Returning to normalcy was a painstaking process. Luckily for Carina, James was almost too distracted with Lily to notice his best friend readjusting. She'd like to believe he still cared about her given the way he'd ambushed her after her solitary weekend in the Room of Requirement. The emotions playing across his face were clear as day- the relief that she was okay, the confusion as to where she'd been, and the frustration that she hadn't let them know.
Nonetheless, it was really very easy to convince him nothing was out of the ordinary. Just a lot of stress with the year ending and needing to finish her projects before graduation, she'd said. He'd lapped up the words she'd offered on a silver platter.
It was all too easy to create the semblance of normalcy.
These days she spent most of her time with Remus. Like her very first year at Hogwarts. Sirius would still come by to annoy her every now and then, and Peter would always be drifting among them. But in all that time, James grew steadily busier and busier with his 'Head Boy duties.' There was so much to do with graduation right around the corner, he'd groaned to them. All the ceremonies and family receptions they needed to plan were endless! Never mind that every hour spent on said duties was another moment with the love of his life.
That was how the day started- a typical day like any other. It was late April, with a mere two months left before their time in the castle ran out. She and Remus were sitting out by the lake studying and enjoying the crisp spring weather.
"So, you're really going to do it?" He asked curiously. "Try and return as a potions professor?"
"I want to," Carina smiled. "What about you? What are your plans after graduation?"
Remus scoffed, a hint of bitterness tinging his voice. "I'll be lucky to get a job with my condition."
"Nonsense!" She insisted adamantly. "Remus, you're one of the smartest people in this school. You're meant to do great things."
"If only the world felt that way."
"You'll find something," she insisted. "In fact, I think you should consider teaching. Clearly, Dumbledore has no issues with having you in the castle, and I happen to think you'd make an excellent professor."
"You're being nice," Remus rolled his eyes.
"No, really! I barely scraped by with an O in Defense because of your help! You know how terrible I am at combative magic."
Remus's eyes twinkled in amusement. "You were rather in desperate need of help," he teased.
Carina's smile froze as she narrowed her eyes. She picked up her pouch of quills and ink pots, throwing them at the smiling werewolf. "Ha. Ha. I passed, didn't I?"
"CARINA!" They heard a yell from the direction of the castle.
Running towards them with his hair frazzled and robes unbuttoned and billowing around his legs was none other than Sirius Black.
"Sirius? What's wrong?" She could tell from his panicked face and haphazard look that all was not right with the typically perfectly composed wizard.
He dropped to the grass beside Carina and Remus, panting slightly as a sheepish expression overtook his aristocratic features.
"I might've done something stupid..." he admitted.
Carina would've rolled her eyes at him if he didn't look so sad.
"What happened?"
"I was with Marlene, and you know we were talking and stuff..."
YOU ARE READING
Tides of Fate | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ᴇʀᴀ
Fanfiction❛ It's not like Carina would go and do something stupid like falling in love with Prongs, would she?❜ It was a terrible idea to date someone who'd been in love with someone else for years, even if it was fake. But James Potter was desperate. It was...
