Work Text:
Professor Flitwick had many charms set up in his classroom when it came to hosting detentions so that he wasn’t tied to the room. And after several years of teaching, he was sure he’d perfected the art. He had wards at the entrances to alert him if anyone came or went, he had charms that monitored the noise levels to keep the students from talking, he had a spell that went off if anyone used any magic in the classroom. It had worked well, serving its function so that he could get his own work done and not waste his time watching over detentions. At least until the Marauders.
They’d tested the limits to see what they could get away with, getting detention while in detention continued in a cycle. And Flitwick may have been foolish enough to believe that they would realize he’d bested them, that he’d thought of everything.
Sirius looked at Peter before nodding towards the window. They were only on the second floor of the castle which meant that it was a natural born escape plan. Peter walked casually over to the window, surveying the outside world for professors or prefects before quietly sliding the window open and waving his hand, telling the others to come and feeling a bit sick as he looked at how they could be even just on the second floor.
James pointed at Sirius first, Peter. then Remus, and finally himself - reminding them of the order. Sirius jumped down carelessly without a problem. Peter looked back at James a bit unsure but both he and Remus just pointed at the window with raised eyebrows, telling him silently to go. Peter closed his eyes tightly before jumping out the window, relieved to find himself safe on the ground not long after. Remus sat on the windowsill and cautiously jumped down followed by James.
They waited outside the window for a few moments to see if Flitwick would come bursting into the classroom before bursting into celebration.
“Finally!” Sirius cheered quietly.
“We did it, boys,” James said, clapping them on the backs. “What now?”
“Didn’t think we’d get this far,” Peter laughed.
“Raid the kitchens?” Remus proposed.
Everyone nodded and off they went, weaving carefully through the castle, still doing their best to avoid professors. With ice creams in hand, they chose a spot back outside behind the greenhouse which usually had a student or two smoking but today it was abandoned.
They sat in silence for a while, trying to keep the melting the ice cream from running all down their hands. When James finished his, he laid back in the grass, the warm sun beating down on his face. There was something so perfect about these days at Hogwarts - being outside surrounded by the gorgeous grounds even as they hid behind the greenhouse. And made better only by the face that he was surrounded by his friends. "I love you guys," he said. "I wish everyday was like this."
“Could be. Just need to figure out how to get out of other detentions," Sirius said with a laugh. "Although McGonagall would never leave anyone much less us alone for detention,”
Peter thought. “Slughorn watches from his office but surely there has to be some kind of illusion spell we could use there, right?”
They hummed in thought.
“We could go check the library,” James suggested.
Remus pulled out his wand and cast tempus . “We should probably head back soon. We’ve got like fifteen minutes before detention is over.”
The teenagers walked over to the window, a bit intimidated by the height to get back in.
“There’s no bloody way I can get back in there,” Peter said, worriedly.
“We planned for this,” James reminded them. “Same order as we left. We push Sirius up and he pulls himself in. Then he helps the rest of us up from the window.”
They all nodded. James and Remus holding their hands out for Sirius to step on before bringing up his foot to the height of their chest. Peter stood behind Sirius ready to catch him from tumbling backwards just in case. He was able to grab the windowsill and huffed as he pulled himself up and into the classroom, taking a second to catch his breath before leaning out the window, ready to help Peter up.
“Dear Merlin, help me,” Peter whispered.
“We won't let you fall. I promise. I've got you, Pete,” James assured him as he stepped onto his hand, bracing himself on James’ shoulder as he stepped onto Remus’. His knees shook as they raised him up until his hands made contact with the windowsill and he could relax a bit, feeling more secure, pulling himself up with Sirius’ help and feeling much better once he was back in the classroom. He took a second before nodding to Sirius and they both leaned out the window to help pull up Remus who was precariously standing on James’ shoulders as he crouched down. Peter and Sirius each took one of hands, pulling him into the window. With three of the boys now in the classroom, came the challenge. Peter hugged tightly around Sirius’ middle as the boy hung much further out the window than before. They needed to also up for the lost height as no one was there to push James up.
“Ready?” James asked in a whisper.
Peter nodded, Sirius nodded, and Remus gave a thumbs up to James from above them, watching nervously as Sirius hung halfway out the window.
James nodded before jumping up as high as he could and successfully grabbing onto Sirius’ hands with a quiet whoop. Remus helped Peter pull them up but before they could get Sirius back in, the door opened.
Remus’ head spun quickly around. “Professor, thank Merlin you’re here! James tripped and fell out the window,” Remus said. He could be a good liar but this was too much for even him to cover up.
With the flick of his wand, Flitwick pulled James and Sirius back into the classroom, Peter still hugging Sirius tightly. The professor sighed. He didn’t have the energy for this. “I’ll see you boys tomorrow. You’ll be in detention until curfew. Don’t worry, I’ll be in the room so we can avoid any… trips.”
“We were so close,” Peter said with a huff, finally letting go of Sirius.
"I can't believe we didn't get caught climbing out but got caught climbing back in." James was fully laid out on the floor.
They couldn’t help burst into laughter as they sat on the floor of the classroom, still out of breath from trying to pull everyone back in.