The next morning, Indigo made his way to the Gryffindor common room to meet Mary and Marlene for breakfast. Lily wasn't with them—she was likely still finishing her Prefect duties, but Indigo didn't mind. He always enjoyed Mary and Marlene's boisterous energy. As he descended the final steps from the boys' dormitory, he was ambushed by the two girls, who slammed into him with a force that nearly sent him tumbling backward.

"Bloody hell!" Indigo exclaimed, arms flailing to steady himself. He glanced down and saw Marlene McKinnon and Mary McDonald grinning up at him as they wrapped him in a tight hug.

"We've missed you so much, Indy bro!" Marlene said, her voice muffled against his chest as she squeezed him tightly.
"Clearly!" Indigo gasped, trying to pry her off while Mary laughed at his predicament.

"You've gotten taller," Mary said, stepping back to appraise him. "Our little baby is growing up!" She pretended to wipe away a tear, her tone overly dramatic.

"Marlene, love, I can't breathe," Indigo managed to wheeze, his hands gently pushing at her shoulders.

Marlene finally relented, releasing him with a laugh. "You're such a drama queen, Teddy. You love it, really."

Indigo rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his grin. "Merlin's beard, every year with this. You two are going to crush me one day."

"That's the goal," Marlene teased, linking her arm with his and pulling him toward the sofa by the fire. "Now, sit. I brought something for you."

Indigo raised an eyebrow as Marlene pulled a small red bag from her larger one. "What's this?"

"Makeup, obviously," she said with a wink. "You're not getting away with those bare lashes this year. Now, sit still."

He chuckled but obeyed, letting her guide his face upward as she expertly applied a smoky eyeliner to his eyes. "You know, one of these days, you're going to teach me how to do this myself," he said, trying not to blink.

"Next girls and Indy night," Mary chimed in, already planning it in her head. "We'll make it happen."

Once Marlene was finished, she stepped back and surveyed her work. "Perfect. Now you look like the heartbreaker you truly are."

Indigo stood and linked arms with the girls, playfully grinning. "Heartbreaker has a ring to it."

They walked to the Great Hall together, their laughter filling the corridors. As they entered, the lively buzz of students talking, the clinking of plates, and the warm scent of breakfast greeted them. Indigo spotted Lily sitting with Remus at the Gryffindor table, and they made their way over.

"Morning, Lils," Indigo greeted her as he slid into the seat beside her. "Morning, Moony."

"Morning, Indy," Lily replied with a small smile, her gaze flicking briefly to the entrance. Indigo followed her line of sight and saw James, Sirius, Peter, and Silas making their way in.

Remus chuckled at the way Indigo's posture stiffened. "Already bracing yourself for whatever chaos they're bringing?"
"I don't know why I'm even surprised anymore," Indigo muttered.

"You've known him for years," Mary pointed out, a teasing glint in her eye.

"We're not friends though," Indigo shot back, though his tone lacked real heat. "And that's probably never going to change."

The group chuckled at his dramatics, but the light atmosphere shifted slightly when the Marauders reached the table. James's gaze immediately zeroed in on Lily, and he slid into the seat across from her, his usual smirk firmly in place. Sirius flopped down beside Indigo, while Peter wedged himself between James and Remus. Silas had already wandered off to the Slytherin table, though everyone knew he'd be back soon enough.

"Morning, Lily-flower," James said, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at her.

Lily didn't look up from her plate, her demeanor cool and indifferent. "Morning, Potter," she replied flatly, her focus remaining on her food.

Indigo caught the slight tension in Lily's shoulders and bumped her leg with his own under the table. It was a silent reassurance: I've got your back. Lily bumped his leg back in acknowledgment but didn't look up.

James, as always, ignored Indigo entirely. Instead, he leaned forward, his tone growing louder and more exaggerated as he tried to draw Lily into conversation. "You know, Lily, I was just telling Sirius about the most fascinating thing I saw on the train yesterday. You'd love it—"

Peter interrupted, his mouth half-full of toast. "Was it the time you nearly tripped over your own trunk? Because that was fascinating."

Sirius snorted, leaning over the table to smack Peter on the shoulder. "Finally, Wormtail says something useful!"
James shot Peter an exasperated look. "That's not the story I was talking about."

"Pity," Indigo muttered under his breath, earning a quiet chuckle from Marlene and Mary.

Peter, unfazed, leaned closer to Lily with a conspiratorial grin. "You missed it, Lily. He was flailing everywhere like a cat trying to swim."

Lily raised an eyebrow but didn't look up. "Sounds riveting," she said coolly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Indigo couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him, though it only seemed to egg James on.

"Oh, come on, Lily," James pressed, his grin widening. "Surely you'd rather talk to me than listen to him." He tilted his head toward Indigo with a smirk.

Peter, sensing the tension, attempted to defuse it. "Maybe we should all take a vote—who's the better conversationalist, Prongs or Indy?"

"Indigo," Mary said immediately, not missing a beat.

"Indigo," Marlene echoed with a grin, nudging his shoulder.

"Indy gets my vote," Sirius said, earning a glare from James.

"Traitor," James muttered under his breath before turning his full attention back to Lily. "Anyway, Lily love—"

Indigo had finally had enough. His patience snapped, and he smacked his hand on the table, startling everyone. "That's enough, Potter," he said, his tone sharp. "She wants to be left alone."

Peter's eyes widened, and he quickly swallowed his mouthful of food. "Blimey, Indy, no need to start a duel at breakfast."
"It wouldn't be much of a duel," Indigo said, not taking his eyes off James.

Remus sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can we not do this now? It's too early."

James, clearly trying to save face, leaned back in his seat with a smirk. "Whatever you say, Indy."

Indigo bristled at the nickname, but Lily placed a calming hand on his arm. "He's not worth it," she muttered.

Peter leaned toward Sirius, whispering loudly, "I give it two days before they actually hex each other."

Sirius grinned. "Two days? You're being generous, mate."

Indigo sighed, sitting back in his seat but still glaring at James. The tension at the table was palpable, but Peter's whispered commentary made it slightly easier to bear. For now.

a/n: This is a bit of a shorter chapter from me...😅. I know they tend to be long but theres just so much Im trying not to miss because I want to do them justice! Well anyways, hope you have enjoyed it so far!