crushed - remus lupin

-three-

"We become illegal animagi."

The reactions varied.

Peter looked nauseous at the fact that they would be doing something against the law. "What if we go to Azkaban? I wouldn't last a day in there!"

Sirius was looking in the mirror he kept in his robes pocket, trying to decide what kind of animal he'd be. "What is the handsomest animal you can think of?"

James looked ecstatic, jumping around the room in excitement. "Do you think Lily will still love me as an animal?"

Remus looked nervous, wondering why his friends would risk being arrested so he could be okay. "Are you guys sure you want to risk that?"

Celeste looked proud, happy that her idea had caused such a reaction. That is, until she saw the look on Remus's face.

"Remus, we'd do anything for you! We're your friends, I'd do anything for any one of you, even if it cost me my life." Celeste meant every word of it. These boys were her family when she had none. She'd do anything for them.

James mockingly put a hand to his heart. "Oh, Leste, you've become so soft. When did you become a poet?" He fake fainted into Sirius's outstretched arms before he shot up, a smug grin etched on his face.

As Sirius and Peter snickered at James's dramatics, Remus still looked rather worried. "Esta, I appreciate all of that, but I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to you because of me. I'm a monster, you shouldn't be helping a monster."

Celeste took Remus's hand, ignoring the sparks when she did. (It was probably just static electricity, right?) "Remus John Lupin, you are not a monster. A monster doesn't buy excessive amounts of chocolate, wear grandpa cardigans and fold their socks! You're just like all of us, just with a furry little problem." She grinned and nudged him in the side playfully.

Suddenly, Celeste looked down at her watch.

"Oh, shit. I'm late to meet up with the girls. See you later guys!" She flashed them a smile as she dashed out of the library.

"Language!" James yelled after her. Madame Pince shot him a devastatingly cruel look, to which he smirked and winked at her.

"Madame Pince loves me, I'm telling you."

Celeste ran down the hall, careful to skip the hallways where Filch lurked regularly.

Running up to the Fat Lady, she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Password?" The portrait looked down at her.

"Carpe Diem." She smiled at the Fat Lady as she stepped into the common room.

Celeste ran up to the girls dorms, but instead of going to her dorms, she ran up to the sixth year girls dorms instead.

Inside the dorm room were six girls, sitting cross legged on the floor in their pajamas.

Every week the girls had a sleepover, and today Celeste was running late. They had too many people to fit in their dorm room, so they held their sleepovers in the sixth year girls dorms, because all of the girls who slept there met with their boyfriends on Saturdays, meaning the room was theirs for the taking.

The room held seven of Celeste's closest friends. Their friend group included three of the four houses, they hadn't found a Ravenclaw to befriend just yet.