We Very, Truly, Solemnly Swear That We Are Up To No Good

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We Very, Truly, Solemnly Swear That We Are Up To No Good

Alright. This was it. The moment that had been in the making for years. All of their hard work would finally be paid off. No more worrying about Filch trying to sneak up on them. The dirty great Squib... No more wondering just how they would pass on their incredible legacy to their kids, assuming any woman of wifely material would take them.

And no more of that Evans escaping from the wrath of Potter's love.

'Which one of us is gonna do it?' asked James. He brushed his floppy bangs out of his eyes, or rather, his glasses, and looked around. 'Sirius?'

He shook his head. 'No way man. Too big an honour. You do it, Moony.'

Eyes go to Remus. He also shakes his head.

'I can't. If it's too big for you guys, then it's too big for me.' Of course he thought it was exciting. But it wasn't like it was a ritual sacrifice or anything. Then again, if it was, he wouldn't be taking part in it.

'So I guess that leaves...' Remus trailed off. Eyes shift to Peter, who basically squeals. 'Me? Really? You want me to be the first one? Well, okay!'

He, Peter Pettigrew, who was deemed by the Slytherins so below everyone that they said Hufflepuff rejected him and he was tossed into Gryffindor by lottery, would be the first. The first to use the legendary Marauder's Map.

Now Peter hadn't actually seen the Map open before. He helped with some research but, overall, the other three did most of the work. He felt a shove.

'Well, get on with it Wormtail! Preferably while we're still at school! Sheez...'

Sirius always felt a certain fondness for using their nicknames, even if he was using them to complain about something. Remus said it was because it allowed him to drop the Black and everything Sirius thought the family name stood for. Whatever that meant.

'Okay, okay. Here goes!' Peter pulled out his wand and held it with the tip touching the map, trembling slightly. 'I-I solemnly swear that I am up to n-no good.'

At once, the map came to life, unfurling on top of James's four-poster. Thin rivers of ink sprawled across the map's surface, creating the walls and rooms of the castle. After a few seconds of hushed 'oohs' and 'ahhs' it was finished.

'Look. There we are,' said Remus, pointing to their tower. Indeed, there were four minute versions of themselves, forming a rectangle around the bed.

Sirius appeared anxious to say something. He uncharacteristicly cleared his throat. 'Watch this everyone,' he said.

Sirius tapped his wand on the room labeled Filch's Office and stated clearly, 'Marauder Mode.' Four tiny persons in the map's Gryffindor Tower popped and where there had been the tags 'Peter Pettigrew', 'Remus Lupin', 'James Potter', and 'Sirius Black', there were now four different things entirely.

In their places sat an incredibly small rat, wolf, stag, and dog with flashing gold banners proclaiming 'WORMTAIL', 'MOONY', 'PRONGS', and 'PADFOOT'.

'Cool,' James whispered. 'What's it for?'

'In case of an emergency and we need to find each other. Fast. Because otherwise we'd just blend in with the rest of the little people.' He looked rather pleased with himself. Remus looked rather hesitant.

'Sirius? What emergencies are you planning on having, exactly?'

Scratch that, Remus thought. I don't think I want to know. Sirius was smiling a most evil smile.

A smile that usually meant a member of Slytherin House currently or was about to experience pain.

No. No, I definitely don't.

'Oh, dear, dear, Professor Lupin,' Sirius sighed. 'You know how I like to prepare for the future!' He then tousled each of their heads in turn (James's didn't need it) and proceeded to jump in/on his bed. 'Since we know of tonight's success, I bid you all...good-night!' And with that, he was snoring.

James gestured his thumb towards the now rising and falling blankets. 'When did he do that? I could've sworn we only worked on it when we were all together.' Peter shrugged. 'Dunno. He's sneaky, that one.'

It seemed their business for the night was now done so the remaining 'Marauders' decided to retire too.

Peter fell asleep easily, clutching his tatty old toy rat, which nobody else would touch. It felt good to belong in a group.

James drifted in and out of consciousness, grinning at the thought of all the mischief they could cause now that they had such security. With both the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak, the possibilities were nearly endless.

And it was this last thought that lulled James entirely to dreamland and caused another to stay awake for two hours afterward.

Remus liked to think he was the mature, responsible one of the bunch. This side of him lie in bed, imagining the horrors they would soon subject the rest of the school to. But the other part of him was still a teenage boy and enjoyed the quiet rebellion and adventure, looking forward to those same horrors.

Endless possibilities...

The Prefect's badge sitting on the trunk at the foot of Remus's bed shuddered.

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'Could you pass the toast, please, Lily?' A girl with pretty brown hair in braids was looking at her across the table expectantly. 'Lily?' Questionable silence.

'Oh no,' the redhead finally answered. The girl in braids seemed slightly offended. 'Excuse me?'

But Lily wasn't listening to her. She instead was focused on the four boys that were entering the Great Hall. She knew the looks of smugness and air of superiority all too easily. Not to mention they were early for breakfast. Early.

No; all in all, the signs did not bode well for Hogwarts's general safety.

Lily jumped off the wooden bench to head them off. She had duties as a Prefect beckoning to her.

'Lily, are you alright?!' The girl in braids sounded alarmed.

'Oh, sorry, Rebekah, here's your bacon.' Lily quickly shoved a plate towards the other side of the table and hurried off.

She was so focused in leaving that she didn't stop to question why the Hufflepuff Rebekah Abercrombie was eating her meal at the Gryffindor table.

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'James. You're strutting again.' Remus vowed he would put a stop to it ever since Snivellus picked up on it and began using it in his newest batch of insults. James turned around, a sour look on his face. He then turned back, more vigour in his step than before.

Remus sighed. Sirius took this as a cue to comfort him.

'No, it's okay now, Moony. See?' Sirius swung his arm on Remus's shoulders and pointed ahead. 'He's prancing now. And prancing is perfectly suitable for a graceful stag such as he.' It was supposed to be a joke, but it appeared that James really was prancing. Happily.

'It's Prefect Evans!' squeaked Peter. She was flying full speed to their side of the Hall. Much like a hawk would once she spotted her prey. Right before she unmercifully ripped them to shreds. Rat = hawk food.

Sirius reclaimed his left arm so he could cross them properly and scowled. 'Oh yeah? And what's she want? She hasn't got anything on us.'

James merely smiled, a dreamy sort of expression put on. 'She can probably read our minds Padfoot. I mean, she can already do just about everything else.

Amazing...'

What was truly amazing was how quickly she had appeared in front of them.

She gave them all the Evil Eye and demanded, 'What are you up to?' Sirius was clearly intent on arguing. 'Who says we're up to something?' Lily actually snorted.

'As if you aren't! And if you're not up to something, what are you doing across the Hall at the Slytherin table?'

Sirius took his time to come up with a witty reply. 'Well, umm, what's it to you?'

Three teenaged-boy style eyerolls hit him square in the face.

Lily flared up. James thought that having her hand on her hip and her index finger pointed at them was a very attractive position for her. Not at all like when McGonagall did it.

'You are obviously planning on something bad and it is my duty as Pre-' She stopped midsentence and averted her attention to Remus. 'You're also a Prefect. Why aren't you doing anything to stop them?'

Remus uncomfortably tugged at his collar, a blush rising in his cheeks for some unknown reason. 'Well, we- that is to say- they, weren't doing anything against any school rules. As far as I know.'

He straightened his tie and added, 'Miss Evans.'

Lily blushed this time. 'Just Lily's fine, you know Remus,' she said quietly.'I told you that.' The Prefects both fidgeted and scuffed their shoes.

James shook himself out of his reverie. 'Hey now... What's this all about? What's she told you? Why don't I know?'

Lily snapped back into her original mood. 'That's none of your business, Potter. However, it is my business to find out what you lot are doing over here.'

Sirius, always determined to get in the last word as long as he was conscious, said, 'Oh. You'll find out soon enough. In fact, everyone will.'

And if one payed attention, they would notice the most evil smile upon Sirius Black's mouth as young Severus Snape passed by.

(And if they payed closer attention, they would see that Sirius Black had just stuck his foot out from underneath his robes.)

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