Huge thanks to Guest for reviewing the last chapter, it means the world to me that you took the time out of your day to not only read this story but to leave such a thoughtful review. Each chapter so far has taken around 4 to 5 hours and I really appreciate hearing that you're enjoying it so much! Your review definitely made my week and motivated me to work on getting this out as soon as possible! Also, a big thank you to everyone else who has favorited/followed this story, please let me know what you're thinking of it so far! This chapter is one of a few Remus POV chapters I have planned, and we're headed into seventh year at this point. Next chapter is the last of the 'setting up the story' chapters before the plot really gets going and we'll join Messalina on the first day of classes hopefully next weekend.
Previously on Above All Others: Messalina faces the consequences of being a pureblood from a strict family sorted into Gryffindor as she is disowned. Content to reach out to a great uncle she thinks might take her in, she's surprised when the Prewetts offer for her to come live with their parents.
September 1st - Seventh Year
Even when Remus thought hard about where his crush had originated, he was not quite certain. He believed he'd develop feelings for Messalina in their second year when she had offered him a bar of Honeyduke's best chocolate from her stash of candy the Prewett twins had brought her back from Hogsmeade. He and Messalina weren't even friends, in fact he was fairly certain she shared a similar distaste for James and Sirius as Lily Evans that likely extended to him as well, but she still approached as he'd been trying to study in the Common Room one night. His head was aching and his body feeling as though he had been hit by a truck. It had been a particularly awful full moon the night before and he had been working as hard as possible to complete his History of Magic essay that was due the following morning and that he had not even started. He'd known he should've started it earlier but he was still so in awe of having friends that sometimes he found himself going along with things he knew he shouldn't, like helping them research spells that could turn Parkinson's beloved beater's bat into an actual bat during their upcoming quidditch game late into the night.
And so, as he sat in the Common Room wanting nothing more than to go to bed and ease some of the tension on his body but willing himself to finish his essay, he had been surprised another distraction had arrived. The Common Room had emptied out slowly throughout the night and he hadn't even realized another person was still down there until he heard soft footsteps on the plush carpet. Thinking it was just someone going to bed, he didn't lift his head until the feet stopped beside the desk and someone cleared their throat. He looked up from his essay, prepared to ask whoever it was to please sod off because he was growing desperate to wrap up the last of the three feet on the troll wars of the 1500s but his words died in his throat. Messalina Lucien stood in front of him, an uncertain look on her face, and a bar of chocolate in her hands held out as a peace offering.
"Peter said in Herbology you weren't feeling well and...well, Gwen Prewett always says chocolate makes her feel better," she'd said quietly, placing the bar on the table beside him. She was refusing to look him in the eye, and for a split second, Remus thought she might know something she shouldn't about his furry little problem. She was top in their year at Defense Against the Dark Arts after all, maybe she'd figured something out that his friends had only just realized. But just as he started to get nervous about it, he noticed she was looking at the copy of A History of Magic and was glancing at his rather short essay with her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you want some help?"
And she had sat at his table for nearly an hour, telling him which sections of the book to look at for answers, and to consider Appendix K-8 because it gave a whole listing of names of trolls involved and what their roles were. He'd asked her how she'd known so much and she'd hesitated for a moment, flushing slightly, before saying it was one of her favorite classes even if Binns was an even worse professor than Slughorn. When he'd finally wrapped up his essay at midnight instead of his estimated three in the morning, he had never been more grateful for someone's help. She had brushed off his thanks and said she hoped he'd feel better soon before recrossing the Common Room and sitting back down with the Prewett twins who were both asleep with their heads resting on large textbooks. One of them was snoring softly. And, as Remus made his way up the staircase to his room, eyelids drooping and the weight of the bag on his shoulder feeling like it might rip his arm off, he realized it was the first time he'd actually spoken to Messalina for longer than a few seconds with his friends around. She'd been so nice he couldn't understand why that was. And now, he didn't go a transformation without chocolate ready for him in the hospital wing and it was a rather pleasant memory to reflect on each time he recovered.
That might've just been the first time he'd really spoken to her, but Remus wasn't sure it was when his crush had actually started. Alternatively, it might've been in fifth year at the Prewett twins' impromptu seventeenth birthday party (April the first was an appropriate birthday for a pair that caused so many hijinks and laughter) when she had been a firsthand witness to Peter Pettigrew being soundly rejected by Amelia Bones, a girl in the year below them who had been in a rather intense love affair with Sirius a few months before, and had a reputation for being stuck up. Rather than ignoring the clearly embarrassed and hurt boy or returning back to her adoptive brothers' revelry (if Remus remembered correctly, Messalina and the twins had been thoroughly intoxicated by this point and Fabian and Gideon were playing a game of chicken with two girls in their year sitting on their shoulders and Gideon had narrowly missed being pitched into the fireplace several times already), she had grabbed Peter's hand and forced him to dance with the girls in her year until he was doubled over catching his breath, face red from laughter rather than embarrassment.
Remus had realized the extent of his feelings the previous year when she'd been engaged in a three-month whirlwind romance with Caradoc Dearborn, a seventh year Gryffindor that looked like he belonged shirtless on the cover of Witch Weekly. He had tried to avoid seeing the couple (and many of the other couples he knew) in Hogsmeade during the Valentine's Day weekend visit, telling himself it was to save all of them an awkward interaction. Naturally, his attempt to evade them failed spectacularly. Messalina and Dearborn had seemed to have a similar idea, or had at least decided they didn't want to be surrounded by other couples, because when Remus and Peter trudged through the snow to get to Spintwitches Sporting Needs to find something for James' birthday the next month, they found a scene both of them likely would've preferred to have not seen. In the alley between two stores stood Remus' favorite couple. They were so lost in snogging that they didn't notice anyone approaching despite the two boys making a bit of a racket trying to brainstorm what they thought James would want and how they should've checked what he didn't have before they went shopping.
Remus had stopped walking when he realized the pair in front of him wasn't some anonymous couple, but rather a girl he had been failing at suppressing his feelings for for years now. Dearborn had Messalina against the bricks of the shop, her hands raking through his short hair as he kissed her deeply, the only sound in the alley their hurried breathing. One of Dearborn's hands was in her coat and Remus had to resist the urge to throw something at the seventh year. Snow was falling gracefully around them so that it looked like an advertisement for some new perfume in Witch Weekly. It was Peter who finally mobilized him, dragging him away from the scene and towards the store, citing an urgent need to get inside and get warm.
But, regardless of where his feelings had come from, he knew now he had failed at stopping them from growing. He found himself unable to stop glancing over at her every few seconds as they stood on the platform, only moments away from leaving for Hogwarts for seventh year. She had chosen Muggle clothes to wear to the platform, and Remus guessed it might've had something to do with the fact that it appeared Lily Evans had arrived with the Prewetts. She and Lily were both in sundresses, a light blue for Messalina and gold for Lily, and while Lily had left her hair down, Messalina had braided her dirty blonde hair and tied it with an oversized scarlet bow. Both girls looked more tanned than usual and Remus recalled Lily saying something about her family going to Spain for a month on holiday when they were on their last patrol together as prefects the following year. He wondered if Messalina, one of Lily's closest friends, had accompanied her for a stint. Not for the first time, Remus speculated on what Lily would think of James being made Head Boy, especially considering how carefree and happy she looked as she talked to the assembled group of Prewetts.
Fabian and Gideon had come to see Messalina off, having traded their Hogwarts robes in to become Aurors the past June, and they looked both professional and boyish in their Ministry issued robes. They both seemed far too young to be training for one of the most dangerous jobs in the wizarding world right now and it seemed they were feeling the strain judging by the exhaustion evident on their features. A stout man and plump woman were with them, both with fiery red hair and freckles, and it didn't take an expert to figure out it must be Messalina's adoptive parents, Samuel and Gwen. Both were in dress robes that might have seen better days and looked emotional to be saying goodbye to Messalina until Christmas break and Remus saw the mum wipe her eyes a few times. All of this was rather expected, but the kid holding Messalina's hand was not. He couldn't have been older than five and he had the customary red hair that seemed to be a requirement to be a Prewett. Lily looked like she fit in with the family more than Messalina did, after all. The little boy was staring at the Hogwarts Express with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open as he took in the platform and train. Remus realized he must've had a similar expression on his face as he gazed across the platform for the hundredth time when his mother reached her hand out and gently closed his mouth, offering her son a conspiratorial smile.
"Do you like one of those girls?" Hope Lupin whispered, looking far more excited with the prospect than he had anticipated. His father had always been vocally against Remus dating and his reasons were valid as far as Remus was concerned, but it looked like Hope might have privately disagreed with her husband. "They're both rather cute."
Remus turned, looking around the platform for his father and noticed he was still talking with James' parents, thank Merlin. He scowled at his mother for the insinuation, shaking his head. "The redhead's the one James is in love with."
"So the blonde is the one for you then?" Hope asked, laughing at the irritable look on her son's face. Remus realized his mistake and glared at the back of James' head, wishing he had arrived even earlier with Sirius so they could've been on the train when the typically late Prewett clan arrived. How dare they have shown up early today.
"No, I hardly know her," he replied, hoping his mother wouldn't get it in her head that it was more than it was. He might have feelings for Messalina, but he'd certainly never act on them and it wasn't as though she was interested in him. There was no relationship he was keeping from his mother and if she started asking about it in her letters, Remus would have to just set her straight again.
"It's your seventh year, you should give romance a shot, Remus," she whispered back, looking back at her husband and smiling. "Do you think your father thought he'd end up with a Muggle? I don't think so, sweetheart. Give it a try, you deserve it."
"Mum-" He started to tell his mother that he was too dangerous and that any girl who loved him would just end up disappointed, but his father reappeared, clapping his son on the shoulder.
"Seventh year, eh? Still feels like you're nervous first year afraid you wouldn't make any friends," Lyall Lupin said, gazing fondly at where James and Sirius were returning from putting their trunks on the train. The pair were breathless from laughter, most likely from some joke about anatomy that they'd picked up from wandering around London all summer and would've made Euphemia Potter yell at the pair before eventually joining in on their laughter while Fleamont offered improvements. "You've done well for yourself, son. We're so proud of you."
"You're the best son we could've asked for," Hope added, brushing a stray tear from her eyes as she gazed upon her son. She hugged him tightly as Sirius called over that they'd better get going if they wanted to make sure no first years stole the compartment they'd ridden in every time since first year, saying he'd rather not start the year by making any kids cry. Hope squeezed him so tightly he thought she might break him in half and he was about to tell her to loosen up a bit when she whispered, "go for it, I'll talk to your father. You deserve love."
Before Remus could admonish his mother for saying something so outrageous, he was scooped into another hug with his father. This embrace thankfully did not have a hidden agenda so Lyall didn't feel the need to try to break every one of his son's ribs. Instead it ended with Lyall saying he and Hope had better get out of there before the mass stampede on the barrier took place when the train finally left. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter seemed to agree with them and quickly drew James and Sirius into hugs of their own, Euphemia covering her son and newly adopted son in kisses until both boys were begging to be let go, though Remus guess Sirius appreciated it more than he let on. Remus joined his friends as they watched their parents go, all three boys with their hands in their pockets, staring around the platform. They still had almost a half hour until the train left, and it seemed James and Sirius were in no hurry to get on the train, especially since all three of their trunks were in their desired compartment and they had carved 'The Marauders' into the door on the ride home for the summer after fourth year.
"You seen Evans?" James asked in what Remus assumed he thought was a casual voice, but judging by the boy craning his neck over the crowd to look for her, James' infatuation had also survived the summer. And now that the two would be Head Boy and Girl, it seemed he was more than ready to show her he could be responsible and was thus worthy of her love.
"I think she came with the Prewetts," Remus replied, in what he hoped was a casual voice that would not indicate to either of his best friends that his silly crush had not yet fizzled out. He had tried to be more successful than James had been, but the identical grins on James and Sirius' face told him he had been just as conspicuous.
"Ah yes, the Prewetts, also known as a certain young lady," James said, looking quite pleased with himself for making the connection and thus redirecting attention from his crush to Remus'.
"Loony Lupin loves Lina Lucien," Sirius said in a singsong voice, clearly satisfied with his cleverness as he grinned. Remus wondered how long he had been waiting to use that line on him. Probably all summer.
"Don't be ridiculous," Remus grumbled but he could feel the blush rising on his neck and the tips of his ears. "A band of redheads is just hard to miss."
"You know what, Padfoot? I think I'd like to go see Fabian and Gideon for old times sakes, what do you say to that?" James asked, running his hands through his hair as though that would actually help the situation that was his untamable hair. He was also puffing his chest out, making certain his Head Boy badge was as shiny and prominent on his jumper as possible. Remus felt for Lily, he really did. She would be less than pleased with this change of events, especially since she'd talked about how nice it would be if Remus was Head Boy.
"Why I think that's a splendid idea, Prongs, I'd love to see those old chaps. I believe I saw Moony here looking over at the barrier several thousand times so we don't even need him to tell us the way," Sirius replied, grinning at the look of irritation on Remus' face.
The pair took off in the direction of where Remus had last seen the family assembled and he let out a deep breath before following after in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner but guessed probably looked like bit of a speed walk. He considered just going to sit on the train, but he couldn't very well explain away spending a half hour by himself in a compartment when he had already reunited with his best mates. And there was no way he was going to pass up the opportunity to talk to Messalina, who had turned out to be a rather inaccessible young woman. She had spent much of the last six years attached at the hip to the Prewett twins, and when she couldn't be with them, she was with the other girls in their year. She was scarcely alone as she and Lily were partial to studying together in the library together beside the giant bay window that overlooked the lake and had the best view of the grounds in the library. But when she was alone, Messalina always seemed to be very engaged in whatever she was doing and everyone seemed to universally understand she was not to be bothered.
By the time Remus broke through the crowd to get to where Sirius and James had disappeared off to, he was surprised to see James and Sirius had indeed wanted to talk to the Prewett twins. James and Sirius had engaged them in a conversation about the British-Irish league that seemed to revolve primarily around how if only the Cannons could get it together, they might have a chance. Lily Evans was looking shocked at the turn of events, but pleased, as she talked to Messalina and, to Remus' surprise, Peter Pettigrew. Peter was almost always late to the train as his muggleborn father liked to think he could drive a car with no problem, but there always seemed to be complications that made Hope Lupin, a muggle herself, die of laughter every time she heard about what had slowed them down this time. But here he was, early for once in his life, and had not made it more than ten yards from the barrier before stopping to chat with the girls.
Remus thought it made sense though, considering Peter was the only one of the Marauders that could really consider himself Messalina's friend. They had been paired together in Herbology in third year when Professor Sprout had to separate the Marauders but seemed nervous to pair them with Slytherins, so each girl in Gryffindor was paired with a Gryffindor boy. Remus got Lily Evans (much to James' displeasure), Sirius was with Mary Macdonald, James with Marlene McKinnon, and Peter with Messalina (much to Remus' displeasure). Peter was nervous to handle the more dangerous plants as they progressed through the class and was more than happy to have Messalina handle them while he took notes on the process. It was such a good arrangement, as was Lily and Remus' (who shared all the duties), that even later Herbology classes where they could choose who to work with, they had stayed in their groupings though James and Sirius had once again reunited to cause chaos.
"That's my friend Peter, Charlie, are you sure you don't want to say hi?" Messalina was saying to the little boy who had gone from gazing around with all the enthusiasm in the world to cowering behind her legs, burying his head in her dress. She turned and kneeled down to be at the boy's level and he whispered something in her ear before hugging her tightly, putting his head in her neck. Peter seemed to sense he was freaking the kid out and excused himself to go over to where the Prewett twins were now regaling James and Sirius with wild tales about the auror that was training them, Alastor Moody. Remus approached, intending fully to go join the other boys' conversation but walking slowly despite himself.
"Remus!" Lily called just as he was certain he would go unnoticed, and his heart soared much to his displeasure. He was supposed to be ignoring what his mother had said as well as his feelings, but it seemed impossible at the moment. He turned around, walking back in the direction of Lily, Messalina, and the boy who had now detangled himself but was still talking to her in a low voice that even his enhanced hearing couldn't quite pick up amidst the din and general chaos of the platform.
"Hi Lily, hey Lina," he said as he stopped beside him, cursing himself for using her nickname - he wasn't close to her and had no clue if she wanted everyone to call her that. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice, or if she did she didn't mind, because she looked up and gave him a distracted smile before turning back to the boy.
"This is Remus, Charlie, do you maybe want to say hi to him?" she asked, giving the boy, Charlie, a hopeful look. He shook his head and she sighed before trying again. "He's in N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, maybe he'd know something about dragons you don't know yet?"
She said this rather quickly, likely to keep the boy from reburying his head in her neck, and it worked because Charlie immediately perked up and spun around to face Remus. "Do you know anything about dragons?"
"I think I might know some stuff, what do you want to know?" Remus asked, smiling at Messalina when she heaved a huge sigh and stood up again, looking relieved. He was thankfully spared the opportunity to gawk at her in her dress because Charlie was a very enthusiastic child who seemed to have quite the fixation on dragons and was taking advantage of having Remus trapped to ask approximately a hundred questions a minute. Remus was also prevented from dwelling on the fact that Messalina knew he was in N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, which neither she nor Lily were in. Marlene McKinnon was in it as well though so he forced himself to assume she knew from Marlene being paired with him the previous year rather than any special interest she had in him. He quashed the feeling of hope he felt his traitor heart trying to develop, focusing instead on the boy.
"Charlie," Messalina interjected after a few minutes, clearly trying to stop herself from laughing as Charlie finally seemed to run out of questions, red in the face. "I think it's time for you to leave Remus alone and get back to your mum. Grandma and Grandpa are going to have to get to work soon."
Charlie looked at her incredulously, offended she thought his grandparents' work was more important than him finding out everything he could from this new source of dragon information. He reached out and grabbed Remus' hand, much to both Remus and Messalina's surprise, and Charlie shook his head. "I have more questions."
"Charlie..." Messalina sighed, glancing up at Remus and biting her lip as she clearly thought about how to detach the boy from someone he didn't know.
"How about if you have any more questions for me, you can ask your parents to put it in any letters to Messalina?" Remus offered, pleased to see the boy was nodding emphatically and Messalina was looking at him with an unreadable look on her face. He had been careful to use her full name this time, knowing he had her full attention made him too nervous to slip up and call her Lina again.
"Isn't it nice of Remus to offer that, Charlie? What do you say?" she asked, looking at the boy expectantly until he said a quick thank you and released Remus' hand to grab onto Messalina's outstretched arm. She led the boy away in the direction of the Prewetts, who looked like they were wrapping up whatever conversation they had been having with the rest of the Marauders and were indeed getting ready to get going. Messalina did, however, turn around and mouth a 'thank you' to Remus who thought his heart might explode and he felt a blush rise on his neck and ears for the second time that day. Lily Evans had noticed as well , he realized with a start, for when he had turned his head, an easy smile on his face, she was looking right at him. He felt his heart skip a beat as she smirked at him, his smile falling off his face.
"Looks like we'll have something to talk about on rounds this year," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes, though her look turned to innocence as the rest of the Marauders approached. Messalina wasn't far behind them, having said goodbye to her family and handed Charlie back over to his grandparents. Suddenly, Remus was very happy he wasn't Head Boy so Lily couldn't corner him to talk about her best friend or bully him into trying to ask her out. He'd rather keep his objections related to his furry little problem a secret, thank you very much.
"Thank you, Remus," Messalina said as she approached, a grateful look on her face. She stepped between him and Lily, sighing and shaking her head. "He's very shy but he's been obsessed with dragons since we read a story about them last month. Obsessed. Says he wants to go to Romania and work with them when he's grown up."
"Is that Molly's oldest?" Peter piped up from across the assembled group and Remus was once again struck by how well Peter knew Messalina. It was a good thing though as Peter had few friends that weren't friends with the rest of them. Not that Remus could talk, he was a lone wolf when he wasn't with his friends after all. He smiled at his own pun, turning his head so Messalina wouldn't think him mad.
"Second oldest. He spent the whole summer talking about how unfair it was his older brother Bill got to come pick me up last year and wouldn't stop harassing his poor mum until we said we'd take him with us," she explained. "He's my godson, I can't help but give into whatever he wants and he knows it."
"Is that a joke?" Lily asked suddenly, her voice higher pitched than usual and Remus turned to see her eyes glued to the Head Boy badged pinned on James' jumper. Those in the immediate vicinity looked to see what the commotion was about, but went back to whatever they had been doing before when they realized it was another Potter-Evans fight. In the old days, people would've stayed tuned for the gossip, but it seemed the whole school was just waiting for them to get together at this point and fights were an inconvenience to be ignored. "Remus, that's not funny."
Had it been any other year, Remus would've expected James to make some quip about how it meant even Dumbledore wanted them to be together, but instead he looked rather put out as he told Lily it wasn't a joke and he didn't know why he was Head Boy either. If Lily was surprised by his reaction, she didn't show it, instead she huffed that he'd better take the job seriously before stomping off in the direction of the train.
"Well shit," Messalina said a moment later, breaking the awkward silence that had come across the group and which Remus had been hoping someone else would break. She was looking thoughtfully towards where her friend had disappeared, shaking her head. "Guess I'd better go keep her from avada-ing herself. Have a good one lads. Thanks again, Remus."
Her exit was not nearly as dramatic as Lily's had been (she took off at a stroll as opposed to a sprint) and so Remus was able to keep an eye on her progress, her blue sundress helping him to distinguish her from the rest of the crowd. She waved at Jenny Connors, the Hufflepuff prefect in their year, who had called out to her from the window of her compartment where she was likely sitting with her longtime Slytherin boyfriend John Higgs. Messalina's progress was once again halted when she came upon Mary and Lara Macdonald, the latter of which had her arm tightly around Archie Wood, Gryffindor's quidditch captain until he graduated in their fifth year and Caradoc Dearborn had taken over the position. It was Mary's now, with Dearborn graduated and working at Gringotts. It seemed Mary and Archie were likely engaged in a rather lengthy conversation about strategy for the upcoming year that they dragged Messalina into by virtue of the Prewett twins being beaters for six years.
"You've got it bad, huh Moony?" Peter asked after a moment and Remus turned to see the shorter boy looking thoughtfully up at him. James and Sirius were talking in a low voice amongst themselves, probably about how fit Amelia Bones had gotten over the summer, as Sirius was grinning at her across the platform while she acted disinterested, but Remus noticed she kept looking over and was biting her lip. Poor Peter, he thought, knowing the boy still harbored quite a crush on the girl. He didn't stand a chance though if Sirius was still interested.
"Guess we should get on the train, make sure no first years have taken it over," Remus said, ignoring Peter's comment and instead focusing on the clock on the wall. 10:55. Sirius and James were still whispering amongst themselves and Remus rolled his eyes. "C'mon Wormtail let's leave them to their gawking."
"Don't act like you haven't been doing your fair share of gawking today, Moony!" Sirius called, evidently having heard Remus. He and James approached, Sirius looking rather pleased with himself and James looking deep in thought, which was certainly not a typical James reaction to a Lily Evans insult. Remus wondered if James had maybe been hit one too many times with a bludger that summer. The Marauders made their way to the train, sidestepping first years who were frantically saying goodbye to their families.
The train was just as crowded as the platform had been, with younger students racing all over the place trying to get situated and Remus counted at least three parents onboard whose kids looked beyond embarrassed as their parents gave them last minute kisses and advice. Thinking back to his first trip on the Hogwarts Express, Remus couldn't blame the parents, especially considering Hope Lupin had burst into tears as the train pulled away. Anyone who would've seen it would have assumed she was emotional over her only child going off to school and leaving her, but Remus knew how happy she was that he'd even been able to go to Hogwarts. Dumbledore himself had come to the Lupin's home to assure them that he would be allowed to come to school, but there was always a feeling that Dumbledore might change his mind and say no werewolves allowed. But Dumbledore stayed true to his word, and Remus had watched his mother cry over him on the platform, feeling a bit misty himself, just seconds before James Potter walked in and asked if he could sit down. The rest was history. And life had been far better than he'd imagined it would be. He'd never thought he'd have three best friends that would have gone to such lengths to help him. He never thought he'd be a prefect, but maybe looking at the other Marauders he was the only valid choice for their year. He'd never imagined he'd be part of the most popular group in the school, with everyone in the school knowing his name not because he was a monster but because of their pranks and his friendships.
Remus was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to recognize Sirius had stopped walking and ran straight into him at full speed, nearly knocking the pair of them to the ground. Once he righted himself, mumbling about how he wished Sirius had gone to walking school and learned the proper etiquette when making your way down a corridor with people behind you, he turned to look at what Sirius was still staring at out the window. Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, and Thorfinn Rowle were all standing with Sirius' parents as Regulus walked away from them and towards the train. Regulus had a cool look of indifference on his face as he approached the train, one Remus knew from both Sirius and Messalina on rare occasions, usually when they saw their Slytherin family members. He wondered how much Dolohov and the Blacks had seen of their disowned family members on the platform. By how casually Messalina and Sirius were acting, they must not have seen their families.
"You see them too?" Messalina's voice asked suddenly as though he had summoned her. She stuck her blonde head out of her compartment, which had been one beyond where they were currently standing. "Arseholes graduated and still can't seem to sense they're not wanted here."
The Marauders walked forward a few steps so they could assemble outside of the Gryffindor seventh year girls' compartment. Mary was sitting by the window, flipping through a quidditch play book, and she didn't even flinch as Messalina sat back down across from her, staring intently out the window at her cousin. Marlene had arrived as well and was engrossed in her copy of Witch Weekly, even commenting to no one in particular that she couldn't believe aquamarine robes were in style in France as she found them rather garish. She seemed offended the French hadn't thought to ask her opinion. Lily was notably absent, either having gone to change into her robes or following through with what Messalina had called 'adava-ing herself' from the news that James was head boy.
"Do you reckon Malfoy's got a stick shoved up his arse? Maybe that's why he looks so constipated," Messalina mused, glancing over at the Marauders, but her eyes locked onto Sirius'. "I hear I'm not the only true defector anymore. You really get out this summer?"
"Couldn't take it anymore," Sirius replied emotionlessly, nodding. Remus thought about when Sirius had showed up to the Potter house in the middle of summer, his nose broken and every inch of skin covered in bruises. There had been a party at the Potters' that Sirius had wanted to go to that night, but his parents refused to allow him to associate with such blood-traitors while he was still under their roof and Sirius had said he'd just not be under their roof anymore. He'd been beaten and cursed by his parents as Regulus watched, apparently wordlessly and without any emotion, and when his mother had been satisfied with the torment, she'd had Orion drag him upstairs into the drawing room by his beloved hair to force Sirius to watch as his face was blown off the wall. And only then was Sirius allowed to Floo to the Potters', bloodied, bruised, and disowned. Messalina didn't say anything, but she gave Sirius a sympathetic look and a nod.
Thankfully, they were saved from the interaction growing awkward in the wake of the news as Mary looked up. Hearing Sirius' voice alerted her to James' presence and she stood up suddenly and pointed at James, her play book falling to the ground. "Have you been practicing?" she asked, her voice accusatory as though she knew he hadn't been and wasn't going to tolerate any lies from her chaser. But Remus knew that not to be true as every time he had gone to the Potters this summer, he had been forced to play some form of quidditch to help James prepare for his final season.
James nodded emphatically, but he was saved from answering when Lily Evans returned to the compartment. She had changed into her robes, her Head Girl badge prominently displayed for all to see, but the scowl on her face was the exact same as it had been when she'd stomped away earlier. She squeezed past Sirius and sat down with a huff, shoving the dress she'd had on earlier into her bag angrily.
"Please excuse us, lads, but we've got lots of girl stuff to talk about," Marlene said suddenly, looking up from her magazine as though she was just noticing they were lingering and waggling her eyebrows. "I trust you can find your own compartment after all these years."
"Meeting is at 11:30 sharp, Potter," Lily grumbled, looking even more perturbed than she had before. The carefree look she'd had on the platform was spoiled, and Remus couldn't help but feel sorry for her even if she was mad at his best friend. "Don't be late. It's the first compartment behind the engineer."
Marlene slid the door shut with a resounding bang as soon as Lily stopped talking, cutting off James who had opened his mouth to tell Lily he'd be there. Remus wanted to think of some excuse to linger, especially because all the girls had leaned forward as Marlene started talking about this guy Pierre she'd met on holiday this summer that went to Beauxbatons and the position was giving Remus quite a nice look at Messalina's legs. Sirius clapped Remus on the back and led him away from the sight, declaring he needed to get to their compartment so he could tell them about what he and James had been up to since Remus and Peter had last been at the Potters'. And as Remus walked away towards their own compartment, he couldn't help but think that maybe he'd never get over his feelings for Messalina.
