Paper Rings || R. Lupin¹

Chapter 4

James, Remus, Lily, Marlene, and Peter sat at the table in shock. All of them were just starting to comprehend what had happened and to say that they were completely appalled was an understatement.

Lily was the first one of them to speak. "What the bloody hell was that?" She asked. "How could—they didn't even—their mum—."

As Lily continued to splutter, the teachers came over with their schedules, kindly handing Nova and Sirius's to James and asking him to give theirs to them. After each one of the group had their schedules they rushed out of the Great Hall, desperate to find their friends and make sure that they were alright, because even though they had only known each other for a day, they already knew that they would be close. They also knew that if it was them they would want the comfort of their newly found friends.

They decided that the common room was the place that they were most likely to go. So they ran to the portrait of the Fat Lady, panting and saying "Phoenix Feather," and the portrait swung open to reveal Sirius sitting on the sofa in the common room hugging a sobbing Nova. Sirius looked up when he heard the voices of his friends, his eyes were watery and red, and it was very clear that he had been trying hard not to cry.

"Guys, what are you doing here, you didn't have to follow us, we're fine," Sirius said, his voice cracking with the effort of hiding his tears.

"No you're not," said James. "We know that you're not, and we understand that and we just wanted you guys to know that we're here for you if you need us or if you want to talk about it ." The rest of their friends nodded in agreement.

"Do you guys want us to leave or stay?" Asked Marlene.

Sirius was about to answer when Nova spoke up. "Stay, please."

So they stayed. The eight of them walked closer to the twins and sat on and around the sofa that they currently occupied.

Lily walked over to the sofa and sat next to Nova and started talking, "I know that I don't exactly know what you're going through, but I do know a thing or two about people not being so accepting of you. When I first got my Hogwarts letter I was so excited, I mean I was a witch. I could do magic and my parents were so proud of me and I was happy. But when I told my sister, she called me a freak and told me that she didn't want to talk to me anymore, and she still hasn't talked to me and it's a month later but I know she will get over it soon and so will your mum I know it, she loves you guys and you're her children everything will be ok." She hugged Nova once before going back to the ground and sitting next to Marlene.

"I'm sorry about your sister Lily, but I bet she'll come around." Said Sirius. "Our mother on the other hand, well let's just say we'll be lucky if she talks to us all summer."

"It's ok though we'll manage." Added Nova, "it's not Mum and Dad we're really worried about anyhow, it's our little brother, Regulus. He's going to be here year after next and who knows what stuff Mum and Dad are filling his head with and what if he hates us when we get home."

"Hey," said Sirius, turning to his sister, "look I don't think Reg is capable of hating us, I am we're his big brother and sister and he loves us and he's not like Mum and Dad with their 'Pure-blood, only Slytherin crap', he's going to be fine, we're going to be fine, everything will be fine ok."

Nova nodded before speaking. "You're right we're going to be fine and the holiday won't be so bad, I mean we have a whole bunch of good friends it seems and our cousin Andromeda always said Christmas here was beautiful."

"That's the spirit," said Remus, "now we have your schedules do you want them?"

Sirius groaned as Nova reached for hers so eagerly that she fell off of the sofa and onto James' lap causing the whole room to start laughing as Nova went bright red.

"Sorry." She giggled, as she continued to grab for the schedule in Remus' hand. "Come on, Remus, give it here."

"Fine, fine here you go, wouldn't want you falling again, that's already the second time today."

Nova stuck her tongue out at her friend as she started to read that day's schedule and since they were all Gryffindor's first years they all had the same classes.

"Guys we have Potions with Slughorn first class," groaned Marlene. "Why, oh, why did they make our first class with the head of Slytherin House, and they put us with the Slytherins, why couldn't we have transfiguration with McGonagall?"

"I don't know but if we don't want to be late we should probably go we have to get all the way to the dungeons in like 10 minutes come on, hurry up!" Nova said jumping up and running to the portrait hole, closely followed by the rest of her friends. Even though they had been running since they left the common room they got lost so many times that by the time that they had made it to the Potions classroom they were 5 minutes late.

"Sir, I am so sorry that we are late," started Nova, as they walked into the classroom. "We were in the common room, and then we got lost and —" she was cut off by the Professor, "it is quite alright, it is your first day, after all, your Miss Black am I correct?"

"Yes sir, I am."

"And who might your friends be, Miss Black."

"Um — this is my brother Sirius, and these are our friends, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew, and Marlene McKinnon."

"Ok, well find your seats, I was just telling the rest of the class that today you will be learning how to make the Boil Cure Potion. So I would like you all to partner up and follow the instructions in your book."

Since Lily and Nova were sitting next to each other they were partnered up, Sirius and James were also partners, as were Remus and Peter. Marlene was paired with another girl in their year Dorcas Meadows.

About an hour later they were done and Professor Slughorn was walking around the classroom looking at their potions

"Well look here, Miss Black and Miss Evan have made a wonderful potion, that is a spectacular ladies, well done."

Nova and Lily were beaming when they walked out of the dungeons 5 minutes later, Sirius and James were joking around about how bad their potion had turned out and Peter was apologizing to Remus about how bad his potion-making skills were, but Remus just brushed it off and told him that it was fine and it was just their first class and that not everyone could be naturals like Lily and Nova.

A/N
I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I will try to update again by the end of the week.

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