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"Temporary bliss."
Emmaline was blindsided by how quickly the Hogwarts train had arrived at the station and definitely did not see coming how excited the rest of her friends were ready to get off as she was left alone in the compartment.
Regulus hesitated as he saw Emmaline take her time with gathering her personal items she had traveled with.
"You can go ahead without me," Emmaline spoke up. Regulus glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow, as if asking if she was sure. Emmaline nodded her head, giving him a shy smile for confirmation.
Regulus chuckled and grinned, leaning in to press a quick kiss on her lips and left the train to find Henry and Perseus.
Finally able to get her things in order, she made her way to the exit. The platform was crowded with students and their families, creating a chaotic yet joyous atmosphere. Emmaline scanned the crowd and found Regulus's dark hair alongside his parents but before she could call out to him, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the train.
"What the–"
"Emmaline, we need to talk," Remus said, his voice low and urgent. He pulled her into the closest cabin, his grip on her arm leading her in first, him following right behind and closing the door behind him.
"Talk about what?" she asked, her confusion evident. She's spoken to him perhaps twice since their first year of Hogwarts. There should be no reason he is seeking her out. Emmaline glanced behind her through the window that displayed the platform, hoping Regulus hadn't seen her yet.
"About what happened at Black Lake," Remus replied, his grip tightening slightly on her arm.
After Severus had spoken to Lily Evans and called her a Mudblood during the fiasco of Black Lake, she had hoped to put it behind her and enjoy the start of the summer, but it seemed Remus had other plans.
"Why does it matter?" she asked, frustration creeping into her voice. She yanked her arm out of his grip at the same time, shooting him daggers through her stare. "It's over now."
"Because we're friends," Remus said quietly, his expression softening. "Or at least, I thought we were."
Emmaline felt a rush of emotions consuming her briefly. She had always admired her first year of Hogwarts as that was the truest she had been before her mother came into the picture to punish her. She had admired the group of Gryffindors throughout the years as they were smart and kind to her. But at the end of the day, it was her mother and father that had the final say in her life and they would never approve of a friendship with a Gryffindor, especially one so closely tied to Sirius Black.
"We're not friends, Lupin." she said firmly, though her voice wavered.
"Oh."
Before Emmaline could respond, she spotted Regulus behind the glass door of the cabin, his expression darkening as he took in the scene.
