This chapter is dedicated to both my Lupins, the ones I'll never be with *sniff* :'(
I love you both!
Chapter Two
The next two days that Remus endured were the longest of his life, or so it seemed. When it finally was time to meet Mina on the train he was so overcome with nervousness he could barely manage an intelligible sentence.
"Hey Moony, what's wrong with you?" Sirius asked. You've been unusually quiet today, even more so than usual.
"Well it's been that time of month you know." James said, nonchalantly enough, but somehow Remus got the feeling that James knew what was going on.
As Peter and Sirius chatted on the way to the train, and James tried to keep his owl, Clavia, quiet so as not to disrupt or frighten any muggles, Remus studied James as if seeing him for the first time.
Thinking back to several days ago, remembering the interesting shade of red that James had turned when he saw Remus sitting with Mina and Lily, Remus began to suspect that he might like Lily, or worse Mina. For the first time it crossed Remus' mind that James might be in love. That he might be stricken with it almost as badly as Remus
As James looked up into Remus' calculating gaze he looked almost embarrassed. Quickly he said,
"Oh look! Frank, Mundungus, and Arabella! Guys, wait up!"
And of course all was soon forgotten in the joy of seeing old friends.
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When they were finally able to snag an empty compartment, Remus was able to talk to Mina at last, though he didn't want to give her his present in the chaotic excitement of the train.
Later, as he and Mina were laughing softly at something Lily had said, Remus happened to look up, and saw James watching them. There was hurt in his friends eyes, and this frightened Remus. He had never seen his friend look hurt, what was it? Was it one of the girls? Or had he done something to hurt his best friend?
Remus did the first thing that came to his mind.
"James," he asked gently. "Would you like to join us?"
Wordlessly, Jams accepted. But Remus came to regret his offer, because James almost completely ignored the others, and spoke only to Mina for the entire rest of the trip. Leaving Remus to talk to Lily, whom he liked, but wasn't interested in like he was Mina.
By the end of the train ride and all through the sorting, feast, and the rest of the evening, Remus was feeling hurt and ignored by James. What had happened to his best friend?
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Over the next morning's breakfast, Remus dejectedly opened his copy of The Daily Prophet, and quickly scanned the headlines, looking for any news of more killings from the latest powerful dark wizard, Voldemort.
What he saw hit closer to home than even Voldemort however. He glanced at Mina, and made up his mind to tell her. But how? He knew, he would ask Lily. The two of them had hit it off on the train, she was funny, and smart.
Silently, he leaned over to Lily and whispered to her the horrible news. Out of the corner of his eye he could see both James and Mina looking at them.
After a tactful moment or two, Lily broke the horrible news to Mina, quietly, and gently.
Pretty soon Remus heard a wail.
"What!? He died? But, but that's impossible!" He saw Mina say, while on the verge of tears.
He decided that it was the right time to interrupt
"I'm afraid so, it says right here,
"T. Chant, Chrestomanci, Loses Life in Related World Accident!" Remus read from the Prophet, sympathetically.
Poor Mina! He knew what it was like to lose a father.
"Oh!"
Lily and Mina both giggled, breaking through Remus' thoughts
"Remus you dolt!" Lily said, rolling up the newspaper and swatting at him with it. She grinned good naturedly and said, "Don't scare me like that!"
Mina cut in, "Is that all?" she asked, obviously relieved.
"All?! Remus asked indignantly, "He's dead, it says right here, and you're sitting here laughing over it?!"
"I thought I explained to you that my father is Chrestomanci, Remus." Mina said quietly, clearly seeing that Remus was not amused the way she and Lily were.
"You did, but that doesn't make him immortal!" Remus said confused.
"Well, in a way it does." Explained Mina. "You see, to become Chrestomanci you must have nine lives. They're always Enchanters, born every generation. They grow up with instruction from the older one, and when a Chrestomanci retires, his trained replacement takes over."
"So why do these Chrestomanci people have nine lives when the rest if us have only one?" Remus asked.
"Well you see, most people have a duplicate of themselves in each of the Related Worlds, Chrestomanci's don't. Somehow, all of their lives end up in only one world." Mina told him, leaving Remus with what he thought was a start of understanding. This actually explained a lot about Mina.
"So who's your father's replacement?" Remus asked casually, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.
"I am." Said Mina just as casually. Causing Remus to choke on his juice.
"You?" he asked, still spluttering.
"Yes," she replied, smiling at him "Of course, I only came to Hogwarts because Father wanted me to learn magic with a wand. The Chrestomanci's before me have only used wandless magic, but father says it'll give me an edge, being able to use both. "
She took a breath and went on.
"It's very rare that a child with nine lives is born to a Chrestomanci, and it's even rarer that the child is a girl. Father says that he's hoping that I can become an even more powerful Enchantress by learning both kinds of magic, wandless and regular."
"Technically speaking, we don't even live in the same worl-"
She was cut off by Sirius, who asked,
"Up for a game of exploding Snape anyone?"
"Exploding Snape?" James frowned, "Don't you mean Exploding Snap?"
"No." Said Sirius, a wicked grin forming on his handsome face, "I mean Exploding Snape."
Remus shrugged indifferently, but Mina and Lily seemed enthusiastic, so Remus decided to feign interest. He was starting to fall even more for Mina. How did she understand him so well, when she had only barely met him?
The thing that Remus hadn't even considered, was that maybe the silent watching, and yearning had been going both ways, instead of just one.
And there was another watching who had gotten things horribly wrong.
A/N: What will happen to Snape? Will he explode? Will Mina be a more powerful Enchantress than Dumbledore? (not likely) Will Remus EVER ask Mina out? What's the deal with James and Lily? And most important of all....
Why is Sirius single?
Next chapter out soon! (hopefully) though with AP European History and AP French, and all of my music stuff, it's not likely to be out for several weeks...-_- Ooh! I know, I'll write in Chemistry! It'll prevent me from falling asleep!...maybe. z_z
Chem reminds be of Potions, our teacher makes thing explode! Maybe my teacher will implode! Hope so, no more Chem class then!!!!
Thanks to my 11 year old bro, who actually came up with something brilliant! (For a change ;) He came up with the Exploding Snape idea!!!
Love you André!
-Le Chat Qui Garde La Lune :o)