Yay! Going back in the past!

Lupin was sitting on his bed, an old suitcase laying open in front of him. Though he was young, so, so incredibly young, he was aged by his eternally tired features. Rather than the usual black robes all students wore, he was dressed with red, elegant robes that greatly resembled Harry's Quidditch uniform. Only, well, dressier. He was consulting a heavy document entirely covered in printed text when suddenly, Thalia burst in the room – the one which, today, Harry occupied with his friends – to jump on Lupin's bed. And God, was she beautiful. She showed a full smile which illuminated the rest of her face. She sat cross-legged before Lupin, and lifted her two hands up in the air. "Rock on!" she shouted out as Lupin gave her a double high-five, with a smile. She smiled back, and Harry felt his heart melt. She pulled off the red robes she was wearing, revealing muggle clothing: a pair of tight jeans and a black band t-shirt. Harry could only stare at her legs. Her hips. He wanted to tear that t-shirt off. "That's what you call a sudden feeling," he muttered to himself. He stared at Lupin, hoping his friend could jump out of the past and explain to Harry why he suddenly longed to get closer to Thalia, and saw the same desire twinkle in the student's eye. Harry let out a small "Oh". "So that's what Thalia ment," he thought, though nobody could have heard him even if he had been shouting his reflections aloud. "Uncensored. I see the world just like Lupin did." The conversation between the two Gryffondors continued.

"Remus, we were incredible!" the girl shouted.

"No, you were incredible."

"Stop, the entire team is great! 267 points didn't land on our table by…" she hesitated, to finally cease talking.

"Magic?" Lupin chuckled. They both let out a roar of laughter. A joke Harry couldn't understand. He still loved to see Thalia laugh that way. Damn Lupin in love.

"Still," the boy from the past continued when they had both calmed down, and their breathing had returned to normal, "it would be great if our best player could participate in the school competition."

"You know how I don't like competing against the other Houses."

Something broke in Lupin's heart, and Harry felt it vividly.

"Yeah, I get that, but… if we win, you won't be allowed to play against the other schools."

Thalia simply shrugged her shoulders, and explained, with a wink: "I'll still come and cheer for my school. Be your groupie." What crossed Lupin's mind at that moment was so horrible that Harry felt the urge to jump away from his standing point to find a new one, the furthest possible from the two friends.

Thalia also sensed that Lupin had been… disturbed by her words. She erased her smile from her face. "I'm so sorry Remus."

"It's fine."

"No it isn't. But you're too kind."

He gave a small smile, probably hoping that his kindness could weigh in the balance. Harry knew, sadly, it didn't. Remus spoke suddenly.

"So any plans tonight?"

"Erm, no, not really…" Thalia started, unsure.

"I don't mind. Don't go mad because of me."

"Alright. Then, yeah, I'll be with Sev."

"Another Slytherin reunion?" Remus asked, a second question hinted in this first one, which Harry couldn't decipher.

"No, just both of us."

Harry could feel the disappointment mixed with relief that Remus had felt twenty or so years ago. He hated to know the couple would be alone, but…

"I'm glad you're staying away from them," he said aloud.

"Yeah, me too. I think I'll manage to find a way to… stay Gryffondor until the end of the year. Each time they invade Severus' dormatory, we go out. And we'll probably spend a year in exile after Hogwarts."

The last sentence was blurred, a very feeble memory, as Remus had stopped listening after Thalia had said she wouldn't be spending the night in Snape's dormatory.

"Where are you two spending the night then?" he asked.

"Well, I was hoping we could borrow the shack," Thalia explained uneasily.

"Oh. Well, it's fine."

"I mean, you don't have to lend it to us, it's just… Since you won't use it for another week…"

"No, it's fine."

Harry could feel it. The teenager from the memory actually was fine with the idea. Not exultant with joy, but fine.

Thalia picked up one of the stacks of paper Lupin was studying when she had entered the room. "Already studying?"

"Well, since we'll have to compeat against Slytherin without you…"

"Alright then. Want help?"

"Weren't you leaving?" the boy asked bitterly.

"Yeah," the young girl replied, "but tomorrow when we come back from Hogsmead, I'll be free."

"Cool," was Lupin's only answer. Seeing she didn't trust the truth of his words, he gave her an honest smile. Satisfied, she gave a wave of the hand. "See you there then. And congratulations, again."

She stood up, picked up her red robes, and left, passing straight through Harry's image, who hadn't realized he had been blocking the dormitory entrance. He observed Lupin, who was silently revising. "Poor thing," he thought, "Friday night – Harry assumed that the Hogsmead visits were also organized every Saturday twenty tears ago – and he's left alone studying, without the girl he likes. Or his friends…" he mentally added, as a slightly bitter taste made way to his mouth. He found a chair and sat on it. Lupin was still studying, and he couldn't see – nor hear – his father. Wasn't the point of viewing this memory seeing James? "Unaltered, hey?" Harry asked aloud. Maybe this memory would have gained being altered. He sat for a while, and suddenly got annoyed. He didn't feel like watching his friend's image study God-knew-what for two hours so he could finally see his father for about five seconds and a half. He didn't know how to leave a memory by himself. He had to wait for it to finish by itself, or have someone pull him out of it. The boy looked at his watch. The hands were immobile. He got up, and looked around the room for a clock of some sort. He wasn't able to. The fact that every object he moved instantly soared back to its original position didn't help. He tried leaving the room, but three steps out of the room he felt a solid wall form itself inches before his nose. Preferring not to discover whether or not he could get injured in a memory, he went back to the room, and sat on the bed beside Lupin. He was about to start reading his notes on the History of Magical England when he heard a beaming voice coming from the staircase. It was his own.

"Remus!" James chanted. "Here you are, back into your kingdom, after slaying all evil and bringing victory to your camp !" the teenager shouted, rather loudly for such an advanced hour. Lupin tilted his head upwards, and James entered the room, followed by Sirius. Harry's father held his arms wide open, triumphant, a stupid smile on his face. He looked drunk. Walking through the door, he hit one of his hand on the stone frame. It made a terrible sound, and Harry cringed at the thought of the pain, imitating Lupin. James, though, continued his march towards his friend as if nothing was. "Yep," Harry understood, "drunk." Sirius followed, but he was slightly grimmer. James sat on Lupin's bed, in a not so vertical position. "So," he asked, "did you win?"

"It was only a practice."

"Yeah, but there was another team!" James boasted, as though it was he, and not Lupin, that had been present at the practice.

"267 to 145. For us," Lupin let out, emotionless.

"Hurray!" James cried. "Hurray to our little genius!"

"Thalia's the genius," he objected sadly.

"No!" James let out, the mentioning of the girl's name not affecting his drunken bliss the very least. "She is a traitor! Traitors cannot be geniuses!"

On these words of wisdom, James fell on his back, grinning. Sirius sat on what Harry guessed was his own bed. His eyes were clouded with a mix of anger and resent. Lupin tried to ease his mood.

"Wasn't Josephine supposed to be with you, tonight?"

"No," he replied. "Not Josephine. Rosemary."

"Oh," Lupin replied with a grin his two friends were unable to detect. "Since when?"

"Mm. Last week. I think."

"Great." Another grin. "I hope it'll last longer this time," he said with a laughing voice that once again went unnoticed.

"It won't. I broke up tonight."

"Why?" Remus asked, intrigued this time.

Sirius didn't reply, so the sole sober teenager continued his monologue. "I wonder if you'll ever manage to hang on to one of the girls you date."

"I wonder if you'll ever let go of the girls you're not dating," Sirius replied.

"Harsh," Harry thought.

Apparently Remus thought the same, as his mood immediately darkened. "Maybe if you chose girl's that were worthy of being chosen…" he added.

Remus muttered so softly that his words did not reach Sirius' ears. James, on the other hand, heard his comment. "She stopped being worthy the day she chose her side."

Remus sighed. Apparently, this subject had been debated many times before.

"And where's Lily? Wasn't tonight a double date of some sort?"

"Yeah, but when we came back, Snivellus ruined all the fun."

"What did he do?"

"He entered our field of vision."

Both James and Sirius laughed loudly and for a very long time. Remus patiently waited for an answer.

"And then, I… I politely teased him. And then Lily got mad."

James stopped talking, angry. His smile was also erased, and now all the three boys in the room were grumpy. "You know, she wouldn't care about him if Thalia didn't talk about him all the time," he started.

"She doesn't," Remus objected.

"Yes she does. Lily hates her you know, but she always goes back crawling to her. How's Sev? Is he alright? Is he still with the evil ones?" he said, in a puerile imitation of Lily.

"They want to leave the group, you know."

"Of course not," Sirius replied, leaving his state of silence. "All summer she came to see Regulus."

"They're in the same dorm. Her and Lily. That could be interesting," James let out, ignoring his friends' words and printing a large grin on his face.

"James, some times you revolt me," Lupin said, revolted.

"Maybe. But damn is she hot."

Something twisted in Lupin, once again.

"Not making it easier, James," he grumbled.

"Yeah, sorry. If only she had stayed on this side. Hell of a triple date," he said, smiling again. You, her, me, Lily, Padfoot and Josephine."

"Rosemary," Sirius corrected.

"Padfoot and Rosemary then."

"Come to think of it, Josephine if hotter."

"Joesphine then." James concluded. "That would be great. Could I borrow her once in a while?" he laughed crudely.

"Guys, you know I hate when you talk about girls like that."

"Come on. We're seventeen. I'll let you talk when we get married. Not before."

There was a silence, then James spoke once again, though his opinion had changed.

"I wouldn't touch her anyways. Filthy Slytherin."

"She's a Gryffondor you know."

"And stupid Lily, also caring about Snape. Ugh. How… Snivellus." Once again, the two drunken teenagers laughed.

"She broke your heart," Sirius uselessly reminded Lupin, jumping to his feet.

"And you've done a wonderful job mending it," Remus pointed out with sarcasm.

"Better than that disgusting cousin of yours," James told Sirius, as if he had been the one talking.

"She's as much my cousin as yours."

"Yeah, but you're closer."

"Well, I spat on my family."

"Hurray to that!"

"Hurray!"

"I'm going to go see Lily." On that, James left the room.

"She's going to be pissed," Remus predicted as Sirius threw himself on his bed once again.

"I hate Thalia."

"Why, thank you," Remus replied. His friend finally shut up, and he focused on his study papers, his heart still pounding. Silence was king of the room, once again. "Was that it?" Harry thought. "He wanted to find my mother and… found Thalia? How can you mistake two girls for that long?" he asked himself. He approached the door, and peaked in the passageway, part of it being completely black, since Lupin, from his point of view, couldn't see what was hidden in certain angles. Suddenly, James popped out of one of these dark spots and walked right through Harry, who jumped about an inch high.

"She's pissed!" he shouted, out of his mind with rage.

"Told you," Remus muttered to himself, so James couldn't hear him.

"Says I'm not a good human being. Bloody Snape. Intoxicated her mind. Probably slipped her some potion during their stupid classes."

He stomped across the room, infuriated. Suddenly, Harry could clearly see where this was going.

"And you know who had just left? Bloody Thalia. She had just told her she knew what I had done, and know she's pissed that I've done it even though she's only based on what she said!" James shouted to no one in particular, unaware that there was a limit to the number of "she" 's you could place in a sentence for it to remain comprehensible. "Lets go to the shrieking shack, guys. I'm in for a fight."

"Sorry to disappoint, you, James, but I'm only changing in a week," Remus said.

"I'll fight Sirius then." James was fidgeting.

"Unfair battle," the werewolf replied again.

"Then I'll fight the bloody walls!" he burst out. "Get on your feet guys."

"James, we can't go."

"I'll destroy walls, where ever I find myself. So we better leave."

"James, we can't."

"Why?"

"The Headmaster knows the moon cycle. He's aware that I'm not transforming tonight."

"So?"

"Well, he'll know I don't need to be there. And he's provided the shack for my special condition, not for our own good pleasure."

"Come on!"

"Not tonight!"

"You idiot! We always use that Shack more than we should, and that ain't anything new. Peter used it last week so he could finish his stupid Potions homework, and you bring Thalia in there every week or so."

Harry could see Lupin's back stiffen.

"What if?"

"You're not supposed to show it to anybody."

"I showed it to you and you didn't mind."

"Asking a friend for help isn't the same as using the Shack to get a girl to fall in love with you!"

"Thalia is one of my friends."

"You don't bring her out there on full moon nights. Not only."

"I don't see a bloody moon in the sky tonight either."

Both the boys sat down, and the animation filling the room, after reaching it's peak, slowly fell. In Remus, anyways. Harry, sharing his emotions, could feel he was calm now, confident he had won. But he saw James' face, and suddenly, he was scared.

"You gave her the shack for tonight," he spat out, his eyes burning, features twisted with anger. "You gave her the bloody shack." He had guessed.

Lupin was slightly afraid, but chose not to show it. "What if?" he asked casually.

"What if?! She's stealing that shack from us! It's only supposed to be us that use it!"

"No, it's only supposed to be me."

"Well then why is she in there without you?"

Suddenly, the fiery eyes widened. "She's in there with Snape!"

Remus simply wouldn't move.

"You show her the bloody shack and she borrows it to go screw her filthy boyfriend?! It's disgusting."

"If it can get her away from the gang of Slytherins she's around I'm glad to lend it."

Harry could see he was lying. He hated the idea of Thalia bringing another boy in the shack. But he was honest on one point: he wanted her away from her cohort of friends.

"It's horrible!" James was shouting, and Sirius stared at his friends, unable to understand anything. "Get away from her, Remus! You shouldn't be like that. Don't mess up your existence for her. She doesn't deserve one, anyways! She's filth, just like that Severus."

"James I'm not scared to hex you."

Harry's father went on, unaware of his friend's threats. Harry was truly scared now. It all made sense. Seeing his father like that, he could believe he had attacked Thalia that way. But he still didn't understand why. He felt sick. He was nauseous. But he couldn't leave. Only stare at his own reflection shouting words of hate.

"It's sickening. Sickening!" James kept yelling, livid. "I'm going to destroy her."

After stating this oh-so-incredibly-true sentence, he stormed out. Remus frowned. "Where is he going?" he asked.

"Like I'd know," Sirius replied.

Remus was worried, that Harry knew, but the worry vanished instants later. "In that state," the werewolf told himself aloud, "he won't be able to go too far."

He remained seated, to Harry's horror. Only, a minute or so later, Lily stepped in.

"Remus! What did you say to put him in such a mood?" she asked, furious. Harry stared at her eyes. They were angry, once again. He hated seeing his own features defigurated in such a way.

"He mentioned Thalia. I went on," he added to Lily, who understood.

"Don't mention her alright? Life will be better is we all forget her." These words were calm now, gentle. She was actually asking Remus to forget her existence. Harry, having experienced what the boy went through every time he saw Thalia, knew he couldn't. He was nevertheless grateful to see his mother act nicely again. He preferred guessing in her eye the twinkle of goodness he saw in every picture of her, than the one of fury.

"Anyways, I'll go take care of James… Good night boys." She smiled and exited, in a much slower pace this time. Harry could hear her footsteps in the tower, thought she had vanished from his sight the second she had left the room. He sighed, ready to leave the memory, but after a few seconds, he was surprised – and unhappy – to see that he was still surrounded by the same, stone walls, rather than by the train cabin. He understood why about a minute later. Lily stepped back into the room.

"Did James come back in here?"

Remus lifted his head once again, interrupting his study session, slightly annoyed, and replied a cold "No".

"Weird. The girls said he left just before I arrived, mumbling about having something to do."

"Didn't walk through this door. Good luck running around the castle grounds looking for him," Remus replied, emotionless.

Lily's shoulders fell. "Hell no," she said, decided. "He can find his own way out of the lake for tonight."

Remus gave her a small smile, which she saw. On that, she waved the two boys goodnight, and left. Remus threw his stack of papers on the floor, and fell on his bed. He spoke to Sirius, but Harry couldn't distinguish any of his words. He felt a heavy tug pull him towards the sky, and understood that the memory was finally over. The world blurred before his eyes, and suddenly the red and gold scenery erased, to give place to an chocolate environment: large brown loveseats, wood tables and walls, chocolate colored pillows. And a mass of brown hair sitting before him: Thalia. He focused on her silhouette. He couldn't distinguish her expression.

"I'm sorry," the teacher started.

Harry could only focus on her features. They were so ugly compared to the memory. The effects of Lupin's feelings had erased instantly, and it was a shock to Harry how not-beautiful his teacher was.

"It didn't explain anything," the boy said.

"I know, I'm so sorry."

"Anything…"

Harry felt sick. His pulse was frantic, he could feel his blood shooting rapidly through his veins. The blood that linked him to this horrible, and still inexplicable crime. His head was throbbing, heavy.

"It didn't explain anything…"