L A N T E R N S
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[warning; this chapter is just terribly cliche and barely edited but I'm publishing anyway before school starts so sorry you've been warned.]

It was a surprisingly sunny afternoon for Halloween, though still chilly, and every student seemed to know it. They lingered by the giant, arched windows as they travelled between lessons, just to let the light fall down on their face. The last week had been nothing but rain, and Freya hoped the sun would dry out the squishy, muddy grass she had been forced to walk through.

So James, Peter, Sirius and Freya paced against the wall as they headed to their next class (Lily had Ancient Runes with Mary while Marlene had taken Remus to the Infirmary).

Just as they were about to turn a corner, the robust figure of Slughorn made his way towards them, and even echoed their names cheerfully with a smile. In response, Sirius immediately turned on his heel with casual grace and attempted to walk the other way, but Freya hooked her finger around his robe and tugged him back towards them. After all, friendship was about going through hell together.

"Ah just the people I wanted to see," the man observed the four of them, "Don't worry about time, I've told your kind Professor that you'd be late."

If he was awaiting some sort of response, an appropriate one did not cross their mind, so they stood in patient silence. Slughorn shook his head before continuing.

"I've been informed by Professor Binkley that you two," he gestured to Freya and James, "Have been assigned detention."

Upon learning that the situation did not involve him, Sirius snorted and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed to watch their verdict. Peter observed his actions before copying them himself, though his shortness led to a bit of difficulty.

"I'll see you in my office on the second night of November, I'm having a late Halloween dinner party on the third for my Slug Club, and I'm sure you two can help out in ways house elves in the kitchens can't."

James nodded, eager to use the two way mirrors. He turned to direct a wink to Sirius, as if he wanted to remind him of the mirror as well, but the boy had already directed a look of panic his way. Freya understood. November the second was a full moon, and James always planned to be with Remus in those difficult hours.

"Are you sure we can't do another night?" The blonde questioned, "We have a big report due the next day."

In all of the times the Marauders had been assigned detention, of course five or six had fallen on the night of a full moon. However, they tended to be able to weasel out a different date. Though Slughorn took his Club's parties very seriously, and he truly wanted help with this one.

Professor Slughorn furrowed his eyebrows at the group. They did look quite odd. Freya and Sirius both had expressions of exasperation at their luck of detention; Peter had begun to look between the two in confusion; and James was so caught up in the idea of using his mirror again, a smug smirk was placed on his face, which the Professor did not understand at all.

"I'm sorry Miss Bradberry," he shooed them to the way they had been previously going down the hall, "Detention will be 7:45 on November the second for you both. It won't kill you to come with a happy spirit."

The four friends walked as slow as possible down the corridors in order to avoid class. After all, their teacher more than likely still assumed they were in conversation with Slughorn.

"This is stupid," James spoke after listening to Freya explain that the full moon was the night of detention. He shuffled in slow motion toward the classroom, "I'm going to miss Moony's transformation because of a comment."

"Frey is missing a night of no sleep for a muffin," the mousey Gryffindor commented. He had no trouble with the slow walking, and actually felt relieved because he could keep up for once.

Her eyebrows furrowed and a look of concentration crossed her face as an idea formed together in her mind. Sirius seemed to notice, and he stopped.

"Well, out with it."

The girl looked at them with a single raised eyebrow and a covered expression of excitement, "Perhaps we should give them something worthy of detention."

"Like?"

"Maybe we could push the grand seventh year prank up to tonight. Make it a bit spookier in honor of Halloween, and Nick's birthday of course."

The three boys exchanged a look, and a hidden conversation seemed to take place between them.

"Keep talking, but we can't decide without Moony," James predictably said with clear interest, and Peter shuddered behind Sirius with excitement.

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The Great Hall was truly a delight on Halloween evening. Glowing lanterns dotted the starred ceiling like stars themselves. Deliciously flavored food had been stacked high on each house table, and James couldn't even complain about the Hufflepuffs having a better dinner. It was hard to top the creamy mashed potatoes, gravy covered meats, and assorted vegetables.

The Marauders and Freya made sure not to miss the meal.

As soon as Remus was out of the infirmary that afternoon for a short time before his transformation effects became unbearable, they immediately told him of their plan, and he willingly perfected it. Though he would never admit to it, strategically mapping out plans was quite enjoyable to him.

It truly was a great plan, and though Lily and Mary took no part in it, they had been warned. The redhead only shook her head with shown disapproval, but hidden excitement for the show.

"And you're sure you don't think it'd be cooler if I turned into a stag and pranced around the room?" James questioned his friends yet again as their dinner was devoured in large, quick gulps.

Marlene waved her hand, "It's too obvious, James. Besides, if we wanted it to be that obvious, we'd use Sirius. No offense but his animagus is a lot scarier than your's. But that would be stupid. Do you two want to wind up in Azkaban?"

"No," Sirius responded instantly without a second thought, "We just thought it'd be interesting. Though I see what you mean, love."

Luckily, the sunshine's smile in the atmosphere ceased around seven pm, and the night sky cried heavy tears of raindrops.

One by one the group of friends left the Great Hall to divert attention away from their suspicious actions. Peter reluctantly left first after being promised he would be supplied with desert from the kitchens later. Freya and Remus exited next with entwined hands, then Marlene, followed by James. After awhile, Sirius withdrew as well. Though the timing between himself and James was far apart. The two leaving closely after each other would bring a great deal of suspicion, for trouble always followed the two friends.

As soon as Sirius arrived, he took James's invisibility cloak from his own plain cloak's pocket and dropped it over Remus and Freya's head.

"Remember the spell. It'll magnify your voice —"

"I've got it, James. Trust me," the invisible girl interrupted with a roll of her blue eyes.

"It's rude to roll your eyes."

"How did you know —"

A hidden sigh sounded from Remus, "If you two don't shut up, we'll never finish the plan."

This was all the convincing they needed, and in that instant, Marlene and Peter disappeared around the corner, leaving Sirius and James to casually saunter back into the Hall and complete their own duty.

Suddenly the cloak slipped ever so slightly to reveal Freya's golden hair and the edge of Remus's sweater. It was all enough for the school's poltergeist, who was hidden around the corner, to determine who they were, and he let out a loud cackle.

"Freya Braberry is being a bad-berry! And loony loony Lupin too?"

"Peeves," Freya hissed at the cringe worthy antics and her head peeked from the cloak, "Shut up."

The poltergeist opened his mouth to yell loudly, but luckily Marlene walked from around the corner.

"Peeves!" She hissed, "You'll ruin our prank!"

"A prank?" He questioned in interest, "Does ickle meany Marleney need help with such a prank?"

"Sure, just come back here."

Peeves stood rooted in his spot above them, and Freya exchanged an annoyed expression with Remus underneath the cloak. If the whole plan was blown because of something this ridiculous, she would have more days in detention for nothing.

"Please," Marlene added bitterly and Peeves immediately floated behind the corner with her. Just in time too. The plan was beginning.

Within seconds, the enchanted ceiling poured rain down on the students, and the lights of the festive lanterns flickered off. The Great Hall grew eerily dark, and a few students shouted as the water fell lightly down on them. Sirius's charm has worked.

Though Remus wasn't looking at the enchanted storm, but at Freya. The near proximity brought every detail of her face to his eyes. He was truly in awe after catching sight, and there was far too much to take in, he couldn't possibly look away.

Her blonde hair draped into her eyes, and a few pieces stood up from the static of the cloak. Her red lipstick covered lips were parted as she concentrated on the Great Hall for their signal. The freckles that dotted her cheeks were not visible in the dim light, but he could point to everyone of them with his eyes closed from the years he had peered down at her.

"You're beautiful," he blurted the words and she turned with wide eyes at the randomness of his statement.

A smile crossed her face and she nudged his shoulder with her elbow, "Thanks."

Remus broke their gaze and turned back to the rain in the room in front of him, but she gently moved his face towards her and kissed him shortly.

Sirius finally slipped out wordlessly with James close behind. Luckily, the two boys remained unnoticed due to the darkness, and they each managed to only get a few drops of water on their shoulders. The pair turned the same corner Marlene did before James poked his head back around and let out an embarrassingly loud owl noise.

"That's your cue," Remus pulled away from Freya and lightly held his wand up to rest against her throat. He carefully mumbled the amplifying charm. As soon as he did so, the girl let out a loud scream that became oddly piercing due to the magic.

A few students backed from where they had attempted to flee the rain, not wanting to enter where the unknown screams took place.

From where she crouched down invisibly, Freya spotted Peter scamper by into the rain in his animagus form. He instantly made his way to Severus Snape, and the dark haired boy yelped at the sight of the rodent that perched on his foot. A few students nearby laughed in response as they realized the prank.

Lily glared warningly out the door as Peter tormented Snape.

The newest addition to the prank soon followed with a cackle, and Peeves flew through the rain without a care in the world. Many students groaned when they saw him, for good actions never came from the poltergeist. He glided around the room, stealing food from tables and poking at the first years.

Truly, the plan was well organized. It just looked a bit chaotic once they tested it out.

"Now, that's enough," Albus Dumbledore spoke with a calm yet powerful tone. His voice rose over the exasperated moans of the students, the pouring of the rain down onto the table, and the echoed scream of Freya.

"That was wicked!" someone called from the end of the Slytherin table.

The Headmaster's wand waved and the ceiling of the hall once again became a picture of the sky above. McGonagall stood up as well to give her wand a quick flick before the lanterns flickered back on, and the castle's room was filled with light once again.

"Peeves, you don't want me to get the Bloody Baron, do you?" Dumbledore inquired lightly as he still glided throughout the room despite the fact that all the other nonsense aspects of the prank had stopped. At the mention of the Bloody Baron, the poltergeist disappeared from the Hall in a flash.

Though some students looked slightly upset at their drenched robes and soggy food, most laughed at their friends' reactions to the screams. For instance, Mulciber prodded Snape for being scared of a "mouse," whom had retreated back out the door long ago; a Hufflepuff commented to her friends that the Marauders were nowhere to be seen; and Lily complained to Mary about how she was going to "kill all of her friends once she got her hands on them."

"I do think this calls for some hot chocolate," Dumbledore noted and a few students clapped with approval, "Oh — and if Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Miss. Bradberry, Mr. Lupin, Miss. McKinnon and Mr. Pettigrew could please meet me at my office."

"Damnit," Remus muttered, his voice echoing across the room as Freya's microphonelike wand was still held between them. A few students laughed, and the couple used that as their cue to sneak away unseen towards the other three Marauders and Marlene.

"Nice touch, Moony," Sirius said, the corner of his lip rose up into a smile.

Nothing else was said for quite some time as they ventured to the Headmaster's office. They did not dread their punishment, as it was highly unlikely they would be expelled, and all six friends knew what they signed up for.

"So," spoke James finally. He clapped his hands together and began walking backwards so he could face them all while talking, "Let's all name something positive about this prank before we get cranky with a month's worth of detention."

"Well for one," Freya began, "I'll have detention for something worth it rather than for James's muffin craving."

Remus grinned and whispered something in Freya's ear about how their hidden kiss was his positive reason, and Peter crinkled his nose, "I'm having flashbacks to summer."

"You scarred the poor boy," said Sirius as he tossed and arm around Peter.

"Oh! And Padfoot and I have multiple chances to use the two way mirror now," James predictably spoke.

Marlene huffed, "If you don't shut the hell up about that bloody mirror."

The banter continued as the six Gryffindors looped around the hallways of the castle and named more positive reasons for the prank. Peter named quite a few, which mostly had to do with him reminding James that he had promised to visit the kitchens later on to the grab desert food he had missed.

The rain outside had finally stopped, but the drops of water still stuck to the numerous glass windows of the school. These water droplets trickled down in unorganized lines, like tears messily falling down the face of the broken hearted.

"I finally got to use that amplifying charm," Remus commented.

"Yes, to say 'damnit.' What an accomplishment," Peter snorted.

In response, Remus grabbed his wand from his left pocket beneath the covering that his grey sweater provided. With a quick motion, it rested on his throat, and his voice echoed down the corridor.

"I love Freya Bradberry."

The blonde did the same with a light blush on her cheeks, "And I, Freya, love Remus Lupin as well."

Sirius noticeably made a noise of fake disapproval before his own wand touched underneath his jaw and his voice grew loud, "And I, Sirius Black, am disgusted."

It seemed the portraits around them had had enough of these antics, and one even groaned, "Shut up!" Another called out, "Don't you dare!" at James, who had innocently taken his wand out also to repeat his friends' actions.

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AUTHORS NOTE:
I HATE THIS CHAPTER BUT IT IS SORTA LONG (2707 WORDS) SO IF YOU GOT TO THIS A/N IN UNDER FIVE MINUTES SHAME ON YOU HOE
qotd: favorite spell?
aotd: probably stupefy