Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

One-Hundred & Nineteen

Valentine's Day. It was Valentines Day today and Aries was the furthest she could be from the one she wanted to spend it with.

"You know this place isn't entirely uncomfortable." Regulus spoke from beside her. He had grown a lot. His hair longer like Sirius, only recently shaving the beard he had grown.

His eyes were tired, his body depleted now from what it was when he was playing Quidditch.

She wished she could say it was easier during school. That she missed being able to be a kid. But she had grown up a lot earlier than most.

It was only a year that she had spent happy and content. Comfortable.

Comfortability was in short supply these days, especially now that Aries and Regulus were on the run.

After she had told Regulus about Kreacher and the horcrux, they knew they needed to make an escape. They needed to bring more power to the Orders side and give them the rest of the intel they couldn't send by note.

It got more complicated than just going home when they realized they were being watched. With Regulus still technically in school, Aries had disguised herself in fox form to get into Hogwarts as Reggie's pet.

It didn't take much convincing on Dumbledore's end, allowing Aries to stay in the Shrieking Shack, which is where they were now.

She sent him an unimpressed glance to him. He was laying on the scratched up bed Remus used to sleep on.

Aries preferred the floor. It helped keep the nightmares out. With how bad things had gotten with Voldemort, she wished her old nightmares of Orion and Walburga would replace them.

At least they couldn't hurt her anymore.

"Where will you go?" Regulus asked, which only gained a shrug from Aries.

"Well, I can't go back home yet. I could stay here until they stop looking-"

"The school year will come to an end at some point Aries. Plus we both know they won't stop looking for you." Regulus cut her off, his fingers fiddling with themselves.

He still couldn't believe they had left. That they were still alive.

He let out a quiet chuckle, making Aries frown, "We forgot to have a backup plan. How reckless."

Aries shook her head, unable to help laughing at the thought. But as her laugh increased, the more the tears she shed began to change.

Her chest started to cave and her fingers started to feel numb. He was right, for the first time Aries didn't have a plan.

She couldn't go home without putting Remus and Estella at risk and she couldn't see her friends because they went into hiding at her warning. She didn't know what to do.

Aries wiped away her tears, steadying her breathing and playing with her ring. Having anxiety attacks in front of Voldemort would've been a sign of weakness. She had learned to regulate her emotions faster, finding looking at her ring to be a calm source for her.

Remus gave her that ring, thus making her feel like he was there with her.

"Ah, Miss Black, Mr. Black, it's been some time, I see." Dumbledore opened the door, making Aries stand to her feet, "I thought you might like some company."

Aries brows furrowed before she saw Sirius walk in behind him. She hesitated. There were so many times she had pictured her brother or her boyfriend or anyone she cared about finding her.

Sirius seemed stunned to see her as much as she was to see him, "Ar-"

Without a second thought, Aries practically ran him over, wrapping her arms around him. All it took was for him to speak. Her hallucinations and dreams never spoke.