The Last of the Four- Chapter 6
Slips and Sparks By Lillian Evans
The following months went by without incident for Remus and his friends. Christmas had come and gone (Remus went to his parents' house) as did several full moons. Remus continued to think up excuses for his disappearances, saying different relatives had died or fallen ill. Everything was going great up through the end of the school year.
He made his first near-slip up in May when all of the first years were sitting around the common room one evening, preparing for the upcoming exams. He and Peter were sitting next to the fire, and Remus was explaining some Transfiguration concepts to Peter, who wasn't the smartest student ever.
"Understand it now, Peter?" Remus asked his friend when they began packing up.
"I think so," Peter responded, and was about to continue when they were cut off by high pitched laughter from right behind them.
"That's right, I heard there'd be a bed opening in your dorm next year, after Pettigrew flunked out."
Both boys turned their heads around to look at who had made the comment. Standing behind their chairs, her arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face stood a third year girl named Tepyd. Well, that was her last name. She was quite amused to tell anyone who asked that someone had coughed during her sorting so no one knew her first name. Then she'd punch the person for bothering her with stupid questions. No one knew why she was placed in Gryffindor. They all agreed she belonged with the Slytherins, especially since she enjoyed their company so much, especially Bellatrix Black.
"What do you want with us, Tepyd?" Remus asked, his face remaining very calm.
"Where were you last Wednesday, Lupin? You weren't in the common room all day."
Remus froze up at the mention of his disappearance. The previous Wednesday had, of course, been the full moon, and he had forgotten which excuse he had been using this month to explain his disappearance. Fortunately, Peter had been paying attention.
"His grandfather was sick. He had to go home."
"Did Lupin have to explain to you what a grandfather is?" Far from asking how Remus's grandfather was feeling, Tepyd jumped right back with another insult; "That's all you do, isn't it Pettigrew? Just attach onto someone smarter than you? Just suck up to the most powerful person you can, does that work for you?"
Peter closed his mouth and looked down at his lap. Remus put an arm around his shoulder.
"Peter is one of the best friends anyone could ask for. And I don't think you can say anything about how one chooses their friends. You know Bellatrix Black is one of the worst witches in your year."
"Yeah, well you had better watch your back, Lupin. Your friend choice isn't much better- two mudbloods and a near squib? I have to go. My friends are waiting, and while Bellatrix may not be the smartest, her sister's boyfriend could blow you to smithereens." She sneered at the boys once more and turned to strut out the door.
"Mind the step down on your way out!" Remus called after her. Tepyd glared over her shoulder at him, the result of which sent her toppling over the step out of Gryffindor tower.
Once she left, the entire room was silent, and all heads were turned toward Remus and Peter. Remus looked around the room, and slowly everyone went back to what they were doing. Ashley and Lily came over, and Ashley help up her hand for a high five. Remus slapped it.
"That was wonderful, Remus! You too, Peter!" Lily beamed at them.
Peter was still staring at his lap. Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey Pete," he said in a gentle voice, "we know you don't stick around for the homework help. That's just a benefit!" Remus grinned, and Peter finally smiled.
"We, uh, hate to interrupt this love fest, "no one had noticed Sirius and James come up behind them.
"Can we help you, James?" Remus asked politely, the grin on his face remaining, but his eyes flashing slightly.
"Actually Lup- er Remus, if I may, we came to congratulate you." James told the stunned quartet. His eyes were no longer on Remus, but he was looking at Lily.
"My cousin is a pain too," Sirius said, "and she is one of the stupidest in her class, but my parents, well, most of my family love her, mainly because she followed the family tradition and got landed in Slytherin." Sirius shrugged; "my folks are ready to disown me because I'm here."
"If I may ask," Remus began, nearly warming up to the pair, "why are you here?"
"I'm different;" Sirius responded simply.
"So are we," Remus told him. "But that didn't seem to phase you when you first met us.
"Thought you were a muggle." James shrugged.
"That isn't what I'm talking about and you know it. Why'd you pick on Peter?"
"Ok, we'll admit we haven't always been the nicest guys around, but cut us some slack, would you? At least we're here and not down in the dungeons with the slime balls."
"Look, all we want are some good friends. In case you hadn't noticed, all we have right now is each other. We realised we needed some other friends."
"As long as you'll be friends with all of us, and not leech off of another of us information you need." Remus was the first to respond, although this was to be expected, as he was usually accepting of everyone.
"Remus!" Lily was outraged, as was Ashley. "You can't just let them barge in here like that! Not after the way they've treated us before now!"
"Ash, don't worry! They won't replace you!" Remus whispered hurriedly to her. "The least we can do is give it a chance. They apologized, alright?"
"I don't believe you two! Come on, Lily, let's get out of here." Ashley pulled Lily up by the arm and the two girls left the circle.
Remus looked up at James, who was watching Lily leave with a glazed over look in his eyes.
"Sorry. We didn't mean to break up the close-knit group you guys had going. You just always have to much fun together. We were jealous."
"It's ok," Peter shrugged, "they'll get over it. We fight all the time."
Remus looked more apprehensive about the situation though. "Look, you guys, I'm going to go over there and talk to them."
By "them", Peter knew he was referring to Ashley, but he didn't say anything, just watched Remus go.
"Either of you good at chess? I've been looking for someone to teach me. I'm not good at all," he said after Remus had gone.
~**~
A/N: Thank you thank you thank you to my dear friend DeZot, who got me off of my lazy arse and up and writing again *hugs*.I do promise, however, that new chapter of *some* fic will be up before the moon is again full.which I do believe is coming up soon.but I do have a rather big musical to stage manage for (ok, *assistant* stage manage for, but still) that's coming up at the end of the month.anyway, hugs to my reviewers, and farewell!! 3 Lillian
Slips and Sparks By Lillian Evans
The following months went by without incident for Remus and his friends. Christmas had come and gone (Remus went to his parents' house) as did several full moons. Remus continued to think up excuses for his disappearances, saying different relatives had died or fallen ill. Everything was going great up through the end of the school year.
He made his first near-slip up in May when all of the first years were sitting around the common room one evening, preparing for the upcoming exams. He and Peter were sitting next to the fire, and Remus was explaining some Transfiguration concepts to Peter, who wasn't the smartest student ever.
"Understand it now, Peter?" Remus asked his friend when they began packing up.
"I think so," Peter responded, and was about to continue when they were cut off by high pitched laughter from right behind them.
"That's right, I heard there'd be a bed opening in your dorm next year, after Pettigrew flunked out."
Both boys turned their heads around to look at who had made the comment. Standing behind their chairs, her arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face stood a third year girl named Tepyd. Well, that was her last name. She was quite amused to tell anyone who asked that someone had coughed during her sorting so no one knew her first name. Then she'd punch the person for bothering her with stupid questions. No one knew why she was placed in Gryffindor. They all agreed she belonged with the Slytherins, especially since she enjoyed their company so much, especially Bellatrix Black.
"What do you want with us, Tepyd?" Remus asked, his face remaining very calm.
"Where were you last Wednesday, Lupin? You weren't in the common room all day."
Remus froze up at the mention of his disappearance. The previous Wednesday had, of course, been the full moon, and he had forgotten which excuse he had been using this month to explain his disappearance. Fortunately, Peter had been paying attention.
"His grandfather was sick. He had to go home."
"Did Lupin have to explain to you what a grandfather is?" Far from asking how Remus's grandfather was feeling, Tepyd jumped right back with another insult; "That's all you do, isn't it Pettigrew? Just attach onto someone smarter than you? Just suck up to the most powerful person you can, does that work for you?"
Peter closed his mouth and looked down at his lap. Remus put an arm around his shoulder.
"Peter is one of the best friends anyone could ask for. And I don't think you can say anything about how one chooses their friends. You know Bellatrix Black is one of the worst witches in your year."
"Yeah, well you had better watch your back, Lupin. Your friend choice isn't much better- two mudbloods and a near squib? I have to go. My friends are waiting, and while Bellatrix may not be the smartest, her sister's boyfriend could blow you to smithereens." She sneered at the boys once more and turned to strut out the door.
"Mind the step down on your way out!" Remus called after her. Tepyd glared over her shoulder at him, the result of which sent her toppling over the step out of Gryffindor tower.
Once she left, the entire room was silent, and all heads were turned toward Remus and Peter. Remus looked around the room, and slowly everyone went back to what they were doing. Ashley and Lily came over, and Ashley help up her hand for a high five. Remus slapped it.
"That was wonderful, Remus! You too, Peter!" Lily beamed at them.
Peter was still staring at his lap. Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey Pete," he said in a gentle voice, "we know you don't stick around for the homework help. That's just a benefit!" Remus grinned, and Peter finally smiled.
"We, uh, hate to interrupt this love fest, "no one had noticed Sirius and James come up behind them.
"Can we help you, James?" Remus asked politely, the grin on his face remaining, but his eyes flashing slightly.
"Actually Lup- er Remus, if I may, we came to congratulate you." James told the stunned quartet. His eyes were no longer on Remus, but he was looking at Lily.
"My cousin is a pain too," Sirius said, "and she is one of the stupidest in her class, but my parents, well, most of my family love her, mainly because she followed the family tradition and got landed in Slytherin." Sirius shrugged; "my folks are ready to disown me because I'm here."
"If I may ask," Remus began, nearly warming up to the pair, "why are you here?"
"I'm different;" Sirius responded simply.
"So are we," Remus told him. "But that didn't seem to phase you when you first met us.
"Thought you were a muggle." James shrugged.
"That isn't what I'm talking about and you know it. Why'd you pick on Peter?"
"Ok, we'll admit we haven't always been the nicest guys around, but cut us some slack, would you? At least we're here and not down in the dungeons with the slime balls."
"Look, all we want are some good friends. In case you hadn't noticed, all we have right now is each other. We realised we needed some other friends."
"As long as you'll be friends with all of us, and not leech off of another of us information you need." Remus was the first to respond, although this was to be expected, as he was usually accepting of everyone.
"Remus!" Lily was outraged, as was Ashley. "You can't just let them barge in here like that! Not after the way they've treated us before now!"
"Ash, don't worry! They won't replace you!" Remus whispered hurriedly to her. "The least we can do is give it a chance. They apologized, alright?"
"I don't believe you two! Come on, Lily, let's get out of here." Ashley pulled Lily up by the arm and the two girls left the circle.
Remus looked up at James, who was watching Lily leave with a glazed over look in his eyes.
"Sorry. We didn't mean to break up the close-knit group you guys had going. You just always have to much fun together. We were jealous."
"It's ok," Peter shrugged, "they'll get over it. We fight all the time."
Remus looked more apprehensive about the situation though. "Look, you guys, I'm going to go over there and talk to them."
By "them", Peter knew he was referring to Ashley, but he didn't say anything, just watched Remus go.
"Either of you good at chess? I've been looking for someone to teach me. I'm not good at all," he said after Remus had gone.
~**~
A/N: Thank you thank you thank you to my dear friend DeZot, who got me off of my lazy arse and up and writing again *hugs*.I do promise, however, that new chapter of *some* fic will be up before the moon is again full.which I do believe is coming up soon.but I do have a rather big musical to stage manage for (ok, *assistant* stage manage for, but still) that's coming up at the end of the month.anyway, hugs to my reviewers, and farewell!! 3 Lillian