Sunday, 23 January 1977
"I can just go over it with someone else."
"No, I said I'd study with you and I plan to keep my word."
"I know you want to keep your word but you don't need to. I don't want you having to go over all this terrible stuff again."
"I know it's terrible stuff, but you need to know it and I want to help."
"Do I really need to know it though? I mean, it was written by a bunch of prejudiced bastards and it is full of misconceptions and lies. It's not like it's ever gonna help me."
"It'll help you get a good grade on the exam this stuff is on."
"Yeah, but—"
"No buts. Now, let's go over the Werewolf Code of Conduct."
Lena sighed. Binns was covering the Werewolf Code of Conduct in History and he was making the class read the entire document. Lena didn't want Remus to go over it with her. She didn't want him to have to go over all the prejudices the wizarding world had about him and him to teach it to her as if all the lies in the document were true.
Lena looked at Remus as he read the document aloud. His face was stoic and unreadable. Lena could read his eyes, though. She could see anger in them as he read the lies and prejudices that so many people believed him. She could see the sadness in them too. There was a part of Remus that believed the terrible things in the document were true and that he was somehow less than others even though he wasn't. Lena wanted to take all the anger and sadness out of the green eyes she loved so much.
Lena took one Remus' hands in both of hers.
"Why don't we take a bit of a break, yeah?"
"I can't believe you're eating ice cream in January," Remus smiled as they sat in the kitchens.
"I can't believe you're not eating ice cream in January," Lena replied as she ate her ice cream.
"I mean, you're not even eating chocolate ice cream."
"Why would I have chocolate ice cream when I could have caramel?" Lena said, pointing to the contents of the bowl with her spoon.
"Blasphemy."
"I'm fine being a blasphemer. Blasphemers are alway ahead of their times."
"That's just what a blasphemer would say."
"Does my blasphemy impact our friendship in some way?" Lena laughed.
"Luckily for you, no. I'm rather fond of blasphemers."
"How do you feel about mavericks?"
"Would I be correct in assuming that you are both a maverick and a blasphemer?"
"That you would," Lena said.
"Dolly?" Lena called out to one of the house-elves. "Could you bring me a spoon and some chocolate sauce, please?"
The little house-elf scurried off and reappeared with what Lena requested.
"Thank you, Dolly," Lena said.
Lena poured the chocolate sauce over her caramel ice cream. She passed Remus a spoon.
"Go on, try it."
Remus and Lena both took a scoop of the chocolate-covered ice cream. Lena clinked their spoons together. "Cheers."
"Cheers."
"Cachu sanctaidd," Remus said, taking another scoop of ice cream.
Lena hummed happily in agreement. "Wait, you speak Welsh?"
"Well, I am part Welsh."
"I know! I just didn't know you spoke it!"
"Well, I had to learn it otherwise my Welsh cousins would make fun of me behind my back in Welsh for being English."
Lena laughed and patted Remus' arm excitedly. "Say something else in Welsh,"
"Rwy'n dy garu di."
"What does that mean?"
Remus pointed to the ice cream. "'This is really good.'"
He hoped Lena couldn't see the light blush that tinged his cheeks.
Wednesday, 26 January 1977
"Do you think it's too soon for me to start dating again?" Maggie asked suddenly, looking up from her Charms book.
Maggie, Lena, Ava, and Gwen were studying together in the Great Hall. Ava, Gwen. and Lena stopped working and turned their attention to Maggie.
"Why? Did someone ask you out?" Ava asked.
"No, but I kind of want to start dating again. I just don't want to upset Alex. I mean, we only broke up last month."
"Wait, you and Alex dated? The Ravenclaw guy that's always hanging out with you?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah. You didn't know?" Maggie asked, slightly surprised.
"Well, I didn't really pay attention to you lot until recently. And you and Alex don't like two people who broke up. You're not awkward around each other."
"But is it gonna be awkward between us if I start dating?" Maggie asked.
Lena looked at Maggie sympathetically. "It may be a bit awkward at first but it'll be fine. Neither of you still have feelings for each other."
"I guess you're right, Lena. I just don't want things to be weird between us."
Sunday, 30 January 1977
"Ugh, why are we going to Scrivenshaft's?" James groaned.
Remus had finally managed to charm the quill correctly to give to Lena. But then he thought about it. Quills were nice and all but they weren't terribly convenient. And if Lena wanted to use the quill out in the Muggle, she would most definitely get odd looks. A ballpoint pen would be much better than a quill.
"I'm getting a gift for someone," Remus laughed. "And I didn't make you come. You could have stayed with Peter and Sirius at The Three Broomsticks."
"I know, but I didn't want you to be lonely!" James cried.
Remus smiled as the pair walked into the shop. "Appreciate that, Prongs."
Remus led James to the Muggle section of Scrivenshaft's. They sold a small array of pens and pencils in the section. They had opened the section rather recently. The owners probably realized that they could attack more customers, specifically Muggle-borns and half-bloods who preferred Muggle writing utensils over quills.
"Hello, Lily, Mary, Dorcas," James said happily and Remus gave them a way."
"Hey, guys," Mary and Dorcas replied together.
"Hi, Remus. Potter," Lily greeted.
Remus saw that James looked slightly disheartened as they turned to look at the sleek ballpoint pens.
"So, which color one are you going to get, Moony?"
Remus frowned. "The black is classic. Maybe the gold pen though. It seems special. But, the white one's pretty unique. Then again, you can't go wrong with blue."
"Mate, those are all the colors they have."
"I know," Remus sighed.
"Who's the gift for anyways?" James asked, hoping whatever Remus said would guide them in the right direction.
Remus turned slightly pink. "A friend."
James grinned. He knew who Remus was going to give it to.
"Stop smiling. Now which one do you think I should get?"
"Ummm… the black?"
"Very convincing, Prongs."
"Alright then. Let's ask someone else's opinion," James said. "Mary, Dorcas, Lily. Come 'ere!" he called.
Remus groaned.
"Question for you all. If a guy who liked you was trying to impress you, what pen should he give you to make you like him back?"
"James, a pen from you is not going to make me like you or convince me to go out with you," Lily said disapprovingly.
"I wasn't asking for that reason!" James cried.
Lily hummed, not believing him.
"He's telling the truth, Lily," Remus said, trying to save his friend from embarrassment. "He's asking on behalf of… a friend."
Mary raised an eyebrow. "Would you happen to be this friend, Remus?"
"Yes," the tall boy mumbled.
"And you're getting this girl you like a pen?" Dorcas asked. "Maybe you should get her something a bit more, I don't know, impressive?"
Mary elbowed her.
"What? I'm just saying a pen wouldn't do it for me," Dorcas cried.
"The pen is the perfect gift for this person," James defended. "Remus knows this person very well and I'm sure they're gonna love and appreciate it."
Remus was very grateful to have James as a friend. Even though he knew no idea why Remus was getting a ballpoint pen for Lena, he supported him and had faith that Remus knew what he was doing. James' steadfast support didn't surprise Remus though. This was the same person who stood by Remus after finding out he was a werewolf and became an Animagus to help him through the worst nights of his life.
Lily gave James a small, approving nod. "For once I agree with you, Potter."
James grinned as Lily turned to face Remus. The redhead gave him an encouraging smile. "Go with the gold."
"Gold it is then."
As James and Remus walked away to pay for the pen, James turned around. "Happy birthday by the way, Lily."
Lily gave him a small, surprised smile. "Thank you, James."
Here are the Welsh translations
Cachu sanctaidd: Holy shit
I love you Rwy'n dy garu di: I love you