checkmate | remus lupin.

chapter eleven | 11.

AUTHORS NOTE: Everything here belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

This chapter is beta'd by my wonderful friends, Kay (KayisEmrys on wattpad) and Cate (ButIAmTheChosenOne- on ao3). Cate also has a Hermione!Time Travel, Fix-it fic if you'd like to check it out- To Get Back Home (which Kay and I beta!)

TW // there is a mention of self harm in this chapter, it's very minor and it's a subconscious action done by the character.

If you feel you need to skip the section, it starts with "I was waiting for him to tell me." and ends with "- Maia, what do you think?"

October 16th, 1975

Maia and Sirius immediately leaped up from the table that they were sitting at and rushed up the four flights of stairs to the boys' dorm room. Maia flung her arm out in front of Sirius right before they made it to the closed door, effectively stopping him from barging in. She turned to him, breathing heavily from the anxiety and worry that was coursing through her, her eyes wide.

"How sure are we that she meant what we think she meant?" She asked, looking up at the ever so slightly taller boy. She was only five foot five, and he was five foot seven. It infuriated her that she was the shortest out of all her friends and her family. She thought with the Blood Adoption, she'd have gained some height but apparently not.

"How did she even find out?" Sirius answered her with his own question, leaning against the wall behind him after he turned to face her.

"How long has she known?"

"Why didn't she say anything sooner?"

"What is she trying to do to help Remus?"

"Why keep it a secret? Why hasn't she told anyone?"

They both blurted out question after question, completely bewildered by this new development. To be honest, it didn't even occur to Maia when or how Lily ever found out; Maia just assumed that at one point Lily found out considering Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs helping Moony every full moon; someone would have had to help clean the boys' wounds after they changed back. She just knew that they all would have been too exhausted to do it themselves.

They were left with more questions than answers but they knew that standing there talking to the void wasn't going to do anything.

"Maybe we should talk to her first, before jumping to conclusions? No need to worry Remus if we're wrong- she could merely be trying to help brew a potion for his supposed sickness, and maybe something for his mother?" She asked, running her hands through her curls. It was quickly becoming of habit when she was stressed or worried or even anxious. She understood why Harry did it so often now.

Thank Merlin for her black, smooth hair; still thick and curly, but it wasn't nearly as frizzy or bushy as it used to be. No need to yank out little tangles of hair when she ran her fingers through it.

"Something for his mother? What do you- oh! Because he uses her as his excuse, right. Good thinking. I doubt she'll talk to me, you could try." Sirius mumbled softly, making sure no one overheard them talking about Moony. Maia bit her lip and nodded, thinking.

Would she just go straight up to Lily's dorm and flat out ask her? Or should she dance around the topic for a bit to feel the other girl out? Neither of them were sure of what exactly Lily knew- which of course is why they even needed to talk to her.

But what if Lily didn't know- asking questions could lead to them outing Remus as a werewolf, but not asking questions could lead to outing Remus as a werewolf. Yes, of course, Maia knew that Lily didn't have a prejudice bone in her body but having a werewolf in the same school, in the same house as you could be scary if you didn't know any better. Better to be safe than sorry, right?