The Forest - R.L.

Chapter 31 - The Notes

For the rest of the week, James avoided Sirius at all costs. As soon as he entered a room, James found a way to leave it. It was only during certain classes that the two of them were forced into the same room, and even then James always made sure to sit on the other side of the class, as far away from Sirius as he could.

It made it quite awkward for Remus, Grace and Peter, who were all stuck in the middle, not wanting to anger either side by sitting with the other. In the end, Peter stuck mostly with James, whilst Grace and Remus swapped between the two – one with James and the other with Sirius – so that Sirius wasn't left alone but they weren't ignoring James either.

Their Animagus practise had also come to a near complete halt. Grace had tried several times, but with the distraction of all of this, she couldn't focus enough to get anywhere. The only good news that had come from the week was that Grace had made the Quidditch team, as well as James.

Their last class on a Friday afternoon was Herbology with Professor Eischeid, which almost always a disaster. This particular day, however, Professor Eischeid had decided not to show up for class, leaving them all sitting around the large table in the greenhouse teacherless.

Grace sat at the very front of the table with Sirius, leaving Remus at the back with Peter and James, who were discussing the pros and cons of having broomsticks for legs (who knows why). Since sitting on opposite sides of the room meant that they couldn't talk to each other, Grace and Remus had taken to writing notes and using magic to skim them across the floor, unseen by teachers.

Do you think she's going to turn up?? –R Remus had scrawled across the parchment. Over the years, Grace had become an expert in reading his barely legible handwriting – although hers wasn't too good either – and she immediately began writing a response.

Hopefully not -G

She then folded the parchment in half and pointed her wand at it, sending it sailing across the greenhouse. The lack of teacher meant there was no need for discretion.

Grace turned around and watched as Remus plucked the paper out of the air with one hand before bringing it down and opening it. After reading what she had written, Remus glanced up at her, smirking, before shaking his head and writing a reply.

Have you talked to Sirius yet? -R

About what? -G

What do you think? –R'

I dunno –G (do we really need to put our initials at the end of this?)

I'll give you a clue – we were talking about it this morning. –R (yes we do)

Then no, I haven't talked to Sirius about his opinion on white chocolate –G (it makes me feel like a secret agent)

Don't play dumb! About apologising??? –R (of course it does)

Not yet, but I will I promise! -G

Remus had made it his personal mission to make sure that James and Sirius forgave each other, and he had recruited Grace to help him.

"Hey, Sirius? What... uh... are you going to... with James, you know? Gosh that was so poorly worded. Um... what are-"

"Is this about apologising?" Sirius replied, turning to Grace. He looked in no way offended by her question, making her feel relieved. "Remus asked me yesterday in Transfiguration, and I still have absolutely no idea."

"Have you tried going up to him and just saying sorry? I know it sounds stupidly simple, but-"

"Trust me, I've tried, but every time I get close enough to say something to him he leaves! What am I supposed to do?"

"Well then, do it somewhere where he can't leave," Grace suggested. "Like... in class."

"I tried it on Wednesday, in Potions. In the middle of class, when Slughorn was in the storage cupboard, I walked over to his desk but he just went over to Slughorn and asked to go to the bathroom. Didn't even look at me," Sirius explained, shaking his head.

"Damn, okay. What about... Oh! I know! Quidditch starts this Saturday, and he'd never abandon a Quidditch match, would he?" Grace burst.

"You're right, but I can't exactly yell an apology out from the stands, could I? Or I suppose I could get a broomstick and fly up there, but he'd just fly away. Or-"

"Oh! How have I been so stupid? We're wizards, right?"

"Well, strictly speaking, you're actually a witch-"

"Sonorus! It's the spell that the Quidditch commentators use to project their voices throughout the field," Grace exclaimed.

"And what, just project my apology across the field in the middle of the match? I've already got six detentions coming up, I don't need another twenty!"

"Well, maybe you could organise it with Professor McGonagall, or that sixth year that usually commentates! Ask if, at the end of the match, you could make an announcement, and then there's no way James won't hear you."

"Yes! And then-"

Sirius was cut off as someone entered the greenhouse, causing all the students to look over.

"Where's Professor Eischeid?" Professor P Thorne asked as she peeked through the door.

"She... uh... she hasn't turned up yet," Sarah Adams, another fifth year Gryffindor, answered.

"At all?"

"Nope."

"Oh, not again. Oh, well, looks like you have me now!" Paula informed them. "Don't worry, we'll do something easy, like... a quiz! Five house points for anyone who can give me the correct answer. And it won't be just Herbology either. Okay, who can tell me three properties of bubotober pus?"

Since the teachers at Hogwarts rarely took days off, Paula had barely done much teaching in her days as a 'fill in teacher'. Instead, Paula had spent the majority of her five years at Hogwarts researching the correlation between muggle science and magic. The topic was considered extremely taboo amongst the wizarding community, so, with the help of Albus Dumbledore, her research was conducted in secret.

When she wasn't filling in or researching, Paula also helped her husband teach Care of Magical Creatures, which is why she had happened to be walking past the Herbology classroom that day. She had been heading to the edge of the forbidden forest where Alexander was introducing the fourth years to a unicorn he'd managed to lure out, when she noticed that the greenhouse was noisier than usual.

For the rest of the class, they answered questions on a variety of topics – including Quidditch, much to James' delight – until, five minutes before the end of class, they had another unexpected visitor.

The one and only, Professor Eischeid.

"Oh, hello Paula!"

---

I forgot to mention this earlier, but because of the whole cufuffle over whether James was a seeker or a chaser, I've made it that he was both - seeker first, then chaser.

Also the whole Professor Eischeid not turning up until the end of class is based on a true story.

ALSO I'm going to pick up my new dog today and ITS A LIL BORDER COLLIE PUP AND WE'RE GONNA NAME IT SIRIUS I'M PUMPED

-Grace