Saturday 28th June 1975
“Hiya, Remus!” Lily startled him as he was leaving the hospital wing. He’d just had his final check up with Madam Pomfrey before school ended.
“Hello.” He said, nervously, “What are you doing here?”
“Dropping these off for Professor Slughorn,” she raised a large jar of something that looked like purple frogspawn, “We’ve been doing healing potions in Slug Club this term. Wait here, I’ll walk back with you.”
She disappeared inside the infirmary and he waited, trying not to look too suspicious. He hated being seen near the hospital. Lily finally came out with a breezy smile,
“Thanks! What were you doing in there?”
“Oh, nothing, I um… a hex that went wrong.”
“Oh gosh, what happened?”
“Er… I’d rather not say.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively, hoping that she would get the picture. Fortunately, her mind went elsewhere,
“Was it Potter again? Ugh, he hexed Sev last week with something that made his neck swell up like a life ring!”
“Huh, yeah, James is good at engorgement charms,” Remus grinned.
“Well I wouldn’t have thought he’d hex the people who are supposedly his friends,” Lily replied, primly.
“It wasn’t him!” Remus replied, annoyed. He was keen not to badmouth James in front of Lily, after the mix up back in January.
“Black, then.” Lily shrugged, “He’s just as bad. No idea why everyone fancies him.”
“Mm.”
“So… Big plans for the summer?” Lily changed tact, perhaps realising that Remus didn’t particularly enjoy her tirades on the other marauders.
“Nah,” Remus shook his head, “Usual stuff, probably. Homework. You?”
“I’m going to visit Marlene in July, we’re trying to get Mary to come.”
“How is she?”
Mary had been absent from every meal since the big break up, and had barely left the girls dorm as far as Remus could tell.
“Better,” Lily nodded, sadly, “She can go a few hours without crying, anyway. Keeps playing depressing Dusty Springfield albums, though.”
They reached the portrait of the fat lady and bumped into Peter – and Desdemona Lewis, of course. They were in a tight embrace, arms wrapped around each other, murmuring between kisses;
“I’ll miss you!” She sighed,
“I’ll miss you more!” Peter said.
“Will you write?”
“Every day!”
Remus made loud retching noises, which made Lily giggle, but earned a furious frown from Peter. They quickly climbed through the portrait and left the lovebirds to it.
Gryffindor tower was complete anarchy when they reached it – as was usual on the last day of term. Students crawled under tables looking for lost things, ran around collecting up cards and game pieces, shouts of ‘accio left trainer!’ or ‘Accio wristwatch!’ rang out as everyone scrambled to pack at the very last minute. Remus couldn’t help but wonder whether every common room was undergoing the same pandemonium – surely the organised Ravenclaws were in a much better state.
Sirius and James were not doing much to help the process – they were covertly levitating various items from behind one of the large armchairs, snickering to each other happily. Remus smiled, thinking again how much he would miss everything.
