a/n: This work is actually a prequel to one of my previous stories, Denial and Deflection. You do not have to read it to understand this story, but I would encourage you to go read it after this one is finished! However, if you don't want this fic spoiled, I wouldn't even look at Denial and Deflection since there's spoilers in the tags and description of it lol
My heart pounds in my chest as I face Remus Lupin from a couple metres away. The tension is thick, electrifying the air around us, both of us waiting for the other to make the first move.
This is it. The moment I've been anticipating for the past couple of hours.
My fingers instinctively flex around my wand, tingling with energy.
Remus stands tall, his eyes focused and unwavering. I know I'm in for a challenge, but I don't let it affect my composure.
With the tension finally becoming too much, I quickly flick my wrist and exclaim, "Stupefy!"
As expected, Remus easily sidesteps the spell and immediately sends a returning curse,
The duel has now officially begun.
Spells fly through the air in a whirlwind of colors and energy. I deflect curse after curse, countering with practiced precision. Remus is an exceptional duelist, his moves calculated and skillful. Nevertheless, everyone slips up eventually, and I'm always waiting for the first mistake to end the duel. I've never been a fan of the long game as I tend to run out of stamina after a while.
With every clash of spells, I feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins as we dance around each other, our wands a blur of motion.
I go on the offensive, steadily advancing toward him, forcing him to retreat. He eventually reaches the edge of the platform, and just as I hoped, his foot goes over the edge slightly. He doesn't fall–barely even stumbles–but it's enough time for me to send a proper disarming jinx.
"Expelliarmus!"
My spell speeds toward Remus in a blinding light. However, in a split second, he manages to cast a shield charm. It's weak, but it manages to stop the jinx. The spell ricochets off the shield and heads straight back at me.
If I hadn't been crowding Remus so closely, I would have had time to dodge, but the jinx easily hits me and sends my wand flying behind me, hitting the stone floor with a clatter.
Remus, ever the patient duellist, does not immediately stun me. Instead, he sidesteps to get away from the edge, forcing me to move until our positions have been switched, and I'm now the one backed up to the edge. He can't help but smirking at me smugly, and I resist the impulse to make a snide comment.
I glance behind him and see that my wand is only a couple meters away. Quite stupidly, I get the urge to recreate a move I had seen someone do in a film once. Remus is seconds away from stunning me, so I have nothing to lose–except for my dignity–when I more than likely fail idiotically at the stunt.
Remus opens his mouth to deal the final spell, and without a spare thought in my mind, I dive toward the ground, my body somersaulting to evade the rebounding jinx. Time seems to slow as I reach out desperately, my fingertips grazing against the cool wood of my wand. With a surge of relief, I grip it tightly just as I hear the jinx crackling past me, inches away from my right ear.
In one swift motion, I rise from the ground and turn around, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I lock eyes with Remus, a triumphant smile playing on my lips. With a flick of my wand, I unleash a stunning spell, not bothering with a disarming jinx. Remus reacts a second too late, and the spell hits its target, causing him to freeze mid-step.
The tension instantly dissipates as the surrounding students erupt into applause that fill the previously still classroom. I can't help but revel in the sound before Professor Flitwick joins us on the platform and heads toward the frozen Remus.
"Excellent, excellent, excellent, Ms. Layna," he tells me. "Impeccable wrist movement!"
"Thank you, Professor," I say, still slightly out of breath.
I watch as he wordlessly casts a reviving spell on Remus. Remus's eyes flit with movement, then his fingers, and finally after a few seconds, he's standing up straight. It's uncomfortable being stunned, but Remus always recovers quickly.
"Impressive performance from you too, Mr. Lupin," Professor Flitwick says before addressing the rest of the class. "Great job to all of the duelists today! I will see you all next Tuesday for the last club meeting of the year," he chirps, causing the class to cheer in excitement.
Remus and I turn toward each other, our eyes still sparkling with the residual thrill of the duel. Good-natured smiles spread across our faces as we approach each other and shake hands.
"Nice shield charm," I tell him as we walk down the platform to our awaiting friends.
He nods appreciatively. "Thanks," he says. "Though it has nothing on that somersault you did."
"Yeah," I say with a laugh. "I'm lucky I didn't go tumbling the platform onto my arse."
Before Remus can respond, we're suddenly engulfed by our enthusiastic friends. Their voices fill the air, a mixture of excitement and praise.
"Layna, that was the coolest duel I've seen all year," Marlene says to me over the noise of the crowd. "You've got to show me how you did that flipping thing!" she says, grabbing my shoulders earnestly.
"I'm sure any Bruce Lee movie can show you better than I can," I tell her.
She tilts her head in confusion. "Who's Bruce Lee?" she asks.
She will have to ask Lily, though, because I spot Sirius, standing a few feet away, a wide smile stretching across his handsome face as he pats Remus on the back. He looks positively ecstatic, his excitement palpable in the way he bounces on his feet.
I stride towards him and can't help but smile in amusement. He catches my eye, and before I can react, he scoops me up into an all-encompassing bear hug. I'm momentarily caught off guard, but I quickly laugh and wrap my arms around his neck.
"Merlin's beard, Layna, that was brilliant!" Sirius exclaims after setting me back down. "I couldn't decide who to root for—you were both so incredible!"
A surge of warmth rushes through my cheeks from his words. I knew he had been watching, and I would be lying if I said his validation didn't send a rush of gratification through me.
"You should probably root for your girlfriend, mate," Peter mutters from behind him.
I freeze, expecting Sirius to correct him. We haven't brought up labels yet–they haven't even crossed my mind. Has Sirius told his friends we were official or is Peter just assuming?
I get none of these questions answered, however, because he just chuckles at Peter.
"Probably," Sirius says, shrugging nonchalantly. He leans then down to whisper, and an involuntary shiver runs through me when his lips brush past my ear. "Don't tell Remus, darling, but I was always rooting for you."
Butterflies flit through my stomach, and I can't tell if it's from his words or my unanswered questions. I look up at him, hoping to find any clue as to how he feels, but he's just beaming down at me as usual.
"Thank you," I say, hoping it sounds natural, before clearing my throat. "So are you getting lunch?"
"I can't," he says regretfully. "But I'll walk you down."
"Sirius, practice is only ten minutes from now" James almost whines from beside Sirius.
James is very much used to Sirius's complete askew sense of time, but I know that the Quidditch Cup is only a few days away.
"Well we wouldn't want you to be late," I say before backing up to join the mass of students exiting the classroom. "I'll see you around."
Before he can protest, I turn around and the crowd of bustling robes engulfs me. I try to find Lily among the chaos, and I finally spot her red hair only a few meters away, talking to an animated-looking Marlene.
"So you're saying he does all this without magic?" Marlene asks, completely flabbergasted.
"That's right," Lily says, looking like she's trying not to laugh at Marlene's naivete about muggles.
"Do you think we can get one of his BHSs?" Marlene asks, eagerly. "I think I can incorporate some of his stunts into my Quidditch playing."
"VHS," Lily corrects her gently before she spots me coming towards them. Her eyes light up with an idea. "Layna, didn't Sirius just buy an old telly from a graduating seventh-year?"
"Yes, he did," I sigh. I actually know very well that he bought one from Frank Longbottom because he very eagerly showed me how it worked about a week ago. I of course knew perfectly well how to use a telly, but I couldn't ruin his fun. "I can ask him if we can use it, and I'll owl my parents to see if they can send one of our Bruce Lee VHSs."
"Oh my god! Thank you, thank you, thank you," Marlene squeals, almost jumping with joy.
Her excitement is so infectious that it almost makes me forget what I was worrying about before. However, the mood is ruined when I hear a brash voice call my name from behind me as I'm walking out the door.
"Oi, Layna!"
I instinctively turn and am filled with dread when I see Mcclaggen walking towards me. I consider turning around and acting as if I didn't notice, but from past experiences, it never works. He rarely relents and often resorts to trapping you in a corner or even a bloody broom closet that one time.
"You all go ahead," I tell Marlene and Lily with as much altruism as I can muster.
"You sure?" Lily asks, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Mcclaggen suspiciously.
"Yeah," I grumble, beginning to regret being so charitable.
Marlene has had plenty of run-ins of her own with Mcclaggen, so she doesn't need to be told twice. She quickly takes Lily's hand and leads them away down the hall. I sigh and brace myself for the incoming interaction.
"Amazing job in there," Mcclagen tells me once he catches up. From anyone else, it would be a compliment, but from the way he leers at me, it makes my stomach turn over.
"Thanks," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I know he can sense my obvious disdain but does not let it affect him.
"Except, I thought it was rather daft of you to bring out the disarming charm so soon," he says, and I don't stop myself from wrinkling my nose in judgment. I can't even remember the last time he's gotten close to winning a duel. "Though you looked quite fit doing that rolling move," he admits after a moment.
"Your charm never ceases to amaze me," I say flatly, rolling my eyes in disgust.
"What the hell are you saying to her," Sirius demands from behind me.
I hadn't heard his approach, and his aggressive tone surprises me. I've obviously heard him talk to Snape and other Slytherins this way, but he's never been the jealous sort–always perfectly content to assume an open relationship on both partners' end.
"Just discussing the duel," Mcclaggen says, not bothering to hide his obvious joy in seeing Sirius upset.
"Yeah right," Sirius scoffs and rolls his eyes so hard I think they may fall to the back of his head.
A part of me should revel in his protectiveness over me, but I can't help but feel defensive. Does he think that I couldn't handle pathetic Mclaggen by myself? Or maybe he feels he has to intervene out of obligation since I guess I'm his girlfriend–apparently.
Mcclaggen looks like he's about to retaliate back with his usual charm, so I quickly intervene. "Sirius, it's alright," I say, placing a hand on his arm. He breaks his staring standoff with Mclaggen to look down at me with much gentler eyes. He seems to want to object, but I smile at him placidly. "Go ahead. I don't want you to be late for practice."
He obviously wants to protest, but he gives a relenting sigh, before placing a kiss on my cheek and joining James who had been impatiently waiting for him. Once Sirius has turned around the corner, Mclaggen snickers quietly.
"You must be a great lay, Layna. No one else has been able to tame Sirius for this long before," Mclaggen says with a smirk, looking me up and down, his nightmarish imagination obviously running wild.
"Ugh," I say with as much revulsion as I can muster, but it probably comes out weaker than I would like.
I should be offended by his sexist comment, but instead, I'm questioning why exactly Sirius and I have lasted so long. Now that I think about it, I can't remember a time when I wasn't with Sirius. That's an exaggeration–we've been together a few months, but that's much longer than both of us have been with anyone. Sure, I'm a great snog and can give him a good laugh, but no one can live off of kisses and laughter forever.
"I gotta go," I finally mutter absentmindedly and leave Mcclaggen standing in the middle of the corridor. My change in attitude seems to surprise him enough that he doesn't follow me.
"Hey, Marlene, didn't you and Sirius have a thing back in Second Year?" I ask Marlene while we're outside studying for the Herbology final in the courtyard a few hours later.
She looks up from her textbook in surprise and her eyes narrow at me as if trying to decipher my intentions. I obviously know that they dated, and she knows that too. After all, I was the one that bet her to kiss him if they won the quidditch game against Ravenclaw.
"I guess so?" she says slowly.
We had never brought it up before, and it honestly never crossed my mind. It was obvious that both Sirius and Marlene had moved on and were just friends by the time Sirius and I started talking.
"So how did that... work?" I ask, trying to keep my tone nonchalant, even though I can feel my cheeks redden with embarrassment.
Marlene looks at me as if I've grown another head, but she graciously answers anyway. "I don't know," she shrugs. "We were only twelve, and we lasted maybe a week." She laughs at a memory. "Pretty sure I asked him to marry me, and then he broke up with me the next day."
"Right, right," I mutter in contemplation. So commitment issues can be traced back to Second Year…cool. But, what does that mean? Obviously, marriage is off the table, but was never in question.
"Hey, are you and Sirius alright?"
"Hm?" I ask, broken out of my thoughts by her question. "Oh! Yes, we're fine," I say, nodding at her a little too hard to be seen as natural.
"Right," she says, looking totally unconvinced.
She is saved by my odd behavior when the Marauders step into the courtyard. A mix of anxiety and exhilaration runs through me at the sight of Sirius breaking away from the group and coming towards me. My skips a beat as he runs his hand through his perfect, freshly washed hair, and I wonder if the summer heat will finally push him to cut it. If that time comes, I think it will be the saddest day in history.
"Hi, Sirius," I say when he finally approaches and inwardly cringe when it comes out slightly breathless.
"Hey, Layna," he says, smiling down at me easily. Then, he turns to Marlene with a polite nod. "Alright, Mckinnon?"
She looks him up and down skeptically. "Are you?" she asks, her voice full of suspicion. He looks at her hesitantly, probably a little nervous since he knows firsthand what she can do with a beater's bat.
Knowing Marlene, she probably assumes Sirius did something stupid to elicit my odd behavior, so I step in before she can get overly protective and reveal to Sirius what I have been thinking about.
Quickly intervening, I say to Sirius, "Hey, do you think we could use the telly you got from Longbottom to watch some Bruce Lee movies?" The mention of tellys and Bruce Lee immediately catches their attention, effectively diverting the conversation.
"Yeah, of course," Sirius says, brightening up at the idea. "Do you think I could join in on one of them? I love Bruce Lee."
I look towards Marlene in question, and she shrugs goodnaturedly, the previous conversation completely forgotten.
"Yeah," I tell him. "What about tomorrow night?"
"Works for me," Sirius says, nodding.
I turn to Marlene to see her similarly nodding at me.
"What about Lily?" she asks, knowing our red-headed friend will most likely be holed up in the library studying for finals.
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to get her to come," I tell her, a mischievous smirk tugging at my lips.
Marlene skeptically studies me for a second before rolling her eyes, not even bothering to question me. She knows that Lily can rarely ever say no to me. I like to blame it on my dimples and effervescent charm.
"Okay, darling," Sirius says smiling, obviously entertained by my antics. "Let me know the time and place," he says before kissing my cheek goodbye.
I watch him walk away back to his friends and wonder what I was worrying so much about in the first place.
"You two are so weird," Marlene sighs, before going back to studying her textbook.
We're weird? What does that mean? And just like that, I can feel all of my hesitations and frustrations rear back into my mind.
a/n: I know Layna's thoughts can be a little tiring, but in the words of Conan Gray "why would you ever deal with any emotion in a logical way when you could have the option of absolutely losing your mind?"