marauders

Beyond the high pointed windows of the Gryffindor tower, a stormy November rain was drumming. The common room felt unusually chilly; the old fireplace could barely keep up with the dampness, and drafts wandered across the floor. Audrey Meadows had settled herself in the farthest, darkest corner of the room, on a hard chair against the wall—far from the warmth, but safely tucked away in the shadows.

She was wearing an oversized, scratchy Gryffindor jumper that she had secretly traded with some seventh-year at the start of the term. The hem of the sweater reached almost to her knees, and the wide sleeves completely hid her hands. Audrey slouched habitually, practically pressing herself into the back of the chair, and clutched a heavy volume of "Advanced Transfiguration Guide" tightly to her chest—her faithful, proven shield against the gaze of others. Beneath the collar of her shirt, buttoned all the way up, lay a simple silver cross, which she frequently felt with her fingers through the fabric, trying to calm herself.

Right in the center of the common room, sprawled across the softest sofa by the fire, was the Marauders' crowd. James Potter was laughing loudly, spinning a Snitch stolen from the stores in his hands; Sirius Black, with his feet propped up on the coffee table, was lazily humming a Muggle rock song, while Remus Lupin was trying to read, occasionally adjusting his prefect's tie.

Suddenly, Sirius fell silent, his eyes following a striking sixth-year girl who had just left for the girls' dormitories.

— No, Potter, did you see her? — Sirius whistled, ruffling his black hair. — Now that's what I call Gryffindor pride. Those curves, that posture... Not like our first-years.

James turned, glancing around the common room in search of a new topic of conversation, and his eyes landed on the dark corner. He grinned widely and called out to the girl, his voice ringing through the room:

— Hey, Meadows! Why are you huddled over there like a house-elf? Come to the fire, warm up. And take off that sack, you could drown in it! Honestly, you look like a first-year boy in that thing.

Sirius chuckled and also turned his head in her direction, squinting with curiosity.