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-First Year-
It was the Halloween Feast. The Great Hall was filled with excited chatter between all of the students, the loudest of all being the first years who were experiencing it for the first time. Included in this were Hogwarts new band of troublemakers from Gryffindor house: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
It hadn’t taken very long for the four boys to become the best of friends and to unleash their mischievous natures upon the school and all of it’s occupants. They were only two months into their first year and the four had already had 3 weeks of detentions. McGonagall had already lost all hope for winning the House Cup that year.
And they were about to lose even more points as James had received a dare. His friends had already figured out that the 11-year-old had a crush. A massive crush. The bespectacled boy was often caught daydreaming in the middle of classes, meals, even in their dorm room.
Because of this, the boys had sat him down and presented him with a challenge.
“We dare you to get on the table at the Halloween Feast and declare your love for whoever it is you’re crushing on,” Sirius had announced earlier that week. The black-haired boy had had the biggest grin spread across his pale face, only mimicked by Remus and Peter beside him.
And James Potter never backed down from a dare so he’d agreed.
It was now his moment.
“Sirius,” James said as he set his fork down on the table in front of him. “I want you to know that you asked for this. And that I’m not sorry in the least.”
“Okay?” Sirius replied, frowning with confusion. He looked over at Remus and Peter who were sat opposite but both boys only shrugged their shoulders.
“Now or never, James,” Remus told him, a small smirk on his face. The auburn-haired boy wanted everyone to think he was innocent, could never do any wrong. No one else believed he was the mastermind behind most of their pranks.
James nodded his head and stood up. He crawled onto the bench and then stepped onto the table, drawing the attention of everyone at the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindors’ sudden silence was enough to the draw the attention from the rest of the houses, including the Ravenclaws whose table was right next to their own.
“CASSIOPEIA BLACK!” James shouted, effectively silencing the whole hall. At the Ravenclaw table, seated between Barty Crouch Jr. and Pandora Rosier, the black-haired girl was staring at James with wide eyes.
Sirius’s twin sister.
Even at 11 years old, James thought she was the most beautiful girl in the whole world other than his mother. Her hair was long and curly and almost always tied back in a high ponytail. Her skin was pale, just like the rest of the Black family, and her eyes were such a pale green they could be mistaken for grey.
She had captured his attention from the moment he’d met the Black twins on the Hogwarts Express even if she’d barely said three words to him. Now he had her full attention.
“I HEREBY DECLARE THAT BY OUR SEVENTH YEAR, I WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME,” James continued, voice carrying through the hall. Everyone was looking at them now and Cassiopeia’s face was starting to turn a deep scarlet. From anger or embarrassment, James couldn’t quite tell.
Sirius was also tugging on his pants, angrily whispering various threats at him.
He was ignored.
“OTHERWISE I WILL DIE OF SHAME RIGHT HERE IN THE GREAT HALL!” James finished confidently. He had a wide grin on his face as he looked at the Ravenclaw girl. The hall was silent for a few moments.
“I’m going to throw myself off of the Astronomy Tower now,” Cassiopeia replied, standing up and calmly walking out of the hall. Barty and Pandora scurried after her, though they both had amused smiles on their faces.
“James Potter! You will get off of the table this instant,” Professor McGonagall exclaimed as she approached the Gryffindor table. With wide eyes, James scurried off of the table and sat back in his seat.
“You’re dead to me,” Sirius growled, punching the other boy’s arm harshly.
-
-Second Year-
It was a quiet November day. The whole school was still jittery after Halloween the week before. All of the older students were still recovering from the parties, the younger students were still recovering from the excess sweets, and the four Gryffindor boys were still recovering from the two weeks of detention they’d received for their Halloween prank.
None of this would deter James Potter.
Did he have to stand on the table and declare his love again? No. The dare had only been just the once. Was he going to stop though? Also no. He was determined to win the Ravenclaw girl over and convince her they were meant to be together forever.
With all of that in mind, he was ready to disturb the lunch period on this quiet November day.
“CASSIOPEIA BLACK!” James exclaimed as he climbed onto the Gryffindor table. The entire hall went silent at once, all eyes drawn on James and Cassiopeia. She was just as beautiful as usual, with her hair tied into twin braids this time. Barty and Pandora were next to her, per usual. They were even joined by their Slytherin friend, and Pandora’s own twin, Evan Rosier.
Sirius was smacking his head into the table next to him, quietly begging for someone, anyone, to end his suffering.
“Potter,” the other girl snarled, both hands planted flat on the table in front of her. “Don’t. You. Dare.”
“IT HAS BEEN A FULL YEAR AND I AM ASKING YOU NOW. ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH ME YET?”
The whole hall had erupted into quiet snickers and Cassiopeia’s face was quickly turning an angry red color that stretched all the way to her ears. She stood up and glared fiercely at the bespectacled boy.
“NO, YOU BUMBLING IDIOT!” Cassiopeia shouted angrily.
“I REPEAT,” James shouted back, “YOU WILL LOVE ME BY OUR SEVENTH YEAR!”
“Let’s go to the library, Barty,” the black-haired girl growled, turning to the boy next to her.
“Okay,” Barty replied with a shrug, standing up from the table.
“YOU’LL SEE. WATCH BARTY, I WILL STEAL HER FROM YOU!”
“Mr. Potter, please would you descend from the table,” McGonagall said tiredly, rubbing her temple.
-
-Third Year-
“PEOPLE OF HOGWARTS,” James exclaimed as he threw himself up onto the table. His recklessness knocked over several dishes in the process, including a goblet right into Remus’s lap. The werewolf cursed profusely as a result. “I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY-”
Cassiopeia groaned loudly from the place between Sirius and Remus. She’d cut her hair over the summer, the curls now just barely brushing her jaw. James had been shocked at first but he didn’t mind the slightest. He thought she was beautiful no matter what she looked like.
“Oh Merlin, please not again,” the Black girl muttered, her face in her hands.
“TO ASK ONCE MORE-,” James continued.
“Remus, please, do something,” Cassiopeia pleaded.
“James, please,” Remus whispered, reaching up to tug on his best friend’s robes. The whole hall had already fallen silent and were all staring at the group at the Gryffindor table.
“QUIET, REMUS,” James scolded before turning his attention back to the Black sister. “TO ASK ONCE MORE IF YOU, CASSIOPEIA BLACK, LOVE ME YET?”
“Prongs, come on,” Peter whispered pleadingly. Sirius was quietly munching on his toast, watching the whole thing unfold. He’d gotten over it the previous year and now it was a source of amusement to him. Anything to embarrass his twin.
“No, Potter! I don’t!” Cassiopeia shouted, standing up from the table and casting a fierce glare at the Gryffindor. Her fists were clenched so tightly, her knuckles were even whiter than her skin usually was. “I hate you! You’re an arrogant prick and an idiot!”
With that, she stormed away from the table, grabbing Barty by his shirt on her way passed. The other boy was grinning broadly as he was dragged out of the hall, throwing a sarcastic salute at James when they made eye contact.
The hall was silent for a moment and then Sirius started snickering. The snickering quickly turned into full on laughter at James’s expense.
“Shut up, Padfoot,” James grouched, stepping down from the table as McGonagall stepped up to the group.
“Detention, Mr. Potter,” the older witch told him, though she gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
-
-Fourth Year-
Another year, another round of embarrassment for a certain Black.
Many things had changed over the last year. The Black twins had run away over the summer after the younger twin had come out as transgender. Walburga and Orion, predictably, hadn’t liked that and the twins had had no choice but to flee their childhood homes at the tender ages of 14.
The Potter family had welcomed them in with open arms, Effie more than happy to have more children. With their support and help from some of the Healers at St. Mungo’s, the younger twin was able to begin transitioning into Regulus Black, Sirius’s twin brother.
Now they were all back at Hogwarts for their fourth year. All of the professors had been informed and their rosters had been changed accordingly. There were some students who didn’t understand basic human decency or respect, but they were quickly silenced by Sirius, Remus, and Marlene.
And if the Gryffindors weren’t around, then Barty and Evan were just as quick to throw hexes.
All of this brought them to dinner time in the Great Hall. Three of the Marauders were sat at the table already, chatting and enjoying their meal. Regulus was at the Ravenclaw table reading a book on Advanced Charms. Barty and Pandora sat on either side of him, chatting over his head.
James threw open the doors to the Great Hall and strutted inside, silencing the whole room. He walked further inside and, in a change of pace, walked right over to Regulus. He bowed deeply to the boy before crawling up onto the Ravenclaw table. He knocked over a few dishes and goblets as he did so, but he ignored the mess.
“Must you really?” Regulus drawled, glaring up at the taller boy. He still held his book in one hand, holding it against his chest to avoid getting it dirty.
“ATTENTION PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY,” James shouted confidently.
“I shall go ahead and write you a week’s worth of detention,” McGonagall called from her place at the professor’s table.
“I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ASK YOU ALL TO WITNESS THE MAGNIFICENT TRANSFORMATION IN MY AND BLACK’S RELATIONSHIP,” the bespectacled wizard continued.
“There isn’t one,” Regulus replied blandly before turning his attention to his book once more.
“REGULUS BLACK, ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH ME YET?”
Sirius’s voice could be heard from the Gryffindor table: “Say yes, say yes, say yes, say yes!”
“No. I am not,” the younger twin answered.
“Come on, Reggie, we can go find nargles in the greenhouses,” Pandora chirruped cheerfully, standing up from the table. Regulus nodded his head and stood up as well, both of them leaving the Great Hall.
“Oh, Prongs,” Peter said with an exasperated sigh.
“He will love me, Wormtail, don’t look at me like that,” James replied, stepping down from the Ravenclaw table and sitting down next to the blond boy.
“Okay, whatever you say,” he replied unconvincingly.
“Give it up, Prongs,” Remus told him, shaking his head.
-
-Fifth Year-
“I know what you’re thinking,” Remus said tiredly, rubbing his temples. All four of the Marauders were sitting at the table for breakfast. It was just a couple days after the most recent full moon and the werewolf was still recovering. It’d been made easier by the boys around him who’d become Animagi just for him.
“Yep,” James replied, staring unashamedly at the Ravenclaw table.
“Must you really?”
“Yep.”
“What is it, what’s he going to do?” A first year was practically vibrating with excitement as he asked Peter this question. The blond boy sighed tiredly.
“You’ll see,” Peter replied.
“Prongs, you know we only dared you to do it our first year. And it definitely wasn’t supposed to be my brother of all people,” Sirius complained, running a hand through his long curls. “Why couldn’t you have a crush on Evans?”
“Don’t drag me into this, Black,” Lily called from a few spots over. The redheaded witch was sitting with Marlene and Mary.
“Perfectly aware, Padfoot,” James told him with a smile.
“And you know you didn’t have to do it every year after. You don’t have to do it now,” Peter told him slowly.
“Yep,” the 15-year-old boy replied.
“Fine, get it over with,” Remus told him, leaning into Sirius.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, James threw himself up onto the table. He was completely uncaring of the mess he made as he turned right to the Ravenclaws.
“REGULUSBLACKDOYOULOVEMEYET?” The words were almost incoherent but everyone in the hall understood the meaning of it.
“Nope,” Regulus replied, spreading honey on his toast and not sparing James a single glance.
James crawled down from the table and laid his head on it forlornly.
“I have two years,” he muttered.
-
-Sixth Year-
“Today’s the day. I can feel it,” James announced as soon as he approached the Gryffindor table.
“Is it that time of year already?” Sirius muttered, spreading jam on toast and setting it on Remus’s plate in front of him. He’d already scooped eggs and bacon for his boyfriend, who was leaning tiredly on his shoulder.
“I’ll wait for him to enter the room,” James said, taking out his invisibility cloak and putting it on. As soon as he was invisible, he made his way onto the Gryffindor table and stood quietly on it. He didn’t have to wait very long for Regulus to enter the Great Hall and make his way over to the visible Marauders.
“Hello Remus, Peter, brother,” Regulus greeted, smiling pleasantly at the three boys. “Where’s Potter this morning?”
“He says he feels something,” Remus replied, lifting his head from Sirius’s shoulder to look at the other boy. Sirius and Peter snicker softly at the taller wizard’s choice of words.
“Oh, so he’s sick,” Regulus said, taking a seat opposite of the other boys.
“You could say that,” the werewolf told him. More snickering sounded from the other two, which only served to visibly confuse Regulus.
“Well alright then,” the younger twin replied slowly. He reached forward to start gathering his breakfast but his hand directly hit James’s invisible legs. He frowned, trying to figure out what the hell he’d hit.
“REGULUS BLACK,” James shouted, startling Regulus as the bespectacled boy whipped off his invisibility cloak. He ignored Remus’s muttered, “Perfect timing.” “I MUST KNOW HOW DEEPLY AND TRULY YOU LOVE ME! DON’T BE AFRAID TO ANNOUNCE IT! WE ALL KNOW YOU LOVE ME!”
“Your fly is down,” Regulus told him, reaching between his legs for the croissants he’d been trying to grab before. The whole hall was silent as the younger Black started to eat. All four of the Marauders were stunned into silence and James’s cheeks were even a little pink.
When it was clear no one was going to say anything, Regulus grabbed one more croissant and then stood up. He left the four other boys there as he left the Great Hall.
“WAIT! IS THAT A DENIAL OR A CONFESSION? BLACK, WAIT! YOU SMELL NICE! DOES THAT CHANGE ANYTHING!?” James called after the other boy, his face scrunched with confusion. Regulus didn’t say a word and then he was out of the hall, leaving James still on the table and all of the students staring or laughing at his expense.
“Mr. Potter…” McGonagall said tiredly as she approached.
“I know, I know. Detention,” he groaned, stepping down from the table and slouching in his seat.
-
-Seventh Year-
Just like every year, it was a quiet day. It was the week before they would all leave for Easter holidays and all of the students were eager for their midterm break. All of the fifth and seventh years were swamped studying for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s and the Marauders were no exception.
But, just like every year previous, nothing was going to deter James. It was their seventh year. It was, quite literally, now or never. Maybe it was a tad dramatic considering the circumstances…but he didn’t care.
“Oh, Prongs, come on,” Remus pleaded once he saw the look in the other boy’s eye.
“Seems a little ridiculous at this point,” Sirius agreed.
“It’s necessary, lads,” James told them.
“Here he comes,” Peter warned, watching as Regulus entered the Great Hall and made a beeline straight for them.
“Good morning,” Regulus greeted with a warm smile. James loudly cleared his throat, drawing nearby attention, and stepped up onto the table. “Oh, Merlin. Not again.”
Just as the younger Black turned to flee, James had already opened his mouth.
“REGULUS BLACK! OUR FIRST YEAR, I DECLARED I WOULD MAKE YOU LOVE ME BY THIS YEAR,” James shouted, silencing the whole room. “IT’S NOW OR NEVER, REGULUS! YOU EITHER ANNOUNCE TO EVERYONE THAT YOU LOVE ME OR I WILL RUN AWAY WITH SIRIUS!”
“I’m down,” Sirius said with a grin. Nevermind the fact that he was practically sitting in Remus’s lap and playing with his auburn waves.
Regulus stared at James furiously, looking between him and the table. He seemed to be considering something for a moment and then suddenly the black-haired teen was standing on the table next to James, getting in his face.
“I’M ALREADY YOUR BOYFRIEND, YOU ARROGANT SOD!” Regulus shouted back, his fists clenched tightly. His pale cheeks were bright pink from the embarrassment. James stared at the shorter boy with wide eyes filled with wonder and adoration. Never in all of his dreams had he imagined Regulus getting up onto the table with him.
He can’t believe he’d pushed the Ravenclaw boy far enough to throw away his dignity enough to do it!
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see McGonagall and Dumbledore approaching. Regulus turned to face the faculty and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Don’t worry, Professors, we will both report to detention later,” the boy told them, crossing his arms over his chest. James ignored this entirely and climbed down from the table, plopping down in his seat across from Sirius.
“Padfoot, you owe me 10 galleons.”