It was dark and quiet and much of Hogwarts, when three figures and an animagus rat make their way under an invisible cloak. "Remey, stop breathing on my neck!" Sirius snapped. "It feels gross!" He shuddered violently in complaint.
"You're the one who wanted to be in the middle," Remus growled dangerously narrowing his gold-flecked eyes. As if chiming in agreement, the sleek, glossy rat, Wormtail noisily squeaks at Sirius. Peter in his animagus form raises his little paws in the air in a rude gesture.
"Why! Ought to-," Sirius said, before letting out a pained yelp. "What was that for, James!" He complained rubbing his bruised ribcage by James's elbow.
"Shaddup!" James hissed in exasperation. "Do you want the whole of Hogwarts to hear us!" He should have never wavered in front of Sirius's persistent pleading. By Godric's sake, he was a grown-ass man!
"No need to be so rude," Sirius huffed before his gray eyes grow wide. He wasn't the only one as Peter clamped his little paws over his mouth and Remus appeared to stop breathing.
Turning around, James suddenly finds himself facing the severely irked face of Rowan. Without any gentle care, she roughly reaches out and tugs the invisible cloak off them. "Just because this is a bloody invisible cloak, it does nothing so I can't hear you, you, dunderheads!"
Sirius sheepishly blinks at Rowan, while Remus pointedly gazes at the ground, and Wormtail climbs into the pocket of Remus to hide. James is the only one left stunned while Rowan begins to pointedly tap her foot against the ground. "Now explain to me exactly why I shouldn't dock Gryffindor 50 points for each of you?" She paused especially to eye Remus with a critical eye.
"And just because I can't give you detention nor dock points from another Prefect, Remus, that doesn't mean I won't get even," Rowan ominously declared causing Remus to cringe at the blatant threat.
"50 points! Come now, Rowan isn't that a bit excessive?" Sirius protested but swiftly fell silent under Rowan's murderous glare.
"I am certain that a group of good friends wouldn't help a sick friend, who is recovering in the infirmary escape. And even more head out for on a night run during a full moon in the dead of winter simply because it is a monthly tradition, now, would they?" Rowan flatly said. "That would be completely foolish on their part, and wouldn't you agree that they are VERY bad friends?"
"Er," Sirius guiltily glanced around as Remus sighed and Wormtail covered his little rat face with his paws in exasperation. Sirius couldn't lie to save his life; he was the worst and most terrible liar that ever existed!
James sighed and decided to take one for the marauders. "It was my idea, Rowan," James lied. "I thought it might cheer Severus up."
Rowan merely curls her lips in a silent snarl, before folding her arms over her chest. "You're lucky I happened to find Severus planning to sneak out from the Infirmary," she growled, before softening at Sirius's sad-kicked puppy dog gaze. "I know that you meant well even if as usual none of you clearly thought this through."
"So, we aren't in trouble?" Sirius foolishly interjected speaking far too soon. All hope disappears from Remus's face as Rowan's face hardens and Peter decides to just stay inside Remus's pocket where it was safer.
Rowan's midnight indigo eyes turn frigid before a cold smile appears on her face. Remus's face turns ashen recognizing the smile similar to that of Terry Greengrass. Terry, Severus, and he had grown close, especially after James, Sirius, and Peter joined the Quidditch team. If there was one thing, he had learned from their friendship is one Terry smiled a certain way, it was best to run in the opposite direction or even better be hundreds of miles away. And apparently, Rowan wasn't an exception either!
"I've changed my mind," Rowan icily said. "Why don't we all have a nice adventure this evening?"
"No," Sirius hastily stammered shaking his head forcefully, "I am feeling rather tired, and I think it's best we all head off to bed."
"Nonsense, Sirius," Rowan said in an eerie tone of voice. "Where is your sense of adventure? You must make your house proud. It is always the Gryffindors that are brave and hardy!"
Sirius drily swallows feeling the full force of the malicious smile. He nervously peeks at his friends only to find James running a hand through his air in annoyance, while Remus appeared resigned, and not a hint of Wormtail could be seen except for the quivering tip of his tail sticking out from Remus's pocket. Gaining fake courage, Sirius puffs out his chest and says, "The marauders are always ready for an adventure!"
Remus covered his face with his hands and muttered, "We're all doomed."
"Excellent," Rowan crisply said, before reaching into her pockets and pulling at a shrunken packet. With a flick of her wand, the packet enlarges, before shoving the packet into Sirius's hands. "I need a rather loud distraction and I am sure that all three of you can run rather quickly and hide with the map, no?"
"Well, yes," Sirius's voice trailed off as he opened the package before eyes widen at the contents of the package filled with items from Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade and a few other places. There were Dung Bombs, Fanged Frisbees, and an assortment of other banished items including enchanted fireworks.
Sirius's gray eyes glow at spotting the forbidden items, before eying Rowan in awe. "Where did you get your hand on this kind of contraband?"
"As if I would tell you," Rowan snorted in a huff, "give James and me ten minutes, before setting off the fireworks."
"What?" James blurted out rather startled.
"I need your cloak, and I need someone to watch my back," Rowan truthfully replied. She had been meaning to borrow the invisible cloak, but she lacked the means. Now with a group of co-conspirators, her initial plan would not be a problem.
"Aye, Capitan," Sirius saluted Rowan, before happily dragging Remus after him with poor Peter still in Remus's pocket. "Just like the good old days," Sirius sighed happily to himself before the three of them vanished around a corner of the passage.
Before James can speak, Rowan shoves James into an empty classroom and stands firmly in the doorway. James glares at Rowan from his painful sprawl on the floor, before he can accuse Rowan of anything, a loud meow and the quick patter of paws is heard. A scrawny cat with dust-colored fur and bulging yellow-lamp-like eyes appears in the hallway.
"Hello, Mrs. Norris," Rowan warmly greeted the cat. Mrs. Norris happily intertwines around Rowan's ankles, before Rowan bends down to gently scratch the cat behind her ears. Mrs. Norris purrs loudly as Rowan says, "I see that you're doing your duty, as usual, I commend you on your excellent skills.
Mrs. Norris meows in agreement, before raising her face and sniffing about. Holding up her finger to her mouth, Rowan says, "Would you be a dear and let this one-time pass, Mrs. Norris. He is my betrothed and I needed to have a private word with him."
Mrs. Norris narrows her yellow lamp eyes at the sprawled form of James Potter, before meowing loudly as if relenting before the request. With one last farewell scratch, Mrs. Norris raises her tail high and proudly continues patrolling Hogwarts. It was her solemn duty to keep Hogwarts safe and no mouse or student would escape under her watch!