1 November, 1973

Okay, I have a problem, today my best friend started to ignore me. Remus and I had a lovely time in the village, but whatever that argument with Black was about has got him ignoring me. I confronted Black about it, but he won't tell me anything, and I can't ask Remus about it because he's ignoring me. I am at a complete loss as to what I should do, so I wrote to my mother, maybe she'll have some ideas.

Annicka Llewellyn

3 November 1973

Mum wrote back, she said the best thing I can do is wait it out. She says if he wants to talk to me he will, and if he doesn't there's nothing I could do to make him. She's probably right, as usual, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Annicka Llewellyn

12 November 1973

Still no progress with Remus, he won't even look at me now. What's worse is the Slytherins have noticed. They always enjoy tormenting people from other houses, but they seem to take particular pleasure in coming after me, and I think I've figured out why. I think it's because of my relationship with Remus. They come after me to get a rise out of him. Now that they know he won't come to my rescue, things are going to get a lot worse.

Annicka Llewellyn

Annicka and the girls were all lounging on their beds in the dormitory when Mary suddenly asked, "Ann what happened between you and Lupin? I don't see him around you anymore. Did you two have a fight?" Alice threw a pillow at Mary's head, "Ow!" she exclaimed, "What was that for?"

"You don't just ask her like that," Alice chastised, "it's rude!"

"Well, sorry, but we were all wondering," Mary apologized sounding disgruntled. "I'm just the only one with enough guts to ask," she muttered. Alice was about to throw another pillow when Annicka intervened.

"Okay! Okay, stop!" she exclaimed throwing her arms out. "I'll tell you, just don't throw things." All the girls sat a little straighter, bearing themselves up for bad news. "Remus and I didn't have a fight or anything but, for reasons I cannot fathom, he is ignoring me."

"Wait," Margo put her hands up as though she were stopping the conversation. "Let me get this straight you didn't fight, but he's ignoring you?"

"That about sums it up," Annicka replied.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Alice objected.

"I know."

"What are you going to do?" Lily asked, finally joining the conversation.

"I have no idea," Annicka sighed. Eventually the conversation moved on to other things and the girls fell asleep one by one. Soon Annicka was the only one awake, and quite unable to fall asleep. It was a rare warm night for November, the windows were open and she could hear the wind passing through the trees. Then a familiar howl, the cry of a werewolf, it was faint coming from the Shrieking Shack standing somewhere between the castle and the village of Hogsmeade.

Annicka couldn't stand it, the reminder of her friend, his pain, and the fact that he was now ignoring her. She climbed out of bed and shut the window. She finally gave up on falling asleep, picked up her school bag and headed down to the common room, reasoning that is she couldn't sleep she might as well study.

20 November 1973

Still no word from Remus, and the Slytherins have stepped up their game. I really hate being right some times. I'm really anxious for the holidays, it's still a month away, but I can't wait to get out of here. My dad would say that I can't run away from my problems, but I'm not really trying to run away, I just need a break. I need to get away from the situation with Remus for a while and see if I can come up with a solution, and I'd like to give all of my bruises a chance to heal. Those Slytherins do like to trip me down a flight of stairs. December hurry up and get here!

Annicka Llewellyn

1 December, 1973

Finally December is here! Just two and a half weeks, and then I can get out of here for a while. Black is on y case again, please I need to get out of here.

Annicka Llewellyn

5 January, 1974

I'm back at Hogwarts. I had a lovely holiday. It was wonderful to see my parents again. Sadly things haven't changed much here. The only thing I can say has changed is that the Slytherins have gained certain exuberance for torturing me. I now have two distinct groups who attack me. Lily apparently had a bat time at home with her sister, but a few days back and she seems to be doing better. Of course a healthy dose of Severus Snape helped her, we've all said it time and again, but none of us understand why she's friends with him. The funny thing is she can't explain it.

Mary, Margo, and Alice have been thick as thieves the past few days. I hear they spent a lot of time together over the holiday and now they're inseparable. I feel sorry for anyone who tries to get between them.

Annicka Llewellyn

15 January, 1974

I met Little Black in the hall just now, on my way in from the library, and for some reason he didn't sneer, or jeer, or any of the other things Slytherins do when they run into a Gryffindor. In fact, he seemed to be appraising me. After about a minute of staring at me he just walked off down the hall. I have no idea what to make of it, but there you have it.

Annicka Llewellyn

1 February, 1974

Sorry I haven't written in so long. We've been going through some emotional cruises around here. Mary and Margo are fighting, they won't say what about, and they can't seem to talk to each other without getting really upset. Lily and Potter are at each other's throats again. I've begun to spend most of my free time with Alice in the library or wondering the halls since it seems to be impossible to walk into the common room and not hear a fight going on. I am exhausted. I cannot wait for this year to end.

Annicka Llewellyn

15 February, 1974

Mary and Margo have finally made up, apparently they both fancied this Ravenclaw boy and were fighting over him when they discovered he already had two girlfriends. Lily and Potter seem to have taken a break as well. I swear it is impossible for those two to get along. Though I have begun to suspect that Potter's attentions may be more sincere than any of us have given him credit for in the past, I guess we'll just have to see how long he can wait. Interesting side note, not all the staircases in the castle will bruise you the same.

Annicka Llewellyn

Lily and Annicka walked into charms a minute before classes were scheduled to start. Ann paused when she noticed that the only open seats were next to Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, "Lil," Annicka placed a hand on Lily's arm.

"Yeah?" Lily asked a little startled.

"Can you sit next to Remus?" Ann requested. Lily looked around and was surprised that Annicka was volunteering to sit next to her "enemy" Sirius Black. Lily mutely nodded and the girls went to their seats. Annicka set her book bag on the floor, bent down to pull out her charms book, and when she sat back up she realized the Sirius was staring at her. "What?" she asked.

Professor Flitwick called the class to order then, stopping Sirius from answering, "Today we are working on Cheering Charms," the Professor announced. After some time spent on explanation the students were told to practice with the person sitting next to them. With a sigh Annicka turned to face Sirius. "Why are you sitting next to me?" Sirius demanded to know before she could say anything.

"It was the only available seat," Annicka answered. She lifted her wand to cast the spell, but Sirius continued.

"There was a seat next to Moony."

"Lily took it," she replied shortly.

"Why?" he asked again.

Annicka sighed and set down her wand, "Because I asked her to. I would really rather be ignored from a distance."

"I don't understand," Sirius confessed.

"Remus and I haven't spoken since October," Ann explained.

"Is there a problem here?" Professor Flitwick asked, passing by on his rounds of the room.

"No Professor," Annicka answered quickly, "Black just had a question, he's ready now." She gazed at him steadily, and with both Annicka and the Professor watching Black performed the cheering charm on her. Annicka immediately started laughing, as were several others in the class.

"Very good Mr. Black," Professor Flitwick complimented Sirius and moved on. It took several minutes for the charm to wear off. When it did Annicka was grave once again. "I think that's the first time you've ever smiled because of me," Sirius commented.

"You're probably right," Annicka agreed with a shrug. She picked up her own wand and as she raised it to perform the charm her sleeve fell back revealing a long straight bruise on her forearm. Sirius reached out, holding her arm steady, looking at the bruise in alarm. Annicka quickly pulled her arm from his grip.

"What happened?" he demanded to know quietly.

"I fell, it's nothing," Annicka answered quickly pulling down her sleeve to cover the bruise.

"Fell on what? A blunt knife?" he joked.

"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, and then checked her tone, "I just – tripped and fell down some stairs," she answered sounding evasive.

"Tripped? Over what, someone's foot?" he asked tensely. Annicka was silently raising her wand again. "Who did it?" he demanded to know. Annicka cast the charm and Sirius forgot his questions. There was no further opportunity for discussion during the class, and as soon as it ended Annicka headed for the door. Sirius never got the answer to his question. Lily caught up with her on their way down to lunch, "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Well, I didn't turn him into a toad, or kill him so I suppose that's progress," Annicka joked with a shrug.

"I saw him grab your arm," Lily added cautiously.

"Don't worry about it, he was just curious about my latest fall," Annicka opened the door to the great hall and led the way to their usual spot at the Gryffindor table.

"Are the Slytherins still giving you trouble?" Lily asked as they started piling food on their plates.

"Lily, do we really have to go over this again?" Annicka asked sounding tired and annoyed.

"Sorry," Lily mumbled and changed the subject. They were soon joined by their friends. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter also came to sit by them. For the most part the two groups ignored each other, but there was sporadic conversation. An hour after supper Annicka was sitting in the library studying when she heard an old familiar voice.

"May I sit here?" Remus asked.

Annicka set down her quill and looked up at him with a guarded expression. "So are you talking to me again?" she asked acerbically.

"I woe you an apology," Remus sighed.

"No – you owe me an explanation," Annicka argued sitting back in her seat, arms crossed over her chest.

"I heard it first in Hogsmeade, the rumors that were circulating about us. Heard the things they were saying about you, and I couldn't bear it. I had to put some distance between us so they would stop," Remus explained haltingly.

"You ignored me for four months because of some rumors?" Annicka clarified incredulously. Remus bowed his head in shame. "What changed your mind?" she suspected the cause, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Padfoot and Evans, they told me what you've been going through, or what they suspect at least," Remus shrugged his shoulders at the sharing of information.

"So now that you've found out my life isn't all sunshine and daisies you decide you want to be friends again," Annicka stated sarcastically.

"Ann, I'm sorry, truly but if you had heard them – "

"Remus, what makes you think I care what people say about me?" Annicka demanded to know leaning forward.

"I'm sorry Annicka," he apologized again.

Annicka looked up at him for a minute; "Since you're here . . . what is this?" she asked pointing to a passage in the textbook before her. Remus sat next to her with a small smile and they fell back into their old routine.