tangled hearts

||9|| - The moon

||9|| - The moon

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I woke up with a sigh, it was the first full moon of the school year. The weight of it made me feel heavy as I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. I figured it was best to check on everyone. I pulled on a warm sweater over my night clothes and made my way down to the common room.

The room was dimly lit, with a few scattered students quietly chatting or reading. James was sitting near the fireplace, sipping tea, his expression grim. He glanced up when he saw me approach.

"How'd he sleep?" I asked quietly, settling into the chair across from him.

James shook his head, his fingers tightening around his mug. "He didn't. He was in pain all night." He sighed, looking tired himself. "It's horrible. The closer it gets, the worse it is."

I winced. "I figured as much." My heart ached for Remus, knowing how much the full moon took out of him. Every time, it was the same cycle—exhaustion, pain, and isolation. "Where is he now?"

James looked into his cup. "Sirius and Peter are with him. They went out to the Shrieking Shack early to make sure everything's set. You know how it goes—getting it ready, making sure he's... safe." His voice trailed off, the weight of responsibility clear in every word.

I nodded, The fire crackled in the hearth, but it didn't chase away the chill that settled in the pit of my stomach.

"Do you think he'll be okay this time?" I asked softly, though I already knew the answer.

"He always is," James said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. "But it never gets easier."

We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation heavy between us. The soft murmur of the other students was distant, almost like background noise to the constant worry that gnawed at us every time the full moon approached.

"At least we've got the routine down," I offered, trying to find some silver lining.

James nodded, though his eyes were dark with concern. "Yeah. We always do."

After a few more moments of quiet, I stood up, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. "I've got some more homework to do. I'll bring it down here."

James glanced up from his mug and gave a tired nod. "Good idea. Gotta pass the time somehow." His voice was flat, but I knew the feeling—it was all about keeping busy, trying to distract ourselves from what was coming.

I headed back up to the dormitory, the familiar steps feeling longer than usual as I reached for my bag. My mind drifted as I stuffed my books inside, thinking about Remus. I couldn't help but wonder what he was feeling, physically and mentally. Every full moon was a battle, and we were just the spectators on the sidelines, doing what we could but never fully understanding what he went through.

"You okay? Marlene said from beneath the covers of her bed.

"Yeah, just tired."

"Alright" She said, lying back down.

Back in the common room, James had settled deeper into his chair, staring into the fire like it held all the answers to the universe. It felt eerily quiet, the kind of stillness that comes when everyone's too lost in their own thoughts to speak.

I dropped my bag on the couch and pulled out my Transfiguration notes, but the words on the page seemed meaningless. It was hard to focus when your mind kept drifting to darker things.