NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Thirteen: Thunder to Greensleeves-

"Why does it never snow at Christmas?"

Helia was sat one of the window seats that ringed the outer wall of the library. Jade and Lin were on their knees, either side of her, staring mournfully out at the conspicuous lack of silvery flakes resting on the grass below. The Christmas holidays were right around the corner.

Jade looked at Lin, who had spoken, with all the pity of a parent not wanting to tell their child the truth about the Easter Bunny.

"Because the world is cruel and the universe is conspiring against you, Linbo." Jade said sadly.

"The good suffer, the evil flourish and all that is mortal pass away." Helia quoted helpfully without looking up from the book that she was holding in front of her face to try and dissuade people from talking to her.

Lin turned around, flopping back onto her butt with a frown. "Why do you two always have to be so morbid?"

Jade mirrored Lin's movements. "Aww, Linnypie-"

"I really don't mind that you call me that, you know." Lin said, smiling slightly and fully aware of her friend's intentions.

"-we're just being ourselves." Jade forged on. "You know, I'm an insensitive prick. She's..." Jade searched for the right word, aware that her most violent friend had now stopped reading and was watching her with eyebrows raised. "She's Helia. It all makes sense really. The real question is why you chose to be friends with us."

Helia turned to Lin, apparently wondering the answer herself.

"Because you're both head cases, and Merlin knows you need all the help you can get." Lin said, refusing to be serious.

"Glad to know it wasn't anything to do with our winning personalities or irresistible charm." Jade muttered.

"Oh please, we all know I'm the fabulous one." Lin's sarcastic streak wasn't shown often, but when it was, it invited it's friends 'massive ego' and 'hair flipping like a boss' to the party.

"Yes, I'm sure Sirius Black would agree with you there." Helia said, returning to her book.

Lin, as a matter of principle, didn't blush or show anything other than a light smile. Jade on the other hand, almost leapt into the air.

"Sirius Black?" she demanded. "And Lin? But how...? What...? I don't..."

Lin laughed at her friend's dumbstruck expression. "Relax, Wood. Maybe he does like me. Or maybe he likes my Pygmy Puffs."

Jade looked as if she were deliberating something. "You know what, if it came down to the little green one-"

"Ay." Lin corrected, naming the Pygmy Puff.

Jade glanced up at her, blinking. "Bless you."

Lin rolled her eyes. "No. My little green Pygmy Puff. She's called Ay. It's Turkish."

"Is no one else curious about what Jade was going to say next?" Helia asked, concerned for the welfare of Linette's pets.

Jade mimicked Lin's eye rolling movements exactly. "I was just going to say I could see.. Ay and Sirius being in a relationship."

Lin laughed again. "Remind me to never let you near my Pygmy Puffs now I know you'll set them up with Gryffindors behind my back."

Jade nudged Helia and nodded to the entrance to the library.

The Marauders, sparing one anguished look at the sign that still hung above the library entrance, traipsed into the room, trailing mud in their wake. Peter was watching the back of James' head as the other boy strolled confidently between the aisles and came to a stop at a table where he dumped a role of parchment and a quill before disappearing among the stacks of books. Remus and Sirius glanced at the three girls, and then looked away, sitting at the table where James had placed his things.