crushed - remus lupin

-twenty-two-

"If you have ten chocolate frogs, and I asked for five, how many would you have?"

"None."

Lily Evans was very concerned about James's lack of basic mathematical skill.

She sighed. "James, that's basic math, it's not that hard-"

James looked her straight in the eyes. "I would give them all to you because I love you."

The sincerity in his eyes was hard to ignore, and it had clearly worked on his audience as Lily turned as red as her hair and started spluttering nonsense.

Celeste turned to Remus, amused by the two she was observing.

"Say, Remmy, if you have ten chocolate frogs, and I asked for five, how many would you have?"

Without looking up from his book or pausing to think, Remus answered, "Ten. No one touches my fucking chocolate."

"Why did I even ask?"

"If it makes you feel better, love, I had to think about it for a millisecond, which is a millisecond longer than I've ever thought about it." Remus attempted to reassure her.

"I'll take it." Celeste grinned.

The lighthearted air in the room dissipated as McGonagall entered the Great Hall and put up three fingers in the direction of the Gryffindor table. That was the signal.

Celeste looked over to James and Sirius and jerked her head slightly, gesturing towards the door.

James was struggling to come up with a convincing excuse to leave Lily. "Uh, I have to go water my grandma, bye Lils!"

Celeste mentally facepalmed as James ran up to them.

"Water your grandma? Really, Prongs? You couldn't think of anything better?" Sirius snickered, having the time of his life.

James hit Sirius in the face with his Potions textbook, effectively shutting him up... for now at least.

Peter, Sirius, Remus, and James pushed each other around and laughed as they headed out of the Great Hall towards Dumbledore's office, but Celeste couldn't make herself do the same. She walked ahead of the boys, deep in thought about what was to come.

What they were about to do was very dangerous, and she couldn't be sure if she'd even come back alive. So Celeste believed it was reasonable to be worried.

Celeste climbed the bronze eagle stairs silently, making her feet move her closer to the headmaster's office, regardless of how much she wanted to just sit down and cry.

"Professor." She greeted the man with a simple nod.

The rest of the marauders followed behind her, seemingly getting the memo about the atmosphere in the room, since they quieted down.

"I assume you all remember the plan, yes?"

The five teenagers nodded their heads in unison, fear crossing all of their faces, whether it was obvious or not.

"Then you should proceed as we discussed, unless you have any questions?" The old man peered over the rim of his glasses at the marauders.

It was silent for a moment, the air thick, and the moment tense.

"Sir, I only have one." Celeste forced her voice to come out strong, for fear that it would be nothing but a squeak.

Dumbledore nodded to her and she proceeded. "Do you know where she's being held? I'm aware that you know how to get us there, but do you know what the place in question is?"