Life choices (Remus Lupin Marauders era)

Chapter 40

Lupins POV

Sirius corners me as soon as I set one foot in the common room, an angry, protective look etched onto his face. "Where were you last night?" He growls. "And how did you get those cuts on your face and hands?"

I just smile wide grin that's filled with fakery and lies. The most common lie of all doesn't even need any words, it's the smile that says I'm fine when I'm really not.

"Oh you know." I shrug nonchalantly, the smile beginning to fade on my lips. "Chats with Dumbledore."

I try to duck under his arm but instead he pins me to the wall by my shoulders. I grunt in pain as a random nail digs into my spine and look tiredly at his angry, distrustful expression.

"I'm being serious here Moony. Don't lie to me because you're crap at it and I can practically smell the bullshit radiating off you. Also, I'm almost certain that Dumbledore has not relocated his office into the girls bathroom. So. What went on last night."

"Nothing." I growl through gritted teeth and shove him away from me. "It's absolutely nothing."

"You can't lie to me." He calls as I walk away from him.

"I wasn't! It's NOTHING to do with you. It's NONE of your business." I hiss angrily, knowing that he can hear me perfectly well. "So. Leave it, leave me alone."

I creep up to my dorm and fling the door open. Peter and James sit on their opposite beds, talking lowly to each other. They stop abruptly as they see that it's me and awkwardly smile and try to avert their eyes. I flash that same sarcastic smile to them and head to my chest of draws, pulling out my uniform for the day. My hands sting slightly and I look down to see a small speck of the mirror, stuck in the skin below my thumb. I groan and try to dig it out with my stubby nails which only sparks more bleeding and irritation.

The boys look over suspiciously at me and I decide to ignore them, heading through to the small bathroom to try to clean myself up a bit before lessons start. The raw, red cuts are a stark contrast to the pink, shiny scars that already litter my skin, making me sigh at the tired, worn down reflection of myself.

I crack my neck as I get changed, trying to erase the stiffness that was left in there from last night. I attempt to massage it away but the irritating piece of glass stops me from applying any pressure to it.

I loosely loop my tie around my neck and grab my books. I don't bother telling them that I'm not going to be in the next lesson and instead head straight down to the hospital wing to get my hand sorted out.

Once she's pulled out the piece and it's bandaged up and stopped bleeding, I thank the nurse and head out towards my classes, clutching my books in my good hand. The first few corridors were empty, but gradually they start to fill with the hustle and bustle of a new day.

The crowds in the hallways seem to envelope me, gripping my senses and taking ahold of my mind. I hear my own heartbeat thudding in my ears and I can't cope with the noise. I seem to see her everywhere I go, with deep red eyes and fangs dripping with blood, a stark contrast to her perfectly white but dangerously sharp teeth.

She's coming to attack me.

I duck into the bathroom we were in just thirteen hours ago and splash water on my face, trying to clear the haunting images from my mind. I'm shocked back to reality by myrtle appearing on the ledge above the collection of sinks. She rests her head on her hands and smiles.