Just Like Me -Remus Lupin

9.

It'a been 3 months since I started my treatment. Chemotherapy sucked. My hair was starting to fall out, so I ended up cutting it all off. I look like shit. I went back to the muggle hospital and they said it was slowly going away. I would have to continue treatment until the end of April. Because we caught it so early on, it wasn't severe, but that also means I have more of a chance of getting it again when I'm older. Right now, I was sitting in the hospital wing, reading a book to Remus.

"What did the doctor say?" Remus asked me

"Only 2 more months of this. Because we caught it so early, the tumor didn't have time to spread too far,"

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Don't say that. You and I both now I look like a naked mole rat right now,"

"Don't say those things about yourself, Cal. You are beautiful, inside and out,"

I gave him a small smile and put the book away. "I'm getting tired,"

"Sleep well," he kissed my hand and left.

••••••

"Are you ready?" Madam Pompfrey asked

"Yes,"

She muttered something and hair began to grow on my head. "You look beautiful, Calista," she said with a warm smile. It was early May, now. I had stopped chemo about a week ago.

"I've been doing a lot of research on your condition. You'll need to take it easy for the next few weeks, and if you start to feel any pain at all, come to me immediately, okay?"

"Okay,"

"I don't want to see you in here again, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," I giggled.

I grabbed my bag and left the wing and made my way to the common room. I hadn't told the boys when I was going to come back because I wanted to surprise them. I knocked on their door and Sirius answered. "Jones!" He screamed and hugged me tightly. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you were coming back!?"

"I wanted to surprise you," I said as I pulled away. I gave everybody a hug and sat down on Remus' bed. "Chemo sucked," I sighed. "But hey, at least I have my hair back,"

"Let's celebrate," James said. "Marauders, follow me. Except for you, Jones. This is a surprise,"

"Well now that  you told me that it's a surprise, it's not really a surprise anymore, making it irrelevant if I come or not,"

"Nope, stay here," Remus said

"But-"

"Bye," they all said as they left. I huffed and laid back on Remus' bed. I fiddled with my wand for about an hour, played chess in my head, but they still weren't back. I was getting tired. I kicked off my shoes and got under the blankets, the smell of Remus: books, chocolate, and the slight smell of a wet dog, clouded my senses. I don't know how long I was asleep, but it was a while, and they still weren't back. The sun was about to set. I decided to just leave.

I put my shoes back on, grabbed my bag and wand, and left the room. When I got down to the common room, a black dog was on top of a stag and on top of the dog was a rat with a paint brush painting a banner, Remus was standing off to the side, making sure that they didn't fall.

"Boys..." I said. They all froze in place. The rat hopped off of the black dog, and the black dog hopped off of the stag. They all turned back into their human forms. "What are you doing?" I asked cautiously.

They all started to talk at once. "One at a time,"

"We were trying to paint this stupid thing, but somebody put it up already and we didn't want to take it back down," James said as he turned to Peter