My Marauders // J.P. , R.L. , S.B x OC

Ch. 7, Lady Friend

"Remus! Do something," Calliope whispered, her hand slapping against his kneecap in a gesture of urgency.

Remus gently holds her wrist in his larger hand, his touch a calming comfort amidst the persistent knocking. "Listen... Just hold still and be quiet. I'll see who it is," he said, his tone soothing as he prepared to address the interruption.

Calliope relaxed her hand, and he let it fall out of his grasp.

Just as she was beginning to calm, under the impression that Remus could handle the situation by simply speaking out to the person on the other side, he started to rise from the bed. In a panic, she grabbed his hand, pulling him back onto the bed harshly. A groan escaped his lips as he landed heavily, the sudden movement causing a loud creaking noise from the bed frame.

The knocking faltered.

"Calliope, what the hell?" Remus whisper-yelled, clutching the back of his head as he winced loudly from the sudden fall.

"That could be James on the other side! Oh, and quit being a baby– You barely fell." She rolled her eyes, shushing Remus and muting her voice.

"Oh? So you want me to manhandle you, huh?" Remus asks Calliope rhetorically, not bothering to whisper as he gestures with his hands.

Hushed whispering could be heard emanating from the hallway beyond.

"Shh!" She shushed him, quickly quieting him by placing a hand over his mouth. The contact produced a sharp slapping sound that echoed throughout the room.

"Ow," he muttered, prying her hand from his mouth. "You are mad, Calliope. This is abuse," he whispered in her ear.

He rises from the bed once again, attempting to reason with the girl. "Listen—let me talk to whoever is out there, okay? It's most likely not James if that makes you feel better, Cal."

Calliope sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Fine, but be quick, and don't mention I'm here," she murmured, her eyes filled with worry as she watched him.

Remus takes a deep breath and heads to the door, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor. Calliope watched him intently, her anxiety palpable.

As he reaches the door, he carefully opens it just a crack, peering out into the dimly lit hallway. There, he sees his fellow marauders, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.

Both men stared at Remus's flushed face and slightly disheveled appearance, their mouths gaping open in unison. Sirius grabbed Remus by the arm, pulling him out into the hallway and quickly shutting the door behind them.

"Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, patting him on the back. "You've got someone in there?"

Remus stares back at the two boys blankly, unsure of what to say. He knows he can't reveal Calliope's presence because they would undoubtedly want to come inside.

"What, no, it's not what you think," Remus stammered, trying to come up with a plausible excuse.

"I think we know exactly what it is," Peter smiles shyly, "We can give you– uhm, some privacy?"

Sirius puts a hand on Peter's plump shoulder, "Quiet, boy. I have some questions for Moons." Peter rolls his eyes and shrugs, giving an apologetic look to Remus.

"So, you do have a girl in there?" Sirius inquired.

The lycanthrope looks from the faces of his astonished friends to the red and yellow carpet on the ground, a blush forming on his face. "Sirius, why do you think I have a woman in there?" Remus asked, already knowing why.

"Hmm, well," Sirius began, a hint of amusement in his voice, "maybe it was the bed squeaking so loudly it could be heard down the hall? Or your flushed face? Or perhaps it was when you asked your accomplice if they wanted to be—what was the word? Oh, right, 'manhandled.'"