Chapter 12
Match Made in Hogsmeade
I actively bumped up my avoidance of Regulus Black to a hundred percent, sitting as far away as possible during every class and even making sure I wasn't in his line of sight. It didn't help that we shared almost every class and Lacey was getting a bit miffed at me for constantly forcing her to switch tables if somehow Regulus found a seat within a considerable distance from us.
On a brighter note, February rolled in and inter-house Quidditch was back. The first trip of the year was coming up too, and despite the growing uncertainty outside the castle's walls, excitement was back within the student body and even the heavy workload from the professors couldn't dampen the mood.
Ridding my mind and vicinity of the Black from Slytherin helped my mood keep up with the rest of the students, even if I never exactly understood the hoo ha over Hogsmeade trips. But the upcoming Quidditch matches were worth being excited about in my book, and I forced Lacey to watch the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff match one weekend.
Barely any Gryffindors and Slytherins were present in the stands, but I think I spotted Potter with a few teammates observing the match a few benches down from where Lacey and I sat.
"I don't understand why you still go to these things," Lacey commented, leaning back and looking bored.
"It's a free match, Lace," I said, watching Hufflepuff's Seeker lose sight of the snitch.
"All matches are free."
"Not in the muggle world!" I exclaimed. "It costs nearly two quid to watch a live match, you know."
Lacey shook her head at me. "I wish I knew what that meant."
"It means I've got to take advantage of watching Quidditch for free. Who knows how much the pro leagues cost?"
"At least, you get your money's worth watching the pros," Lacey said, grumpily gesturing at one of the Hufflepuff chasers who accidentally dropped the Quaffle. "I'd probably pay not to see a Hufflepuff match again."
I shot her a glare.
"Lacey, I promised I'd go with you to Hogsmeade next weekend if you came to watch the match with me. That was the deal."
She raised her hands in surrender.
"I'm here, aren't I?" she said defensively but looking a bit rattled. "Anyway, you said you needed to get something from Honeydukes!"
"Well, yes, I do," I said, leaning back next to her. "My dad's obsessed with licorice wands. Ever since I brought some home last summer."
"Well, that's why I'm here," Lacey said, side-eyeing me nervously. "Out of the goodness of my heart, I'm accompanying you since you promised to come with me next weekend. Right?"
"Yeah, I just said that." I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, sensing she was hiding something.
"Brilliant," she said shakily, noticing my calculating stare. "And if, let's say, I told you something about that Hogsmeade trip that may change your mind about going, you would still come with me because you promised, right?"
"Lacey…" I said warningly.
She hesitated, face stiff and eyes fixated on Ravenclaw's Keeper in a clear effort to avoid my own.
"I may have invited Remus to come with us," she said slowly.
I blinked, expecting something worse like her setting me up on a blind date (wouldn't be the first time). But I narrowed my eyes at her, not because it bothered me that Lupin was tagging along. I knew something was up with her.
"Why?" I asked in heightened suspicion.
"Well, he said the other three wanted to check out this new broomstick that came out and he wasn't really in the mood to stay in a Quidditch store the entire time," she said, voice unusually high. "So I… er… asked him if he wanted to come with us."
I raised an eyebrow. "So he prefers to accompany us to Honeydukes to buy licorice wands for my dad?"
"I dunno, maybe he's got a sweet tooth…"
"Spill it, Lacey," I snapped.
She bit her bottom lip, warily turning her head to finally look at me.
"You fancy him!" I accused, nudging her shoulder.
"I don't—I mean, maybe just a smidge," she stuttered hopelessly.
"Pathetic, Lace." I shook my head. "You should've just asked him out. Nevermind my licorice wands."
"I panicked," she said, hugging her knees to her chest. "I wanted to ask him but I didn't want to go alone. What if he says no?"
"So you had to drag me into it?" I asked. "What am I supposed to do while you two cuddle it up?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "I don't think he even sees me that way. Anyway, if you're there, I've got more hope of a natural conversation between us. Less chances of it getting awkward, you know?"
"What gives you that idea? Third-wheeling you two will be the source of any awkward situation. You're way better at making conversation than I am!"
"But you're close to his friends, Mon," Lacey insisted. "There will be tons of things to talk about with you around!"
"Exchanging banter with Sirius Black doesn't really constitute a strong bond," I reminded her. "Doesn't make us close by any means."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Mon. You guys are friends. I don't understand why that's so hard for you to admit."
"Well, you-you're friends with Lupin!" I stuttered indignantly. "You're always talking to him!"
"But it's different!" she moaned. "I like talking to Remus because he's—he's nice! He listens to me and he's smart and he has nice hair…"
I raised my eyebrows. "Your point?"
She bit her lower lip and hesitated. "I do fancy him a bit. So I can't talk to him like you talk to Sirius. He makes me so nervous."
I narrowed my eyes at her for a few seconds before sighing in defeat and scooting closer next to her. I rested my head on her shoulder.
"Can't promise I won't say something stupid to drive him away," I muttered but convinced to help her anyway.
"Mon, you've said a ton of nasty things to Sirius and he still hangs around," Lacey said, grinning. "Sometimes I wish I could keep up with them as well as you do."
"Trust me, Lacey," I chuckled. "I wish I could just smile and remain unbothered like you."
"That would a bore, wouldn't it?" she giggled. "We can't both be bubbly and positive."
"And we can't both be cynics either," I agreed, peacefully watching Ravenclaw score. "Guess we're just perfect for each other."
Lacey laughed then I did too, coincidentally right when another Hufflepuff chaser dropped the Quaffle. It didn't help that we chose to sit on the Hufflepuff side of the pitch and a few dirty looks came our way as we laughed together.
Thank Merlin they were all too nice to hex us.
When the weekend of the first Hogsmeade trip of the year came around, Lacey was nearly late yet again to her date slash errand run with Lupin and me. Ten minutes to the agreed time to meet, she was still drying her hair with her wand while looking for her traveling cloak, knowingly causing a mess in our dormitory.
Thankfully, Becca and Polly had already gone after breakfast so no one was there to torment us while Lacey rushed. I waited patiently on my bed, watching her in amusement as she finally found her cloak stuffed under her mattress (Merlin knows why) and finished doing her curls with one last wave of her wand.
"I think I'm ready now, right?" Lacey asked, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, you look like you usually do," I replied.
"Damn!" she exclaimed, making me jump in surprise.
"That was a compliment!" I snapped.
"But I wanted to look better," she whined, rushing back to the mirror. "Maybe I should tie my hair?"
"Lacey, you look fine all the time," I said in exasperation. "Keep this up and you'll be late for your date."
"It's not a date!" she said shrilly, pulling her hair up in a ponytail.
The door burst open and Lacey and I swiftly turned to see who had arrived. Fortunately, it was neither of the bints we had as roommates. It was Alex, the fifth sixth year Gryffindor, with her dark hair pulled back and stormy eyes blank.
Sometimes it was hard to remember she even slept with us at all, given she had Quidditch practice in the morning and she normally used up the rest of her free time on schoolwork in the common room. The three of us together in the dormitory at the same time wasn't exactly a common occurrence.
"Hey Alex," I greeted her politely.
Her eyebrows were furrowed as she observed Lacey fuss about her hair to the mirror.
"Hey," she said softly.
She wasn't exactly the most talkative either and mostly spent her time with her Quidditch mates, so thinking of conversation topics on the spot proved to be difficult for me.
"You… er… going to Hogsmeade?" I attempted.
"No, I've got to catch up with schoolwork," she said, head tilted as she continued to watch Lacey.
Okay, so she was a bit weird. Mostly because she had a calculating stare as if practicing Legilimency on everyone she passed and she never much bothered to get close to any of the girls in her year. Then again, if her choices were me and Lacey or Becca and Polly, I couldn't really blame her.
"You look better with your hair down," Alex said, unmoving from her spot by the door and Lacey turned to look at her in surprise.
"You think so?" Lacey said, eyes hopeful.
"Yeah," Alex replied swiftly then walked to her bed and picked up a stack of books on her side table.
"Thank you for the useful input, Alex," Lacey said gratefully, while shooting me a side-eyed glare.
"Sure," Alex said, face expressionless as she stuffed the books in her bag.
"Right, now that we got that covered, we can go now, yeah?" I said, slowly getting out of bed.
Lacey nodded vigorously and swooped for her bag. She checked her wristwatch and cursed under her breath.
"We've got five minutes to meet Remus by the carriages," she said shakily.
"Don't look at me," I said, heading for the door. "I was ready half an hour ago."
When I didn't hear footsteps following behind me, I looked back to hurry Lacey up but found her rooted on the spot staring at Alex whose back was to the both of us.
"Lacey?" I called her in uncertainty.
"Actually I've just got a great idea!" Lacey said, clapping her hands together. "Would you like to come with us to Hogsmeade, Alex? I'm sure that beats studying for Charms!"
My jaw dropped and I gave her a wide-eyed look. I couldn't tell if she felt sorry for Alex for spending her Hogsmeade weekend doing schoolwork or she was trying to get more random people involved in her stupid plan to make things less awkward with Lupin.
Alex slowly turned around, a look of surprise on her face as she took in Lacey's encouraging grin.
"We're going to Honeydukes," Lacey said in an effort to lure her in.
Alex tilted her head, looked at her for a few seconds, before finally saying, "Okay, sure."
Lacey squealed in delight and pulled her along as she exited. I watched them leave the room speechless then followed after, deeply confused on what was going on.
As we exited the common room, Lacey was chattering away in typical fashion. Alex nodded along silently, also in typical fashion, while I tried to catch Lacey's eye to mentally ask her what in Merlin's name she was trying to achieve.
By the time we reached the carriages, neither Alex or I managed to get a word in Lacey's one-sided conversation about Honeydukes' best candy. Only a few students remained in line for the carriages and we didn't spot Lupin.
I could see the anxiety growing on Lacey's expression, eyes searching through the crowd but continued on and on about her candy rankings.
"—it's not that I don't like chocolate frogs but I think they're a bit overrated, you know? There are far better sweets so I think I'd rank it seventh on my list—"
"Oh, I think I can see some of my mates over there," Alex suddenly interrupted, voice harder and blinking faster. "I'll be right back."
She hurriedly approached a group of Gryffindor Quidditch players by the front of the line and I finally turned to Lacey with my arms crossed and lips pursed in disapproval. She slowly met my gaze with a sheepish grin.
"I probably shouldn't bother asking to spare myself a ridiculous explanation," I snapped.
"Mon," she started with a determined expression. "I looked it up and three people might be worse than just two. But a fourth would balance it out and induce better conversation!"
"Looked it up where, Lacey?" I said irately. "I hardly believe the library's got material on a situation like this."
"I subscribed to Witch Weekly," she said, voice small.
"Fantastic. Did you miss the part where it says a fourth person probably means a double date? Of course, a fourth would balance it out if we both got someone!"
"Oh, did you subscribe too?" she asked innocently.
"Yeah, along with my subscription to The Cosmopolitan Witch, you bloody idiot. What do you think? They obviously meant a double date, not a date plus your best friend and our roommate!"
"I like The Cosmopolitan Witch," Lacey said defensively. "Anyway, I might have missed that detail."
Alex appeared in the middle of our row and cleared her throat to get our attention.
"Hey guys, thanks for the invite," she said, "but my mates were just telling me about this new broomstick that came out. Think I might just check it out with them. That cool?"
"Very cool, Alex," I said, grinning widely. "Have fun!"
"See you guys around," she said with a small smile before skittering back to her friends.
"You don't think I scared her off, do you?" Lacey asked, disappointed.
"Whatever you did, it worked," I said, cheeks aching from the forced grin.
"You're right," Lacey sighed. "I wasn't thinking. I got so nervous that I stole Becca's magazine collection and read them back to back. I subscribed to Witch Weekly just to get the latest edition."
"How 'bout some advice from your best friend, eh?" I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just be yourself and stop overthinking."
"Right, easy enough." Lacey exhaled and closed her eyes.
A hand tapped her shoulder and we both whirled around to find Remus Lupin, panting heavily in a crouched position, hands gripping his knees. He was sweating under his cloak despite the freezing February wind coming in through the windows.
"Remus!" Lacey said in surprise.
Just in time, we were next in line for the carriages and introductions were cut short until we all settled inside, Lacey and I taking seats on one side and Lupin basically collapsing across us.
"Lupin, are you okay?" I asked in genuine concern.
Lacey watched him with deep worry too and it took a few more seconds before he caught his breath and wiped his damp forehead with the back of his hand, sandy hair haphazardly swept to the side. He looked like he just ran fifty laps around the Quidditch pitch.
"I'm so sorry for being late," he said breathlessly.
I waved him off. "No big deal. We were late too."
"Good thing I caught you guys then," he chuckled, attempting to fix his hair to no significant results. "Nearly missed the carriage."
"Where did you come from?" Lacey asked curiously.
"Hospital wing," he said. "I… er… had a check up."
I quickly scanned him head to toe, finding no trademark scars from the night after his transformations. Probably just a regular check up with Madam Pomfrey then.
"You didn't have to run," Lacey said kindly. "We would've skipped the carriage if you weren't there yet."
He smiled at her. "Thanks. I'm glad you didn't wait too long. So we're headed to Honeydukes first, yeah?"
"Yeah, Monica just needs to buy licorice wands for her dad," Lacey explained. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Oh, I'm just tagging along. You guys can decide."
That was unfortunate because after Honeydukes, we had zero plans. Lacey and I met each other's gaze. I guess we were winging it.
"So Remus," Lacey began, convincingly calm as opposed to her hyperactive state of nervousness earlier. "Er… I thought you liked Quidditch?"
It took all my internal power to keep myself from frowning at her incredulously. What kind of conversation starter was that?
"It's alright," Lupin chuckled. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you said your friends wanted to see a broomstick and you didn't wanna go…"
He laughed heartily. "I mean, broomsticks are nice and all but you can only find so many interesting things about it."
"Well, one, they make you fly," I interrupted. "Two, have you seen the wooden varnish on those things? You can fly one for years and it won't wear out!"
"Right, sorry, we've got another Quidditch fanatic here," Lupin said jokingly. "Why don't you meet the guys there?"
My eyes widened and my fingers gripped the edge of my seat. "I have business in Honeydukes."
"She takes her dad's licorice wands very seriously," Lacey added in.
"Yeah," I said hurriedly then frowning when it registered how stupid we both sounded.
"Can't deny a man his favorite sweet," Lupin said, looking amused. "I actually have some things to get from Honeydukes. James' birthday is coming soon and he insists we all get him chocolate frogs."
I side-eyed Lacey warningly before she could start her 'chocolate frogs are overrated' monologue that basically drove Alex to find another group to go to Hogsmeade with.
"They're a bit overrated though to be honest," Lupin continued.
Lacey tightly grabbed my arm and she stared wide-eyed at Lupin.
"Yeah," she squeaked.
Lupin gave us both strange looks.
"Are you two okay? You both look a bit pale."
"Effect of the cold," I said hastily.
Thankfully the carriage slowed to a stop at that moment and Lupin's questions about our weird behavior were nipped in the bud. He climbed out first, offering a helping hand to both Lacey and I afterwards.
Honeydukes wasn't too far down the main street and I appreciated the cold weather for its excellent service of hindering any kind of conversation outside. We briskly walked to the sweet shop in silence and as soon as we entered, the roar of the student crowd filled my ears.
Stuck in the corner with no visible room to navigate our way through, I tried to spot the licorice section through the crowd but to no avail.
"I think I can see the chocolate frogs section from here, Remus," Lacey said, standing on her tiptoes.
"Yeah, I know where they are." Lupin smiled. "The licorice is next to it, Monica."
I blinked at the use of my name but he didn't seem bothered, peacefully watching the customers travel in packs and slip through momentary gaps to navigate the shop.
"You come here often then?" I said casually, begrudgingly admitting the use of first names wasn't exactly a crime.
"Know this place like the back of my hand," Lupin said, catching a glint of mischief in his eye.
Peaceful as he was, he was still a Marauder. I wouldn't be surprised if they've sneaked out of the castle to shoplift some candy.
Eventually we departed from our corner and braved the crowd, muttering excuse me's and sorry's to anyone I accidentally rammed into, which was basically everyone in my way. I snatched the licorice wands and got in line for the cashier, meeting Lupin and Lacey there after a few minutes, both holding their own baskets of candy.
"Your dad can finish all that?" Lacey said, looking wide-eyed at the six large packs of licorice in my own basket.
"Thought I'd send some over to my mum too," I said. "I don't really know what she likes but who doesn't eat licorice?"
"You'd have to ship it through the Ministry post, right?" Lupin said, confused.
"Oh, my mum's in London now," I explained, surprised at how easily I could say it.
"Yeah, Monica's mum moved here to spend more time with her." Lacey smiled. "Isn't that sweet?"
"Wow, that's good for you, Monica," Lupin said genuinely. "Where's she staying?"
"Diagon Alley," I replied. "I know it doesn't seem safe but she can take care of herself. Anyway, I can't imagine her living in a muggle town yet. That would be too much of an adjustment."
"Yeah, you should tell her to be careful," Lupin said, face serious then hesitated before continuing in a lower tone. "Word's going around Diagon Alley's where most undercover Death Eaters are lurking."
I frowned. "Why there? And how do you know?"
Lupin gave me a pointed look then stepped forward as the line moved. We followed his lead and he dipped his head to whisper.
"They're trying to recruit more and there are plans to raid the stores. Your mum could really be in danger there. Should tell her to stay indoors as much as possible and keep her guard up."
I didn't have to ask again how he knew this kind of information. Black pretty much confirmed the theory that they were part of a rebel group and I felt a wave of affection and gratitude that Lupin was warning me about this.
Cutting the dark conversation short, it was our turn at the cashier and we quickly bagged our sweets. Feeling way too much warmth from the crowd, I was actually excited to go back outside, briskly navigating through with Lacey and Lupin following behind me.
"So where to next?" Lupin said as we exited Honeydukes.
We stood on the sidewalk, Lacey and I exchanging nervous looks. We probably should have planned the day out earlier but neither of us were particularly experienced with dates.
"Erm… what about Hog's Head?" Lacey suggested.
"I've never been," Lupin said with a smile. "You guys don't like The Three Broomsticks?"
"Oh, it's usually too packed so we prefer Hog's Head for Butterbeer," I said. "They've got really good chips too."
"Sure, why not?" Lupin shrugged. "Don't think I can take another place as packed as Honeydukes anyway."
"I know, I wish I could come here when there aren't any people," Lacey laughed. "Would probably enjoy it more."
"You should come with us some time!" Lupin offered. "I mean, we've brought a few people along before but usually for a price and they have to swear not to tell. I'm sure we can give a pass for you guys though."
"So you guys sneak out here all the time then?" Lacey asked, curiosity peaked.
"A couple of times, yeah," Lupin admitted, but I was certain it wasn't just a couple of times.
"Actually," I interrupted, fake stretching my arms and yawning. "I think I'll head back. You two should go though. I need to stop by the owlery anyway."
"Oh, come on. You were here for an hour," Lupin said, head tilted.
"Yeah, Mon," Lacey said, eyeing me pointedly.
I rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled widely at Lupin.
"Lacey's been really excited for this Hogsmeade trip," I said. "You guys should go ahead. Sorry I can't stay much longer but I think I'll send the licorice over to my parents and rest up."
"That's a pity," Lupin said but addressed Lacey with his usual politeness. "Shall we head to Hog's Head then? I can buy you a Butterbeer."
"Y-yeah, okay," Lacey stuttered, growing red in the face but Lupin didn't show any notice of it.
"Have fun!" I said ecstatically.
Lacey didn't spare me another glance and walked to stay next to him. Lupin immediately resumed the conversation about his escapades to Hogsmeade with his friends and Lacey adorably listened attentively.
I sighed in content as I watched them walk down the street. She was going to thank me later. Unless it went disastrous then she would probably explode my cauldron during our next Potions class. Either way, she wasn't going anywhere with him when I was around to disturb their dynamic. Three was definitely much worse than two, and I never thought I'd see the day I quote Witch Weekly.
True to my word, I started to make my way back to the castle. The street was hardly filled with anyone since February weather still wasn't ideal for a stroll outside. I pulled over my hood to hide my face from the wind, which didn't turn out to be a good idea when I nearly collided into someone walking the opposite direction. My abrupt stop pushed my hood back and the apology that came died out when I realized I'd almost rammed into Carter Robins.
He blinked twice then smiled. "Hey Monica!"
"Hi," I replied shortly.
"Weird coincidence again," he said lightly. "You here alone?"
"I was with Lacey," I said, feeling the heat rise up to my cheeks despite shivers traveling down my spine.
"Heading back early then?" he asked, stuffing his bare hands into the pockets of his perfectly ironed black coat. "It's still the morning, you know."
"I just needed a few things," I said, awkwardly adjusting my scarf. "What about you? How come you're alone?"
"I was with my mates at the Quidditch store but they didn't want to leave yet."
"What is up with that new broomstick release?" I said in exasperation. "I swear, everytime I talk about Hogsmeade, that bloody broomstick comes up."
"The handle's actually quite impeccable, I'd say," Carter laughed.
"Really?" I said, tone pathetically switching to awestruck way too quick.
Carter looked more amused. "Yeah, would you like to take a look?"
"No, I'm good," I said bashfully. "It's not like I'll ever get to ride it anyway. I'll just take your word for it."
"You really like Quidditch, don't you?" Carter chuckled. "I've seen you at our practices before."
It felt impossible that the weather was less than ten degrees today when I was burning up like a teapot on the sidewalk. James Potter noticing me at Quidditch practices wasn't nearly as embarrassing as Carter Robins noticing it. Probably because half the time I spent staring at him doing his Seeker plays.
"I like to watch sports," I said, voice at least one octave too high. "It's a long story…"
"You can tell me over some butterbeers then?" he said smoothly, head jerking towards The Three Broomsticks across the street. "I wanted to get one anyway but I'd love some company if you're up for it."
I tried to hide the surprise and suspicion I felt at the offer, briefly wondering what kind of motive he had in mind to spend time with me. I blocked off Lacey's unsolicited advice in my head, which was telling me to stop overthinking it, using my words to her against me.
We had agreed to become friends and I suppose to any normal person, drinking butterbeers was a common thing to do with someone else. But I could already imagine the public outcry of seeing me with Carter Robins again.
"Sorry, I made you uncomfortable, didn't I?" Carter said when I was silent for way too long. He nervously scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Forget I said anything. You should go do your thing."
"No!" I exclaimed and he blinked wide-eyed in shock.
I quickly composed myself, red in the face. "Butterbeers. Sure, why not?"
He grinned and said, "Brilliant. Cool. Let's do it."
I laughed airily as he led the way to the wizarding pub. It was a bit early for lunch so when we stepped in, not a ton of people were there yet. We managed to snag an empty table and Carter pulled a seat for me.
Giving him a chance to be a good friend didn't seem like it would do any harm and I still quite enjoyed his company even if I hadn't thought of him like a lovesick child in a while.
I waited alone for a bit as he bought the drinks but he was back in less than a minute with two filled glasses. I pulled out my purse to pay him back but he waved me off mid-sip that made me pause.
"On me," he said after drinking.
"No, you don't have to do that," I protested, pushing the coins across the table.
I watched him hesitate but I think the look on my face made him finally pocket the money. Satisfied, I enjoyed the drink and savored my first butterbeer of the year.
"So Quidditch," he resumed the conversation from earlier, curiosity lacing his tone.
"Yes, Quidditch," I humored him, raising my eyebrows and expecting his next question.
"I'm honestly just curious how we never became friends when you're such a fan," he said, leaning back against his chair. "You do know you're housemates with the best Seeker in Hogwarts right?"
"Merlin, and I thought you were the humble one," I said with a stunned laugh.
Carter laughed too, cheeks pink as if he couldn't believe he just said that either.
"Yeah, I just wanted to see how you'd react," he admitted.
"Well, if you still want an answer to that question, I'm not housemates with Regulus Black," I teased.
"Oi!" he said but still grinned. "I take offence to that!"
"How come you've never won a game against him then?" I dared to ask.
"Merlin," he breathed, looking at me in awe. "You really do pay attention, don't you?"
I hid my embarrassment by chugging a few more gulps of butterbeer and shrugged casually.
"He's definitely good," Carter said, eyes a bit distant. "Probably better than me."
"You're not fishing for compliments, are you?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, I swear!" Carter exclaimed. "I really do think he's better than me. Everytime I play against Slytherin, I can't shake him off my head. It's maddening."
"But Carter," I said seriously. "You don't play like you do against Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff either. Don't you see? You just have to get him out of your head."
"It's pretty hard when the Slytherin team finds any opportunity to taunt me before a match," he sighed.
"Regulus taunts you?" I said in disgust.
Carter shook his head. "No, not him. Mostly his captain and the Beaters. They're ruthless. Regulus has always just been the quiet type. He never even looks at me. Wish I could get to his level of focus, really."
I rolled my eyes, so typical of Slytherins to stoop down to the lowest of levels. I understood where he was coming from about Regulus though. The guy never seemed like anything pressured him at all, doing things with an irritating natural aura of talent and I bitterly thought how little he deserved it.
"You can't let them get to you," I advised. "I've watched you for years, you know. You never play as well against Slytherins, but you're amazing against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."
He blinked then tilted his head, a strange expression on his face as he looked at me.
"I mean I watched all of you," I added quickly, trying to salvage any remaining dignity. "Because I love Quidditch."
"Right," he said, nodding with me and his curious look gone.
I almost visibly sighed in relief but instead finished my remaining butterbeer in one go.
"So what got you into it?" he asked. "Quidditch, I mean."
"Well, my dad and I love sports," I said, smiling at the memory. "When I got into Hogwarts, I was exposed to Quidditch and we just researched everything to do about it."
"You never thought about playing?"
"Flying isn't my strong suit," I said. "I learned that when my broom chucked me off in first year. Haven't been a big fan of heights since."
"That was you?" he giggled. "I remember that! It was our first flying class and there was a poor girl who was sent to the hospital wing."
"Unfortunately," I said, shaking my head amusedly at the memory.
"You're strange, you know," he said after calming down a bit. "Usually an experience like that would make someone hate Quidditch, not love it."
"True," I agreed, looking up in thought. "But I think I got even more obsessed after I was chucked off that broom. You probably wouldn't get it but Quidditch made me feel like I was home. It was… the closest connection I had with my dad in the castle."
Carter regarded me with an unusually serene look on his face, kind eyes casting a comforting feeling over me and his mouth twitched upwards in a small smile. Saying something personal to other people didn't seem as hard anymore given the events of this school year, but I was surprised to feel the same way with Carter whom I only ever observed from a distance. Maybe I was actually learning a thing or two since spending more time with people other than Lacey.
"Sounds like a cool guy, your dad," Carter said.
"He's alright," I said jokingly. "He talks way too much."
Carter laughed then stood from his seat. "I'll get us one more round."
"Sure, thank you," I said, not at all minding a second butterbeer to spur my confidence.
The bar had significantly increased customers as lunch came around. I figured it would take much longer to get two drinks this time. I scanned the pub for any familiar faces and I think I caught a glimpse of Alex with her Quidditch mates in one corner and Becca snogging a Ravenclaw in another.
I immediately averted my gaze, not in the mood to vomit perfectly good butterbeer all over the table. Just as I turned to face the chairs across me, they were occupied by none other than James Potter and Sirius Black.
I nearly yelled out in surprise, clutching my chest dramatically.
"What the hell?" I hissed.
They were both leaning back and dressed handsomely, expensive looking traveling cloaks hung over their broad shoulders and stylish turtleneck sweaters underneath.
"Afternoon, Dyer," Black greeted slyly.
"What are you two doing here?" I snapped, crossing my arms.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
"Why?" I asked, frowning. "This was my table first."
"You're here with Carter Robins," Potter said with raised eyebrows and a smirk.
"Are you on a date?" Black asked with a matching look.
"What's it to you?" I said rudely.
"Only curious, Dyer," Black said, unoffended.
"It's not a date," I huffed. "He saw me alone and asked if I wanted a few drinks."
"Why were you alone?" Black asked, eyes narrowed.
"Is this an investigation?" I shot back. "Why are you asking me so many questions?"
"Just answer the question, Dyer," Potter pushed, voice serious.
I groaned and snuck a peek at the bar line, spotting Carter still quite far from the front. Deciding humoring them and their play of detective would probably ward them off quicker, I gave in.
"I ditched Lacey so she could be with Lupin alone," I said, turning back to glare at them both. "Happy?"
Potter slammed the table with his palm as Black exclaimed, "I knew it!"
Totally out of the loop of the context, my furious glare twisted into an utterly confused frown.
"What is up with you two?"
"You're setting them up!" Potter accused.
"Wha— I am not!" I denied aggressively.
"Don't lie to us, Dyer," Black said, crossing his arms. "He told us he was going with you and Lacey and here you are. You totally set them up."
"I didn't set them up," I cried. "Lacey set them up!"
"So she set herself up?" Potter raised an eyebrow.
I threw my hands up in frustration. "Fine, I may have set up the part where I left them together."
"Aha!" Black pointed a finger at me. "So you did set them up!"
"Merlin, only to help her out!" I cried out.
They fell silent and shared a glance. I pursed my lips, realizing what I'd done and Lacey was definitely going to blow up my cauldron in our next Potions class. When their heads turned in unison in my direction with highly suggestive looks, I shook my head vigorously.
"Lacey fancies our little Moony," Black said slowly, eyes wide.
"Doesn't she?" Potter said with an identical expression.
I couldn't bring myself to speak, knowing I'd already done the damage.
"Oh, Dyer, you're not a very good secret keeper at all, are you?" Black chastised.
"Should we be worried?" Potter asked.
"You wormed it out of me, wankers," I spat.
"That we did," Black agreed, nodding thoughtfully to himself. "We'd make good Aurors, Prongs."
"Too bad you hate the Ministry, Padfoot."
"Touché."
"So what's your goal here?" I snapped, feeling the rise in me while they exchanged banter as if they hadn't just drilled Lacey's secret out of me. "You got what you want. And Lacey's gonna kill me, by the way, so thanks for that."
"Honestly, we were just wondering why you would think of setting them up in the first place," Black said. "Remus doesn't date."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"It's true," Potter said, leaning forward to place his interlocked hands on the table. "He's sworn off women for the rest of his life because of his furry little problem."
"And that's how Moony is," Black concluded. "He thinks he's a danger to everyone around him."
"But Lacey knows what he is," I argued. "She doesn't care."
"That won't change his mind," Black said, shaking his head with finality in his tone. "The whole point is never getting attached to anyone that way. Next thing you know he's having children, then he's getting married, then he's living with someone else and so on."
"Pretty sure you got those in the wrong order," Potter muttered.
Black impatiently waved his palm. "Whatever. The point is you're meddling in a lost cause here, Dyer. Lacey's just going to get hurt."
I opened my mouth to object again but Carter had just returned with two butterbeers in hand, staring blankly at the two Marauders. Black and Potter looked up from their seats, matching grins on their faces.
"Robins!" Black said in suspicious excitement. "Glad you could join us."
Potter gave him a lazy salute.
"Hey mate," Carter said with less enthusiasm but still polite.
Black gestured to the empty seat next to me despite him clearly taking Carter's place before he left to buy drinks. For a second, Carter hesitated and I nervously watched from the side. But without further conflict, he begrudgingly sat next to me and passed me my butterbeer with a tight smile.
"Thanks," I said, trying to tell him with my eyes that I had no idea what these two were doing here.
"Let's get your opinion then, Robins," Black continued.
"On what exactly?" Carter asked, confused.
"I have a friend who has a friend who's into this guy who's probably not interested," Black summarized and I contemplated banging my head multiple times on the table.
"Okay…" Carter said, willing him to continue.
"Would you or would you not try to meddle and set them up?"
"I'm still a bit lost," Carter said, side-eyeing me with uncertainty. "Why's he not interested? Has he got a girlfriend?"
"No, he's single," Potter said.
Carter tilted his head. "Okay, does he like girls?"
Potter and Black exchanged another glance.
"Most probably," Black said after a second's thought.
I bit my lower lip to keep myself from laughing outright.
"So why not?" Carter suggested. "I mean, if he's not taken then it would be fine to help a friend, right?"
I fully nodded in agreement. "Precisely, Carter. Thank you!"
"But this guy's got like nasty emotional baggage," Black pointed out.
"But he's still decent," I shot back. "He's a gentleman, funny, and scruffy looking but not in a bad way."
Potter and Black looked at me like I'd grown an extra ear.
"I'm missing something here," Carter said, eyes darting between the three of us. "You're not all the friend, other friend, and scruffy looking guy, are you?"
We all simultaneously blurted indignant no's and Black followed with, "You better not think I'm the scruffy looking guy in this scenario!"
"Alright, alright," Carter said in defense, glancing at me. "Wanted to be sure."
"Okay, Robins, let's rephrase it to something you could possibly relate to," Black said, eyes glinting. "Let's say I meddled in with you and Dyer. Forced you to date her. How would you feel?"
I nearly pounced on him on the spot. Was it illegal to choke someone if I didn't kill him anyway?
"I wouldn't mind," Carter said with a shrug. "I like Monica."
The group went silent and I was frozen in place. Heat traveled up my cheeks to the roots of my hair and my brain probably melted into my skull because not a single thought was coherent in my mind.
I could vaguely see Potter's eyes darting between Carter and Black who were still staring at each other intensively. I waited for someone to speak but they enabled the silence to drown me in my misery for a good few seconds.
Was it too late to do a fake stretch, yawn, and say I needed to get to the owlery to write to my mum?
"That question was phrased hypothetically that you weren't into her," Black finally said but not completely breaking the tension.
"Well, it's still not relatable because I actually quite fancy her," Carter said.
Merlin's pants, he said it again. I stifled a pathetic squeak that I almost let out as Black laughed at Carter's response, but the amusement wasn't there.
"Why do I get the feeling you're going off topic here?"
"Sirius," Potter mumbled, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Maybe because someone's already meddling into my business by butting into a date," Carter snapped.
"She just said it wasn't a date," Black said bluntly.
"Sirius!" I blurted out to get his attention and have him stop talking completely, also attempting to kick his leg under the table but my foot grazed thin air. I shot him the dirtiest glare instead as a substitute.
He was momentarily speechless, blinking at me as I realized it was probably the first time I addressed him by his first name. Then his eyes left mine and he turned back to Carter, visibly relaxing.
"Fine, Robins, I apologize," he said, crossing his arms. "But for the record, Dyer's my friend and you have nothing to worry about, yeah? I'm not trying to meddle with anything here."
"Really?" Carter scoffed, unconvinced.
"Yeah, really," Black said, looking thoroughly annoyed out of his mind. "Dyer can do what she wants."
With that, he stood up from his seat muttering, "Come on, Prongs."
Potter avoided my eye and followed after Black who briskly walked out the door. I felt Carter move from his seat and he was soon back in front of me looking sheepish. He opened his mouth to say something but it didn't register in my head, still brain dead by the way that situation unfolded. Yet, one thing I felt was familiarity.
Despite the blinding vexation I felt with the both of them ambushing me, I thought about the number of times they spoke about Lupin to me and Lacey, particularly around the time I found out about his condition. They held the same guard with their insistence about Lupin's dating life and their efforts to convince me to believe that I was doing something pointless by helping Lacey out, to the point that they included Carter in the bloody conversation.
I could hear Carter calling my name to get my attention, but I didn't know if it was the fight or flight response in me from his veritably confusing and surprising confession or I actually wanted to finish the conversation Black and Potter started. Because I realized as soon as they left, there was definitely something more to their unmitigated accusations. I excused myself quickly to Carter and I didn't stay long enough to hear his reply.
"I'll be right back," I said, leaving my coat and running out the door.
Black and Potter weren't too far down the street but it still amazed me how fast they walked to get there within seconds of leaving. I pulled Black's shoulder back when I reached him and for a moment I was lost for words, wondering why on earth I thought it was a good idea to go after them when it was less than ten degrees outside. I almost felt the temperature drop even lower when Black's icy stare met my eyes.
"Haven't you got a date to enjoy?" Black asked, still clearly miffed by the turn of that conversation.
"You're a git and I really don't feel like talking about that," I snapped, finally gathering my thoughts on the main reason why I bothered running after them anyway.
"So why are you here then?" Black said, looking frustrated. "You know, you may have ruined your chances with him going after me like this. He clearly thinks I've got a thing for you."
"Nevermind Carter," I said impatiently, all thoughts void of the sixth year Gryffindor and pushing myself to discuss what really mattered to them. "Be honest with me. Are you two scared?"
"Scared of what?" Potter asked.
"Of Lacey and Remus!" I accused. "You don't care about that no dating rubbish! You're afraid he might actually like her."
"Why would we be scared of that?" Potter said defensively, but eyeing Black apprehensively, who stood still with his lips pursed.
"We're not that childish, Dyer," Black said in monotone.
"It's not childish," I said with manic laughter. "It's so typical of you two. You guys are so protective over him that you want him for yourselves. You're scared he'll get hurt. That no one in the world deserves him as much as you."
Black's expression scrunched up. "What gives you that idea?"
"Experience," I answered quickly. "When I found out who he was. When Lacey reacted that way at the Quidditch pitch. You had the exact same attitude when you were talking to me in there! Like you wanted me to feel I'd done something wrong to him again. Like somehow it's my fault that he's out with a girl right now."
Their confused stares had slowly molded into blank looks, both directed at me. They stayed silent for a while, Potter breaking eye contact first and lightly kicking the sidewalk with his head down. Black continued to look at me, typical of him to give me a stare that burned through my soul.
But he didn't seem angry. His hair was gustling slightly at the wind in immense contrast to his direct and unmoving gaze. Yet, his shoulders were relaxed and his hands were stuffed in the pockets of his cloak.
But somehow I knew I was right, even if they wanted to deny it. It probably sounded like a preposterous accusation to anyone else, but I've seen how far their friendship went and a small part of me envied it. I felt the same when they threatened me if I thought about telling another person about Lupin's condition. It was the same feeling when I realized how far they would go to fight the most notorious Dark Wizard after school.
The protectiveness they expressed for the people that they held most dear was the one thing I could never dissociate from them, so I knew this time, even if the reasons weren't as deep and the situation felt much more shallow, they took it just as seriously as a potential whistleblower of Lupin's condition.
House personalities never mattered to me before. I'd always just assumed the sorting hat's algorithm just spewed people wherever he wanted. Because I never saw myself a typical Gryffindor and anyone else for that matter until I met Potter and Black. They were textbook Gryffindors, loyal to the bone and stupidly brave and outspoken. But the most prominent feature in my opinion was how far they would go for their friends, to the point that avoiding any potential source of hurt had become their job.
"You guys…" I began croakily.
Potter looked up and Black never broke his gaze.
"You guys are really stupid," I finished lamely.
Black frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding fervently as I hugged my arms which were painfully numbed by the cold. "You're way too overprotective of your friends. You think you always know what's best for other people in your lives. You spend more than half your time doing things that are risky and brave like it's nothing but when it comes to other people, you prefer they play it safe."
Black merely raised his brows in silence, as if egging me to go on.
"I'm saying…" I sighed, my brain practically yelling at me to stop talking but the violent pounding of my heart against my chest couldn't bring me to stop. "I'm saying you guys are… pretty amazing."
I shifted my eyes away, unable to look at them without physically cringing at myself. I hugged my arms which were painfully numb in the cold.
"The way you look after each other literally goes against everything I see about life in general because I can never trust anyone or myself to believe that there are people who c-could actually stick around. But I've seen how you guys l-look after each other and it's j-just mind-boggling how far you guys actually go to p-protect him.
"But y-you know, Remus is always gonna be your friend. I-I think you're scared that he might actually see something in L-Lacey that might just lead him into getting hurt. And y-you've have done everything to keep him from feeling that way."
"You're shivering, Dyer," Black said, pulling out his wand.
"W-What I'm trying to say," I continued, ignoring him, "is people are going to hurt but you can't let that s-stop them from living."
Saying it out loud, I realized how much it applied to myself. Closing myself off from other people and avoiding everything that could possibly make my life a little inconvenient were two things I'd expertly done. And this weird relationship I had with these boys since meeting them that night of the full moon, I nearly wasted pitying myself and trying to get things back to the way they were: utterly dull and uneventful. But I admitted and envied how much a friendship like that could actually benefit me to become better, just like they did from someone like Remus.
"R-Remus is so l-lucky to have you g-guys," I said before they could speak again. "You c-can keep being g-good friends by letting him make his own decisions and b-break his own r-rules. If he likes Lacey then g-great, but if he d-doesn't, then whatever! Lacey will m-move on. People are going to get hurt and you can't p-protect them f-forever."
"Okay, it's getting worse," Black muttered then flicked his wand lazily.
I felt a wave of warmth travel down from the top of my head to my feet and I sighed heavily in relief. Black pocketed his wand and I slowly released the grip from my arms as the blood rushed back into my fingers.
"Better?" Black smirked.
"Loads, thanks," I said in all honesty.
"You done?" he asked, looking amused.
I narrowed my eyes slightly but shrugged and said, "Yeah, that was it."
"I didn't know you were so perceptive, Dyer," Potter commented lightly.
"People are going to get hurt but you can't let that stop them from living," Black recited with a thoughtful nod. "Think I might use that."
"Yeah, if I used that line, Dyer, would you or would you not require credit?" Potter said humorously.
"Credit, thanks," I said sharply.
Potter dipped his head. "I respect that."
"Any other comments?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's code for 'Tell me I'm right.'"
Black crossed his arms, looking a bit defeated.
"Fine, Dyer," he said. "Maybe you're right."
Potter gave him a look but didn't speak. That was enough to spur more confidence in me.
"I mean, that was a great way to compliment us and get what you want at the same time," Sirius continued. "But how do we know you're not just saying that to get us off your back?"
"Because I know how it feels, Sirius!" I exclaimed in frustration.
He blinked in surprise and I went on, expressing all the bottled up feelings in one go with a surge of determination.
"I close people off. I can never break my own rules and expectations. I have this twisted view of life that it's always going to be shitty and I've somehow convinced Lacey that she can never change that about me. And she's tried!"
I breathed in, avoiding their looks of realization.
"Somehow I've managed to make the most positive person in my life believe that all the negativity and hurt I feel is inevitable and natural. Because that's what I do. But you guys… you guys befriended a poor kid with the most unfortunate condition and helped him live. And I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart that letting him find his own happiness even if he's at risk of getting hurt is something he would really appreciate. Because that's how I would feel."
"Monica…" Potter said solemnly.
"I wish someone would just tell me to take a damn risk for once," I said, voice cracking. "Lacey loves me but she's accepted I'm unchangeable. And I did that to her."
Pathetic as I was, I felt a lump in my throat and my vision blurred. Hot tears swelled in my eyelids and I didn't have the energy to keep them from sliding down my cheeks.
"Aw," Black expressed sympathetically as I furiously wiped my damp face. "Mon, come here."
When I stubbornly stayed in place and refused to look at him in the eye, he stepped forward and gently pulled me into his arms. I pathetically gasped in short convulsive breaths against his chest as the tears refused to stop. I felt another arm circle around my shoulders when Potter joined in the awkward group hug.
"Ah, Monnie," Potter said, using my infuriating nickname. "You've got a lot in your mind, eh? All this triggered by a wee date."
"I hate you," I mumbled, but without any real meaning.
They both chuckled under their breaths and I lightly pushed myself away, forcing myself to calm down and feeling more and more pathetic by each passing second. My breathing slowed and the two boys looked down at me with small smiles.
"We'll back off Lacey and Remus," Black said, raising his hands up in peace.
"Yeah, consider us officially non-meddlers," Potter said.
I narrowed my eyes slightly but the smiles didn't disappear from their faces.
"Good," I said softly. "Sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Black said. "For crying? You know, this is the second time I've seen you cry and it makes me feel really shitty."
"Yeah, what is it about women crying that makes me feel like a complete wanker?" Potter said, looking guilty.
"Probably because we are, Prongs," Black sighed. "We shouldn't have grilled you like that."
"It's fine," I said quickly, feeling uncomfortable that they'd seen me so vulnerable but at the same time, I felt more free.
"No, really," Black insisted. "And in return, I'm going to tell you to take a risk."
"Which is?" I asked, confused.
Black pointed at The Three Broomsticks.
"Get in there and tell Robins you've fancied the pants out of him since first year."
Potter laughed in good nature.
"Since first year?" he guffawed. "No wonder you watched our practices everyday!"
"Shut up, I watched for Quidditch!" I snapped, red in the face. "And no way! I thought I'd start with something simpler like, I don't know, jump in the Black Lake or something!"
"Mon, we jumped in the Black Lake before we were even sorted in first year," Black said. "You've got to do some sixth year level stuff."
"And Carter said he fancies you," Potter pointed out. "What have you got to lose?"
"Yeah, it's barely even a risk," Black agreed with a serious look on his face. "Come on, people are going to get hurt but you can't let that stop them from living."
"I really hate you," I said laughing, both of them joining me after a second.
We laughed together for a good minute, finally removing all the tension and feeling much lighter on my feet. When we calmed down, Black patted my head affectionately and jerked his head towards the wizarding pub.
"He can't wait all day," he encouraged. "Go get him."
I looked at the pub apprehensively.
"If he rejects me because of you, I'm gonna hunt you down," I said jokingly.
"What are friends for, eh?" Black said confidently. "I'll take full responsibility."
I grinned and took a step back to start heading back inside.
"Hey, wait," Black called, making me stop and look back. "We're your friends now, yeah? In that twisted head of yours?"
"Why?" I asked, eyes narrowed slightly.
"At what level of friendship do you get to call us by our first names?"
I pursed my lips but couldn't get rid of the smile.
"I think I can allow it now," I admitted. "Suppose it's inevitable now that you know I can say your name without physically gagging."
He chuckled then said, "I won't take offense this time, Monica."
I rolled my eyes and waved them both goodbye before rushing back into the warmth of The Three Broomsticks. I took a deep breath by the door, wiping any remaining tear stains on my cheeks and blinked vigorously to hide any swelling from my random emotional outburst. I tried to think of the best thing to say to Carter since his unexpected confession, actually thinking about it for the first time since patching things up with Sirius and James.
They wanted me to tell Carter that I fancied him too, but at this point, I wasn't even sure how I really felt anymore. Yet, talking to him seemed like the right thing to do. At least I would get an idea where he was coming from. With the encouragement from the two boys, I actually felt like I could do anything.
As I walked in with newfound confidence, my prepared response was rendered useless when all I found was my forgotten coat hanging at the back of my chair and across it was an empty seat.
A/N - I was clearly too excited to post this chapter because I feel from here on, it's just about to get fun and interesting! I finished the 17th chapter yesterday and it's probably my favorite one yet that I'll definitely speed up proofreading and polishing the next few chapters so I can share with you what I've done so far. I feel the story might go as far as 23-25 chapters at this point.
Again, to my reviewers, followers, and readers, I literally can't express how much I love reading your comments. It warms my heart to see you discuss the characters and what you like the most about their interactions because it makes me feel confident that I'm doing what I want to portray right, and I'm constantly still finding ways to improve my writing for a better read for you all. Thank you everyone for the amazing support!