DISCLAIMER: This story is in no way associated with, or makes any claim to, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any other fandom/celebrity/anything else you may recognise. It all belongs to their respective owners. No money is being made from this story which is purely written for entertainment.
TIMELINE: Part 1 in Roads Travelled. Post BTVS season 2, and during the Marauders last year at Hogwarts.
1 May
Mandy slumped down dejectedly in her usual seat beside Lucan by the Ravenclaw table for breakfast, dark circles surrounding her eyes.
"Sleep well?"
Mandy glared. "Not especially." She grabbed the fork by her plate, only to have it turn into a red rose. Her napkin floated up, and folded itself into an origami raven. The small raven opened its beak and from it emerged Sirius' voice: "I'm sorry. Forgive me."
Mandy's face flushed angrily, and she plucked the napkin from the air and ripped it into little pieces that fell to the table like fresh snow. As Lucan glanced over to the Gryffindor table, he saw Sirius' shoulders slump at Mandy's response, and he looked incredibly crestfallen – like a kicked puppy: Lucan couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Look, it's been a month," Lucan began. "Don't you think it's time you forgive him? Give him a second chance. I mean, he seems pretty persistent. And sincere - he apologised. So he made a mistake – if I were in his position…"
"Well, you're not," Mandy snapped, her glare deepening. "It's none of your business. Besides," she sniffed, "I am so over Sirius Black!"
Lucan snorted. "Right."
"I am!" Mandy insisted. "So I had trouble sleeping – that's not because I was up tossing and turning over Sirius! He's not worth it. He's not worth my time, or my attention, and I can do so much better! He wasn't even my type – "
" – You have a type?" Lucan interrupted, buttering a piece of toast. "Huh."
" – He's arrogant, and selfish, and stuck-up, and egotistical and jealous, and-and – "
" – Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Lucan smirked.
"Oh, shut up, Luke," Mandy smacked his arm playfully. "I'm just saying, we're complete opposites. Non-compatible. And one would think you'd be happy we've broken up, since you weren't that keen on me getting together with him at all."
"That was because I think he's a player – or was, before he met you," Lucan said calmly. "You've been good for him – and he's been good for you. This past year, you've been happier than I've ever seen you."
"Not that you've seen me much," Mandy countered. "I think I've spent more time around Gryffindors than Ravenclaws: I've been neglectful of my best friend."
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Lucan joked. "If you're happy, I'm happy. Seriously. And I have this chick in Slytherin I'm trying to woo anyway – it's been taking up all my time."
Mandy stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. "Lucan – you're Muggle-born," she pointed out, as though she was talking to a small child. "Are you insane?"
"Love knows no boundaries," Lucan quipped. "And I think she's beginning to fold."
"Luke," Mandy said slowly, "you know I adore you in all ways, but are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Lucan rolled his eyes. "She's not going to kill me. In fact, I think I amuse her."
"She's a serpent waiting to strike!" Mandy hissed. "Or at least her other slippery friends will."
"It seems to me," Lucan said smugly, "that you and Sirius Black have more in common than you'd like. You're both awfully discriminatory against Slytherins."
"I'm not!" Mandy protested. "I'm only looking out for your best interest. And, considering what happened to your family, one would think you'd keep a distance to everything to do with that House!" Lucan froze. "Oh, God, Luke," Mandy breathed, her eyes widening in shock. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up – "
"Let's make a deal, shall we?" Lucan said, jaw tense. "I stay out of your business, and you stay out of mine."
Mandy sighed. "Luke – "
"Drop it."
"But – "
"I said, drop it!" Lucan hissed, eyes narrowed. "You don't like me butting in about Sirius, fine, I'll respect that. As long as you respect me and don't butt in about Belinda."
"So that's her name," Mandy muttered.
Lucan's eyes blazed with anger. He stood up, grabbed his bag and strode out of the hall, ignoring Mandy's frantic calls for forgiveness. Mandy let out a moan and let her head slump onto the table. Great. Just great. As if it wasn't enough that her relationship with Sirius was over – 'it was for the best,' she tried to tell herself – now she'd managed to antagonise her best friend as well.
6 May
Mandy sat rigidly beside Lucan in the Ravenclaw stands – things had been tense with her best friend since her admittedly low blow about the death of his family at breakfast five days earlier. Still, Lucan had never been one to hold a grudge, and had, in fact, accepted her apology only a couple of hours afterwards.
The reason things were tense, Mandy figured, was because she was feeling guilty…and, she had to admit, she was worried Lucan was getting himself into something he couldn't get out of. Mandy didn't want to be prejudiced against his little crush - because, she told herself, a crush was all it was, despite the fact Lucan apparently had been trying to woo the girl for the entire autumn, winter, and spring - just because she was a Slytherin.
But she couldn't help it! Lucan was her best friend - she was only looking out for him. Mandy's thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she realised she was behaving like Sirius that day in the library – jealous, overprotective, and like an absolute arse.
She sighed. Maybe she should forgive him? Almost unconsciously, her eyes strayed over to the teacher's box, looking for the black-haired Gryffindor in the place reserved for the game commentator – but it was empty. She frowned.
"Hey, have you seen Sirius in the stands?" She pulled at Lucan's jacket, tensing up as she waited for the inevitable 'I knew you still liked him!' but it never came: in fact, it seemed as though Lucan hadn't even noticed she'd said anything. Lucan's eyes were transfixed at a blonde female that was approaching through the crowd of Ravenclaws.
"Belinda," Lucan exclaimed breathlessly.
Mandy jerked back in shock. A Slytherin? Here? In the Ravenclaw stands? Preferring the company of a Muggle-born over her fellow snakes, who were playing in today's game? Huh. Maybe she'd been wrong.
"Davis," the Slytherin – Belinda – said coolly, coming to a halt beside Lucan.
Lucan's face broke out into a silly smile Mandy had never seen on her best friend before – he looked completely besotted. Mandy didn't know whether to throw up or laugh. "You came!" Lucan said.
"Well, you invited me to watch the game with you, so I figured, why not?" Belinda said nonchalantly. "A pure-blooded Slytherin spending the afternoon in a Muggle-born's company ought to shake up the pure-blood fanatics in my house quite thoroughly – the consequences of that should be interesting to watch, if nothing else."
Lucan's smile got even wider.
"I'll just – be over here," Mandy said, pointing at a spot further up the stands. "You two lovebirds have fun."
"Right," Lucan said absently, clearly not caring, his attention still stuck on Belinda: he appeared to be swooning.
The entire game had passed (which Slytherin won with 320 points to Hufflepuff's 180), and Sirius hadn't showed up at all. Professor McGonagall had commentated instead, something which had made the game very professional, but also very dull. Sirius always managed to liven up the matches.
Mandy sighed. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed his presence, in everything she did, all the time. She'd tried to deny it, but she still loved him.
"Can we talk?" A voice interrupted her thoughts, and Mandy's head snapped up, staring.
Sirius shuffled with his feet awkwardly.
"I thought you were ill," Mandy blurted out dumbly, surprised at the Gryffindor's sudden appearance seemingly out of nowhere. "You didn't show up at the game."
Sirius grimaced. "I wasn't in the mood to run the commentary. So can we talk? Or are you still ignoring me?"
Mandy sighed. "No. I'm sick of ignoring you," she confessed.
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" Sirius' entire being seemed to perk up.
Mandy bit her lip. "You really hurt me."
Sirius shoulders seemed to sag. "I know."
"You didn't trust me."
"I know." Sirius shoulders sagged even further.
"I want to get back together," Mandy finally said. "But I'm not sure we can. After everything I told you at the beginning of our relationship – about my abandonment issues – you still didn't trust me not to cheat on you. I can deal with you being jealous – but you wouldn't even admit that you were. Instead, you tried to blame it all on me – as though it was my fault," she continued. "Every piece of trust in you I've built up these past months – it broke, in that single moment. And I might be overreacting – I probably am. But I don't trust easily, you know that. I told you that even before we got together."
"It wasn't you I didn't trust," Sirius protested feebly. "It was Lucan. Before I realised he's a good guy."
"Maybe," Mandy said, "but that's how it came across: you didn't trust me enough to be able to take care of myself, to be able to say no, or to stay faithful to you. The fact that it was one of my best friends you accused of trying to…get into my pants made it even worse."
Sirius winced. "I know. I was an arse."
"A really big arse," Mandy agreed, but on the inside, she was smiling.
"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "I'm really, really sorry. And I know this doesn't make it alright, but when I saw you with Lucan, I saw red – I'm terrified of losing you. But in my attempts to keep you by my side, I pushed you away. I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but you mean everything to me. I love you."
Mandy had trouble holding back her tears. "I love you too. I still have feelings for you. I've tried to ignore them, hoping they'd go away. But they won't, and trying to force myself to stop liking you is just impossible, not to mention tiring, and it's making me downright depressed. Without you around, I'm lonely," she admitted. "There's this big, empty space in my heart, a space I didn't even know I had until you weren't there to fill it anymore. But is it enough?" she questioned. "Is love enough, if there's no trust?"
"I trust you," Sirius promised. "I do. I've learnt my lesson. Please, give me one more chance. Give us another try, and I promise not to screw up again. Or well, I won't promise, because I'd probably have to break that promise – I'm Sirius Black, you know? Short-tempered, conceited, jealous with a mean streak, lazy, insensitive…and I'm rambling aren't I?" Sirius finished with an embarrassed puff of breath. "And not really endearing myself to you. Merlin, what am I thinking?" he exclaimed. "I'm trying to convince you to take me back, not to run in the other direction."
"Well, at least no one can accuse you of not knowing your own faults," Mandy said, and this time she couldn't quite hold back a smile. "But you're also kind, with a great sense of humour. And your heart is in the right place.
"Is that your way of saying you forgive me?" Sirius said hopefully, and Mandy nodded.
"Yes."
"Oh, thank Merlin." A pause. "Do you want to come with me to the Astronomy tower?"
Mandy rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck."
11 May
Samantha stared morosely at her dinner, glancing over at the Gryffindor table where the Marauders sat with Lily, Buffy and Mandy, whispering and laughing. Okay, so she and Peter had been having some trouble, but they'd made up - even though Peter's apology had left a lot to be desired: an "I'm sorry," and then he'd gone back to pretending as though nothing had happened.
Not that she had pushed him for anything else, but she'd never been one for conflict, and Samantha was terrified of losing Peter, not to mention the friendships she had gained – why were they excluding her?
For the past five days, all of her 'friends' hadn't seemed to have time for her. An "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to talk right now" whenever she tried to stop them in the halls. A change of subject when trying to bring it up with Peter, and cowardly as she was, she had let the issue drop. Another "I'm sorry, but maybe later," when trying to convince Buffy and Lily to study with her.
Samantha couldn't help but worry she'd done something wrong, something to offend them without meaning to, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what. The fight between her and Peter hadn't been her fault (at least she didn't think so), and other than that, no instance came to mind where she'd parted on bad terms with any of her friends.
Had they grown tired of her?
It was a large possibility – before Peter, and his friends, Samantha hadn't had anyone at all. There must have been a reason for that. During her first few years, she'd figured it was because she was shy. Then, later, she convinced herself it was for the same reason – she hadn't been quick enough to make friends, and then it was too late.
And from fifth year, when no one (except the staff, the obligatory "hello" from her fellow Hufflepuffs, and the occasionally Slytherin bully) spoke to her, she'd begun to think there must be something seriously wrong with her: did she wear the wrong clothes? Did she have the wrong hair cut? Did she smell bad? Did she get too bad grades? Too good grades? Or was she just boring?
Then Peter Pettigrew had come into her life, and maybe, she'd thought, maybe she wasn't the one with a problem. Maybe it was them. Then, she'd met his friends, and they'd become her friends also, and all the insecurities were swept away. She was liked. She was liked for who she was.
And now, months of friendship later…they were ignoring her, and all the old insecurities came rushing back. Maybe she truly was that undesirable as a person. Maybe she was dull and unexciting. Maybe she was meant to be alone. Suddenly, Samantha found she'd completely lost her appetite and she pushed her plate away, stood up and walked out of the Great Hall.
Well, she thought, if her 'friends' didn't want to be her friends anymore, who was she to try to convince them otherwise? She had her pride after all (it was all she'd ever had). But Samantha couldn't help but wish they'd have the guts to tell her that to her face. Didn't she deserve that, at least?
Yet, Samantha wished they'd still want to hang out – just for today, it would have been nice if she still had her friends, if she still had Peter, even if it was just for a moment, even if it was all pretend to make her feel better. Just for today, on her birthday.
Had she ever had a birthday with friends?
No.
And, she guessed, she never would.
"Is it ready?" Peter asked worriedly, his eyes blinking anxiously.
"Yes, for the hundredth time – everything's perfect," James assured him, shaking his head in exasperation. "She'll love it."
"Good," Peter said. "Because I have a feeling that I've screwed up."
"In what way?" Lily asked, while correcting the large banner in black hanging from the ceiling, with yellow, glittering letters that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAMANTHA!' "You did apologize for blowing up at her, didn't you?"
Peter chewed his lip worriedly. "Well, yeah – but I could have done a better job." He let out a puff of breath. "I'm not very good at that sort of thing!" Not to mention, he added inwardly, apologising to anyone felt wrong – why should he always be the one at fault? Alright, so this time it had been – but that didn't mean he wasn't tired of being the scapegoat, the whipping boy.
He wanted more, and from his conversations with Regulus and other Slytherins, Peter began to believe maybe he could have it. All he would need to do was give up his friends that were holding him back. Oh, how he wished he could! But seven years of friendship and all the things the Marauders had gone through together wasn't easy to turn his back on. Turning his back on that – even if it was what would be best for him – wasn't something he could do with just a snap of his fingers.
"What exactly did you say?" Mandy asked, curling up against Sirius on a couch in the corner: since they'd made up, the two had been closer than ever, practically attached at the hips – or lips, as the case may be. "I'd like to consider myself a pro on what a proper apology entails. Right, Sirius?"
"Right, honey," Sirius said, nodding in agreement. "You were hard, but fair."
Mandy smiled brilliantly.
"Well…I said I was sorry," Peter said tentatively.
Silence.
"And…?" Buffy prompted from her place by the entrance.
Peter shrugged.
"You mean that was it?" Lily asked incredulously. "And Samantha still took you back? You didn't give her a reason behind the blow-up or anything? No gift, no crawling in the gutter, begging on your bare knees?"
Peter shook his head. "Not really, no."
"Samantha must be a saint," James muttered.
"Maybe she thought she'd overreacted," Peter tried to explain feebly. "The fight wasn't that big of a deal, really."
"Not that big of a deal?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "Peter, she came to me in tears!"
Peter wished he could sink through the floor, though he refused to show it – this time, he would stand his ground. "Like I said, an overreaction," he repeated. "She wouldn't shut up about all her plans, so I left. That's all there was to it."
"That's still a lot," Lily pointed out. "And from what I've gathered about Samantha's personality, she doesn't have that much self-confidence. Blowing her off and walking away just because you wished she'd change the subject – that was really shallow and mean, Peter. You could have just told her you wanted to speak about something else."
"Alright!" Peter snapped, thoroughly peeved at his friends' pushing and 'holier-than-thou' attitudes. "Alright, I get it, I was an idiot, I admit that. But what happened is none of your business. It's between me and Samantha, so just stay out of it."
"Everyone, shut up!" Buffy hissed, sending the room into darkness with a flick of her wand. "She's coming!"
Everyone quickly scurried away from where they'd been sitting and standing, running towards their hiding places, giggling and tittering.
The portrait hole opened and a sliver of light shone through.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone jumped up, and Sirius flicked his wand, turning the lights on, and the giant banner, a table of presents and a large cake with green icing coming into view. Lily, Buffy and Mandy blew in their party whistles, while Sirius and James blew out streamers all over Samantha's surprised form, standing frozen in the doorway.
Peter smiled shakily. "Happy birthday."
To their surprise, Samantha's eyes teared up. "It's for me?"
Buffy exchanged startled looks with Lily. "Well, yeah. Who else would it be for?"
Samantha grinned tearily. "So that's what you've been up to this week," she added under her breath. "I thought you'd forgotten all about me."
"Well, we wanted this to be a complete surprise, and we were afraid someone would let something slip if we spent a lot of time together as usual," Lily explained gently, leading the blonde Hufflepuff to the table with the cake. "I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression – we really didn't mean to hurt you."
"That's alright. To be honest, I suspected it might be something like this," Samantha lied, not wanting to upset her friends. "The cake looks amazing," she said, changing the subject. "Who made it?"
"Believe it or not, Remus did," Buffy said. "It's his contribution for your birthday – he couldn't afford an actual gift, but he insisted on doing something. I flooed over and picked it up this morning. Don't tell McGonagall, though," she added as an afterthought.
"She wasn't very happy when she found out I left the castle without permission last time I flooed to Remus, so I decided it would be best not to ask her this time. That way, she couldn't say no!"
Sirius and James laughed. "We're corrupting you, Buffy."
"Nah," Buffy shrugged. "I've always had a little rebellion stashed away somewhere, I think. Life's more interesting, that way."
13 May
Remus yawned as he opened the door to the Lupin cottage, tired after his night shift as a dishwasher in a Muggle bar down in the nearby village: the economy situation had gotten worse and worse, and he hadn't been able to put off work anymore.
Still, Remus didn't dare leave his mother alone at home while she was awake, nor could he ask anyone else to watch her, so that's why he was pulling nightshifts – everyone within a mile radius was Muggle, and letting them into a magical household might not be the smartest thing. And asking Dumbledore or someone else for help was out of the question – Remus had assured everyone he could manage on his own, and besides that, it would feel too much like charity.
Only four hours of sleep five times a week (Remus hadn't allowed himself to think about what he'd do when the full moon came along) may not be the most ideal situation, but he needed the money, even though the pay was crap.
Sure, his mother was doing better, Remus had to admit – she had moments of lucidity, even if they were few and far between – so far, Remus could only mention two. And even those moments were just as disheartening to watch as those when she believed him to be his father. The way her face would crumble when she realised his father was dead and not coming back. The way her face would go blank as she realised just how precarious their situation was: she, a widow, mother to a werewolf, with another child (whom they really couldn't afford) on the way. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Suddenly, a loud crash came from his mother's bedroom, and Remus' eyes widened. As he rushed into the room, he was met by an awful shock: his mother was awake, and had fallen to the floor. A vase had been knocked down on the way, and shards of porcelain were spread all over the room. That wasn't what had Remus' staring at the scene in horror, though – it was the blood.
Blood covered the entire lower half his mother's nightdress, blood that was even now dripping down from between her legs.
'I never should have left,' Remus thought, breaking out of his trance and rushing forwards, pulling his mother's frail body into his arms. "Mum! Mum! Can you hear me?"
His mother's eyes flickered back and forth before they finally settled on his face. "J-Jonathan," she slurred. "I don't feel so well..."
Her head fell back as she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Remus!" Buffy exclaimed, practically running towards her boyfriend and almost crushing him in a hug. "We came as soon as we heard. How is Dana?"
Remus dragged a hand through his hair tiredly, eyes glancing towards the closed door through which Muggle doctors had taken his mother. "I don't know. No one's told me anything since I brought her in."
He sank down in a chair heavily, dragging in a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't know how much more I can take," he admitted, almost whispering. "I thought I was handling it pretty well, but…"
"It's not your fault," Lily said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You couldn't have known something like this would happen."
"I should have expected it," Remus snapped, shrugging of her hand. "She's not exactly young anymore, or in the best physical health – she practically refuses to eat, I've had to force feed her so many times I've lost count… And with dad dead, she's not exactly mentally stable either. I can't believe I left her alone at home! If I'd been there, I could have gotten her to the hospital so much quicker! I should have gotten her admitted to a hospital from the very beginning. I was a fool to think I'd be able to take care of her!"
"No use thinking about the 'what if's,'" Sirius said, while inspecting the waiting room thoroughly, amazed at how 'Muggle' a Muggle hospital was. "It will only drive you mad."
"Not much else to do, is there?" Remus muttered, while accepting the chocolate bar James held out, but without opening it. "What if she dies?" he whispered, eyes filling with tears.
"She won't," Buffy told him.
"You don't know that," Remus said, shaking his head. "You can't make that sort of promise."
"Remus Lupin?" A doctor came out through the door, holding a clipboard.
"I'm he," Remus said, standing up, and shaking the doctor's hand.
"I'm Dr. Robert Nicholson."
"How is my mum?" Remus asked anxiously. "Will she be alright?"
"Your mother's condition is critical, but stable, as is the baby," Dr. Nicholson said kindly. "It was touch and go for awhile, regarding the baby's life, but you got her here in time. I'm not going to lie to you – your mother is actually the one I'm worried about right now. Things aren't looking very good. She's extremely weak, especially mentally. She's a little underweight, which, considering her pregnancy, is never a good sign, and her blood pressure is extremely elevated. The notes I have here says she lost her husband – your father – back in February, correct?"
"Yes," Remus said numbly. "She…she hasn't been…well. Since it happened."
"They were close?" the doctor questioned, and Remus' nodded.
"Hmm. I thought so," the doctor nodded, making a note on his clipboard. "That's what worries me the most, actually – the high blood pressure, we can treat. And while the blood loss was rather extensive, we have her on blood transfusions. However, heartbreak is another matter entirely. I have seen many young men and women, with excellent physical condition, slip away because they've lost their will to live."
"Is there anything you can do?" Remus asked.
"I'd like to keep her here through the remaining time of her pregnancy. In my opinion as a doctor, she's very ill and very vulnerable, and it is imperative we keep her under close watch, both for her sake and the baby's. They both need special care, and unfortunately, you can't provide that. A nursing home might, and that's what I'd recommend, if it weren't for the fact she's pregnant."
"I understand," Remus said, face pale but stoic. "Is there anything I need to sign…?"
"Yes." Dr. Nicholson handed over a few sheets of paper and a ballpoint pen. "Of course, you're allowed to visit her during the normal visiting hours – in fact, I'd recommend it. A familiar face is always good for the health of the patients."
"Is there anything else I can do?" Remus asked, after he'd signed over the rights regarding his mother's care to the Muggle hospital.
"Keep yourself healthy," the doctor said, squeezing Remus' shoulder in comfort. "You seem like a good kid, and your mother should be proud. I think it would make her very happy to see you looking well when you come to visit. Until then, just focus on your studies – you do go to school, yes?"
"Boarding school," Remus said. "Though I dropped out when dad died."
"I'm sure they'd accept you back," Dr. Nicholson said, "unless you were a trouble maker, but I'm not getting that impression."
"Appearances can be deceiving," Sirius muttered under his breath, earning himself an elbow between the ribs, courtesy of Lily.
"Can I see my mum before I go?" Remus asked, ignoring his friends.
"Of course."
15 May
"Stop fidgeting," Buffy scolded her boyfriend as Remus shuffled anxiously with his feet, as he prepared himself to enter the Great Hall, officially rejoining the student body of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore had been all too happy to have him back as a student, when Remus had flooed and asked once he got back home from the hospital, saying the school hadn't been quite the same without him, nor had his friends.
Remus had spent one last day at home, cleaning up, locking the place down, and resigning from his oh-so-glorious job down in the village. He'd arrived at Hogwarts this morning, and had met up with Buffy on her way down to breakfast, after a talk with the Headmaster.
"Maybe this was a bad idea," Remus mumbled. "I should go back home."
"And do what?" Buffy asked. "Be miserable?"
"For instance," Remus muttered.
Buffy rolled her eyes, happy beyond belief that Remus was back. "That won't do you any good. At least here, you'll make your friends happy, not to mention me."
"You do know how to put forth a convincing argument," Remus smiled slightly, though his eyes were still empty: Buffy figured it would take time for him to regain that spark she was so used to seeing, even though it had been absent since Jonathan died. Remus probably saw his mother's near miscarriage and consequent admittance to the hospital as a personal failure – he always took too much upon himself, things out of his control, and it was a wonder he hadn't been buried under it.
"Ready to go inside?" Buffy asked, squeezing his hand.
Remus nodded and took a deep breath, stepping inside the Great Hall, the chatter inside immediately quieting down when the students realised who it was that was striding down towards the Gryffindor table.
"Hi, guys," Remus said, ignoring the silence and sitting down beside Sirius, Buffy taking the seat on his left side.
"Hi, Moony," James greeted, grinning widely. "Glad to have you back."
Remus couldn't help but smile slightly. "Glad to be back," he admitted.
"I find myself agreeing with James wholeheartedly," Michaela said from her seat between Lily and Nick while she hastily removed the Prefect's badge from her robes, and threw it to Remus, who caught it by reflex. "Pheew! I'm so glad to be rid of that!" She exclaimed with relief. "Really, I'm more than happy with only Quidditch as an extra activity – I don't need the duty of babysitting the school on top of it!"
Everyone within earshot laughed, the ice broken with the help of Michaela's blasé statement regarding Remus' return, and the Hall became filled with laughter again.
Looking around his friends, Remus felt the first crack in his heart slowly begin to heal.
Published: 12/01 -10
Edited: 19/05 -12
