Episkey//D.M

2

I blinked rapidly as I looked at Professor Lupin who was feeding both Harry and I chocolate, he was so familiar, the scars on his face, I felt like I knew, I felt as though I'd seen them once before. He glanced at me every now and again, as if he knew me also, there was something in his eyes that told me he was someone I had known. I looked over to Harry after a few moments, he was i worse shape than I was, after I came to he will still passed out on the floor. I nibbled on the chocolate Lupin had gave me, slowly beginning to feel better.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked and I looked to Lupin who probably had the answer, Harry shifted beside me and I patted his hand in comfort. Lupin watched this before looking back to us both.

"A dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban. Its gone now." Remus looked between both Harry and myself but I didnt meet his gaze, just picked up Achilles who was staring at me.

"It was searching the train for Sirius Black." Hermione continued and I sighed deeply, keeping Achilles close to me as he nudged his face against mine.

"We're not even at Hogwarts yet and we're already getting targeted." I half laughed and Ron looked at me in annoyance shaking his head.

"It's not funny." He argued and I just waved him off while Remus kept his gaze focused on both Harry and I. He got up and looked at us both once again.

"I have to go have a word with the driver. Excuse me." He pointed to the piece of chocolate in Harry's hand. "Eat, it'll help you feel better." He untrusted and we smiled. He shut the door behind him and we turned to our friends.

"What happened to us?" Harry asked while Achilles jumped from my lap, sitting at the door of the carriage.

"Well, you both sort of went rigid. We thought you were both having a fit or something." Ron explained and I looked between the two.

"Did either of you? You know... pass out?" I asked and Hermione and Ron looked at each other, shaking their head. I stood up, looking to Achilles.

"I'm going to find Fred and George, I need a breather." I excused myself, wandering down the compartments, trying to find the twins. Until I felt myself being hurtled back, but someone grabbing my arm to pull me back up.

"Ah Miss Winters, how are you feeling? Any better?" Professor Lupin asked me as he stood back, making sure I was steady on my feet. I smiled and nodded my head, Achilles sitting at my feet and staring up at the man.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." He was silent, almost as if he knew I wanted to ask him something else. "Professor, you seem familiar, but I can't remember you." His smile faltered, only slightly, if you weren't close to him you wouldn't have noticed. Bur he soon replaced it with a sad smile.

"I don't think we've met, Miss Winters. Bur if anything springs to mind, I'll be sure to find you." He assured me and as I was to speak, to thank him for earlier. I was rudely interrupted.

"Oi, Winters." Draco called down the compartments and I I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, Lupin taking heed of the moment.

"Excuse me, sir." I turned sharply on my heels to face Draco. But as I turned, I stopped slightly. He's grown up a lot since last year, he'd gotten taller, his hair wasn't slicked back, he looked almost likeable.

"You look like shit, what the hell happened to you?" Draco asked and I groaned, immediately regretting my thoughts.

"You know, for almost a second there Draco, you looked a small tad bit likeable." I rolled my eyes as I turned on my heels to walk away from him, nodding to Professor Lupin as I passed. Heading back to the carriage with the golden trio for the rest of the way to Hogwarts.

*

Fred and George sat on either side of me while the golden trio sat across from us. Harry and I had recovered from the train journey but we were tired and I wanted nothing more than to sleep away the rest of the day. I stopped listening to Dumbledore as soon as he brought up Sirius, not wanting to hear another thing about this man.

"Oi Potter, Winters! Is it true you both fainted?" Draco whispered loudly in our direction from behind Harry. Ron told him to piss off while I held up my middle finger, not wanting to deal with his shit today. We learned that Lupin was our new Defence against the dark arts teacher, which was nice, he seemed like a pretty solid teacher.as everyone got up to go to their dorms, I felt someone touch my shoulder gently. When I turned, Professor McGonagall was standing behind me, a small smile on her face.

"Before you head back to the dorms, Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. It shouldn't take long." She told me and I smiled and nodded, not arguing with her. I enjoyed my conversations with Dumbledore, they were sometimes unpredictable and I never truly knew what he was going to say. I walked the stairs by myself, he was standing by the door when I got there.

"Miss Winters, how lovely to see you, how was your summer?" He already knew how my summer had went, it had went the same way it had the past two years he'd asked me.

"Just the same Professor, the same as always. Well, except I guess now we've got a raging lunatic on the run trying to kill Harry." I looked around the headmasters office, taking in all the portraits in the wall.

"That's actually, why I wanted to speak to you. As much as I'd like to argue that Black isn't actually coming after Harry, I feel that wouldn't be worth my time. It's better if you know the truth." Dumbledore walked around his office, cleaning off spots where there was dust. "Your father, had he told you of Black?" This question seemed to be coming up a lot recently.

"I'm starting to think there's some significance around Black and my father. But no, not really, he said things in passing or mumbled it under his breath. I can never truly decipher what he says on a day to day basis anyways, so there was nothing that I noticed that stood out." I told Dumbledore who stared at me closely.

"I will leave the topic of your father and Blacks connection for your father to explain." Dumbledore checked his watch before passing me a hard boiled sweet which I thanked him for.

"Now, I do not wish to keep you. I do have to warn you thought Miss Winters, do not stray far from the castle and take heed that there is dark magic around the castle at the moment." Dumbledore warned me and I stared at him for a few moments, not sure if he was talking about the dementors or Black.

"Of course sir." I smiled at him one last time before leaving the office and heading to the common rooms where the trio were waiting for me. "Hey, chilly isn't it?" I questioned as I flopped down beside Ron on the sofa while Harry ad Hermione were sat on the floor. Hermione looked at me stressed before sighing loudly.

"Well. what did he say?" She asked me and I smirked at how nosey they were, I pulled cardigan further cross my chest and sat up.

"He was just asking me about Sirius, it was nothing important." i answered simply before sinking back into the couch. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief before she began to tell us about what her and her family got up to this summer.