moony and paws

𝟝. ''𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕚𝕕𝕟'𝕥 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤.'' ''𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕙, 𝕚 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨.''

3RD POV

2 september 1977

Y/N had sat with the marauders and Lily's friends at lunch, and seeing James and Lily together, she could tell it was only a matter of time before they got together. She also met Lily's other dormmate, Mary MacDonald, who was just lovely, and Y/N felt lucky that she was in the same Defense Against the Dark Arts class as her. So was everyone else, it seemed, and after lunch, they all went together. It was pretty boring, just review from last year, and so they all just chatted in a corner for the most part. Afterward was Y/N's free period, which she was so grateful for.

"I don't know why I'm so tired, but I have never wanted to take a nap more," Y/N said through a yawn. She was walking the boys back to their common room so they could get the books they needed for their classes. 

"I can't agree more. And yet, you're the only one with a free hour right now," said Sirius, grumpily. 

"That's not true, Remus has one now, too, right?" Peter asked. Remus nodded.

Y/N smiled. "Thank God. I won't have to spend my free period all alone in the fucking dungeon, waiting to beat somebody's ass. Why did they put the Slytherins down there, anyway? Do they think being in the house of the snake gives us cold blood? It is fucking freezing down there, and everything is all quartz and metal and leather, and it's like a museum. It's beautiful, but it feels like I'm not allowed to touch anything," the girl cursed.

"I've never been down there," James said. 

"None of us have," Remus added, approaching the Fat Lady.

"Well," Y/N began, blocking their entrance. "If you guys let me in here for a nap, I'll totally let you into the Slytherin common room whenever so you can set a bunch of traps and shit."

The boys eyes sparkled. A golden opportunity.

"Uh, yes, absolutely. After you, milady," Sirius said, bowing as he said the password. The Fat Lady swung open, and Y/N's jaw dropped. It was warm and cozy, a fire lit, with armchairs and couches and tables everywhere. There were some students studying, and they looked surprised when Y/N and her green tie entered their common room, but they didn't say anything.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She said, enthralled. "This is exactly my type of room. But, ohhh, me and my stupid 'dark core' just haaad to get thrown into the dungeon. Fuck my life."

The boys chuckled as Y/N made herself comfortable on the couch. She stretched like a cat, curling up and resting her head on a pillow. 

"Yep. This is the dream," she said, eyes fluttering shut. The boys made their way to their dorm to retrieve their books, but Remus couldn't take his eyes off of the sleepy girl. 

She's so peaceful when she's sleeping, he thought, seeing all of Y/N rage and fight be reduced to nothing. The boy chose an armchair nearby, and unwrapped a bar of chocolate he had in his robes. This is the dream, isn't it? Chocolate, a warm fire, a sleeping angel next to me-- 

Remus shook his head. He wasn't used to thoughts like these, but ever since he met Y/N-- God, was that just this morning?!-- he couldn't seem to focus on anything. What was it about her that made him lose his train of thought?

As if she could read his mind, Y/N opened her eyes and rolled onto her back.

"Who am I kidding. I'm never gonna be able to fall asleep," she sighed, eyes on the fireplace.

"Why not?" Remus questioned, biting into his chocolate.

Y/N looked at him. "You want the truth? It's kind of... I don't know... personal? But also I'm pretty much an open book, and I don't believe in TMI. So... up to you."

"...TMI?"

Y/N laughed. "Oh, God, I forgot how British you were. 'Too Much Information.' Basically oversharing. I'm a chronic oversharer, according to everyone I've ever met, so it doesn't bother me."

Remus chuckled. "Go on, then. Tell me about your sleeping troubles."

"Well, when I was a kid, I used to have these really bad nightmares. And eventually, they turned into sleep paralysis. I used to wake up at these ungodly hours of the night and see Death Eaters standing over my bed. Just... watching me. Brrr. Even thinking about it sends shivers down my spine," she said, eyebrows scrunched. Remus had put down his chocolate bar.

"And then, one night, I woke up to the same thing, but... they were real. I was fourteen. They dragged me out of my bed, and brought me downstairs, where my parents were waiting next to this big, awful chair with these leather straps on it. And they strap me in, right? And I'm thinking 'Oh shit. This is how I die. Or at least get tortured to the point where I'm begging for death.' 'Cause, y'know, Death Eaters. It's kinda their thing. But they just tell me that I'm old enough to 'prove my allegiance to the Dark Lord' and I'm like. Fuck. They're gonna give me the Dark Mark. But no! I mean, thank God they didn't, but... they tattooed this... giant python on my arm. And I mean really huge. It's a whole sleeve, for real. And I think it's pretty sick now, but, I mean, I was a kid at the time. I just remember crying, silently, because I knew I'd be punished if I made a sound. I haven't been able to sleep right since."

Remus was turned toward the girl, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were glazed over, her mind in the past.

"It's pretty sick, though. Wanna see?" 

Y/N sat up, rolling up the sleeve of her right arm, and there it was. A massive black snake curling down and around her arm, the tail near her shoulder, the open jaws ending on the back of her hand. Remus didn't know how he didn't notice before.

"I usually put a spell on it to keep it hidden," she said, seeing the gears turn in his head. Remus got up and sat on the couch next to her.

"You didn't deserve this."

Y/N's mouth opened just a tad, her eyes blinking quickly. She relaxed into the couch again, sighing.

"Yeah, I know."

The two sat in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was like they were old friends. Neither of them needed to fill the empty air with something. 

"It is pretty sick, though," Remus said, finally.

Y/N turned her head to look up at him. "No, right? Who else can say they were held down and given a huge awesome tattoo by a bunch of Death Eaters!"

Remus laughed. Y/N seemed like the kind of person to make light of her situations. He saw in her eyes that she'd been through a lot more than just that, and that was bad enough. But he also heard how she laughed and joked with others, and felt that her witty demeanor came from something deeper. He didn't know what, but he was determined to find out.

"Want some?" He asked, offering her the bar of chocolate.

"Depends. Is it dark chocolate?"

Remus grinned. "Of course. It's the best kind."

Y/N pumped a fist in the air. "Yes! Exactly! Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I say that. But, y'know what? It's not my fault that there's a grumpy, geriatric man living in my soul who craves the bitter goodness of 72% cacao."

She ate a piece of chocolate, and so did he, and they talked until it was time for class. Neither of them realized how much time had passed until the marauders burst through the portrait, arguing about some nonsense. They shared a look, and they knew that they'd spent their time wisely.