Afflicted- Remus Lupin

The One Where She Gets Sorted.

"20 seconds of courage is all we need to change the world. Maybe if we all had a little more courage the world would be a happier place.

20 seconds of courage is all we need to tell that someone what you feel for them

20 seconds of courage is all we need to have a happy life

20 seconds of courage is all we need to change the world."

-Joe Johnson

Daisy POV

A couple deep breaths. That's all Lily said I will need. Then I can do it. Then I can have the courage to go up and stand in front of a giant room full of strangers. Yay...

These were the thoughts going through my head. As I sat on the carriage that was taking us through the forest and into the castle. The wind was colder than a river in the winter. I hugged my jacket to my body as we pierced through the freezing wind. My mind was in at least a million different places. I looked through the trees past the head of the girl sitting opposite from me. As I looked through I saw yet another carriage making it's way through the forest. On the other carriage it was quite a bit more crowded than ours which only held four people. Theirs held about seven. I looked closer and saw the scars on the face that I instantly recognized as the face of Remus. He saw me too. His face twisted into a sort of sweet smile. We stayed like that until I felt a warmth on my knee. I looked over and saw that Lily had been trying to get my attention.

"Hey sorry." I said looking back to where Remus had been just a second ago. The trees were too thick now. Disappointed I looked back towards Lily. She smiled.

"This is my friend," She motioned to a tall boy who who had long black hair. It swept in front of his eyes and hid his face.

"Snape."

"Snape?"

"Severus Snape." He finished with a glance from Lily. She seemed obviously surprised that he had at first just introduced himself with his last name. She ripped her glance back to the direction that we were headed. I noticed their friendship seemed to be slightly strained. But that was their business. The ride to the great hall was quiet and well, awkward. No one talked not even Lily who obviously loved to talk. 

I was looking down at my feet when I heard Alice say, "No matter how many times I see it..." I looked up and saw the great castle looming over us. The torch lights were subtle yet somehow were overwhelming in ways that I could not describe. My mouth hung open in awe as we approached the steps of the castle. There were some people talking on the stairs but I walked past and into the castle. Lily had stopped to talk to someone else. 

"Zograf?" A strained, shaky and loud voice said from behind me, "Daisy Mason Zograf?" 

"Yes?" I said hesitantly.

"Follow me..." Professor Mcgonagall stood above me on the top of the stairs. She motioned for me to approach her. I didn't say anything but she began to walk me into the Great Hall and talk to me as we did. 

"Will do..." I said quietly under my breath.

"Now since you are our first transfer student, practically, well, ever, we are going to have you stand off to the side next to the Slytherin table, we will call you up and you will be sorted we will ask the 5th years at that table to make room for you and you will be seated." 

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We walked into the Great hall. It was buzzing with excitement. Several people were already seated while others were still walking into the hall. I walked in the door. At the end of the room there was a long table (A/N: I'm describing it like it is in the books, not the movies.) On my far left was the Slytherin table, then the Ravenclaw table, next was the Hufflepuffs, and finally was the Gryffindors. They were by far the rowdiest. I knew that everyone that came here always wanted a certain house. They always told the sorting hat that they wanted one house or another. Me on the other hand wanted nothing in particular. I simply wanted a house that would truly suit me and make me feel welcome. 

"Attention," I turned my head towards the front of the room. There at the podium stood Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Yes, I did my research on him okay? I stepped a couple steps towards the Slytherin table, the 7th years, who were closest to me, gave me dirty looks. I backed away. 

"Who is that?" I heard a whisper from the table.

"I don't know... why is she over there."

"Is she a transfer student?"

"Where would she even be from if she was?"

"I don't know... Oh! Maybe she is American? I've never met an American before!"

"Would you shut it Marian Aline Zabini..."

"Regulus you know I hate you using my full name."

"I would like to welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Now before we begin the sorting of the first years I would like to welcome our newest, and first ever, transfer student. Daisy Zograf! She has just transferred here from Ilvermorny. The American school of witchcraft and wizardry." 

"Told you she was American..."

There were half-hearted cheers from the audience, of course I was in the back of the room and it took me much longer than I would have liked to get to the front of the room and sit down on the stool. i used those twenty seconds of courage that I so desperately needed in this moment.

Now I heard a voice say in my head. I almost fell off the chair when the sorting hat was placed on my head. Well then? What will we ever do with you... You have a lovely personality. You can be quite brave. You also have quite a lot of ambition. And you are a loyal one indeed. Right then... Right then... Where to put you? Better be...

"Ravenclaw!" The hat screamed aloud to the hall. My mind was racing at one-million miles per hour. I looked around there was cheering from all sides, but majorly from the table that was now just to my right. They all wore blue and silverish-bronze ties. Blue and bronze, that I can work with. I walked down the side of the table that flanked the Slytherin table. I walked about three fourths of the way down the line before Alice called me to sit next to her. I did. 

"Oh we are going to have so much fun." Alice said excitedly. Then Dumbledore went into a long spiel about rules but I couldn't focus. My mind was distracted. Correction my eyes were distracted. I looked across the room and directly across from me on the opposite side of the great hall, and the Gryffindor table. There I caught glance of the blinding hazel eyes that I had seen earlier on the train and in the forest. Remus was looking up at Dumbledore and not at me. My eyes stayed fixed on him and I couldn't look away. His green turtleneck had been switched out for his Gryffindor robes. His exposed some of his collarbone more than his turtleneck had. Even from this distance I could see a slight sparkle on his neck. I stifled a laugh. It was obvious that he had attempted to use concealer to cover it up but was unsuccessful in his attempt. He made eye contact with me and we held it there for just a second. 

Suddenly he was pushed out of my view and the rude-ish girl that Sirius had pulled away earlier was in my sight. I looked down as she laughed and nudged Remus in his side. She seemed to be teasing him as all of his friends were now doing as they looked over at me. I felt butterflies in my stomach. My face became a bright red shade. My face got hotter and hotter, even Alice began to notice. I looked up and made eye contact. My face got hotter if that was even possible. Now this couldn't be what I think it is. Is this? No... Is this what a crush feels like? Could I have a crush on Remus Lupin? No. It couldn't be.

Could it?