checkmate | remus lupin.

chapter eight | 8.

AUTHORS NOTE: Everything here belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

September 5th, 1971

"Did you know James told Peter that they were going to have to fight dragons in order to be sorted?" Remus laughed, taking a bite out of a chocolate bar that Maia had her father send her.

"Did he actually believe it though, or was he just taking the mickey out of Peter?" Maia asked, propping her feet up on Remus's hospital bed. It was Friday, the end of the first week and the day after the first full moon of the school year. Maia had come down to the Hospital Wing directly after classes, with notes on all the homework for her friend.

"Considering he was weighing a list of pros and cons against fighting the Swedish Short-Snout or the Chinese Fireball, I think he believed it."

Luckily Maia Black did not have the same problem making friends that Hermione Granger initially did. In the first two days, she was able to break the ice between her roommates and got Severus Snape to talk to her without his snarky rebuttals. Though she made a tentative friendship with those three, she still felt the need to connect with the newly made marauders (even though they aren't calling themselves that yet); and not just because of her mission.

"Have they ever picked up a book in their lives? Honestly! One glance at the book that literally spills the secrets on the school they'll be going to live in for the next seven years, you'd think they'd pay a little more attention. Boys." Maia groaned, exasperated with her cousin and his best mate.

Sirius had proceeded to ignore her for the entire week, even though she had went out of her way to try and speak to him. James, not understanding what Sirius's problem was, continued to make jokes to try and ease the tension whenever the two houses shared a class. The fact that Maia and Severus sat together didn't help.

"I'll excuse the insult to my entire gender and agree with you on the books. I don't know how they managed to do their homework on time." Remus said, a little offended. He grabbed a chocolate frog from the small basket Maia brought with her.

When she met Remus in Diagon Alley, it had reminded her of the stories Remus had told her in her original timeline- how he was growing through growth spurts and not having enough money for simple things like chocolate that seemed to help the wolf inside of him. The full moons were the worst. She had asked her father if she could perhaps get a monthly sweets basket, she'd request it when she wanted it. She just hoped that he wouldn't pick up on the dates. She wanted the chocolate for Remus of course, but also to share with her friends. And Sirius.

"Sirius is smarter than he looks, just don't tell him I said so. Besides, it's only the first week, if they didn't do their homework, the professors would notice!" She grimaced at the idea of McGonagall sending Walburga a letter.

"How's your headache?" She asked, looking up at him. He looked so small and frail in the white linens. At first glance, you wouldn't think anything is wrong, that he was the picture of health, but if you looked closer you would notice that he had bags under his eyes and he was so skinny- the bones in his wrists were popping out.

"It's not great, but it's better than yesterday. Loud noises and bright lights seem to bother it more." Moony's sensitivity to light and noise. "Hopefully just one or two more days and I'll feel better!" He said, smiling.

Maia smiled back at him.

"Now then, enough of me- show me how to do this spell please?"

All in all, the first week of Maia's first year went pretty good. James, Sirius and Peter had gotten detention because they were out after hours, trying to memorize Hogwarts' while Maia, Lucinda and Emma quickly became close friends.