Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my plot, ideas and characters.

Disclaimer II: I don't own the song I'm Not Missing You. That belongs to Stacie Orrico.

Enjoy.

I'm not missing you

Been through just about everything that I could go through

When it comes to relationships

Don't know what I was missing or why I ain't listen

"I'm Not Missing You"

Remus

It was the first morning of the new term, the first morning of the rest of my life being a prefect. Lily had taken it in her stride but I couldn't help feeling out of place and wondering if it was some sort of joke.

McGonagall was stomping about handing out timetables, with features hard as granite but her face softened as Carrie Rose; one of Lily's friends, said something to her. She does have a soft spot for all four of them.

Sirius passed me mine and then turned around to say something to Peter. They snickered and grinned evilly at Severus Snape. He was still the same 'lanky liquorice stick' he had always been but he was much thinner. His face was so hollow his cheekbones were bursting. 'Lanky liquorice stick' was the name given to him by Professor Remora, our DADA teacher last year. He had christened us all but I remember feeling sorry for Snape because it was a bit harsh.

I think by the end of the year, every one of us had ended up hating Professor Remora. No, I know we all hated him. He had done something to each of us by then. Actually, thinking back on it, he was manipulatively cruel. He found our weak spots and insecurities and then preceded to point them out if we did something he didn't like.

XxX.

For example, if there was one thing Andromeda Black, Sirius's cousin, hated more than anything, it was being made a fool out of. She arrived late one day, apologised briefly and sat down in her usual seat. Most teachers might have accepted that, maybe given a 'don't do that again' or a filthy look. But not Remora. He waited until she had her bag on the table and then walked over to her desk.

'Why was it, that you were late, Miss Black?' he said, loud enough for the whole corridor to hear.

Andromeda looked surprised, and so were we.

'Uh…I…er, had to go back and get my book,' she replied, politely and reasonably enough.

'Oh, really?' said Remora in a disbelieving and dismissive tone.

'Um, yeah.'

'I'd rather you answered me properly, in the way a young lady should and I would much prefer if you didn't lie to me ever again,' snapped Remora and then he grabbed Andromeda's bag and tipped the contents onto her desk.

Her DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures books fell out, along with some quills and a half empty bottle of blue ink. There were some crumpled up pieces of parchment that I recognised from the lesson before lunch, as I had been one of the ones writing notes on it. There was also Andromeda's sketchbook.

Andromeda carried this everywhere and was often seen scribbling in it. Not that many people got to see the inside, although I presumed she let Lily and the rest of her friends take a look. Sirius, James, Ronnie, myself and Shane had persuaded her to let us take a look but when we discussed it afterwards we discovered she had shown us all the same picture- a lone tree on the edge of a cliff. Everyone had eventually stopped bugging her about it and let her get on with whatever it was she drew. We accepted it and never invaded her privacy. It was one of those unspoken teenage rules.

Remora didn't know the rule or he just ignored the vibes coming from all of us. We were all intensely still and quiet and you would have to be as thick skinned as a politician not to sense the atmosphere coming from – what, twenty or thirty- teenagers. Make no mistake, even as much as us Gryffindors and them Slytherins hated each other, if it was a battle against Remora we wouldn't even think twice about spitting on each others hands and calling temporary truce.

'Well, well, well. What's this?' Remora stuck his stupid nose in it where he definitely did not belong. Andromeda didn't answer, just curled her hands into fists and I saw her tense up her shoulder blades.

'If you're not going to answer me then maybe I should show the whole class? Pictures speak a thousand words, so I'm told,' threatened Remora.

Andromeda looked at him fearfully but we all knew that he usually carried out threats.

He walked along us all, showing us Andromeda's amazing but sad drawings. They were all drawn in pencil, thick and dark and heartfelt. He read out the song lyrics, some of her own invention and some popular ones from the WWN, and also little notes she had written in.

"I'm not missing you. Been through just about everything that I could go through. When it comes to relationships. Don't know what I was missing or why I ain't listen. When I told myself that was it. Now here I go, hurt again. 'Cause of my curiosity. Now that it's over. What else could it be he just had to cheat?"

Remora read this out in an exceedingly patronising voice and some of the Slytherins couldn't help tittering. Prats. Andromeda was shaking, from humiliation or rage, I couldn't tell. I felt so bad for her and I hated Remora's guts at that moment, so god knows what she must of felt for him.

Remora showed a picture of a girl, small and hunched up with make-up smeared all down her cheeks. In front of her is a guy, a skater guy with spiked hair and a ring around his eyebrow, with his arm around another girl.

The picture after that one is of the guy and the small hunched up girl, with the guy on top of the girl, covers twisted around them both to censor certain... areas. The guy is looking at the girl but the girls eyes are closed and tears are running down her cheeks. This one has colour in it- the tears running down the cheeks are red. The girl is Andromeda.

The next is of the same guy, holding a broken daisy chain. I can see initials in the top corner...

'I'm guessing this is CJ?' he asked scathingly.

'How dare you?' spat out Andromeda.

'Excuse me?'

'You heard me. How dare you humiliate me like this and put my life up for show? My notebook is my private business and you should keep your overlarge nose out of it!'

'Detention! I will not have someone speak to me like that-,' Remora began but Andromeda cut him off, repacking her bag and snatching her book back.

'I don't give a toss about what you think. I'm out of here,' Andromeda snarled, letting her chair fall back with a bang.

'Get back in your seat and don't say another word, Black,' said Remora in a voice of determined and forced calm. Andromeda headed for the door but Remora grabbed her wrist and held her in place.

'GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!' Andromeda screamed, trying to pull away.

'SIT DOWN IN YOUR SEAT, BLACK! I AM REPORTING YOU TO GUIDANCE AND A REFERAL MIGHT BE IN ORDER AFTER YOUR DETENTIONS!'

Andromeda breathed in deeply, her face splotched red with anger and with her fists still clenched. She was shaking and we all sat in telling, damning silence. Remora was still gripping her wrist.

'Get your hands off me,' Andromeda repeated quietly.

'Not until you sit back in your seat and compose yourself,' ordered Remora.

'I SAID, GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, YOU MISERABLE SON OF A BITCH!'

We were as shocked as Remora but he let go off her and Andromeda sank into her seat. Lily, Carrie Rose and their other friend Jenna got out of their seats but Remora made them sit with a single look. Remora wrote hastily on a piece of parchment and then sealed it with his wand. He gave it to Andromeda, who uncurled her fingers slightly to hold it in one hand. The other she kept tightly shut in a fist. Her eyes were shimmering madly as she walked over to the door and left quietly, leaving the door open.

Remora got up from his desk and paced in front of it. None of the class dared breathe loudly. Lily, Carrie Rose and Jenna looked furious. I snuck glances at James and Peter whenever I could and I stared at Sirius most of all. He looked troubled and angry. The entire class was built up with tension and anxiety, and like tightly coiled toys; we needed to be released somehow.

We heard the clipping of high-heeled shoes, like the kind McGonagall wore and she walked in herself, with Andromeda dragging her feet behind. In the space of ten minutes, Andromeda had become listless and worn instead of furious and fiery.

McGonagall seemed to be the one that was raging. She acted like we weren't there.

'Have you any IDEA what you have just done, Rafrad?' she stormed at him. 'You have just humiliated a brilliant student in front of half the fifth year, broken several privacy laws, practically assaulted a student and lost this class's respect! As a teacher, respect is one thing you need! So, you encourage a mental breakdown and then send her along with some pilfering, pathetic note and expect me to back you up? Are you out of your mind? Look what you have done to her!'

McGonagall took Andromeda's palms and held them face up. They were streaming with blood, the extent of her fist curling. Lily's face beamed red, as did Sirius's, James's and Carrie Rose's. Jenna looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Thankfully, the bell went and we all left McGonagall to scream at Remora.

XxX.

James spilt a jug of orange juice but I didn't really notice it pouring all over me. I was wavering between the past and the present but when people began to laugh I was reminded of how unpleasant reality life was. Sighing, I left the table to go and change but some sixth sense told me I was being watched. I caught the blue eyes of someone further down the table and she smiled at me.

It was none other than Jenna Lurenz. Is it too late to tell you that I had known this girl since the day she was born? (Five days after I was). She's been my best friend all my life.

Last year was a tough one. Really tough, so I'm glad to see that she's happy. At least for the time being. I saw her smile fade as Andrea Wallis, slut of our year slid in opposite her. She caught my eye and gave me a beaming smile of artificially white teeth. And Jenna's smile faded even more.

OK. What the hell?