Martha
“May I sit,” Remus said interrupting Amelia's long and winding train of thought.
Amelia smiled up at the lanky boy, “You may.”
She had been lost in a daze as of late. Always dissociating or forgetting the topic of conversation. Something that, since their first meeting, Reums has taken note of. Even more recently it has been something her friends have also noticed.
It had been two weeks since Remus had run into Amelia, and their friendship had only blossomed. The pair could be seen galavanting around the corridors or conversing in the courtyard.
Though an unlikely pair, they found comfort in each other. Remus felt like a normal person for once, instead of carrying the heavy burden of being a werewolf, and Amelia got someone who would listen to her go on about plants and the world. Most importantly though, she found someone who saw her for who she felt like she was on the inside.
“Everything ok?” Remus asked, picking up a piece of toast and cutting it into four.
“Yeah everything’s fine, just some family stuff,” Amelia said.
Remus looked down and barely noticed the letter peaking out from underneath her breakfast plate.
“You wanna talk about it?”
Amelia glanced nervously to the side, “Not really… if that’s alright?”
“It’s quite alright. Shall I talk about the muggle book I just finished?”
She nodded, grateful that he had steered the conversation away from her.
“Another one? Isn’t this the third book this week?”
“I’m very well-read,” Remus smirked.
“Go on then.”
Remus set off on his extensive tangent about Little Women and how Lily had loaned him her copy. Amongst the pair’s heated conversation about which sister Laurie should have ended up with there were two pairs of watchful eyes from the table over
“Do you think they’ve shagged yet,” Sirius laughs.
“I don’t know Pads, I’m just happy Moony found someone,” James said. “It was getting sad.”
“Like you have romance in your life,” Peter chimed in, pointing out the one-sided infatuation James had with Lily Evans.
“Lily and I are in a committed complex relationship. You wouldn’t get it, Wormy.”
Sirius and Peter shared a glance, “Does she know that?”
All three of the boys erupted with laughter going back to their cinnamon rolls and pumpkin juice.
Amelia and Remus had become so lost in conversation that they had become some of the last students present in the great hall.
“Merlin, I’m gonna be so late,” Amelia said haphazardly shoving things in her satchel.
“Let me walk you.”
“Nonsense Remus. You have your own classes.”
Remus was persistent in his efforts. Taking a page out of James' book, “No really. Minnie will understand”
“It’s in the dungeon,” Amelia sighed getting up from the table.
They both set off at a quick pace Remus trying to keep up with the girl as she attempted to outwalk him. She quickly realized her efforts were futile as Remus's long legs easily stopped her in her tracks.
“I don’t mind.”
She slapped him playfully, “Fine you freak.”
Remus grinned triumphantly as he quickly took her books from her grasp and set off to the potions classroom.
“Hey!” Amelia shouted after Remus. “I can carry my books!”
Remus would hear nothing of it as he hurried in front of her leaving Amelia to catch up.
Remus and Amelia could not contain their smiles the whole walk to the dungeon. Practically bouncing off the walls with laughter. They had been so infatuated with each other that they didn’t notice the crowd of snakes that watched from the shadows.
“Look what we have here,” Barty Crouch Jr. slithered out of the darkness along with his posse of other ‘to-be Death Eaters’. “A couple of mutts.”
Alecto and Amycus Carrow circle Remus and Amelia. A sickly smile plastered on their faces.
“We don’t want any trouble Barty,” Remus said taking Amelia’s hand and trying to step forward.
“Well, we do,” Alecto chimed in eyeing Amelia up and down.
The pair weren’t scared, just fed up. The snakes always make it their priority to wreak havoc wherever they go.
“We're just trying to get to class,” Amelia chirped keeping a stern expression.
Barty’s attention whipped to Amelia.
“Aren’t you something,” he said taking a few steps toward her. “Too bad you’re a filthy half-breed.”
Remus quickly pulled Amelia behind him, “Get out of our way.”
“Or what Lupin? You’re outnumbered,” Barty sneered.
Amelia had to admit despite the tense situation seeing Remus like this was wildly attractive. The grasp on her hand tightened as he made a move to push past the Slytherins but was shoved back. Barty and Remus were practically chest to chest and despite Remus’s towering height, Barty seemed unintimidated.
Amycus reached around the couple tugging hard on a strand of Amelia’s hair.
“Hey!” She yelped.
“How nasty can I be Bart,” the Carrow boy asks getting in the Hufflepuff's face.
“Unforgiv-” Crouch starts, but Remus shoves him to the ground.
With Barty flat on his ass. One of the Carrow twins grabs Amelia by the arm trying to weasel her down the corridor over. It’s a mess. Remus is trying to take on Barty and keep sight of Amelia at the same time.
“You’ll pay for that Lupin,” Barty sneers pulling his wand out.
Remus, being distracted with the Carrow twins isn’t quick enough to counter the Expelliarmus that disarms him. His wand flew backward through the air leaving the boy defenseless. Amelia notes the impending doom that will be coming out of this meeting and stomps down on Alecto’s foot releasing her from her grasp.
Amelia dove for Remus's discarded wand, as hers was tucked securely in her sock. She didn’t have time to reach for her own, everything was moving a mile a minute.
With Remus’s wand in her hand, she lifted it to aim directly at Barty who had just landed a punch to the side of Remus’s face.
“Pertrificus Totalus,” Amelia shouted.
Barty Crouch Jr. froze then and there with perfect fighting formation blood still leaking out his nose from where Remus had hit him.
“Hey!” Amycus shouts seeing his not-so-humble leader was petrified.
He reaches for Amelia’s ankle dragging her across the dusty floor. Rearing her free leg up Amelia mule kicks Amycus right in the head, sending him back clutching his face.
She scrambles upright moving towards Remus, “We gotta go.”
In silent agreement the pair bolt for the castle exit as the Carrow twins shout after them.
“Where are we going,” Remus asked keeping pace with the girl despite his pounding head.
“Somewhere they won’t find us.”
***
Escaping from the castle walls Amelia leads Remus to a secret entrance to the black lake.
“This isn’t a very secret spot,” He says taking a moment to catch his breath.
Amelia turns around and smirks, “No but this is.”
She takes his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, pulling him to a ginormous willow tree. Upon seeing the trajectory of their path he pulled her back.
“This isn’t like the whomping willow is it?”
“Nonsense Remus, Martha wouldn’t hurt a soul,” Amelia laughed continuing forward.
“Martha?” Remus whispered to himself. A tree named Martha?
Amelia pulls back the curtain of leaves beckoning Remus forward.
“Remmy don’t you trust me,” Amelia says with a laugh.
Letting out a sigh Remus moves to go through the opening, “Yes. But we're gonna have to talk about that nickname.”
She just smiles following him in and letting the leaves close behind them. The base of the tree is completely open creating a perfect space beneath the branches. The warm morning light shone through the serrated greenery.
“How’d you find this place,” Remus says taking in the sheer size of the tree and its intricate webbing pattern on the base.
“I found it in my second year,” Amelia said taking a seat by the trunk of Martha. “It’s kinda been my place ever since.”
“And the name…”
“Martha,” Amelia interjected.
“Right, Martha. Why did you give the tree a name?”
“I think every living thing deserves a name,” Amelia says.
Remus was going to just go along with it until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Amelia giggled as he turned around and was met with an ecstatic branch waving at him. Martha truly was alive.
“I… I have no words,” Remus started.
Amelia walked up next to him reaching out to the branch as it wrapped around her hand happily. Remus could see that the girl and the tree had a history.
“Martha is similar to the Whomping Willow but her species is much more gentle,” she laughed.
“Amelia Farley you never cease to amaze me,” Remus smiled taking in her glowing features as Martha greeted the girl.
***
The two had been with Martha for a couple of hours now just talking and inspecting each other for injuries. The only visible knick was the red and purple bruise forming on the side of Remus’s face. He was sure to get an earful from the other marauders when he returned to the Gryffindor common room.
Injury aside, the two sat underneath Martha’s shield of green talking in depth about classes, friends, pranks, and the impending fear that came with the potential wizarding war. With both Remus and Amelia being half-bloods they expressed worry for each other's parents and friends. Dark times were ahead and they both knew it was inevitable. Especially with the Slytherins growing bolder.
“Amie? Millie Moo?” Remus was tossing out nicknames to the girl. “How about Tiny?”
Amelia sat crisscross apple sauce and sighed into her hands.
“Why can’t you just call me Lia? Everybody else calls me that,” Amelia laughed.
This was 100% payback for calling him Remy.
“I’m not everybody Darling,” Remus said.
A red flush was quick to rise on Amelia’s cheeks. Reaching across the gap between them Remus gently brushed the loose strands of hair behind her ear. His gaze flicked to her lips then quickly to her eyes again.
“Remus,” Amelia said taking one of his hands into hers. “Do you think Crouch will come after us again?”
The girl fidgeted with Remus’s fingers, clearly nervous about what was to come. The Slytherins didn’t let things go easily, after all.
He ceased her fidgeting with a soft but strong squeeze, “No, I think we showed them.”
Remus gave the girl a soft smile sensing her anxiety subside in his grip. Without saying a word, Amelia scooted closer resting her head on Remus’s chest.
He blushed releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her and hold her tight to him.
“Besides,” Remus spoke. “I wouldn’t want to fight you again. Not with that donkey kick-”
“Shut it,” Amelia laughed hitting Remus playfully.
***
Dora McEwen was a stubborn and studious girl, perfect for her house. The blue and bronze colors of her Ravenclaw tie whipped in the wind as she walked towards the black lake.
Amelia and Dora had been friends before Hogwarts had even started. The two girls had lived next door to one another when Dora’s parents had gotten ministry jobs and were forced to move from the Scottish countryside to London. They were fast friends with Amelia showing Dora all the muggle trinkets and ways of doing things. Meanwhile, Dora was helping Amelia get a head start on the wizarding world.
When the two were sorted into different houses they planned all their classes around each other and were often seen sneaking to each other's tables at meals. The pair were inseparable which is what sparked Dora to come looking for her best friend.
“Lia you missed half of your classes! You better have a good excuse,” Dora said reaching the willow tree.
Pulling the branches aside Dora’s face froze. There was her best friend cuddled up to Gryffindoors finest pupil.
Remus and Amelia had not noticed Dora’s presence until she decided to disrupt the peace.
“Amelia Farley! Wait until I tell your father!” Dora laughed.
Amelia jumped out of Remus’s arms at the girl, “Dora!”
“You skipped potions and divination to shag Lupin!”
“NO! We were-” Amelia started
.
“I mean I know you had a crush on him, I just didn't think you were the girl to put your studies on the line,” Dora rambled.
“A crush?” Remus smirked still sitting leisurely on the grass.
“Shut it,” Amelia quipped at the boy before turning back to her friend. “We weren’t doing anything. We were jumped by Crouch and the Carrows.”
Amelia had tried to explain herself in between her friend's ramblings. It seemed Dora completely forgot her filter because she was now addressing Remus directly talking about how she had been telling the girl to make a move. All Remus could do was laugh at a completely flustered Amelia.
“Excuse us a minute,” Amelia said to Remus.
Taking Dora’s arm Amelia dragged her out from underneath Martha. He could hear the girls conversing about what happened. A very loud ‘Are you okay’ was heard from beyond the wall along with hushed scolding about boundaries. It was quick to be replaced by some happy squeals and Remus took that as his sign to exit the hiding spot of the tree.
Remus parted the branches and stepped out showing his full height to Dora.
The girls were in a tight embrace only breaking apart so Dora could take in the sight of the lanky boy.
“Merlin, he is quite tall,” Dora muttered to Amelia.
Remus just smiled extending a hand to the Ravenclaw.
“Nice to meet you.”
“And you,” Dora replied. “You’ve been taking up quite a bit of my friend's time. I hardly get to see her.”
Amelia was quick to deny that claim but Remus just smiled. Dora’s bubbly excited personality had quickly turned into a quizative stare.
“I do apologize for that,” Remus said.
“I appreciate that,” Dora said glancing between the two. “Do make sure not to keep my best friend from her studies, we have exams soon.”
“Of course. So sorry.”
Dora turned to Amelia, “I’ll be up on the hill.”
Amelia nodded as her friend walked off to give her a moment of privacy.
“Hope to see more of you Lupin,” Dora shouted.
Amelia’s cheeks were red hot with embarrassment as she tried to hide behind her hands.
“I’m so sorry about that-” Amelia started.
Remus inched closer to the girl, moving her hands away from her face.
“You have a crush on me Tiny?”
Her embarrassment burns brighter, “I didn’t know she would say that. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“Well, you probably don’t think of me like that…” She was starting to ramble.
“You’re kidding right?” Remus couldn’t believe his ears. “So you think I’m just hanging around so we can be besties?”
There was a smirk on his face as Amelia laughed in embarrassment.
“I’m so stupid,” She said leaning her forehead on his chest.
“You’re not stupid,” Remus said tracing his thumb over her arm.
Amelia lifted her head from his chest, looking into his bright brown eyes.
“Amelia,” Remus asked.
The couple were in a trance.
“Yes?”
“Can I kiss you?”
Amelia nodded as she felt Remus’s slender fingers cup her cheek and trace gently over the bone. He leaned in slowly to make sure she was comfortable. Remus kissed her gently as she leaned into his touch pulling away momentarily but when Amelia looked at him with pleading eyes he wrapped his other arm around her waist pulling her in.
Amelia’s hand snaked up Remus’s chest and to his neck so his ear was between her thumb and pointer finger. The couple deepened the kiss but quickly broke it off when they felt Dora’s obvious stare.
Remus’s hair was slightly tousled from where Amelia’s fingers had combed into it and Amelia was left flustered and slightly out of breath.
“I should go,” Amelia smiled playing with Remus’s fingers.
“Come to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday?” Remus asked as she slowly backed away, hands still intertwined.
“I promised Dora.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Astronomy.”
Remus rolled his eyes, blasted Astronomy.
“Breakfast?”
“You know where to find me,” She smiled finally letting go of his hand and catching up to her friend.