace and quiet he had, he enjoyed...But the real reason he stood so strongly by his friends' decision is because they still stayed with him when he transformed. They never, ever forgot when the moon was full, and both were right by his side, their full attention on Remus. It was enough to make the boy know that they still cared. Just because they hung out less and less didn't mean that they had given up on being with the other two.
Peter, however, was becoming more of a recluse than both James -and- Sirius. For a full two weeks he disappeared, narrowly missing a pre-final exam in Charms. Professor Flitwick was quite worried at how badly the class had been doing with their arranging charms...It was terrible. Half the time, they couldn't even get the objects to move in the right direction. Now however, most, if not all of the class was prepared for the final exams that were to occur later on this week. No one quite knew where it was Peter wandered off to for those two weeks, and although they all worried, Peter still didn't exactly feel they cared enough. He had told them he was at home visiting his mum once again...The three all commented that she had been getting awfully sick lately...But Peter dismissed their comments and continued on with his solitary activities.
The wonderful summer weather was enough to be cheery about, though. There hadn't been a day of rain since the end of May, which allowed the students to go back outside after all the Spring showers. Most students, however, found it abnormally hot. They enjoyed being outside, though their ebony colored robes absorbed the rays of the sun and caused them to become warmer than usual. Many of the student body had visited Pomfrey because of Dehydration of low degrees. You could always tell who went outside, also...The sun was giving the lot of them wonderful tans, and they enjoyed them.
Snape hadn't been much of a threat over the passing weeks. Although he sent an occasional glare and snide comment in Sirius and James' direction, he seemed to keep their secret quiet. Why was it, exactly, that he was doing so? The thought of it was a confusing thing, and the two boys had decided to keep it in the dark. The less they thought about Snape, the better. Potions class was interesting, however. At one point, Snape and James had been put together for a project, and Sirius had warned the Slytherin that if he touched James, he'd send him to Pomfrey. Despite all the threats, dearest Snape kept the secret, just that.
Life had become rather hectic for Sophia Redmonds. She was now visibly showing, but only when she wore her old robes. The Hufflepuff girl had spoken with Dumbledore, Sirius by her side, of course. He understood, which they both felt he would, and told Sophia he'd take care of whatever he could. A day later, Maternity robes had appeared in her trunk, and it was at that moment the girl had realized just how much Dumbledore cared about his students. She'd begun to show during the mid point of May, but hid it well behind the slightly larger robes. On occasion, she had to be excused from class because of what she felt like. Dumbledore had told all the teachers to be supportive and let her go when she needed to, and to understand if she didn't attend their class. Avalade, being the curious little git he was, kept a close eye on her and marked her down for every time she wasn't there. That was fixed, luckily when the Headmaster found out...Everything was running smoothly for the girl, and she enjoyed life as it was. Carrying the child had taught her many things already, and it wasn't done just yet.
But, for the time being, everything was serene and simple. The four boys were now sitting beneath a blooming tree just west of the lake, safely out of view from the other students. James, of course, was leaning against Sirius as he read through the Potions book he had in his lap. His back to Sirius' right shoulder, he snuggled up. There was no objection on the long haired boy's part, happy to just spend some time with all of his good friends. In his lap also sat a Potions book, opened to a page about Mandrake properties. James was reading just a page ahead, trying to memorize all the potions that the plant was used for. Remus was sitting directly across from Sirius and James, not even three feet away. He was sitting on his side, hand planted on the ground so he could keep his balance. In the grass is where his book was, opened a couple pages ahead of the other two. His other hand was placed on his hip, digits idly tapping against the fabric. The oddest looking one, however, was none other than Peter. He was sitting with his legs crossed, bum to the ground with the book in his lap. He sat to Remus' right and the other two boys' left. He was nibbling on his lower lip dejectedly, all the words from the book just flowing through his head and right back out again. With an annoyed sigh, he thumbed through the pages and gazed up at the other three.
"I think the professors want us to suffer," he stated with a sigh, his head drooping back down once again. Both Remus and Sirius turned their heads and looked at him, but Remus was the one to speak.
"It's only over this one potion ingredient, Peter. I mean, Mandrakes are one of the easiest to learn about...This would almost be better suited as our Herbology exam...Instead of those...hideous looking plants those Venomous Tentaculas are...We're lucky we just have to prune it. Honestly, I wonder why they make us work with such a demonic thing. Why not Flutterbies? Those plants are so much nicer, and calmer..."
"I agree with that," James said with a light chuckle. "Many of the plants that Sprout has us work with are usually dormant and quiet. These...Who knows. I know they have an unnatural desire for human blood..."
"Yegh," Sirius mumbled. He shook his head, eyeing the pages that were in his lap. With a heavier sigh than Peter's, the Gryffindor boy let his head fall gently next to James'. "Got a kiss to perk me up?"
"You know it," James said with a small smirk, tilting his head enough so that he could give his love a peck on the lips. Shorter than what Sirius had wanted, he enjoyed it nonetheless. Once James had pulled away, he let out an interesting sound...Something between a sigh and a cough.
"You alright there, James?" Peter asked, leaning forward and eyeing his friend with a worried expression.
Tapping his hand against his chest, James nodded. "Y-Yeah...Wonder what that was!"
Sirius lifted a hand from the pages of the book to his nose, wiping it with the tips of his robes. "Me too. Sounded interesting."
"Only you'd say that." Remus tried to stifle a snigger as Sirius reached down and picked up some loose grass, throwing it at the wolven one. "And of course, you're being so defensive, Sirius...James, dear, I think you might want to calm him down..."
"Oh hush," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes. He chuckled afterward, the atramentous orbs flickering a shade lighter for but a moment.
"Ornery little bugger, aren't you?" Remus questioned teasingly, lifting his brows. Sirius' response was quite simple, and funnier than they'd have imagined it. The boy had leaned forward to whap his friend on the knee, but he ended up falling to the side, bringing James down with him. They landed with James atop Sirius, the Potions book keeping space between them.
"Now look what you've gone and did," James declared, a hint of annoyance lingering in his voice. It wasn't long before he'd been flipped over by Sirius, staring into the glance of the other.
"Oh go on and kiss," Peter sniggered, shutting the book that had been sitting in his lap.
"Don't rush it, Peter. Good things happen in time." Remus had been full of this teasing nature all day, but it was all in good fun. And, like he said, the 'good' thing had finally come. James planted a chaste kiss on Sirius' lips and sat up, rolling off of the fellow. He landed to the right and brushed off his robes. Sirius had sighed, slowly pulling himself up back to his original position.
"You tease," Sirius mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. Neither Remus or Peter heard it, but James did.
"You know it," he whispered into Sirius' ear, slowly letting his tongue slip past his lips and tickle the outer ring of the other's ear. Once he pulled away, James leaned himself back against Sirius' shoulder and recovered the book.
"I reckon you're trying to get me horny, Mr. Potter..." Sirius had put the book back into his lap as well, and his lips barely moved as he let the words slide past his mouth. This elicited a tiny blush from James, though he was quite sure no one saw it.
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Today was the day of the boys' first day of their final exams. Potions, Charms and Transfiguration they were, and for the most part, they had been simple enough. The studying they all did earlier that week had greatly helped them, Peter especially. Avalade had surprised them all on the exam with a few questions about what stages the Mandrakes go through, and what would happen had they been prematurely used in potions. There were only three people in the class that got most of those right, and among them included Snape (of course), another Slytherin and Remus. He was surprised to find that he knew the answers to this, and he had figured most people would also...Professor Sprout went on about the Mandrakes for almost a week or two, spouting out information about all the different effects of the plants when they were pulled early. James got over half right, Sirius about half, and Peter just a bit below half. It had been an easy start to the days of the final exams, and they all hoped all the rest would be just the same.
The Charms exam was even more simple than the Potions. It was over a multitude of spells the class had learned over the semester, mostly focusing on the Arranging Charm, the Diffindo Charm and the Impervius Charm. Everyone did marvelously, and Remus showed up many of the students like he usually did in Charms. Flitwick rewarded his students by teaching them all an interesting charm that created a wave of bubbles to flood from the wand. The Slytherins didn't enjoy it too much, but the Gryffindors all found in intriguing. The final didn't take much time, so the students had a large heap of free time remaining. Some tested out the bubble charm, resulting in the classroom filling wildly fast with soapy spheres. The period of free time slipped through their fingers in what seemed like no time, each of the students filing out of the classroom in idle chatter and murmurs. The Marauder boys had all met up outside of the classroom, heading off to lunch. Their next test would be Transfiguration, then the rest of the day would be theirs.
Both James and Sirius had to fight to keep their hands apart from the other's, which was quite the battle for them. Walking between the two to keep the calm was Remus and Peter, though the smaller one was tagging along behind the three of them. From the higher levels of the school, it took them only minutes until they'd reached the Great Hall. The four of them, for as far back they could remember, hadn't had lunch together in a while. Usually Remus wandered off to the library or Common Room, and Peter just seemed to disappear all together. He was looking rather unhealthy earlier back, but now, he was just as cherry-cheeked as usual. Less plump, but that was a good thing. The group sat down at their usual area which resided at the Gryffindor Table, and once they were all seated, the bags they carried dropped in one concurrent thud.
The lot of them stared at the silver plates and goblets adorning the surface of the table, each one picking up their fork and thinking of what it was they wanted. Once the desires had been voiced, the food appeared on their plates, different entrees set upon each. James dived in almost instantly, mumbling something about being famished through the pieces of bread he stuffed into his mouth. Sirius chuckled quietly when he saw this, turning his attention to his own food and beginning to pick at it. Peter only sighed and sipped on some pumpkin juice, that being the only thing he ordered. Remus had some sort of chicken or other with some rolls, not quite identical to what James ordered, but only differing in some cases.
The interesting thing about lunch was that none of them spoke with one another until after they had all finished. Remus muttered something about staining his robes with some kind sauce, but none of the others caught it. Both Sirius and Peter's minds had wandered to the Transfiguration test that was coming up, because they hadn't been able to grasp the concept of what they were learning...Though it was easy enough for James. His wand was perfect for transfiguring things, and that was easily his best subject. The boy had grasped the concept of it the first day he started here. Remus...He was alright in the subject. Not like James, but not as bad as Peter...Somewhere in the acceptable medium. There was a few minutes left before the bell would ring and signify the next exam beginning, and the four of them used this time to get in a bit more studying...Even if it was futile because they couldn't practice. It seemed as if they had just started to study when the bell had rung, but truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot of time to begin with. Gathering their things and bags, the team of boys headed out of the Great Hall, up the stairs nearby toward the Transfiguration classroom.
As usual, the room was full of caged animals, both exotic and domestic. Cats, monkeys, a raven or two...Professor McGonagall had a variety of creatures that many students found highly entertaining. James and Sirius took their place in the middle, Remus and Peter sitting themselves behind the other two. The rest of the class filed in, and just as the bell ran, McGonagall stepped in and shut the door behind her. Most fidgeted with their things while she ascended the steps to her desk, and when she finally arrived, the head of Gryffindor house cleared her throat. Once everyone was looking at her, she clasped her hands out in front of her.
"Alright then, class. You all know the final exam is today. I trust you studied?" She waited for a couple nods before continuing, "We will be working with transfiguring your partner." This statement brought forth many a comment and murmur, but McGonagall waved her hand, letting it fall back into the clasp when she was finished. "It's what we have been working on for the past few weeks, as you should know. Since it is very complex magic, I'm basing the final completely on this. If you can successfully transfigure your partner into an animal, -and- safely change them back, without -any- error at all, then you pass. If you make a simple error, I shall fix it and you will get a lower score. The more problems with the transformations, the more points you lose. Now, we will be doing this one at a time. Starting with..." McGonagall's stern eyes surveyed the room, slowly going back and forth a couple of times before falling directly on James and Sirius. "...Mr. Potter and Mr. Black. Please, come up to the front."
Both boys looked at each other, Sirius' eyes full of fright at first. Human transfiguration? He was so terrible at it...Even with all his practice, he could never get James back to how he should have been. It was apparent that James was thinking the same thing, and was they walked up to the front of the class (slowly, at that), James whispered to Sirius:
"Just point your wand at me and I'll transform into my stag."
"What about the incantation?" Sirius whispered back quickly, eyeing the students as they walked past them.
James smiled softly at his love, eyes staring forward as he spoke, "Say it, and if I begin to transfigure wrong, then I'll just become the stag. Don't worry about it." Something about the smile made Sirius feel more confident...If he could just transform the other properly, he'd pass with an A. If not, maybe a B or so...
"Well," McGonagall said, stepping to the side of the blackboard on the eastern side of the classroom, "do begin. What animal will you be transfiguring Mr. Potter into?" It was quite spooky that she knew he was going first, but he shook it from his head.
"A stag," Sirius stated clearly, clearing his throat. Once James was a safe distance away, though still in wand-tapping distance, Sirius peered over at McGonagall, got the 'go-ahead' nod, and lifted his wand. The wood waivered in the air for a few moments before Sirius straightened up, saying clearly, "Chevalcorps!" and tapping James on the head.
The boy blinked before he felt his body begin the change. First his back began to crack, then his arms. The bones had begun to re-shift, causing him to fall to the ground. The bones in his legs transformed and became the same length as his arms, the joints at the knees switching direction. James' skin grew a dark black, the thin sheen of fine hair spurting from the surface. In one poof, the tail had released itself from the confines of the robes, swaying on its own accord. The most odd change to see, however, was that of the face. The glasses stayed put during the whole movement, even as the cartilage in James' nose hardened and became an elongated nose. The jaw unhinged and cracked itself back into place moments later, nostrils flaring upward as the eyes popped further apart. At the end, James' hands and feet turned as hard as rock, forming into hooves. Also, he sprouted a good three feet from his kneeling position. He was a stag, and a handsome one at that.
Sirius stared in awe at what he'd done...or had he done it? Did James transform just as he felt the odd sensation shifting about inside him, or was it actually Sirius that had done it? A wave of doubt flowed through the Gryffindor as he stared at his companion, now neighing in a rather proud manner. McGonagall circled around James with her arms held behind her back, eyeing each and every square inch of the teenager's new horse form. A thin smile curled onto her wrinkled face as she stood straight once more, a simple clap following.
"Very, very nice work, Mr. Black. I was worried about you, but you managed the transformation without any error whatsoever. One hundred percent on this half...Now, turn him back." The old woman moved to stand beside Sirius, eyeing James for just a moment. "Go on, then."
Sirius nodded. He was still curious as to if it was actually his magic that made this happen, or if it was James, but for the moment, it wasn't important. He just straightened himself once again, clearing his throat and tapping James on the tip of his nose. "Humaincorps!"
In but seconds, the transfiguration had gone completely backward. The bones realigned to how they originally had been, the fine hair that sprouted had disappeared, once again bringing forth James' soft, milky skin. His tail disappeared in a slurping motion, and the mane he had also, both absorbed back into his skin. As his nose grew back, it looked like someone had hit it with a hammer. The face, having been long and thin, was now short and flat like it originally was, the glasses dropping back on the bridge of the boy's nose. With a hiccup, James returned completely back to normal, his height having shrunk terribly. He was now short again. McGonagall walked around the boy once again, eyeing every little piece on his body for any possible error. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she made a small sound of astonishment, her hands clasping in front of her once again.
"Absolutely perfect. You -must- have taught him some things, Mr. Potter." Her face shined a light smile once again as she wandered over to her desk, picking up a clip-board. Quill in hand, the Professor marked off what looked remarkably like an A by Sirius' name, his jaw almost dropping. He aced the final, and it was all because of...Well, was it James, or him? He -really- needed to ask the boy. However, at this moment, nothing could steal his happiness. A few seconds later, McGonagall had wandered back over to the two of them, staring at James now.
"And what animal will you be transfiguring Mr. Black into, Mr. Potter?"
James caught the glint in Sirius' eye and kept in a smile, grasping his wand and turning to the Professor, "A dog."
"Interesting choice," McGonagall mused, lifting a hand to her chin. "Don't you think you could do something a tad more difficult, Mr. Potter?" She knew the potential with Transfiguring that James had, and to be honest, he could do so much better than a dog. But what, exactly? He enjoyed seeing Sirius as his dog form...It was cute. Random animals ran through James' mind as he pondered, finally deciding on a very simple, but exotic animal.
"A camel, then."
The class broke out into a state of sniggers, McGonagall herself almost showing a sign of a snigger. "Well, then...Go right ahead. I have faith in you, Mr. Potter. Do begin."
Sirius shot James a look that was best described as "What the hell?" Young Potter responded with a simple smirk, only lingering long enough for the other to catch it before it disappeared. James raised his wand into the air, slowly stepping toward Sirius. The boy straightened his stance just as his friend did, and with a tap of his wand, James stated loud and clear, "Chameaucorps!"
It was an odd transformation, to say the least. Sirius' raven black tresses had instantly been sucked into his skull, the whole of him becoming covered in a dusted gold color of fur. Sirius fell to the floor, kneeling down just as James had. The knees also broke and realigned themselves backward, shortening to become equal length with the arms. Sirius' face plumped out, the beautiful onyx orbs growing larger and becoming more bulgy, the cheeks mixing about and scrunching together. His face grew out a little, the same shape as the stag's, but with a clearly defined jaw. The teeth rearranged and the bottom set shot forward, then to the side. His scrawny, yet bushy-ended tail appeared with a 'pop', falling down between Sirius' legs. Both the hands and the feet grew hard as well, resulting in the appearance of hooves set just right for the desert terrain. The final transformation was the most interesting, however. From the now overly large back that the boy had, did two humps grow equally, and carefully set apart. Once they reached about the same height as his head, they stopped, the transformation complete. Sirius stood from his kneeling position, towering over James a good two feet.
"I expected no less," McGonagall said, still impressed nonetheless. She checked out every area for any kind of possible mistake, though she doubted James had any. And, as she thought, there were none. She reached out to touch Sirius' coat, her hand moving over the skin of the new camel gently. "And how you managed to make the coat so soft, I'll never know. Can you transform him back?"
Stupid question, but James nodded and kept quiet. Piece of cake...Eyeing Sirius with a simple smile, he tapped the camel on the tip of his nose.
"Humaincorps!" he said, backing up once the spell had been cast.
The look upon Sirius' face was odd as he was turned back to his human form. The humps were the first to go, a strange sound slipping past Sirius' lips as they melted down to make his back even once again. The pupiless eyes returned to their normal shade of midnight black, the pupils formed, but drowned within the natural color of the iris. He fell to the ground with a thud, causing some of the students to jump in surprise. The knees cracked loudly as they returned to their natural direction, the bones realigning once more. As soon as the knees had repositioned themselves, Sirius' legs and arms shifted and returned to their normal lengths, and in a quick second, the boy's hair flushed down, covering the odd looking face that hadn't completely changed back, or the jaw, at least. In a sudden crack, the gums were sucked back into a humane design, the jaw locking in its original form. The last to go was the fur, just fading from sight back into the shape of Sirius' skin and robes. A smirk was dancing across his lips, laughter erupting from the other students.
"Excellent," McGonagall said, her eyes traveling over Sirius' body, "not one error, as I had expected."
"Thanks," James said proudly, letting his wand fall to his side.
"Another 'A', Mr. Potter. You may both sit down, now." McGonagall moved to her desk and retrieved the clipboard, quickly scribbling down the 'A' that she had promised to James. She set the board back down on the desk, peering over the class. Both James and Sirius walked back to their desk, dropping down into the seats with content sighs.
"Now," McGonagall began, her hands resting against the desk's surface, "who wants to go next?"
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The Transfiguration exam had been by far the most fun they had. Many students passed, discluding only one lone Slytherin whose wand dropped in the midst of his transfiguring. His partner had become half-rat and half-human. The poor boy was the laughingstock for the rest of the day...Now that the tests were over, there was less of a strain on them. The four were now located in the Gryffindor Common Room, Remus and Peter playing a game of Wizard Chess while James and Sirius sat on a couch near the window. The Common Room was mostly empty, the Marauder boys only sharing it with the company of Danny and Alex. Seeing as all the people who knew about the two of them were in the room, James felt it safe to snuggle close to Sirius. Warmly obliging, Sirius' arm snaked around the other boy's waist. James sighed with content, his head softly falling to Sirius' shoulder before he spoke.
"Just so you know, it was all you."
That was comforting. Though Sirius had worried terribly over it, he was free. Maybe he -had- listened to McGonagall over the past few weeks. He let his lips curl into a smile. "I guess listening in class is a good thing!"
Danny chuckled as he pulled Alex close to him, the younger boy wrinkling his nose and curling up to Danny's body. "Yes, listening is very good. Otherwise, Alex here would have been an odd looking mix of raccoon and human..."
"Which would have been terrible!" Alex added hastily, eyeing everyone before they all began to laugh. After the laughter had subsided, Peter let out an angry groan.
"Oh, I lost! That's rubbish!"
"At least you gave a challenge," Remus said comfortingly, meddling with the pieces so they were back to their original places.
"Well...I'm off to the Quidditch Field," James stated with a yawn. Random as it was, the comment made the other boys look at him. He smiled and then shrugged. "I don't want to fall asleep, you know!"
"Mind if we tag along?" Sirius asked. His arm was quickly pulled back, seeing as the boy was jumping up from the couch.
"Let's go!"
---------------------------------------------------
The final day of exams came, also labeled the day before their lastl day of the boys' sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The four had four exams left, each of which were to be quite easy. Astronomy, Arithmancy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology they were, and to Sirius' luck, the Gryffindors had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Since it was after lunch, they hadn't a need to worry just yet. They had passed through the Astronomy exam which proved to be more difficult than it actually seemed. They were given a map of the Milky Way, as well as a list of instructions. The tasks were quite simple...For those with keen eyesight. Among the things to do was label constellations, tell the story of the constellation's origin, and relate the star's motions to the occurrences on Earth. All in all, simple.
The Arithmancy test was extremely difficult, seeing as over half of it was the things they'd learned (and forgotten) at the beginning of the year. Complex Polynomial Equations and radical number formations...It was absolutely horrible. There was barely any free time after the test for the students to do anything. With the less than five minutes they had, many of them used the time to review their answers. Remus and James did wonderfully while Sirius and Peter sort of...reered near the edge of a barely passing. It didn't bother the two of them, seeing as they still passed.
After lunch, the boys headed up to the third floor and made their way to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Their lesson was rather boring. They were to write an essay about the Chimaera, one of the most deadly creatures known to the Wizarding world. It was Remus who described it best, as being a creature with its front part being that of a lion and the back part of a dragon. It had three heads: a lion head, goat head and a serpent head. The creature breathed fire, inhabiting the land of Lydia in Asia Minor. He also noted that the name Chimaera came from the Greek word "Chimaira" meaning "she-goat". The other boys got somewhere along those lines, though Peter hadn't a clue as to what it was...He lied a bit, one of the things associated with the creature.
At the present moment, the boys had just finished taking their herbology test. It was interesting, to say the least. They were to prune Venomous Tentaculas, the very rare and very dangerous plant that highly enjoyed the taste of blood. Given thick, coarse gloves, the lot of them were of no danger. They had to work with Sophia, alongside with two of her friends. With the seven of them, the Tentacula hadn't much chance in tasting human blood this round. In the end, they each cast a sleeping powder spell over the plants, Professor Sprout feeling quite proud. She'd taught them well. She told them they had until the bell rang to do whatever they wished. It wasn't quite that long, but it was still enjoyable.
James sighed heavily and plopped down on a stool, hastily removing the gloves and running his hands over his face. He was bushed.
"Bah, this was so tiring...It's nice to know that the exams are finished. I'll be happy just to go back up to the dormitory and just sleep...Sounds rather tempting, actually."
Sirius moved behind James and then smirked, placing his hands on his shoulders. He agreed with that...Sleep was sounding quite good right now, but they wouldn't see each other over the summer...They only had the rest of today and the morning of tomorrow to spend together. Damn James and his parents taking him to France. Why did they need to go anyway? James didn't even like French...Did he even want to go?
"Yes, I guess you're right, but you know we all don't have that much time together left. You're leaving for France, Remus is visiting family in Wales, and I doubt that Peter is going to be around..." It was a low blow, but the other had been disappearing for days, even weeks at a time. Sirius really didn't know if he wanted to spend time with Peter without Remus and James around...
Remus crossed his arms over his chest gently, leaning against the wall of the greenhouse. He'd be gone for most of the summer, like Sirius had said, visiting family. His mum was really looking forward to her parents seeing her child after not doing so for over at least five years. He'd grown a lot since then. Remus wanted to go, but he really didn't know if he wanted to be away from home for so long...If anything important happened, though, they could always send the message to him through owl post. He let out a weak sigh.
"I'm sort of bushed, too...Probably do some reading before going to bed early so I can get up early. The Express'll be here around eleven, remember? We can't stay up and celebrate like we used to..."
"Our bodies need rest," Peter added softly, moving next to Remus and away from the sleeping plant. It was terribly spooky...He just wanted to get away from it. He gave them all a smile before looking down.
"Wormtail's right. It's not like it used to be. A lot of things have changed, haven't they?" James sighed and chortled a little. A lot of things changed...But most of them were for the better. Nothing would be the same, not like it used to be. Did any of them regret what had happened? No, not quite so...Sirius and James were quite thankful for what was brought into their lives, and Remus couldn't be better off now. Peter, no one was quite sure, but it was possible that he was still feeling a little outcast. It was his own fault that he felt so, however. Disappearing for long amounts of time, appearing when strange things happened...
They all just stood around silently, occasionally glancing around the greenhouse. Time seemed to pass by rather quickly, the bell rinally ringing what seemed like only a few minutes later. They all shuffled out and crossed the grounds, heading back into the castle. Their final dinner was coming up...How that would be, one could only imagine.
***
That time seemed to come quicker than they had imagined it to. It was mid-evening, each student making their way to the Great Hall. The four boys traveled together, Lily as well coming with them. Though they weren't dating anymore, the two Gryffindors were still friends. What would make them not be? As they shuffled into the Great Hall, the students separated and headed to their house tables, the dinner commencing only a few minutes afterward. There was a cornucopia of food, many students finding it difficult not to eat any before Dumbledore spoke. The headmaster slowly rose to his feet, lifting up his glass.
"And so comes the end of another year. You've all survived and have begun, or ended the road to prove yourselves as the great magic users that you will be. It was fun, was it not? It will seem that just as soon as you left this school, that you'll be returning. I wish you all a wonderful summer holiday, and hope you have fascinating trips, if you take any. Now with that out of the way, let's eat!"
The hall filled with chatter and sounds of clanking silverware. The food was being dished and the drinks were being poured, disappearing as if there was some giant hole in the middle of the dining area. It magically reappeared when there was an ample amount gone, that disappearing just like earlier. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter acted just like it was their first end of the year feast, eating and drinking merrily. The whole hall was full of happy conversations, just like it always was around this time.
The feast seemed to last for hours, but when everyone was beginning to feel full and sleepy, Dumbledore sent them off to their respective houses to get a good night's sleep before the return to Platform Nine and 3/4's tomorrow. Most of the students were feeling sad since they wouldn't see most of their friends until the next year, and with all the seventh years leaving, there was anxiety in the air. What was going to happen in their lives after this? It would be much different not returning to this grand castle after the summer...there were so many choices to do with their lives now...Taking a year abroad seemed to be the most commonly chose. The school didn't completely quiet down until about eleven that night, and it seemed that all was right with the world.
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The next morning was surprisingly busy, what with the students packing up their trunks and saying their goodbyes. It was nearing time for the train to arrive, and the sadness lingering in the air was becoming more apparent. Many different leveled students found themselves saying goodbye to fellow housemates, the mass of boys and girls making their way to the main hall. James and the others were standing outside, packages and bags spread about their feet. Life would be differet not being at Hogwarts...Until their return, that was. How much would things change when they returned? They'd be seventh years, top ones in the school. It gave them all an odd feeling of enjoyment.
At the moment, James was staring off into the lovely mountain side, his hands gently locked in front of him. He'd be going away from all of this...How strange life would be...He'd be without Sirius' touch for longer than he thought he could handle. Was Sirius feeling the same? They didn't have any time last night to express how they felt about each other in any sort of physical way, leaving them both itchy and sort of clingy. They knew that they couldn't touch each other until they were safely on the Hogwarts Express...James wasn't so sure he'd be able to handle waiting that long. He just gave a long sigh, looking downward.
"I'm gonna miss you all," he said softly, turning around to them. They would only be apart for a couple months, but it seemed like they might be apart for a much longer time.
"We'll miss you too, Jamie," Sirius stated warmly, giving his friend an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder. That was the first real touching they had since the day before in the greenhouse.
"Yes, I'll miss the lot of you," Remus admitted with a chuckle, acting as if it was a sin for him to say such a thing. There was a faint chugging sound in the background, the familiar whistling of the Hogwarts Express invading their ears.
Peter shifted from one foot to the other and smiled nervously. "I guess it's about time."
"Yes, that it is..." James said, nearly whispering. They had owl post, so why was he feeling unhappy about it? He really didn't know...
The sounds of the train grew closer, the train whistling and hooting like no tomorrow. It finally arrived at the platform, the scarlet steam engine giving off one final hoot before the students began to board it. It was time for them to go...
"We should be getting on, then." Sirius stated while he cleared his throat. "We don't want to get a bad cabin..." He gently took ahold of James' hand, moreso in a friendly manner as to not arouse suspicion. The boy just let himself be tugged toward the train, Remus and Peter following.
"So long, Hogwarts...." James whispered as he stepped onto the train, a smile finally breaking onto his face. Life would still be good, wouldn't it? Of course it would...
~*~**************************************~*~
Author's Notes: BIG CHANGES HERE PEOPLE!!!! I'm going to cut it off here. This fic is now caput. Well, a sequel will be in order...Yes, very much so...But I figured, instead of drawing this year into another one, why not make the seventh year have its own story? Hope all of you don't get angry here, but I just found that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get myself motivated enough to write this next chapter. I do promise you though, a sequel will occur sometime in the future. Thanks to all those who reviewed and read, it's for you I do this! ^_^
For the next few chapters, I'm going to use different styles of separation, seeing as it's spanning over a longer period of time.
------------------------------- = Next Day
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene Change
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The next few weeks had passed as if they were minutes. One day it was April, the next it was May, and before they knew it, here the boys sat in the final week of school. James and Sirius' secret was still well kept, but the love they shared was nearly bursting at the seems whenever they were around each other. Most times Remus and Peter had to tag along with them to make sure they didn't snog in the Great Hall or on their way to class. They were just like they used to be...All together in a group, or so it had appeared to the public. Upon closer inspection, however, one could see the way they were. It was no longer "The Marauders", it had turned into "Sirius and James" and "Remus" and "Peter". They rarely spoke about anything but schoolwork, seeing as James and Sirius had a nasty habit of disappearing whenever the group was to meet.
Remus, for one, had grown to accept it. His friends were in love, and he was happy for them. He understood if they had disappeared for some time...They were teenagers, and it was hard to keep down the urges they had. Though the young werewolf found himself spending more time alone, he wasn't unhappy. The peace and quiet he had, he enjoyed...But the real reason he stood so strongly by his friends' decision is because they still stayed with him when he transformed. They never, ever forgot when the moon was full, and both were right by his side, their full attention on Remus. It was enough to make the boy know that they still cared. Just because they hung out less and less didn't mean that they had given up on being with the other two.
Peter, however, was becoming more of a recluse than both James -and- Sirius. For a full two weeks he disappeared, narrowly missing a pre-final exam in Charms. Professor Flitwick was quite worried at how badly the class had been doing with their arranging charms...It was terrible. Half the time, they couldn't even get the objects to move in the right direction. Now however, most, if not all of the class was prepared for the final exams that were to occur later on this week. No one quite knew where it was Peter wandered off to for those two weeks, and although they all worried, Peter still didn't exactly feel they cared enough. He had told them he was at home visiting his mum once again...The three all commented that she had been getting awfully sick lately...But Peter dismissed their comments and continued on with his solitary activities.
The wonderful summer weather was enough to be cheery about, though. There hadn't been a day of rain since the end of May, which allowed the students to go back outside after all the Spring showers. Most students, however, found it abnormally hot. They enjoyed being outside, though their ebony colored robes absorbed the rays of the sun and caused them to become warmer than usual. Many of the student body had visited Pomfrey because of Dehydration of low degrees. You could always tell who went outside, also...The sun was giving the lot of them wonderful tans, and they enjoyed them.
Snape hadn't been much of a threat over the passing weeks. Although he sent an occasional glare and snide comment in Sirius and James' direction, he seemed to keep their secret quiet. Why was it, exactly, that he was doing so? The thought of it was a confusing thing, and the two boys had decided to keep it in the dark. The less they thought about Snape, the better. Potions class was interesting, however. At one point, Snape and James had been put together for a project, and Sirius had warned the Slytherin that if he touched James, he'd send him to Pomfrey. Despite all the threats, dearest Snape kept the secret, just that.
Life had become rather hectic for Sophia Redmonds. She was now visibly showing, but only when she wore her old robes. The Hufflepuff girl had spoken with Dumbledore, Sirius by her side, of course. He understood, which they both felt he would, and told Sophia he'd take care of whatever he could. A day later, Maternity robes had appeared in her trunk, and it was at that moment the girl had realized just how much Dumbledore cared about his students. She'd begun to show during the mid point of May, but hid it well behind the slightly larger robes. On occasion, she had to be excused from class because of what she felt like. Dumbledore had told all the teachers to be supportive and let her go when she needed to, and to understand if she didn't attend their class. Avalade, being the curious little git he was, kept a close eye on her and marked her down for every time she wasn't there. That was fixed, luckily when the Headmaster found out...Everything was running smoothly for the girl, and she enjoyed life as it was. Carrying the child had taught her many things already, and it wasn't done just yet.
But, for the time being, everything was serene and simple. The four boys were now sitting beneath a blooming tree just west of the lake, safely out of view from the other students. James, of course, was leaning against Sirius as he read through the Potions book he had in his lap. His back to Sirius' right shoulder, he snuggled up. There was no objection on the long haired boy's part, happy to just spend some time with all of his good friends. In his lap also sat a Potions book, opened to a page about Mandrake properties. James was reading just a page ahead, trying to memorize all the potions that the plant was used for. Remus was sitting directly across from Sirius and James, not even three feet away. He was sitting on his side, hand planted on the ground so he could keep his balance. In the grass is where his book was, opened a couple pages ahead of the other two. His other hand was placed on his hip, digits idly tapping against the fabric. The oddest looking one, however, was none other than Peter. He was sitting with his legs crossed, bum to the ground with the book in his lap. He sat to Remus' right and the other two boys' left. He was nibbling on his lower lip dejectedly, all the words from the book just flowing through his head and right back out again. With an annoyed sigh, he thumbed through the pages and gazed up at the other three.
"I think the professors want us to suffer," he stated with a sigh, his head drooping back down once again. Both Remus and Sirius turned their heads and looked at him, but Remus was the one to speak.
"It's only over this one potion ingredient, Peter. I mean, Mandrakes are one of the easiest to learn about...This would almost be better suited as our Herbology exam...Instead of those...hideous looking plants those Venomous Tentaculas are...We're lucky we just have to prune it. Honestly, I wonder why they make us work with such a demonic thing. Why not Flutterbies? Those plants are so much nicer, and calmer..."
"I agree with that," James said with a light chuckle. "Many of the plants that Sprout has us work with are usually dormant and quiet. These...Who knows. I know they have an unnatural desire for human blood..."
"Yegh," Sirius mumbled. He shook his head, eyeing the pages that were in his lap. With a heavier sigh than Peter's, the Gryffindor boy let his head fall gently next to James'. "Got a kiss to perk me up?"
"You know it," James said with a small smirk, tilting his head enough so that he could give his love a peck on the lips. Shorter than what Sirius had wanted, he enjoyed it nonetheless. Once James had pulled away, he let out an interesting sound...Something between a sigh and a cough.
"You alright there, James?" Peter asked, leaning forward and eyeing his friend with a worried expression.
Tapping his hand against his chest, James nodded. "Y-Yeah...Wonder what that was!"
Sirius lifted a hand from the pages of the book to his nose, wiping it with the tips of his robes. "Me too. Sounded interesting."
"Only you'd say that." Remus tried to stifle a snigger as Sirius reached down and picked up some loose grass, throwing it at the wolven one. "And of course, you're being so defensive, Sirius...James, dear, I think you might want to calm him down..."
"Oh hush," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes. He chuckled afterward, the atramentous orbs flickering a shade lighter for but a moment.
"Ornery little bugger, aren't you?" Remus questioned teasingly, lifting his brows. Sirius' response was quite simple, and funnier than they'd have imagined it. The boy had leaned forward to whap his friend on the knee, but he ended up falling to the side, bringing James down with him. They landed with James atop Sirius, the Potions book keeping space between them.
"Now look what you've gone and did," James declared, a hint of annoyance lingering in his voice. It wasn't long before he'd been flipped over by Sirius, staring into the glance of the other.
"Oh go on and kiss," Peter sniggered, shutting the book that had been sitting in his lap.
"Don't rush it, Peter. Good things happen in time." Remus had been full of this teasing nature all day, but it was all in good fun. And, like he said, the 'good' thing had finally come. James planted a chaste kiss on Sirius' lips and sat up, rolling off of the fellow. He landed to the right and brushed off his robes. Sirius had sighed, slowly pulling himself up back to his original position.
"You tease," Sirius mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. Neither Remus or Peter heard it, but James did.
"You know it," he whispered into Sirius' ear, slowly letting his tongue slip past his lips and tickle the outer ring of the other's ear. Once he pulled away, James leaned himself back against Sirius' shoulder and recovered the book.
"I reckon you're trying to get me horny, Mr. Potter..." Sirius had put the book back into his lap as well, and his lips barely moved as he let the words slide past his mouth. This elicited a tiny blush from James, though he was quite sure no one saw it.
-----------------------------------------
Today was the day of the boys' first day of their final exams. Potions, Charms and Transfiguration they were, and for the most part, they had been simple enough. The studying they all did earlier that week had greatly helped them, Peter especially. Avalade had surprised them all on the exam with a few questions about what stages the Mandrakes go through, and what would happen had they been prematurely used in potions. There were only three people in the class that got most of those right, and among them included Snape (of course), another Slytherin and Remus. He was surprised to find that he knew the answers to this, and he had figured most people would also...Professor Sprout went on about the Mandrakes for almost a week or two, spouting out information about all the different effects of the plants when they were pulled early. James got over half right, Sirius about half, and Peter just a bit below half. It had been an easy start to the days of the final exams, and they all hoped all the rest would be just the same.
The Charms exam was even more simple than the Potions. It was over a multitude of spells the class had learned over the semester, mostly focusing on the Arranging Charm, the Diffindo Charm and the Impervius Charm. Everyone did marvelously, and Remus showed up many of the students like he usually did in Charms. Flitwick rewarded his students by teaching them all an interesting charm that created a wave of bubbles to flood from the wand. The Slytherins didn't enjoy it too much, but the Gryffindors all found in intriguing. The final didn't take much time, so the students had a large heap of free time remaining. Some tested out the bubble charm, resulting in the classroom filling wildly fast with soapy spheres. The period of free time slipped through their fingers in what seemed like no time, each of the students filing out of the classroom in idle chatter and murmurs. The Marauder boys had all met up outside of the classroom, heading off to lunch. Their next test would be Transfiguration, then the rest of the day would be theirs.
Both James and Sirius had to fight to keep their hands apart from the other's, which was quite the battle for them. Walking between the two to keep the calm was Remus and Peter, though the smaller one was tagging along behind the three of them. From the higher levels of the school, it took them only minutes until they'd reached the Great Hall. The four of them, for as far back they could remember, hadn't had lunch together in a while. Usually Remus wandered off to the library or Common Room, and Peter just seemed to disappear all together. He was looking rather unhealthy earlier back, but now, he was just as cherry-cheeked as usual. Less plump, but that was a good thing. The group sat down at their usual area which resided at the Gryffindor Table, and once they were all seated, the bags they carried dropped in one concurrent thud.
The lot of them stared at the silver plates and goblets adorning the surface of the table, each one picking up their fork and thinking of what it was they wanted. Once the desires had been voiced, the food appeared on their plates, different entrees set upon each. James dived in almost instantly, mumbling something about being famished through the pieces of bread he stuffed into his mouth. Sirius chuckled quietly when he saw this, turning his attention to his own food and beginning to pick at it. Peter only sighed and sipped on some pumpkin juice, that being the only thing he ordered. Remus had some sort of chicken or other with some rolls, not quite identical to what James ordered, but only differing in some cases.
The interesting thing about lunch was that none of them spoke with one another until after they had all finished. Remus muttered something about staining his robes with some kind sauce, but none of the others caught it. Both Sirius and Peter's minds had wandered to the Transfiguration test that was coming up, because they hadn't been able to grasp the concept of what they were learning...Though it was easy enough for James. His wand was perfect for transfiguring things, and that was easily his best subject. The boy had grasped the concept of it the first day he started here. Remus...He was alright in the subject. Not like James, but not as bad as Peter...Somewhere in the acceptable medium. There was a few minutes left before the bell would ring and signify the next exam beginning, and the four of them used this time to get in a bit more studying...Even if it was futile because they couldn't practice. It seemed as if they had just started to study when the bell had rung, but truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot of time to begin with. Gathering their things and bags, the team of boys headed out of the Great Hall, up the stairs nearby toward the Transfiguration classroom.
As usual, the room was full of caged animals, both exotic and domestic. Cats, monkeys, a raven or two...Professor McGonagall had a variety of creatures that many students found highly entertaining. James and Sirius took their place in the middle, Remus and Peter sitting themselves behind the other two. The rest of the class filed in, and just as the bell ran, McGonagall stepped in and shut the door behind her. Most fidgeted with their things while she ascended the steps to her desk, and when she finally arrived, the head of Gryffindor house cleared her throat. Once everyone was looking at her, she clasped her hands out in front of her.
"Alright then, class. You all know the final exam is today. I trust you studied?" She waited for a couple nods before continuing, "We will be working with transfiguring your partner." This statement brought forth many a comment and murmur, but McGonagall waved her hand, letting it fall back into the clasp when she was finished. "It's what we have been working on for the past few weeks, as you should know. Since it is very complex magic, I'm basing the final completely on this. If you can successfully transfigure your partner into an animal, -and- safely change them back, without -any- error at all, then you pass. If you make a simple error, I shall fix it and you will get a lower score. The more problems with the transformations, the more points you lose. Now, we will be doing this one at a time. Starting with..." McGonagall's stern eyes surveyed the room, slowly going back and forth a couple of times before falling directly on James and Sirius. "...Mr. Potter and Mr. Black. Please, come up to the front."
Both boys looked at each other, Sirius' eyes full of fright at first. Human transfiguration? He was so terrible at it...Even with all his practice, he could never get James back to how he should have been. It was apparent that James was thinking the same thing, and was they walked up to the front of the class (slowly, at that), James whispered to Sirius:
"Just point your wand at me and I'll transform into my stag."
"What about the incantation?" Sirius whispered back quickly, eyeing the students as they walked past them.
James smiled softly at his love, eyes staring forward as he spoke, "Say it, and if I begin to transfigure wrong, then I'll just become the stag. Don't worry about it." Something about the smile made Sirius feel more confident...If he could just transform the other properly, he'd pass with an A. If not, maybe a B or so...
"Well," McGonagall said, stepping to the side of the blackboard on the eastern side of the classroom, "do begin. What animal will you be transfiguring Mr. Potter into?" It was quite spooky that she knew he was going first, but he shook it from his head.
"A stag," Sirius stated clearly, clearing his throat. Once James was a safe distance away, though still in wand-tapping distance, Sirius peered over at McGonagall, got the 'go-ahead' nod, and lifted his wand. The wood waivered in the air for a few moments before Sirius straightened up, saying clearly, "Chevalcorps!" and tapping James on the head.
The boy blinked before he felt his body begin the change. First his back began to crack, then his arms. The bones had begun to re-shift, causing him to fall to the ground. The bones in his legs transformed and became the same length as his arms, the joints at the knees switching direction. James' skin grew a dark black, the thin sheen of fine hair spurting from the surface. In one poof, the tail had released itself from the confines of the robes, swaying on its own accord. The most odd change to see, however, was that of the face. The glasses stayed put during the whole movement, even as the cartilage in James' nose hardened and became an elongated nose. The jaw unhinged and cracked itself back into place moments later, nostrils flaring upward as the eyes popped further apart. At the end, James' hands and feet turned as hard as rock, forming into hooves. Also, he sprouted a good three feet from his kneeling position. He was a stag, and a handsome one at that.
Sirius stared in awe at what he'd done...or had he done it? Did James transform just as he felt the odd sensation shifting about inside him, or was it actually Sirius that had done it? A wave of doubt flowed through the Gryffindor as he stared at his companion, now neighing in a rather proud manner. McGonagall circled around James with her arms held behind her back, eyeing each and every square inch of the teenager's new horse form. A thin smile curled onto her wrinkled face as she stood straight once more, a simple clap following.
"Very, very nice work, Mr. Black. I was worried about you, but you managed the transformation without any error whatsoever. One hundred percent on this half...Now, turn him back." The old woman moved to stand beside Sirius, eyeing James for just a moment. "Go on, then."
Sirius nodded. He was still curious as to if it was actually his magic that made this happen, or if it was James, but for the moment, it wasn't important. He just straightened himself once again, clearing his throat and tapping James on the tip of his nose. "Humaincorps!"
In but seconds, the transfiguration had gone completely backward. The bones realigned to how they originally had been, the fine hair that sprouted had disappeared, once again bringing forth James' soft, milky skin. His tail disappeared in a slurping motion, and the mane he had also, both absorbed back into his skin. As his nose grew back, it looked like someone had hit it with a hammer. The face, having been long and thin, was now short and flat like it originally was, the glasses dropping back on the bridge of the boy's nose. With a hiccup, James returned completely back to normal, his height having shrunk terribly. He was now short again. McGonagall walked around the boy once again, eyeing every little piece on his body for any possible error. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she made a small sound of astonishment, her hands clasping in front of her once again.
"Absolutely perfect. You -must- have taught him some things, Mr. Potter." Her face shined a light smile once again as she wandered over to her desk, picking up a clip-board. Quill in hand, the Professor marked off what looked remarkably like an A by Sirius' name, his jaw almost dropping. He aced the final, and it was all because of...Well, was it James, or him? He -really- needed to ask the boy. However, at this moment, nothing could steal his happiness. A few seconds later, McGonagall had wandered back over to the two of them, staring at James now.
"And what animal will you be transfiguring Mr. Black into, Mr. Potter?"
James caught the glint in Sirius' eye and kept in a smile, grasping his wand and turning to the Professor, "A dog."
"Interesting choice," McGonagall mused, lifting a hand to her chin. "Don't you think you could do something a tad more difficult, Mr. Potter?" She knew the potential with Transfiguring that James had, and to be honest, he could do so much better than a dog. But what, exactly? He enjoyed seeing Sirius as his dog form...It was cute. Random animals ran through James' mind as he pondered, finally deciding on a very simple, but exotic animal.
"A camel, then."
The class broke out into a state of sniggers, McGonagall herself almost showing a sign of a snigger. "Well, then...Go right ahead. I have faith in you, Mr. Potter. Do begin."
Sirius shot James a look that was best described as "What the hell?" Young Potter responded with a simple smirk, only lingering long enough for the other to catch it before it disappeared. James raised his wand into the air, slowly stepping toward Sirius. The boy straightened his stance just as his friend did, and with a tap of his wand, James stated loud and clear, "Chameaucorps!"
It was an odd transformation, to say the least. Sirius' raven black tresses had instantly been sucked into his skull, the whole of him becoming covered in a dusted gold color of fur. Sirius fell to the floor, kneeling down just as James had. The knees also broke and realigned themselves backward, shortening to become equal length with the arms. Sirius' face plumped out, the beautiful onyx orbs growing larger and becoming more bulgy, the cheeks mixing about and scrunching together. His face grew out a little, the same shape as the stag's, but with a clearly defined jaw. The teeth rearranged and the bottom set shot forward, then to the side. His scrawny, yet bushy-ended tail appeared with a 'pop', falling down between Sirius' legs. Both the hands and the feet grew hard as well, resulting in the appearance of hooves set just right for the desert terrain. The final transformation was the most interesting, however. From the now overly large back that the boy had, did two humps grow equally, and carefully set apart. Once they reached about the same height as his head, they stopped, the transformation complete. Sirius stood from his kneeling position, towering over James a good two feet.
"I expected no less," McGonagall said, still impressed nonetheless. She checked out every area for any kind of possible mistake, though she doubted James had any. And, as she thought, there were none. She reached out to touch Sirius' coat, her hand moving over the skin of the new camel gently. "And how you managed to make the coat so soft, I'll never know. Can you transform him back?"
Stupid question, but James nodded and kept quiet. Piece of cake...Eyeing Sirius with a simple smile, he tapped the camel on the tip of his nose.
"Humaincorps!" he said, backing up once the spell had been cast.
The look upon Sirius' face was odd as he was turned back to his human form. The humps were the first to go, a strange sound slipping past Sirius' lips as they melted down to make his back even once again. The pupiless eyes returned to their normal shade of midnight black, the pupils formed, but drowned within the natural color of the iris. He fell to the ground with a thud, causing some of the students to jump in surprise. The knees cracked loudly as they returned to their natural direction, the bones realigning once more. As soon as the knees had repositioned themselves, Sirius' legs and arms shifted and returned to their normal lengths, and in a quick second, the boy's hair flushed down, covering the odd looking face that hadn't completely changed back, or the jaw, at least. In a sudden crack, the gums were sucked back into a humane design, the jaw locking in its original form. The last to go was the fur, just fading from sight back into the shape of Sirius' skin and robes. A smirk was dancing across his lips, laughter erupting from the other students.
"Excellent," McGonagall said, her eyes traveling over Sirius' body, "not one error, as I had expected."
"Thanks," James said proudly, letting his wand fall to his side.
"Another 'A', Mr. Potter. You may both sit down, now." McGonagall moved to her desk and retrieved the clipboard, quickly scribbling down the 'A' that she had promised to James. She set the board back down on the desk, peering over the class. Both James and Sirius walked back to their desk, dropping down into the seats with content sighs.
"Now," McGonagall began, her hands resting against the desk's surface, "who wants to go next?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Transfiguration exam had been by far the most fun they had. Many students passed, discluding only one lone Slytherin whose wand dropped in the midst of his transfiguring. His partner had become half-rat and half-human. The poor boy was the laughingstock for the rest of the day...Now that the tests were over, there was less of a strain on them. The four were now located in the Gryffindor Common Room, Remus and Peter playing a game of Wizard Chess while James and Sirius sat on a couch near the window. The Common Room was mostly empty, the Marauder boys only sharing it with the company of Danny and Alex. Seeing as all the people who knew about the two of them were in the room, James felt it safe to snuggle close to Sirius. Warmly obliging, Sirius' arm snaked around the other boy's waist. James sighed with content, his head softly falling to Sirius' shoulder before he spoke.
"Just so you know, it was all you."
That was comforting. Though Sirius had worried terribly over it, he was free. Maybe he -had- listened to McGonagall over the past few weeks. He let his lips curl into a smile. "I guess listening in class is a good thing!"
Danny chuckled as he pulled Alex close to him, the younger boy wrinkling his nose and curling up to Danny's body. "Yes, listening is very good. Otherwise, Alex here would have been an odd looking mix of raccoon and human..."
"Which would have been terrible!" Alex added hastily, eyeing everyone before they all began to laugh. After the laughter had subsided, Peter let out an angry groan.
"Oh, I lost! That's rubbish!"
"At least you gave a challenge," Remus said comfortingly, meddling with the pieces so they were back to their original places.
"Well...I'm off to the Quidditch Field," James stated with a yawn. Random as it was, the comment made the other boys look at him. He smiled and then shrugged. "I don't want to fall asleep, you know!"
"Mind if we tag along?" Sirius asked. His arm was quickly pulled back, seeing as the boy was jumping up from the couch.
"Let's go!"
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The final day of exams came, also labeled the day before their lastl day of the boys' sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The four had four exams left, each of which were to be quite easy. Astronomy, Arithmancy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology they were, and to Sirius' luck, the Gryffindors had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Since it was after lunch, they hadn't a need to worry just yet. They had passed through the Astronomy exam which proved to be more difficult than it actually seemed. They were given a map of the Milky Way, as well as a list of instructions. The tasks were quite simple...For those with keen eyesight. Among the things to do was label constellations, tell the story of the constellation's origin, and relate the star's motions to the occurrences on Earth. All in all, simple.
The Arithmancy test was extremely difficult, seeing as over half of it was the things they'd learned (and forgotten) at the beginning of the year. Complex Polynomial Equations and radical number formations...It was absolutely horrible. There was barely any free time after the test for the students to do anything. With the less than five minutes they had, many of them used the time to review their answers. Remus and James did wonderfully while Sirius and Peter sort of...reered near the edge of a barely passing. It didn't bother the two of them, seeing as they still passed.
After lunch, the boys headed up to the third floor and made their way to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Their lesson was rather boring. They were to write an essay about the Chimaera, one of the most deadly creatures known to the Wizarding world. It was Remus who described it best, as being a creature with its front part being that of a lion and the back part of a dragon. It had three heads: a lion head, goat head and a serpent head. The creature breathed fire, inhabiting the land of Lydia in Asia Minor. He also noted that the name Chimaera came from the Greek word "Chimaira" meaning "she-goat". The other boys got somewhere along those lines, though Peter hadn't a clue as to what it was...He lied a bit, one of the things associated with the creature.
At the present moment, the boys had just finished taking their herbology test. It was interesting, to say the least. They were to prune Venomous Tentaculas, the very rare and very dangerous plant that highly enjoyed the taste of blood. Given thick, coarse gloves, the lot of them were of no danger. They had to work with Sophia, alongside with two of her friends. With the seven of them, the Tentacula hadn't much chance in tasting human blood this round. In the end, they each cast a sleeping powder spell over the plants, Professor Sprout feeling quite proud. She'd taught them well. She told them they had until the bell rang to do whatever they wished. It wasn't quite that long, but it was still enjoyable.
James sighed heavily and plopped down on a stool, hastily removing the gloves and running his hands over his face. He was bushed.
"Bah, this was so tiring...It's nice to know that the exams are finished. I'll be happy just to go back up to the dormitory and just sleep...Sounds rather tempting, actually."
Sirius moved behind James and then smirked, placing his hands on his shoulders. He agreed with that...Sleep was sounding quite good right now, but they wouldn't see each other over the summer...They only had the rest of today and the morning of tomorrow to spend together. Damn James and his parents taking him to France. Why did they need to go anyway? James didn't even like French...Did he even want to go?
"Yes, I guess you're right, but you know we all don't have that much time together left. You're leaving for France, Remus is visiting family in Wales, and I doubt that Peter is going to be around..." It was a low blow, but the other had been disappearing for days, even weeks at a time. Sirius really didn't know if he wanted to spend time with Peter without Remus and James around...
Remus crossed his arms over his chest gently, leaning against the wall of the greenhouse. He'd be gone for most of the summer, like Sirius had said, visiting family. His mum was really looking forward to her parents seeing her child after not doing so for over at least five years. He'd grown a lot since then. Remus wanted to go, but he really didn't know if he wanted to be away from home for so long...If anything important happened, though, they could always send the message to him through owl post. He let out a weak sigh.
"I'm sort of bushed, too...Probably do some reading before going to bed early so I can get up early. The Express'll be here around eleven, remember? We can't stay up and celebrate like we used to..."
"Our bodies need rest," Peter added softly, moving next to Remus and away from the sleeping plant. It was terribly spooky...He just wanted to get away from it. He gave them all a smile before looking down.
"Wormtail's right. It's not like it used to be. A lot of things have changed, haven't they?" James sighed and chortled a little. A lot of things changed...But most of them were for the better. Nothing would be the same, not like it used to be. Did any of them regret what had happened? No, not quite so...Sirius and James were quite thankful for what was brought into their lives, and Remus couldn't be better off now. Peter, no one was quite sure, but it was possible that he was still feeling a little outcast. It was his own fault that he felt so, however. Disappearing for long amounts of time, appearing when strange things happened...
They all just stood around silently, occasionally glancing around the greenhouse. Time seemed to pass by rather quickly, the bell rinally ringing what seemed like only a few minutes later. They all shuffled out and crossed the grounds, heading back into the castle. Their final dinner was coming up...How that would be, one could only imagine.
***
That time seemed to come quicker than they had imagined it to. It was mid-evening, each student making their way to the Great Hall. The four boys traveled together, Lily as well coming with them. Though they weren't dating anymore, the two Gryffindors were still friends. What would make them not be? As they shuffled into the Great Hall, the students separated and headed to their house tables, the dinner commencing only a few minutes afterward. There was a cornucopia of food, many students finding it difficult not to eat any before Dumbledore spoke. The headmaster slowly rose to his feet, lifting up his glass.
"And so comes the end of another year. You've all survived and have begun, or ended the road to prove yourselves as the great magic users that you will be. It was fun, was it not? It will seem that just as soon as you left this school, that you'll be returning. I wish you all a wonderful summer holiday, and hope you have fascinating trips, if you take any. Now with that out of the way, let's eat!"
The hall filled with chatter and sounds of clanking silverware. The food was being dished and the drinks were being poured, disappearing as if there was some giant hole in the middle of the dining area. It magically reappeared when there was an ample amount gone, that disappearing just like earlier. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter acted just like it was their first end of the year feast, eating and drinking merrily. The whole hall was full of happy conversations, just like it always was around this time.
The feast seemed to last for hours, but when everyone was beginning to feel full and sleepy, Dumbledore sent them off to their respective houses to get a good night's sleep before the return to Platform Nine and 3/4's tomorrow. Most of the students were feeling sad since they wouldn't see most of their friends until the next year, and with all the seventh years leaving, there was anxiety in the air. What was going to happen in their lives after this? It would be much different not returning to this grand castle after the summer...there were so many choices to do with their lives now...Taking a year abroad seemed to be the most commonly chose. The school didn't completely quiet down until about eleven that night, and it seemed that all was right with the world.
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The next morning was surprisingly busy, what with the students packing up their trunks and saying their goodbyes. It was nearing time for the train to arrive, and the sadness lingering in the air was becoming more apparent. Many different leveled students found themselves saying goodbye to fellow housemates, the mass of boys and girls making their way to the main hall. James and the others were standing outside, packages and bags spread about their feet. Life would be differet not being at Hogwarts...Until their return, that was. How much would things change when they returned? They'd be seventh years, top ones in the school. It gave them all an odd feeling of enjoyment.
At the moment, James was staring off into the lovely mountain side, his hands gently locked in front of him. He'd be going away from all of this...How strange life would be...He'd be without Sirius' touch for longer than he thought he could handle. Was Sirius feeling the same? They didn't have any time last night to express how they felt about each other in any sort of physical way, leaving them both itchy and sort of clingy. They knew that they couldn't touch each other until they were safely on the Hogwarts Express...James wasn't so sure he'd be able to handle waiting that long. He just gave a long sigh, looking downward.
"I'm gonna miss you all," he said softly, turning around to them. They would only be apart for a couple months, but it seemed like they might be apart for a much longer time.
"We'll miss you too, Jamie," Sirius stated warmly, giving his friend an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder. That was the first real touching they had since the day before in the greenhouse.
"Yes, I'll miss the lot of you," Remus admitted with a chuckle, acting as if it was a sin for him to say such a thing. There was a faint chugging sound in the background, the familiar whistling of the Hogwarts Express invading their ears.
Peter shifted from one foot to the other and smiled nervously. "I guess it's about time."
"Yes, that it is..." James said, nearly whispering. They had owl post, so why was he feeling unhappy about it? He really didn't know...
The sounds of the train grew closer, the train whistling and hooting like no tomorrow. It finally arrived at the platform, the scarlet steam engine giving off one final hoot before the students began to board it. It was time for them to go...
"We should be getting on, then." Sirius stated while he cleared his throat. "We don't want to get a bad cabin..." He gently took ahold of James' hand, moreso in a friendly manner as to not arouse suspicion. The boy just let himself be tugged toward the train, Remus and Peter following.
"So long, Hogwarts...." James whispered as he stepped onto the train, a smile finally breaking onto his face. Life would still be good, wouldn't it? Of course it would...
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Author's Notes: BIG CHANGES HERE PEOPLE!!!! I'm going to cut it off here. This fic is now caput. Well, a sequel will be in order...Yes, very much so...But I figured, instead of drawing this year into another one, why not make the seventh year have its own story? Hope all of you don't get angry here, but I just found that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get myself motivated enough to write this next chapter. I do promise you though, a sequel will occur sometime in the future. Thanks to all those who reviewed and read, it's for you I do this! ^_^