Harry Potter 1. Looking Back

Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, settings or other stuff. Hoshi, Ronnie and the plot belong to me, no matter how hard they will try to avoid it. The idea of the Seven Marauders is also mine, though not the original four. Some of the characters ages and whatnot may be a little off, but either I don't know how old they are, or I made them this age for a reason.

Dumbledore paused in his pacing, glancing up at the snoring pictures on the walls of his office. A warm spring breeze blew through the open windows, causing the bell at the end of his wizard's hat to chime slightly. His eyes were drawn to the picture low on the wall, nearly hidden by the slightly ruffling curtains. Seven people smiled and waved the brass plaque under the framed photo declared them " The Marauders". Dumbledore strokes his beard, looking down on the familiar faces. There were the face men of the group- Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. There were also three females in the picture.

The first was standing with Black, their arms about each other's shoulders, a middle-eastern girl in appearance. He recalled her name as Hoshiara- Hoshi- Falcon. The next girl grinned cheekily at the camera, Remus's arm about her waist. Though the black and white photo did not show it, her hair (as he remembered) was a brilliant shade of blue-roan, a mixture of black and white hairs. Her name was still muttered in the troubled sleep of some of her former teachers- Ronnie (Veronica) Tatterhat. The last was a very familiar face- Lily Evans. She was holding James Potter's hand, and her head was laid on his sholder. Some people would be quite concerned with this- no one remembered Lily Evans taking part in the Marauder's tricks. He himself did not know how people could think that, but with everyone remembering the Marauders as four boys, one could never know.

The photo was taken in the children's 6th year, though they had been friends since the third year. That had been when Miss Falcon and Miss Tatterhat had transferred to Hogwarts. Hoshi had gone to a school in India before Hogwarts, and a school in Ireland before that. Ronnie had attended the same Irish school, then had gone to one in the United States, before going back to Spiral Circle. The Headmaster sat on the edge of his desk, the photo in his hand. A breeze filled with the scent of warm afternoon earth and moonflower brought him back to the girls' first evening at Hogwarts, and to the events that lead up to it…

" Lills! There you are!" Tonks calls, racing down the hall. Lily turns from the eagle statue with a sachet of papers in her hand.  
" What was that all about?" The pink-haired teenager asks, breathlessly. Lily smiles, walking comfortably along on the way to the horse-less carriages that would take them to the station.  
" The Headmaster asked me to write the two exchange students who will be coming next year. I think I'll enjoy it- they sound like fun girls." She adds, flipping the folder open so Tonks could read about the new students as they walked.

" Lilyflower, Lady of my heart!" Someone yells from behind them and Lily rolls her eyes, closing the folder before James could see. Tonks sighs and sticks her tongue out at her cousin, nodding to Remus and turning her hostile gaze to Peter. Who did he think he was- and why in _hell_ did James and Sirius let him hang out with them? _I'll find out one of these days… _Tonks thinks to herself, swinging up into the carriage she and Lily would share with three other Gryffindor girls. _I'll find out if it kills me…_


	2. Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Hoshi glances around, a little jittery with nerves as more students arrive at the station. She glances at Ronnie- she was anxiously braiding a chunk of roan hair from her ponytail, absently tapping her foot.

" Hoshi, Ronnie!" A redhead calls, waving over the crowd. Hoshi smiles and waves back. Lily's deep red hair was loose today, worn just long enough to just brush her shoulders. It was odd, seeing as she usually braided and French braided it several times and pulled it into a ponytail. She must be trying to impress a boy, Hoshi decided as the thin girl breaks through the crowd to hug them.

" I'm so glad you found your way!" Lily informs them, smiling as the porters take their luggage and begins ushering her new friends to the train. Lily, Ronnie and Hoshi had grown to be close friends over their summer correspondence. Ronnie and Hoshi already knew each other from WCSS, but the trio had become very fast friends.

" Lilyflower! You though you could get away with out coming to say hello, but your wrong!" A dark-haired, bespectacled boy calls, coming up to Lily and offering her a flower of the same name.  
" These are the ones I told you about." Lily says to the two behind her, dropping the flower in distaste as it was turned into a rat.

" Ah," Hoshi says, grinning wolfishly and cracking her knuckles in an unsettling way, " The Infamous Marauders." She looks the boys up and down cynically.  
" They don't look like much to me." She shrugs, lifting an eyebrow at the odd-looking girl on Lily's other side. " Ronnie?" She asks, turning her unsettlingly bright blue gaze back on the now gawky-feeling boys.

" I must conquer. I figured the rumors were a bunch of shit, but the gossips have really outdone themselves. One would think they were gods!" Ronnie smirks, holding back laughter. All the girls turn and walk to the train, leaving the boys standing in shock.

" Oh. My. God. You just totally showed them up! They all the sudden turned into these little boys caught looking up a girl's dress!" Lily crows, emerald eyes alight with delight. Hoshi grins mischievously, Ronnie's smile showing off more tooth then necessary. The girls board the train, and reserve themselves a cabin. Lily goes to check in with the other prefects, coming back, bursting with gossip.

" You should hear the other kids. You two are on the fast track to ultimate worship. I don't know how you do it!" She says, starting in on the pile of chocolate frogs the girls had bought. The train whistles and steams from the station, heading out into the countryside. After 45 minutes or so, there came a knock at the compartment door.

" Mind if we join you?" James asks, letting himself in, followed by his cronies.

" Don't mind if we do!" Sirius says brightly, taking a seat next to Ronnie, Remus grins apologetically at Lily and sits down across from Hoshi, who had her nose in a thick volume. Lily sighs, rolling her eyes, only to yelp in protest as Ronnie's queen checkmates her king in wizard's chess.

" What are you reading?" Remus asks after a moment of extremely awkward silence between him and the east-Indian girl. Hoshi glances up from her book her peach-golden features almost openly hostile. She holds up the book, allowing Remus to catch the title- he grins.  
" You like it so far?" He asks, genuinely interested.  
" I'm a big fan of all of his books, but I have to say the third volume is just mind blowing." Hoshi says, glancing up once again, this time looking slightly less murderous.  
" You've read them before?" Remus asks, hoping he wasn't the only one to have re-read, then re-read again the same popular series.  
" I think my grand total for the entire series is about 5, now..?" Hoshi says, her brow wrinkling in thought. Remus smiles back, nodding. The two talk a bit more about books their conversation passing from openly hostile, to curious, to comfortable conversation. Their conversation wanders from books to magic, to muggles. At last, the four boys began to excuse themselves from the relative peace they had silently agreed upon. Remus stands, then realizes he hadn't even asked the girl her name.

" It was a pleasure, Miss...?" He asks, offering a hand. The girl takes his hand gracefully, smiling.  
" Hoshi Falcon. T'was a pleasure to meet you."  
" Remus Lupin, the pleasure was all mine." Remus replies, bringing on a outpouring of introductions. After a while they all ran out of small talk to make and the boys took their leave, walking down the corridor to their compartment. The boys change into their uniforms, eating the last of their candy before the train pulled into station.

" You certainly got off to a good start with the Indian girl." James points out, and Sirius backs him up.  
" We are discussing literature!" Remus protests, nibbling on his final bar of Honeydukes chocolate. He'd need to stock up again as soon as possible.  
" Discussing literature my arse, Remy." Sirius informs him, punching at his arm playfully. " You know you've got the hots for her!"  
" I do _not_!" Remus protests, even as he stood up, and soon lost Sirius in the crowd. He nods to Peter and the two boys find themselves a carriage.


End file.

Harry Potter, Humor