Remus' POV
"Bang, Bang, Bang!"
I woke up with a start and I felt a sharp pain course through the veins in my head. I moaned pitifully from the agony.
"Oi, Moony! Get up! It's one o' clock!" It was the voice of James. I was going to kill him!
I jumped out of bed to immediately take action, but as soon as my feet hit the floor, I felt that I couldn't keep balance. The floor felt like it was rocking back and forth. I fell to the ground and James knelt down beside me and started clapping his hands by my ear. The little claps sounded like cannons firing.
"Please…stop!" I cried. "The floor is moving…I can't get up! My head is throbbing! Please…help!"
"I know how to deal with this, Prongs," I heard Sirius say. And without warning, James and Sirius pulled me up and dragged me into the bathroom.
"What are you two doing? Let me go!" I was struggling feebly against James and Sirius' tight, athletic grip. There was no point in even trying to compete with those two, so I let my body go limp.
"Put him under the shower, turn it to as cold as it can get, and…" Sirius stopped, "Well…you know the rest."
"But I'm still in my clothes!" I protested as my head throbbed violently again.
"The clothes you were wearing last night, mate," Sirius replied with a chuckle, "I had to take off your shoes and tuck you in like your mum did when you were a little baby!" Sirius pinched my cheek in an annoying fashion. "Prongs…put him in and hold him down,"
"Righto, Paddy!" James picked me up against my will and placed me under the shower nozzle.
"Okay…are you holding him tightly?" James nodded, "Alright," Sirius put his hand on the knob and turned it to the freezing cold temperature, "1…2…3!" Sirius pulled the knob out and icy water spewed out all over me…drenching my nice clothes. When the water cascaded over my head I started to whimper, the pain was excruciating. But James was holding my head up and putting it closer to the chilly spray.
After about five minutes, the pain in my head was extinguished and I started to regain my common sense.
"You think he's good, Paddy?" James asked.
"Yep!" Sirius pushed the knob down and rain of the deathly-cold water ceased. I stood there shivering…resembling a drowned rat. Sirius came over and slapped me on the back. "Well…it looks like you've survived your first hangover, Moony! So…how much did you have…a sip or two?"
"About three glasses, I think" I replied.
"It takes me about ten drinks to get to the level you were at…but I'm experienced." Sirius looked proud of himself.
"Experience with irresponsibility? I believe that's one field I don't really care to be an expert in." I muttered through clenched teeth.
"Padfoot? The thing I don't understand is that I saw Tina walking around today…she seems fine to me…a little inattentive, but fine. Do you think she spiked Moony's drink or something?" James chuckled.
"Nah," Sirius replied,"She's probably had a couple of drinks before…like a normal person." I scowled at him. "Now, now, Romeo," Sirius wagged his finger, "Don't get angry. How 'bout you take a nice, warm shower and change into some clean clothes?"
"I hate the both of you!" I snapped, as I pushed the two laughing teenagers out of the bathroom and slammed the door.
………………………
Tina's POV
I'd just finished counting my lines…I had five-hundred and nine lines of the most complicated Shakespearian sort. I was lucky to have all my friends involved in the production. Remus playing Romeo, Sirius playing Mercutio, Peter playing Benvolio, James being the stage manager, and Lily working the lights (with her wand, of course).
"Juliet! Get backstage…now!" Minnie shouted. I rushed out of the auditorium and headed backstage. I opened the curtain and peeped through a little. Sirius, Peter, and Remus were all onstage holding their scripts. While Remus and Peter were studying their scripts thoroughly, Sirius was holding it at his side…and I had a feeling he hadn't memorized his lines just yet.
"Call, good Mercutio," Peter squeaked his lines.
"Nay, I'll conjure too," Sirius said, looking at his lines. Then he put his script down and began his melodramatic monologue, "Romeo! Loser! Half-man! Passion fruit! Lover..."
"Sirius," Minnie groaned, "The line is "Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover!" Look at your script, dear…that's what it's there for. We're not off-book yet."
I stifled laughs. Sirius was very immature, but I had to admit…he was pretty entertaining sometimes.
Peter and Sirius did their bit and came backstage. Sirius gave me a pat on the back and whispered, "Go get 'em , Tina!
"He jests at scars that never felt a wound." Remus' spoke unsurely. That line was my cue-line.
"James!" Minnie yelled. "Make a note that we need a tower built here! Juliet! Get your butt onstage!"
"Sorry!" I ran onstage and Remus and I met eyes. I blushed, remembering the previous night.
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" Remus was smiling tenderly at me,
"It is the East, and Juliet is the sun…" He was doing his monologue beautifully and I was blushing vividly. Was he acting? Or was he saying these lines with sincerity?
"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven,
Would through the airy region stream so bright,
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans he cheek upon that hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"
"CUT!" Minnie stood up and started clapping. "Oh, Romeo, Oh, Romeo…that kicked ass, Romeo!"
……………………………….
About a week later…Remus' POV
I put my newly completed essay in my "completed" folder. I loved being organized. "One more assignment left to do," I sighed. That assignment was to memorize all 591 lines for the play.
I stretched out on the grassy ground beneath a large oak tree. I thought I had a right to rest for a little while. I sometimes agreed with Sirius, James, and Peter…I did work too hard.
Though the campus was filled with a large sum of young adults socializing, what caught my eye were four figures standing to my left, just out of earshot. I knew I recognized three of them; Nott, Avery, and Snape. The situation became more serious. I couldn't make out the person the three were talking to, but I had a nasty feeling that person was being harassed by them. An innocent Muggle-born, no doubt. The only reason I believed they came to school was to have their victims…Muggle-borns."
I crept up closer to them and hid behind a pine tree. I saw a flash of light and the fourth figure fell to the ground. I could hear the shrill voice of Avery,
"Aren't they all the same, Severus? Slimy little whores."
I cringed at his foul language. How could anyone speak like that to someone?
"It appears so," the drawling voice of Snape replied, "But…I believe Mudbloods are in a lower class than whores. Just look at her…no proper witch has that..."
"I wouldn't pay a knut for her…nice Body Bind on that slut, by the way." Nott laughed cruelly.
This had gone far enough! What poor Muggle-born girl did they have in a full Body-Bind? I poked my head out from behind the tree. Nothing could've prepared me for the sight I saw. Tina was lying spread-eagle on the ground at the thug's feet. I'd never been angrier in my life than at that moment. My blood was like molten lava coursing through my veins.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I longed to yell, "CRUCIO!" but that would be my one way ticket to Azkaban and I wasn't interested in that.
All three of the boys went stiff and fell to the ground. I walked over to each of them and stomped on their faces with all the force I could muster. Then, I rushed over to Tina and I softly said, "Relbonda!" Her body became l flexible again and she was gasping for breath. Though her whole body was freed, she was shaking violently and her soft blue eyes were filling with tears though she was trying desperately to blink them back.
I took her trembling hand and I led her silently back to my spot under the oak tree and sat the quavering girl down. She was in a pure state of shock and she was trying so hard not to cry.
"Tina," I put my hand on her shoulder, "They're gone now…they won't do anything else to you. I…I…promise you're safe."
She looked up at me and I saw a small tear slide down her pale cheek; her eyelashes acting as a veil for her sad eyes. "R…Remus…the…things they said." She stared into my eyes for a minute and then she thrust herself upon me and buried her head in my chest. I enfolded her in my arms and stroked her hair while she cried. I felt the tears seep through my shirt and a damp feeling followed. But I didn't mind. I knew that she needed me there with her to hold her tightly and tell her it was alright. I knew how it felt to be discriminated because of something you have no control over. I had to wait until my third year until I found a school that accepted me, I had to lie to everyone every month, and I had to deal with articles in the Daily Prophet talking about how all of us should be disposed of…just because I was bitten by a werewolf when I was a little boy. The world was cruel…for Tina and me.
I almost leaned down to kiss her head, but I decided against it…now was not the time to show her my feelings. Now was the time to act like a brother to her. Now was the time to love her in a different way.
A.N. Hey, readers! Now…I'm not one of those authors that is obsessed with reviews…well…I am a little bit…but I'm patient. But, really, people…enough is enough! I won't post up another chapter until I get feedback…I came on to see if my writing was any good…and I know you all are there because you all seem to have the ability to press the "Add to story alert" button…but please…just review…even if it's only, "I like your form…this is good," or "Check your work…there are a lot of errors" Okay? I'm sorry to be mean but…I need this from you readers. It would mean so much to me!
Thank you!
