The Marauders: Year One (female)

14. Down By The Lake

Sirius flung herself across her bed dramatically, her long black hair splaying out behind her. She stared at the ceiling, the wind entirely knocked out of her.

'Trouble?' asked Jamie sympathetically from the next bed, where she sat, going through her Chocolate Frog cards.

Sirius sprang up in bed angrily. 'Trouble?' she asked explosively. 'Trouble? I go to the library to have a chat with Lupin, and I get the entire Interrogational Force of the Ministry of Magic thrown at me!'

Jamie looked up with interest. 'You what now? I didn't know we had that. The Muggles do. They call it the Secret Poh-lees.'

'It's police,' corrected Petra, not looking up from her book. 'They're the Muggle Aurors. They catch the bad guys.'

'Oh,' said Jamie, finally understanding.

Sirius growled. 'Wake up, Potter! I didn't actually stumble across Aurors in the school library or anything. I just wanted to have a chat with Remus, and I was set upon by Snivella and Gingernuts. I think they're actually friends. Good for them. They suit each other.'

'Snivella and Evans are friends?' asked Jamie with more interest. 'I mean how could Evans want to be friends with Snivella when there are people like me around in Gryffindor?'

'You're missing the point entirely, Potter! You're meant to sympathise with me!'

Jamie turned to her sarcastically. 'Oh, is that so, Black? Did your feelings get hurt? Did Snivella annoy you with her greasy hair and nose?'

'Actually, I hexed her nose to her book.'

'Well good on you, mate!'

Sirius leant forward, intent on telling Jamie Remus's secret, about her scars, and asking for advice, but then something stopped her. Perhaps it was the sheer desperation in Lupin's eyes, or the way she understood Sirius so perfectly, after knowing her little over a week, even on the first night, but Sirius found she couldn't quite betray Remus like that. She'd promised.

She realised she'd been leaning forward and staring at Jamie with her mouth slightly open when Jamie looked at her pointedly, rudely asking, 'What?'

Sirius flushed and moved away. 'Nothing.'

'Right,' said Jamie, looking at her oddly.

And although the very next day she had a long day, then week of school ahead of her, with plenty of homework, Sirius resolved to get back to the library as soon as possible. If what she thought was happening to Lupin was actually happening, then she owed it to her.

That night, Remus didn't get to bed until the early hours of the night. She was up worrying about what would happen if Sirius discovered her secret. And also, there had been the look in Sirius's eyes when she'd seen the scars.

Shock had faded to revulsion, which had faded to horror. She would never forget that look for as long as she lived. It symbolised everything that anyone, wizard, witch, or Muggle would ever feel towards her: fear.

Even the Muggles whispered tales of werewolves in hushed tones, fearsome, slavering, evil beasts with only the thought of killing and destroying on their minds. They never took into consideration the human within the beast, twenty-nine days out of thirty. One day a month was all it took to make everyone hate her for what she was.

And of all people to share a dormitory with: a Black. Nobility of Wizarding Society, and the epitome of pureblood culture, it was only natural that Remus would be placed in the same dormitory as the heir to the 'Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.'

She would have rathered that she be placed in Hufflepuff, for they were the most likely not to turn her in or kill her if they ever discovered her for what she was. But the Sorting Hat had refused. Stupid old pile of rags. Remus thought about hexing it into a beret. See how it liked that.