I cleared up my desk, gathered my books and left the dungeons in a disgruntled manner. I nearly forgot that I was supposed to wait for James, Sirius and Remus, turning around to see them not far behind. I waited for them to catch up with me and together we headed back to Gryffindor Tower to spend our free period in the common room.

"Well that was terrible," said Sirius, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That is an understatement," James mumbled angrily. "I can't believe Bianca didn't beat him."

I looked at my feet uncomfortably, jogging to keep up with the boys' long strides. "Thanks, James," I said sardonically.

"That came out wrong," he assured me. "I mean, you were really close... Slughorn could've given you both some Felix; Merlin knows there was enough—"

"Really?" I interrupted. "James, come on, you of all people know that tying with someone is the same as losing," I scoffed honestly.

"Right. I just wish it hadn't been that slimy git... We all know what a lucky day for him would look like," said James.

"You falling on your arse?" I suggested.

"Exactly."

We were silent for a few seconds before Sirius broke the silence.

"I wonder if he cheated," he said thoughtfully, stroking his imaginary beard.

"He didn't cheat," I told him. "Like it or not, Snape's really good at Potions. It's his best class."

"Then we ought to have cheated instead," Sirius added. "I should've thrown an extra Sopophorous Bean into his cauldron to mess him up."

"Padfoot, he was sitting all the way on the other side of the room," Remus chimed in.

"So?"

"So even you can't throw a tiny bean into a cauldron from across the room... your aim isn't that good."

"Whatever," Sirius snapped. "Then I should've used magic to spill his potion all over the floor."

"That's just mean, Sirius," I said, frowning. "Anyway, can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Fine," said Sirius.

We finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, by which time I was panting from having walked through the castle and from climbing so many staircases.

"Password?" she asked.

"Ectoplasm," I said, breathing hard. I leaned over for a moment, my hands on my knees.

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, revealing the portrait hole, which James, Sirius, Remus and I climbed through. As soon as we entered the Gryffindor common room, a sense of freedom washed over me momentarily. We had the next hour or so completely free to do whatever we wanted. Then was lunch, and then we all had Defence.

Peter was sitting on the couch in front of the hearth, the Marauder's Map on his lap. His eyelids looked heavy, as though he was about to fall asleep. His grip on the Map was slackening. When he saw us, however, he seemed to wake himself up. His eyelids fluttered and James ran forward, snatching the Map off of his friend's knee.

"Careful, Wormtail! This could've dropped into the fire," he said, caressing the Marauder's Map carefully in his hands.

"Sorry," he mumbled, yawning widely. "I was bored and I was just watching Filch chase Peeves around the school. How was Potions?"

The four of us exchanged glances and Remus explained to him what we had done in our first Potions lesson of the year, James and Sirius occasionally grumbling insults directed at Snape under their breaths and then batting their eyelashes at me innocently.

"That sucks... I wish you had won, Bianca," said Peter, lying horizontally across the couch. His arm hung limply over the side. "So... what about the other potions?"

"What about them?" James asked.

Peter sleepily mumbled something about Amortentia.

James smirked. "You really should've been there, Pete. You should've been there to smell it. Although, I can already guess what you would've smelled..."

Peter got up off the couch abruptly, sitting up. His eyes had shot open immediately. "What?" he groaned at the smirking faces of the boys. He covered his forehead with his hand. "Please stop." His entire pudgy face had turned bright red, and so had his ears. He was blushing through his hairline.

Sirius and Remus both chuckled at Peter's reaction, but I stared at the four boys blankly.

"OK, I have got to be missing something here," I said, narrowing my eyes at the lot of them. "What are you talking about?"

They were all silent.

"Merlin's pants, why does no one tell me anything? Why am I always the last person here to know anything that goes on? There's only one possible explanation: you all hate me." I sighed and the four of them half-heartedly protested, but seemed amused. "Well, that's OK, then, I can go find some new friends since I make friends so easily," I said dramatically. "Or maybe you guys don't hate me... maybe you just don't trust me. Maybe you think that I would go around telling everyone in the school whatever it is, because that definitely sounds like something I'd do." I crossed my arms over my chest in a challenging manner.

"Do you want to tell her, Pete?" Remus asked.

Peter shook his head.

"Then can I tell her?"

Peter's eyes widened and he pondered this for a moment before nodding his head.

"Can you take a guess who little Petey here fancies?" Remus asked me with a smug grin.

"Er... well, it can't be Lily because James would go mad... er... Alice?"

Alice would've been an extremely plausible guess because she was quiet and kept to herself normally, but I hoped that it wasn't who Peter had a crush on because she was already dating Frank.

Peter shook his head.

"Is it... well, I don't think it is... Marlene?" I asked doubtfully.

Peter nodded.

I gasped, my mouth dropping open. "What? Woah... I did not see that coming..." I said, unable to mask my shock. "I didn't think she was your type or... I don't know... How did I not notice? Wow, I am so thick sometimes..."

I definitely could not see Marlene returning Peter's feelings, but I wasn't going to tell him that. If I pictured Marlene with any of the four boys, it would've probably been Sirius. I couldn't believe that Peter was the one who liked her...

Peter looked over his shoulder at Marlene, who had recently been joined by Lily and Alice when they returned from Potions class. She was really pretty and I was sure a lot of guys in our year fancied her as well. I didn't think Peter would have a chance with her, but the other Marauders were attempting to be supportive and optimistic so I tried to do the same.

For the remaining time until lunch, we sat on the couch, completely bored and unsure of what to do. James suggested going outside on the grounds to play Quidditch, but none of us felt like getting up so we simply say there, waiting for lunch to come.

At around noon we headed down to the Great Hall. I saw Corey as I walked towards our usual seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Did you take the optional courses you said you'd take?" I asked him curiously.

"Yeah, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes," he said, grinning proudly.

"Did you have any of them yet today?"

"I had Arithmancy just before lunch," he said.

"What did you think of it? D'you like it?"

"I think it's my new favourite class," said Corey. "I know it was one of yours too... Anyway, I think the teacher likes me because she knows I'm your brother. I answered some questions correctly, though, and she started telling me I was like you."

He smiled slightly, seeming quite happy to have been told such a thing.

I didn't really like when teachers compared my siblings to me. Since I was the oldest, they often got compared to me and were expected to be as studious as I was. It had happened with both Ainsley and Corey, though Ainsley was a lot more upset by it than Corey was since she didn't always live up to what was expected of her. Corey, being more similar to me, valued studying and schoolwork a lot more than my sister did.

"Good job, little bro," I said.

He turned away and began once again talking animatedly with his friend.

As I settled down into my seat next to the four boys after making my way over to them, I said to no one in particular, "Is it weird that I kind of regret not taking Ancient Runes back in third year?"

"I hate to break it to you, but we're in sixth year now. It's definitely too late," said Remus.

"Could've been interesting," I mumbled, picking up a sandwich from a platter and sinking my teeth into it.

When it finally came time to head to Defence Against the Dark Arts, the anxiousness among the five of us was tangible. DADA happened to be, for each of us, one of our favourite classes, and we would be meeting our new professor. As we reached the classroom, we saw that the new teacher, Professor Atkins, was already standing at the front of the room, looking out upon the students as they took their seats. She was a round and short woman with brown hair and quite a calm demeanour.

James headed towards the front of the room and I questioned him immediately. "What happened to only sitting at the back of the classroom?"

"Don't you know what we'll be learning today?" James asked.

I shook my head.

"Non-verbal spells," said James casually, settling in the seat at the very front.

"OK..." I said. "But what does that have to do with sitting in the front?"

"We already know how to do non-verbal spells," he stated, raising his eyebrows and trying to urge me to understand what he was getting at. I didn't.

"I still don't understand."

"He's showing off to the new teacher, Bianca," said Sirius. "She doesn't know we're troublemakers yet, so she'll praise us and think we're perfect little geniuses."

"She'll be able to see us performing perfect non-verbal spells and will give Gryffindor a couple of points that may be deducted later on today for something we're going to do... I'm being strategic," James told me, tapping his head with his index finger.

"Ohhh," I said. "Of course you are. Also, normally I would ask what bad thing you guys are going to do later so I could scold you for it, but I have learned that it's best for me not to know."

"Bianca, you just get us," said Peter, placing his hand over his heart.

I winked at him.

I took a seat near the front as well. The new professor stood up and silenced the class, ready to start our lesson.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" she said cheerfully, smiling out at us. "I am Professor Atkins, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. As I understand it, you've had many other teachers in this class before me, and the teaching has been relatively uneven, though many of you did quite well on your O.W.L.s. This course at N.E.W.T. level, however, will definitely be much more difficult.

"With He Who Must Not Be Named on the rise, you will be learning how to properly defend yourselves during these dark times. We must begin today with non-verbal spells. You will see that through the course of this year, non-verbal spells will come in extremely useful in all subjects; not only in Defence. Would anyone like to tell me what the advantage of a non-verbal spell is?" she asked the class. "Without opening your books, please," she added quickly as some students tried to peek inside their textbooks.

Remus nudged me and I raised my hand quickly. I had known the answer to this question since the beginning of my fifth year.

Professor Atkins looked around and saw my raised hand. "Yes, Miss—?"

"Reynolds," I answered.

"Miss Reynolds?"

"Your opponent will have no warning of what kind of spell you are casting, which gives you an advantage as you will be able to catch them off guard," I replied.

"Yes, very good. Ten points to Gryffindor!"

There were a few groans, mostly from the Slytherins, but the Marauders beamed.

"Each teacher has different methods of how to teach non-verbal spells to students," Atkins continued. "I will give you a demonstration before you begin attempting it yourselves."

She drew her wand and pointed it at James's textbook, which sat on his desk. He grinned at her crookedly, succeeding at looking quite innocent. Professor Atkins returned his gaze suspiciously.

"I bet you McGonagall's warned her about us," Peter whispered in my ear.

"You're right, she definitely did. Especially about those two," I whispered back, gesturing to Sirius and James and then concentrating on what Atkins was saying.

"Non-verbal spells require a great amount of concentration," she said. "One must first say the incantation in their heads, without speaking. Whispering the incantation is not the same as casting non-verbal spells. You must concentrate on the intention of your spell."

She then levitated James's textbook into the air non-verbally. She let it float for a moment before setting it down carefully.

"I do not expect any of you to get it the first time you attempt it, but you should at least get it by the end of the class." Atkins pocketed her wand. "Now, I would like everyone to get into groups. You will attempt to jinx each other non-verbally, and repel the jinxes the same way. You may begin."

"Lovely," said James. "C'mon Padfoot, let's do this."

I stood up and exchanged a look with Remus as James called, "Professor, we've got it!"

Peter, Remus and I stopped to watch as Professor Atkins stood expectantly in front of James and Sirius, whose wands were held aloft.

"Already?" Atkins asked incredulously. "I didn't think anyone would get it so fast... well, go on."

James attempted to Stun Sirius, casting the spell non-verbally. Sirius put up a Shield Charm in equal silence. When they were done, they looked up to see most of the class watching them, just as they had been hoping for.

"Oh, marvellous!" said Professor Atkins delightfully, clapping her hands together. "The spells were perfectly executed. Twenty points for Gryffindor! How did you manage to get it so quickly?"

"Well, Professor, that's just James Potter and Sirius Black for you," Remus interjected. "They're just that clever." He folded his arms over his chest and smirked, casually leaning against the nearest desk.

"Yes, Professor, we're magnificent," said James. "Also, whatever you might've heard from Professor McGonagall about us is completely false. We definitely didn't put Polyjuice Potion inside every student's drink, turning them into her... That is absurd! Preposterous!"

"Yes, and obviously we never Transfigured the food in the Great Hall into Flobberworms," said Sirius.

"Obviously," said James.

"Obviously," Sirius repeated.

Professor Atkins looked at the pair of them, barely concealed amusement swimming in her eyes. "How did you actually manage to get the non-verbal spells so quickly? Has another teacher given you private lessons?"

"Would you look at that, Padfoot," said James, nudging Sirius. "Yet another teacher doubts our abilities."

"Prongs, we should be used to it. We get it a lot. It must be because we're good-looking," Sirius said back, putting a hand over his heart and acting as though he thought Atkins couldn't hear him.

Professor Atkins became newly suspicious of the Marauders since her conversation with them, but for the rest of the lesson she focused on going around giving everyone pointers on how they would finally get to do proper non-verbal spells. She knew that James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and I had perfected them, and she asked no more questions about how we had learned them.

Meanwhile, the only other people who had managed to put up Shield Charms non-verbally, without whispering, were Lily, Alice and Snape. They, however, had only done it once each, so the Marauders and I, being more practiced at non-verbal magic, stood out more to Professor Atkins.

By the end of the lesson, I couldn't find anything that I particularly hated about her method of teaching, so I decided that perhaps she'd at least be a slightly better teacher than Professor Blitherworth had been.

The day dragged on and our classes seemed a lot longer than usual. It was only our first day of classes, but, as usual after a long break from school, it felt like we had never left Hogwarts once we fell back into our normal routines.

By dinner time, I was tired and had already been assigned a fair amount of homework. All throughout dinner, knowing I needed to leave soon to meet Regulus, I racked my brain trying to think of a plausible excuse as to why I was leaving to tell the boys. I had used the library excuse way too many times, and I was afraid Remus might suggest keeping me company there. I nervously began biting my nails, trying to decide on a lie. How I hated lying to my friends...

I had nearly forgotten what James and Sirius had said in DADA class about planning something that might get many points deducted from Gryffindor until, once dinner was over, the pudding exploded at the Ravenclaw table, spattering a few of the older students in treacle tart. One of the girls, having been immersed in a novel she'd been reading, screamed, "My book!" and flung it across the Great Hall to save it from getting ruined.

Many people burst out laughing at what the girl had said and at the fact that Ravenclaws were now covered in pudding.

"Really?" I asked, turning exasperatedly to Sirius and James, knowing they were behind it.

"Yes, really," said James seriously.

"We were going to do it yesterday, but there was the start-of-term feast and it would've been a colossal waste to destroy a perfectly good feast," Sirius explained quietly to me. "Besides, no one seemed to want to laugh after what happened on the train yesterday... Prongs, we should've done the Slytherin table."

"I know, Pads, but we've pranked the Slytherins so many times before... not that it wouldn't have been fun, but then we'd be getting a little too predictable," James replied, as if the two had had this conversation before.

James fixed his glasses thoughtfully, then added, "You know what we've really got to do to throw people off? Prank some of our own." At this, he grinned mischievously at Sirius, who mirrored his expression.

Amidst all of the commotion, Professor McGonagall stood up swiftly from her seat at the staff table and, rather than walking towards the Ravenclaw table, walked instead to the Gryffindor one. Her cloak billowed out from behind her as, in just a few long strides, she reached us. She came to stand behind James and Sirius, glaring holes into the backs of their heads until they were forced to turn around and look at her.

"Yes, Professor?" James asked, batting his eyelashes innocently at her.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Peter shrinking into his seat to avoid being seen by McGonagall. I tried to look away from her so she wouldn't think I was behind any of this.

She pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes even more.

"You two did this," she stated firmly.

"Really? Have you got any proof of that, Professor?" Sirius asked politely, looking up at her from his seat.

Her eye twitched and she stayed there for a moment, simply glaring at them while everyone else in the Great Hall laughed and pointed at the Ravenclaw table.

She turned on her heel to face the Ravenclaw table and pointed her wand at the students covered in pudding to clean it off of them. She tried once and it didn't work. Then she tried again, but no matter how many times she tried to magically clean the food up, it didn't work.

James and Sirius burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support as they doubled over.

"What did you do?" I hissed at the two boys.

"That was Remus's idea," James said, "and it sure as hell was completely ingenious!"

"No matter what spell any of them try, they won't be able to magically clean the food up," Remus explained, smirking proudly.

As the Ravenclaws—rather than attempting to use magic to do it—began using napkins to clean themselves off, McGonagall strode once again towards the Gryffindor table and grabbed James and Sirius by the scruff of their necks as they continued to howl with laughter. She pushed them both towards the Entrance Hall.

Just before they walked through the door with her, Sirius yelled over his shoulder, "I hate you, Lupin! You always get away with everything!"

Remus waved at him.

"Well, that was the highlight of my day," said Peter, finally sitting up straighter in his seat.

"Well, there goes all the points they earned for Gryffindor in Defence," I said, propping my chin up on my fist.

I inhaled sharply, sensing my opportunity to leave now that James and Sirius were both gone.

"I, er... there's something I have to do," I said evasively. "I'll see you guys back in the common room later, OK?"

"Yeah, sure," said Remus.

"See you," said Peter.

I left the Great Hall, looking over my shoulder at the Slytherin table to see if Regulus had left yet. I wasn't able to spot him during the few seconds I allowed myself to search the table before turning away.

I headed up to the seventh floor and went down a corridor, walking until I reached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet.

My pulse was quickening as I paced three times in front of the wall, watching the door of the Room of Requirement suddenly materialize in front of me. I hadn't seen Regulus in nearly two or three months and I was anxious to be seeing him again.

When I pushed the door open, I saw a room very similar to the one I normally took sanctuary in when feeling the need to escape reality. The same shelves filled with books stood upright in the corner of the room, the same comfortable couch was on the side; however, there were a few conceivable differences. The room before me was so high-ceilinged that when I looked up, I gasped at the beauty of it. It was identical to the ceiling in the Great Hall, mimicking the night sky. The night was cloudless and dark, allowing the bright lights in the sky to shine through, seeming to twinkle and increase in brightness the longer I stared at them.

I was so immersed in looking up at the sky that I didn't notice Regulus had snuck up behind me. I was startled for only a moment before he had snaked his arms around my waist. He looked older and more mature than he had the last time I had been this close to him to be able to notice. He had gotten taller, but so had I, so that the top of my head reached to just above his chin. And suddenly I had wrapped my arms around him as well, and I was hugging him and pressing my lips to his for a fleeting moment.

"I missed you," he whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine.