Delicate | James Potter

1.25

~

It was the first of May when Alice finally connected all the dots. She should have gotten it earlier really.

Moony. Moon.

It was so painfully obvious, not to mention the scars and the silence and the regular disappearances. She'd never particularly paid them much mind, but after spending an evening researching werewolves, it had become all too clear.

Alice went to Peter first. The boy was sweet, but could crack easily if questioned. She was a little nervous, but she wouldn't call it fear. If her theory was right, and it really was Remus, she couldn't bring herself to be scared of the boy who'd been so kind to her on Valentine's day. They'd spoken very briefly a few times since then, and none of these times did he seem dangerous, not in the slightest.

"Hi Pete." She beamed at the boy and jumped down beside him on the Gryffindor sofa. The common room was quiet, people were making the most of the warm weather, but not Peter.

"Hello," he replied, "could you please help me with my potions work? We did this last year, but I forgot what you're supposed to do."

"Of course." She spent ten minutes trying to explain the mixing of antidotes, however when his face remained blank, Alice just wrote the answers down for him.

"Thanks, you're amazing."

She laughed softly, then quietened when she remembered why she'd sought him out in the first place. "Peter?"

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I need to ask you a question, and I'd like to just be blunt, and I need you to just be blunt."

Peter suddenly looked a little more nervous, eyes catching on to her fidgeting fingers. "Y- yes?"

"Your friend, Remus, this might sound silly, but is he- is he a-"

"You should ask him." Peter squeaked, and jumped to his feet quickly.

She frowned, but he was right. "Sorry, Peter. I shouldn't- you're right."

"I have to go." He didn't wait for an answer before scuttling quickly away.

Alice didn't speak to anyone else about it for another week or so. She'd been trying to figure out the link between the werewolf and the other animals she'd seen, but there was none. Even Dumbledore had seemed mildly surprised when she'd mentioned it. Perhaps she just imagined that part.

Instead, she began to focus her attention on the school dance she'd agreed to organise; their very own prom. It was becoming a lot larger of a hassle than she'd originally anticipated, especially on top of all her revision, but with help from Mary, who was all too eager to help, they were getting there.

It was set to take place on the evening of their final exam, though they decided to open it to other years too- the bigger the better, or so Mary insisted. They were free to use the Great Hall, though were still figuring out decorations, and had put up posters telling as much. Matching posters had been sent to the other common rooms, and now excited conversation was beginning. Unfortunately it meant they now had a large audience they needed to impress.