Chapter Five

Year Five

"What started out as friendship has grown stronger

I only wish I had the strength to let it show"

-REO Speedwagon

LENORA had always preferred the Gryffindor common room to her own. Her own common room was always far too cold, far too dark compared to her friends'. She preferred the coziness of their common room; the cushy armchairs and sofas, the large fireplace that threw shadows and warmth throughout the room. Lenora had become a permanent fixture in her rival house, only visiting her own to sleep and change and study when Remus was unavailable and Peter, Sirius, and James were preoccupied.

Lenora shifted on the sofa, twisting to better rest her Charms textbook in her lap as she read. She rested her head against the back of the sofa as she read about the confundus charm, Remus flipping a page noisily beside her. They had a rather intensive exam scheduled for Monday morning, the pair studying quietly since they had left dinner earlier that evening. It was a rather quiet night in the common room, students milling about and chatting quietly with friends, or hunched over their own studies. She stretched her legs, which had become quite stiff. Her toes brushed against his leg. Remus looked up at the little bump, peering at her from where he sat beside her.

Remus gave her a sidelong glance; her eyebrows were scrunched in concentration, pinched up in the middle as she chewed on her thumbnail. She examined the chipped pink polish on his nails with a bored, dissatisfied look, her eyes returning to her textbook. An errant curl fell in her face, and Remus had a sudden urge to brush it out of her eyes. Lenora lifted a hand, brushing the curl behind her ear with long fingers. Her eyes caught his as she lifted her head slightly. She smiled when she caught his green eyes, Remus quickly looking down.

"What?"

"You had some hair in your face," he said quickly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "You, um… you got it though."

Lenora smiled, her eyes returning to her textbook. A few quiet moments passed before Remus leaned over to her, clearing his throat. She looked up at him, Remus's stomach fluttering at the way she peered up at him from under her lashes. He forced through the fogginess the look had clouded his thoughts with, and pointed to an excerpt in the book.

"This one- remind me of the incantation? You know Flitwick is a stickler with the pronunciations and I always fucking butcher in."

Lenora sat up, crossing her legs under herself. Remus felt a tinge of disappointment when her foot pulled away from his leg, which he decided was only because her foot was warm and not because she was touching him. She brushed her hair behind her ear again, exposing the smooth column of her neck as she looked down at the page over his shoulder. She hovered over him, her face inches from his own. Remus's eyes fell upon her bare neck, her perfume wafting off of her; the same expensive French perfume her mother sent her for her birthday every year. The vibrant smell of orange blossoms and jasmine that he had come to associate with her.

He barely heard her say the incantation. He tore his eyes away from her smooth skin and looked over at her, "What?"

"Were you listening?" she said with a laugh, raising an eyebrow when he shook his head. She repeated the incantation, Remus repeating it back to her.

"You're pronouncing it wrong," she stated, pointing to the incantation again. Remus didn't look at the page. "It's ou, not ew. Try it again."

Remus said the incantation again, pronouncing the vowel sound the same way he had previously. Lenora rolled her eyes. She reached over and took his face in her hand, pinching his cheeks gently. "Drop your jaw," she instructed.

Remus's heart pounded, her fingertips pressing into his skin when he obliged. He dropped his chin, Lenora pinching his cheeks and bringing his lips together into a pucker, "Say it again- ou."

"Ou," he repeated, his eyes fixed upon her own lips, puckered as she made the same sound. She smiled, satisfied, but Remus's eyes remained fixed on her lips, her hand still gripping his face. Both were suddenly aware of the short distance between their faces, his thigh pressed against hers, the brush of her pointer finger against his lips. Remus fought the urge to brush his fingers against her own lips, instead clearing his throat.

Lenora dropped her hand, leaning back and returning her attention to her book. Remus rubbed his face nervously, Lenora suddenly interested in her nail polish again. His heart continued to pound, the ghost of her finger still on his lips. He wondered if hers were as soft as they looked. Remus shook his head, as if he could physically throw the thoughts from it, fiddling with the worn band of his watch.

"I remembered the name of that poem I told you about," he said quickly, desperate to draw attention away from the silence that had fallen between them. "The one that reminded me of your name? It's called The Raven. It was written by an American chap; Edgar Allen Poe."

Recognition flashed in her eyes, recalling the passing conversation they had weeks prior as he walked her to class. She had assumed he had forgotten. Lenora raised an eyebrow, smiling at him over her charms textbook, "Yeah? I'd like to hear it sometime."

"He's a bit of a spooky bloke."

"I like spooky." She met his gaze, fiddling with a loose stitch on the sleeve of her brown and green sweater. Remus smirked, Lenora's eyes not leaving him.

"Yeah, but you may not like this."

"What? Worried that I'll get scared and you'll have to hold my hand?" She teased with a breathy laugh, resting her book against her chest.

Remus dropped his eyes from hers, a longing look flashed across his face at her words. His eyes fell upon her hands, Lenora's smile faltering for a moment as her stomach fluttered, the tension that had been diffused only moments ago returning. Remus cleared his throat, pulling his eyes from her empty fingers and standing abruptly, "I think I have a copy, actually. Be right back," he said quickly.

He took the steps up to his dormitory two at a time, Lenora returning to her textbook. Sirius and James' laughter filled his ears as he ducked into their dormitory, the two boys on their respective beds, tossing a quaffle back and forth and loudly discussing James's new strategies to impress Lily Evans. Peter sat on his bed, half listening to their conversation as he worked on an essay and chimed in occasionally. Remus sorted through the stack of books in his trunk, locating the shabby hardback and ducking back out.

He took the stairs down as quickly as he had gone up them. Lenora peered over the back of the sofa, facing the stairs to the boy's dormitory, her chin resting on her crossed arms. She smiled when she saw him, Remus's stomach twisting into a tight knot.

He plopped back on the sofa, returning her smile, hands shaking as he turned to the correct page. Lenora stretched out again, sliding onto her back, knees bent. She rested her head in his lap, staring up at him with stormy gray eyes. Remus's head spun, struggling to find words as he peered down at her. The sight of her hair splayed out across his lap made him feel uncomfortably hot.

"This alright?" she asked quietly.

Remus nodded wordlessly. She closed her eyes and sighed contently, "Read it to me."

Remus cleared his throat, murmuring a few curses in Welsh before beginning the poem. Lenora listened intently, his voice a deep, rhythmic rumble. Her lips curved into a smile at the first mention of Lenore, the love of the poem's name so similar to her own.

"Nevermore," she repeated, rolling onto her side so that her cheek pressed against his thigh, "What a heartbreaking word, don't you think?"

"Yeah," he murmured, "I guess it is."

His hand hovered over her curls, several tumbling across her face. Lenora blew them out of her face with an annoyed puff, only for them to land in the same place. His hand shook as he reached down, gently brushing the dark curls from her face and tucking them behind her ear. Her hair was soft; the sensation of it against his fingertips gentle and silky. He wanted to touch it again, to feel it between his fingers. He hesitated before touching her hair again, running his fingers through the strands. The softness reminded him of the roses that grew in his mother's garden; of the soft, smooth petals.

Lenora let out a contented sigh, enjoying the rhythmic motion of his fingers combing through her hair. Remus began to read again, though his eyes remained fixed on her, reciting the poem from memory as he looked over her; the dark lashes brushing her cheeks, her hair brushed back by his fingers, exposing the lovely curve of her jaw and graceful neck. Remus swallowed, pulling his eyes from her, his stomach knotting. As he read, he felt her relax against him, her even breathing signaling to him that she had fallen asleep. Remus was still, looking down at her, not daring to move.

Remus continued to brush his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp in the same gentle way she would when he would get his migraines. Her hair fell back in her face, Remus brushing the curls back over her shoulder, tucking them behind her ear. He had always quite liked her hair, her curls far smoother and better maintained than her twin's. Sirius's hair was always unruly, but hers was pinned and pulled to perfection each and every day. Princess, he would call her; always so prim and proper. Yet, he preferred it this way. Wild and free and undone. He watched his hand move against her skin, the contrast of his scarred skin against her pale, smooth skin. He brushed a thumb along her delicate cheekbone, brushing his knuckles along her neck.

He pulled his hand away, his stomach twisting again as he looked down at his friend. That's what she was; his friend.

Friends laid with their heads in each other's laps.

Friends played with one another's hair and rubbed their heads.

Friends walked one another to class, even when their own class was on the other side of the castle.

Friends had nicknames for one another that no one else could use.

Friends touched one another's faces and wondered how their lips would feel against theirs.

Friends read through books of poetry and heard her name in every line.

That's all they were- friends.

Lenora stirred in his lap, eyes blinking open. She yawned, stretching, and glanced at the clock on the mantle of the grand fireplace.

"Oh my," she yawned, "I didn't realize how late it was. I should head back to my dormitory."

She sat up, stretching her arms over her head. Her sweater lifted, exposing a sliver of her pale stomach. Remus looked away, Lenora dropping her arms and gathering her things. "Can I walk you back to your common room?" he asked.

She stuffed her charms book into her bag, shaking her head. "That's alright, it's well past midnight," she said, standing, "Probably wouldn't look too good for a prefect to be out and about when it's not their duty night," she teased.

Remus rose with her, "I'm sure it would be fine. Let me walk you back."

"Really, Remmy, it's alright." She insisted. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Slughorn is on duty tonight, anyways. I'll have better luck sweet talking my way out of a detention if I get caught out past curfew than you would." Lenora slung her bag over her shoulder, turning to face him again.

"It's a lovely poem," Lenora said, the low firelight casting shadows across her face. "I could listen to you read for hours," she murmured.

Remus smirked, suddenly very interested in his shoes. Lenora leaned forward and rested a small hand on his shoulder. She lifted herself up onto her toes to press a kiss to his cheek, "Goodnight, Remus," she whispered. She turned on her heel, leaving him to stand alone in the common room.

Friends kissed each other goodnight. They must, he thought.

Remus stood before the fire for several long minutes, his cheek burning where her lips had touched it; orange blossom and jasmine still lingering in his nose. He smiled, pressing his hand to where her lips had brushed against it, chuckling softly before climbing the stairs to his dormitory. James and Sirius still sat on their beds, tossing the quaffle back and forth, this time determined to see how hard they could throw it at one another.

"Oi, Mooney," Sirius called, "What's your bet? Will Evans say yes to his sorry ass this go around?"

Remus ignored them, his head spinning as he tossed his textbooks into his trunk, slipping into bed. Sirius shrugged, turning back to James. Remus drew the curtains of the four poster bed, blocking out the lamplight. He cracked open the old hardback book, cheek still burning, eyes falling over the page;

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore

He read over the line, touching the page where he had scratched out the 'e' and replaced it with an 'a' weeks before. He slipped the bit of green ribbon she had let him use as a bookmark a while back into the book, letting it rest against his chest. His cheek still tingled where her lips had touched it.

"Are you all certain it worked?" Remus asked, looking out at his group of friends.

Peter, Sirius and James all nodded back at him from where they sat in the Shrieking Shack. Twilight had fallen upon the grounds, painting the skies in shades of pinks and purples. Remus watched the falling sun through the cracked window anxiously, the spring breeze blowing warm through it. He rubbed his aching head, looking back up at his friends. "You are absolutely certain?"

"For the last time, Remus, yes." James stated, watching as his friend paced.

"Fine," Remus turned towards them, "Show me then."

The boys exchanged smug glances, standing up. Remus watched as his friends were suddenly replaced by a large stag, a scruffy black wolfhound, and a gray rat that scurried up onto the stag's back. Remus let out a surprised yelp, whooping as his friend's transformed back into their usual selves with prideful grins.

"That's fucking brilliant!" Remus shouted, clapping Sirius on the shoulder.

"Picking our forms was the hardest part, really," James said, smiling at his friend. "Wait until you see Nora's."

Remus raised an eyebrow, having noticed the young woman's absence when his friends had arrived under the sheath of James's cloak. Although he had pretended to be annoyed by his friends' rather dramatic, and horrendously illegal, choice to become animagi, he couldn't deny the sense of calm he felt this full moon. Having his friends with him filled him with a sense of security he had never felt during a transformation.

"Where is Nora?" he asked, the dusky sky turning more purple as time passed.

Sirius shrugged, "She said she would come after us. I reckon she is still trying to get used to the wings."

"Wings?"

The rustling of feathers brought his attention to the window. The raven that sat upon the windowsill was a thing of beauty; long, glossy blue-black feathers and large, bright eyes. She ruffled her wings, as if to show off the impressive wingspan. She chirped, a throaty croaking sound so different from the clear, melodic voice he knew. Remus chuckled as she tilted her head, her eyes fixed upon him.

"Hi, princess."