Peter held his heaving breath as he staggered through the thick snow toward the Gryffindor Tower. His scarf hung loosely around his neck, his cheeks red and puffed from the biting cold and sheer panic. He didn't even notice that he had dropped his half-eaten licorice wands somewhere along the way, not that it mattered now. The sweet smell of sugar and smoke still clung to his gloves as he stumbled to the portrait hole, muttering the password in one shaky breath. The Fat Lady gave him a disapproving glance but swung open all the same, and Peter burst into the common room, gasping for air like he had run a marathon.
He was relieved, almost tearfully so, when he spotted Remus sitting quietly in an armchair near the fireplace, a book open in his lap. The calm glow of the flames reflected in Remus's steady eyes, and the contrast between his serenity and Peter's chaos couldn't have been sharper.
"Oh, Remus— they're at it again! You won't believe it!" Peter wheezed, his words tumbling out half-broken between gulps of air.
Remus looked up, closing his book with a sigh that spoke of long-suffering familiarity. He rose slowly, his expression more resigned than alarmed. "What is it, Peter? You're completely out of breath."
Peter's voice cracked as he grabbed at Remus's sleeve for support. "James and Sirius— they're duelling with Snape! And— and Ren's there too!" His eyes were wide and terrified, and his voice rose a little too high at the end.
Before Remus could even process the sentence, a sharp voice cut across the room. "What?"
It was Lily. She had just descended from the girls' dormitory, her red hair flying over her shoulders as she stopped midway down the stairs. Her eyes narrowed in disbelief as she took in Peter's frantic expression.
"James and Sirius—outside—by the lake!" Peter blurted out again, gesturing wildly toward the window.
That was all it took. Lily didn't wait for another word; she hurried to the portrait hole, her robes swishing, and Remus followed her immediately, his calm demeanor replaced by quiet urgency. Peter trailed behind them, still panting and muttering apologies to portraits they nearly knocked over.
When the three finally reached the clearing beside the lake, the sight before them was enough to freeze anyone in place. The snow-covered grounds were littered with footprints and scattered patches of melted ice where stray spells had landed. The crowd had grown far larger than Peter remembered, a throng of students buzzing with excitement and disbelief, forming a loose ring around the double duel.
Ren looked the worst of the four. Her usually composed appearance was nowhere to be seen; her hair had come undone, dark strands whipping around her face as she raised her wand again. Her bangs were pushed back, revealing a furrowed brow and an expression sharp enough to cut through stone. She looked fierce, but exhausted — her breath visible in the cold air, her gloved hand trembling slightly from strain. Despite the snow clinging to her cloak, sweat shone on her temples, and her wand hand never wavered.
Across from her stood James Potter, very much in his element. His hair was its usual bird's nest of chaos, now worsened by the wind and snow. A grin tugged at his lips even as he fought, his glasses fogging slightly from the heat of his spells. He looked annoyingly at ease, as if duelling was just another game for him.
A few feet away, Snape faced Sirius. Snape's robe was torn and singed at the edges, and there was a streak of soot across his cheek. His expression was murderous, dark eyes glinting with rage as he parried one of Sirius's jinxes. Sirius, by contrast, was laughing-- the reckless, boyish kind of laughter that made it hard to tell whether he was genuinely enjoying himself or completely out of his mind or both. His face was smudged with smoke, and his hair looked like it had been through an explosion, but he didn't care.
The air crackled with residual magic, and the onlookers could feel it — the thrill, the danger, the chaos. Lily and Remus pushed through the unnerved crowd, dragging Peter with them.
"James!" Remus called out, his tone sharp enough to pierce through the noise.
Lily didn't bother calling. She raised her wand without hesitation and hexed Sirius mid-step. He yelped as he was thrown backward, his wand flying out of his hand and landing in a patch of snow. The crowd gasped.
"Oi! What—" Sirius started to protest as he grunted.
Ren staggered slightly, lowering her wand. Her chest rose and fell heavily, and she took a wary step back as James tried to regain his breath. He wiped his forehead, still panting, and attempted to rest his arm over Remus's shoulder. Remus brushed him off without even looking, shaking his head in exasperation.
Snape, still fuming, stood beside Lily. His eyes softened slightly when she turned toward him, helping Ren steady herself. Ren gave a small nod of thanks, brushing snow off her sleeves, her expression somewhere between annoyance and fatigue.
"Merlin's beard…" someone muttered in the crowd, and this time it wasn't in awe.
Because at that very moment, Professor McGonagall came marching down the slope, her tartan cloak billowing furiously behind her. Her face was pale with anger, and her lips were pursed into a line that promised pain for whoever spoke next. Behind her, walking at a slower pace with his hands folded serenely, was Professor Dumbledore.
The crowd scattered almost immediately, parting like the Red Sea. Students pretended to fix their scarves or pick up imaginary things from the snow as the two professors approached.
McGonagall's eyes darted between the four culprits, her glare strong enough to make even Sirius flinch. "All of you," she said sharply, her Scottish accent cutting through the cold air like a whip, "are getting detentions. Every single one! Have you completely lost your minds?"
James looked down, suddenly very interested in his shoes. Sirius tried to smirk but failed miserably. Snape's jaw tightened, but he stayed silent. Ren, however, was the unfortunate recipient of McGonagall's next target.
"And you!" she snapped, pointing a gloved finger directly at her. "You've joined this lot in their nonsense now, have you? Causing trouble already?"
Ren's shoulders tensed instinctively. She hadn't expected to be singled out like that. For a moment, she opened her mouth to explain, but the words froze before they could leave her lips.
Dumbledore's calm voice filled the silence. "Perhaps," he said gently, "they've learned their lesson, my dear Professor."
McGonagall turned toward him, her lips twitching with restraint. "Yes, Headmaster, they will learn," she replied tightly. "You shall all assist Hagrid on his evening stroll through the Forbidden Forest. That ought to remind you of responsibility."
Sirius's eyes gleamed with barely hidden amusement, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. He wisely looked away before McGonagall noticed. Dumbledore, meanwhile, appeared faintly amused himself, though he made no comment, simply watching the students with that unreadable half-smile of his.
As they turned to leave, Remus overheard McGonagall mutter to Dumbledore, "You could have assigned the punishment yourself, you know."
Dumbledore's response was quiet but carried a trace of humor. "Ah, but then I wouldn't be the nice one, would I?"
Lily frowned, her concern returning as she turned to Ren and Snape, who still looked a bit shaken. "That's awful," she whispered, glancing toward the dark edge of the forest in the distance. "You shouldn't have to go there."
Ren simply shrugged as she walked toward the Gryffindor tower not waiting or elaborately thanking Lily.