Lacerta Black -- James Potter --

11

Remus Lupin was staying true to his word. He had always felt indebted to his friends for even talking to him, letting them get away with things that made him uncomfortable or not standing up to them when they were being arses. He was done with that. He saw where that got him and it could've been a life sentence in Azkaban.

Lacerta was the only one he felt that he could talk to or trust. She always seemed to know when he was staying quiet or biting his tongue. The two of them never did anything that made the other uneasy. They were perfect together, as friends that is. 

Some people, mainly the gossips that were Hufflepuffs, claimed that the entire ordeal was caused by Remus leaving one Black for another. This was obviously not true as he was very much into men, not that he didn't think she was lovely. She would be his first option if he swung that way. 

It probably didn't help the rumors when he gave her a couple of his sweaters so that she didn't have to wear her uniform all the time since she refused the wear the hideous dresses her mother bought her. 

Speaking of the devil, he knew that Lacerta was under a lot of stress from the demon. Letters were coming in constantly as the holidays approached. The Black daughter was expected to get engaged over the break and she'd received a few howlers for dating a Gryffindor Half-Blood that only ended when she wrote her mother saying it was untrue. He suspected that Regulus also helped with that part. 

He was terrified for her. She wasn't speaking to either of her brothers and wouldn't have any support from her family when she returned. There was her one friend, Natalia, but Lacerta wasn't speaking to her either. There was no way she could make it through a couple of weeks at Grimmauld by herself. 

"You have your worrying face on," she teased, poking his cheek to get him to smile. 

"I was thinking," he said carefully, not wanting to alarm her by what he said next, "that you should come and stay with me for Christmas."

"I can't leave Regulus," she said immediately. It was practically an automatic response at this point, even if she was starting to look more unsure with the answer. 

"He could come with," he took her hand gently. "I know that he's going through a little rough patch right now where he thinks he has to hang out with Mulciber and them, but maybe I could talk to him?"

She laughed wryly, "You could try. I have to go meet Tonya and Lily to study for Transfiguration, but good luck!"

It wasn't hard to find the Black heir walking through the corridors. He was thankfully alone, but too entrapped in his book to notice that Remus had started walking right next to him. "Is that a book on Animagi? I thought you could already turn into the ugliest cat that I've ever seen."

"Bloody hell, Lupin," he clutched his chest, gracefully dropping his book as he tripped over his feet. "Can I help you with something or are you just trying to give me a heart attack?"

"I had a question to ask you," he stopped them by an empty alcove. He took his seat and patted the empty space next to him only for Regulus to start glaring at him. "Right, I wanted to know if you and Lacerta would like to come to mine for the holidays?"

"Why would I want to go to a filthy muggle village?" he crossed his arms, unable to look him directly in the eyes. 

"Drop the pureblood act," he snapped. "You've never had a problem with it until you became the heir. Lacerta didn't turn into a supremist bitch when he left."

He felt terrible as soon as the words left his mouth, but only partly because Regulus had been acting like a prat lately. 

"You wouldn't understand the kind of pressure I'm under," he said, looking strangely vulnerable. 

"Then leave," he reached out to grab his hand, going slowly to make sure he didn't feel threatened.

"They aren't just going to let us both go without a fight," he pointed out with a grim smile. "You should tell her to get out while she can."

"You know that she won't leave without you," he said sadly. "My house is untraceable; they won't be able to get you guys there."

"C-Can I think about it?" he said, looking around in case anyone he knew was lurking around. "I'll let you know before the train leaves the station."

"My doors are always open, even beyond that," he smiled, pulling the boy into a brotherly hug before they parted. "I'll see you around, Reggie. Don't be a stranger."

"Goodbye. . . Remus," he said with a crooked grin.

He found the girls huddled over a table in the library. Lacerta looked more like a third wheel than anything. He noticed that James was hiding behind a book, that was upside down, as he snuck glances at the pureblood Slytherin. He rolled his eyes as he joined the girls. Tonya and Lily were whispering fervently.

They were bound to get together one day. He leaned over to whisper to Lacerta, "Five galleons they get together before Easter."

"It won't be until the beginning of 7th year," she smirked, looking relieved that she wouldn't have to witness them alone anymore. It was sickening for someone who had never seen love growing up. "I thought Potter was over, Lily?"

He bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing, "I don't think that's who he's looking at."

"I hope he knows that Tonya's a lesbian," she snorted, returning her attention to her own book. 

He gave it until the end of the year for them to get together.