Remus
Ugh, that went poorly. I screwed up the Dreamless Sleep Potion. Realized halfway through, and had to start it over, leaving me with rather little time to brew the Draught of Living Death. The exam's just ended, and my draught is still a fairly deep purple.
Ah, well. Back to studying, I suppose. Sirius is nowhere to be seen; he must have finished early. Probably out by the lake?
It's turned into a beautiful day; the grounds are filled with students. Younger years, mostly. There's a pickup quidditch game on the pitch, and it's attracted a small crowd - enough people that I can hear faint cheering occasionally, despite the distance. It looks like there were more interested players than available spots; there's something like two dozen people up on broomsticks. The lake has a crowd as well, students wading in with their friends or sitting on the grass nearby. A prefect sits by a stack of conjured towels, offering them to the younger years - some dry off with them and some sit on them.
Farther down the bank, I see Sirius. He skims a rock, then turns around… oh, because James is there as well, lying on the grass near the shore. They're talking now. I'm not sure whether to interrupt - on the one hand, we should all probably study; on the other, I want Sirius to spend time with James like this, to see that things are going to still be ok.
I stare for a few minutes, undecided. But then I see Sirius throw back his head, laughing, and my mind is made up - I head back up to the castle on my own.
The corridors are deserted. Everyone must either be outside, or up in the library, revising.
And indeed, when I reach the library, it's filled with students. Just about every fifth and seventh year in the school is at these tables. Off towards the side, I find Lily and Marlene sitting at a table by themselves.
"Hey," I whisper, smiling. "Mind if I join you?"
Lily smiles back. "Course not." She pats the space next to her, moving her books out of the way. "Sit."