Secrets of the Full Moon

Chapter 14

A few weeks have passed since everything went down. Today is the best I have felt in a while, and I am not actually dreading getting out of bed. I got up and made my way down to the Great Hall. I looked around and locked eyes with the Marauders.

"Morning, guys!" I said, sitting down and filling my plate full of all the different types of foods. I also haven't really eaten much in the last couple of weeks.

"Morning, you seem chipper this morning."

"Yeah, I take it you are feeling better."

"Also, take it you got your appetite back."

"And it's bigger than before."

I laughed, feeling the warmth of their camaraderie wrap around me like a cozy blanket. "What can I say? I guess food really is the best medicine."

James grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just don't go stealing all the bacon. I might have to launch a full-on rescue mission if you do."

"Oh, please! Like you could ever outrun me for it," I shot back playfully, grabbing a piece of crispy bacon and holding it triumphantly.

Sirius chimed in, raising an eyebrow. "You sure you're up for a challenge? I mean, I can always help you with that. I've been practising my sneaky techniques."

"Yeah, right!" I rolled my eyes, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. "I'll take my chances with the bacon, thank you very much."

As we settled into our usual banter, I felt the weight of the past weeks slowly dissipate. It was nice to be back to normal, sharing laughter and teasing each other without the heaviness that had once threatened to pull us apart.

"By the way," Remus said, leaning forward, "we were thinking of having a study session later. You in?"

"For sure!" I replied, a surge of excitement coursing through me. "As long as you promise not to make me feel bad about my Potions skills."

Peter laughed. "We wouldn't dream of it!"

The rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter and lighthearted teasing. We talked about our plans for the holidays, and I felt a rush of contentment as I realised just how much I missed this—how much I missed them. The shadows of the past weeks were still there, but they didn't feel as heavy anymore.

After our final class, we made our way to the library for the study session. As we settled into our usual corner, surrounded by books and parchment, I found myself falling into an easy rhythm with the group. James and Sirius tried to distract everyone into planning a prank instead, but Remus was too set in stone about us all studying together. Laughter filled the air, and for the first time in what felt like ages, I felt free. 

When we finally decided to call it a day, I was pleasantly surprised to realise that I'd actually enjoyed studying, something I never thought I'd say. As we packed up our things, I looked at my friends and felt a surge of affection. They had stood by me through the rough patches, and in return, I wanted to be there for them, too. We made our way to the common room, and to our surprise, it was mostly empty. We took the best spot, the couches in front of the fire, and settled in for the evening. I was on the armchair closest to the first; Peter was on the one across from me, Remus was sitting in front of the fire with his nose still buried in a book, and James and Sirius were practically bouncing with excitement, their faces lit up with enthusiasm. Of course, talking about Quidditch.

"Did you see the practice yesterday?" James asked, his eyes shining. "We're going to crush it this year! I can feel it!"

"Absolutely! With you as Seeker and me as Chaser, we'll be unstoppable," Sirius chimed in, a grin spreading across his face. "I mean, have you ever seen anyone catch a Snitch as fast as James? He's practically a legend already!"

I rolled my eyes playfully, but the warmth in my heart was undeniable. "Just don't let it get to your head, Potter," I teased. "You know how you can be."

James feigned a hurt expression. "Me? Get cocky? Never!" He dramatically placed a hand over his heart, causing the others to burst into laughter.

"Right, just like you never hog the Snitch during practice," I shot back, smirking.

"Well, I can't help it if I'm gifted," he joked, winking at me. "But honestly, we have our first match in a week, and I can't wait. It's against Slytherin, and you know how much they love to play dirty."

Sirius nodded vigorously. "Yeah, they think they can intimidate us. But we're not backing down. We've trained too hard for that!"

As the conversation continued, I couldn't help but feel swept up in their excitement. Quidditch had always been something I had wanted to watch, but they never did it at Beauxbatons, and my parents never took me to any games. Knowing that both James and Sirius were on the team made it even more special.

"Oh, and Halloween is just around the corner!" I interjected, my mind racing with ideas. "We should do a group costume and go absolutely crazy for it. It has always been my favourite holiday."

"Count me in for the costumes!" Sirius exclaimed. "I want to be the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever seen!"

James laughed. "I can only imagine what you'll come up with. Just don't show up in your mum's old dress again."

"Hey, that was one time!" Sirius shot back, but his laughter betrayed him.

We spent the rest of the evening brainstorming costume ideas and ways to make the Halloween feast unforgettable. 

"We could be like classic scary monsters. Like vampires, zombies, mummies and ghosts." 

"Or something from the muggle world, like from the superhero movies."

"We could do an inside thing, like our animagi, so only we would get it."

"I know, let's do different members of a Quidditch team."

Their ideas were all okay, but as soon as they heard my idea, they all knew we had to do it. The room fell silent for a moment before the realisation hit them, and their faces lit up with excitement.

"Star, that's brilliant!" James exclaimed, his earlier annoyance completely forgotten.

"Think of the potential for shenanigans!" Sirius added, practically bouncing on his toes.

"We'll have everyone wondering what we're up to!" Remus chimed in, his smile growing wider.

Peter nodded vigorously, "And we can incorporate a little magic into it. Imagine the looks on their faces!"

"I know, I'm pretty amazing. You don't have to tell me twice." 

"Confidence looks good on you, Bella," James teased, a playful glint in his eye. "Just don't let it go to your head, or you might start expecting us to carry you around."

"Oh, please, I'd never ask you to do that," I shot back, laughing. "I can manage my ego just fine."

As we brainstormed details, the tension from earlier faded completely, replaced by laughter and shared enthusiasm. We spent the night planning out our costumes, each one of us getting lost in the excitement of Halloween. For the first time in weeks, I felt a warmth in my chest that told me things were finally starting to get back to normal.

*Another chapter done

I felt like we needed a light, fluffy chapter after the last couple.

I might drag out Halloween and Quidditch for a bit before I go into the holidays because I want to make it big and important.

Also, I know the chapters are becoming shorter, but just bear with me, and I promise they will get longer (and better).

Let me know if yall have any suggestions, edits or comments for me.

I'll see yall next chapter!*