Out of the Blue (Remus Lupin, Marauder's Era)

Chapter 1: Capricious

adjective; given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

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Alice was being dramatic.

"You're being dramatic."

"I'm not!"

"You literally have no reason to dislike her."

"Of course I do!"

"Oh really? Like what? Her smile is too infectious?"

          "Look at her! Look at her, how she's walking! It's like- Oh, I'm so beautiful and nice and cool and everyone likes me. It makes me gag a bit. She acts like a total bloody princess and it is not helped by the fact that everyone treats her like one. Over there! I think I just saw Pettigrew's eyes turn to hearts."

"You are so being dramatic."

"I am not!"

          "Will you guys puh-leeze shut up already! I have a transfiguration quiz next period, and you are not helping- bloody hell you've knocked over my PUMPKIN JUICE!" There was a silence, and then-

           "Maybe you're the dramatic one, Tabbie. Pumpkin juice is vile, anyways, you should be thanking me" Alice laughed, abandoning her crusade for a moment.

          "Birdie, your beloved cranberry juice is pure sugar, it's really no wonder you had pimples. At least pumpkin juice is a tiny bit healthy," Diana mused, crunching into an apple. A sound of success came from the girl in yellow, busy with her notes.

"Diana, I do not need one of your bloody health lectures right now- wait, I thought we were criticizing Tabitha?

          "You were criticizing her, Birdie, just like you always do. But seriously though, Tab, why didn't you study last night?" Diana asked.

          "I don't mean to criticise too much. It just sort of slips out..." Alice sighed, slipping her hands into her sleeves.

          "We know, sweetheart, we know," Tabitha giggled, patting the covered hand, which in turn reemerged and swatted her away. "I was busy last night, if you must know. I was working on something."

          "It better not be another portrait of Black, his head is as big enough as it is," Diana snorted over her fruit salad. "That was creepy."

"For sure."

          "That was in third year," Tabitha hissed, looking up and down the table for any listeners. "Are you ever going to shut up and let me forget about that?'

          "If we don't stop shaming you, who knows what'll happen. I could decide to visit you up in the Hufflepuff dormitory one day, and- oh? What's this? Black's ass embroidered on your bloody pillow-" Alice cut herself off with a wheeze.

"Please, I have far too much class for that," Tabitha sniffed, trying to focus on her notes.

"Tell that to the oil-paint Sirius under your bed."

          "That's it! I'm going back to my table, I'll see you next, Annie." With her notes in one hand and a barely full cup of pumpkin juice in the other, she made her way back to the Hufflepuff table.

"So what do you think she was doing?" Diana asked, stealing a potato from Alice's plate.

          "Hmm? Oh, I'm not sure. Perhaps she's muralling her bed hangings again. That was cool, except for that foul stench. Or enacting some diabolical plot to join the Death Eaters, who knows with her," Alice joked, nabbing a strawberry in revenge for the lost starch. "Anyways, I hope she's not falling behind already."