Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-One - There Is Time To Kill Today

Author's note: I am back! Hopefully for a regular Tuesday schedule however that might change, depending on my job. My training is done! Which does mean working every day except for Sundays. So if things get to be too much Shifting Lines might need to become a twice a month update thing. Or switched to Sunday releases. BUT crossing my fingers it doesn't become that. We'll just have to wait and see after a few weeks of work if I can keep up with a weekly post.

Also I don't have a beta anymore so apologies for the multitude of grammar mistakes and comma problems. I hope y'all enjoy it anyway!

-x-

My darling Remus,

Remus sighed, lowering the letter and already feeling tired. When he had received the letter from his mother at breakfast, he wasn't really in the mood to read it since he knew what it would say. Except he also knew he shouldn't put it off too long. So, during the free period between History and Defense, while James and Peter played a card game and Sirius leaned against a window looking despondently out at the snowy grounds, Remus opened it.

There were a couple paragraphs about how much she missed him and then she piled on the guilt about how he had promised to come see her some weekend and with his birthday coming up and the full moon coinciding with the weekend, wouldn't that be a perfect time? He could spend the time at home, being taken care of by his mother, and then they could celebrate his birthday together for the first time since his eleventh birthday.

Then there was half a page of how she missed being there for his birthdays, and then another half a page about what it felt like when he was born and she held him for the first time. Then a very long, rambly paragraph about the fact he was gone for the Christmas holidays.

I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will be fine with you leaving early on Thursday to come here, since you would be missing the classes anyway, and you could be back on Sunday evening. Instead of a cold hospital bed, you'd have your days in your own nice, warm bed, and I'd be there to take care of you.

That again, followed by the fact she had spoken to Lyall about it and he was fine with Remus visiting, and wasn't it about time they talked about That Incident and perhaps worked towards repairing their family?

I miss you, my darling, and hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Love,

Mother

Remus folded the letter up, feeling quite exhausted. I did promise, though, he thought as he pressed down along the creases. He didn't particularly want to visit his parents (especially his father, he was NOT ready to discuss That Incident no matter what his mother wanted) however... visiting during a full moon might be the best thing. He'd spend most his time either locked in his little werewolf room or else asleep, and then he'd have satisfied his promise to his mother about visiting and not have to worry about it for the rest of the school year—

Except she'll guilt me again, probably, sometime in the summer term, he thought with a sigh.

"Ten points for me!" James crowed out. "Now we switch hands."

"Switch...?" Peter wrinkled his forehead as he slowly handed his cards to James and took the other hand. "But why?"

"Rules. I've reached one hundred points."

"I haven't gotten any points!"

"Yes you have, you got three points and a lizard."

Peter moaned. "I don't underst—what is this game again?"