The Fifth Marauder

A Broken Heart

Ariel awoke the next morning with a tear-streaked face. Her eyes betrayed her in the middle of the night apparently, she had cried a lot at some point. 

"Wake up sleepy head!" Lily called, poking her head inside the dormitory. "You'll miss breakfast again!" She exclaimed. Ariel sat up and rubbed her head, instantly, Lily's expression changed. She rushed over to Ariel. "What is it Mermaid?" She asked. "Nothing," Ariel said forcing a smile. "Just a bad dream." 

Lily seemed relived. "Okay good." She said. "Come and grab something to eat, trust me, you'll be famished by lunch." 

"Lily," Ariel called softly. "Hmm?" 

"I can't celibate the holidays with you." Ariel said quite plainly. Lily's face dropped. "Why, what's happened?" She asked. "Is it something I did?" She asked innocently. "No, not at all!" Ariel exclaimed. "I'm not really aloud to say..." She trailed. Lily gave her a suspicious look. "Are you going home with Reamus?" Lily asked. "Wha-? No!" Ariel shouted. Lily giggled. "Just saying." She said. 

Ariel sighed. She wished she was going home with Reamus.

Did she really just think that?

"No, Lily, look, I need you to cover me." Ariel said. Lily gave her a confused look. "What do you mean by 'cover you'?" She asked. Another sigh. "Okay, I really need to go somewhere, but my parents can't know, so I need to say I'm spending the holidays at your place and if they write I need you to act as though I'm there." 

Lily looked awfully confused again. "Where is it that you're going you can't let your parent find out?" She asked. This was the part Ariel had been dreading. "I can't tell you." She said. "But it's really important!" She exclaimed. Lily looked into her face which turned out to be completely serious. 

"Just tell me." Lily begged. 

"Fine!" Exclaimed Ariel. "I'm going home with Regulus Black." It wasn't a lie, not a lie at all, she just left out the certain details. 

Lily looked shocked. "But I thought you fancied Reamus..." She trailed. "Not like that!" Ariel exclaimed. She let out a loud groan and burred her head in her hands. Lily gingerly patted her back. "Fine!" She exclaimed. "I'll cover for you." She said. 

"Thank you!" Ariel said, grateful. "You're welcome Mermaid, but you owe me." She said. 

"I know." Ariel responded.

***

The next few days went by quite fast and Ariel really did wish she could go with Lily, or even stay at Hogwarts for the Holiday. 

So the day students were leaving on the Hogwarts express to go see family, Ariel hauled her trunk down the steps only to find the common room emptied besides for Reamus who, without a surprise, had a book in his hand.

"Ariel." He exclaimed standing up. They hadn't spoken sense the encounter in the common room a few nights ago, although they had shared a few stolen glances in between glares shot at James and Sirius.

"Reamus." Ariel greeted. She made a b-line for the portrait hole, but Reamus, being a few feet taller than she was, beat her to it. 

"I didn't get to say goodbye." He said smiling. His hands found her's and he gave them a squeeze. "Where are you going?" He asked. "Home." Ariel replied. Ariel wanted to tell him the truth, that maybe he could protect her from what fate lay ahead. 

"What are you thinking about?" He asked. Ariel snapped out of what must've been a daze. "Nothing." She quickly said. She looked down at the scar on her wrist, nearly gone, but it was soon going to be replaced with a much more unbearable one. 

Ariel felt herself zoning out again. Is this what it's going to be like when she become a Death Eater? Constantly day dreaming about death? Wondering why and how this happened?

"Ariel..." Reamus's voice brought her back to the present once more. "Wa?.." Ariel looked around. Reamus let out a chuckle. "remember a long time ago when I drant that truth potion?" Reamus asked. Ariel's heart broke at the memory. "Yeah." She said meekly. Reamus looked into her eyes. "You know how I said said I didn't fancy you?" He asked. Ariel nodded sad,y again. Reamus's hand came to the back of her neck. "It's because I don't fancy you." He said. 

"I love you." 

And with that their lips met in what Ariel only ever imagined in dreams. It felt amazing. She didn't remember how long they stood there for. Hours, minutes, seconds. But Ariel came her her senses and pulled away. 

"Reamus Lupin I..." 

But she ran away. As fast as a cheetah. Slower than Reamus's broken heart.