Chapter 5: Crossing the Line
Sirius reentered the school with his usual peppy walk, winking at a girl or two as he passed. He swaggering over to James & Peter who sat by the fire playing wizards chess.
"Boys!" he shouted making a few people look up. "Tell me we have big plans!"
"We have big plans," said James looking at the board.
"How was break, Sirius," Peter asked.
"Do I have some gossip for you! Guess who I ran into over New Years and snogged? That Hufflepuff- er- black hair, shortish, freckles... Hannah! How was your break?"
"Great," said Peter cheerfully.
"Wormtail, Padfoot, kindly hush," snapped James staring at the board. "I'm losing."
"Moony isn't back yet," Sirius asked ignoring James.
James waved over ambiguously to the far side of the room. Sirius turned, beaming and ready to pounce on his friend but, he froze, his face dropping.
Remus Lupin was sitting at a table with Calamity! But, why? He watched as Calamity leaned over and touched Remus' arm as she laughed, pointing to something on the paper before her. Remus nudged her back playfully.
"Moony," Sirius called. He heard his voice shake for just half a moment and hoped no one else noticed. Prongs and Wormtail did. They looked up interested.
"Hey Padfoot," Remus said cheerfully. He had a new scar across his face, though it was fading nicely. Sirius noticed that the paper they had been pointing at had disappeared into Calamity's pocket. Sirius decided it was best to ignore her completely.
"How was break, Moony? Didya miss me terribly?"
"Always," smirked Remus.
"Thought it'd be a good time to discuss another adventure," Sirius said raising an eyebrow. Remus looked at Calamity for a moment in silent communication and Sirius felt his stomach boil.
"Maybe later, Padfoot," Remus said. "We were just about to go to the library."
They stood and headed out of the portrait hole and Sirius sat down again with Peter and James.
"What just happened," he asked.
"Looks like Remus ditched us for a girl," said Peter with a shrug.
"Good for him," said James. "about time too. All that self sacrificing nonsense was getting ridiculous."
Sirius did not feel the same way. The next day Remus sat down at the table behidn Lily, Susan, Margaret,a nd Calamity, despite Sirius' protests.
"It's just a seat, Padfoot," James said.
"You just liek it because we are so close to Evans,"snapped Sirius. James shrugged.
"I'm trying to listen," Peter said nudging Sirius in the arm. So Sirius had to sit right behidn Calamity, pouting as Professor Flitwick explained the incantation to turn vinegar into wine. Sirius glared at the back of Calamity's head as they began attempting the incantation on their glass of vinegar. Lily turned her vinegar to wine effortlessly, but the others were struggling. Calamity looked from her vinegar to her book to her vinegar again.
"I don't think the book is helping," Remus whispered to her. Calamity turned and stuck out her tongue at him.
Sirius scowled looking at James and Peter. Neither of them paid him any mind. James was trying his best to get Lily to assist him, while she did her best to ignore his sounds of "psst." Peter was practicing his wand movements, feeling he wasn't ready to touch the glass yet. As Professor Flitwick approached Lily's table, making an excited exclamation at Lily's success.
Sirius pointed his wand at Calamity under the table and muttered, "Cunfundo." Though no light escaped his wand, Calamity shuddered as the spell hit her. She looked around the room as if she had never seen it before, then at her wand. She picked up the glass of vinegar and sniffed it, making a face.
"Are you feeling okay, Miss. Erza-Mahoney," asked Professor Flitwick suspiciously. "Ready to show us your progress?"
She blinked at him for a moments and then glanced at her book, pointing to the page and waving her wand as instructed. Nothing happened to the vinegar.
"Oh dear, you'll need to practice. Remember, vinegar to wine. Next time you'll get it," Professor Flitwick said cheerfully.
"You alright, Calamity," asked Susan. "You almost had it before."
"I forgot what I was doing," said Calamity going back to her book to review.
Sirius felt a nudge and turned to see Remus glaring at him. "That's not the spell we're working on."
Sirius looked at him innocently, "What are you talking about?"
Remus just gave him an incredulous look and muttered, "No confundus charms. This is serious, it's a N.E.W.T.s class."
After class Sirius walked out of the room with James and Peter. Peter was very pleased his vinegar had turned pink. Sirius stopped. Remus and Calamity were talking seriously just out of ear shot. Remus seemed to be explaining something that was making Calamity's confusion from class slowly ebb away. She glared at Sirius for a moment, then looked back at Remus, who put his hands on her shoulders comfortingly and said something.
"Coming to lunch, Calamity," called Susan over the remaining Marauders.
"We're going to eat by the lake," Calamity called back. She laced her arm with Remus' and walked passed Sirius. Sirius didn't notice James and Peter trying to bring him to lunch. Instead he continued to stare at the spot Remus and Calamity had just been, unsure about his odd feelings. Certainly disappointment was one of them- his prank had once again failed. But there was also something else that he couldn't identify.
He heard a tsk sound that brought him back to the present. Turning he found Snape looking at the place where Remus and Calamity had realized that James and Peter had also left him behind. What was happening to his friends?
"Looks like the marauders are breaking up, all because of a girl," Snape sneered at Sirius. "I thought you had a better bond than that. After all, you've had flings and never put those girls above your friends."
Sirius grabbed his wand and pointed it threateningly at Snape, who looked unbothered.
"I can understand your anger, after all, she's made you a fool all year. You use to be much better, no wonder your friends are leaving you behind."
"Get out of here, Snivellus, or I'll make you regret it," growled Sirius.
"If I were you, I'd do something about it," Snape said in a bored tone. "But, then again, I have friends who like me enough to stick around."
Sirius jinxed him into next week, but Snape's words remained circling in his head for the next two weeks. They were true. Hadn't Remus been hanging with Calamity more and more? And hadn't James and Peter left him? They didn't use to do that. He had to practically drag Remus from the library to plan their adventure for full moon. Usually Remus wanted to plan, leaning in excitedly as they discussed their routes and explorations into the forest. They still had so much to look into. Now Sirius had to threatened to eat all of his chocolates to get him to even look over the map.
"It doesn't bother you that Moony is in a relationship and doesn't feel like informing us," asked Sirius from his bed. He crossed out a day on his calendar and reckoned that this Remus and Calamity nonsense had been going on for a month. Remus still hadn't mentioned it! James shrugged.
"Maybe he thinks we'll overreact," suggested Peter. James eyes glittered with laughter.
"Overreact," Sirius repeated. "Who would overreact?"
"Oh, gee, I don't know," said James innocently. "Certainly not you."
"It's almost full moon and we haven't finalized any plans. He's had lunch with her almost every day and has practically been avoiding us!"
"Has he," asked Peter. "He sits with us every class."
"And breakfast," James agreed.
"And dinner," Peter added.
"And sleeps here," James considered.
"Definitely avoiding us," Peter said. He spotted Sirius' calendar and Sirius quickly knocked it off the dresser onto the pile of dirty clothes spilling from his trunk. Peter raised his eyebrows saying, "You seem awfully invested, Padfoot."
Sirius let out an exasperated sound and turned over on his bed, "I'm dying and no one appreciates my anguish. We're losing our friend to some American hussy!"
"Hussy," repeated Peter.
"It's a scarlet woman, Wormtail."
Sirius looked up from his dramatics to see Remus leaning against the door.
"Look who's here, the traitor."
"Padfoot, you can't be serious," Remus said rolling his eyes.
"I am as Sirius as I am Black," Sirius said jumping up on the bed. "You have dishonored me and my pureblood raising!" He grew somber and sat down. "But, honestly, Moony. How can you ditch us for her?"
"You explained that I have not ditched you, right," Remus asked James and Peter. They nodded.
"Just tell us you're dating," Sirius said annoyed.
"But, we aren't dating," Remus said confused.
"Do you see this," Sirius said looking at James and Peter for validation as he gestured to Remus. "This is friendship?"
Sirius moved from the room angrily. More angrily than he thought he'd be. In fact, he was fuming. This American comes to Hogwarts and ruins his pranks and then takes his best friend from him? If he didn't have his friends what would he have? Family? He shuddered at the thought. How many times in this last month had he been scanning the map and seen the Remus Lupin dot right next to the Clara Ezra-Mahoney dot? What could they possibly have to discuss so often? He continued to wander blindly and found himself at the library as if he had apparated there. He'd do something about this Calamity business right now. He marched in and began searching for the group of girls he knew were hidden somewhere in the Library's shelves. Sure enough, after five minutes of looking, he spotted them. Slowly he moved down the aisle of books and paused when he was within earshot.
"That's so romantic. When do you think you're next date will be," asked Susan.
"I owe him tea at Hogsmeade," replied Calamity.
"And he said that? I love him, who knew he'd have the nerve," Margaret whispered.
"I didn't even expect it," Calamity admitted. "I needed it, too. After the day at St. Mungo's. I mean all those bloody bodies and..." she trailed off. There was silence.
"Did you kiss," asked Lily. The girls giggled.
"Yes," Calamity said. The giggles sounded again.
Sirius had heard enough. He muttered a charm quietly and moved away, anger increased. Remus had stood there before the other marauders and said they weren't dating! If that was true, obviously no one had told Calamity. Sirius could see Remus kissing a girl with no strings attached, but to go on more than one date? That was out of character. Had Calamity convinced him to keep it quiet because she was embarrassed? Sirius felt his rage increase at the idea. Remus was a great guy, she should be kissing his feet if he graced her dull life with his charms. Maybe it was just to torment Sirius? She would do such a thing, he knew it. Sirius stepped out of the library to find Snape and Narcissa looking at him with satisfied faces.
"Why so angry, cousin," drawled Narcissa.
"I'm not in the mood," Sirius growled.
"Barbaric," Narcissa tutted.
"He's angry that Remus Lupin is dating the American girl," said Snape.
"The one Regulus mentioned," asked Narcissa. "Regulus was impressed. Who knew Lupin had such good taste?"
"Certainly it's a reflection of her bad taste," Snape drawled.
"Of course, otherwise who would dabble around with such blood traitors?"
Sirius' wand was out before he knew what was happening. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. His hand practically shaking with rage.
"We've made him angry," observed Narcissa. "The truth hurts I suppose. Maybe deep down he thinks the American should be dating him. He's a Black, after all. Maybe he's mad that he thinks the same thing we do deep down. That he is better blood."
Snape sneered, "And he has to watch her dating Lupin, the mangy mutt?"
Sirius was throwing hexes without looking. By the time he was done both were groaning on the ground, faces cover in boils,horns, hair and pimples.
Sirius woke up the next day still furious. He didn't say much to his friends as they ate, Narcissa and Snape's words still circling his head. Calamity walked into the Great Hall with long stark white hair. A few students looked up suprised and one Ravenclaw (Alice, he thought her name was) said "Merlin, what happened?"
"Oh, you don't like it," asked Calamity. She made eyes contact with Sirius determinedly. "I did it myself. I think it looks refined."
"It's certainly against dress code, that's for sure," said Remus watching Calamity pass. "But, I suppose it looks good."
James nudged Remus knowingly and Sirius frowned.
The owls began to enter and one dropped a letter in front of Calamity. Susan looked over and squealed as the girls huddled together. Lily pushing away the newspaper she had been pouring over. Calamity threw Remus a sly look and Sirius felt his rage pounding in his ears again. He glanced quickly over at the Slytherin table to see Snape and Narcissa, now boil and horn free, smirking at him. He turned back to the table and spotted Remus make a face back at Calamity. He flicked his wand under the table and muttered something into his oatmeal.
"What was that, Padfoot," Remus asked.
"Burned my tongue," Sirius said quickly, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"You do good work, Moony," James said smacking Remus on the back.
"Me," Remus asked confused.
"Yeah, this new girlfriend of yours," Peter agreed.
"New girlfriend? You think Calamity and I are dating?"
"Aren't you," asked James. "You can tell us."
"Wha-no! She's seeing a trainee healer from St. Mungo's. We both know him and she really likes him," Remus said confused. Sirius felt his rage evaporate, replaced by a slowly growing feeling of regret and guilt.
"But," Sirius began. "But you've been hanging all over one another." There was a faint shake in his voice that he was sure would go friends looked at him suspiciously. Damn, they knew.
"No we haven't," Remus said confused. "We've been hanging out and studying together. We've walked together but we've always talked about Christopher or school."
Sirius' eyes darted to the envelope that Clarissa was opening. She attempted to pull the letter from the envelope.
"Padfoot, what did you do," asked Remus looking over at Calamity. "Undo whatever it is."
But it was too late.
