Felicity let the water wash up over her feet as the sun continued it's descent over the horizon turning the sky shades of blue, pink, and gold. Gidget-her pygmy owl-hopped delightedly in the sand and preened herself carefully after finishing her treat. Felicity drew her legs to her chest to rest her chin atop one knee. She was deliberately ignoring the letters she held in her hand because she knew perfectly well what they contained.
One would be a letter from school setting out all of her courses and supplies she would need for her 6th year.
Another would be a letter from Lily describing her amazing trip to India with her parents and about how tired she's gotten of James' letters about his Quidditch lessons, but how she couldn't wait to see Felicity soon in London.
The letter from her parents would be them telling her they would meet her in London between business trips to purchase her school things, and they hoped she had a good time in Brighton with her Aunt and Uncle.
Finally, the last one would be from Remus. It would be just like his others all summer long to which she had written no reply. In his first letter he acted as if nothing had happened, but rather gone into some detail about a new book on advances in Lycanthropy treatment in Bulgaria. His second letter then apologized for the first, and for everything that had happened in the broom cupboard on the night of the masquerade ball. The third—and most recent before the unopened letter she held now—had been a long explanation about why he thought he shouldn't need to apologize about his behavior or being honest about his feelings, and rather he thought Felicity had been out of line to be cross with him in the first place.
The new letter would probably be about how sorry he was to presume how she was feeling, but he was concerned about not having heard from her all summer.
Tears rolled down her face as the sun disappeared entirely behind horizon. Gidget nuzzled her free hand, nipping softly at her fingers. "Go ahead, Gidg. I'll see you later." Felicity managed gently. The little owl needed no other encouragement to be on its way, and gracefully took off to find its evening meal.
Felicity wiped her eyes trying to force the tears to stop, but it just seemed to make things worse. She felt bad for not writing Remus, and even worse for being upset with him for what happened. How could she have known it was him, and not Sirius? Why had kissing him made her feel like this? What made her not tell Sirius the truth? Every time she thought about it her heart sank and her stomach turned in knots. She sighed and pushed herself up off the sand.
"Felicity, come on inside. You're dinner is getting cold," came a loud female voice from beach house up the hill. She glanced up to see her Aunt Galena leaning over the back deck railing waving her arms in the air. Felicity laughed a little as she remembered their conversation yesterday evening. Apparently her aunt still hadn't understood that waving your arms over your head didn't actually make you any louder.
"I'll be right up," Felicity shouted back. Her tears had stopped for the moment, and she was grateful to not have to explain them to her Aunt or Uncle. She grabbed her sandals and stuffed her letters into the pocket of her sundress. Those would have to wait until later.
Aunt Galena had stopped waving her arms, but insisted on doubling her volume to make up the difference. "Your Uncle and I want you to get to bed early tonight, too. You'll want to look your best for your trip into London tomorrow you know!"
Felicity rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was another reminder that summer holiday was over; because that meant she was out of time to avoid Remus any longer.
The long whistle and billow of steam signaled their departure from King's Cross Station. Felicity smiled as she looked out her window at the crowd of parents and families waving from the platform. Though her parents weren't among the throng, but it made her happy to see the Potters and the Evans' beaming up at them.
"Mum and Dad can be so embarrassing sometimes," Lily said with a sigh, turning the page in her most recent copy of Witch Weekly Magazine.
"I think it's fantastic," Felicity remarked offhandedly. She riffled through her bag in the overhead bin until she produced a leather bound book with no print on the cover. "Here, go ahead and read the entry I made on the train ride to London."
Lily raised an eyebrow as the journal landed in her lap. "So this will explain what you haven't been telling me all summer?"
Felicity turned back to her bag, and shrugged. "What do you mean?"
"Come on 'Licity, I've know you since first year. I can tell when something's bothering you, and you've been on edge all week." Lily pursed her lips in defiance, and went back to her magazine.
"Hey," Felicity yelped as she glanced back to her friend. "Don't just leave it sitting there! You know Sirius and James will show up any second."
"And if it weren't for me you would have wondered into Diagon Alley the other day just to try and avoid them—so don't try and act like nothing is going on."
"Nothing is going on. Well of course not nothing that shouldn't be," Felicity stammered as she continued to arrange things in her bag for the fourth time.
"What's going on with who," came a voice from the door of their compartment. Felicity jumped as James stepped into the compartment. "Steady there Stewart, you look like Wormtail just asked you for a shag."
"Merlin's beard, Potter. You're disgusting," Lily said as she promptly opened the journal.
"But you know you love me," James said suggestively. He threw himself down next to Lily, trying to read over her shoulder. "What's it you got, Evans?"
Felicity finally abandoned her bag, and spun around. James looked at her quizzically, and Lily pulled the book toward her chest. "Do you mind Potter? I hardly think you'll find my potions notes from last term of much interest."
"You've got to be kidding me! Evans...Classes haven't even begun," James pleaded. "Do things have to be all work and no play with you?"
He winked at her as he turned in his seat and laid his head in her lap. Before Lily could say a word, the train jostled to one side, throwing James in the floor. A bark like laugh rang out from the door as Sirius stepped inside, and over a very huffy James. Felicity felt her heart jump and catch in her throat. Sirius looked at her with a smile and ran a hand through his hair."Uh..hi."
Felicity smiled back at him. "Hi," she replied. Suddenly her cheeks get hot, and she couldn't help but taking a mild interest in her shoe laces.
Sirius looked down at James, and stuck out his hand. "Prongs, you will never learn mate."
"Nah, she was eating out of the palm of my hand," James said with a wink at Lily.
Lily rolled her eyes, and slammed the book shut. "Your ego is starting to make things a little crowded in here; I'm going to see if I can go find Molly." She handed the journal back to Felicity with a knowing look. "Can you hold onto these for me? I'll need them for my Slug Club meeting tonight."
"Sure thing," Felicity managed. She wasn't sure how much Lily had read, but she hoped it was enough. "If you see Mooney-"
"I think he's in the prefect meeting," James scoffed. "Can you believe that, Prefect?"
"If I see him, I'll be having a word with him." Lily said plainly. Felicity's stomach dropped as though she had just missed a step going down a flight of stairs. "He didn't write me once all summer." She smiled at Felicity and closed the compartment door behind her.
"I wrote her loads of times, but does she mention that," James muttered as he plopped down next to the window.
"She told me you wrote her, Prongs," Felicity said as she stuffed her journal back into her bag. "Even wrote me about you writing her."
"She did," James asked hopefully. "I knew it!"
Sirius stepped behind Felicity and wrapped his arms around her waist. In one smooth motion he had sat down with Felicity in his lap.
"Sirius," she protested. "What do you think you're doing?"
Sirius grinned mischievously. "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Making me sick," James blurted out moodily. "Honestly, you two don't have to rub it in."
"Sorry," Felicity said bashfully. She shifted sideways in Sirius lap to lean against the window, "I thought things were going well with you and Lily?"
James threw up his arms in exasperation. "So did I! But after the Astronomy Tower incident—"
Gideon Prewitt opened the door and stuck his head inside their compartment, "Potter, someone's locked Pettigrew in a trunk."
"We'll that's just fine. After all…I'm in the mood to hex the hell out of someone," James quipped as he stood to go. "You coming, Padfoot?"
"Uh…" Sirius looked at Felicity questioningly as she hopped up from his lap.
She smiled at him knowingly, "Well come on. Let's go!"
The three pushed out of the compartment into the narrow passage to follow Gideon. The train rocked from side to side as they hurdled through the countryside. James grumbled as they shoved through a group of terrified young Hufflepuffs that appeared to be lost.
"Uh, Gideon…", James began.
"Just into the next car," He shouted over his shoulder. He looked back just in time to barrel straight into the snack cart attendant in an explosion of Galleons, Knuts, Butterbeer, Chocolate Frogs, and Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans.
"Well I NEVER," yelled the attendant. James, Sirius, and Felicity managed to slip past as she continued her tirade on the importance of proper train behavior to Gideon.
"Sorry," mouthed Sirius over her shoulder as they left.
Once they reached the door to the next car a slightly winded James pulled the door, and gestured for Felicity to go first. "Brains before beauty."
"I thought it was ladies first," Felicity chided as she backed through the door. The train leaned heavily as they rounded a bend in the tracks, tipping her off balance. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the impact of the floor, but it never came. Instead she found herself stumbling into something much more giving.
Or rather—someone.