❃.✮:▹　　◃:✮.❃

6th Year of Hogwarts
❃.✮:▹　　◃:✮.❃

DAY HAD barley broken when an owl that belonged to the Zhang flew towards a certain window at the Ravenclaw tower and started to pick at the glass mercilessly. The ticking on the glass woke up Olivia Green, one of Quinn Cho's roommates.

The girl groaned and shoved her glasses up her nose and got out of her bed and begrudgingly dragged herself to the window, opening it for the rusty eostrix. Olivia took the letter from the owl's beak and red the name on the front.

Olivia walked to Quinn's bed and shook the girl's shoulder until the Chinese girl woke up with a frown. Olivia didn't say anything, she only shoved the letter in Quinn's hand and returned to her own bed where she rolled over and fell into a deep slumber once more. Quinn mumbled an incoherant thanks before she opened the letter she knew to be from her parents.

Her anxiety had been through the roof for the last few weeks and her parents' reply would ease her worries or increase them. The simple silver cross she always wore burned against the skin of her neck as she read over the words.

☆——⍟——☆

"Our wall had been looking empty, boys," Eloise proclaimed with her hands on her hips as she looked at the Marauder's prank wall. She pressed her lips together trying to date their last addition to the wall.

"Well you have all been to busy snogging to do anything worth-" Sirius was interrupted by James shoving a pillow in his face and pressing it down on Sirius' face. "HEY! NO NEED TO BLODDY MURDER ME YOU RAKE!" Sirius screamed, only for the Pillow to be shoved onto his face yet again, muffling Sirius' screams of how James was a murderous git.

Remus closed his book and put it on his bed before trailing over to Eloise by the prank wall, he stood slightly behind her, peering at the wall over her head. The brunette leaned back against Remus' lanky frame and he carefully draped an arm over one of her shoulder, only for her to grasp his wrist and pull him closer to her.

Scraps from the Daily Prophet had taken over a large part of the wall, each article reporting a murder or a kidnapping. Still they kept glueing their pranks onto the wall beside the Daily Prophet articles where they planned to turn corridors into swamps and set off dungbombs in the Slytherin common room. It seemed so cruelly duel. Adult matter and childish matters side by side.

Remus pressed his lips to Eloise's hair before he stepped away and took a piece of parchment and a quill. While Sirius and James continued to nearly murder one another, Eloise wiggled herself in between her boyfriend's arms and looked down at what he was writing in his neat handwriting. "Hmmm?"

Before answering the youngest Prewett, Remus finished is note before flourishing his wand and attaching the note to the wall. Within a second Eloise raced away from him and pressed her nose against the wall to read the note. A loud snort came from her lips and she turned to Remus with a raised brow. "Really?"

Innocently Remus shrugged and smiled at Eloise as she showed off her dimples with a chuckle.

"WHAt did he write?" James grunted and half shouted as he sat with his knees on Sirius' back while the Black boy screamed and trashed around like a feral animal.

Eloise cleared her throat before reading the note aloud. "Things I want to do before I leave Hogwarts: -Gain control. -Make Professor McGonogall laugh aloud. -Get multiple O's for my N.E.W.T.S." Eloise breath hitched ever so slightly as she read the last thing Remus had written down in small letters. She did not read the last point aloud but turned to the lanky brunet who's cheeks had turned red.

"Things I want to do before leaving Hog-" James did not get to finished as Sirius gathered his hands under his chest and did a push-up movement, effectively launching James off of his back and onto the bed. The Potter boy landed on his back, knocking all the air out of his lungs and his glassed from his nose.

However Sirius acted as though he had not just almost broken his best friend's neck. "Things I want to do before leaving Hogwarts?" He asked before clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Moony, Moony, Moony," Sirius shook his head and scrambled off of the bed, leaving a gasping James on the other side. "That is not enough time for any-" Sirius turned to the bed, after which James was still laying. "What was the word you used?"

"FUHUHCKER!"

"THAT IS VERY UNHELPFUL PRONGS!" Sirius hollered back, waving a middle finger at James' direction before turning to the unfazed Eloise and Remus. "Nah mate, nah." Sirius plucked the quill from Remus' hand and strode to the wall and crossed out the word Hogwarts. He stepped away after a moment and did a bow to present his changes. "See much better."

Leaving Hogwarts made place for 'I die', making the full statement: 'Things I want to do before I die'.

As Sirius took his own piece of parchment sand started scribbling his own bucket list. His list read becoming an auror, making peace with Regulus, fall in love like James describes it, prove my parents wrong defeat Voldermort and finally remain a Marauder until the grave.

Eloise did not address the last point Remus had scribbled and instead took her own parchment. Thing I want to do before I die: Become an Auror. Win the cup. Remain a Marauder forever. Make my parents proud. Defeat evil. Convince Moony to hold himself in his regards, as I do him. The last one tinted Remus scarlet.

Finally James recomposed himself and rolled backwards to get himself off of his neck and shoulders. He patted the rug in a metal attempt to find his glasses or wand. After some seconds he pushed the rectangular glasses up his nose. The dark haired boy jumped over the bed and marched towards his friends, his tan skin had turned boiling red.

"Padsy," Said teen who was to engrossed with a prank on the wall did not hear or see the infuriated James approaching. He hummed, not even turning to look at Eloise. "You might want to run, wanker." At those words Sirius turned just in time to see James lunging for him. Sirius screamed and transformed into a dog, running in between James' legs and out of the dorm room.

"Bloody wanker," James hissed before turning to the prank wall and shilling a hand through his tangled black hair. "Anyway." He took a piece of parchment and picked up the discarded quill to make his own list. Things I want to accomplish before I die: Become a professional chaser. Marry Lily Evans and have lots of babies with her. Show my friends and Lily India. Teach all my children how to play quidditch (and make them perfect chasers). Attend all my friends' weddings.

☆——⍟——☆

Sirius in the meantime failed to notice that James was in fact not chasing him down the stairs and therefore kept sprinting as fast as his four legs would allow. The black dog turned to look behind and thus he didn't spot one of hie best friends trodding up the stairs.

With curses Peter and Sirius tumbled down the stairs entangled in one another and landed atop of one another at the base of the stairs. Various of the Gryffindors looked up and frowned at the black dog, but as soon as they saw Peter Pettigrew by the dog they waved it off. Well, the older students did, the first years however still stared at Sirius as a dog and Peter absolutely flabbergasted.

"What are you doing?" Peter groaned as he rubbed his butt where he had fallen on the ground. The dark eyes of Sirius' dog form looked around the room before he lunged forward, taking Peter's sleeve between his teeth and hauling the blond boy behind him. "Hey. Hey. Hey, slow down!" Peter called out as Sirius kept running, making tears in Peter's uniform.

The two Marauders rushed into a small storage space towards the back of the common room where various games, blankets, pillows and quidditch banners were stored. There in the safety of privacy the dog transformed into a teenage boy. "Thanks a lot," Peter muttered, gazing out of the room to make sure no one was watching them.

"Sorry," Sirius let out a laugh. "I was running away from Prongs, I think I have finally done it."

"Done what?"

"I think he might finally murder me," Sirius said, peeking into he common room to see if he saw a certain spectacle wearing Gryffindor.

Peter blinked at Sirius for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm going upstairs." Peter walked past Sirius and into the common room.

"PETER!" Sirius hissed but Peter kept walking away. "WORMTAIL!" Peter looked back to Sirius with a grin and nodded his head to the older boy.

"Hey," James came hopping down the stairs with his button up shirt out of his trousers. "Have you seen Padfoot?" James asked Peter who discretely looked to the storage room where he knew Sirius was hiding.

With a shrug Peter proclaimed he did not before walking up the stairs past James. Peter beelined for his doors and didn't think about knocking on the door as he swung it open. "OH MERLIN!" He shouted, a hand shooting up to his eyes.

Eloise who was sitting on Remus' lap as the two made out pulled away and while Remus turned crimson she rolled her eyes. "Oh sod off, we weren't even doing anything improper you big baby," Eloise hollered, throwing a pillow at Peter which smacked him in the face.

Peeking through his fingers Peter confirmed that both Remus and Eloise were in fact fully clothed and so he allowed his hands to fall as he trailed into the room.

"Soooo," Eloise grinned at Peter and leaned towards him, causing her boyfriend to hold onto her waist so she wouldn't tumble to the floor. "How was your date hmm?" Absently Eloise played with the baby hairs at the base of Remus' neck.

A deep sigh left Peter's lips as he dropped himself onto his bed, arms spread out as he gazed up at the ceiling.

The couple on the other side of the room stared at him and Eloise gently nudged Remus. He frowned at her and she nodded at Remus. "Go talk to him," She whispered.

"We should talk to him," Remus whispered back.

"We should yes" Eloise agreed before she leaned down to whisper in Remus' ear. "But I am not really good with the feely stuff and he clearly looks depressed and that is your area of expertise. Besides I have quidditch practice in a bit." She finished with a kiss to his ear which made Remus melt at her touch.

He recomposed himself however and sent her a mock glare. "You wound me Foxtail."

Foxtail slipped off of Moony's lap and grinned with a little bow. "Well that is what I am here for," She turned to Wormtail. "Talk to you later, Worm!"

Peter raised a hand to wave her goodbye and Eloise closed the door behind her.

The brunette quickly changed into her quidditch uniform and made her way to the field. A quick fist bump with Peeves was shared as well as a small comment with Nearly Headless Nick before the female Marauder was able to make it down the stairs. She patiently waited for her stairs to align before she got off the cursed things.

"Eloise," The all to familiar voice of Amos Diggory called out for Eloise making her stop in her tracks. Slowly the girl turned around to face her ex-boyfriend who she hadn't spoken to in months. That was definitely a perk of having an ex in a year above her, they did not have any classes together.

Amos Diggory looked quite different, not only had he grown slightly puffier and had the first signs of a beard started to dot his face, his eyes were red and brimmed with tears. His hair was a mess as was his uniform. Eloise had never seen him that dishevelled. His tie was full on missing, his shirt was not tucked in and his shoe laces were undone.

"Diggory."

Amos looked down the corridor both ways to ensure no one was near them to eavesdrop. "Can we talk?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please."

With a weary nod as answer, Amos breathed out in relief and motioned for Eloise to follow him. the pair walked into an empty classroom that had been left unlocked and Eloise strode over to one of the tables and hopped on it while Amos stood before her. The boy messed with his cuffs.

"Out with it," Eloise snapped after a few seconds before she blew a strand of hair out of her face. She leaned back on the desk, hands supporting her as she swayed with her legs that did not reach the floor.

"I nocked Lake Honeyfield up," He whispered causing a frown on Eloise's face. Last she heard Amos was dating Daphne Creeds and she had personally seen the two snogging in Hogsmeade not even a day before. "She's been with child the last three months and people are starting to find out."

Eloise's eyes grew three sizes. "So you cheated on Creeds and instead of going to Madam Pomfrey you decide to keep it a secret."

"I didn't want to compromise my school career," Amos said with a shrug and he didn't get the time to utter another word as Eloise slapped him hard enough to leave a red handprint.

The brunette had gotten off of the table and was staring up at Amos who cradled the side of his face. "You are a git," There was a raw wild fury in Eloise's eyes. "Twmffat," She cursed, accent growing with her anger. Silence befell the two teenagers as Amos pursed his lips while Eloise glared at him. "So why did you want to talk to me about it?"

There was hesitation, Amos opened and closed his mouth multiple times and bit his lip. "Well, there was a time when we were together and I was wondering how you would have wanted me to tell you I slept with someone else..." He trailed off, not daring to look at the furious girl before him.

"By just telling me, or just not slipping your cock in someone else. See that is an option you tosser," Eloise grumbled, fingers brushing the edge of her skirt. Slowly Eloise turned to face away from Amos. She was not friends with Lake Honeyfield but both the muggle and wizarding world were unkind to unmarried mothers, especially if they were teenagers or barley legally adults. "What are you going to do for Honeyfield?"

Amos did not answer, he was suddenly far too interested in a broken quill.

"OI!!" Amos looked up at the sudden outburst and Eloise repeated her question. "What are you going to do for Honeyfield?"

"My parents are demanding I marry her."

"Is that what she wants?" Eloise questioned.

"Pardon?"

Ugh, why Eloise had ever dated the idiot before her was beyond her. "Does she want to marry you?"

That Amos could not answer for never had he stopped to ask Lake Honeyfield what she wanted and so he shrugged bashfully, earning him a smack up the head. "You blokes really don't use your brains do you?" Eloise rolled her eyes. "You are going to go and talk to Honeyfield today, ask what she wants. If she indeed wants to marry you then you do that after you two graduate next month."

Eloise moved to walk out to stride past Amos, but he caught her wrist making her turn to him with a raised brow. He smiled at her. "I forgot how fiery you are," He whispered, gently tugging Eloise closer.

The girl twisted out of his grip and slapped him again. "And I forget how disgusting you are," Eloise opened the classroom door and rose her hand with her middle finger to Amos and allowed the door to fall close behind her.

☆——⍟——☆

As instructed in the letter she had received that morning, Quinn had packed all her trunks and bid her best friends farewell. However when Quinn wanted to say her goodbyes to her boyfriend she couldn't find him anywhere and her parents were already waiting for her by the station. She was in the carriage with Professor Flitwick who had arranged with her parents that he would escort her to the station.

Just as Flitwick said the carriage was about to leave, Quinn looked out of the window and she saw someone familiar. "May I have a moment please Professor?" Quinn pleaded, lurching over the carriage to clasp her professor's hand. Flitwick gasped at her but peered out of the carriage and spotted Peter Pettigrew, with a sigh and a smile he nodded and told her to be quick or her parents would become more upset.

Uttering a quick thanks, Quinn bound out of the carriage and towards Peter who was on his way back to the castle. Each full moon Peter would make sure that the Shrieking Shack was good to go for the night, the tradition had started after one time a family of cats had found refuge in the shack but had all been killed by Remus on accident. The Marauders of course never let Remus know as James and Peter took care of Remus in the morning, Eloise and Sirius had hidden the bodies.

"Peter!"

At the sound of Quinn's voice Peter smiled and turned around, only to catch her in an embrace. "Hello, love." He grinned at her and it made Quinn's heart clench. She said her own greetings before disentangling herself from him.

"Pete I," She licked her lips, gaze fixing on her shoes. "I'm sorry," She whimpered.

Peter's brow furrowed as he looked down at her. "Whatever for?"

A shaky breath left Quinn's lips and she dared not look into Peter's eyes. "My parents are taking me home, they don't want me at Hogwarts anymore." Some tears escaped Quinn's eyes and rolled down her cheeks and Peter wiped them away.

"Oh," A crestfallen look befell Peter before he pushed aside his feelings. A cheeky grin made its way on his face, Quinn was upset enough without him acting miserable. "At least you won't have to deal with those Slytherins ey?" The comment brought even the smallest hint of a smile to Quinn's lips. "Why are they taking you away?"

Quinn's parents had been born to immigrants who only wished for a brighter future for their children and had pressured them to succeed academically. That same presssure was now exercised on the youngest generation, Quinn's generation. She had always loved learning and knowledge but had found herself not enjoying academic pursuits after her first year for she always had to be top of her class. There was no room for learning for fun, reading obscure facts on a windowsill or practicing her sharp winds with some chess or debates.

Ever since the Prewett wedding things at Hogwarts had changed and not in a way that Quinn's parents liked. Deciding it would be safer to homeschool Quinn for the last year and then have her take her N.E.W.T.S. her parents set everything up and now Quinn was bound to leave Hogwarts.

That was exactly what Quinn told Peter as Professor Flitwick called out to Quinn that they could not linger or her parents would have his head. The couple shared a last hug before parting ways.

☆——⍟——☆

"Prongs, next time you save one of my nephews," Eloise moaned. Her quidditch gear had been slung over her left shoulder and she gripped the railing of the stairs. "And nearly die, I'm going to let you die," Eloise hissed, sending a glare from behind a sweaty lock of hair that had fallen from her ponytail.

Despite all the official quidditch matches having finished for that year, with Gryffindor loosing to Hufflepuff, the Hogwarts students had agreed to do a few friendly games after the N.E.W.T.S. to send off the seventh years with some fun. It was a nice thought and no doubt the games would be fun swell, but the training made Eloise want to die. James was a good captain, he was, but good captains had rigid training schedules. Or at least that's what James claimed.

With an over dramatic gasp James looked at Eloise with a hand on his chest. "How dare you?" He turned up his nose and looked away from Eloise. "I'm telling Molly."

Eloise's gaze turned homicidal. "No you're not."

"Yes I am."

With the two bickering, they paused on the stairs and thus missed their stop as the stairs decided to spin away. The first to notice was James who exclaimed something with a curse before Eloise simply face up, dropped her gear on the steps before plopping down on the ground herself.

James raised a brow at her. "What the fuck are you doing, Foxtail?"

"Giving up," Eloise called as she spread out her hands which were still clad in her leather fingerless gloves. "I don't care anymore, I live here now. Join me Deer-Boy!" Eloise giggled and tilted her head up to peer at James who was giving her a pointed look. Anyone who did not know James Potter would think he was about to scold her and while the look was similar, anyone who knew him well enough could tell you that he was in fact about to start laughing. He flexed his lips, blew out air and tapped his foot on the floor before he cracked a jovial grin and dropped down beside Eloise.

The two Marauders just lay on the stairs looking up at the ceiling, hands almost touching as a result of James' huge wingspan. They would appear a couple to anyone who did not know they were as close as a brother and sister.

"So," Wiggling his eyes suggestively James looked over to Eloise. "When are you and Moony going to do the deed?" He smirked at her and Eloise slapped his hand and turned away from him while shaking her head.

"You know how he is with this stuff, I'm waiting for him to be ready. See I don't feel to rush everything like you and Lils." In retaliation James reached over and pulled up Eloise's jumper to cover her face making her screech at him. When the brunette freed herself from the red and gold jumper she laughed. "What? It's true, you two are probably going to marry soon and have a quidditch team worth of babies running around and crying at everything."

Instead of opposing her, James turned to Look at Eloise with a fond look. "You really think that ought to happen?"

Eloise frowned at him. "Mate I know you have lover her since we were like 11 but I was joking."

"But I wasn't," James quipped back before rising to his feet.

Quickly Eloise propped herself up on her elbows to squint at one of her best friends. "What in the bloody hell are you doing?"

James did not answer Eloise. "I want to live!" He proclaimed instead, spreading his arms out wide, making the paintings shake their heads at him. Eloise muttered out an okay just in time for James to launch into a full speech. "I want to live with you, with the Marauders, but I want to Live with Lily too. I want to wake up next to her every day and teach our children how to do things." James gathered his hands under his chin. "Do you know how adorable children are? Imagine Lily and my kids? They are going to be so adorable they will out charm all of the other kids their age."

Eloise blinked up at James a few times before sitting up, leaning her back against the stair rail. "I do agree children are not as terrible as other creatures in this world."

"That's not what I said, I said a d o r a b l e. You can't tell me you don't find your nephews adorable, and what about your own hmm? When you and Moony have kids will you also only find them tolerable?" James put his hands on his hips, staring down at Eloise. "I suppose your children could be second to mine and Lily's children, or perhaps they can even share on some catego-"

"Shut it James!" Eloise hollered, making James' recoil and peer down at her with a frown. The brunette looked away from the black haired boy as he took a seat by her feet. As usual James started tapping Eloise's knee demanding an answer. A deep sigh left Eloise's lips. "Yes my nephews are adorable," She said, earning a quick kick to her shin. "AU!" James tilted his head and Eloise groaned. "I'm not having kids."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want my own." Eloise shrugged as she locked eyes with James.

The two stared at one another for a moment longer before James bit his lip. "Well you are going to be a godmother to some of my children," He shoved her shoulder playfully. "And you can't escape that fate."

With a laugh Eloise answered. "Wouldn't dream of it, I'm already godmother of 3 with a fourth one on the way. I'm sure a few of yours aren't anything I can't handle."

"Oh Molly and Arthur are expecting again?" James asked and Eloise nodded. "Well I'll have to write them a letter later."

The two giggling friends did not notice the low clacking of heels approaching them. "Mister Potter, Miss Prewett," The two Marauders' heads snapped up to look at Professor McGonagall. "What on Earth are you two doing here?"

James and Eloise shared a look. "Well Professor," James started as he rose to his feet, Eloise following suit seconds later.

"The stairs moved and we," Eloise continued and gestured between her and James.

"Were too drained from practice."

"So we decided to lay down," Eloise finished and the perfected looks of innocence dotted James and Eloise's faces.

Minerva looked at the two students over the rim of her glasses. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "From quidditch practice I see," Despite it not being a question the two Marauders nodded their heads enthusiastically, and Minerva remarked that they did have energy to laugh and nod as though they had no necks. "Have a biscuit." From a pocket in her robes Minerva flourished a biscuit tin and presented it to the two Gryffindors who each picked hitter favourite type and ushered her a thanks.

With a flick of her wand Minerva made the stairs lead to where the two had to be. "Now off to bed with the two of you."

"Yes, Professor!" Both Eloise and James called out while rushing up the stairs and towards their common room.

a/n:
so many things in one chapter hehehehe. technically the first (indirect) mention of cedric, george and fred.
quinn's goodbye is sad honestly, she hasn't been a big character yet but i have many things planned for her and
i can't wait for the elo x quinn friendship we're going to get in the future. also eloise not wanting kids has nothing
to do with her dating remus who at least initially doesn't want biological kids because he doesn't want to pass on
his lycanthropy, eloise just doesn't want to be a mum and that's valid because guess what? not all female passing
people wants kids. oh can i praise mcgonogall for a second? i just love that woman with all my heart.
anyway let me hear your thoughts and theories!

fact post

date published: 14 may 2022
word count: 4684