Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Fifteen - A Couple Very Bad Days

"Hey! Professor McGonagall said that Professor Dumbledore needs to see you," Potter said the second Remus sat down for supper. He and the other two had been farther down the table only they moved when Remus took his seat, to join him.

"Th--thank you, b-b-but I know, I've--I've been to s-ssee him," Remus said.

"What did the headmaster want with you?" Black whispered, leaning in very close to Remus. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Remus squeaked, inching away from Black's face. "It--it was--it--" He struggled to think of an excuse and then landed on the perfect one. "About my--my mother. She's ill, y--you see, and sometimes she gets these really bad relapses. P--Professor Dumbledore w-wanted to let me know if--if I needed to leave to--to go see her, I could. So if s--something happens, it's all arranged." There! Perfect excuse! And a perfect excuse for when he needed to disappear every month!

"Blimey," Pettigrew gulped. "Is she all right? I mean, I--I guess she's not but... is it... really that bad?"

"Sometimes," Remus said quietly, knowing if he fobbed it off as nothing too serious then his lie wouldn't make much sense. "I l--like being with her when it's r-really bad. I know I d--don't do anything but... we both feel like it helps."

"I'm really sorry," Potter said, brow knitted together in concern. He put his hand on Remus's arm in an attempt to be comforting.

Black remained silent, silver eyes boring into Remus as if he knew Remus was lying. There was an unreadable expression on his beautiful, aristocratic face that made Remus wish he could perform legilimency! He was dying to know what Black was thinking about this.

Evans suddenly appeared, pushing Potter roughly away from Remus and sitting in his place. "Oi! Watch it, Evans! Merlin, you could probably beat a troll in arm wrestling!" Potter complained, as he had been pushed clear off the bench.

Evans ignored him. "Is everything all right? You aren't in trouble, are you?"

Remus promised he was fine and repeated the lie he had told the boys. Evans then did something Remus never in a million years expected: she hugged him. Remus just stared wide-eyed over her shoulder at Potter who was sitting on the bench once more. Potter grinned and began snickering.

"I'm so sorry," Evans said, letting go but keeping her hands on his arms. "If there's anything I can do to help--I know I really can't, but if you need me, I'm here for you."

"Th-th-thank you," he got out, very uncomfortable from the contact and trying his best not to show it since it had been nice of her. Unfortunately the hug garnered undesired attention from down the table and that night in the dorm Spinnet began teasing Remus about his 'girlfriend', and Potter, Black, and Pettigrew actually teased a bit too, asking him if he enjoyed the hug, joking about the study group just being an excuse. The only one not teasing was Struthers, though Remus got the feeling if Black and Potter weren't teasing him, Pettigrew wouldn't have either.

"Lupin and Evans sitting on a broom! Kissing and hugging and flying to the moon!" Potter sang a wizarding rhyme, dancing around.

The mention of the moon caused heat to flare up in Remus's face, and the wolf to stir just slightly. "St--s--stop!"

"First comes the romance!" Black sang, spinning in circles. "Then comes the wedding dance!"

"Then comes the changing of their baby's pants!" Black and Potter finished together, falling over laughing while Remus grew redder and redder. Pettigrew and Spinnet were laughing too.

The anger grew and felt like it might spill over. It overtook the feeling of wanting to cry briefly, and urged Remus to just hex Potter and Black, making their legs stick together, topple them. He stood still, pushing back the need for revenge. Protecting was one thing, revenge was quite another. I should have let Spinnet hit Black! Remus thought furiously as Black and Potter started on their song again.