¹ 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 ━━ marlene mckinnon

[ 𝟎𝟎𝟔. ] Mirrorball

CHAPTER 006 , mirrorball

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IT FELT EUPHORIC, having the whole ballroom of people laugh and carelessly dance without any care of what danger lies ahead outside of the four walls they are temporarily stuck in. Everyone was delighted, a little tipsy, but still, they looked happy enough to bright up a whole room. In it, they were treated as family. They all grew up together, friends as thick as thieves and were still very young to truly know the reality of what they shall face in the near future. Perhaps they do know, it settles behind the back of their heads and like everyone else, they wanted to ignore it and focus on what is in front of them. The tragedy can wait, living first is what's a priority.

     "Hey." Faye tore her gentle gaze away from a dancing Alara with Sirius in the dancefloor, hand curled on the neck of a champagne glass that bubbles inside. She smiles softly at Remus, a handsome man, slightly loosened suit as it seemed larger for his fit but nonetheless, it matches his whole persona. "I'm sure you don't know my name, I'm—"

"—Remus. Yes, in fact, I do know since you and your friends trashed the Slytherin common room on my last year." Faye laughs gently and Remus shyly smiles but takes her words as nostalgia rather than offense. She seemed actually glad it happened, in Remus' perspective. The only reason why they've done that is because Severus Snape jinxed them behind their backs. Oh, well. "It was a wonderful last day. I still remember the look on Snape's face when I targeted him for it."

     "You did?"

     "Yes, well, he is the one who caused it." Faye shrugs lightly, looking away from him to scan the busy room and such. "He seemed so embarrassed, I think he cried when I was finished berating him." She admits, taking a sip of the sparkling champagne as Remus chuckles, music to her ears.

     "I came to thank you." Remus says with sincerity, heart warm and Faye looks at him, wonders in hers, untold question in the air between them. "Dumbledore told me, you don't have to pretend. I think you deserve a bit of recognition for it, honest. I, uh, never really had someone stand up for me aside from my friends." He nervously scratched the back of his neck, his collar rising from it and Faye caught a glimpse of a fresh scar just on his collarbone.

     Then her face slowly falls but not too much, just pure sympathy. Faye had always known that Remus Lupin suffers from Lycanthropy ever since Dumbledore had informed her of it. He even doubted for a second if he should join the Order but Faye dejected, arguing why he shouldn't when he is as much as a courageous Gryffindor as the rest of his friends. As Faye dug deeper, she also learned that Remus was affected ever since he was only a boy, too young to be part of the reality and far too innocent to be hurt too much from its violence.

"You should never thank anyone for that, it's what should be followed, not inspired." Faye carries this voice about her, one can mistake as confidence when in reality, she's just portraying the truth for how it is and like anyone else, Remus falls for it. He'd always seen her as this Slytherin prefect that sets her apart from the other Slytherins who were always mean to other students. Faye, however, was not. She can be mean but not just randomly.

     "Well, I can express my gratitude with a dance." Remus offers with a grin, making Faye softly chuckle at the sudden invitation. "Come on, you don't think I haven't noticed? You parade around talking to people to avoid the dancefloor."

     "I haven't seen you in there as well." Faye counters with a playful frown and smirk.

     "Guess this is both our firsts then?" Remus offers his hand diligence and tempting, possibly guilting Faye. "Come on, it's a wedding. It's basically a crime to leave one without dancing at least once for the night."