The Bookworm and the Beast (A Remus Lupin Love Story)

Chapter 12: I'll Keep You Safe

Julia POV:

"W-what's going on?" I hear Lily ask through the darkness as the train gives another lurch. A large explosion is heard somewhere farther down the train, and a few girls scream.

"Shhh, everyone keep quiet," I hear James whisper, followed by shuffling feet and our compartment door being closed and locked.

"Lumos," Remus says from next to me, and suddenly our compartment is flooded with a pale light. Everyone looks around at each other, fear written on their faces, as it probably is on mine. No one says a word as we listen to the yelling and the screaming happening outside our compartment door.

I can't hear what people are yelling, but from the way Remus is leaning his ear towards the wall slightly tells me he can. Must be a werewolf thing, I reckon.

Suddenly, he shoots out of his seat, looking at James with wide eyes.

"Get the invisibility cloak out," he urgently whispers.

"There's no point, we can't all fit!" James hisses quietly, standing up as well.

"Not all of us need to be hidden," Remus replies, glancing towards Lily and I. Lily claps a hand over her mouth and I feel my eyes watering.

"Remus," I say quietly, scared. I move closer to him a little bit. Of course the Death Eaters were here for the muggleborns. Of bloody course!

James scrambles through his luggage for the cloak. Remus shoves Lily and I together in a small space behind one of the seats, and James throws the cloak over us.

"Keep quiet, we won't let them get you," James whispers, just loud enough for Lily and I to hear. I grip the hand of my redhead best friend and we wait in silence.

Everyone, besides Lily and I, stands there and waits. I don't know exactly what they're waiting for, but I'm glad I'm under this invisibility cloak because I don't want to find out.

I hear more yells and screams. More spells being bounced off of walls, and one finds its way into our compartment and barely misses Frank's head. Still we remain silent.

We seem to be waiting there for hours, no one saying a word in fear or someone hearing us, until the door handle on our compartment starts to jingle. I suck in a breath, clutching Lily's hand tightly. She leans her head into my shoulder and breathes ragged breaths into my shirt. I silently will myself to be more brave for my friend, be ready for what's to come if that door is opened.

Luckily I don't have to, because after a few more yells the door stops jingling.

As quick as they came, the black shadows disappear from the windows and the light is let back into our compartment. We all slowly start to breath again, and after about a minute I slide James's invisibility cloak off of me and help Lily climb into the seat- her limbs are shaking so much she can barely stand up.

I chance a look out the window, and the clouds have mostly disappeared.

All that's left is a green mark in the sky; a skull with a snake slithering from its mouth.

*^*

It takes us longer than usual to reach Hogwarts, and every student is greatly shaken up. Apparently a few muggleborns were taken, but no one I know. As soon as Andy sees me he embraces me, muttering things about how worried he was and how I'm a great friend and that he's sorry he got mad at me over the phone.

"It's all right, Andy, I'm all right," I reassure him, and glance over to Remus to find he's looking down. I look back up at Andy and he seems to get the idea, so with a slight purse of his lips he goes back to the Ravenclaw table.