Moon Phases // Professor Lupin

Chapter Thirteen

Paisley spent the rest of her break gardening with her mother and walking the streets of London. One day they decided to step into a boutique where Astrid met a man. His name was Daniel, he was in his forties and had no children. He had enough money to support two and a house the next city over. That was enough for Astrid.

She didn't see much of her mother for the rest of break. Only when she said goodbye and stepped onto Platform 9 ¾.

She quickly found her friends in a compartment and sat with them.

"Paisley!" Syd shouted and the group all exchanged hugs.

They knew something was wrong when she didn't immediately tell them about her time back home with her mother, something Paisley was normally very excited about.

"Tell us," Hank gave her a hug.

"Nothing to be said," Paisley sat down next to Marley.

"Oh come on," Marley groaned, "I know you well enough to know when your heart isn't whole. Now are you going to tell us or am I going to have to kick his ass and find out?"

Knowing that Marley would probably follow through with her threat, she told them everything that happened on Christmas.

"He did not!" Hank gasped.

"I haven't been here for most of this," Madison began, "But I hate his guts."

"If it makes you feel any better, imagine him as a feudal serf being beheaded," Winston pitched in.

"I'm not mad at him," Paisley clarified, "Just confused."

"Men are confusing," Marley said, "Date a woman. Me, for example."

Paisley rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh.

"I just needed to see you guys again," Paisley decided, "I feel a lot better."

That was a lie.

"Maybe you're just putting too much of yourself into one person," Hank said, "Being that dependent on one man can't be healthy."

Easier said than done. She knew what he was saying was true, but she was already so invested in him. In both of them. If she just knew why he was acting out like that then maybe she could fix it. She didn't want to lose him.

When they finally arrived at the school, it was already nighttime. Remus wasn't anywhere to be found. She sat on her bed and looked through the scrapbook Madison made for her.

She traced her finger over the pictures, which were hard to make out in the dark. She laughed at a picture of her and Hank with their arms around each other in the middle of singing We are the Champions. Another one of her and Marley laying on the floor made her smile. There was a very cinematic candid shot of Paisley standing up and staring into the distance. Upon closer inspection she realized she wasn't the only person in the picture.

She got up to flip a light on. Her heart dropped when she made out a man in the background. He was barely in the shot. All that could be made out was black hair and ragged clothes. She flipped the page. She found another picture where she was in the same spot, however, in this one, the man was gone. Instead there seemed to be a black tail in his place.

Suddenly it made sense.

Without another thought she grabbed Remus's coat and stormed out of the dorm. Nobody seemed to notice as she left the common room. She practically ran through the halls and out into the courtyard, climbing over the fence like a woman on a mission. She entered the forest without hesitation.

"Where are you?" Paisley called.

The only response was the hooting of owls.

"I've um—I've brought food!"