JULIET {remus lupin}

THIRTY NINE

Juliet did not speak to Regulus for over a month following his return from the Easter Holidays. The boy was reserved around her, scarcely speaking or looking in her direction, but with others he was loud and confident, laughing with Evan and Barty, even Lucius seemed to have garnered some respect for the younger boy. 

The witch hadn't spoken to Persephone since either, and so Juliet suspected that her and Sirius' connection was finished. Her friend spent all of her time with Caius, not speaking to Juliet or Arabella. Apparently their wedding date had been confirmed. Ophelia, however, had become slightly more tolerable, and seemed to be closer and closer to breaking down as each day passed.

"Are you going to your class, Ophelia?" Juliet asked kindly one morning in May to the witch who had still not gotten out of bed.

"No," she grumbled back, turning over.

"OWLs are next month... You have to come to lessons..."

"No I don't."

"They're important, Ophelia. You don't want to do badly."

"Doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

Juliet bit her tongue, the two had never spoken directly about what had happened over Easter.

"Of course it still matters."

Ophelia chuckled a little, "you know it doesn't. You've seen Persephone, she's not doing as well, even bloody dropped out of quidditch. It doesn't matter for any of us."

"It matters to me," Juliet said stiffly.

"You're not the same as us yet, Romilly."

The witch cleared her throat, "why aren't you getting out of bed, Ophelia?"

"I'm in pain."

"Where?"

"They told me it'd stop hurting after a while," she groaned.

"I- your arm?" Juliet asked quietly.

"Mm..."

"It still hurts?"

"Yes, all the time. Evan's doesn't."

"Have you asked Regulus?"

"I hardly speak to him anymore."

"Me either."

"He's doing it for good and kind reasons," Ophelia said, looking at Juliet.

"It doesn't feel kind."

"You never speak to anyone anyway."

"I'm working, we have-"

"OWLs. I know, I know."

"Do you think Regulus is okay?"

Ophelia shrugged and sat up, "don't know."

"Last time I spoke to him he told me he'd make our parents let us marry..."

"Thanks."

Juliet rolled her eyes, "get over it."

"It's fine, apparently Arabella and Barty isn't going to work out, maybe he'll be my next target."

Juliet grinned slightly, Arabella had told her that she was pushing back against her parents as much as possible, she supposed this meant that it was working.

"You ought to come to lessons, Ophelia."

"And you ought to speak to Regulus, Juliet."

"I've tried."