Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Thirty-Six - Girls Are Drama

"Regulus did what?"

It was Thursday evening, and Sirius and Remus were sitting in the Charms corridor waiting for James and Peter to finish up their detention. It was a good thing they made up the day before, otherwise it probably would have been bad, since they were stuck in a small storage room together. Or, Remus reasoned, would have spurred them into making up. Maybe.

"Did he say why?"

Remus shrugged, twisting the end of his sleeve around his hand. "He doesn't think he can get help." From someone like me, he added silently, not wanting to tell Sirius the exact words, not wanting to cause more issues between the brothers.

Sirius let out a huff, smacking his head lightly against the stone wall behind them. "I don't understand why he'd leave in the middle like that. Augh!" He smacked his head again. "I thought he'd be willing. He said he was willing."

Remus poked at his cuff button until it popped through the hole, making his cuff spring open. "Maybe he thought I could help then realized I couldn't. I don't know, spells don't seem to click with him." He quickly buttoned his sleeve up again and began messing with the other cuff.

"Like Peter?"

"No." Remus bit his lip when his left sleeve button popped clean off. "Drat it." Sirius reached out, grabbing the button from the floor and handing it over. "Thanks. No, it's not—he hasn't got the same issues. Peter has trouble remembering the spell and the movements. Your brother has no issue with remembering the spell and does the movements well enough." Remus turned the button around in his hand, trying to decide whether the best way to fix it would be to sew it or give it to the house-elves. For now he used the sticking spell, attaching it back to his sleeve. "It's all right that he doesn't want my help. It's his decision. Look on the bright side, at least he tried."

"I guess." Sirius was frowning, a deep wrinkle in his forehead. "I'm still going to pay you for—"

"No—"

"—the entire session even if he didn't—"

"No!"

"—finish it. Yes. Stop arguing with me." Sirius poked Remus in the ribs. "Didn't you need money for a book or something?"

I don't know. Remus had tried not to think about it, tried not to think about the fact that even if he could make the potion it might not work properly. It seemed like a lot of trouble to go for something that might not even work. Scrounging up money, searching for a book that might not exist, making the potion itself. What if it didn't stop his wrong feelings? What if he still felt... like that? All that work, and it might not even help him.

But I have to at least try.

"Hello? Rem-Rem?" Sirius waved his hand in front of his face.

"Rem-Rem?!" Remus demanded, staring incredulously at his friend. Also in slight horror.

"What?" Sirius grinned. "I tried Remus and Remy, neither worked." He held out his hand and pretended like he was writing on it. "Rem-Rem works. Got it."

Remus sucked in air. "Don't ever call me that again."

"Whatever you say—"

"Don't."

"—Rem-Rem."

Remus flicked his wand, taking the opportunity to try a new spell he had been working on over the summer. He never got the chance to try it over summer, since he didn't like doing too much magic outside school (and definitely didn't want to risk using unknown, homemade spells outside of school), and hadn't really had much time since to work on it. Now seemed as good as time as any, and he hoped that it would work how he wanted it to work.