The Prisoner of Azkaban

by 2fast2live

(Part Three of series) - The third year rolls in and there's a killer on the loose. After all, they can't really have a quiet year at Hogwarts. Rated T because of JoshXLila :) Bonus - Special Marauder's Chapter!

15. Special Chapter - The Marauder's Part I

WARNING - THIS CHAPTER IS SUPER DUPER LONG!

There really was no way of making this shorter - and it's even divided into two parts! But it's here, finally finished! Special Marauder's - but remember, it is MOSTLY about Athos Selwyn, so you can all know a little more about him.

As for my reviewers:
BlueGreen216 - Okay, wow. You're definitely worse than I am :x I mean... poor you D: forget knickers and all? D: Goblet of Fire isn't far now! I'll make sure to write it really well, so you really love it.

Little Foot - I love Snape! :p

MeganAllard - VOCE VOLTOU! Coisinha tchuca. Eu vou te respondendo via Skype pra ficar mais facil :p

Alright, enjoy!

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Special Chapter

The Marauder's Part I

First Year (1971/1972)
Athos hurried across the platform, narrowly avoiding collision with the other students who were carefully loading their trunks on the train. He could hear his older sister, Athena, shouting at him – "Athos! Don't run ahead or you'll get lost!" – and trying her best to keep up. He couldn't help it, though. He was finally old enough to go to Hogwarts. No more spending two months with his ancient grandmother – bless her, she always baked him carrot cake. No more having to sit and watch the house elves do their day-to-day chores. No more –

OMPH!

Athos's trolley hit a very heavy, wooden trunk, tipped over and sent all his things to the ground. His only reaction was a frown, followed by a deep and patient sigh. Athena, however, was dramatically waving her arms, screeching and nearly crying behind him – "YOU KILLED HER! YOU RAN HER OVER!"
It took him a while to understand what his sister was talking about, but just as he finished reloading his trolley, he spotted a very bright and terrified pair of green eyes. It took him another while to realise that the hard trunk he'd hit belonged to her.
"Terribly sorry about that, I-I'm feeling quite excited about Hogwarts." He laughed, nervously. Thankfully, the young girl before him smiled back.
"I'm Rebecca James."
"Athos Selwyn."

The train wasn't exactly how he'd hoped it would be. The corridors were too narrow and the windows were barely open. Every carriage that he'd past so far was either completely full, or half way there. He was too nervous to stop anywhere with people inside already. He sighed deeply when he realised he'd reached the final carriage. He'd have to find somewhere to sit or die of claustrophobia in the narrow and stuffy corridor. He considered sitting with his sister and her friends, but they were all in their seventh year and it's not like they'd want an eleven year old tagging along. Not to mention Athena was probably snogging her boyfriend, Arden. That was definitely a sight he could live without. He took another deep sigh and walked toward the very last compartment. He shyly peeked through the window – only two boys were inside. It was the best he'd find.

"Er – would it be alright if I sat here? Everywhere else is full and..." He said, shyly. The two boys looked up at him, giving him a look he couldn't read. The one with sandy blond hair smiled and nodded. Athos returned the smile, though his was much smaller, and sat down by the door.
"I'm Remus." The boy with sandy blond hair said.
"A-and I'm Peter." The other boy, who seemed to be quite small and plump, added.
"Athos." He said, nervously.
"Is it your first year?" Remus asked, rather curiously. Athos nodded as he fidgeted with his sleeves. "Ours too. What house do you hope to be in?"
"I don't mind." Athos said.
"I want Gryffindor." Remus grinned. "So does Peter, apparently."
"Y-yeah." Peter squeaked.
The train ride was mostly spent in awkward silence. Remus was the only one that would talk the most, but even he eventually gave up. Athos groaned inwardly at his attitude toward others. He'd promised himself this would stop. He'd promised himself he'd get better. He was determined, however, to make a friend this year. Even if it was just one. He would make a friend and prove to his family that he was capable of letting people in.

x.x

"Welcome to Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor house. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your house will be like your family. Triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. Now, in a few moments you shall step through these doors and be sorted into your houses. Until then, please wait quietly."

Athos listened attentively to what Professor McGonagall had to say. He couldn't help but wonder what the woman was like. His sister had told him little about the Hogwarts teachers – "They're fantastic once you're on their good side." He was mostly curious about the famous Professor Dumbledore. His father spoke highly of the man, and he seemed to be the greatest Headmaster alive. Despite coming from a pureblood family and growing up with magic happening everywhere, Athos was quite ignorant about the magical world. He was never allowed to practice at home, never allowed to fly a broom, never allowed to go to work with his father – quite frankly, he was never allowed to do anything at all. He was usually asked to stay inside his room, playing with his toys. After an entire month of doing that every day, the toys got boring – but it was always better than being with his nanny.
"Come on, mate, keep the line moving." A boy, with very messy black hair, said to him. Athos didn't even realise Professor McGonagall had returned and was ushering them inside the new room.

The infamous Great Hall was in fact great. Candles illuminated the bewitched ceiling, four longs tables with hundreds of students, another long table at the end of the room, where all the teachers sat – Athos was completely amazed by it all. He accidently bumped into Remus, who was in front of him, when he didn't realise he was supposed to stop walking.
"Now, when I call your name you shall step up and be sorted into your houses." Professor McGonagall said, as she unrolled a list. "Harriett Adams!"
Athos watched at the young red head girl called Harriett stepped up to the sorting hat and had it placed on her head. He knew what was coming next – "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The uneasy feeling, which had been threatening to take over ever since he left his home, finally made an appearance. His name wasn't going to be called for a while, but he had to start thinking. Where did he want to go? Where should he go?
"Sirius Black!" Professor McGonagall called out. A young boy, with wild, shoulder length wavy hair jumped passed Athos and headed straight for the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
To others, Athos seemed calm, collected – inside he was screaming. He watched as a few more people made their way up. A red head, named Lily, got into Gryffindor; a boy, Arthur, became a Slytherin; and then Rebecca James appeared. Her bright green eyes found his in the crowd. Not a moment later, she stood to join the other Ravenclaw students.
"Remus Lupin!" The boy with sandy hair took a deep breath and walked up to Professor McGonagall. His turn took a little longer than the last few students, but the hat soon screamed -
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Athos was growing impatient. Three more people joined Ravenclaw, a girl became a Slytherin, and then –
"Peter Pettigrew!" The small boy that had been by his side, even though he hadn't noticed until that moment, squeaked and rushed up to the stool. His face was bright red.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Athos furrowed his eyebrows at the sorting hat. He wasn't one to judge, but at first glance, Peter Pettigrew didn't seem to be Gryffindor material. He mentally scolded himself for sounding like his aunt Bernadette.
"James Potter!"
"Finally." The boy with black, messy hair grinned. He pushed past a few of the smaller children and sat arrogantly on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Where dwell the brave at heart!" James roared, before Professor McGonagall kindly pushed him toward his fellow classmates. A few students giggled – except for one. He frowned and rolled his eyes. He was pale, had shoulder length, black, straight hair and eyes that matched. He knew that boy from somewhere –
"What are you staring at?" The boy spat. Athos's eyes widened slightly and he turned away.
"Athos Selwyn!" His moment finally came – and he froze. He remained in the same spot, staring up at Professor McGonagall with his greenish-hazel eyes wide. Professor McGonagall, obviously recognising him, gave him a look – the type a mother gives her disobedient son. He closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath, opened them once more and moved forward. He regretted getting so nervous. He could hear the whispering from the few students close to him.

"Well, well... What do we have here? It's been a while since I've sorted someone that was his descendant... Not only that, but from the main branch. Quite an interesting mind you have. You're secretive, cunning... There's something about you, boy. A mind like this can go either way – it just depends on where you wish to go. But will Slytherin be the best place for you? No... They'll pummel you to the ground over there. Especially in the state you are now..."

Athos clenched his eyes shut and gulped – "Anywhere..." He thought. "Anywhere but Slytherin."

"You dare deny your ancestor? Very well... I know just where to put you, and it won't be too strange – after all, he too is a part of your family..."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

x.x

Athos rested on his stomach, in the dark and empty common room. His first week at school had ended with a bang – literally. They had double Potions with the Slytherin students, and a boy called Arthur had decided it would be fun to test Peter Pettigrew's intelligence. It was safe to say that Peter wasn't exactly the brightest of students. Peter's cauldron, which happened to be right next to Athos – who was quietly working with his train friend Remus –, exploded into millions of pieces, and his potion splashed on everyone. Athos spent his entire evening in the Hospital wing, drinking horrid medicine to make his skin turn back to its natural colour – the potion made his skin go purple.
"We should get Arthur back, don't you think?" Athos jumped to his feet at the sound of voices coming from the staircase. Not a moment later, James and Sirius came rushing down the stairs, closely followed by Remus and Peter.
"Ah, another victim! Care to join us, Athos?" Sirius grinned.
"We're going to give Arthur a taste of his own medicine. No one turns James Potter purple and gets away with it." James said, confidently.
"Won't we get in trouble?" Remus asked, worriedly.
"If we do, it'll be worth it." Sirius nodded. "Well, Athos, are you in or not?"
"I... Well, I... I don't want to cause trouble." Athos said, quietly.
"What troubles you, mate?" James asked, curiously.
"N-nothing!" Athos answered quickly. He began fidgeting with his pockets.
"Liar." Sirius smirked.
"Come off it, mate. Get your head in the game and help us think of a way we could get back at that fool." James grinned.
"Just make sure you don't do anything dangerous. I don't want to get suspended." Remus sighed.
"N-neither do I!" Peter squeaked.
"Well..." Athos said, suddenly. His mind drifted back to a certain memory. "Perhaps we could do something..."

Monday soon came around and Arthur had hell to pay. During breakfast his pumpkin juice began to fizz inside his goblet, and suddenly exploded onto his face. Embarrassed, he stood abruptly and hoped to run out of the Great Hall. Athos discreetly adjusted his wand and aimed perfectly – "Colloshoo!"
"What does that do?" Peter asked, curiously. James, Sirius and Remus also waited for Athos to answer, however the young Selwyn simply smirked and nodded toward Arthur.
Arthur suddenly found himself falling, face first, to the ground. His shoes remained fixed, as if glued with superglue to the ground. The entire hall erupted with laughter, especially the first year Gryffindor's. And if that wasn't enough, right before their lesson with Professor McGonagall, Athos managed to hit him with a pimple jinx. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter never laughed so hard their entire life. There wasn't much more they could do without being caught, but Athos felt satisfied with what they'd accomplished.

And in that moment, Athos knew he'd found them. He'd found his group of friends.

x.x

Athos, Remus and Peter were halfway through their DADA essay when James and Sirius came dashing into the library.
"I hate Severus Snape." James huffed as he pulled out a chair.
"James's got a crush." Sirius smirked.
"Who's Severus Snape?" Peter asked, looking up from his work – something Athos and Remus hadn't bothered to do.
"He's that weird kid." Sirius nodded. Remus raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well that narrows it done." Remus said, rolling his eyes. James suddenly gasped, dramatically and started pointing toward the book shelves.
"He's Severus Snape!" James whispered, frantically. "Damn him and his... His... What does he have that I don't?"
"Weird hair?" Sirius shrugged.
"I know him." Athos said. James stared at him in complete disbelief. "Well... I know who he is, but I've never talked to him before."
"How do you know him?" James asked, curiously.
"He lives near my aunt. I used to see him wander around the street whenever I had to go visit her. I never knew he was a wizard, though." Athos said, nonchalantly.
"Do you know Lily too?" James grinned. Athos shook his head, making James slump and frown.
"Lily Evans? The red head?" Remus asked, curiously.
"Yep!" James grinned. "She's always hanging around Severus. It's annoying."
"Well, why don't you spend some time with her?" Athos suggested.
"Because she's always with Severus – weren't you listening?" James sighed. "Look at him. He's pathetic."

"I can hear you, you know?" Severus said, as he walked past their table. James pulled a face at him as he walked off.

x.x

"Where's Remus? He's gone missing again." Sirius huffed, as he lazily dropped himself onto the sofa. James roughly shoved him, irritated that he'd just received a hard kick on the back.
"He's been acting strange lately... Do you suppose he's okay?" Athos wondered.
"Speaking of acting strange, what happened with you this morning?" James asked curiously. Athos opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He hadn't meant to create such a fuss over nothing, especially since he'd been okay for the past month. But it was the sudden shock – the sudden memory – it was all too recent. "Athos, are you even listening to me?"
"What?" Athos said, shaking his head. "Yes... I mean, I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't mean it."
"Who's Isabela?" Sirius asked, curiously.
"No one!" Athos answered. He dashed out of the common room before anyone asked him any other questions. He could hear James calling out to him but he didn't want to answer anything. Not now, not yet.

He ran out the portrait hole, across the endless corridors, down the stairs, out the castle entrance and soon found himself out in the early autumn breeze. He stopped to take a short breath before he continued his way. He finally decided to take a break once he'd reached the lake – partially because he doubted he'd be allowed to swim to the other side. He slumped against a tree and pulled his knees to his chest.
"Athos?" He startled, nearly falling sideways. He looked up; a slightly petrified look printed on his face, and saw bright green eyes staring curiously down at him. "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale."
"Y-y-yeah... I'm... I'm fine." He said, his voice shaky.
"Are you sure? You really look unwell. Maybe I should take you to see Madam Pomfrey?" Rebecca said, thoughtfully.
"NO!" Athos yelled, suddenly. Rebecca stared at him for a few good moments, her eyes wide and worried. "Really, I'm fine. I don't need to see anyone."
"Suit yourself, I suppose." Rebecca sighed and slumped down next to him. "Hogwarts is something else, isn't it? I was quite surprised when I received my letter, I didn't even know what it meant until Professor Dumbledore came to my house in person. My parents were extremely shocked, but they were all for it! This is nothing like my school back in Wales."
"Wait – your parents... They aren't wizards?" Athos asked, rather surprised.
"No..." Rebecca frowned. "You... You're not like the others, are you?"
"What do you mean?" Athos asked, confused.
"Does it bother you? I mean..." Rebecca sighed. "There are some fourth year Slytherin girls that keep calling me names – something like... Oh, what was it?"
"Mudblood." Athos nodded. Rebecca frowned instantly.
"Yeah... That's the one... You... Do you-"
"I don't really care about all that. I never really understood what the problem was, so I don't care." Athos shrugged.
"Oh!" Rebecca brightened up suddenly, grinning excitedly at the young boy beside her. "Did you know you could pass as Snow White's brother? You've got really dark hair and really light skin, just like her. She's my favourite Disney princess – Snow White. I find her story really sweet-"
"What?" Athos asked, laughing slightly. "Who's Snow White? What's a Disney?"
"You don't know Disney? I have so much to teach you! I've got the video in my trunk, I'll ask one of the teachers if there's anywhere we could watch it." Rebecca grinned. "Anyway, I have to go. Go see Madam Pomfrey if you don't feel better, okay?"
"I will, Rebecca." Athos nodded, though he wasn't really going to the Hospital wing – not a chance.
"Becky..." She smiled. "My friends call me Becky."

x.x

Almost every day since he'd started Hogwarts, Athos would always see the same girl, sitting in the exact same place, during lunch. He didn't know who she was, what year she was in – all he knew was that she was in Slytherin, and possibly older than him. He would sometimes imagine himself walking up to her, just to say hello, but he never had the courage to do so. He would always walk by, glance over, and then turn back to his friends. It was always the same thing, every day, with no exception. Until one day, when he was dashing to the library – he'd forgotten his Transfiguration book and was now late for McGonagall's class – he ran right into her. They collided, quite violently, but he managed to grab hold of her arm before she tumbled down. She was taller than him, but just barely. He was only eleven, after all; he'd eventually grow. Being up close allowed him to really take in her features – she was very stunning indeed. She had straight, dark blonde hair that hung loosely around her oval face. She had a small nose, reasonably full lips, and bright chocolate brown eyes. She was like a goddess – and Athos soon felt his cheeks going red.
"You shouldn't be running in and out of the library." The girl said, arrogantly. Well, no one was perfect.
"I-I'm sorry about that." Athos said, sheepishly.
"You're Athos, aren't you?" The girl said, staring at him curiously. "Yeah... You are. I've been to your house before, when your parents had a party. You weren't there, though. I only saw your picture."
"Oh..." Athos couldn't find anything else to say to that. He wanted to punch himself for the lack of proper conversation.
"I'll see you around then, Athos. Just try not to run me over next time." The girl smirked. She walked out of the library and only then did he realise he still had no idea who she was, what year she was in...
"Hey-"
"Elena Graham." She said, spinning around suddenly. "My name is Elena Graham."

x.x

"I've got it!" James said one evening, as he burst into the empty common room and huddled together with three of his friends. Remus was missing again – he'd been doing it all year long.
"Got what?" Sirius asked, looking up from his History of Magic homework.
"Remus... I think he's a werewolf!" James grinned.
"Don't be ridiculous." Athos said, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, if he were a werewolf, he'd be out on every full-" Sirius's eyes widened suddenly. "Hang on – it's a full moon!"
"That doesn't make him a werewolf." Athos stated.
"No, you're right, but I know all the days he's missed at school and I researched all his symptoms. He's-a-werewolf!" James beamed.
"I don't understand how that can excite you." Athos sighed.
"Don't you see? We'll own the school if we're friends with the werewolf!" James grinned.
"James, there's just one flaw in that awesome plan of yours..." Sirius said, thoughtfully. "Werewolves attack humans."
"Oh... Well... Er..." James frowned.
"Why don't we just ask Remus himself?" Peter squeaked.

"Ask me what?" Remus's voice echoed through the empty common room.
"Nothing!" The four boys said, simultaneously.
"Yeah, right... Hurry up and tell me." Remus huffed.
"Well... We were wondering... You see, James was in the library..." Athos started, nervously.
"And he did a bit of research, you see..." Sirius continued, thoughtfully.
"Are you a werewolf?" James asked, suddenly. There was an obvious hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"What?" Remus said, panicked.
"You can't just say it like that, James." Athos sighed.
"Athos's right... But now that it's out there, are you a werewolf or not?" Sirius grinned.
"W-where did you get that idea? That's ridiculous! Me... A werewolf? Why would I be a werewolf?" Remus's eyes were wide and he seemed to be shaking. They all noticed.
"Sweet Merlin! You ARE a werewolf, aren't you? Oh, come on, just tell us already!" James said, giddy and excited.
"I... N-no... I-I... I wasn't here b-because-"
"Wow, James was actually right?" Athos said, eyes wide.
"When did you get bitten?" Sirius asked, curiously.
"THIS IS SO COOL!" James yelled, punching the air. "Could you bite me too?"
"NO! Being a werewolf isn't cool. It's painful. It's sad. A-and... You can't tell anyone! I barely managed to get into Hogwarts and..." Remus groaned loudly and dropped onto the sofa. He buried his face in his hands. He was shaking.
"It's alright, Remus, it's nothing to be worried about." James said, once he realised his friend's discomfort.
"I knew this would happen eventually." Remus said, his voice shaking. "Please... You can do whatever you want to me, just don't tell anyone. I beg you."
"What are you on about?" Sirius chuckled.
"What would we do to you?" Athos asked, curiously.
"I... I don't know." Remus groaned. "Beat me? Threaten me... I don't care... Just don't tell the other students that-"
"Oh, shut up, mate!" James grinned.
"Yeah, we wouldn't do that to you. You're a werewolf, so what?" Sirius said, shaking his head. "Besides, no one else has to know. We'll keep it between us – we'll even give you a nickname! We'll just call you..."
"Moony." Athos smirked.
"MOONY! That's brilliant!" James grinned, excitedly. Remus gave a small laugh before he excused himself and went to bed.

x.x

Second Year (1972/1973)
"Madam Pomfrey told me werewolves are only a danger to humans, not animals." Remus nodded, as he opened a chocolate frog. He then sighed, loudly. "Dumbledore again."
"We could become animals!" James grinned.
"Animagi, you mean." Athos said, raising an eyebrow. "We can't. At least, not while we're still in our second year. The Ministry needs to know about it, we need a teacher to approve, another one to teach-"
"We could teach ourselves, I mean." James said, rolling his eyes.
"That sounds interesting." Sirius smirked. Athos sighed and opened his large packet of pumpkin pasties.
"James that would be fantastic – if it wasn't illegal."
James frowned, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. It was never easy telling James he couldn't do something – especially when it was something he really wanted to do.

Their first evening back at Hogwarts was spent solely on research about Animagi.

x.x

Argus Filch, the school's caretaker, was a very moody and humourless man. He was always wondering around the hallways, silently hoping he'd manage to get a student into trouble. The five boys soon became his favourite target. His first victim, Monday evening, was Sirius. Sirius had promised Professor McGonagall he'd focus more on his studies, and he planned on truthfully doing so, but he'd lost track of time while he was in the library. Filch, obviously, had made good use of this opportunity. Instead of excusing Sirius from trouble, like Professor McGonagall probably would, Sirius was given detention – he had to scrub clean and polish all the trophies. Tuesday's victim was Peter. Peter was late for Slughorn's potions lesson and was dashing down the stairs, when he tripped and crashed into a suit of armour. A few students who were passing by laughed and Filch gave him detention for causing havoc. It was Athos's turn on Wednesday. He and Rebecca had decided it would be a fantastic idea to get Peeves the Poltergeist agitated. Normally, Athos wouldn't do certain reckless things just for the fun of it, but being with Rebecca didn't allow him to think much. Rebecca was a very good friend. Not that the boys weren't, that's not what he meant by that, but he felt as though he could tell Rebecca anything and nothing else could ever matter. After finally telling Rebecca why he'd been so moody during the day, she suggested they did something fun – just to ease the tension. He'd agreed, instantly. Mrs. Norris – Filch's cat – caught Athos when he was sneaking back to Gryffindor tower. His punishment was to help Peter scrub the bathrooms clean. By Thursday, Filch was enjoying the game. He gave Remus a detention for simply accidently tripping over Mrs. Norris and nearly stepping on her tail. They were all extremely cautious by Friday.
"Is Filch even allowed to give us detention? I mean, it's not like he's a teacher." Sirius wondered. The five were sitting together under the sun, making the most of the sudden warm weather. James, who was lying on his back, sat up and huffed.
"That stupid cat of his is an even bigger problem." James said, rolling his eyes. "It lurks around every corner, just waiting for something to happen. Then, before we can even register things, we get detention!"
And with that, James got himself detention – for calling Mrs. Norris stupid. They hadn't even been aware that Filch was watching them. James yelled at him in response, furiously, and McGonagall saw. He then officially got detention – for being rude to a staff member.

"I've had enough of this!" James yelled, angrily. The few students who were in the common room stared at him.
"Quiet down, James, they're all going to think you're mental." Sirius smirked.
"How can I? We can't let Filch get away with this."
"W-why don't we just get back at him... Or something?" Peter squeaked. The four boys stared at him for a moment, and Peter soon found himself going red in the face.
"That might actually not be such a bad idea..." Athos said, thoughtfully, as the sudden lust for mischievousness grew inside him.
"Well... In that case, I think it's time I showed you boys something." James smirked.

Athos, Sirius, Remus and Peter were beyond amazed by James's invisibility cloak. Even though it had been almost impossible to fit all five of them under the cloak, they managed to sneak out of Gryffindor tower and out into the castle.
"You know, it would be great if we could guess wherever Filch is." Sirius whispered.
"That's impossible, Sirius. How would we do that?" Remus sighed.
They continued down the empty corridors in the upmost silence, narrowly avoiding collision with two Hufflepuff prefects. They soon spotted Filch, sleeping peacefully, on the seventh floor. Their plan was simple – and it involved honey, feathers, Filch and quite a lot of mess. There was absolutely nothing that could go wrong with their plan. It was perfect –

And then they felt the cloak being pulled off.

"What are you boys doing?" Elena Graham, fifth year Slytherin and prefect asked. She had a hand on her hip and she was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Give that back!" James said, almost desperately.
"We weren't doing anything, Elena, I swear." Athos nodded.
"How did you even see us?" Sirius asked, curiously.
"Someone forgot to keep their feet under the cloak." Elena smirked. "But that doesn't matter. Picking on Filch, just because he's a Squib is a very mean thing to do."
"Filch is a Squib?" James asked, a very wide grin spreading across his face.
"Oh... Well, don't tell him that I told you." Elena laughed, nervously. "Right then, off to bed. All of you."
The five boys frowned and began heading back down the corridor. Luckily for them, Filch seemed to be quite the heavy sleeper.
"Hey..." Athos said, suddenly, spinning around to face the prefect once more. "Please don't tell on us. We've already got detention all next week because of him, and-"
"Get to bed, Athos." Elena smiled. She had a very sweet smile.

x.x

James was desperate to follow Remus during the next full moon, despite Remus constantly telling him the dangers of being near a werewolf.
"But I have the cloak!" James insisted.
"If you go, I'll tell Dumbledore." Remus said, pointing a finger at James. James frowned instantly.
It's not that he wanted to get into trouble, or bitten, he was just curious to see what Remus was like when he was a werewolf.

Forty minutes before the full moon, Remus left the common room to meet up with Madam Pomfrey. Athos and Sirius remained in the common room, finishing their History of Magic essay. Peter had his head on his parchment, which was starting to crumple, and was snoring away peacefully. James, however, hadn't seen Remus off. He'd been in his dorm for quite some time already and his friends all assumed he was being moody.
"I don't understand how Professor Binns can ask for four rolls on something that needs only two." Sirius groaned, irritably.
"Just write with an overly large handwriting." Athos smirked.

"Alright, boys! Let's get going!" James shouted, as he jumped down the stairs. Peter snorted and startled, making a large amount of ink splatter onto his essay. He shrieked and attempted to clean it up – his essay soon became a large smudge. Athos shook his head.
"Where are we going?" Sirius asked, ignoring Peter's clumsiness.
"To see Remus, of course." James said, rolling his eyes. Sirius and Athos paled instantly.
"Have you lost your mind?" Peter gasped.
"Sorry, James, but I'd rather live." Athos shrugged.
"I have the cloak!" James cried, dramatically. "Come on... Think about it, boys. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our best friend is a magnificent creature! We must go!"
"Well... It's not like he'll be able to see us." Sirius said, thoughtfully.
"Exactly." James grinned.
"This cannot end well." Athos sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Athos only tagged along to make sure James and Sirius didn't kill themselves. Peter only tagged along because he was too afraid to say 'no'. They huddled together under the invisibility cloak and made their way down to the Whomping Willow.
"Immobilus!" James whispered, once they were close enough to the tree. There was no way of knowing whether the tree could sense their presence or not, and they weren't going to wait to find out. Remus had given them a poor explanation about where he hid, but they were certain they'd manage to find it.
"Let's go. Lumos!" Sirius said, nodding toward the small entrance under the tree.

It took a while longer than they expected it to, and neither of them was willing to pull the cloak off. Athos couldn't help but wonder where they'd end up. They were already quite far from Hogwarts grounds, if his calculations had been correct.
"There's something ahead." Sirius whispered.
"Looks like an entrance." James grinned.
"I still don't understand your excitement." Athos said, rolling his eyes.
James lightly shoved his friend against the wall and grinned. He dashed toward the small opening, completely forgetting about the cloak, and pulled himself up.
"James!" Sirius whispered, anxiously.
"Wait up, don't get yourself killed!" Athos groaned, loudly.

They weren't sure where they were, but the place was completely torn apart. They could hear soft moaning from upstairs, and there was no doubt about it – Remus was there.
"Come on." Sirius said, as he pulled James under the cloak once again.
They carefully climbed up the stairs and headed toward what seemed to be a bedroom. Inside, hunched up in a corner, was a large animal. It moved around every now and then, groaning and moaning. The animal seemed frustrated. It was almost as if it was desperate to kill.
"This is a bad idea." Peter squeaked. The three boys stared at him angrily. But it was too late – the werewolf was aware there was someone present. It stood and stared around the room. It couldn't see anything, but it was certain there was something nearby.

James motioned for them to slowly back away toward the door. They walked in synchronized steps. And then Peter banged his head into wall – "OUCH!"
Athos stepped on Peter's foot, hoping it would keep the boy quiet, but it only made it worse. Peter was now whimpering.
"Peter, if I die because of you, I'll kill you." Sirius muttered, angrily.
"Shut up!" James whispered, desperately.
The werewolf was slowly sniffing them out. That was it. Their lives would end at the age of twelve – or thirteen in Sirius's case. Athos was only thirteen in December. He shook his head, forcing the thought of his birthday to the back of his head. He had to think of something. They couldn't die, not here and not now. Remus would never live after this.

There was a loud howl, making Athos's mind return to the present moment. The werewolf was just a few inches away from them and the cloak. They could all feel the warm breath, they could see the drool dripping down to the floor, and they knew that the werewolf wouldn't care if they were Remus's friend's or not. Peter was sobbing uncontrollably and not even James telling him to calm down was working. Without really thinking straight, Athos pulled out his wand and pointed directly at the werewolf before him. Sirius turned to him, curiously. James was still trying to keep Peter from screaming.
"Petrificus Totalis!" Athos bellowed.
And the werewolf fell back.

x.x

"I can't believe you! Don't you realise I could've killed you?" Remus shouted, waving his arms around and pacing. "James... That was by far the stupidest thing you've ever done-"
"We're really sorry, mate." James frowned.
"Yeah... We won't do it again." Sirius nodded.
"At least not as humans." James grinned.
"Stop!" Remus sighed. "Stop with this Animagi nonsense. You're not going to risk yourselves just to be with me during full moons."
"Actually... I was reading about it..." Athos started, cautiously. "It's complicated and there's a series of things that could go wrong, but it's definitely possible."
"Are you even listening to yourself?" Remus groaned. "I don't want to hear about this Animagi stuff anymore, okay? You four are not going to get involved in my... Problem. Now, I'm going to bed and I swear – I'll tell Dumbledore if you ever follow me again."

James huffed and sat down by the fire once Remus had left the common room. Athos felt quite bad and guilty, but he was somewhat still determined.
"Do you really think it's possible?" Sirius asked, curiously. James perked up slightly, though it was barely noticeable. Athos simply nodded in response.
"You heard Remus, we can't do it." Peter squeaked.
"Since when do we listen to Remus?" Sirius smirked.

x.x

"I'M ON THE TEAM!" James beamed as he burst into the Gryffindor common room. Sirius and Athos, who were both completely focused on their Transfiguration homework, startled and nearly dropped a large pot of ink on the floor.
"Really?" Sirius asked.
"Really!" James grinned. "You're looking at Gryffindor's newest chaser!"
"This calls for a celebration then." Remus smiled.
"PARTY AT REMUS'S HIDEOUT!" James shouted, eagerly.

Remus didn't even bother to tell them not to go, because they would've hid under James's cloak without a second thought. It took them much longer to escape the castle under James's cloak – one cloak for five boys was hardly enough. James pulled the cloak off once they reached the Whomping Willow. No one would be outside at this time of night, so they were safe.
"How did you pass the Willow last time?" Remus asked, curiously.
"Immobilus!" Athos whispered.
"Like that." James grinned.

They spent the entire night in Remus's hideout, with all the broken furniture and boarded up windows. James and Sirius spent most of their time trying to hex Peter and watching him squeal and run away.

x.x

Third Year (1973/1974)
It was only before the start of their third year that Athos realised he'd managed to hide a very important part of his life. His friends had asked him a few questions before, but he'd managed to avoid it, and they didn't always seem to mind. However, things changed just before the start of their third year. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were invited by Athos's father to spend a week at Selwyn Mansion. Athos was beyond excited about having his friends over. His sister had moved in with her boyfriend, so she wouldn't be around to annoy him any longer. It was also at Selwyn Mansion that James finally managed to convince Remus to help them become Animagi. Remus had tried to argue, but he soon realised it would be useless. The four boys would try with or without Remus's approval. Athos's home library was surprisingly filled with books about Animagi. Apparently his father had tried once, but gave up after it proved to be quite dangerous. Athos was still quite wary about doing this, but he knew it was for a good cause and they'd be extra careful.

The boys explored the entire house in just one day, but they all agreed that the best place was the large garden. The long grass field, covered in flowers, a few trees to create shade – nothing compared to the biggest tree, however. It happened to be Athos's favourite place to sit during the summer, especially when he was tired of being under the sun all day.
"We should come here every summer!" Sirius exclaimed.
"This could be our secret hideout. Whenever we're in trouble, running away from Filch, we should just come here!" James grinned.
"You make us sound like criminals." Athos said, shaking his head.
"I think we're more like marauders." James smirked, mischievously. "NOTHING CAN GET IN OUR WAY!"
"You seem to forget that we're all underage and can't simply run away and end up here." Remus sighed.
"Who cares? Someday we'll all be seventeen and allowed to use magic outside school. Then, this place will be our hideout!" James grinned.
"Well, it is big enough for all of us." Sirius shrugged. Athos chuckled and shook his head. He then heard his father's voice, coming from inside the house, so he turned to face the back door.

And that was when the four boys discovered something new about Athos. Now, if it all depended on the young Selwyn, he would've gone a lifetime without having to speak of his troubles, but seeing the familiar, terrifying face looking out the window made him lose it. He zoned out, he paled, he felt as though he'd be sick and he was shivering.
"Are you feeling alright?" Remus asked, worriedly. No. Nothing was alright. Not while she was there. He saw her sickening grin, her malicious eyes, and he could almost hear her daring voice. All he wanted to do was hide. He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
"Mate, you look like you're gonna be sick." James said, standing up.
"Who's that?" Sirius asked, following his friends eyes. "Who's that woman?"

He looked down at the grass. How would he do it? How would he tell them? They all stood by Remus with his werewolf problem, but who's to say they'd stand by him? He was still learning how to deal with certain things – certain situations. He was doing it alone, but he managed.
"Athos?" Sirius asked, clicking his fingers in Athos's face.
"She... She's Isabela..." Athos said. His voice was low, shaky and he felt as though he could cry. Pathetic. He wanted to smack himself for being so pathetic.
"What did she do to you?" James asked, there was a hostile tone to his voice.
"Nothing... It's... It's nothing, really." Athos said, shaking his head. He couldn't bring himself to look at them, and now everything was coming back. Memories were flashing in his head and he felt as though he'd be sick. His cousins were right about him – pathetic.
"You can tell us, Athos. I mean... I'm a werewolf... What could be worse than that?" Remus said, hoping to ease the tension.
"Yeah, and we'll solve it right now if we have to." James said, clenching his fists slightly. Athos sighed and pulled his knees to his chest. Pathetic.
"S-she's... Well, she was my nanny... My parents, t-they never really thought I'd be okay on my own... A-and they're always so busy..." Athos sighed again. "S-she's going though... They finally think I'm old enough to take care of myself."
"But what happened? Why don't you like her?" Remus asked.
"You say her name a lot – when you have nightmares, I mean." Sirius said.
"I... S-she..." Athos ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "She's evil. S-she never really liked me much. I-I know I hardly ever listened to her, but she's merciless."
"What did she do?" James asked again.
"M-my parents spent a lot of time abroad... A-and she'd make good use of the opportunity..." Athos still couldn't look at his friends. His cousins were right. "She started by calling me names, teasing me and pointing out everything I was incapable of doing. At first, I didn't care... But then my cousins started too..."
"Why didn't you tell your parents? They could've just got you a different nanny." Remus said, trying to understand what was going on in his friend's mind.
"I... I tried. She managed to get out of trouble with the most ridiculous excuse. Then... Then she said she'd kill them if I ever said anything ever again." Athos ran a hand through his hair again. "And that's when the physical torture began."
"Wait..." James said, suddenly. "As in the... The forbidden-"
"Yeah." Athos said, barely audible.
"That's illegal." Sirius said, quite shocked.
"I know." Athos murmured.
"You could have her arrested!" James gasped.
"Yeah..." Athos muttered.
"You have to tell them – your parents. You must." Remus said, almost desperately.
"NO!" Athos said, suddenly lifting his head up. He forgot to dry the tears first; he forgot he'd been trying to hide. "Please... No... Just... Forget it. She's leaving anyway. Just... No."
"Athos-"
"Please, Remus... Just don't." Athos said, lowering his head one again. "I don't even know why I told you."
"We're glad you did." Sirius nodded.
"Just don't hide anything from us again, alright? We need to know when something's wrong with you. How else can you expect us to help? We're all mates here, aren't we?" James said. Athos hummed and nodded in response.
"And we'll help you through this – whatever this is." Remus smiled.

x.x

Athos wasn't entirely sure what was going through his mind when he headed into the Forbidden Forest. It was forbidden for a reason and he was usually one to value his own life. His mind simply became blank, however, when he saw her. Her dark blonde hair tied up in a neat bun, her chocolate brown eyes shimmering in the moonlight, and her curves. Oh the curves. Athos could easily spend an entire day drooling over her, and he mostly did. He sometimes thought it was pointless, seeing as he was still in his third year, whereas she was in her sixth year. He was, despite never admitting out loud, out of her league. Sure, he was good looking, smart, charming, and everything a girl could possibly want at thirteen. But he was thirteen. He was going on fourteen, but that wasn't going to happen until December. She was almost seventeen, and that even happened before he turned fourteen. Elena Elizabeth Graham – highly noted around the school for her cunning ways. She forgives no one, and quite frankly, doesn't give a damn about it either. His friends couldn't understand what he saw in her.

"She's a Slytherin, for goodness sake. Have you no pride?" Sirius exclaimed during breakfast, whenever he caught him staring at her.
"He has a point, mate. There are plenty of other girls – Rebecca James even. Becky's even better looking, if you ask me." James added.
"Not to mention ten times nicer and less likely to kill you after your first fight." Sirius smirked.
"She's just misunderstood." Was Athos's response.
Remus was, in fact, the only one of his friends that actually didn't mind. Perhaps it was because he too was different, Athos didn't know, but he was grateful for it. He was also the only one that encouraged Athos to properly speak to her.
"Go! She's just outside the Great Hall, now's your chance." Remus grinned.
Her friends were always quick to notice. They would immediately start whispering about how dorky he was acting. That, of course, was the best thing that could happen. It was worse when they'd start laughing and running away.
"I'm telling you my friend; you should give up and move on." James shrugged. Of course, his friend's had to follow him out.

The entire school knew whenever Elena was arguing with somebody. She'd make it loud and clear. Athos wondered if that was to make others fear her, or if it was just a simple cry for attention. That happened to be something he disliked quite a lot. It never managed to change his feelings for her, though. But that day had been particularly different. Elena was arguing with a boy, a seventh year Slytherin. Henry Francis. Athos knew very well about their history. He felt like a thirteen year old girl who couldn't contain the jealousy. It was extremely embarrassing. Soon after their not-so-fascinating screams and shouts, she sped off. Athos could hear her friends contemplating who would go after her. Neither really wanted to be around her when she was fuming with anger.
"Maybe you should go, Athos. You're the one who's practically in love with her." Sirius teased.

That happened to be one of the brightest things his friend had ever said to him.

He assumed that, in reality, he knew exactly why he was speeding after her and heading towards the Forbidden Forest. He only wished she had a better choice for a hideout. He figured she'd probably realised he was going after her, especially when she started moving faster.
"Wait!" He called out.
He also guessed that maybe she'd imagined it would be someone else following her. He came to that conclusion when she spun round and stared at him, confused.
"Athos? What are you doing out here? What do you want? I'm in a foul mood at the moment and it's not a pretty sight." She said, turning on her heels and heading deeper into the forest.
"You're always a pretty sight." He replied, innocently. Then he realised the words that had come out of his mouth. It was too late to take them back now, the best thing he could do was play along. "Besides, I can't let you go into the forest alone. My parents taught me how to be a gentleman."

When she turned round again, there was no smirk, no angry glare... There was a smile. A genuine smile. Something he rarely saw.

If it were possible, he'd fallen even deeper in love.

The moment would've been perfect, if only a centaur hadn't decided to interrupt them. It came, running and bellowing, towards them. His weapon ready for action. He was demanding why there were present in his forest. He was out for the kill. Elena was right in the creature's path. Athos did the only thing he could think of, and before he knew it, he was the one standing before the centaur.

x.x

"Athos Andrew Selwyn, you stupid creature, wake up!"
"Shut up, James, he might have a headache."
"Shut up yourself, Sirius!"

"W-where a-am I?" Athos mumbled. He slowly opened his eyes to find his three best friends hovering over him. Peter was slumped on a stool.
"Glad to see you're alive, mate! Don't you ever scare us like that again, or I'll be the one killing you." James grinned.
"What were you thinking? That creature could've killed you! How does someone, as smart as you, head into the Forbidden Forest without a wand?" Sirius rolled his eyes.
"You're lucky we went after you." Remus smiled.
"Where's Elena?" Athos asked, his eyes suddenly widening.
"Christ, is she all you ever think about?" Sirius huffed.
"You've got it bad, mate." James smirked.
"Athos! Thank goodness you're alright!" Rebecca called out. She ran towards him and practically threw herself into his arms. "You had me so worried!"
"Forget that, Becky, he only wants to know about Graham." James teased. Athos rolled his eyes.
"Oh... Well, she's in the Great Hall... With Henry." Rebecca frowned – and Athos had the same reaction.

Athos tried his very best to ignore Elena's presence after that. He'd risked his life to save her but was still unnoticed. Or so he thought...

"Are you suddenly avoiding me?" She smirked.
"I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate having me around." He mumbled.
"I don't have a boyfriend. Not for now at least. It depends on how things go after our date." She smiled.
"D-date?" His eyes widened.
"You saved my life, Selwyn, the least I could do is go out with you."

"Well, you finally got what you wanted." Peter grinned.
"Let us know if she's good." Sirius wriggled his eyebrows.
"Just be yourself and stay away from danger." Remus nodded.

x.x

After his first Hogsmede weekend, all the older students knew of Athos Andrew Selwyn – the third year that snogged the sixth year. He'd go down in history, at least that's what James and Sirius both thought.

Elena had approached him during breakfast that Saturday morning, with an unreadable look on her face. She didn't exactly acknowledge the other boys; her main focus was solely Athos.
"I promised you a date, so you'll be spending time with me in Hogsmede today. I'm leaving in ten minutes, so I suggest you hurry up."
And with that, she spun round and headed down the Great Hall. James and Sirius rolled their eyes. They still couldn't understand what Athos saw in her. Once again, Remus was the only one willing to give her a chance.
"Maybe she really is misunderstood." Remus shrugged.
"I really don't like her." James huffed. "Can't you at least consider Becky? I'm positive she likes you back."
"No she doesn't." Athos laughed – as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

The trip to Hogsmede was quite uneventful. Elena never started a conversation, meaning it was all up to Athos – but he was a complete nervous wreck and barely managed to focus on two words. He'd been learning a few things from his friends lately, especially since they all know about his issues in full detail, but it was still hard. Luckily for him, however, things took a turn once they'd arrived.
"Wow..." Was the first thing Athos said.
"It's quite pretty over here. I could use a butterbeer first, before I show you around. Come on." Elena said, dragging him toward a place called The Three Broomsticks.

It was basically a pub. Though, the butterbeers weren't alcoholic. Athos almost felt grown up at the thought of drinking something with the word 'beer' in it, but he refrained himself on making such a comment. He had to be a mature thirteen – going on fourteen – year old boy.
"So... Are you usually into younger boys?" Athos asked. He didn't mean for the smirk to appear on his face, but he couldn't help it.
"Not really, just you." Elena smirked back. "You're different, Athos. There's something about you – something I find quite interesting."
"R-really?" Athos nearly choked on his 'beer'. "W-well... I-"
"You do need to work on your nerves, though. It's sweet at first, but after a while it just makes me wonder whether or not you'd be able to handle a real relationship." Elena said. Athos nearly choked again.
"I can handle a real relationship." He muttered. He could feel his cheeks going bright red already.
"You're cute." Elena smiled. "In all honesty, I just agreed to this because you saved my life – and because I'm aware of your crush. It's a little too obvious sometimes."
"Oh..." Athos said – cheeks definitely bright red.
"Normally I wouldn't go out with someone younger than me, especially not three years younger. But – hey – change is good, right? I like change." She smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Athos finally decided to start another topic.
"Do you know what you want to do for your N.E.W.T.s next year?" Athos asked curiously.
"Yes and no... What I want to do doesn't require an N.E.W.T.s qualification. So I'll be going for auror, because I know I won't fail, but I don't plan on making a career out of it." Elena nodded and drowned her butterbeer.
"Well, what do you want to do then?" Athos asked, still curious.
"That's for me to know..." She paid the bartender. "And for you to find out. Come on, we haven't got all day"

It proved to be quite hard for Athos to choose his favourite place in Hogsmede. He'd spotted his friends enjoying themselves at Zonko's and led Elena that way. She didn't seem to mind.
"Snogged her yet?" Sirius asked as soon as he was certain Elena was stuck in deep conversation with her friends.
"No!" Athos replied, incredulously.
"Well what are you waiting for?" Sirius huffed.
"Becky's here, just so you know." James said, wriggling his eyebrows. Athos shook his head and rolled his eyes. Rebecca James didn't like him in that way.
"Come on, Athos. You still need to go see the Shrieking Shack." Elena called from the door.
"Go on, mate, mummy's calling." James teased as he pushed Athos toward the sixth year.

"They say it's haunted." Elena beamed as they approached the very haunted looking, crooked building.
"Are we even allowed to be here?" Athos asked, worriedly.
"No... But who cares? I'm a prefect and soon-to-be Head Girl. I can be here if I want to be." Elena smirked. "Unless you're scared."
"I'm not scared of a haunted house." Athos frowned. However as soon as Elena had managed to push open the wooden door, Athos recognized the place. No wonder people thought it was haunted. It was where his friend came every once in a while – of course, he wasn't about to let Elena know it.
"Well... I know it's not impressive, but it does send a few shivers down your spine, doesn't it?" Elena grinned.
"I guess." Athos shrugged. He tried to look at least a little interested, but there was really nothing scary about the place – aside from the fact that he was nearly killed by one of his best friends.
"You should've seen Henry in here... He almost fainted-" Elena silenced herself when she noticed the younger boy roll his eyes. Perhaps mentioning her previous boyfriend wasn't the best of ideas. She wasn't sure how long she was going to prolong her situation with Athos, but she wanted to make the most of it. "Come on, let's get out of here."

It was right in front of The Three Broomsticks that Elena decided to end their date. She silently figured he'd want to spend at least a little time with his friends outside the castle. She hadn't intended on a few teachers witnessing, but she truthfully didn't care. Professor McGonagall wasn't exactly pleased when she saw it –

Athos gave his friends a short wave and turned to say goodbye to Elena. She, on the other hand, grabbed him by his dark brown jacket and locked her lips on his –

"Oh-my-God!" James gaped.
"DON'T FORGET YOUR TONGUE!" Sirius screamed.
All the students had different reactions – some were amazed, others were shocked, and most of the boys were just jealous. Sirius simply couldn't contain his excitement.
"Look at him! Our boy's a man!" Sirius said, wiping away a fake tear.
"Doesn't seem like everyone's happy about it, though." Remus said, nodding toward a very upset looking Rebecca James. The young girl spun round and took off down Hogsmede.
"I've got this." James nodded.
"Just don't say anything stupid!" Remus called out to James as he ran after Rebecca.

x.x

It took James a while, but he managed to find Rebecca sitting in front of a closed shop's window. Judging by the name, James figured it sold gowns, shoes and other girly things.
"Go away, James. I'm not in the mood." Rebecca sniffed.
"I knew it!" James exclaimed, ignoring her previous words. "I tried telling him, you know? He just wouldn't believe it. But it's obvious... I see the way you look at him."
"If you're here to tease me, then-"
"I'm annoying, but not that much." James said, rolling his eyes. "You'll be alright, though. It's just a stupid crush – and she is three years older. It's not like they'll be together forever or anything."
"You don't know that." Rebecca frowned.
"I do know that. I don't like her. Do you really think I'm gonna allow this to continue on for too long?" James grinned.
"Why don't you like her?" Rebecca asked, confused. Everyone liked her – even those who didn't.
"I don't know. I can't explain it... There's just something about her." James frowned slightly. "Don't you ever get the feeling she's about to do something evil, or something?"
"Always." Rebecca smiled slightly. "I almost thought she had him under a spell, but that didn't make much sense. What would she want with a thirteen year old boy?"
"Yeah... Not much." James chuckled.
"Are you sure it won't last? He practically drools over her." Rebecca said. James noticed the almost desperate look in her eyes. He would've teased her for it, but decided not to.
"Positive." He nodded.

"James, Becky!" Athos called out, as he ran toward them.
"Done snogging, I assume." Rebecca muttered, rolling her eyes. Athos didn't hear her, though.
"The boys want to know if we're leaving now or waiting a while longer." Athos said, breathlessly.
"Depends..." James shrugged. "Did Elena and her friends leave yet?"
"No... They stay out longer." Athos said, not understanding what Elena to do with anything. Rebecca raised an eyebrow at James.
"Cool... Well, let's get back then. The five of us – and Becky – can hang out in the common room or something." James grinned.
"Sounds good to me, you in?" Athos said, now turning toward Rebecca. She had to force herself not to blush.
"S-sure... Sounds good." She laughed, nervously.

x.x

Much to everyone's displeasure – including Remus – Athos's relationship with Elena only progressed. He was madly in love with the sixth year Slytherin and she too seemed quite smitten with him. Her friends were beyond disgusted by the situation. Athos had heard their constant complaints many times, but it never truly bothered him. Professor McGonagall was also one to frown, especially when Elena would roughly grab Athos in the hallway and snog him senseless. Athos was better than ever. Being in a relationship allowed him to learn more about himself and about his emotions. One day, he'd marry Elena, he'd have a great job at the Ministry, they'd have two or three children, a few pets, and they'd be together forever. One big happy family. The thought put a grin on his face – but he couldn't say the same about his friends.
"Don't you think you should slow down a little? You're just fourteen... What if something happened?" James asked. He sounded quite concerned, which was quite rare coming from James.
"What could happen, James?" Athos asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you know... I'm not stupid, Athos. I know what you two are doing." James rolled his eyes and sighed. "You know the spell, right?"
"Yes, James." Athos sighed.
"Well... Good... Just never forget to use it."

Athos didn't say anything to James, partially because it would've been completely useless, but he hadn't done that with Elena. At least not yet. She'd been giving him a few signals lately, but he was still learning what they all meant. She was older than him – it was quite likely she'd done something with her previous boyfriend before. This only made him more nervous. He considered getting some experience beforehand, but soon mentally scolded himself for thinking such nonsense. Not only would it be ridiculous, but he was in a school. It's not like he'd find any help there.

Remus and Sirius tried to get him attracted to Becky more often. Athos still insisted Becky had no such feelings for him, he was certain of it. He loved Becky – but as a friend, a sister, like he loved all his friends. However his friend's persistence made him wonder at times. One Saturday night, after a long day spent with Elena and her annoying sixth year friends at Hogsmede, Athos found himself contemplating everything in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room.
"What's wrong?" Remus sighed. He was pulling an all-nighter, hoping to catch up on his Potions homework.
"Nothing." Athos mumbled.
"Something's obviously wrong. Is it Elena? Did she do something?" Remus asked. Athos never understood why his friends were always so concerned whenever they referred to Elena. She was harmless.
"No... It's got nothing to do with her." Athos said, poking the carpet. "This is all your fault, you know? Yours and Sirius's... And James's too."
"We didn't do anything." Remus said. He got up from his spot at the desk and sat down next to his friend on the floor.
"You keep talking about Becky all the time, but she doesn't like me – not in that way, at least. And now... Now I'm stuck here thinking about what it would be like to kiss Becky. But I shouldn't, because I'm dating Elena, right?"
"Wow..." Remus breathed out, doing his best to suppress a grin. "Well, I don't know Athos. Do you really think this whole thing with Elena will last? She's older than you... And this time next year, she'll be focusing on her final moments in Hogwarts."
"Yeah... But..." Athos sighed. "I still blame you three for all this."
"We'll take all the blame, we don't mind." Remus smiled. "Perhaps you should consider the idea then? It wouldn't hurt to experiment."
Athos snorted and rolled his eyes at Remus.

x.x

James being on the Gryffindor team meant many victories for Gryffindor. They hadn't won the Quidditch cup the previous year, but they got very close. However, this time they were on a roll. Last time, the seeker had been too quick to catch the Snitch, resulting in Gryffindor winning the match but not the cup. However, they were much more prepared this year. Gryffindor smashed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff in their previous games, and now Slytherin was the only team left. The seeker was reminded, by James and the Team Captain, more than once that he should wait until Gryffindor was exactly one hundred points up, before catching the Snitch. It would be a challenge, but they'd have to pull through.
"COME ON JAMES! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Sirius bellowed in the crowd.

James managed to score many times for Gryffindor, sometimes even without much effort. He was a natural on the field. He even managed to get the Slytherin seeker confused, and once Gryffindor had scored exactly one hundred and thirty points, James signalled the team's Seeker – who perfectly found and caught the Snitch with a single hand.

Gryffindor partied until eight in the morning.

x.x

Fourth Year (1974/1975)
The ride to Hogwarts was a silent one. Athos had found some very interesting and useful books hidden in one of his father's locked cabinets. He'd accidently recently overheard his grandmother talking about how insignificant magic wasn't traced by the ministry and knowing this, he took the opportunity to take these said books. They were all about Animagus and Animagi transformations – and they were much more complete than the ones in Athos's home library. Even Remus was quite interested in the books; if this was going to happen he wanted to make sure they did everything accurately.

After two hours of constant silence, aside from the noise of pages turning and five boys breathing, James slammed his book shut and groaned loudly.
"This is fantastic stuff, mate, but if I read anything else my head will explode."
"That would be quite a sight." Remus grinned. James rolled his eyes at him.
The only one that seemed slightly out of it all was Sirius. Athos had noticed his good friend had been in a bad mood ever since they got on the train. He hadn't bothered to come up with a smart remark since, not even when Lily and Severus passed by their compartment. Athos sighed and also closed his book. Sirius wasn't one to keep quiet and it was bothering him.
"What's wrong?" He asked, nudging Sirius's arm.
"Nothing. I'm trying to find something useful in this boring book." Sirius huffed.
"There are loads of useful things in there. It's 'The Big Book of Animagi'. What's wrong?" Athos asked again.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" James said, leaning forward and showing interest. Remus and Peter also looked up. Athos knew Sirius was much like him at times like these – he hated having everyone staring at him and waiting for him to speak. It was extremely nerve wrecking.
"Nothing." Sirius sighed and scratched his head. Athos suddenly wondered if Sirius was ever going to properly cut his wild hair – or at least brush it.
"Bullshit." James smirked. Remus gave him a look – the one a parent would give their child after cursing.
"It's just my parents. They're being pricks as always." Sirius said, waving a hand as if to say it meant nothing. However, they all knew how Sirius felt about his parents and his family.
"It's us again, isn't it?" Peter asked, frowning slightly.
"I don't care what they say." Sirius shrugged.
"We'll show them someday." James grinned, proudly.

x.x

Elena managed to pull Athos out of his group of friends that Friday afternoon. She had a free period and all Potions classes had been cancelled because Professor Slughorn had an important family occasion. Elena wondered if it was a death or a marriage. Without dwelling much, she dragged Athos down to one of the Herbology greenhouses – whichever one that had something hysterically loud in it. She wasn't going to wait any longer. She was almost desperate. Athos was three years younger than her, but she didn't care. Love knew no age. And now... Now they were the same height. He'd finally caught up. She couldn't help but smirk when she noticed. Six weeks apart definitely had its advantages. Her parents already knew of him and it didn't bother her – much – that his didn't know about her. It was almost as though he was waiting for something to happen before telling his family. They would be proud of him, Elena had no doubt of it. She was a well established, pure-blood witch, with rich and respectable parents. What more could he want? He was already in love with her.

And so, she pulled him into the greenhouse. He looked around for a short moment before she pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. He wouldn't escape her – not this time.

"That-" Athos panted "was..."
"Fantastic." Elena smiled. She sat up and watched as her magnificent boyfriend reached out for his clothes and began redressing himself. "I want children someday, just so you know."
Athos froze for a slight moment. He hadn't expected to hear that. Yes, he wanted children too – but someday. Someday far away – perhaps in around ten years or so. He was still fourteen; he had plenty of time to think about it.
"Yeah... Me too..." He managed to choke out.
"I'm just letting you know now, in case you feel like running." Elena smirked. "I know you won't, though. I know you. You're a family man. How many? Two... Three?"
"Two sounds good." Athos smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure why, but the conversation was making him feel quite nervous.
"I'd prefer three." Elena said, sticking out her tongue.
"I don't mind." Athos shrugged.
"We need to do this more often, okay? Especially now that I'm certain you're capable of doing it." Elena teased.
"I always knew I was capable." Athos said, rolling his eyes. "I really need to go now, though. I'll try to sneak out later."
"Get the cloak from James." Elena smirked.

x.x

"Don't you dare avoid me James Potter, I know that you know what I would like to know." Rebecca said, irritably. She'd been trying to reach James since the fourth floor, but he'd sped off faster than a bolt of lightning.
"I have no idea what you're on about." James said, nonchalantly.
"If you tell me, I'll give you some advice on how to get Lily's attention." Rebecca smirked. That hit him in the best spot. James stopped his tracks, almost instantly, and turned to face the short Ravenclaw.
"How so?"
"I asked you first." Rebecca frowned.
"Fine..." James sighed and rubbed his earlobe. "As much as I hate to say this, or even think about it, or remember how giddy he was when he told us-"
"Get to the point, James." Rebecca spat.
"Yes... They... Did... They... You know." James said, with a few indecent hand gestures. Rebecca took a deep and shaky breath. James silently hoped she wouldn't start crying in front of him. The last thing he needed was a sobbing girl clinging to his school robes.
"James! Hurry up; we're going to be late!" Sirius called out as he ran toward the two. He spotted Rebecca's frown and raised an eyebrow. Sirius being his usual self just couldn't resist the chance to comment. "I'm guessing she knows Athos and Elena had sex last night."
"Shut up." James muttered, elbowing Sirius in the ribs.
"Wait – LAST NIGHT?" Rebecca shrieked, horrified. "I thought it was during the free period. At least that's what everyone's been saying-"
"Both." Sirius nodded, earning yet another nudge in the ribs. And then, much to James's displeasure, Becky latched herself onto him and sobbed into his school robes.

x.x

It was quite surprising how fast Halloween arrived. Professor McGonagall had eagerly entered the Gryffindor common room, two weeks prior, and told them all about the big Halloween party they'd have. Needless to say, the entire school were anxiously preparing for the magnificent night. To make things even better, it was a masquerade ball.
"Masquerade? It's supposed to be Halloween, not a gala event." James huffed – he was having a hard time finding the perfect mask.
Professor McGonagall had also asked every student to not arrive with a date; they would ask their desired ones to dance on the day.

"I won't be going." Elena said, as she buttoned up her white school shirt.
"What? Why not? You have to go, it's your last year and everyone's going." Athos said, quite surprised by her sudden words.
"I've got something important to take care of back at home, I might be back in time to spend the night with you, of course, but I'll have to miss the ball." She said, shrugging a little.
"What am I supposed to do all night?" Athos said, mostly to himself.
"Go with that friend of yours... What's her name? The mudblood-"
"Don't call her that." Athos frowned, instantly.
"I call them as I see them." Elena smirked. Athos's frown deepened and his picked himself off the ground. He loved her, he really did, but he wouldn't allow her to speak of his friend in such manner. He finished putting his clothes back on without saying a word. "Oh come now, you're not going to get upset over a little name calling, are you?"
"I don't find it funny, Elena."
"She is a mudblood. There's nothing I can do about it." Elena rolled her eyes.
"She's muggleborn. It's different. Besides, all wizard families have muggles in them nowadays. No one's truly pure anymore." Athos said, knowingly. He'd heard the endless whispers about someone in his family betraying the Slytherin name by giving birth to a halfblood.
"Well, well... Our first fight." Elena smirked.
"It doesn't have to be." Athos sighed.
"Who cares? Make up sex is always the best kind."

"I'm surprised you told me and not Remus." Sirius said. Athos had found him as soon as he reached the castle; he'd been moping around the hallways after receiving a rather disturbing letter from his parents. Athos had asked him about it, but he was quick to push it aside. He then noticed Athos's bad mood, and that was when they started talking.
"I found you first, remember?" Athos smirked and Sirius chuckled.
"Well, Elena comes from a traditional pureblood family. They're all like my parents. They don't get that it's wrong to call muggleborn's 'mudbloods' and there's really no point in explaining it to them. You'll either have to accept that about her, or consider James's idea."
"Becky doesn't like me in that way." Athos groaned.
"You are so blind sometimes." Sirius grinned. "She likes you, a lot. I bet she likes you more than Elena does."
"As a friend, sure." Athos rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Ask her to dance at the masquerade ball and you'll see." Sirius nodded.

x.x

"I look like a freak!" Peter squeaked. James bit his lip and tried his best not to burst into a fit of laughter.
Peter Pettigrew had no idea how to choose dress robes, therefore he asked his aunt to pick something out for him and send it. It was the most hideous thing the boy's had ever seen. The trousers were too short, the shirt was too big and frilly, and it looked to be over a hundred years old.
"Don't forget your mask." Sirius teased, holding up a big, red mask, loaded with sequins and feathers.
"It's not too bad." Remus lied.
"You'll definitely be the centre of attention with that thing." Athos nodded. James couldn't hold it in any longer. With those words said, Potter fell onto his bed it a fit of laughter, clutching his side and rolling around on the blankets.

The other four boys had been lucky enough to have decent clothes. Peter watched them in disgust as they got ready. Sirius had brushed and tied his hair; James had ruffled his, making it look a little less messy; Remus neatly brushed his hair and was possibly the one that looked the nicest out of all of them; and finally Athos was feeling like a girl – he was complaining about his dark curls, how they were all over the place.
"Are you sure you have nothing I could borrow?" Peter asked them, for the thousandth time that evening.
"Remus borrowed mine." Athos muttered, as he still tried to brush his curls away from his face.
"Sirius and I only have these things." James said, as he tied up Sirius's bow tie.
"Really, Peter, no one will notice." Remus said, hoping it would make his friend feel the least bit better.
"Yes they will." Sirius smirked. Peter huffed in annoyance and left the room.
"I give up." Athos said, dropping the brush.

All the students gathered together in the Great Hall. Everyone looked fantastic. The girls wore beautiful gowns and the boys looked rather neat. It was hard to tell everyone apart with all the masks, but there were a few obvious ones – for example, Lily Evans and her silver knee-length dress; and Becky with a long, baby blue dress. Professor Dumbledore pulled Professor McGonagall to the dance floor and that was all the students needed to get started. Before they knew it, dozens of couples were seen spinning around the dance floor. Athos, James, Sirius and Remus looked pretty much the same – black dress robes, black bow ties, white buttoned shirt, black shoes and a simple black mask.
"Alright boys, I'm going to get to Lily before Snape does." James grinned. Before anyone could answer, James glided over to the red head and reached out a hand. Much to everyone's surprise, Lily accepted his proposal and the two headed off to the dance floor.
"It's about time he got what he wanted." Sirius smirked.

Rebecca James spotted Athos as soon as he walked in with his friends. She watched as they waited for the older students to get started. She watched as James pulled Lily away. She continued to watch as they stood there, like statues, waiting for something to happen. She knew Elena wouldn't be there – what was she waiting for? She simply stared when the handsome fourteen year old detached himself from his friends and slowly made his way over. She froze when she realised she was now looking into hazel-green eyes.
"Er... Do you... Maybe... Well, I don't want to spend all night with the boys so..."
"I'd love to." She grinned.
James gave her a little smirk when he saw Athos pulling her toward the dance floor. Of course he'd stay close to his best friend, it was a comfort thing. Soon both Sirius and Remus joined them on the dance floor with two Hufflepuff third years. She felt quite bad for Peter, who was completely left out and too shy to walk up to anyone, but her main focus was Athos. He was a fantastic dancer. He'd seemed slightly taller since the last time she saw him, and it hadn't been that long ago. Whatever perfume he was wearing only added to his perfection. She was in a complete daze throughout the entire song – and then it ended.
"We should all get something to drink, Peter's looking depressed." James said to their little group. Everyone agreed.

"I'm surprised James asked me to dance." Lily said, with a shy smile on her face.
"I thought you'd be here with Severus." Rebecca said.
"He didn't want to come. He's not a big fan of these social events. You should see how moody he gets during Christmas dinners." Lily grinned. "But I'm really surprised with James... Never expected this of him."
"Yeah..."
"And isn't Athos dating that seventh year girl?" Lily asked, curiously.
"He is, but she also isn't here. I don't know why." Rebecca shrugged.
"I don't like her that much. She comes off a bit... Weird. It's almost like she's just waiting to do something bad." Lily said, with a little shiver.
"That's more or less what James told me." Rebecca said, in a teasing tone. Lily blushed instantly.

"If you don't snog her by the end of the night, I'll kill you." Sirius grinned.
"Shut up." James rolled his eyes, but they all knew he was thinking it too.
"Elena said she'd be back later." Athos said, looking around the Great Hall.
"Would you just forget her for one night? Becky's having a good time with you and we all saw the stupid grin on your face while you two were dancing." Sirius said, nudging Athos in the back and almost making him drop his drink.
"I was grinning because we were talking." Athos said, rolling his eyes.
"You were grinning because deep down, you know you like her as more than a friend." James smirked.
"I... That's not true." Athos muttered.
"Yes, it is. Look, this is Elena's last year at Hogwarts, she's going to meet new people and you'll have Becky. So just give in and be happy." James grinned.
"Make you happy, you mean." Athos raised an eyebrow.
"We can't help it, we all like Becky better." Sirius nodded.

"You like him, don't you?" Lily asked.
"W-what?" Rebecca asked, coughing slightly.
"Athos... You like him, don't you?" Lily repeated.
"Well, yeah... We're friends so-"
"You keep looking over at him, and you've got this dreamy look on your face. I don't blame you, he's gorgeous!" Lily grinned. "You should give it a shot."
"What about Elena?" Rebecca asked.
"What about her? She'll be gone next year and you'll have him all to yourself. Besides, it's almost as if you two were made for each other." Lily smiled.
"What about you and James? Are you going to let him kiss you or something?" Rebecca asked, smirking a little.
"Well... I might..." Lily blushed.

The ball went on for hours. Peter gave up at around two in the morning and retreated back to Gryffindor tower. Remus was caught in a corner with the third year Hufflepuff a few times, but his friends were kind enough not to tease him then and there. At three in the morning, Lily gave James a kiss on the cheek and bid him goodnight. After a few whispers and nudges, James ran over to Lily and gave her a proper kiss on the lips. She was surprised by the action, but she returned the kiss nonetheless. Sirius and Athos high-fived and suppressed the urge to cheer loudly. James, Sirius and Remus talked endlessly until four-thirty in the morning, when Remus yawned and decided it was time for bed. Athos and Rebecca were still dancing, along with a few of the older students.
"This was the best day ever at this school" Rebecca said, as she rested her head on Athos's chest. She loved the fact that he was much taller now.
"Yeah, it has." He replied. He had his chin on top of her head. He couldn't help but think about what his friends had said to him. What if Elena was just a crush and he liked Becky more?
"You sound sleepy. Do you want to leave?" Rebecca said, looking up at him. Athos stared down at her bright green orbs and smiled.
"No... It's-"

"Hope I'm not interrupting."
Rebecca nearly squealed and pulled away instantly. Standing before her, in a very short and tight black dress – which was possibly worth a lot more than her blue one – was Elena Graham. The seventeen year old was in fact beautiful and had an envious figure, but Rebecca couldn't understand it. Were boys always like this? Would they always go for looks over personality?
"He's all yours." Rebecca said, nervously. She could feel the blush forming.
"Well, thank you for taking good care of him. You may leave now, though. He and I have some unfinished business to attend to." Elena smirked.
"I was actually thinking about retiring to bed." Athos said. Rebecca glanced up at him for a moment. Were they in a fight?
"I told you before..." Elena said, as she approached him and ran her finger across his lips – making Rebecca extremely uncomfortable. "Make up sex is always the best."

x.x

James and Sirius were outside, by the lake, focusing solely on their Animagus training. So far, the only one who had any progress was Sirius. He managed to grow a tail and get his backside back to normal at his own will. James was almost certain his Animagus was a dog. James was fully concentrated and certain he'd get it right, when Sirius gave him the signal to stop. Someone was coming. With a very big frown on his face, James stared out into the lake and acted as normal as possible.
"Sirius, do you know where your friend Athos Selwyn is?" Narcissa Black, Sirius's cousin, asked.
"What are you doing here, Cissy? I thought you finished last year." Sirius said.
"I'm here on behalf of a friend. Could you give this to Athos, please?" Narcissa said, holding out a white envelope. Sirius raised an eyebrow at her and took the letter into his hands.
"Why didn't an owl send it, like any normal letter?" James asked, once Narcissa had headed back up to the castle.
"No idea... Come on, let's go find him. I'm feeling curious." Sirius grinned.

Athos was in the common room, with Remus and Peter. They too were trying to focus on their Animagus studies, but Athos was finding it much harder than he expected to. He wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to go through with this.
"It uses up a lot of energy. You two should rest for a while." Remus said. Athos simply huffed in response.
James and Sirius burst into the common room, waving the letter around like two crazy people. Remus stared at them, curiously. Athos and Peter looked exhausted and couldn't be bothered to look up at their two friends.
"This is for you, mate." James said, breathlessly.
"Cissy asked us to hand it in." Sirius added.
"Cissy?" Remus asked, confused.
"As in Narcissa, your cousin?" Athos asked, perking up slightly. James and Sirius nodded in unison. "Do you suppose this has anything to do with Elena's sudden disappearance?"
"What?" Remus asked, still confused.
"I haven't seen her since Halloween." Athos mumbled, quite irritably, and took the letter into his hands.

To my dear Athos,
I have no easy way of telling you, but believe me when I say that I have no other choice. I am leaving Hogwarts. I have other things to take care of and I am uncertain of when I will see you again. I am sorry for not telling you in person, but it would have been much harder. I want you to focus on your studies because next year you have your O.W.L.s. I know you'll ace them, but even still...
Perhaps we'll meet again soon, but until then I send you all my love.
Elena.

Athos wasn't sure how to react to those words. Why would she leave so suddenly? Why wouldn't she let him know personally? She had Narcissa Black hand the letter to her cousin instead. With an irritated huff, he picked himself up and left the common room.

"Should we read it?" Peter asked, eyeing the letter that Athos had let fall to the floor. James sighed and picked it up. He read through it much faster than Athos had, and his friends watched as his eyes widened.
"Elena... She's gone."
"Gone where?" Remus asked, worriedly.
"It doesn't say." James said, reading through it again.
"He's probably pissed." Sirius sighed and sat down where Athos once was.

x.x

December 10th 1974 – Athos's fifteenth birthday. However, he wasn't in the mood for celebration. His friends had kept him fully concentrated on Animagi studies ever since he'd read Elena's letter, but it only did so much. Rebecca had been sympathetic. Athos enjoyed his time spent with his good friend; she somehow made him think of everything but Elena leaving. He knew she would've left either way once the school year was over, but then it would be over. He'd be aware of that. She hadn't even said goodbye –
"Stop it." Rebecca warned. "You're going to that state of mind again. It's your birthday today and you deserve to be happy at fifteen."
"Two more years and then I'll be allowed to use magic outside school" Athos sighed, hoping to find something good about the day.
"I can only imagine the things you and the boys will do once you're of age." Rebecca smirked. "Come on, we've got things to do."

James and Sirius had invaded the kitchens and attempted to bake a birthday cake – the results were tragic. Eggs ended up on the floor and walls, the two were completely covered in flour, their made-from-scratch cake mix was everywhere but in the bowl, and they managed to set fire to the oven as the cake baked. One of the house elves had summoned Professor McGonagall, who scolded the two boys and gave them detention.

"You got detention for setting fire to a cake?" Athos said, holding in his laughter.
"You two could've seriously hurt yourselves!" Lily said, as she walked into the common room. "Happy birthday, Athos. I hope you're feeling better."
"Much." Athos nodded.
"Hey – Lily... We should hang out sometime." James grinned and wriggled his eyebrows. Lily rolled his eyes at him and proceeded upstairs. "She wants me."
"Of course she does." Sirius smirked, teasingly.
"She does." James said, glaring at Sirius.
"We should do something tonight." Athos said, changing the subject before James and Sirius started bickering.
"I can't." Remus frowned.
"Oh... Well... We'll do something when you get back then." Athos smiled.
"We'll keep practicing so we can join you, okay?" James said, reassuringly.

x.x

On the last day of school, before Christmas break, Athos received another letter from Elena. This time she'd made her owl wait at his window for him to wake up. Remus was the one who noticed and told him. James and Sirius started telling him that perhaps it was best not read it, or send it back – though, Athos barely understood them when they were talking too fast.

His friends held their breaths as he opened the letter, read through it and remained in complete silence.
"Well?" Remus was the first to speak.
"Oh... It's nothing of importance." Athos said, shrugging slightly. He scrunched the letter up and tossed it into the fire, making sure it was perfectly burnt before he left the room.
"He seems calm." Peter squeaked.
"Too calm." Sirius said, thoughtfully.
"He's lying again." James frowned.

"Mr. Selwyn! Get inside, this instant! It's pouring!" Professor McGonagall called out. Athos ignored her completely. He didn't care if he got into trouble for it – and he probably would, seeing as it was nearing curfew. He'd spent the entire day outside, skipping breakfast, lunch and dinner. He'd only eaten an apple all day. He hadn't remained in the same spot, however. He'd made sure to keep moving, avoiding all his friends and everyone he knew to be in the fourth year. "Mr. Selwyn, I am talking to you. Get inside this instant!"
He didn't realise Professor McGonagall had bothered to walk up to him – in the pouring rain. He looked up at her angered face and rolled his eyes. Professor McGonagall was shocked at his disrespectful behaviour. He decided it wasn't best to push his luck with her.
"Sorry, Professor. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."
"Get inside, Athos." She sighed, holding out a hand to help him up.

For some unknown reason, McGonagall decided to accompany him back to Gryffindor tower. He suspected she wanted to make sure he wouldn't take any detours. It felt quite strange to be treated as a troublemaker, that spot was usually reserved for either James or Sirius.
"Make sure you get a nice hot bath as soon as you get inside." McGonagall said, after a long moment of silence. Athos nodded. "What is it that's going through your mind anyway?"
"Is there any way I could finish school early?" He asked suddenly, making McGonagall stop in her tracks and stare at him curiously.
"Why would you want to finish school early, Athos?"
"I... I just have a few things to take care of and they don't include Hogwarts." Athos said, avoiding eye contact.
"I... Mr. Selwyn, I suggest you head back to Gryffindor tower. I... I must go see Professor Dumbledore about something. We'll talk about this later."
Athos stared back at McGonagall, surprised. He silently watched as she quickly glided toward the nearest staircase and disappeared from view. He closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the sound of rain. He wasn't ready to head back. Not yet.

"Immobilus!"
Athos sat underneath the Whomping Willow and soaked up the rain. He was aware that it wasn't the best of decisions to sit under a tree during rain, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He wanted to cry. He kicked the grass and pulled his knees to his chest. It was dreadfully ironic – he wanted to know why Elena left him without saying goodbye and now he knew. He wished he didn't know. He wished they hadn't met. He tried to think where it went wrong. He'd been careful. He knew everything there was to know about being careful. He didn't forget – aside from their second time after the Halloween ball.

Make up sex was definitely not the best.

x.x

"Where is that twat? He's never late for anything." Sirius groaned, impatiently.
"I'm certain he's got a good reason for avoiding us all day, Sirius." Remus sighed.
"He better have. He just walked away when we saw him." Sirius huffed, irritably.
"He probably got lost in the greenhouse." James smirked.
"That would be more accurate if his girlfriend was still at Hogwarts." Remus stated.
"He could be with someone else. It's unlikely that he and Elena will last." Sirius said, rolling his eyes. James and Remus raised an eyebrow at him.
"What makes you say that?" Peter asked, curiously. Sirius sighed. The day after the ball he'd seen Elena being a little too nice to her classmate, Timothy. He wasn't sure how far they were going to take things but it didn't look too good.
"I think she screwed around with-"

Sirius never got a chance to express his thoughts toward Elena Graham. At that very moment, a shaken, soaking wet, tearful and desperate Athos entered the common room. The four boys jumped up instantly, fearing the worst.
"What happened to you?" James exclaimed.
"Why are you wet?" Sirius wondered.
"I-it's... Rain... Raining... Outside."
"Calm down, mate, just tell us what's wrong. Does this have anything to do with Elena's letter this morning?" James said, trying his best to hold the boy up. Athos' breath was shallow and quick. He was hyperventilating. Remus cautiously rubbed circles on his friend's back, hoping it would calm him. It didn't. Athos broke down in even more tears.
"Please don't tell me you've killed someone." Sirius sighed.
"Now isn't the time for jokes, Sirius." Remus glared.
"Listen to me; we can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong." James said, kneeling down and grabbing Athos by the shoulders, shaking him into reality.

"E... E-Elena... Pregnant..."

x.x

James rarely thought it was necessary to get teachers involved in personal matters, no matter how much they all insisted they would always be around to help. However, he had been the first to drag Athos out of Gryffindor tower. Filch had quickly spotted them and was just about ready to write them a detention.
"We need to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately." James said, with a firm grip on his sobbing friend.
"What's going on over here?" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the corridor. "I thought I told you to return to-"
"It's urgent, Professor." James said, almost desperately.
James hadn't expected, however, to be surrounded by more than one teacher. He was certain McGonagall would've stayed, being the Head of their house and a curious woman, but seeing Slughorn and Flitwick made even him feel nervous. Athos was in for it – and it wasn't even entirely his fault. There was something inside him, screaming in his head, telling him that there was more to this. This wasn't Athos's fault.
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Mr. Selwyn?" Dumbledore asked. He didn't seem too pleased. Athos couldn't speak, so he simply nodded.
"Where's the letter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"He burnt it this morning." James spoke. McGonagall gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She looked as though she could cry.
"Albus... What should we do?" McGonagall asked.
"I'm afraid it is out of our hands, Minerva. The decision lies with Athos. If he wishes to leave like Elena has, there is nothing I can do." Dumbledore said, in a soft and calming voice.
"He can't leave Hogwarts, Professor!" James said suddenly. He noticed Athos clench his eyes and fist.
"I agree with Potter, Albus. Mr. Selwyn is too young to deal with any of this. It was an honest mistake, Albus; we can't condemn him for it." McGonagall said. James was surprised by her words.
"I do not wish to condemn Mr. Selwyn. However, there isn't much we can do at the moment." Dumbledore sighed.
"I'll stay..." Athos choked out. "I'll... I'll figure it out."

x.x

"Becky... Are you okay?" Lily asked, as she sat down next to the brunette. Severus Snape sat on the other side. Rebecca looked over at him, quite surprised, but decided not to say anything.
"You heard too, didn't you?" Rebecca sniffed.
"The entire school knows." Severus said.
"Oh, Becky, I'm really sorry." Lily said, wrapping an arm around her friend.
"There's nothing I can do now... He'll be with her forever." Rebecca said.
"Just because they're having a child together, doesn't mean he'll love her forever." Severus said. Rebecca glanced over at him. "Lily's explained everything to me. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Potter and the others. I don't think they'll last."
"See? There's still hope, Becky." Lily smiled.

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So - Team Elena vs. Team Becky. Who do you prefer and why? :p

I've actually finished Part II. I need to re-read it and double check to see if I haven't left out any specific scenes. Part II is shorter than Part I - I THINK. I don't really remember tbh. But it took me forever, so I really hope you all love it! Until then - XOXO