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They were all sat outside, the students facing the Great Lake while Professor Dumbledore gave the final remarks. Short, sweet, and… not necessarily to the point, but really, no one expected him to be. McGonagall nudged him in the right direction when he was about to tell a completely off-topic story, but all-in-all, he talked for maybe two minutes.
All the graduating students were immensely grateful that their Headmaster wasn’t one for long-winded speeches no one gave a damn about.
The moment finally came and they all threw their hats in the air. No one was particularly surprised that the Marauders had planned something for this, but they all laughed at the firework creations of the Professors playing with or being chased by the House mascots.
Firework-McGonagall walked alongside the Gryffindor lion, not paying any mind to the Firework-Dumbledore, who was laying on his stomach trying to have a conversation with the Slytherin snake.
“I’m going to miss this,” Peter said as they were all back in the dorm finishing up their packing.
“We’re still going to see each other all the time Wormtail,” James assured him.
Peter shrugged. “It won’t be the same. And I’m not saying that’s bad, it’s just… different. I dunno. Aren’t you going to miss all of us living together?”
“Not really,” Sirius said, copping a feel of James’s arse suggestively. He was lying though, and they all knew it. Sure, he’d enjoy not having to worry about his friends walking in on them shagging, but having to actually visit them instead of them being there all the time was going to be horrible. “It’s just gonna be me and Jamie without the meddlesome complications of other people existing.”
“The horror,” Remus deadpanned.
Sirius and James nodded along sagely, but Peter made a face. “It was kinda horrific from my perspective, don’t know about you Moony.”
They were all dawdling now, refolding clothes and moving items from one side of their suitcase to the other. James tried to convince Sirius they should put all their clothes in one case, and everything else in the other since the two of them were going to the same place, to the same room.
Well, try would imply that James didn’t succeed, but he did. Sirius was about to tip over the case in front of him, when Peter forced his hand back down.
“Come on mates, we’re already packed.”
“You’re just ready to go because you don’t like the smell,” James accused Remus.
“There are some things even house elves can’t clean,” he replied, thinking of that time Peter had gotten smashed and lit an entire case of Firewhiskey on fire after dumping it on their dormitory floor. The scent had probably been gone after a day or two, but Remus still swore he could smell it some days. They hadn’t gotten in trouble for that one, though only Merlin knows how. He thinks Dumbledore used the phrase, “It wouldn’t be the first fire that dormitory has seen in the last century, and it won’t be the last.”
“Remember when we flooded the room with soapy water?” James asked, a small smile on his face, and his arm around Sirius.
“I thought we flooded the school.”
“That was on purpose, the first time was just here.”
“And actually an accident,” Peter added, because that’s what was important. They’d done innumerable things on purpose, many of them stupid, but the list of things they’ve done on accident could be counted on two hands.
Remus surveyed the empty looking room. The four posters were still there obviously, mattresses and bed curtains still intact, but that was it. The sunlight streaming from the window warmed the wood floor where a dent from Remus’s boot was (werewolf strength and intoxication was a bitch). “It’s strange that once we walk out this door, this isn’t going to be home anymore.” He’d drifted the past few summers, floating between James and Peter’s places, but he knew all of them felt the same.
“Yeah,” Sirius said. “This will be someone else’s dorm now, and that’s…” he blew out a breath, “weird. To say the least.”
James nodded.
“But we’re done here,” Peter said. “It’ll be someone else’s time.” He laughed a little. “Good luck.”