Crime of the Century | Remus Lupin (o.h)

Chapter Six

"It's been days and we still aren't any closer to working out where the map is!" Sirius exclaimed in their dormitory, as the other three boys just looked up at him. "We've turned this entire dormitory upside down and still nothing!" Sirius gestured wildly before falling onto his bed with a sigh. 

"Sirius, don't you think you are being just a little bit dramatic?" James asked carefully, concealing his grin at Sirius' behaviour. 

"Dramatic? Please, Prongs! Dramatic is practically my middle name."

"I thought it was Orion?" Peter chimed in but was soon silenced by Sirius' glare. 

"Dramatic tendencies aside, we need to find it! And since we've worked out that none of us have misplaced it, someone must have taken it and it has to have been a Gryffindor unless Peter has told another Hufflepuff the password again."

"It was one time!" Peter cried in defence.

"So who has something against us that is also in Gryffindor?" Sirius continued ignoring Peter once more. 

"Well, I think quite a few people have something against you, Padfoot." Remus chimed in, his eyes finally breaking from the book propped up in his lap, deciding that now may be a good time to get involved before Sirius worked himself into a breakdown. 

"Yeah, all those girls who had their hearts broken," James added with a laugh. 

"Have you really gone through all the girls in Gryffindor?" Peter asked innocently. 

"Not all of them, just yet," Sirius replied with a blithe smile. "But there's not too many hot ones left."

"Well, what about Estrella from our year?" Remus added, ignoring Sirius' statement. "She hates your guts."

"Nah, he already dismissed her as the thief the other day when you were in the hospital wing," James replied, turning to Sirius only to observe the bizarre expression on his face. "What is it, mate?"

"Estrella Quinn, isn't it?"

"Yeah?" Remus clarified, not knowing where this was going.

"She likes studying and homework and all that, doesn't she?" 

"Yeah I'd assume so, apparently she did really well on her owls," James said, having a brief idea of what was going on his best friend's head.

"Well, that's perfect then. Moony we are sending you in."

"I'm sorry, what?" Remus asked, eyes wide. 

"We are sending you in to keep an eye on Estrella, become study buddies or something. Besides, it's about time you get laid anyway."

"What?" Remus choked, a red hue spreading up his neck before reaching his cheeks. "I suppose I can ask her if she wants to study together sometime, but nothing like that will ever happen, Padfoot."

"Whatever you say," Sirius replied with a roll of his eyes. "Now that Estrella is sorted, what boys would potentially want to steal from us."

As Sirius fervently continued his investigation, Remus' thoughts drifted away from who the culprit may be before landed on the brunette girl he now had to work up the courage to talk to. 

Estrella Quinn walked down the corridor to her next class, feeling quite accomplished with herself. She had started the year with a bang and everything was already going perfectly. Despite the increased workload and intensity of the school year, Estrella was already excelling in most of her classes. Not only that but her little hobby had been exercised a lot in the past few weeks, leading to a few valuable items in her little drawer, but nothing excited her as much as the Marauder's Map that sat proudly at the top of it all. 

She was very aware of the boys' desire to get their map back, after all, they weren't discussing it very quietly at the Gryffindor table every meal, but after all, when did they ever discuss anything quietly? But that fact that they knew it was missing yet weren't any close to figuring out who had it just added to the excitement of it all. Unlike many of the other items she stole, she wasn't quite planning on giving the map to another deserving person instead she might just keep this one thing for herself. Estrella was too caught up in her thoughts to notice the sandy-haired wizard coming her way until she literally crashed into him, sending both of them to the floor. 

"Oh I'm so sorry, I was just caught up in my thoughts." Estrella apologised quickly. 

"Oh, it's fine." Remus Lupin replied, weaving his fingers together nervously. "I was actually calling your name because I wanted to talk to you but you seemed pretty preoccupied."

"Yeah, just a bit." Estrella laughed awkwardly, knowing very well she had just been thinking about Remus and his friends, and the item she had stolen from them. "What did you want to talk to me about anyway?"

"Oh, I was just. . . um. . wondering. . ." Remus trailed off, at a loss for words. "Sorry."

"It's fine, take your time. I've got nowhere to be." 

"Well I noticed your talent in Herbology and it's my worst subject, so I was wondering if maybe we could maybe become study buddies?" Remus asked, knowing just how stupid the words sounded, he hated that his first-ever conversation with Estrella was due to the fact that his friends were forcing him to.

"Oh, that's all?" Estrella asked, with a raised eyebrow. 

"Um. . .yeah?"

"It's fine, just by the way you were acting I thought you were going to tell me one of your deepest darkest secrets."

"Ahah yeah." Remus chuckled awkwardly, not even meeting her eyes anymore, forcing his gaze down at his shoes. 

"But that's fine. I'd love to become study buddies."

"You would?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Yeah of course. Just keep this between you and me but Bridget and Alastair aren't exactly the best study partners. What night works the best?"

"Well, we could always start after the Quidditch game on Saturday?"

"Oh that's works! I'll see you in the library then. See you then, Lupin!" Estrella exclaimed before walking off. 

"See you, Estrella," Remus muttered, silently thanking the fact that no one was around to see the red hue decorating his face.