BORN TO DIE | R. Arcturus Black

|9|

Chapter Nine: Guilt will Kill 2 (Remus' version)

.

Remus feels hot, hotter than usual. He's used to the constant layer of warmth under his skin thanks to his condition, but this is different, now it feels as if his skin is on fire. If he concentrated hard enough, he could probably feel each drop of sweat that makes his shirt stick to his back, he thinks to himself. The thought only adds more discomfort to his state.

In any case, Remus hates all three causes that he's in this situation, whether it be the sun beating on him, his anger of himself or the unfortunate sight of Sirius with another girl. However, he's forced to make an expression of being fine with it while he peeks at the couple from a narrow gap at the spine of his book.

Peter, who is sitting next to him, lets out a frustrated sigh as he stares at the couple, the disgust on his face clear to anyone watching. "Ugh, I can't believe we have to look at that the whole time," he said, "Do women really enjoy having their faces swallowed like that?"

That comment brought a slight smile to Remus' face, and the werewolf looked at his friend and stated, "Who knows? But either way we should start working on that charms assignment."

Remus turned to Peter, a question on the tip of his tongue.

"What do you think of that new girl, Janet?" Remus asked, his curiosity burning like a fire in his chest. Peter was surprised by Remus's sudden question, caught off guard by the subject change. He thought about it for a moment, considering what he knew of Janet and the interactions they had had so far.

"She seems like a nice girl, a little awkward, but who isn't in their first year," Peter said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "Why do you ask?"

Remus looked off into the distance, deep in thought, wondering why he had felt the urge to ask Peter what he thought of Janet. It wasn't as though he had any particular interest in her, or at least he wasn't aware of any such interest.

Peter looked at him with curiosity as Remus was trying to understand why the young witch acted the way she did. He had noticed that at times, she seemed to be completely invested in the conversation they were having, hanging on his every word and often laughing at his jokes; even if they were outright terrible.

But then, without warning, she would suddenly become distant, excusing herself before avoiding him altogether. And it wasn't as if she was angry or upset, it was as if she was suddenly uncomfortable with his presence. It always leaves Remus confused and somewhat distressed.

"Did she say something to you?" Remus turned his attention to Peter, noticing the slight edge in the other boy's voice as he pressed his question. Remus had to admit to himself that he wasn't entirely sure why he had chosen to ask about Janet, but the expression on Peter's face was enough to stop him from pursuing the topic any further.

Instead, he simply shook his head, trying to come across as nonchalant as possible, "No, she hasn't said anything."

"Are you sure? You seem quite affected." Peter addressed.

"Yes, yes, it's nothing really." Remus said, shaking his head and trying to brush off the situation. "Just something she said during an argument we had. It's really nothing, Peter."

Despite Remus's attempts to avoid the topic, Peter clearly saw that something was bothering his friend. "You know I'm here for you, Remus, if you ever need to talk about anything."

"Well, I suppose.... She did not exactly offend me, it was just such a strange encounter," Remus replied hesitantly, feeling the tension in Peter's voice. "She did mention something about my family... something I'm quite sure I haven't told anyone."