"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."

- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

Where You Belong
Chapter 10

When Andrea finally reached the headmasters office she was in a much better mood as she had allowed herself to calm down. She reached the statue of the gargoyle at almost the exact time Dumbledore did. Without saying anything to acknowledge her presence Dumbledore uttered the password, "Ice Mice", and they proceeded up the stairway to his office.
"So Ms. Taylor would you kindly explain the meaning behind tonight's entertainment?"
"Well headmaster I really hadn't set out to hit Severus but he just pushed me a little too far."
"What did he say that pushed you to hit him? Was it something about you?"
"No, nothing they said about me would ever bother me." Andrea defiantly stated.
"Do you mean the other Slytherins were in this as well?"
"Professor you need to understand that to the rest of the Slytherin house I'm a traitor because I left them to join Gryffindor. They expected me to come groveling back to them but I won't so they tried to insult me but that doesn't bother me, but when they insult my friends then they've gone too far. It exactly what they did tonight so I kind of... snapped."
"What exactly was said?" Dumbledore calmly inquired.
"Well they called Lily a Mudblood and Sirius a blood traitor and that both didn't deserve to be at Hogwarts."
"I know that you and Ms. Evans are friends but I did not realize that you and Mr. Black were friends as well." Dumbledore observed.
"We're not."
"So why did you defend him?"
"He's Remus' friend and nobody deserves to be treated the way Sirius is treated by that lot." Andrea answered truthfully.
"Very well. You will be punished for hitting a fellow student and will be serving two weeks worth of detention with me every other night. Yet in light of your story I will take no house points for you would just gain them back for standing up for you friends and enemies."
"Thank you headmaster."
"No need to thank me my child. Now I suggest that you head to your dormitory for some rest. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very long day."
With that being said Andrea gracefully stood up from the chair she had been sitting on and slowly made her way back to Gryffindor tower

James, Sirius and Peter entered the common room and grabbed a cluster of chairs in the corner so that they could talk without being overheard.

"Well that certainty was interesting." James began.

"Yea..." Sirius answered.

"You don't think she knows do you?" Peter questioned.

"I don't know it's unlike Moony to tell people and we certainly didn't tell her." James responded.

"Well if no one told her then what was she talking about?" Sirius wondered.

"Who knows?"

"I wish we did. Sure she stood up for Remus but I still don't trust her."

"Well Siri I don't blame you."

The three marauders continued to discuss the scene that had take place in the Great Hall. They wouldn't admit it to anyone but they had silently cheered Andrea on when she had punched Snape in the face.

"Oh shit!" Sirius cussed as he quickly jumped up from his seat.

"What?" James asked.

"I'm late for my detention with Dumbledore," Sirius responded as he tore out of the common room.

Remus and Lily stumbled into the common room with confused looks upon their faces after having met maniac Sirius on their way in. They scanned the room until they found an empty table by the window and made their way over to it to get some more work done. James watched the duo from the other side of the room feeling a twang of jealously at the fact that Remus got to spend time with the girl if his dreams. After a couple of minutes of watching them work James decided to go up to the dorm and at least attempt to do something productive. Peter followed James up to their dorm to help plan their next prank even though he was never one to come up with amazing ideas.

Andrea left the headmasters office and proceeded to roam around the halls not quite wanting to go back to the onslaught of questions that she knew awaited her. She was wandering around aimlessly not watching where she was until she heard footsteps behind her. Looking around Andrea realized that she was down in the dungeons near the Slytherin common room. Andrea quickened her pace hoping to get out of the area before anyone saw her.

"Hey what are you doing down here?" an oily voice called out behind her.

"Shit," Andrea whispered to herself as she stopped walking and slowly turned around to face her advancer. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah Taylor I am," Malfoy answered. Snape was the only one following him this time so Andrea didn't feel all that threatened.

"What do you want?" Andrea asked in bored tone.

"I told you Taylor I've got unfinished business with you."

"Well frankly I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now Malfoy!"

"Do I care? Besides the only reason you're down here is because you've come to beg forgiveness without the rest of the school watching," Malfoy taunted.

"No I was just simply wandering the halls not watching where I was going. That's how I ended up here. Now bug off Malfoy!" Andrea stated, but as she said so something familiar about that name jumped into her head. Andrea turned her back to the two Slytherins and walked away as they shouted insults about her and her friends but they all fell on deaf ears.

"Malfoy...where have I heard that name before?" Andrea mused to herself. "And I know I've heard that threat made before too but I didn't say it – and neither did Lily or the Marauders."

Andrea continued to think about where she had heard the name before as she idly made her way back to the Gryffindor common room. She hadn't realized how long she had been wandering around the castle until she happened to look up at the clock in the Great Hall.

"Oh dear!" Andrea said. "I guess I'd better head back now."

Remus sat upright in one of the cherry-red armchairs in front of the slowly dying fire. The rest of the common room was fairly empty seeing as all the other students had gone to bed because of the late hour. Remus saw none of this though as he stared blankly into the fire. The sudden banging of the portrait hole caused Remus to snap his head up with inhumane speed. Andrea stumbled into the common room only to be met with Remus' piercing gaze.

"Um... can I help you?" Andrea asked awkwardly not understanding why Remus was staring at her so.

"What happened?" Remus pleaded desperately.

"Nothing that you have to worry your little head over, I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"I know but you – didn't get into trouble or anything like that did you?"

"Does it really matter?"

"It does to me," Remus declared.

"Why Remus, it's not like it's your problem?"

"It is if you got in trouble because of me."

"Well I didn't so you don't need to worry."

"You did get in trouble then – I knew it!"

"Like I said it doesn't matter I was asking for it anyway. No Rem don't it'll be fine anyway it's late and I need sleep my head hurts," Andrea declared as she walked over to Remus. "But I would like to thank you for worrying about me."

With that Andrea pulled Remus into a quick hug before turning and heading up the steps to the sixth year girls dorm. Behind her Remus stood in the common room with a shocked smile slowly stretching across his pale and tired looking face.

"He will come back to us won't he?" Sirius asked as he looked across the common room to see Remus sitting with Andrea and Lily. James followed Sirius' gaze before answering.

"Yeah he'll come back Siri. He just needs time."

"I hope he doesn't take too long. It's already been a week."

"I know what you mean it's just not the same without him," James sighed.

"Why do you think he hangs out with her so much?" Sirius questioned.

"Because he likes her Siri, they get along really well."

"I know but I mean she was a Slytherin, how can he look past that?"

"Look who we're talking about Sirius. Remus can find a place in his heart for anyone," James logically replied.

"There's just something about her that rubs me the wrong way, like she's hiding some big dark, evil secret."

"I don't know Padfoot but maybe we should give her a chance for Moony's sake," James proposed.

"Yeah maybe," Sirius replied half-heartedly.

"Hey guys I heard Snape saying that he thought we were getting soft seeing as we haven't done anything to anyone in over a week. Don't you think it's time we prank someone?" Peter questioned as he joined Sirius and James by the fire in the common room.

"Ya know Pete I believe that a prank is just the cure we need," Sirius declared as he put his school books away and pulled out a blank piece of parchment.

"I can't believe it," Remus muttered to himself as he glanced in the direction of James, Sirius, and Peter.

"Remmy...remmy...Remus Lupin!" Andrea said trying to get Remus' attention.

"Hu?"

"We were asking you a question about the Transfiguration assignment," Lily answered his unasked question.

"Oh – sorry,"

"Remmy what's wrong, you've been staring off into space for some time now?" Andrea questioned with concern in her voice.

"Look at them they're acting like I'm not even gone," Remus spat angrily.

"Rem what are you talking about?" Andrea questioned.

"They're sitting in the prank huddle."

"Prank huddle?" Lily inquired.

"It's where we all sit huddled together to plan our next prank – although we also use the huddle to discuss important things among ourselves sometimes but still they're huddling without me. It's almost like I'm not a part of the group anymore," Remus explained in a depressed tone.

"Maybe they've just decided to give you your space. I mean this has surly happened before," Lily said hoping to life Remus' spirits.

"The only other time the marauders have fought was back in 3rd year when James and Sirius fought over some family issue or something but even still when we had a huddle both were there. A Marauder is never excluded from a huddle unless they are excluded from the group."

"Oh...Rem they haven't excluded you..." Andrea began but was abruptly cut off by Remus.

"Well if that's how they want to play the game then I can retaliate. Come on girls lets discuss that Transfiguration assignment," Remus declared as he turned his back to the three boys and positioning himself, Lily, and Andrea in a huddle of their own.

Sirius looked up from the page they were planning on to see what Remus was doing. To his shock he saw Remus in a huddle of his own with Andrea and Lily paying them no mind at all. The boys had secretly hopped that if they huddled Remus would get the hint that they wanted him to help them plan the nest prank. Just then Remus glanced up and caught Sirius' eye. The two boys looked at each other in a tense silence. Sirius tried to motion Remus over to them with his eyes but to his surprise Remus just turned his back on Sirius and leaned closer to Andrea to whisper something in her ear. Sirius was stunned, never once had a prank been planned without all four marauders but Remus would not join them. To the other three marauders this was the beginning of the end.

Andrea stumbled into the Gryffindor after her final detention with Headmaster Dumbledore, a week and a half later. A quick look around the common room showed Remus off in their usual corner and Lily nowhere to be found. Andrea shrugged and made her way over to Remus to ask about Lily but then she realized the blank look upon his face.

"Rem what's wrong you look terrible?" Andrea questioned as she sat down on the chair next to Remus.

"Nothings wrong – I'm just – tired that's all."

"Then why are you staring at them?" Andrea challenged as she followed Remus' line of sight to the rest of the Marauders lounging by the fire half-heartedly doing their defense essays that were due the next day.

"At who? I'm not staring at anyone!" Remus declared as he quickly averted his eyes to the floor.

"Remmy admit it you're miserable without them."

"No I'm not I've got you and Lily."

"Yes I know but we're only good for so much, I know that you need them. They were your first real friends and they know more about you and how to help you then I or Lily do. You need them, don't argue it, I know you well enough to know you need them," Andrea argued giving Remus a long hard stare before getting up and heading to the girls dormitory.

Andrea and Lily entered the great hall for breakfast the next day laughing at a joke told by a fellow dorm mate. As they headed to the same empty seats at the far end of the table they passed the marauders. Andrea was in such a good mood that she had to do a double take to make sure she really saw what she saw. Remus was sitting in-between James and Sirius laughing and joking around with them just like old times. Andrea's smile grew wider as she retraced her steps so that she was right behind Remus before engulfing him, from behind, in a hug. All conversation stopped between the four as they took notice of Andrea but she didn't care.

"I'm so glad you finally took my advice," Andrea spoke quietly before giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Have fun!" she added as she pulled away from him and headed back to Lily.

Sirius, who was on Remus' right side, had heard what Andrea said and seen the look on Remus' face when Andrea kissed him.

"Something you want to tell us Moony old boy?" Sirius asked in a sly manner.

"No. Why do you ask Padfoot?" Remus replied knowing that Sirius wanted to know what was going on between him and Andrea and what her words had meant.

"Oh no reason just an – inkling really."