Reading Between The Lines ~ Remus Lupin ~ Book 1

chapter 3

Saturday, 18 September 1976

"Ava, stop doing cartwheels! You just ate three slices of cake! You're gonna get sick!" Raj laughed as Ava cartwheeled over the grass.

She stopped cartwheeling for a moment. "No I won't. I'm a Kamen. Kamens are invincible!"

"Oh, really?" Lena said as she laid on the ground, lifting the top half of her body by her elbows. "Because just three days ago you were in the infirmary."

"It was an anomaly!"

"You keep telling yourself that!" Alex shouted at Ava, looking down at Maggie, who was resting against his chest.

Maggie waved. "Just come over here. We need to plan for the concert."

Ava cartwheeled over to them and plopped down, crossing her legs underneath her.

"So, the Cauldron Coven's secret concert is next Saturday and it's in the field just outside Hogsmeade," Raj began.

"The only issue is that the concert starts at eleven and it's not even a Hogsmeade weekend and none of us know how to get out of Hogwarts without getting caught," Maggie finished.

"We can't miss it, though!" Ava cried.

"Yeah, the concert is the only reason why Jenny Blake agreed to go out with me," Raj agreed.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't go out with her then. It sounds like it'll end badly," commented Lena.

"I'll take the risk," Raj sighed. "I'd do anything to kiss Jenny Blake."

The girls rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Alex turned his head to Lena. "Aren't your brother and his friends always sneaking around?"

"Yeahhhhh."

"Well, do you know if they know any secret ways out of Hogwarts?"

"I can check."

<><><><><>

Raj and Lena parted ways in the Gryffindor dormitory as Raj entered his room and Lena knocked on her brother's.

She heard a faint "Come in" from Frank Longbottom and she did as she was told.

Alice Fortescue and Lily Evans were sitting next to Frank Longbottom on his bed as he strummed his guitar. Frank was blushing furiously as Alice watched him play. Across the room, James and Sirius sat on James' bed. James stared at Lily, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. Sirius and Peter's beds were pushed together and Dorcas Meadows, Marlene McKinnon, and Peter sat upon them and were in the middle of a round of Exploding Snap. Remus was laying in his bed, his hands behind his head.

"Hi, everyone," Lena spoke up shyly.

A chorus of hellos followed. "Take a set, Lee," Frank offered.

Remus moved his legs and sat up. Lena grabbed a random chair and sat on it. Remus' smile fell, disappointed that Lena hadn't sat next to him.

"What's up, Lena?" Peter asked.

Lena glanced at Lily and Remus. "You're not gonna go all prefect on me if I ask what I'm gonna ask, right?"

"Oooh, Wormtail. Your sister's gonna do something bad."

"Shut up, Padfoot," Peter said lightly.

Remus smiled at Lena. "Of course we won't. Isn't that right, Lils?"

Lily nodded hesitantly in agreement.

"Umm, I was wondering if you guys happen to know any secret ways out of Hogwarts."