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Bundled in their warmest cloaks, the four boys hurried towards the lake with excitement building in their bellies. Six years of the same tradition was coming to an end tonight, and there was a silent mourning amongst their childish grins. They reached the edge of the lake in heavy breaths that frosted with each exhale, like tiny puffs of magic escaping their mouths.
They stood together, looking out into the vastness of the frozen water, admiring the way the wind picked up the snow and created a blur of winter before them. In their moments of reflection, both on the future before them and the past years they shared, the four Gryffindors found themselves surrounded by other students. Some wore beanies and scarves, others bundled in muggle coats and fleece blankets, but the Marauders could see every House represented. Glancing between each other with renewed excitement and a strange sense of comfort, they closed the gap between themselves and the frozen ice.
Sirius let out a long breath, enjoying the cool air against his cheeks before tossing his wand onto the ground. “Who’s first this year?”
James and Remus dropped their wands as well, creating a small pile like kindling. James pushed the glasses up his nose, “Peter lost last year, he’s up first.”
With a scrunch of his nose, Peter sighed, “Yeh, yeh, I know, I know.” His wand joined the others with a wooden clatter and he shook his hands to relieve the nervousness that overtook him.
“Same rules as always, mates,” Remus said, “No magic. Farthest across the ice wins. Whoever wins gets to choose the snacks, loser goes to get them. Anyone who falls through is an automatic loser. If more than one us falls through the ice, any and all wet persons go to the kitchens.”
"We've been doing this since Firsties, Moony, we know the rules!" Sirius said, shoving him playfully with his shoulder. Remus laughed and shoved him back, sending him into Peter.
Peter shoved Sirius off and sighed. “Alright, count for me…”
With wicked grins, the other boys chanted in unison, “One...two...three!”
The crowd of onlookers began cheering, some with inspiring shouts and others with negative yells as Peter took off across the icy lake.
“C’mon, Pete! You can do it, mate!” Remus shouted, clapping his hands together in support.
Sirius leaned into the healthy-looking werewolf, “He loses every year, Moony.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t cheer him on, eh?”
James grinned and joined the shouting until Peter stopped suddenly.
“A’right… this is it!” he shouted from only fifty yards away.
Sirius gave a thumbs up, “Keep your knickers on, we’re coming!”
James, Remus and Sirius did a quick round of stone-parchment-slicing hex.
“You’re up, Prongs!” Remus said, clapping the Head Boy on the shoulder. James rolled his eyes.
“I’ve got to change up my routine.”
“Yeh, you always choose parchment first. You’re lucky I haven’t told Lily that yet,” Remus replied.
Sirius chuckled, “I’m sure she’s noticed. No lollygagging, James, go !”
James shot off towards Peter, taking calculated but quick steps across the snowy ice. A group of Slytherins were boo-ing, but it was barely audible over the younger Gryffindors cheering him on. He made it less than half of Peter’s distance before he stopped abruptly.
“Oi, it’s cracking here!”
“Shut it, you pansy!” Sirius shouted at him after the crowd died down. “Do you need a handsome knight to come save you?”
“Shut yourself up and just run!”
“I knew you’d ask for me over Lily one day!”
“I’m going to knock you out, Padfoot!”
Sirius gave a final grin to Remus and darted towards the others, taking a path to the side of them to avoid cracks. The crowd roared again, some waving extra scarves in excitement and support.
“Go, go, go!”
“C’mon Sirius! You can do it!”
In a graceful slip, Sirius slid across the ice and landed on his knees at 70 yards.
“Hah! Let’s go Moony, before my nipples freeze off!”
A very girlish cheer rang up on that, and Remus laughed. “Maybe I’ll just stay over here this year, what do you think about that?” he yelled to the other Marauders. “I’ll take your wands and leave you all to freeze!”
The Slytherins cheered, along with a small group of girls Sirius had left in his wake over the years. James, Peter, and Sirius all protested at once, but Remus could barely hear them over his own laughter.
“Yes, yes, alright, I hear you,” he mumbled once he’d caught his breath.
Remus rubbed his hands together for warmth, cupped them over his mouth and breathed on them, then gave his legs a small stretch.
“Sometime this month, please!” Peter yelled, and James agreed heartily. When Remus took off, he was quick and agile, with light feet over the dangerously thin ice. He took a path on the opposite side of Sirius, refusing to look at his fellow Marauders until he was sure he would be past them. It was how he won last year, and he’d be damned if he wouldn’t be a champion their final year at Hogwarts.
The crack of ice was unmistakable, but he ignored it, instead choosing to divert his path a little farther out. He arrived to a patch with a higher mound of snow and slipped on it, falling to his knees and allowing himself to slide as far as momentum would allow before turning to see where he landed.
Cheers echoed across the frozen lake and he saw the Marauders far behind him. He had to be at least 120 yards out. Sirius was clapping from 50 yards away, James wooed from his spot close to the safety of land, and Peter offered a thumbs up to the reigning champion.
“Great, now let’s get to the castle. Loser goes to the kitchens for drinks!” Peter said, rubbing his arms to fight off the cold.
All four boys slid their feet across the ice in slow, careful movements, avoiding any thin areas or noticeable cracks. Remus could see James picking up their wands and casting a warming charm on himself before tossing Peter’s to him. Peter’s warming charm was too early, and he caused a hole by the edge of the lake that his left foot went through. “Oh for Merlin’s sake!”
When all four were back on the ground, they offered congratulatory pats on the back and a head-rub for good measure. They looked back on the frozen lake with a wistful expressions. Remus gave a contented sigh and smiled, "Happy Christmas."