Ugh, I've been in the WORST creative slump ever lately. Sorry guys, but please don't give up on me just yet!

Some things we don't talk about,

Rather do without,

And just hold the smile,

Falling in and out of love,

–The Fray 'Never Say Never'

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Remus slammed the Daily Prophet to the table, "Read this rubbish," he ordered, red in the face with raging anger. An unusual sight to be seen on our dear friend.

James picked up the newspaper, pushing his rectangular glasses up his nose and read aloud, "Due to the recent disappearances, all surrounding the night of the full moon, we conclude alongside other incriminating evidence that werewolves are to blame for the vanishing of the Carlington family… do you want me to continue, Moony?"

"It's an absolute outrage!" Lupin slammed the table with his fist, rattling my bowl of cereal.

"Mate, we get it, but calm down…" Sirius urged Remus as people began staring at us.

I frowned, completely ignoring Sirius, "I know, I read the article earlier. People have been randomly vanishing for the last few months, and one time it's on the night of the full moon – it's suddenly the werewolves fault,"

"Exactly! The Ministry have been pressured for ages to finding the culprits, and now that they've found somebody to blame, they'll make up all the evidence they need," Lupin growled in frustration.

"What if it actually was a werewolf though?" Peter offered with a mouth full of scrambled egg.

I scoffed, "Don't be stupid, Wormy,"

Suddenly Sirius's head snapped up, "Ah shit! I just remembered… fuck, I've gota go guys!" he jumped up and ran out of the Great Hall like a bullet.

"Does anybody know what that was about…?" Peter frowned in confusion.

I knew exactly what he'd forgotten and why he'd left in such a hurry and right now, I felt like a bitch for not mentioning it to Sirius before. Caroline Carlington had been Ariana's best friend before her untimely… disappearance; they were inseparable (almost to the point of Sirius and I). Now she was gone and her boyfriend hadn't realised.

"Weren't Adriana and Caroline good friends or something like that?" James asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Remus gave me a knowing and disapproving look and I gulped mumbling something along the lines of, "I think so…"

Peter smirked, "Wow, he screwed up big time then,"

James scoffed, "You can't judge, you know nothing about girls, Wormtail…"

"Says the guy who's been chasing after the same shelia since Third Year," He smirked.

James scowled, glaring at peter from across the table, "I will get Lily… eventually. I just need time,"

"What you need is to get a new strategy," I murmured to myself under my breath.

Peter laughed (not hearing my words), "Ten galleons you won't,"

"Ten galleons I will," James challenged.

"Deal."

"Deal."

Remus just sat there shaking his head, "This won't end well…"

I rolled my eyes, "Their bet's never end well… for anybody," Feeling less squeamish that Moony's attentions had shifted, but still uncomfortable in my seat, I excused myself from the table – hitching my satchel over my shoulder as I stood.

But, I felt a soft tug on my leather bag strap and turned, "Um, could I talk to you…" Remus asked nervously. By the look on his face he'd meant he needed to talk to me outside the hearing vicinity of the two idiots squabbling to our left.

With a small smile I nodded and we left, unconsciously heading towards the library.

Once we were further enough away from the crowded halls for us to be away from I asked with a serious note in my voice, "Okay. You're acting weird. What's wrong, Remus?"

"I'm really worried about this werewolf thing… and you seem to be the only one taking it seriously, so I was wondering if you'd help me approach Dumbledore about it. I just need to know if it really is… us werewolves," he bit his lip, seeming so very unsure of himself.

I placed my hand on his arm in reassurance, "Of course it's not the werewolves!"

He frowned, "But what if it is? What if it really is our fault?"

I gripped his shoulders squeezing them tightly and spoke sternly, "Our fault? No. No, not at all. Even if you are right and this is in fact the doing of rogue werewolves – which I do not believe to be correct – it is their fault. Not yours. You're not like them Remus, you're more than a werewolf. You're a wizard and a person and a friend Remus – don't ever forget that…"

"Thanks…" Moony smiled lopsidedly, an unsure and sad kind of smile. A smile that showed subtle optimism, but mostly weariness and a wish for ending. I'd be tired too if I had to deal with what he dealt with day after day.

"But if you still want to see Dumbledore, I'll come, okay?" I smiled and pulled him into a hug. It was a reassuring hug, a friendly hug. Nothing more and nothing less.

I heard something drop in the background – a book. The two of us broke apart to see who the book-dropper was.

Sirius stood there, an unusual – but mainly confused – look plastered across his face, "I'm sorry for interrupting, guys… I'll just… go… sorry…" he shuffled uncomfortably, picking up the book off the ground.

Sirius met my eyes for a second; giving me a very firm and inquisitive look. The kind that told me we were going to have a very long talk later.

"This really isn't what it looks like…" Remus begun but Sirius just smirked mischievously.

"You guys don't need to explain anything to me," Then he turned around and walked away whistling.

I didn't know what was worse, the fact that he'd seen me hugging Remus (and a purely friendly hug at that), that fact he'd automatically drew that conclusion or that fact he'd been completely okay with it all. It hadn't bothered him in the slightest – okay, yes Sirius had been surprised – but he'd in no way had the same seething look in his eyes as I did whenever I saw Ariana and him together.

I slid down to the ground, face in hands, "How do I manage to screw everything up?"

Remus frowned in disagreement, "You don't screw anything up… If anybody should be sorry, it's me… I know you like Sirius… I'd be a fool to ever think we... us could… don't worry, I'm sorry,"

He walked away shaking his head, appearing to be lost deep in thought, before I could say anything to combat his words. How was any of this his fault? I was the one who hugged him – I just keep digging a deeper and deeper hole for myself.

And believe me; I'm getting really tired of it.

"Why am I such a screw up?" I asked Marvin for the thousandth time, but he just looked up at me with the same intelligent eyes as always, unable to communicate his thoughts across. Mainly because he cannot actually speak English. Partly because even if he could speak, I wouldn't have wanted to hear his answer anyway, because I know he'd tell me the truth. Yes, my good old friend Marvin, he would tell me exactly how I ended up where I am now. He'd explain it simply for me. Plainly. Dully.

But even then, my mind would still probably be as muddled as it is now – hence why I hadn't yet tried any spells to make him speak in a way I could understand.

Although this didn't mean I'd stop asking the animal questions as I sat with him, curled up in my favourite on the rug next to the crackling fire in Gryffindor Tower. By now everybody had retreated to their beds as the time was dwindling in the early hours of the morning.

I didn't particularly mind – tomorrow was Sunday.

"Can see you're still talking to yourself. That's not a good sign, especially with your low levels of sanity, Vix," The low voice of my best friend Sirius Black said from behind.

I smiled ever so slightly, "Only you could sneak up on a fox twice in one day, Padfoot,"

He waked over to take a seat beside me, "So, when were you planning on telling me?"

I stared at him for a moment, "Telling you what?"

Sirius gave me a blank look, "Don't play games. I'm talking about Remus and you… I'm your best friend, Riley; I'm meant to know everything about you. It's in the job description,"

"There is nothing between Remus and me. Let me be clear with that," I said sternly, "And even if there was, I don't need to tell you. I didn't know a thing about Ariana until you were official to the public eye. Where was my employee discount into the inner workings of your love life?

He gave me a sceptical look, "It didn't look that way from where I was standing… and I did tell you about Ariana, over week before I actually worked up the nerve to ask her out,"

"What are you talking about? No you didn't…" I gave him a confused look, tilting my head to the side slightly.

Now it was his turn to look puzzled, "Um, yes I did, at Ted Tonks's party in the Room or Requirement… remember, we were sitting down talking… you told me she was an annoyingly bubbly goody-two-shoes Hufflepuff and completely not my type… then you threw up…"

"I'd drunk like six cups of Firewhisky that night, so you can't blame me for chucking and not remembering any of it after…" I tried to justify my reckless actions, "So why didn't you try talking to me when I was sober?"

He laughed bitterly, "You made it pretty clear you didn't approve, so I didn't raise the subject again,"

I scoffed, "Since when have you ever needed my approval to date girls?"

"I can't believe you. You're the reason I can never even keep a girlfriend… you always get them to dump me in one way or another," Sirius raised his voice slightly, deep swirling grey eyes, hardening in to raging silver discs.

I gaped at him in shock and anger, "Oh, so it's my fault now? Guy's don't even approach me because they're terrified that'll you'll skin them alive if they do! And you say I'm the one with issues?"

Sirius laughed bitterly, "Really? Remus seemed to be doing just fine…"

"Merlin, how many times do I have to say it? There's nothing between us! We're just friends! Why do you even care anyway, you've got Ariana Shacklebolt?"

"Maybe I don't care!"

"Yeah? Well neither do I!"

Then I stormed off up the stairs towards the girl's dorms in a fit of pure white hot rage, but instead of opening the door to my room, I ran straight to the bathroom – fighting away the tears that threatened to shed.

Standing in front of the mirror, breathing heavy, I looked up at myself and my shifting appearance. Slowly, I worked my way into the shape of Ariana. Smooth dark skin, deep chocolate brown eyes and thick locks of ebony hair. A curvy build, with meat in all the right places that stretched the pyjamas I was wearing and a bright dazzling smile to wrap it all up.

It wasn't me.

No, I was scrawny and bony and pasty white with freckles and crocked teeth and dull copper curls, then a childish and strange dress sense to match that ranged far away from what was considered ordinarily fashionable.

That was what I saw when I looked at my reflection. That was me. The real me.

In anger, I grasped the first thing I could find and hurled it at the mirror with all the strength I had. I didn't care what it was, all I knew what that I preferred to look at myself through the cracks.

I feel as if my writing quality has dropped lately… I don't know.

Oh, and I finally included Peter… it's just so hard… my hatred for him lays so deep… right in the heart…

This was quite a packed chapter in a way of overall plot development. I hope you enjoyed reading and please review!