No Control // Wolfstar

Twenty Five

Raindrops pelt against the frosted glass, glazing it with a new layer of ice. Heavy drum rolls of thunder growl overhead and bolts of lightning slash through the leaden sky. Despite the gloomy atmosphere outside, a whimsical excitement of the holidays travels through the metal walls of the Hogwarts Express unbothered.

In an unlikely occurrence, Lily Evans finds herself cooped up in a compartment with James Potter.

"How could you possibly think that telephones could blow off your ear?" Lily questions James.

"When I was at Remus' last holiday he said I couldn't ring you because so," James explains.

Lily rests against the plush seats, kicking her legs up on the empty seat next to James. "How is he anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you know about the row he and Abigail had."

James shakes his head, dumbfounded. "Remus's been...absent recently. He hasn't really talked to any of us for bit - but I just suspected it was his...little problem." Lily narrows her eyes at the tail end of his words, suspicion increasing in the back of her mind. "What was the fight about?"

"Apparently she threw his book in the fireplace and then accused him of cheating on her." James' jaw drops. "And then she said he was gay."

"For Merlin's sake - what did he do after that?"

"Well," Lily shifts uncomfortably, her gaze trailing upward, "they sort of snogged in front of everybody and then disappeared together. She hasn't said a word to us since. But considering how happy she's been lately, I don't think they've broken up."

James leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I can't believe she would do that to him!" His tongue runs along the inside of his mouth, agitated. "I mean, I knew she was always evil but-"

Lily shrugs, "To be fair, he was the one who cheated on her."

His hazel eyes meet her emerald ones, "There's always more to the story, Evans."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Remus puts up with a lot of shit. I tried to get him to break it off after last year, but he was just making excuses to justify it."

"Justify what?"

James runs a hand through his hair, sitting up straighter. Lightning illuminates the dimmed compartment, raindrops beginning to pour down outside. "This doesn't leave the compartment, understood?" Lily nods hesitantly. "Alright. It was November of last year...

Remus slowly peels the bandage on his forehead off, running his fingers gently across the gash. He winces when it bores a throbbing pain throughout his head, and hastily puts the bandage back on. His return to the Gryffindor Tower isn't fairly long, but lonely. Most if not all students were gone on the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

The corridors are littered with eleven and twelve year olds, making Remus wish he'd stayed back in the Hospital Wing. A little ways down the hall, he spotted the infamous raven black hair that belonged to James, who was backing away from a door. The closer Remus draws in, the more clearly he could see the horror in James' face. He was paler than Remus' complexion, though his cheeks were beginning to burning rapidly, eyes nearly falling out of their sockets, and his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"James?" Remus calls worriedly. He hurries his step and rushes over to his mate. "James, what's wrong? I thought you were at Hogsmeade!"

James snaps out of his reverie, shocked to see Remus standing before him. "Remus - I was looking for you!"