Symphony || Remus Lupin

III

Warning! Contains reference to abuse

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"Myra! Oh my god! He did that!" Marlene shrieked. Myra and Alice winced and rubbed their ears. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Marlene, relax. He didn't kiss Myra."

"But he might have! Oh, this is just a small step! You just wait and see! They are going to be dating before next year!" Myra flushed and looked back at her book.

The girls were in the Great Hall during breakfast the next day where Myra told them about the events that occurred the previous night. Lily and Alice were happy but Marlene was just . . . Marlene.

"Shhh! They might hear!" Alice exclaimed, sounding panicked. Myra refused to look up. Lily harshly laughed.

"Please. The only reason the Marauders would come over here is that Potter wants to bother me."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Look who's making their way over here." Marlene mumbled. When she heard Lily's grumbling, Myra had no doubt about who was coming.

"Lily-pad. How are you this fine day?"

"Horrible now that you are here."

"My day has just been brightened by your lovely face." Myra sneaked a glance at Lily. She had the stormiest scowl Myra had ever seen.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily spat. Myra sighed and put her head on the table.

"Here we go again," Alice mumbled quietly to Myra. Myra nodded and started to collect her books.

"Alice, do you want to come with me? If we wait for Lily, we are going to be here until the second period." Myra asked.

"Yes please." And so the duo exited the Great Hall and Myra couldn't help but notice how Frank stared after Alice longingly. She turned toward Alice.

"Frank's staring at you." She whispered. Alice blushed and ducked her head down, her fingers going over her tie absent-mindedly.

"Oh?" They pushed through the doors of the Great Hall and started walking towards the Potions dungeons.

"Alice, stop being so ignorant. I know you noticed."

"Okay. Fine. I have a question. Have you been to my father's shop at Diagon Alley? He recently opened it." Myra felt a pang of regret and guilt go through her. Alice's father, her friend's father, opened a shop and she wasn't there.

"No, I haven't. I've been too busy to go out much." Myra could see that hurt Alice.

"Oh. It's just that Marlene, Lily, Mary, Diane, and Charlotte have all been." Myra felt another pang.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I'll go this summer, I promise."

They silently walk through the halls and arrive at the Potions classroom. Alice and Myra sat at one table and started bringing their cauldron and ingredients out. Students came in slowly, very slowly. At long last, Professor Slughorn came in.

"Hello, children! Today, we are going to work on the draught of peace! Get your cauldrons out and turn to page sixty-four in your textbooks!" He called out.

Myra worked robotically. She already knew how to make this potion since she did this last year. She started adding the moonstone when there was a thunderous 'boom'. Myra turned her head and saw James Potter and Sirius Black laughing manically, a festering pile of goo in place of a cauldron. She saw Slughorn approach them and wave his wand, the cauldron coming back to normal.