Chapter Four: Trying to Get Along
Opening my eyes the next morning, I could tell Lupin and Hestia were already up and dressed.
Soundlessly, I threw the covers off my body, avoiding both their wandering eyes.
Go away! I wanted to scream. Leave me in peace. Go on the mission alone. I'm just the depressed little Auror you have to drag along, anyways.
"Can you get ready in fifteen minutes?" asked Hestia quietly, checking her watch and interrupting my internal ranting.
Looking up, I nodded blankly. Hestia smiled, seeming to think that little gesture would cheer me up.
Lupin looked tired, and his greying brown hair was slightly messed up. I scowled, grabbed a few clothes and headed towards the bathroom. And I always thought Remus Lupin was a morning person.
Hastily, I pulled on a black tank top and skirt, covering it with a comfy jacket. I stuffed a grey robe into a backpack I brought and put it on my back. Swiftly, I brushed my teeth and combed my tangled hair.
When I came back out into the main room, Lupin was sitting quietly in an armchair, and Hestia was flipping through a town map.
She looked up hopefully when she saw me, and nodded. "OK, let's go."
We were barely out the front doors before Hestia started jabbering away. "Anyways, so, first I think we should check out the spot where the first attack was, which is –" Hestia shoved the map she was carrying and pointed out a dot with her finger "– right there. Did you get that? Good. So, then after we've…"
I couldn't help it. I yawned. Beside me, I noticed, Lupin did the same, except he covered it up much better.
My blood boiled. What, was he copying me now? My scowl deepened, and I quickened my pace, lining myself up with Hestia.
"Good," said Lupin, pretending he had been paying attention. I scoffed, and ran a hand through my hair absently.
As we began to walk down the side of the road, looking absolutely foolish in our odd-Muggle array of clothing, Lupin somehow managed to get right beside me. I turned my head slightly, and realized he was barely a foot away from me. My insides seemed to freeze over, and I tried to casually dart beside Hestia.
As I quickened my pace beside her, she gave a look that clearly said 'get-over-it-already-you're-acting-like-a-bloody-two-year-old'. I blankly ignored it and stared on in front of me, wishing I had taken Molly's advice and never gone on this mission.
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We arrived at whatever the place Hestia wanted to go to at around noon, and I was starving. However, my companions seemed contempt, and I guessed they had had breakfast before I got up and didn't leave any extras. Traitors.
"We should try taking a Muggle bus, or something," said Hestia, who was dead set on not Apparating too much because it was too 'suspicious'. "Then we'd get to our next stop quicker."
I looked over the scenery drearily, while Lupin seemed compelled to say "Good idea."
As we started to examine the scene, I noticed something out of the ordinary. It was a tiny, wilted, frozen daisy. I plucked it from the ground and examined it. So Hestia was right. This was the scene of one of the Dementors attacks.
"Look," I said, so quietly that I doubted anyone would hear me. However, Lupin strode up beside me a moment later, though examining the flower from a far distance.
"Good job," he said softly, yet the closeness of his voice made me jump. I turned my head slightly and noticed he was a lot closer to me than I had thought.
"It's standard Auror work," I practically whispered, ignoring the shivers that were running down my spine.
Just then, Hestia appeared beside me. "Wow," she said, taking the flower from me and looking at it roughly. "Nice."
Privately glad for the excess company, I straightened up, looking around one last time. "I don't think there's anything else here."
"We should meet with Jeffrey again, that Auror we spoke with yesterday. To see if there is any more attacks, or anything," spoke Hestia confidently, her tiny eyes shining.
"If there haven't been any, or if the children aren't getting any better, I don't see what else we can do here," said Lupin, his voice weary. "Maybe it was just a coincidence."
My outgoing nature, however seldom of it remained, suddenly got the best of me, and I blurted out before I could stop myself. "Coincidence? Three children nearly got their souls sucked out! Three. How can you "coincidently" set a Dementor on someone? This was planned, plain and simple." I stopped suddenly, and looked out into the sky, not believing I had just freaked out like that.
Silence. No one was speaking. Were they outraged? In shock? I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sky to look. I wasn't sure if I wanted to, anyways.
Lupin shuffled uncomfortably. I knew it was him, even without looking. "I'm sorry," he finally said, and sounded very…truthful about it.
My breath caught and I turned. I was about to say 'don't be sorry' but I caught myself just in time. I nodded, and bit my lip, looking away from everyone.
Another great start to another great day.
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All three of us were sitting, silent, in our crumby hotel room. We had gone and seen the Auror, who had been absolutely no help. All he said was 'no change, nothing new'. So, we had decided to call it a day, and go sit as still as corpses in our hotel room until night fell. Which I though was an absolutely splendid idea. Hestia and Lupin have no imagination, and I was definitely not in the mood to make any suggestions.
Hestia moved testily, biting her lip with a strange nervousness. "I'll be right back," she blurted, and practically ran out of the room.
Which, unfortunately, left Lupin and I alone. I moved hastily from my lying position on my bed, to a sitting one.
Lupin coughed, and I sneakily shot a glance at him. What was up with him? Was he sick, or did he just do that when he was uncomfortable? My gut told me it was the latter.
Lupin dared a glance at me, and opened his mouth wide, like a goldfish. My breath caught. Was he going to talk to me?
Apparently Lupin thought better of it, as he closed his mouth and looked in an opposite direction.
Tap, tap, tap.
I gasped and jumped to my feet. Looking hastily over at the source of the noise, which was the window, I found a large, black and white feathered owl. It was staring at me in interest, giving a very loud hoot.
Damn owls, I thought, scrambling over to the window. Why won't they leave me alone?
I noticed Remus hadn't been the least bit frightened by the owl. He was looking at it calmly, from his bed, and seemingly was thinking hard.
I quickly untied the scroll on its ankle and let it in.
"Er – shouldn't it stay outside?" came Remus' nervous voice.
Trying my hardest to concentrate on the task at hand, I shook my head. "No."
The scroll was a ghastly blue colour, and just by the writing of the first letter I could tell whom it was from.
Dear Tonks,
I miss you, even though you've only been gone a few days. Hah – I told you I'd write! So, how are things? Found what you went to find? Write back.
Lots of love,
Jonathan
I sighed, and crumbled up the letter, shooing the owl out the window. I'd write back when I had time…perhaps.
"Who was that from?" asked Lupin, as I settled back onto the bed.
My insides suddenly twisting violently, and I felt sickeningly guilty.
Don't feel guilty! I told myself angrily. What do you have to feel guilty for?
"My boyfriend," I whispered, but, as usual, Lupin heard it.
The room immediately filled with tension. I snuck a glance at Lupin, whose face was white and expression confused.
"You…you have…" Lupin started, but forcefully cut himself off. "I mean, good."
Now I was angry. "Good?" I asked, straightening up abruptly. "What do you mean, good?"
Lupin stared down at his shoes, avoiding my glance. "Er – good that you've met someone, and –"
"Oh, get stuffed, Lupin," I said quietly, but harshly, anger still shooting through my veins. I flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to block out the world.
Lupin sighed, and I could hear him standing up. "Can't we…try to get along?"
I remained silent for a moment, still staring determinedly at the ceiling. "No. I don't care if I'm being childish, either. I don't want to try and get along with you." A small voice in my head irritably told me I was lying, but I fumingly shooed it away.
Lupin said nothing, he seemed at a loss for words. Finally, he sighed, and sat back down on his bed. "I'm sorry."
"Stop saying that," I mumbled, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.
"OK," he replied, wearily.
Just then, Hestia stormed in, her face resembling cheerful. "Hey – whoa, are you guys all right?" she asked, sensing the tension.
"We're fine," said Remus sweetly. He was always a good liar.
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A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Much appreciated. More to come soon ; )
