STARS | r. lupin (1)

CHAPTER TWENTY

"SO... HOW WAS LAST NIGHT?" Aubrey asked, grinning mischievously, making an educated guess on why Althea didn't come back to their dorm the previous night.

"You know very well how last night was." the latter replied calmly, opening the drawers of her dresser to get some fresh clothes.

"Please, you came back the morning after your date wearing the exact same clothes you had on last night." Reina scoffed. "She'd have to be blind not to."

"And by the looks of it, things got pretty wild." Caroline eyed the marks on her friend's neck.

"I didn't know you were a first date kind of girl, Thea." Yasmin smirked.

"I'm not." Althea replied with a sigh, picking up some comfortable clothes and walking into the bathroom to change.

"I guess the date must've gone really well." Caroline winked.

"It did." Althea said from behind the bathroom door.

"And was he good?" Aubrey raised her eyebrows and her eyes twinkled.

"Aubrey!" Althea audibly gasped.

"I'm just curious!"

"You lot always are." Althea pursed her lips and exited the bathroom. "But I'm surprised you even have to ask. You should know the answer is yes."

*

Althea's eyes scanned the letter once again, biting her lip and a hand tugging at her hair.

My dearest daughter,
I hope you are well. I'm sorry I haven't been sending you many letters recently, but your father and I have been very busy.
He has informed me of the current state of the Wizarding World, and the war happening outside our doorstep. I find this extremely worrying. Which is why I have bought a house in the South of France, and your father and I will be moving no later than July. We are taking Aaron and Thalia with us. We still have no news from Thomas.
The reason I am telling you this now is because I would like to invite you to come with us. You mean so much to me and I would hate to see you waste your life fighting a war you cannot hope to win.
I know this is very short notice. I know you are leaving Hogwarts in a few days. I will send your father to platform 9 and 3/4 when you are due to arrive. You will have to choose before then. I hope you make the right choice.
Sincerely,
Your mother.

An enticing solution to her prominent fear of death in the war offered by one of the few people she trusts enough to listen to. How could she say no? But she needed to say no.

How would Remus react if she told him how torn she was? Would he feel betrayed?

We've only been on one date. She scolded herself mentally, he'll get over it.

A small part of her knew, though, that it wasn't that simple. They were friends well before they were dating. He trusted her with his secret, and in return, she was there for him. As a distraction, for help, and for reassurance.

She ripped the letter into shreds, trying to rid her mind of it. But it was ingrained in her memory. She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't happy with it.

Climbing down the stairs leading to the owlery, she travelled the castle over to the Gryffindor Common room, where she assumed Remus would be. One small problem, though, she didn't know the password.