Chapter 28: Where it Goes from Here
Disclaimer: Same
Note: Enjoy!
They sat in the sunshine for what could have been hours, Gen reading her notes and the dog sitting by her side. The boys didn't return from the waters edge for a while, so it was just Gen, Alice and Lily until they were joined by Catherine, Andrea and Georgina.
Georgina had managed to put a huge effort into her appearance since her break up. She looked better now that she had been getting some sun, her white skin catching a bit of a golden glow. Gen had registered this new level of beauty, and could only asses that she didn't believe girls like Georgina existed.
She also knew that leaving Hogwarts would be good for Georgina. The girl had become so bored with every human being that attended the school that she had driven herself crazy. While it would be good that all of her friends moved on from Hogwarts, it would be best if Georgina left sooner rather than later.
Like tomorrow, Gen thought.
"Whose dog is that?" Catherine asked, smiling as the dog turned his attention to her. Gen looked up at her and smiled as she shrugged.
"I don't know, he just came out of nowhere," Gen replied.
"Doesn't look mangy or anything," Andrea added. Lily was merely grinning at the forest as this conversation went on, and Gen couldn't help but noticing.
"Yeah, apparently some people think he's funny," Gen said. Lily and she made brief eye contact, and Gen gave her an odd smile. Lily didn't respond and turned her face back towards the green of the trees, so Gen looked back at her notes.
"Why is he sitting with you?" Georgina asked, the tone of her voice anything but pleasant. Gen took in a breath and didn't respond, keeping her eyes trained on her notes.
Just pretend she doesn't exist, Gen, she told herself calmly. She knew that Georgina was just looking to bait Gen into an argument. Apparently she had some more names to call Gen in order to feel better, but Gen just wasn't going to let her get that satisfaction.
"Who cares, Georgina?" Catherine answered. "He probably came over and she pet him. Animals go where the love is."
"Like she's capable of actually loving anything," Georgina said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. Gen continued to read her potions notes, despite the fact that she had re-read the same sentence ten times.
"Georgina, don't be rude," Alice chided. Georgina flipped her hair.
"Sorry, Alice, but I don't have any patience with girl who shove their ugly noses into other peoples relationships," Georgina replied. Gen strained to focus on the voices of Remus, James, Frank and Peter as they were getting closer. They must have been on their way back to the group.
I ought to throw you into Black Lake, you little harlot.
No one bothered to answer Georgina, so she took it upon herself to continue.
"That's right," she said, "no one can defend her because they all know it's true. She's a stinking little brat who wants every boy for herself. I can't imagine what Sirius sees in you, Gen, you're so plain and stupid. Why on Earth would he waste his time?"
Gen looked up, her heart hammering in her chest. She snapped her book closed and began to put her things in her bag. She was trying her very best to not dignify Georgina with a response and instead just go back into the library where she should have been this who time anyway. She knelt on the ground, trying to appear as calm as she possibly could be when Alice spoke again.
"She and Sirius aren't together, Georgina," she said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.
"Oh, so she just sleeps with him?"
Gasps resounded and Gen froze.
But there wasn't silence for long. The dog rose from its seated position and began growling at Georgina. Gen looked over her shoulder at him to see his teeth fully barred and his stance low.
"I'd stop talking if I were you, Georgina," she said placidly.
"Or what, Gen? Or you'll yell at me like a child? How original, like I've never seen you do that before," Georgina said, not paying any mind to the dog. "It must be wonderful, really, parading around Hogwarts to see which boy you could get with first. How many do you think she's been with? 4 or 5? Does Sirius make 6?"
The moment Gen stood up to defend herself was a moment too late. The large black dog sprung forward to land at Georgina's side, barking ferociously. Georgina scrambled back from him, trying to find her wand as he growled in her face.
"Somebody do something!" she screamed, her face paler than Nearly Headless Nick. Gen looked on in horror, afraid that the dog would actually hurt her.
But why is he so angry? Gen thought, her heart still beating wildly. There was a second rush of commotion when Remus and James rushed forward, tackling the dog and pushing Georgina out of the way. James and the dog landed in a heap a few feet away and Remus had managed to push Georgina out of harm.
"Get out of here," James said gruffly to the dog, and the dog seemed to give the equivalent of a huff before stalking away. "And don't come back until you're normal!" James called after it. Gen put a hand into her hair and her brain jumped into overdrive. Her eyes averted back to Georgina, who was whimpering to Remus, who had pulled her up off the grass to assess if she had any injuries. She and Gen locked into a gaze, and Gen watched as any emotion left her blue eyes.
"Oh, Remus, thank you," she said, looking up at him and batting her eyelashes.
"No problem, Georgina," he answered flatly. She boldly wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her cheek against his chest.
"I was so afraid," she said, imitating the sound of helplessness.
Gen's throat went dry.
That little bitch.
She had to pry her eyes away when Remus wrapped his arms around her. Gen knew it was out of awkwardness and manners, but she hadn't been ready to see him hug another girl. She picked up her bag and smiled at Alice.
"What the hell happened?" James asked, sounding angry.
"She started it!" Georgina cried, wasting no time to put the blame on Gen. "She made that dog go after me!"
"Oh shut up Georgina," Lily said, not bothering to hide her aggravation. "The dog was telling her to shut her trap before he bit her. She was being absolutely horrid to Gen and it looks like the dog knew exactly what she was saying." James took a moment to process what his girlfriend has said and he put his head forehead in his hand.
And then, it happened.
Gen looked in the direction that the dog had scampered off in, and then back to where he had been sitting before. The dogs grey eyes flashed in her head, and she pieced everything together. She looked up at Georgina, who was still standing near Remus to milk his attention, then to James and Lily, who would obviously understood.
And she began to laugh.
"That sneaky prat," she said between chuckles. She looked at James, who had directed his attention to her and she continued to laugh. She walked forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"What is so funny?" Georgina asked, indignantly. Gen rolled her eyes and looked back at her.
"Your goddamn face, Georgina. And you best not talk about me again, to my face or behind my back," she warned. "You'll never know when my big, black, padfooted dog will be back to tear you apart." Her eyes connected with James again and he smiled at her. "I'm such a bonehead sometimes." She knocked gently on her temple and he laughed.
"We tried to tell you," he said with a shrug. She smiled and walked back towards the castle.
"Where are you going?" Alice called.
"As if you have to ask!" Gen called back over her shoulder. She followed the path back up to the castle, smiling the entire way thinking of Georgina's terrified face when Sirius was threatening to bite her. She even laughed aloud a few times on her journey back to the library. The event had put her in a considerably good mood, and she even said a cheery "good afternoon" to Madame Pince when she walked in. The strict woman nodded curtly to her, but she walked on unbothered to a distant table.
She had been sitting at the table for hours, and had made considerable headway in her potions notes when she had decided to take a break to rest her eyes. She sat in a familiar position: slouched in her chair, head hanging over the back of the chair and eyes shut. Her fingers twirled her quill aimlessly and her mind was consumed with ingredient combinations and how to identify this potion from that potion.
She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there when a hand touched her shoulder and the chair beside her creaked with a new weight. She didn't open her eyes right away, imagining it being Remus. It was Remus because Georgina had succeeded in making her jealous, and all she wanted was to have a moment to justify that jealousy.
"Hello," she finally said, eyes still closed.
"That may be the kindest greeting you've ever given me," replied Sirius. Gen smiled at the ceiling, and opened her eyes.
"Not true," she said. He met her eyes and raised his brow.
"When were you nicer?"
"The first day I met you," she replied, "on the train. I introduced myself and you made an ass of yourself." Sirius cracked a smile and nodded.
"You're right," he said. "I had forgotten that my hatred for you began the moment I first laid eyes on you." Gen laughed and shook her head.
"It's good to know there was never a moment of doubt with you, Sirius," she said. She pulled herself into an upright position and looked back down at her notes.
"I try and make as many first-impression judgments about as many people as possible." She smiled down at her papers and they sat in silence for a few moments. And then Gen reached out and smacked his arm. "Ow, Proctor, what the bloody hell was that for?"
"For being so annoying this afternoon! I was trying to study!" she replied in a heated whisper, a smile on her face. He laughed softly, and rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah right, you know you wanted to pet the nice doggy," he crooned. Gen stifled a laugh and heard a warning 'shh' from a neighbor behind the shelves somewhere. She and Sirius looked at each other, and Gen decided that she should say something more kind.
"Thank you," she said with a nod. He tensed for a moment and then nodded back.
"I didn't know she could be so cruel," he murmured, disappointment filling his voice. Gen felt a pang of sorrow for him as he looked away and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why did you date her?" Gen asked. He looked at her again, and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"I guess," he said after a pause, "it was because I thought she could make me happy." Gen could only blink at him, astonished by his admission. "What?"
"Not what I was expecting," Gen muttered, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. She turned away from him in hopes that it wouldn't make him uncomfortable. Suddenly, her chair was turned abruptly to face him, and he leaned over his knees to close some distance. Gen gripped the arms of her chair as a response, her eyes meeting his in confusion.
"Do you really think I'm that terrible of a human being?" he asked. Gen opened her mouth in surprise. "Because I do have feelings, and I don't just find girls to snog them and move on. I'm not sure where you got it in that thick American head of yours that I am some insensitive prick, but I'm actually just like you Gen." He was looking at her intently, and Gen pressed her back into the chair in order to feel less accosted by him. She griped for words, but found herself unable to look away from him.
"I'm sorry Sirius," she managed, "I just – just never see you as having any problems, or emotions." He broke their gaze and hung his head as he chuckled at her.
"Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there," he replied. "I think you just can't fathom it because I'm the only person more private than you and Remus." He looked back up at her when he said Remus' name and she sighed.
"You're right. I'm sorry," she said meekly. She looked away from him to her hands in her lap. She heard him sigh and he stood up. He began collecting her notes and potions book and putting them in her bag.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure you get fed," he replied. Gen chuckled and stood from her seat, leaning around him to reach her bag. Once she was packed up and they had left the library they fell into silence again. They walked slowly towards the Great Hall, Gen seizing the moment to talk to Sirius.
"Are you afraid of what is going on outside of here?" Gen asked. She didn't look at him when she asked, but felt his eyes fall on her as she spoke.
"You mean with the Death Eaters?" he asked. Gen nodded at the floor and Sirius cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that I don't know enough. I'm afraid that we're all going to go work against them and we won't understand enough to fight." Gen nodded slowly, understanding what he meant. "Are you afraid?"
Yes, she answered. I'm afraid that I'll lose everything I love. I'm afraid that I'll lose everything and be left to wander this world completely alone.
"I'm not sure," she lied. "I think I'll be more afraid when I understand what and who we are up against."
She had one more NEWT to take – her Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT. She had one NEWT left, and then she and her friends would be done their schooling at Hogwarts forever. Gen had a hard time contemplating not being in school. It was one of the only consistent things in her life since she was little, and all of a sudden, after her test the next day, it would be over.
Gen and Alice had also been talking about where Gen was going to go after they had finished school. Gen hadn't considered that she should stay in London to work as an auror for the Ministry – she had just thought she would go home. But, as Alice had said to her, why would Dumbledore want her to be an auror if she was just going to go back to Boston? Gen decided to think about this after NEWTs, but as it was her last occupied night, and third to last night at Hogwarts the thoughts were creeping back into her mind.
It was late and Gen was wide awake. She was laying in her bed, unable to keep her eyes closed and sleep. She sat, put her feet on the floor, and rose. Walking quietly to the door, she opened it and closed it without a sound behind her. She walked up the hallway to see that there were lights still on in the Common Room, and there were voices talking. Walking forward, she strained to listen, and almost immediately recognized Sirius' voice. She smiled to herself, thinking she could go down and join him. As she neared the opened hallway she heard another, equally familiar voice and she slowed.
"That's rich, Sirius, coming from you," Remus said, his voice tense. Gen neared the railing, barely breathing.
"Why? Because I've had multiple girlfriends? That's completely irrelevant," Sirius answered back. Gen heard Remus scoff.
"No it's not! Have you ever loved any of them?" he challenged.
"Remus, this has nothing to do with me! This has to do with the fact that you completely abandoned her!" Sirius said, his voice fighting to not be at a yell.
"She's fine!"
"No, she's not!" Sirius barked. "She keeps telling herself and all of us that she's fine but you know just as well as me that she's not all right! How could she be? Do you have any idea how in love with you she was?!"
"Don't be an arse," Remus snapped.
"Then stop being an idiot! That girl loves the ground you walk on, knows about your issue and is willing to take all of the blame for her mistake and your behavior afterwards!" Sirius said. Gen leaned forward to peer down at them, Sirius was standing behind the sofa, but Gen couldn't see Remus because he was so close to the fireplace. For a long while Remus didn't respond, which seemed to irritate Sirius. "Not answering me isn't going to make me go away, Remus. We have put this conversation off for too long."
"There isn't anything I can say to you!" Remus said back. "If you don't understand now you won't ever understand."
"Understand what? That you've exiled yourself to a life without love because you think you're too dangerous?" Sirius said, his voice snide and his face in a twisted sneer.
"I hurt her Sirius!" Remus said, his voice filling the room.
"She's alive!"
"You don't understand," Remus said, his voice resigned to defeat.
"Don't understand what? How terrible it feels to hurt someone?!"
"Exactly!" Remus retorted. "You've never hurt anyone that you love!" Sirius' mouth hung open for a few seconds before he rebounded back into this argument. Gen turned from the balcony to walk down the stairs so she could get a glimpse of Remus. She needed to see his face, because this was probably the only opportunity she would ever hear him explain himself, or hear him speak more than a few words at a time for that matter.
"You've got some nerve, saying I've never been in love," Sirius said.
"Oh give it a rest Sirius, you and I both know you haven't."
"Then I don't understand why you don't go running up to her, take her in your arms and say you're sorry!" Gen leaned around the corner to see their faces, and both looked much angrier than she imagined.
"Because I love her!" Remus said, slamming his fist on the end table he stood next to. "I love her, Sirius! And I always will. But, I need to keep myself away from her! What will I do next time if she dies? What if I killed our child?! Don't you see?! I can't be with someone like her!"
"Remus, she loves –"
"I know she loves me!" Remus interrupted. "Don't you think I see it written all over her face when I look at her? But I can't be with someone who deserves so much more than I can give her! I will never be able to provide all the things she deserves. And why would I trap her with me when she will have a horrible life and have the risk of killing her every month? No one in their right mind would do that to the person they love!"
The silence that fell over the room after Remus stopped speaking was deeper than anything Gen had ever experienced. She wasn't sure when the tears had started rolling down her face but she realized some moments after he stopped talking that she had no power to stop them. She wiped at her face repeatedly with no relief to the wetness of her cheeks. She watched as Remus retreated to the stairs and she wasted no time entering the Common Room after his back was to her. She nearly ran at Sirius, who stood behind the sofa where Remus left him, shocked. He didn't even see her coming.
She reached him and began pound her fists into his arms and shoulders.
"Gen," he said, turning to her. She continued to slam her fists into his chest, the hollow thud the only thing reminding her that he was human.
"Why would you do that?! How could you not understand how hurt he is?" she cried, fully sobbing. "He's your best friend! He needs you to understand how hard this is for him!"
"Gen, stop it," Sirius asked calmly, but she couldn't. She continued to hit him, so angry that Sirius would make Remus say such things.
"No! You're horrible! Remus needs you and all you can do is –"
"Is what, Gen?" he demanded, anger in his voice. He caught her wrists, forcing her to look up at him. "Is what? Think of you? Think of how upset you were when you woke up after your accident and found out Remus, my best mate, didn't want to see the girl he is completely in love with?" Gen's eyes brimmed over again, and she felt his grip loosen on her arms. He pulled her gently towards him and enveloped her against his chest. Gen didn't wrap her arms around him. She didn't think or do anything except cry.
"I thought I was over this," she said, her voice muffled as she wiped at her eyes again. She had managed to get her shaking body under control when she spoke again, and she let out a short breath.
"I don't know if you'll ever be over it," Sirius said softly. Gen pulled back after a few moments, and he slowly released her.
"Thank you," Gen said, wiping at her face and managing a curt laugh. "Sorry, shouldn't have been listening to your conversation."
"Right," Sirius said, "you shouldn't have. But, you did. I'm sorry I upset you." The last part of his sentence was added quietly. Gen stepped away from him and took a deep breath. "What are you even doing awake?"
"I couldn't sleep," she replied feebly. His expression changed to one of empathy.
"You have a test tomorrow," he said. Gen rolled her eyes.
"So do you," she answered.
"Ah, but you are actually worried about this one," he said, a tone of arrogance in his voice, "I've got it in the bag."
"Sure, whatever you say Black," she said back. She crossed her arms over her stomach and she walked to the other side of the sofa.
"Don't take that tone with me, Proctor." Gen sat, and looked up at Sirius, her head leaning back against the couch.
"I'll take whatever tone I want," she replied. She smiled despite the nature of their comments, and looked away from him. She tucked her legs up under her body and Sirius jumped over the back of the couch to sit beside her. They sat on the sofa before the dying fire for what felt like a long while not talking, and for the first time Gen was completely free of any discomfort she normally felt when with Sirius Black. He wasn't being overbearing, nor were they arguing about something stupid that one of them said.
"Gen," Sirius said after their period of silence, his voice quiet but sure, "are you really all right about all of this Remus stuff?" Gen was slightly surprised by his question and reviewed the things she heard Remus say to Sirius.
"It still hurts," she replied. "But I imagine it will always hurt. Isn't that how it works with your first love?"
"So I was right that you're hurting?" Sirius asked, locking eyes with Gen. Gen sighed softly.
"But he was right in that I'm fine," she replied. Sirius opened his mouth to argue so Gen quickly continued. "Of course it hurts, Sirius. But I'm not going to shrivel up and die over it. I'll always know him as the guy that stole my heart, and I'll always wish that he wouldn't be so afraid to just let us be us. That's the way it is though – there isn't anything I can do about it. So, for all intent and purposes, I'm fine."
"I don't understand you," Sirius said, a little gruffly.
"You don't have to. You just have to know that I appreciate you trying to make things right, but that I'm just busy being alive at this point," Gen answered. She looked away from him, and they discussed it no further.
The next morning arrived quickly for Gen, and it wasn't until she was half way through her written portion of her exam that her lack of sleep hit her. She was thankful that she had practiced her spells enough to make it through her practical in a timely fashion. She was one of the last of her friends to finish, however, which they all happened to comment on when she finally got out of the classroom they had been assigned to.
When Gen walked out of her classroom, after having thanked her examiners, she, quite literally, let out a sigh of relief. She turned in either direction, trying to decide which way to go now that she had no obligations. The only thing she had to do between that moment and the following afternoon was pack her clothes to return home. There would be a special announcement that night at dinner for the graduating 7th years, and then she would make her "farewell march" with the rest of her friends. She walked quietly through the halls, wandering up the stairs but not to the Common Room. She wasn't ready to be with her friends quite yet.
As she walked her pace slowed, and she could feel a breeze kicking up at her feet. She took a few moments to realize where she was going, but then knew exactly where her feet had been taking her. She walked out into the hall that had been their secret hide away. It looked different, now, the almost-summer sun beyond the light stone walls and the glittering green trees framing the mountains. There was a clear view to the lake and Gen stepped forward to lean out the stone window. Her eyes wandered through the trees and to the grounds of her beloved school, wondering why it took her so long to find out where she belonged. She appreciated how lucky she was, but now everything she knew was over and she had to face what was beyond. What was even beyond the safety of her school? There weren't many people who knew, and she wasn't one of the ones who did. Or, at least she didn't understand all of it. Gen ran her hands through her hair and rested her elbows on the stone frame. Her hands folded out in front of her, a breeze tickling her skin. She was uncertain of where she was going after all of this. The only thing she knew was that after she left Hogwarts, she would meet her mother and they would travel around the country for a week.
If that's all she knew, she had a lot of work ahead of her.
"The time has come, boys and girls, to wish a safe journey and happy life to the students that will be leaving us this year," Dumbledore said at dinner that night. "Some of you will see them again, as you're family, in the Daily Prophet, or passing on the streets of Diagon Alley. Others of them you will not see for many years. Others still you will never see again. Regardless of that, I want to take this moment and congratulate our seventh year students who have made it through their time here at Hogwarts. Best of luck to all of you, and remember that you are not limited by the moments you are in, but in the opportunities you did not take."
Gen applauded along with the rest of her peers, smiling up at her headmaster with the rest of the student body. She had said very little during dinner, having looked forward to what Dumbledore would say. She realized that she had not always paid the best attention to him in the years past, and wanted to make sure she would not miss his words on her last night at Hogwarts.
She and Georgina managed to be civil to one another for the entire evening, each simply ignoring the other. Gen sat at the far end of the table, surrounded by the company she truly valued – Alice, Frank, James, Lily and Catherine. Sirius and Remus fit in her list too, she supposed, but for the moment she didn't want anything to do with them. They were confusing and emotionally taxing, so for the time being she kept herself occupied with the five of her friends. Dinner passed too quickly, and while they all enjoyed themselves there was nothing that could be done to stop time. After her final helping of a wonderful Hogwarts dessert, Gen walked with her friends back to the common room, reserving time for her own nostalgia. She took in every detail that she could, not wanting to forget any of the things that transpired in the school.
And then the next morning came.
She finished packing up the last of her things, and she sat in the Common Room waiting for Alice and Frank to come to down from their respective dorms. She watched as her fellow Gryffindors scrambled around the place, all in a flurry to finish packing and leave for the summer. Gen couldn't help but think about how many of them didn't know what it was going to be like for them in a year or so. In a year or so many of them will be gone from here, like she was about to, and out in the world where their main objective isn't to learn. Instead, they'll be expected to perform and teach others, and as she stared at their young faces she couldn't help but worry that the world might not be so wonderful in a year or so.
I'll just have to work my hardest to make it so, Gen thought to herself resolutely.
"Don't look so glum, Proctor," Sirius said from the boys' stair case, his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. "You'll see me soon." Gen looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I thought the joy of leaving here was so that I didn't have to see you again," she replied. "Ever." Sirius pulled a face on her and flopped down onto the couch next to her.
"Ready to go?" he asked. Gen nodded.
"I'm surprised at you," she said, looking over at him. His face was turned away so she was looking at his profile, his long nose making a perfectly straight line to his forehead and lips. His mouth was turned up into a small grin, and Gen couldn't help but feel she was missing something.
"And why's that?" he asked.
"There wasn't a prank last night." Sirius turned his attention to her and the grin widened. Gen knew that grin all too well, with its air of mischief that she had learned to take caution around.
"I'd save your surprise for later, Proctor," he replied. Gen smiled for a moment and then looked away.
"I thought you had given up on the whole 'Proctor' thing," she said, looking down at her skirt and pulling on the hem.
"Me?" he asked. "Never."
"Not true and you know it!" Gen said, heatedly. "You've used my first name at least two dozen times in the last month."
"Those don't count," he replied, waving his hand, "I was just being nice." Gen rolled her eyes and looked away.
"They do count," she muttered.
"You still have to say it," he said. Gen looked back over at him and shook her head.
"Don't count on it, toots," she answered, tucking her hair behind her ears.
When the group had reunited she and Alice were leading them out of the Common Room. Gen couldn't stand to be there any longer, and they all had to get downstairs in order to say good bye. The Farewell March was a few moments of walking where the seventh years walked down the grand staircase and out the front doors of the castle with their peers and professors cheering them on. It was a celebratory moment that all seventh years looked forward to. As she and her friends made their way down to the grand staircase where they were all to start, she locked arms with Alice.
"I can't believe it's over," Alice murmured to her best friend. Gen nodded in agreement and took in a breath.
"It feels strange, working so hard just to leave one of the only places you've ever loved," Gen commented. She and Alice locked eyes and they smiled at one another. "But I'm happy to have found you. I'd be stuck with my Salem friends if I hadn't gotten caught that night."
"I'm secretly thankful for that night every day," Alice whispered. Gen smiled and gave her friend a loving squeeze.
They only had to wait on the steps for a few moments before the march began, and they filed down two by two. As they rounded the corner at the first landing, a loud applause and range of cheers greeted them. Gen smiled and waved to professors and younger Gryffindors alike, enjoying their moment of celebration. She could see the front doors wide open and the people in front of her were moving quicker.
Then, there was a strange thudding noise.
She wasn't the first or the last to notice, but she may have been one of the only ones to notice the stifled sniggers from behind her.
The thudding gradually grew louder, and was joined by a tapping. They did not tap or thud at the same tempo, and as there was a scraping sound there was only one thought that came to Gen's head: something, somewhere, was making music. Suddenly, there were yelps from the front entry way as there were three magnificent crashes. Three very heavy things had fallen from high up, and Gen rushed off of the stairs to see. She reached the door as a crowd was forming to see three of the suits of armor had joined their presence and were dancing.
Not just jerking around under poorly cast, weak spells. Actually dancing. There was stunned silence for a moment as the strange metal on stone music progressed and the suits of armor danced and everyone looked on in confusion.
Gen was the first to start laughing. The knights reached up and pretended to slick back their hair and Gen laughed hysterically. Before long the entire crowd was laughing and clapping along to the beat. Professor McGonagall was even caught smiling before she had to put a stop to it.
"Now now, I won't hear it!" she cried above the groans. "Do you all want to miss the train back to London?"
The scramble ensued and Gen managed to get herself out the door.
When her friends caught up she was half way down the path, still chuckling about the dancing suits of armor. She turned when she heard their voices and she looked at the Marauders.
"Brilliant," she said, clapping, "absolutely brilliant." James took a moment to bow and they started laughing again.
"Are you really impressed, Gen?" James asked her as they boarded the train. She walked up an aisle to commence the search for an empty compartment, but answered him just the same.
"Of course, James," she replied, "I think it was really funny. I wouldn't have laughed if it wasn't."
"Yeah Proctor, it was pleasant hearing your hyena laugh from the front of the crowd," Sirius chimed in from behind. Peter laughed from behind him somewhere, but Gen shot him a look of boredom.
"Sirius, I think you're getting a bald spot," she remarked.
Peter continued to laugh.
When they were settled, Gen near the window, as always, their voices lowered considerably. Gen stared out at the platform, wishing that she could see the castle just one last time. The train whistle blew loudly, and the train jerked into motion. Gen was overcome with a profound sense of time lost, and she strained to see things beyond the steam that was rushing by her window.
"Oh bloody hell," Peter groaned, putting his hand to his face.
"What is it?" Andrea asked, concern in her voice. Peter looked at his friends sheepishly, his eyes already conveying his apologies.
"You didn't Wormtail," Remus said, his head tilting to the side in disappointment.
"I did," Peter said, his voice low and ashamed.
"What?" James asked, looking from one friend to the other.
"Peter seems to have left our…" Remus paused, searching for the correct phrase, "spare bit of parchment. The one with the diagram of Hogwarts on it. You know, the one we worked on for an entire year?"
Sirius lunged across the compartment to get his hands on Peter.
Review, please!
