The Collision Theory | Remus Lupin

18. Fort Knox... or Blanket

At breakfast the next morning the Daily Prophet does in fact arrive, in its hundreds. The food is left almost untouched as students grab the nearest issue or write hasty letters home to families, telling them to keep safe.
I make contact with my sister for a few seconds as she picks up a paper with shaky fingers, and I nod at her in reassurance.

"Save yourselves the pain," Emmeline mutters darkly as she sits opposite to me, "don't read it."

Remus skims through the report, "They're warning people not to go out at night. The Ministry still isn't taking any of this seriously though." He closes the newspaper and puts it on his empty plate. That's the moment I get a proper look at the photo on the cover. A picture of a smiling girl with dark almond skin and dark hazel eyes that shine with life. Next to it, how she was found, bruised and bloody.

"Oh God."

*

Transfiguration with McGonagall drags past, and my mind is preoccupied with things other than turning my beetle into a diamond and back again. The other things are actually just one.
The mystery of Remus Lupin.
How the Hell hadn't I noticed before?
All those I've got to visit my mum or I'm sick excuses since first year. Could he really be a werewolf?
That boy who have me his scarf?

"Miss Novak are you paying attention?!" McGonagall snaps.

"I- YES MA'AM-MISS- PROFESSOR!" I blurt out, wincing at my tone, "Well no, professor, I'm sorry."

"Count yourself lucky Miss Novak," she purses her lips together, "Honesty just got you out of a detention."

My life is going to collapse because of these Marauders, just you watch.

*

"Formally invited."

"To what?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Our super scary Halloween picnic."

"What? With spooky sandwiches and terrifying tea?" I roll my eyes, searching the library shelf for Memoirs of a Salem Witch.

I hear Remus laugh loudly, quickly covering it with a cough. James sighs, "Just come, it'll be fun. We'll meet in the common room tonight."

"What about dinner?" I ask. I'm not one to miss dinner.

"That's planned." Sirius pokes his head through a shelf space on the opposite side, scaring the living daylights out of me.

"Bloody Hell..."

Peter steps forward, a proud grin on his face, "Thanks to me. I have a way with the elves in the kitchen. We won't go hungry."

"We'll see."

*

"You going?"

"Where?" I look up from my soup, spoon halfway to my mouth.

Lily rolls her eyes, "Don't you listen? At all?"

"Not really." I shrug, aiming to wind her up a bit, the girl's been going on about the party for almost two hours. Alice laughs from where she's talking- or rather flirting- with Frank.

"Halloween party with the boys."

"Err probably. If there's food, yeah." I nod, "Who's coming?"

"McKinnon, Meadowes, Longbottom, Alice..." She counts on her fingers. Maybe I'll zone back in when she's finished. This soup's nice, I can taste...carrots? Potato maybe... Ooh time to zone back in, "Lottie... Basically most of sixth year."