Year One
“We have Potions class. With the Slytherins.” (No hate to Slytherins, promise!) Y/n said sadly as James groaned and Sirius pretended to bang his head on the table multiple times. Y/n and Remus were the only ones who seemed to genuinely care about their grades. “I’ll race you there,” Y/n said, trying to cajole James and Sirius into focusing on class. “Winner gets five Galleons.” Remus added, a spark of competition in his eyes. That seemed to rouse the boys. Peter was already on his way to class, so the four of them started sprinting, a chaotic rush of robes and laughter. Let’s just say they were still late, and James won the race by a hair’s breadth.
Professor Slughorn was remarkably kind, and seemed particularly fond of a Slytherin boy named Severus Snape. Y/n did rather well in the lesson, managing a passable potion. The boys, however, struggled. James didn’t even attempt to brew anything, staring off into space (Sirius later insisted he was staring at Y/n). Sirius was busy trying to regain James’ attention, Remus let his cauldron overflow, distracted by their antics, and Peter simply knocked over his cauldron in a clumsy flourish.
“Transfiguration,” Y/n read off her timetable as the group of five left the Potions classroom and headed toward Transfiguration. James noticed Sirius, who seemed bewildered by McGonagall’s transformation into a cat. Surprisingly, James performed better in Transfiguration than Y/n did. Once they were out of class and had a moment to breathe, Sirius immediately headed back to the library.
They also had Charms class, where Y/n excelled, but Sirius remained lost in a daze. They were taught the charm *Wingardium Leviosa*, which makes objects float. After class, Sirius was back in the library before anyone could blink.
“I wonder what he’s up to. He never goes to the library,” Remus mused aloud. “How about we go see?” James suggested. “Or… we can prank him,” Y/n added with a mischievous grin. James, Remus, and Peter exchanged smiles. “Alright, so how are we going to do this?” Y/n asked, still grinning. “Oh! I know! I’m gonna go get something,” James blurted out, sprinting up the stairs to the boys’ dormitory, clearly excited to plan their first prank of the year.
He returned moments later, holding a silvery, silk-smooth blanket. “This, my friends, is my Invisibility Cloak,” he announced dramatically. He proceeded to vanish before their eyes, eliciting gasps from Y/n, Remus, and Peter. “But… will it fit all four of us?” Peter muttered. “Sure it will!” Y/n exclaimed, already anticipating the chaos.
After another ten minutes of hushed conferring, Y/n, James, Remus, and Peter were crammed under the Invisibility Cloak and sneaking toward the library. “So, what’s the plan again?” James whispered. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake, James Potter, I explained it three times now!” Y/n whisper-yelled, exasperated. James didn’t speak, but stifled a laugh. “Alright, so the plan is, once we get to the library, I’m going to use *Wingardium Leviosa* on Sirius’s book, making it float. As he tries to grab it, James, you knock over his lantern. Then, Remus, mess up his hair or something. I dunno.”
The boys agreed, and Peter volunteered to remain under the cloak as a silent observer. Despite thinking it a terrible plan, Y/n gave in to the enthusiasm of the others. Soon, the four of them were at the library, ready to execute their prank. They crept up on Sirius, who was engrossed in an ‘Advanced Potions’ textbook. Once they were close enough, Y/n whispered the charm. “*Wingardium Leviosa!*” she swished her wand. Sirius’s book began to float away, drifting slowly towards the ceiling. James and Remus struggled to suppress their laughter.
As they moved closer, James knocked the lantern Sirius was using onto the floor.
Chaos erupted. Sirius immediately understood what was happening. He reached out and swiftly pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, revealing a laughing James, Y/n, Remus, and Peter. “James… You already told me about the Cloak. How could you forget?” Sirius was now the one laughing, as everyone turned to look at James.
“You know, we should do this more often. Pranking people. But just not each other,” Remus said as they walked into the Great Hall. “We should have—like—a name or something. For the little group we have,” Sirius suggested, settling down at the Gryffindor table. “Yeah, but what would the name be?” James wondered aloud. Y/n thought for a moment, then blurted out, “How about, the Marauders!”
“Perfect!” James exclaimed. “The Marauders we are!” Remus echoed. “And we won’t leave a single person unpranked!” Peter added quietly.
The rest of the day passed quickly. As Y/n lay in her dorm bed that evening, she reflected on how wonderful her first day had been. She’d met four new friends, each unique and brilliant in their own way. Oh, this would be a wonderful first year.
The rest of the week went by wonderfully. The Marauders were pranking people every chance they got. They were now known around the school, and couldn’t be happier. Sirius’s visits to the library continued, but the others decided to let it go. There was also an encounter where one of the professors called Y/n ‘Mrs. Potter.’ Of course, the Marauders would never let her forget. Every time she and James were seen together, there would be lots of ‘Awww!’s and heart-shapes made with hands. Y/n didn’t like James in that way, and James didn’t like Y/n in that way.
Or so they thought.