Chapter 52
LB
The next few days I was cornered by groups of girls as they all wanted to know about how good the three most popular guys in school kissed. Mostly I could duck away without answering, or Angelina pulled me away. Two or three times I had to use my wand as a distraction before I could escape. The twins' behaviour towards me didn't change, thank Merlin, but I caught them whispering in a corner more than once. And when they saw me approach, they fell quiet and turned a little red. I squinted my eyes for a second before sitting down with them with my homework.
It was the afternoon of a full moon, and I was sitting alone in the common room working on my Transfiguration essay in the corner, while the rest was at Potions. I was so immersed in my work. I didn't hear the portrait open. I only noticed when someone dropped down in front of me. I looked up to see Harry sitting across from me at the small round table.
"Hey, Harry. Where are Hermione and Ron?"
"They're not always with me." He pursed his lips. I lifted a single eyebrow. "Fine, Hermione is at the library and Ron just ran up to get changed." I looked at him questioningly. "Crabbe covered him in slime."
I scrunched up my nose, and Harry chuckled softly. "So, how's it going with Hermione?" I asked offhandedly, inspecting my essay.
"I like her, but -" He looked over his shoulder to the boys' staircase. "I'm still so confused."
"Whether you like boys or girls?" I asked quietly as I looked up.
"Yeah." He rubbed his neck nervously. I reached over and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze.
"Harry, you can like both, you know."
"I - I can?"
"Of course. I -" I stopped talking when Ron bounded down the stairs. Harry retracted his hand quickly and stared out the window. I looked up to Ron and supressed a chuckle. "Uhm, Ron. You missed a bit." I pointed to his ear. Ron had a big lob of green slime hanging on his ear. Harry turned to look and burst out laughing as Ron frantically rubbed his ear clean with his sleeve. Harry stood up, already ready to leave.
"Oh, Harry wait up." Harry turned back to me with a raised eyebrow. "It's the full moon tonight. And I'm slipping out of the castle to be with Remus."
"Alright."
"But the others don't know. I need someone to cover for me."
"Okay." He nodded. "Why don't you tell them?"
"They don't know I'm an Animagus, Harry. Why would a sixteen-year-old go hang out with a werewolf."
"Oh, right." He said sheepishly. "Sure, I'll cover for you."
"I'll be there for dinner. The twins have some kind of prank planned after and Angelina and Lee have a date. I'm leaving after dinner. So, can you just tell them when they get back, I didn't feel very well and went to bed early."
"Sure, but what if Angelina comes to check on you."
"I'm just going to put a spell on the bed curtains. She won't notice."
"You've done this before, haven't you?" He smirked and I mimicked his expression. "Be careful." He gave me a hug which threw me off, if I'm being honest. Harry wasn't the type to initiate affection. "Tell Remus and Sirius hi from me." He smiled as he pulled back.
"Will do. Thank you, Harry."
LB
The twins left for their prank before dessert arrived, while Angelina and Lee were already on their date. So, after I finished a chocolate mousse. I winked at Harry before leaving the great hall. I hid behind a tapestry near the front doors before changing into Loki. Since I was alone and in wolf form, I reached Hogsmeade faster than last time. I changed back before I stepped inside The Three Broomsticks and floo'd over directly to Black's house.
Nobody was there when I entered the living room, but I could hear muffled voices coming from upstairs. The door was ajar, and I saw my uncle and Sirius sitting close, talking softly at each other. Moony heard my footsteps and smiled up at the door.
"Hi, cub." He said and Sirius head snapped up. He really wasn't using his dog hearing.
"Hi, Moony." I pushed the door open and Moony walked up to me, hugging me fiercely. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too." I mumbled in his shirt. "Harry says hi." I said when I pulled back and looked between the two.
"How's he doing?" Sirius asked.
"He's good, excited about the Tournament."
"I can imagine." Moony smiled. "I wish we had it when we went to school."
"Hm, yeah." Sirius frowned. I took out my wand and pointed it behind Sirius. I'm not going to lie if I said I didn't enjoy the flicker of panic in Sirius's eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Fixing this room up. I told you last month." I smirked.
"You're not seventeen yet, are you?" Sirius asked.
Right. I frowned. Moony chuckled before he turned his wand to the walls. The padded wall turned back to stone, but he let on the cushioning charm on, just in case. He gave the room a dark blue wall, while the other three stayed bare. Then he transfigured a couch and placed it against the wall. Next to it, a large coffee table.
"Sirius, can you get some food and tea?" I asked as Remus's wand flittered around the room.
"Yeah, sure." He said hurriedly and disappeared from the room.
"That was mean." Moony commented as he flopped down on the couch.
"That was funny." I corrected and smiled over my shoulder. "Don't deny it."
"Alright, it was a little funny." He agreed with a chuckle.
"Do you have your special shorts on?"
"Merlin, Alec." Moony chuckled in his hands.
"What?" I asked turning around.
"Nothing." He smiled up at me.
I pursed my lips at him as I put my hands on my waist. "Someone needs to take care of you."
"I'm an adult, I can take care of myself."
"Don't fool yourself, Moony." I grinned. "If it wasn't for me, you had been standing in your pyjama trousers first day of lessons last year."
"I-" He opened and closed his mouth without another syllable. Then he shook his head. "Fair point. But, yes, I'm wearing them."
"Good. And the Wolfsbane?"
"Taken it just like instructed." He winked. I nodded contentedly before sitting down next to him. "So, do you know if any of your friends are coming? Jack?"
"No, still not decided. Jack said they needed to write an essay on why they wanted to come, and only the people who turn seventeen before November 1st. They should find out in a few days."
He nodded his head slowly. "Are you still going to enter?" He asked and I nodded my head. "Not just to spite him, right?"
"No, I mean at first yes. But I think it could be fun and exciting, I'll probably learn a lot too. But what are the chances that I'm getting picked." I shrugged.
"One to fifty, give or take. Pretty high, if you think about it. And I don't think of anyone who could do it better than you." He squeezed my hand.
"Thank you." I leaned my head on his shoulder. Sirius was just standing outside the door, we both knew he returned around the time when I said Jack and the others needed to write an essay, but we didn't let him know.
LB
"Did you get any sleep?" Moony asked tiredly. We were sitting in the living room, and I was curled on the large couch while Sirius was making breakfast again. I grunted into the pillow. "I'm sorry."
"'It's not your fault." I said pushing myself up and I rubbed my eyes. "I have the first two hours off, so I can take a kip."
"Did you and Sirius get a chance to talk?"
"Actually." Sirius said coming over with a large tray with food on it. "Alec told me about me about a date you had a couple of years back." He handed Remus and me a plate.
"Thank you." I gave him a little smile before I dived in.
"ALEC! You didn't?" Moony groaned and Sirius and I laughed. "You're supposed to talk about your life, not mine." He chastised but the corners of his mouth twitched.
"As I remember that story involves me too." I pointed out with my fork.
"Well, yes. But -"
"I told him about how I arrived at your place, and the days after." I said with a soft voice, not looking at Sirius. I still felt a little uncomfortable, but I thought I start with the early stuff.
"I still can't believe you remember that. You were so young."
"I don't remember anything from before Moony. I only have the memories that mum kept, and the pictures." Moony had wrapped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed them softly.
"Thank you, for sharing it with me." Sirius said softly and I shrugged not looking at him. I ate my plate clean and stood op, tiredly.
"I should get going, take a nap before classes." The two men got up too and I hugged Moony. "Next moon is on a Friday; I won't miss any classes then." I chuckled lightly.
"You can stay here if you want." Sirius offered nervously. "You - you have a room."
"I'll think about it." I nodded at him. Sirius smiled at me. I turned back to Remus. "I'll see you soon." I kissed his cheek.
"Let me know about the Tournament, okay?"
"I will." I squeezed his hand and walked to the fireplace.
"Do you want me to apparate you?" Sirius offered before I stepped in.
I turned as I stepped in with a raised brow. "I'm flooing over to the three broomsticks. That's almost as far as you can apparate me. It won't be necessary. I'll turn into Loki when I'm in Hogsmeade. I'll be in the castle in a second."
"Oh, alright." He took a step back. "See you in a month then."
"Yeah." I took a handful of floo powder. "Bye." With a last wave, I disappeared in green flames.
LB
I forced myself up the stairs to my dorm. I was still in Loki form since everyone was still asleep. The three girls in my dorm were breathing evenly, so I trotted down to my bed and hopped in. Once safe behind the curtains, I changed back. I crawled under my blankets and the moment my head hit the pillow; I fell asleep.
"Miss Lupin-Black?"
I frowned as I woke up. I was still in my bed and the curtains were closed, so I couldn't see who the voice belonged to. I pushed myself up and pulled the curtains open. "Professor McGonagall?" I squinted my eyes at the light.
"I've been told you didn't feel well, and you missed my class. Highly unusual."
"I'm sorry." I mumbled. "I'm just really tired."
"Have you been out all night?" She asked sternly.
"No." I shook my head. "Gone to bed after dinner last night because I didn't feel so good."
The professor stared at me for a long moment, then gave a sharp nod. "Madam Pomfrey asked me to give this to you. You'll stay in bed for today, I already informed your teachers."
"Oh, okay. Thank you, professor."
She gave another short nod. "Your apprenticeship will start in a week and a half, you'll be using the floo in my office to go to his lab. Everything is set up."
"Thank you." I said again. The professor turned to leave, when she reached the door, I called out. "What about the duelling club?"
"We'll talk about it after the ceremony. You'll be entering, I gather?" I nodded. "Well, alright. We'll talk about it after, see what happens."
"Okay."
"Sleepwell, miss Lupin-Black." She turned around, her robes flapping behind her, with a last swish of her emerald green robes, she disappeared from the dorm.