Diamond of the Sea: I know, I love Hope too and it's depressing think about having to write her eventual death but it needed to happen. She'll be making a large appearance in the next chapter though.
Messalina had been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for the past hour. Beside her Remus was sleeping fitfully, muttering something every once in a while. It had to be close to six o'clock because Messalina could faintly hear girls moving around in the other tower. Slowly the brunette began to pull herself away from Remus' arm which was wrapped around her waist. She would have been overjoyed with that fact except for the reason why she was in his bed in the first place. Frowning, Messalina pulled herself away from Remus and left the warm covers in favor of the cold morning air in the tower.
Shivering, Messalina crossed her arms across her chest and walked to the door in only three strides. Making sure to be a quiet as possible she pulled open the door and closed it. 'The Marauders' had been carved into the wood of the door just above the plaque saying '6th Year Boys' and it made Messalina smile faintly before hurrying down the stairs and up to her dorm. Thankfully none of the girls were awake yet seeing as it was pitch black outside and Messalina slid into her cool covers and burrowing into her pillows and blankets.
Just as the girl was about to fall asleep, Lily's alarm clock went off. Groaning Messalina pulled herself out of bed as Lily turned the loud thing off. There were rustlings from Madeline Shatter's bed but the blonde didn't emerge. Marlene rolled from her bed as Lily turned the lights on.
Messalina dug around in her trunk for her uniform and pulled out a clean uniform. Shimmying into her skirt and black tights, Messalina yawned. She was surprisingly exhausted and her eyes were closing of their own accord.
"Lina, can I borrow your mascara? I can't find mine," Marlene stuck her head out of the bathroom and Messalina nodded absentmindedly as she buttoned up her white blouse and fixed her tie.
Pulling on her cardigan, Messalina stood up and threw her hair up into a messy bun before walking into the bathroom. She, Alice, Lily and Marlene crowded around the large mirror above the two sinks, doing their hair and applying makeup. From behind them there were more rustlings as Shatter climbed out of bed, pulling off her pastel pink eye mask as she made her way over to the uniform that she had picked out the night before.
"Did you guys finish your essay for Transfiguration yet?" Alice asked, tugging on one of her curls.
"Yeah, I finished it up yesterday." Messalina responded as she tightened her tie.
"When is it due?" Marlene asked.
"Monday." Lily added.
"So Lina, I woke up at two and you weren't here. Off with Remus?" Marlene asked, winking at the brunette.
"Maybe I was." She replied cryptically and the other three girls burst out in excited giggles.
"You're perfect together." Alice said dreamily. "You're going to have the most beautiful babies."
Messalina had been smiling until then and her face fell at the thought. Lily noticed it quickly and changed the conversation to the visit to Hogsmeade that weekend.
"I'm going with Gabriel, he wants to take me to Madam Puddifoots." Marlene said, grinning as she straightened her hair with her wand.
"Me and Frank are going to Dogweed and Deathcap. It's going to be so romantic."
"That's...great?" Great certainly wasn't the right word but Messalina had no idea what other word to say. She and Marlene exchanged a look from behind Alice's back and it was all Marlene could do not to burst out laughing.
"And what you two going to do?" Alice asked, completely oblivious to the two grinning girls behind her.
"Mary MacDonald is coming in. She wants to tell about being a journalist, she thinks she can get me a job right out of school."
"Is that what you want?" Messalina asked sceptically and Lily shook her head quickly.
"No way but I haven't seen her since last year and I'd like to catch up. What about you Lina? Going with Remus?" Lily asked suggestively and Messalina's face fell.
"No, he's going home all weekend."
"Oh Lina, I'm sure he'll ask you next time." Alice stated and Lily mouthed 'talk later' at Messalina. "Shall we go to breakfast?"
"Oh Lucien, did you hike your skirt up to look like me?" Madeline Shatter sneered as she past Messalina leaving the bathroom with the other three girls.
"Oh Shatter, jealousy doesn't fit you well." Messalina replied, grabbing her books from her trunk before pulling her skirt up a little bit more. "See you."
The four girls descended the stairs, running into the four Marauders coming down from their room. Remus looked terrible, his hair was a mess and his tie was put on wrong. Lily looked back at Messalina, with a pointed look as the other girls tried to get Lily out of there before James could do anything to piss her off.
"Lina, I don't know what to do." James muttered from behind her, making her jump. She had thought he would have been too distracted with the sight of Lily to say anything about Remus. "It's like he's in a dream."
Messalina glared at James when he pushed her forwards so that she was beside Remus who was slowly going down the stairs. "Rem-"
"When did you leave?" He asked curtly.
"Around six. Come here, your tie isn't on right." She walked over to a couch, placing her books on it. Remus did the same, a far off look in his eyes. Messalina frowned at his pile of books. "We don't have potions today. It's Thursday Remus."
"Oh."
"Peter!" Messalina hissed as she undid Remus' tie. The boy jumped at the sound of her voice and looked back at her with hopeful eyes. "Go get Remus' Transfiguration book will you? And take this up with you."
The boy did as she told him and a few moments later the three of them were headed to the Great Hall. At breakfast Messalina was surprised to see that Lily was talking civilly to James and that the two of them were sitting across from one another. Even Peter wasn't staring openly at Marlene when she ate a sausage, he was simply glancing up at her every few seconds and she was too polite to say anything to him.
"S-so Marlene, what are you doing on S-saturday?" Peter managed to ask her and it was all Messalina could do not to burst out laughing at the poor boy and his huge crush on the blonde.
"Oh um Gabriel's taking me to Madam Puddifoot's." She replied, running a hand through her pretty blonde hair. "And you?"
"What? Oh um me and the boys are going to Zonko's I think. I mean not that Remus will be there but you know." He spluttered and Marlene smiled nervously at him.
"That's nice. Oh Lily, pass the toast will you?"
"Messalina!" Messalina was shaken from her thoughts at Benjy's voice and she turned to see him standing behind her. "I'm not going to be captain again, you have to figure out who it is. I hate being in charge of the team. Practice has been a disaster!"
"I'll figure something out Benjy, I promise."
"Please do, Lucien because I'm done with coordinating practice." The seventh year turned around and walked back to his seat. Groaning, Messalina buried her head in her hands, narrowly missing putting her elbow in a slab of butter.
"Padfoot, quit that! This is my last clean shirt!" Peter's cry brought her back up and she turned to see the black haired boy attempting to put a handful of bacon down the back of Peter's shirt. Shaking her head, the brunette turned to see James talking to Lily, the redhead not threatening to kill him for once.
"Yes, from what she's written me, Mary seems to be doing wonderfully. She loves her job." Lily sipped her tea and James nodded thoughtfully, running a hand through his hair. The black haired boy sensed that someone was staring at him and glanced over at Messalina who mouthed 'call her Lily not Evans' at him. He furrowed his brow and she repeated the message, a look of surprise on his face.
"So are you going to take her up on the job offer, Ev-Lily?" Lily looked shocked and took a sip of her tea before responding, still looking shocked.
"Oh no I don't think so P-James." James looked overjoyed and when Lily began to discuss the Charms essay with Frank Longbottom. The bespectacled boy looked at Messalina, eyes wide and mouth open.
"Alright James," Messalina began speaking louder than normal so that the redhead would hear her. "I think you're responsible enough. You're Quidditch captain now."
If James had been excited before, he was 'pee his pants' excited now. Lily had turned to face Messalina so fast that the brunette was surprised that she hadn't gotten whiplash.
"Are you serious Lina?" Before Messalina could respond to James, Sirius chipped in looking slightly put out.
"No I am!" Messalina groaned at that before nodding at James who leapt up from his spot on the bench and wrapped his arms around Messalina's neck kissing the top of her head a few dozen times.
"Merlin, James I get it you're excited! Now let me go!" Messalina laughed and tried to shake him off but he wasn't moving.
"I love you, I love you, I love you! Oh Lucien, I could kiss you!"
"You already are!" She cried, whacking him on the head with her free arm.
"James." It was the serious look on Remus' face that finally got the bespectacled boy to let go of her and sit down at his old seat. Instantly he and Edgar Bones began to talk about the upcoming game against Hufflepuff and how if they got 300 points more than Hufflepuff, they could be tied with Slytherin. Merlin had Messalina passing out completely ruined their record.
"Um Remus we ought to get going if we want to be at Transfiguration on time." Messalina stated after a few tense moments. The brown haired boy stood up and followed her out of the Great Hall.
"Pot-James, did something happen to Remus?"
"Yeah, but I'm sorry Eva-Lily, I'm not at liberty to say what. I can't betray him like that." He told her, his heart sinking as he thought of how she was probably going to laugh in his face. He was pleasantly surprised when she smiled at him and nodded understandingly.
"You're a very good friend Potter." James thought his heart was going to explode he was so happy. He didn't even notice that she'd called him Potter rather than James. "Marlene, Alice we'd better be getting to Transfiguration as well."
The walk to McGonagall's classroom was less than ideal for Messalina and Remus. It was uncomfortable and tense between them, neither knowing what to say to the other. They walked in silence for five minutes of the twenty minute walk until finally it was Messalina who spoke up.
"Remus it'll be okay." She blurted and Remus glanced down at her. She was staring up at him with a concerned look on her face and was biting her lip nervously.
"My dad said she's going to die Lina. Die." He growled at her and Messalina nodded slowly.
"I can't imagine it Remus. I can tell McGonagall you couldn't home to class if you'd like."
"No, I need a bit of a distraction." And a distraction from his mother was what he got as he watched Messalina and Graham Pucey the entire time. She was at ease with the Slytherin and that bothered him a great deal. He had a bad feeling about the other boy but there wasn't really a reason for it except for his intense jealousy.
The two hours had gone by painfully slow and by the time Messalina fell in step beside him, it felt like it had been a year since he had last spoke to her. He opened his mouth to say something but the always bubbly Jenny Marquette rushed over to Messalina.
"Lina do you want to come to Hogsmeade with Graham, John and I on Saturday? We probably won't do anything exciting, we usually just go to the Three Broomsticks to get food to go and then go eat it by the Black Lake. Professor Sprout said that Saturday is going to be a really nice day for this time of the year." Jenny rambled and Messalina smiled at her.
"Yeah sure. When are you going?"
"We're going to meet up in the Entrance Hall at eleven. I'm so happy you're coming, the boys like to talk about Quidditch and things. It'll be nice to have a girl there."
"Alright sounds good."
"Hello Remus, how are you?" Jenny asked, John walking over and putting his arm around his girlfriend's waist easily.
"I'm alright Jenny, how are you?" Remus lied and Messalina glanced up at him concerned. James, Sirius and Peter were approaching and laughing about something as Graham came from the other direction. The last thing she needed was an altercation between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.
"I'm wonderful, thank you. I would be better if I didn't have to patrol with Nicholas Edgecombe but it is what it is." Jenny seemed to have something else to say but she noticed that her boyfriend had tensed slightly and followed his eyes to the approaching boys. "Have a nice day you two! C'mon John."
"Lina, are you coming with us Saturday?" Graham inquired as he passed and Messalina nodded. "Great see you at eleven."
"You can't go to Hogsmeade with the snakes!" James cried once the threesome was out earshot.
"And why not?"
"Because-because they'll do something to you!" James told her making her roll her eyes.
"Yes because Jenny Marquette is capable of evil and besides James, they are my friends." She pointed out, leaving no room for further discussion. "And if you didn't want me to go with them, then you should have asked me yourself."
"I thought you knew you would be welcome!" James cried feigning being hurt. "You are afterall my knight in shining armor. You got Lily to talk to me oh Merlin, today is the best day of my entire life."
"Well I'm glad one of us is enjoying today." Remus grumbled and Messalina glanced up at him. She had no idea what to say at all and it was exhausting attempting to think of something. Thankfully Sirius had begun to harass Peter once again and was untying the short boy's shoes at every opportunity.
"Oi! Guys wait up!" Peter called as the group of four kept walking as he frantically tied his shoes. "Guys!"
The rest of the day went by the same fashion and after what felt like a year, Messalina found herself freshly showered and practically asleep as she finished the last few lines of her Potions assignment. Yawning, she put her parchment in her bag for the next day and snuggled into her bed. She fell asleep almost immediately and when Lily, Alice and Marlene came in an hour later they cooed over how adorable it was that she cuddled up with her pillow.
"Reckon she thinks that its Remus?" Marlene asked and Alice had to cover her mouth to keep from giggling. "Lils, I think my matchmaking is actually working for once!"
"That is a possibility." Lily replied, upset that she hadn't had the chance to corner the brunette all day to ask her about her and Remus' strange behavior.
"A possibility? I think it's guaranteed." Alice sighed happily and began to dig through her trunk for something.
Friday passed in a similar fashion, Remus not wanting to far from Messalina and growing extremely jealous when Slughorn said that for their new seats they had to sit with someone of a different gender and house, the brunette and Pucey ended up sitting together. Remus wasn't sure if there was ever a time that he had wanted to be back at his home this much, not even in first year when he had felt homesick for the first two weeks.
He wanted his mother. Terribly. Remus had no idea what he was going to do once she was gone. He and his father didn't exactly get along and it didn't help Lyall was always worried that something would happen to Remus' friends because his son was a werewolf and his overly cautious nature had rubbed off on his son.
"Remus?" A soft voice called and he turned to face Lucy Baggold, a fifth year Ravenclaw.
"Oh hi Lucy." He hadn't even seen her sit next to him at his table in the library where he had been blankly staring at the ingredients for Amortentia for the past hour.
"You don't mind if I sit do you?" She asked, leaning forward against the table so that her breasts were practically bulging out of her top. Remus had noticed and gulped.
"No, go ahead."
"Great. So Remus what are you doing this weekend?" She purred and Remus noticed suddenly that she hadn't brought any books with her.
"Headed home actually." He told her, trying to think of a way to get up and leave without seeming very rude. "Listen Lucy-"
"Oh what a shame." The blonde licked her lips and Remus glanced down at his open book. "I was going to ask you to go to Hogsmeade with me."
Her leg brushed against his under the table and Remus looked at the table next to them for help but it was empty. He certainly wasn't used to voluptuous girls to be openly trying to seduce him. He liked the way Messalina wasn't pushy or overly touchy-feely, which was exactly what Lucy Baggold was.
"Oh um Lucy, I really have to-"
"I think you're extremely attractive Remus. Do you think I'm attractive?" She asked, biting her lip which made Remus' resolve to get out as fast as he could even stronger.
"Lucy-"
"Don't you dare say no to me Remus." She purred once again and Remus felt his face burning.
"Remus!" The werewolf thought he could have kissed Lily Evans who was standing a few tables away from him and Lucy. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
She walked quickly over to their table and pulled a grateful Remus up from his seat with surprising strength. Remus quickly closed his book and put it on top of his others.
"Oh hi Lucy. Sorry we have to be going!" Lily dragged him out of the library by the forearm.
"Goodbye Remus! I hope we can continue this chat soon!" Lucy called after them and Remus felt his face grow even redder.
"Thanks Lily, thank you so much for getting me away from Lucy." Remus said once they were confident the blonde wasn't following.
"Remus, is something going on?" Lily blurted out and looked ashamed when the boy looked down at her.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you and Lina have been acting really strange and you seem out of it!" Remus didn't answer at first, staring down at his too small robes and his scuffed shoes.
"My mum, she's got cancer." He muttered and Lily was surprised that she even caught it at all. "She's not going to make it."
"Oh Remus I am so sorry! When are you going to go see her?"
"Right after Ancient Runes." He replied slightly louder.
"I'm terribly sorry." Lily put a hand on his forearm and searched his face. "If there's anything that I can do, you tell me Remus and I'll do it I swear."
"Thank you Lily." He breathed quietly but pulled away from her a moment later to walk to Ancient Runes. It was nowhere near as enjoyable as it had been when Messalina had been his partner and the werewolf wanted to kill his partner Finch-Fletchley ten minutes into the class. The chubby black-haired boy wouldn't stop asking Remus what he thought of the girls in the class.
"What about Lucien? Your ex right?" Remus didn't even give him a response, hoping it would shut the annoying boy up for once. "She doesn't have much a rack now does she? But I suppose she's got killer legs and her face is alright enough. You're friends, does she have a date for Hogsmeade? And by date I mean a shag mate."
Remus felt like he was going to snap and kill the boy with his bare hands and it took all of his resolve not to. It helped when Messalina glanced back at him from her seat next to John Higgs and gave him a sympathetic smile but as Finch-Fletchley went on and on about one of his best friends' legs, Remus felt himself growl.
"You shut the hell up right now Finch-Fletchley or I swear to Merlin I will kill you. And I won't be gentle." Remus snarled and the Hufflepuff's eyes widened drastically and he nodded dumbly.
"S-sorry Lupin. Won't happen again, I promise." The boy stuttered and practically sprinted from the room when the bell rang five minutes later. Messalina was at Remus' side almost immediately and they walked in silence towards Dumbledore's office, neither knowing what to say. Messalina sneezed and coughed the entire way there and Remus felt himself wrap his arm around her waist before he knew what was happening. She leaned into him and rested his head on the side of his arm.
"Tell your mum hello for me will you?" Messalina asked, tears in her eyes once they reached the gargoyles. Remus nodded and the girl threw her arms around his neck. "I will see you on Monday."
She kissed his cheek and the werewolf nodded as Messalina let go of him. "See you Monday."
Sorry that this chapter was pretty boring, it was mostly a filler for the next chapter. Please REVIEW it will make the next chapter a lot easier to write!
Preview for Chapter 27: Messalina collapses at Hogsmeade and Remus' mother gives him advice.