Chapter Text
Remus sat with Lily, Peter and Regulus on the edge of the wooden stage-platform-thing where a band was playing upbeat music while half the village danced in front of the stage.
"So, Regulus," Lily said conversationally. "What are your views on us 'peasants', now that you've met some?"
Regulus laughed softly. "If you're asking if I believe in the same shit as my parents, I don't."
Lily grinned. "Good."
Remus smiled and flopped back so that he was laying on the stage with his legs hanging off and yawned.
"Deities, Moony, it ain't even six yet," Peter scoffed.
"Have a think about what you just called me and why, Pete."
"It was like, three days ago!"
"Uh huh."
Peter rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Well, I'm going to find Pandora."
"Check the library."
Peter left in the vague direction of the library and the others went back to making mild conversation and staring off into the middle distance.
~~~
After a while, the sky was beginning to glow a faint red-orange colour, and the band stopped playing. Effie and Monty stepped up to replace them and addressed the crowd.
The three of them joined the other Marauders near one of the houses where Frank and Evan were already scaling the wall. James, Marlene and Peter were already standing and crouching on the roof, grinning and helping the others up.
"What’ve you lot been up to, then?” Mary asked cheerily. “I don’t think I saw y’all on the dance floor.”
“Tired.”
“Keeping Rem company.”
“I can’t dance except ballroom dancing, courtesy of my parents.”
Mary laughed. “Well, Sirius seemed to be keeping up fairly well out there!”
Sirius rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”
Remus raised an eyebrow at Mary, who smirked. “He was flopping around like a bloody dead fish.”
They laughed while Sirius crossed his arms and pouted.
“Come on, Moony,” James called down. “Your turn!”
After a bit more eye rolling and groaning about how tired he was, Remus hooked his fingers into the gaps between bricks and climbed up the wall fairly easily.
“Oh, shut up, Rem, the moon was at least-” Marlene was cut off by Remus clapping his hand over the blonde girl's mouth.
“Marls. We have visitors. Shut. Your. Mouth." Remus said in Maraudrean, eyeing Sirius, who was beside him, and Regulus, still climbing the wall.
"Shit, sorry Remus," Marlene said, wincing as she too glanced at their new royal friends. "I-"
He smiled half-heartedly. "It's all good, Roses."
Sirius was looking between them with a slightly confused look on his face. "Uh, sorry, what happened?"
"Doesn't matter," Marlene said, looking awkward.
Dorcas moved to stand beside her and put her arm over her shoulders, speaking softly into her ear. Marlene blushed furiously, and the others smirked at the pair of hopeless lesbians, and everything was back to normal.
~~~
Once everyone was on the roof, they spread out along it to spots where they could see the stage where Effie and Monty were calling all the villagers in front of the platform. James and Evan passed along a lantern to each person.
"Hello, people of Godric's Hollow!" Monty called out cheerfully. "It is with our greatest pleasure that we officially declare this day of a red lunar eclipse, or a blood moon, the day of our founder, Sir Godric Gryffindor."
"His noble colours glow on the moon tonight, as we honour his courageous, brave and loyal self." Effie continued, smiling warmly. "Now is the time to light your lanterns and honour your ancestors!"
The eclipse had begun, and as the shadow began to slip over the moon, giving it a slight red sheen, villagers began to light the candles inside their lanterns, lead by Effie. James stepped along the line with a match, lighting each lantern in turn. The crowd watched breathlessly as the sky was lit up with a hundred floating red and gold lanterns.
"I reckon that was just about better than last year," Remus whispered in Lily's ear.
She smiled. "Yeah, I think so."