Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just the original characters and the plot. No copyright infringement is intended.
By the following Tuesday afternoon, the whole school knew that Sirius and Evie were officially together. They were seen kissing by the lake on Saturday, chasing each other around the Quidditch pitch on Sunday, and eating breakfast together Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, the Gryffindors at least knew that just because they were together, didn't mean that they were going to stop fighting. On Saturday night, Evie had thrown a book at Sirius's head for some insensitive comment and the argument that had followed had been an entertaining sign of what was to come. Sure enough, they'd spent most of Monday night on a couch bickering, only stopping when Remus had told them to shut up or get out.
Still, it was clear that they were happy in one another's company. The bickering was mostly playful and usually resolved by one or the other deciding that they'd rather be kissing than fighting. Tuesday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was no different. Evie, who usually sat with Remus, had foolishly decided to join Sirius. They were now arguing over whether or not she was trying hard enough to accomplish the nonverbal defense charm they were meant to be practicing.
"I swear, Sirius, if you . . ."
"You just don't look like you are!"
"Sirius . . ." Evie's tone had a warning note in it, which Sirius disregarded.
"You have to really concentrate and—"
He was cut off when a spell hit him and pushed him back, toppling him over his chair.
"Like that?" Evie stood over him, hands on her hips. "Just because I don't look like a constipated pig when I'm trying doesn't mean I'm not."
Sirius grinned up at her. "Exactly like that. I knew I could help you get it."
Remus and Peter, who had been watching in mild amusement, groaned simultaneously. Evie looked over at them and shook her head, smiling.
"You would think he would learn."
They both laughed as Evie went to help Sirius up. He smiled at her playfully before becoming stern for a moment.
"Evie, you really should try harder. It's not safe out there."
Evie became somber as well. "I know. I do try." She sighed. "It just doesn't come as naturally to me. You know that."
"I do," he replied, looking at her with an expression of worry so sweet Evie felt her chest contract for a moment. "I just want you to be safe."
She smiled slightly and took up her dueling stance again. "Hit me."
Just then, the bell rang. Evie gave a big, dramatic sigh. "Saved, again!"
Sirius shook his head, erasing the grave look from it, and laughed. "You can't always get lucky, Montgomery."
Evie arched an eyebrow evilly. "Oh, but can't I?"
Remus and Peter both groaned again, causing Evie to burst out laughing as she gathered up her books.
"Sorry, boys," she smirked. "He just makes it so easy."
"You could let one or two pass, you know," Peter replied, falling into step beside her and Sirius as they left the classroom, Remus trailing behind them, distracted by something in his notes.
James and Lily caught up with them down the hall.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how intolerable were they?" James asked Peter.
"25," the shorter boy said, laughing.
Evie gave him a mock shove.
"Still nowhere near Lily and James at their worst," Sirius interjected.
Remus made a low noise of disagreement. "You were getting close."
"Impossible!" Sirius scoffed. "Do you not remember the Great Ruckus our second year? Or that time last year in Potions…."
Remus shook his head. "Still getting close."
Sirius snorted. "Doubtful." He snaked out an arm and wrapped it around Evie's shoulders possessively. "Besides, we're much cuter."
Evie laughed and wriggled out from under his arm. Ignoring his protestations, she turned to Remus. "I apologize for both of us. And now, I'm off."
"Hospital wing?" Lily asked, still smiling at the offended look on Sirius's face.
Evie nodded. "See you lot later!"
As she turned and started down the hall, Evie saw Sirius flick his wand out of the corner of her eye. Moments later, a whisper of a wind kissed her cheek and she heard his voice in her ear. "Later, Montgomery."
Blushing at the gesture, Evie tucked her head down and rounded the corner, walking mindlessly to her private lesson with Madame Pomfrey.
It wasn't that what had kept her up at night before had just melted away or that she was suddenly carefree. But something about being with Sirius was too comfortable to be too concerned. She tried to remind herself sometimes of what they were potentially facing, what havoc she was going to wreak, but even those dark thoughts had trouble sticking around for long. She was inconceivably happy here, in this time, with this boy. She grinned, shaking her head at her own silliness. They might bicker but, other than annoying all of their friends, this whole thing was going remarkably well.
Remus and Peter were the first ones back in the common room that evening. After dropping their bags in their room, they headed back down to the common room to wait for the others.
"Fancy a game of chess?" Peter asked, gesturing to one of the tables by the fire.
Remus nodded his assent and they started setting up their pieces in companionable silence.
"Do you think Sirius and Evie will last?" Peter asked when they'd both sat down, Remus debating his first move.
His friend moved a pawn and looked at him curiously, pondering the question. "I hope so. I'd rather not have to deal with that breakup. And they certainly seem to like each other enough."
Peter moved a piece on the board, nodding. "He really is in love this time, isn't he?"
"I think they both might be."
Peter snorted. "Who would have thought . . ." He shook his head. "I always thought it would be you, after James."
"Me what?"
"You know. Finding someone."
Remus laughed harshly. "Me? Even knowing . . ." He looked around the room nervously.
Peter shrugged. "The right person wouldn't care."
Remus looked at Peter thoughtfully. "You really think that?"
"We're your friends still, aren't we? There have to be more than five people out there who wouldn't care."
"Five?"
Peter rolled his eyes. "You really think Lily didn't figure it out first? She's smarter than the rest of us put together."
Remus frowned down at the board. "I guess I never really thought about it."
Peter smiled ruefully. "That's because you think that everyone is always out to get you."
"Aren't they though?" Remus replied, bitterly.
Peter shrugged again and turned his attention back to the game. They played in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I was surprised that it was Sirius, but I'm a little glad. If it had been you, I don't know that he would have been spending much time with me."
"Of course he would!" Remus responded immediately, surprised at Peter's tone.
"Do you really think so? You have to know I'm not his favorite."
Remus felt a squirm of guilt in his gut, remembering how Sirius sometimes complained about Peter. He pushed it down. "He's your friend. Isn't that what you just said? We're all friends. Besides, it's not like I would have deserted you."
"I would desert you, if I found what they have."
"What who has?" Unnoticed by either of them, Kylie had come up behind Remus. She pulled over another chair and sunk into it.
"Sirius and Evie, James and Lily," Peter explained.
"Ah, the couple effect." Kylie smiled. "We are the unlucky ones."
Remus looked at her, curious. "Do you feel left out?"
She shook her head. "Not left out, per se. Just a little sidelined." She shrugged, bemused. "Like Peter said, if I found what they have…"
Remus turned back to the board, mulling it over. "They're still our friends."
"Undoubtedly. It's just that now they're more than friends to each other. They each have someone that comes first," Kylie said. "I'm not upset about it. It's just the way these things work." She leaned in to take a look at the chessboard. "Oh, Peter, you better watch it, his bishop…"
Remus was still thinking about the conversation the next day during Potions. He knew that both couples were spending more time together than with the group, but he hadn't really noticed it in the same way Kylie and Peter had. He'd been amused by both pairings, rather than seeing it as something with negative repercussions.
Now, he watched Evie and Sirius and Lily and James interact. The four of them were in a bubble, just slightly removed from the rest of the group. Lily and Evie were still sitting together, but instead of turning to talk to Remus and Peter, they were both focused on their boyfriends. Already the couples had inside jokes and mannerisms the others were cut off from. By the end of the class, Remus was feeling angry, though he wasn't sure yet if the anger was directed at his friends or himself for not noticing.
He tried to make a quick exit, still lost in his thoughts. He was surprised when Evie feel into step next to him.
"Hi!" Her voice, bright and cheerful, intruded on his reverie. "Why so glum?"
He looked at her, confused. "What?"
Evie gestured to his expression. "You've been in a mood since last night. We all noticed but Sirius said to leave you alone." She looped her arm through his, pulling him along to the Great Hall. "I decided today that enough was enough."
Remus immediately felt guilty. "You all noticed?"
Evie rolled her eyes and nodded. "Of course."
"Oh, sorry."
"So?" Evie nudged him with her elbow. "Anything up?"
Remus shook his head, his eyes downcast. "I'm fine."
"Hmm," Evie seemed unconvinced.
"Really, just, uh," Remus cast around for a reason. "Thinking about the holidays."
"Oh." Evie immediately turned somber as well. "Do you go home?"
"Yes" Remus said, now actually thinking about the holidays. "But this year the full moon…"
Evie inhaled sharply. "Oh of course! How stupid are we!"
Remus felt guilty all over again. Here Evie was, chasing him down to find out what was wrong and instead of admitting that he was just jealous, he was making her feel bad about something he'd barely even thought about.
"It'll be alright," he said, trying to sound confident. "Just unfortunate timing."
Evie looked at him, searching his face before nodding and giving his arm a squeeze. "Definitely."
"What about you?" Remus asked, changing the subject. "Will you go to your aunt's?"
Evie looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure yet." She looked away, a strange look coming over her face. "I hadn't really thought about it much."
"A bit distracted?" Remus grinned at her.
Evie blushed, though her eyes still had a strange look in them. "You could say that."
"Where does she live?"
Evie looked confused.
"Your aunt?"
"Oh, um, not far outside of York. Closer to the coast."
"It's beautiful there, isn't it?"
"Hmm, yeah," Evie was biting her lip now, her thoughts clearly turned inward. She was silent for a moment before shaking her head and forcing a smile on her face as she pulled her arm out of Remus's. "Sorry, just remembered something I forgot. I'll see you later."
Remus watched, bewildered, as she turned away from him and pushed her way against the tide of students hurrying to the Great Hall for lunch.
Sirius and James caught up with him moments later.
"What happened to Evie?" Sirius asked, looking around for his girlfriend.
"She said she forgot something," Remus responded, still trying to figure out what had made Evie's mood turn.
The boys sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to pile food on their plates.
"Forgot something?"
"Well, that's what she said, but . . ." Remus trailed off, not wanting to make more of it than he should.
"But what?" James looked up from his plate.
"She seemed a little . . . upset. I thought maybe it was something I said but I can't figure out what."
"Something you said to who?" Lily asked as she slid in next to James, snaking an arm past him to grab a dish of roast beef.
"Evie."
"What were you talking about?" Sirius asked, concerned.
"Just the holidays. We were talking about her aunt and where she lived."
Lily sighed. "Well of course she was upset. It's her first Christmas without her family. Wouldn't you be?"
Remus felt a wave of guilt sweep into him. "Of course."
"She can't be looking forward to it much, no matter how much she likes her aunt," James said glumly.
"I don't think she's going to her aunt's." Lily had a puzzled expression on her face.
"What makes you say that? Why wouldn't she?" Remus asked.
Lily immediately looked guilty, like she had let something slip. "Oh, just, you know, she hasn't really mentioned it. Has she said anything to you?" she asked, turning to Sirius. Remus couldn't help but think she was hiding something.
Sirius was frowning at his goblet of pumpkin juice. "She hasn't said anything about it."
James rolled his eyes. "Well, you two have been busy."
Remus was still distracted by the guilty expression on Lily's face. "Why wouldn't she go to her aunt's? That's the only place she has left, right?"
Lily shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "I don't know, why don't you ask her?"
"I did and she just changed the subject."
"Remus, I don't know."
"You really don't think she's going to her aunt's?" Peter interjected. "Does that mean she's staying here? By herself?"
The group fell silent, considering.
"Why wouldn't she say anything?" Sirius finally said.
"Why wouldn't who say what?"
They all looked up at Evie, who was smiling down at them, her Charms textbook in her hand.
"Forgot this in my room." She flicked Sirius in the ear as she took a seat. "Now, what were you talking about?"
"You," Sirius replied.
"Oh?" Evie asked, unperturbed, as she reached for the pumpkin juice.
"Why didn't you tell us you were staying here for Christmas?" Remus asked.
Evie didn't look at him. "Slipped my mind, that's all."
"You can't stay here by yourself!" Peter objected, a horrified look on his face. "It's Christmas."
Evie shrugged. "My aunt has to work."
"On Christmas?" James looked as horrified as Peter.
Remus saw Evie and Lily exchange a look. There was definitely something else going on here.
"I'll be fine," Evie said, brushing off their concern.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you won't be," Sirius said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Staying here, that is. You're coming home with me."
"Oh?" Evie asked, raising an eyebrow. "And I don't suppose I have any say in this?"
"None whatsoever."
She studied him for a moment before laughing. "Alright then, there's that settled. Now, Remus, can you please pass the bread?"
Remus picked up the basket and handed it to her, noticing that she was still avoiding his eyes. He couldn't help but feel like there was still something he was missing, even as Lily and Evie began to make plans for the whole gang to meet up in London over the break. He frowned, tried to shake off the feeling, and leaned in join the conversation. He should have realized by now they were all better off not trying to come to their own conclusions when it came to Evie.
A/N: My apologies for the longer than anticipated wait! Life interfered at the worst possible time. I'll be traveling a lot over the next couple weeks so we'll see how updates go but please do hang in there!
Anyway, reviews welcome! Thanks for reading!
