The Waiting Game▬RL 1

Even Worse

The girl sat at the table and huffed. They pulled the first month's template closer to them and read it hastily. "So, you just keep a calendar on you at all times?" She asked after Remus had pulled said leather-bound item from his robes. He shrugged, always having a lie ready.

"I have monthly visits home, so I'm just making sure our schedule works." He stated, reading over the first month. He scratched off their names on one of the days and replaced it with Lily and Snape. "How does that look?" Renee nodded, never being this close to the tall Gryffindor. She blushed as he looked over at her expectantly; not noticing her nod.

"Good, sorry. Anyways, I should get back to Dorcas. And I bet my brother and the others are missing you. See you on..." She looked at the schedule, "Tuesday." She stood, brushing her clothes off in a way to alleviate the embarrassment she felt. Remus got up as well and followed her out. A hand laid on the shoulder closest to him. Renee jumped a bit, not expecting the contact.

"We can just walk together. I'm pretty sure your compartment is right across from ours." Renee blushed deeper as she kept walking. The boy tried hard to pretend like he didn't notice it. "What electives are you taking this year?"

"Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. What about you?" Remus smiled and she saw a small dimple on the right side. She wondered if there was a matching one adorning his other cheek. Her head shook, throwing the thoughts out of it.

"I've got the same. It appears we will be seeing a lot of each other this year, Potter." Remus stopped abruptly; Renee followed suit.

"Yeah, it'll be great. See you!" She called and they both entered their compartments. Dorcas immediately asked her what her problem was. The girl shook her off, asking her about her summer.

✿

There was no doubt that Remus Lupin put everything into his work. He needed to try to be the best student every year. Renee didn't know if it was intentional or subconscious but she was not here for it. They had all the same classes and somehow, he was the top student in seventy percent of them. If she wasn't in this situation, she would've found it quite attractive.

Renee was falling behind. She was not keeping up with prefect rounds and studying. Also, the amount of reading she had to do for essays was ridiculous. "You should've just joined me in Divination. Your brother and his followers are in it." Dorcas peered over Renee's shoulder. She grimaced quietly reading the title of Renee's Ancient Runes paper. "Let's just take a break Ren. You've been non-stop for hours. And Professor Sprout says that you should take breaks in between." The girl stole the parchment from her best friend, tossing it onto Renee's bed.

"Alright, let's go. But if we get caught, I'm giving you detention."

"Where's your sense of loyalty?" Dorcas asked with disdain as they made their way through to the common room door.

"My loyalty is with The Man now Dorcas." Dorcas stared at Renee with a look of disgust splayed across her face.

"We women need to stick it to The Man Renny." The dark-skinned girl pushed into the other playfully as they came upon the fruit basket portrait. She always thought the entrance was weird. A laughing pear, how does that make sense? "What are you ninnies doing here?" Renee quickly looked up and noticed they weren't alone. She nodded her head towards the two occupying the kitchen.

"Why are you calling us ninnies, Meadowes?" Sirius Black asked, putting down the pasties he had in his hands. He had also grown over the break. Not nearly as tall as Lupin. Peter Pettigrew shyly stepped away from the hot chocolates he had just made.

"I'm not talking to the House-elves like that Black, I'm Muggleborn. Got a sense of humanity. Unlike some of you Purebloods." Renee smiled and put a hand on her friend's shoulder in hopes of easing the tension.

"Hey Sirius, you lads fancying a bite?" Renee moved around the kitchen with ease. Grabbing all necessary ingredients and utensils.

"Renny, why don't you just call Pally? She'll whip you up with something good." Peter piped up, watching intensely.

"Why get them to do it when I already know how to." Dorcas and Sirius declared in a mocking voice. She nodded at them and continued to scramble some eggs.

"What they said Pete, I've got two feet and a heartbeat. Might as well use it while I can."

"Y'know, you're not a very good prefect Renny." Sirius identified as they approached the Hufflepuff common room after Renee cooked them all bacon and eggs.

"Oh, right then. Five points from Gryffindor each; for being out past curfew. And five points from Hufflepuff for the same." Dorcas gawked at her friend and passed her into the common room while Renee was bidding goodbye.

"Next time it can be just you and me, Renny!" Sirius called after her before sauntering off with Peter. The latter boy laughed and pushed him, careful not to spill the now cold hot chocolate. Renee couldn't help the grin that forced its way upon her lips.

✿

James watched the map carefully, his friends' names departed from his sisters and Dorcas'. He huffed a bit and threw himself back on his bed. "James, you don't need to be so dramatic. They're just walking them back to the common room." Remus reasoned; he was doing quite a lot of that recently. "Plus, you know how Pete feels about Dorcas. Sirius was probably helping him out." James nodded slowly, trying to make up a scenario in his head. All he could come up with was Renee stealing away his best friend. Or even worse his best friend hurting his sister.

"I know you're right Moony. They're friends. If anything, I should be worried about you. You ladies' man!" A pillow hit James on the face and then retracted as if nothing happened.

"I don't think you have any reason to. She doesn't get on with me." He mumbled putting his pillow behind his head. With a sigh, his focus went back on his book.

"How could she not! Look at you, those scars, that height, not to forget about your amazing brain! The whole package is—Remus James Lupin!" James was now kneeling on his bed, arms stretched out.

"That's not my middle name." The door opened quickly and in came the two they (James) were just spying on. "Also, think about what you're saying... Trying to get me with your sister. Complete nutter..."

"Get with who?" Sirius exclaimed sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"Nothing; James is just trying to whore me out. Where's the snacks?" James' jaw dropped upon seeing Sirius' empty arms. The boy pointed to the two cups, giving him a 'what do you mean?' look.

"She made you something?" James asked in disbelief, "And you forgot about us, how disrespectful..." He placed his glasses on his nightstand, rubbing his eyes with his palms.

"Were you watching us?" Sirius accused. Remus and Peter glanced at each other and shut their bed curtains. They went on bickering for a couple of hours. Remus couldn't help but try and come up with different reasons as to why Renee didn't like him. He had been nothing but nice to her. Maybe she knew about him. Maybe she didn't want to be friends with a monster