Cracked Mirrors | Remus Lupin

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 | 𝐂

"Clap harder, lazy Puffers."

Someone shouted as Hufflepuff scored yet another goal, earning plaudit and loud bursts of applause from the yellow side of the crowd. The other side of the Quidditch pitch was fairly silent. Even though they couldn't be seen through the thick veil of mist in the air, blurry pictures of red dots and lion flags could be spotted here and there.

She was sure Remus was between them.

The game went on as broomsticks flew higher and disappeared behind the clouds. A gentle drizzle began to fall, tracing her cheeks like a soft, unconditional kiss. The sounds slowly became muffled and distant, drawing her attention further away from the game she was supposed to watch.

Y/N inhaled deeply.

The air was carrying with it an earthy freshness which she was sure was caused by previous night's rainfall. Unlike that horribly vague experience she had within the walls of her dormitory, now every breath felt like it was infused with rebirth and good promises. Nature seemed to be caught in a delicate balance between winter's icy grip and the promise of warmer days to come.

Spring was around the corner, but she had untold excuses to still keep his scarf.

A faint smile formed on her lips as her fingers brushed over the brown, woolen material around her neck, a stark contrast to the sea of yellow flags and black hats that had surrounded her.

Gryffindors scored two times in a row.

When she came back to her senses, clouds had darkened and it was raining heavily. Had anyone noticed the change in weather?

With mild curiosity, she tilted her head and let her gaze wander about the audience. Some of them seemed to have noticed, as they were trying to shield themselves against the downpour. Some others were clueless, tingling with anticipation and staring into space to see which team would win the Cup this year. They waved their soaked flags in the cold wind. Cheerful remarks emanated from their direction every few minutes.

And then, there were some other souls sitting right there, having faces that were wonderstruck with nostalgic memories. Drops of water couldn't stop her from recognizing the familiar pain in their eyes.

It was a game that wasn't just a game to them.

Just like how confused she was. Just like how touched Sofie was. Just like the third empty seat by their side.

All those years ago, when they were much younger, getting a glimpse of two red-head players flying freely in the sky was enough to make them grunt and wish Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had never played against each other. Later on, her attachment to a certain chocolatey soul made it even harder to attend the games. She had lost count of how many times girls had teased her about him.

The lion-hearted players won almost all the time, and they would end up having stomachache from half-hearted arguments and endless laughters that followed each Quidditch match, leaving their poor classmates wondering why on earth they would react that weirdly.

Not this time.

Sofie nudged her side, breaking her train of thoughts as she gestured towards the ground. The players had landed on the mud, some grumpy and some jumping into each other's arms. The game was over.

Puffer's seeker had snatched the the Golden Snitch.

"Come on. It's time to get wasted."

Y/N wasn't going to turn down that offer.

.......

Shot after shot.

Having a day without endless duties and voluntary works felt both pleasing and guilt tripping.