Half-Breed [ON HOLD]

nine

1975;
GIRLS AND GAYS

THAT SUNDAY FOLLOWING REMUS' DISCOVERY OF AVERY THREATING LEONIE CAME AN USUALLY WARM OCTOBER AFTERNOON. Dorcas and Leonie sat under the willow tree closest to the Black lake, Remus' head laid in Leonies lap, her nails scratching the werewolfs scalp as she chattered to Dorcas and Peter, whos back was pressed to the bark of the tree, while James and Sirius hung from the hugest branches above their friends heads, laughing loudly as they monkeyed around.

"Oh I a letter this morning," Leonie said.

"Another love letter?" Remus wondered dryly. Love letters were not an uncommon thing to be delivered to Leonie. By now it was usually the first years who still sent them, though it wasn't unusal on valentines day to see a moutin of chocolates and pink envelopes swallowing up the Slytherin table.

"Not so fast Lupin it could easily be hatemail," Dorcas pointed out truthfully. Just as common as it was for Leonie to get a love letter it was just as common for a jealous girl or rejected boy to send her an envelope full of puss or jinxed to high heven.

"Actually it was neither of those," Leonie said, "It was my mother."

"Since when does your mother write you?" Remus questioned, a crese formed between his eyebrows.

"Since she wants me home Easter break to fix me up with a nice half-Veela boy," Leonie huffed. Remus sat up, his eyes wide.

"She wants to what?" Remus asked scathingly. "She can't!"

"Calm down Lupin, Merlin you'd think she's getting married," Dorcas rolled her eyes. Merlin Dorcas thought Either kiss or let someone else do it you git.

"Who's getting married?" Sirius asked loudly as both he and James dropped from the lowest hanging branch.

"Maybe Leo if her date goes well," Peter snickered, earning an evil glare from Hogwarts' resident werewolf.

"I'm not marrying anyone," Leonie told her friends, "Especially a boy my mother wants me too." James' eyebrows shot up.

"Why is she trying to fix you up now, she never has before," Sirius asked before James could get his question out.

Leonie sighed and placed her own hand over Remus', her fingers intertwined with his own.

"She thinks bad breeding was the reason I didn't transform into a bird like her and the rest of my family she wants me to rectify it come the next generation."

"Bad breeding," Remus scoffed. Leonie turned and shot him a dark look. She leaned over, "I told you I don't care. I rather have you than a beak okay?" Leonie hissed into Remus' ear.

"Yeah," he sighed, though her words did nothing to elevate his guilt. Leonie pulled away and squeezed his hand, still able to feel his self hate and guilt and anger.

"Can we go back to the part where Leo said she's not going to marry anyone?  Like you're never going to get married? Ever? To anyone?" James asked.

"No," Leonie told him strongly, "Marragie and an archaic system for men to own women. It was created to barter women like mooncows and I don't see a reason for me to take part in it."

"Even if it was the love of your life?" James wondered.

"Even then," Leonie told him. James arms failed for a second, his jaw open.

"Why do you care so much?" Dorcas asked with an arched brow and sly smirk.

"Because I can't understand someone not wanting to marry the love of their life and show the world that they're together." James explained.