A Sliver of Change | S. Black

Part 2: Chapter 17

Part 2:

Chapter 17 –

April 29th, 1976

"And don't forget about your Potions essay," Professor Slughorn added as Lily, Remus and Lia left the room, "I want it on my desk by tomorrow."

Lia sighed, adding that to her list of things to already do.

Transfiguration homework

Astronomy assignment

Arithmancy equations

And now potions homework. Oh, and try to convince Remus and the boys to allow her to join them in the shack during the full moon tonight. So, she wasn't too busy.

As the three walked to the dining hall to have an early dinner due to the full moon she wanted to attend, she tried to figure out ways to convince her boys. She knew that they would never want her near danger, despite her knowing that nothing of the sorts would happen to her.

Of course, she wasn't dense, she knew that even with the wolfsbane, Remus could sometimes lose control of who he is. But Lia also knew that she needed to be there for him more than she already was, even if that meant potentially getting infected. Remus was having trouble with his wolf side lately, depression of his condition affecting his everyday life. She needed to show him that he wasn't a monster, but instead the boy she considered her best friend.

Ultimately, she decided that just sneaking in was the best way to go about it. It may cause her more trouble, but she knew that none of them would ever let her in that shack. Figuring out the final details of her plan, she sat down beside the boy she was doing all of this for at dinner, Lily taking the seat beside her. James, Sirius, and Peter were across from her, already digging into the roast dinner laid out.

"Could you eat any faster?" Lily muttered to James, disgust covering her face.

James looked up and smiled at the girl, the food in his mouth visible. Lia cringed at the sight and silently agreed with her friend.

"I promise to eat slower if you go on a date with me," James bargained nonchalantly, his fork playing with his mash.

Lily tossed her spoonful of carrots at James, the boy deflating at the action. Lia felt slightly bad for her brother, wondering if he would ever move on from the girl beside her. It wasn't as if girls weren't throwing themselves at James, he was the Gryffindor quidditch captain after all, but James constantly ignored their advances, pretending as if they didn't exist.

"I'll take that as a no," James mumbled, wiping the carrot out of his hair.

Lia reached across and plucked one from the back of his head, smiling at her brother after he sent her a grateful look. Sitting back in her seat, she diverted her attention to Sirius.

"I heard that Professor Lotus predicted sixteen kids in your future today," she joked, a knowing glint in her eye.

Sirius paled at the reminder, "Merlin I hope that she was kidding. I can't even handle myself, let alone sixteen of me."

Lia laughed before reaching her hand across the table, "I don't think any of us could handle sixteen of you, let alone McGonagall if they ever came to Hogwarts."

Smirking at the reminder of his favourite professor, Sirius turned to the front table that held all the Professors, catching McGonagall's eye and sending her a wink. The professor glared back at him before diverting her attention.

"Minnie would be pleased to have sixteen of me," Sirius replied to Lia once he turned back to her.

Shaking her head at the boy's antics, she noticed Remus nod to the boys out of the corner of her eye. The four of them suddenly stood up, turning to say their goodbyes to the girls.