JULIET {remus lupin}

SEVENTY THREE

Being back at Hogwarts after New Years was, predictably, depressing. Her final term at Hogwarts began with an even darker feeling than ever before. Arabella and Juliet sat in a compartment of the Hogwarts express in silence, still trying to revel in the happiness that was the Potter's wedding. Both girls knew that the other was down, Arabella lifted her head from her book and looked at her best friend,

"Only six months 'til we graduate."

"And then what?" Juliet replied.

"We live in the safe house permanently," Arabella joked weakly.

"Lupin spoke to me about joining the order."

"Mm, Marlene spoke to me about the same."

"And?"

Arabella shrugged, "I will, I think."

Juliet sighed and rested her head against the window. 

"There's no pressure for you to, though," Arabella said gently.

The witch looked up and smiled at her friend. 

Outside the compartment, Persephone Parkinson messed with her hair and calmed her breathing, silently debating with herself whether or not to knock on the door, having not properly spoken to seen the witches for six months. When she did the two witches heads snapped up, not used to conversing with anyone but each other at Hogwarts. Juliet raised an eyebrow at Arabella on the sight of Persephone, the witch cocked her head, beckoning her in.

"Hey girls," Persephone said, her voice shaky. 

"Hey, Pen," Arabella said quietly. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, I er- have news."

"You and Caius?" Juliet asked, foreseeing it.

"Yeah... On New Years Day."

Juliet and Arabella caught each other's eye. A couple of years ago, the thought that the pair would miss Persephone's wedding would have been unfathomable, the fact that they would miss it for a Gryffindor wedding even more so.

"Congratulations, Pen," Arabella said.

"Hope you're happy," Juliet said stiffly, remembering how the last time they had all been together, she had told Sirius Black that she loved him.

The witch nodded and said nothing to her two old friends before pausing and saying, "I also wanted to tell you, not that we really speak anymore, Ophelia isn't coming back to Hogwarts."

Juliet's heart sank a little at that.

"And-er. Her and Regulus are to be married. In summer, I believe."

"I'm glad they have each other," Juliet nodded. "How is she?"

"I saw her at the Black's, on New Year's Eve. She didn't say a word to me. Neither did Regulus."

"Who else was there?" Arabella asked.

"Everyone, Narcissa seems well."

"Good," Juliet sighed. "Did you go to her and Lucius' wedding?"

"No, it was very private."

Juliet sighed again hearing that, it was always Narcissa's dream to have a big wedding.

"Anyway," Persephone said awkwardly, standing up and nodding. "I should go, it was, er. It was nice to see you both. I miss you."

"We miss you, Pen," Juliet said quietly.

When the witch left Arabella buried her face into her hands, hiding her tears. Juliet bit her tongue and stared out the window. 

There was no doubt in either girl's mind that they were doing the right thing. Neither wanted to kill, and neither wanted to be a slave to the Dark Lord. But there was something incredibly heartbreaking about their situation. Of course, they had gotten to know the marauders, and Marlene, and Lily, and they loved them. But their friends, their Slytherin friends, had been closer than family over the years. Ophelia and Persephone had been their sisters. They had argued and hated and simultaneously laughed with Regulus and Evan and Barty, they had joked about Lucius, never taking his power seriously. Juliet had considered herself above Severus and Caius. But now they were all strangers, they were to be feared. As soon as they left Hogwarts, they were all officially on different sides.