No Control // Wolfstar

Twenty Three

Hagrid grips his hands around the thick ropes, lugging the massive twenty foot Christmas tree behind him through the snowy courtyard. James appears at his side, grabbing one of the ropes to help. "Bloody hell Hagrid!" he grunts, sliding against the slippery cobblestone. "How do you pull this thing by yourself? Oi Padfoot!"

Sirius sidles over to them, holding a large bucket in hand. "No offense, Prongs, but you look pathetic."

Hagrid laughs with a joyful smile, watching James struggle to move the tree. "Nicknames, eh?" he asks.

"Yeah," James says wiping the muck off his hands. "You want one, too?"

"You can be an honorary Marauder," Sirius tells him.

"Where's the rest 'o yer lot?" Hagrid asks.

James smirks knowingly, "Peter had a date, Hagrid."

Hagrid's eyebrows raise, staring down at the two boys in front of him. "Blimey!" he bellows. "Wit' who?"

"Mary MacDonald," Sirius answers.

"And it gets better!" James adds.

"They kissed!"

Hagrid smiles like a proud dad, hiking the rope higher onto his shoulder. "Ah good lad. Reckon one 'o you will be next."

"I'm working on it," James sighs despairingly.

"Run along you two. I can't be gossipin' no more."

"Bye Hagrid!" Sirius shouts, taking off with James hot on his tail.

The two frolic, though they would deny it to anybody who said so, in the snow on the way back into the castle. Students could hardly pay attention in class, even less so than before, with the upcoming holidays. Peter had arranged to stay at James' over the break while his parents were traveling in the States, and the invitation was open to the rest as well. Sirius smiled alongside his mates while they discussed the topic of going home, but deep inside he was absolutely terrified. Home was here at Hogwarts.

"Hey Moony!" James calls, high-fiving the boy. "Sirius and I are going to throw snowballs at seventh years, you in?"

"Maybe later," Remus says sliding past them into the common room.

He hadn't spoken to Abigail since their fight and it wasn't settling well with him. The one thing he needed was a good book to put himself at ease, but the only book he wanted wasn't anywhere to be found. Picking up the pillow on the couch, he drops his shoulders in disappointment when there's nothing but cushion. He was certain he'd left it here...

Another walk around the common room still left his hands empty. He had already searched the dorm twice through - hoping one of the guys had picked it up. Crashing onto the couch, he kicks his feet up in distraught. The fire blazes in front of him, bursts of embers shooting into the chimney before cascading down onto the hearth. A pile of ashes sifts between the grates, catching his eye. He promptly clambers to his feet and crawls over to the fireplace to inspect it closer. "Reducio," he says fixating his wand on the fire. It dwindles down to a singular flame, allowing Remus to reach in and grab the frayed bits buried in the ashes.

The small fragments he salvages of the powdery burnt pages muddle between his fingers, coating them with grey film. The words he had read countless of times over and over again were wilting before his eyes. Underneath the grate, he slides his hand under and clutches the remaining of the book cover. The faded letters are even more scratched up and stained with soot. The only letters remaining are: T e Ou  id  s

Remus clenches the sliver of paper left in his right hand, tossing the ashes in his other back into the heightening flames. He flares his nose, fuming with a newfound rage. Tearing through the portrait, he strides straight to the Great Hall - each step hitting harder than the last.