moon cycles and raven feathers [r. lupin]

| 7 |

september 28th, 1976

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

'catherine,

first of all, i am writing to you today to express my disdain for your lack of communication. i hope you don't see this temporary relocation as a means of distancing yourself from the family, i simply won't stand for that. that being said though, i miss you greatly and i am awaiting your return home. i know the holidays are a ways off but i already have so much for you to do. these are formative years you know catherine, there's much you need to learn and witness our culture, our legacy...'

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

cath folded up her mother's letter before she got a chance to finish it. she knew exactly what her mother would carry on about and she didn't feel like pouring over three pages of her mother outlining all the things her move across the pond has disrupted. she had only open the letter on accident thinking it was one of delias many that seemed to read more like magazine gossip columns than they did letters to a friend. there was no doubt that on a restless night in the near future this letter would somehow find its way into the fire of the gryfindor common room.

it seemed that even an ocean couldn't stop her mother from dangling her future over her head like the sword of damocles.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

though she didn't realize it, the feelings her mother's letter brought up were written on her face clear as day.
"what's wrong cath?" lila absentmindedly asked in between whispering things to sirius that cath knew she wouldn't want to hear.
"nothing? what do you mean?"
"well you've just been staring at that paper like you want it to burst into flames, and the last time i checked you didn't just have some emotional vendetta against mail so something's obviously wrong" she huffed, upset at herself for being so clearly upset by her mother's simple words and still staring daggers into her letter.
"it's from my mom, that's all"
cath had mentioned her mother to lila in passing once before while explaining another letter that she found torn up on the floor of their room but she wasn't able to quite make her grasp what living with her was truly like.

cath laughed slightly and looked at lila, "you know, i thought moving to a whole different country would be enough to get her off my ass but it turns out getting rid of her is something that needs gasoline, matches, a wooden stake..."
lila and sirius, who was now listening in on the conversation, both laughed.
"she can't be that bad love, i bet i have you beat." he said, a softer humor gracing his voice that seemed to say more than he actually was.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

september 29th, 1976

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

the next morning cath was unceremoniously greeted but yet another envelope marked with her families wax seal. this time though, before she could open it sirius, who was currently acting as a chair for lila, asked her about it, "oi, is that from your mum again? two days in a row? must be a real nag." he said with a light  laughing.
"whats it say?"
cath, not nearly as eager as lila was, opened skimmed the unusually short contents of her mother's letter and cleared her throat:

'catherine,

i am becoming increasingly disappointed at your lack of a response to my latest correspondence. did you receive it? i trust this is simply because you've devoted yourself to your studies and not because you've surrounded yourself with a certain kind of crowd.

othella webster'

sirius' face, much to cath's surprise suddenly became very stoic.
"catherine, i can't believe that i downplayed how awful you're mother is, i know now that she sounds just as needy as every girl i've ever dated-" he leaned across lila before dramatically saying that he was "-i am so deeply sorry." lila laughed at sirius' joke before she registered what he had said, when she did realize it however she smacked him on the arm and got out of his lap to sit beside him

cath chuckled at their antics before returning to her breakfast.

she didn't quite get their relationship, or what lila saw in him. obviously sirius was very good looking and he was certainly charming but other than that she didn't really see the appeal. cath liked the sirius she saw when he was with his friends and occasionally the sirius she saw the few times they had been alone together but the sirius he was with girls he was hooking up with was just so bland, there was no spark there with his women if the week, it just wasn't very interesting. she didn't understand how other girls, so many other girls, got with him, but then again she wasn't too big on the whole 'something casual' thing to begin with and seeing how he was with lila she assumed that most of his 'relationships' were more just a string of hook ups. not that she saw anything wrong with that but it wasn't something she ever wanted. she had tried a quick fling before she left but it just hadn't worked out, she just had too many feelings for something like that, it was all but decided through years of watching no-maj chick flicks that she was a hopeless romantic who would probably never do the whole fuck and chuck thing her roommate and her boyfriend seemed to be known for.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

"...so that's why i need you to put those privacy charms on the room." lila had found cath in the library later that afternoon attempting to study potions with lily evans before being pulled aside to talk about her roommates upcoming sex-scapades.

"ok, first of all ew and second of all why can't you just go to his dorm like you usually do?"
"well the boys are going to be there tonight, usually we only, you know, do it, when they're out pulling a prank or something"
cath was suddenly very confused.
"so why don't you just wait for that? you know if he doesn't want to that's his problem, don't let him fo-"
"no!! no no no!! it's not like that-"
lila darted her eyes around and dropped her voice down to an even quieter whisper than it had been before, this time she was barely audible.
"-it was my idea to do it tonight, i saw him eyeing up marlene mckinnon today and i want to get in one more night before we break up."

cath blinked at her friend.

"no."

"no what?" lila cocked her head and asked.
"no i'm not putting privacy charms on our room so you and sirius black can have one more night before he starts getting friendly with mckinnon!"
lila huffed and before storming off like a petulant child. as she left she whispered shouted a seemingly playfully but definitely aggressive "i'll remember this." and a "if you won't privacy charm the room i guess we'll just have to kick out three innocent boys!" cath just laughed at her almost temper tantrum before returning to lily.

she really hoped she wouldn't have to hear about lilas sex life for the rest of the year but she hoped even more that she wouldn't actually hear lilas sex life either.