"The reality of the other person lies not in what he reveals to you but in what he cannot reveal to you. Therefore, if you would understand him, listen not to what he says but rather to what he does not say,"

–Kahlil Gibran

Chapter Fourteen:

Six years later…

Love was one of those unusual anomaly's that made its victim do stupid, idiotic things. It made you irrational and insufferable. It made you feel uneasy and unsure. It caused you to question your morals, the way you lead your life and how you want to live it in the future.

So as I stared at my obviously dazed and smitten friend, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic to him. He looked desperate. He looked crazed.

He looked like a beaten lovesick puppy who'd just kept getting up, which is exactly why I felt the twinge of guilt in my gut when I harshly told him the truth, even if it's a truth he's been told a hundred times over.

But as I said, love makes people irrational, so I couldn't really blame him.

"Prongs, look, I'm sorry, but you need to face the facts – she hates you!" I deadpanned, watching him flinch.

"Way to boost my confidence, Vixen, some friend you turned out to be…" He grumbled and I face-palmed in frustration.

"Look, Lily and I may share a dorm, but I can't set you up on a date with her, I hardly even know her!" I tried to sound serious, but the look he was giving me was so darn hilarious, tugging on his tie awkwardly as if it were a lifeline.

"Well… can you at least out in a good word, then?" He looked at me expectantly.

I sighed, shaking my head, "I'll try, James,"

"Thank you!" He fist pumped the air and started jumping up and down.

"I'm going to regret this…" I murmured under my breath.

Then James clapped a hand in my shoulder, "Well, I'm late for Muggle Studies, so see ya later!" He grinned manically and ran off down the hall and into the distance, while I stood their shaking my head.

"Don't forget to visit Moony later!" I shouted after him.

"How could I ever?" James yelled over his shoulder.

And that, was in fact, where I was headed before James interrupted my with his strange request… or maybe it was simply a delayed ordinary request, since he's had a crush on that girl since fourth year and it was surprising that he hadn't already asked me this favour, since he'd vexed every other option, all of which had ended with a slap in the face and harsh rejection.

But he kept going back, and if anything, he must score some points for persistence.

That matter aside, I was on my way to the hospital with a book and a packet of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, to pass the time.

I pushed through the doors and into the infirmary, rows and rows of hospital beds lay empty… all until I saw him, sitting up in his bed, creating sparks with his wand in the air out of sheer boredom.

It truly pained me to see him so weak, seeing him after every full moon used to fill me with grief, but now all I feel is anger. I hated that he had to go through it – we all did – and we helped when we could, but there's only so much friends can do.

"How you feeling?" I asked.

He laughed bitterly, "Like I accidentally impaled myself with a broken floor board while trying to escape the Shrieking Shack in werewolf form,"

"So pretty crap, then?"

"Yeah, pretty crap," he agreed.

Digging into my pockets I pulled out the packet of Drooble's and the book, labelled 'History of Pyrotechnics', "I though you may want to read about how many wizards and witches have blown up their houses in the attempt of controlling explosions. It's actually quite hilarious, if you have the right sense of humour…"

"Thanks," Remus grinned as he opened up the Drooble's, popped one in his mouth then offered me one.

I refused, since he didn't get many gifts on the end of his hospital bed these days. I guess if you're in the hospital as often as Moony, people begin to expect it, although we haven't had a case this bad in a long time – usually it's just cuts and gashes, maybe the odd broken arm or leg.

"Has Sirius been in here by any chance?" I questioned.

Mooney nodded, "A couple of hours ago, so was Wormtail,"

I nodded, "Well, my spare is ending, which means I've got Potions soon and need to get my books, so I'd better be heading off. Get better soon, okay?"

"Oh… well then see you later," He managed a weak smile and I walked out the door. It was hard.

I rushed to Potions, papers flying in my wake, as I barged through the door, barley clutching my stack of books and I can imagine, looking quite dishevelled. All heads turned to look at me and Professor Slughorn sighed, "Late again, Miss O'Conner, that's a detention and ten points from Gryffindor,"

I sighed; it wouldn't be the first, and defiantly not the last detention I'd earn in my schooling years, so I took my seat beside my usual potions partner, Sirius, knowing better than to fight Slughorn today – it seemed he had been unlike his usual bubbly self since Slytherin's prized Keeper decided to give up Quidditch in order to cencentrate on exams a week before the first match.

"About time," He whispered to me.

"I was visiting Moony, he's doing better than he was yesterday," I smiled sadly, "Can sit up now,"

Padfoot nodded, "I saw him earlier with Wormy,"

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," The Professor looked directly at me and I smiled sheepishly, "If you look at the ingredients list for Bendrillin's Awakening Potion, on page seventy-three in your Advanced Potion-Making book, which ingredients are missing?" Everybody in the class remained silent, "Really? No one? I didn't think a simple awakening potion would fool you…"

I nudged Sirius, "I know you know the answer, why don't you raise your hand?"

"Nah, I don't," He lied.

"So why did you write dragonfly thorax in you textbook to finish the ingredients list?" I asked smugly.

He shrugged, looking down into his lap, "It's just a guess…" Was his lame excuse.

Slughorn crossed his arms across his chest, "So nobody knows? Such a shame…"

Then, right up the front, Snape raised his hand quickly into the air.

"Yes?" Professor Slughorn looked at him expectantly.

"Dragonfly wings, sir, to sharpen and quicken the thought process," He said confidently.

"Correct…" Said Slughorn reluctantly, as if he wanted a different answer. He probably did. Everybody knew how brilliant Snape is in Potions – even with my stubborn hatred for him, I could see that – but he lacked the… creativity that was the essence of becoming not only brilliant at potions, but masterful. He wasn't willing to experiment with anything past his knowledge, he didn't push the boundaries and barriers set before him, whilst Sirius, well, let's just say he did. If not for my friends and I's willingness to experiment with magic, there would be Marauders Map, which would have put a stop to our more… artistic… pranks.

Sirius frowned, "Wrong…" He muttered under his breath and raised his hand.

I rolled my eyes, of course he wouldn't raise his hand any other time –he had a reputation to uphold (or so was his excuse) – but normal rules didn't seem to apply where Snape and Evens were concerned, if he had the chance to prove Snape wrong and make him look like a fool, he'd take it with a heartbeat.

Slughorn brightened, "Yes, Mr Black?"

"If you used dragonfly wings, it may work, but they only awaken the mind and it's possible they'd clash with the newt's blood and make the entire potion fail, since the blood can be temperamental depending on what it's brewed with. If the person is concussed and needs reviving – which is the purpose Bendrillin intended for his awakening potion – then shouldn't instead dragonfly thorax be used, since it not only does it sharpens the mind, but it also quickens the heart race. It was also proved in Golpalott's Second Law that they don't clash, so it'd prove the better choice for this particular Awakening Potion,"

"Perfect! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn clasped his hands together. I could see Snape seething up the front of the room, as Lily sat next to him, glaring at us; all the while I was trying to avoid hysterical laughter.

"Now, you have the rest of the hour to complete it," Slughorn smiled gleefully and the rest of the class groaned.

"Shit, shouldn't have said anything," Padfoot cursed under his breath as he set up the cauldron.

I placed the ingredients on the table, "Why?"

He grinned mischievously, "Because then we'd be the only ones with the correct brew,"

I rolled by eyes and we began. Usually I needed Sirius's help when it came to theory, but when it came to the practical side of potions, I was all for it. Although I forgot their properties, I had a knack for remembering each and every ingredient I's ever seen, all I had to do if I wanted to remember it was sketch it out, which is why my note taking was usually just pictures and scribbled labels, although occasionally – like today for instance – I was taking conventional notes for Moony's sake, so he could copy mine when he got up and about again, because Sirius – the annoyingly talented bastard – never took notes since he didn't need them.

We finished with ten minutes to spare – time that was spent cleaning up our mess (we didn't quite agree with the neat and cautious working manner Professor Slughorn had tried to instil in us since first year) and so we got to leave when lesson actually finished, for once.

"Another successful brew under my belt," Padfoot grinned cockily.

I scoffed, "You would be hopeless without my help – you can match names to properties, but when it comes to knowing what they look like your stumped. I mean, today you almost put in crushed deadlyius and chopped scarab beetle instead of chopped deadlyius and crushed scarab beetle,"

He smiled slyly at me, "Well that's because we're a team – two halves of the same whole,"

I felt my cheeks redden and I wasn't sure why – he said things like that all the time, it didn't mean anything – but I morphed it away quickly, so he wouldn't notice.

"So, what's with today's colour?" He asked casually, "It's not as bright as usual,"

I laughed, today I'd decided to see what I'd look like with dark hair, and so instead of my usual bright blue and green pixie cut, it was now long with different shades of deep reds, purples and browns.

So shrugging, I replied, "Duno, felt different this morning,"

"We always feel different," He joked as we approached the Gryffindor door, "We're the Marauders, gang of mongrel half-breeds,"

"Exactly… animus," I muttered the password and the Fat Lady opened her portrait for us.

We sat at our usual table tucked in a nook near the back, there it was quiet and a good place for studying undisturbed, but of course, we could also talk about certain Animagi and werewolves without being overheard by the wrong ears.

I slumped in my seat at the thought of the homework I had, although it wasn't as stressful as last year as we don't have O.W.L.S anymore (thank Merlin) but that didn't mean our workload was any lighter.

"What do you want to start with?" Sirius asked, looking as depleted as I felt, "Defence, Magical Creatures or Muggle Studies?"

"And Divination," I added.

He smirked, "No, only you still take Divination, because you actually have the Sight,"

"Hey, just because Professor Hikkle-Trasp think's I have the Sight, doesn't mean she's right," I pointed out.

"You figured out Moony's 'fury little problem' in second year, because of a dream!" he exclaimed, "And didn't tell any of the rest of us, might I add,"

I stubbornly folded my arms across my chest, "He asked me not to, plus, the rest of ya' figured it out eventually…"

He nodded, "Still, you could have made it much easier,"

I cocked an eyebrow, "And since when have I liked making things easy?"

"True, and you suck at everything else, so it even out in a way," He grinned mischeviously.

"Exactly! Merlin, if bloody Moony wasn't around to help me with Charms, I'd fail it completly!"

"Anyway, what'll it be?" He held up the books to me as if trying to sell them.

"What's due first?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts essay on defence against Dementors," He grumbled, looking sour.

"Then it's decided," I shoved all other book away and began scratching my quill against the parchment in my horrid handwriting.

By the way, 'animus' means 'bravery' in Latin.