Hello again! Thank you so much for your reviews. It really keeps me going, I've already come a long way on chapter 4! :D
Thanks MSupernatural! Glad I made you change your opinion about Slytherin Sirius and James. I've never read anything about it tbh :P I'll definitely included James/Lily if you want that!
Oohh thanks ifixedthebifrost Yes, I like them as friends too :3
Thank you WhoIsTheWriterHere I start a bit careful cuz I'm not sure how to continue but this chapter is a bit longer!
Hope you like the new chapter!
Remus couldn't understand why Black had helped him yesterday in potions. He had been very sceptic at first that Black's guideline would be to any use. Surely Black would tell him something that would make his cauldron explode in front of him. But, when he read through the recipe he noticed that he had indeed forgotten the Bulbadox Juice.
However he decided not to think about it anymore. It had just been some silly way for Black to feel more superior. What else would it be? Nothing, exactly, thought Remus as he went through the portrait hole.
He felt a bit safer in Gryffindor's common room. People didn't exactly like him here but they didn't dislike him either. He just existed to them. Usually he sat reading in an armchair by the fire. No one bothered to talk to him and Remus didn't bother to talk to them. It suited him perfectly. He had no problem being alone. Anyway, he was used to it by now.
Today, however, when he entered the common room he noticed that his seat was taken. He sighed impatiently and let a small growl slip out of him. A couple he knew as Alice and Frank sat cuddling in his chair, kissing. Remus didn't like people as a rule, but he especially didn't like couples. Can't they do that in their dorm or in a cupboard or something?
Forced to find another seat, Remus looked around the room and found an almost empty table. Only Lily Evans was sitting there alone. The other tables were occupied by students who were studying or playing cards. He swallowed a bit nervously and cleared his throat, he didn't want to lose his voice again, and walked over to Lily's table.
"Eh...is this seat free?" he asked and motioned to a chair opposite hers. She looked up from her essay and smiled when she saw him. Remus could read the title "Transfiguration: The Principles of Re-Materialisation" on her parchment upside down.
"Yes, of course. Let me just clear the table a bit," she smiled and laughed a bit. Remus smiled back as Lily had spread out her books and quills over the whole table.
"There," she smiled when half the table was cleared.
"Thanks," said Remus, much quieter than it was meant to be and sat down. Lily was always kind to everyone and she was always smiling. Remus liked her because she treated him as she did any of her friends. Other people only talked to him when asking for something and only sat down beside him if that was their last option.
However, there were people Lily didn't like. Among them were James Potter who, for some reason, was after her. It seemed to be a joke really. Potter would make a fool of himself in front of her, and then laugh it off with his friends when he got shot down. He was handsome and had a lot of girls going after him, no Gryffindors though. So why would that pureblood git want her? She was a "mudblood" as Black called her. Remus had heard Potter call her that as well when she couldn't hear. So James definitely didn't have a serious crush on her.
"Are you starting on the essay we got today?" asked Lily when Remus had found parchment and a quill in his bag.
"No, I'm gonna write a letter," he said and met her eyes. Then felt that he needed to add something to his short answer. "I started my essay in the library today,"
"Oh right. I can ask you if I have questions then," she said and winked at him.
"Hehe...yeah sure," God I'm awkward...Remus looked down after the embarrassing answer and wrote on the parchment:
Dear mum and Dad.
Thanks for the chocolate. You were right, I needed it after the last moon. Now I probably have enough until next Hogsmeade weekend. I think it's in 2 weeks...
Anyway, everything is fine as usual.
Remus never told his parents how he really felt. He didn't tell them how nauseous he'd started to feel recently, or how bad the full moons really were, not about the Slytherins bullying him or how much he just wanted to go home. He didn't want his parents to worry about him. They'd done so much for him and had put in a lot of hard work to get him into Hogwarts. They were the only people he really trusted and loved.
Remus finished his letter and sealed it in an envelope. When he looked up again, it was darker outside but the room was still filled with people since it was Friday. He checked the clock across the room, it was quite late but he wanted the letter to arrive tomorrow morning.
He said good night to Lily and told her that he was going to the Owlery out of politeness. Then gathered his things and walked out through the portrait hole.
It was early October and the castle was already becoming cold in the evenings. Remus pulled out his scarf from his bag and wrapped it around himself. The chilly wind hit him immediately when he opened the heavy front doors and went out to walk the path towards the Owlery.
When he got there, he picked out a big grey owl and carefully tied the letter to its leg. Owls scared him a bit since he had got bitten a couple of times. They weren't his favorite animals. He watched the owl soar out though the window and then began making his way back towards the castle.
"Oh! If it isn't my favorite Gryffindor!" He heard a familiar voice shouting. Out of every possible thing that could have happened, this was the worst. He ignored Black and walked on without even sparing him or his friends a glance. He should have known that they would be outside, smoking and drinking behind castle as they usually did on weekends.
"Where are you going?" said Potter and he heard the others snigger.
"Yeah, come and join us," Black stepped in front of Remus and looked down at him, a smirk spreading across his handsome face.
"No, thanks," said Remus shortly and made to move past Black but felt him grip his arm. He was scared but he hid it well as he looked up at Black who was significantly taller than him.
"Why not? It could be fun," said a boy who Remus didn't know, with a mean smile on his face. But Remus knew very well what fun meant to them. He had experienced it many times before. Black still held on to Remus' arm and studied him while he took the cigarette to his lips then blew out the smoke in Remus' face.
Trying to keep his eyes from dripping and struggling, not to cough he said as sternly as he could, "let go of me."
"Or what?" said Black lazily, knowing very well that Remus wasn't a threat to him at all. And there wasn't much Remus could do alone against five Slytherins. Black took a step even closer to Remus with a smirk playing on his handsome face. Remus could feel his heart beat faster and he took a step back, but stumbled and tripped when Lestrange tripped him from behind.
For a second everything went blank when Remus hit the hard ground and lost his breath. He gasped and struggled to fill his lungs with air again. Unable to move because of the shooting pain in his back, he stared up at the dark sky. The grass was cold and slightly wet from the rain earlier today and he could hear the guys laughing at him but he couldn't see anyone. That was until Black lowered himself over him with his teasing smirk on his face. Remus eyes got locked with Black's dark and shiny ones. They looked just like the stars behind him and the moon bathed his black hair and clothes in silver.
No one could deny his beauty.
Remus thought that Black was going to hit him in the face when he reached out his hand. He breathed hard, preparing himself for more pain. But he was surprised when Black only caressed his cheek very gently. Black's hand barely touched him at all, just ghosted over his cheek.
"You have to be more careful, Lupin. Don't go out at night," said Black quietly, still smirking in a mysterious kind of way while the others sniggered around them. Remus stared up at him, very confused while feeling quite stupid just laying there with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. Black was only playing with him of course but he couldn't understand why he would choose to tease him instead of just beating him up.
"Come on guys. Let's leave," Black said while his eyes were still locked with Remus'. Then he got up and walked off with his friends. Remus was left, dumbstruck, on the ground.