The Cruciati Meam

Last night Remus had the strangest of dreams. Dreams that did not feel like dreams at all, dreams that perfectly mimicked reality, dreams that revealed truth, dreams that revealed a cloud of darkness that was emerging soon over the Wizarding World…

In his first dream he was watching the ‘Prank’ unfold before his eyes, it was a surreal experience in all honesty. It was like he was following everyone along like a spectator, in particular, Snape.

He followed Snape into the Forrest where the Whomping Willow bobbed around as it usually did. He watched as Snape followed Sirius instructions coming close to the Willow and pressing onto one of it’s roots, causing the tree to freeze in an a strange twist, almost as if the tree was bowing down to the two boys in submission.

He watched as Snape walked down the gnarly tunnel of the Willow. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Snape tripped over one of the roots that stuck out of the floor unbeknownst to Snape. This led to a healthy blush to appear on the Slytherin’s face. Snape gave a soft smile, rubbing his leg, slowly lifting his trouser up to reveal his pale milky skin. No cuts or bruises thankfully. Remus felt a rush of warmth go through him, it’s only Snape’s leg, he’s not naked thought Remus as he continued to follow Snape like a ghost. They were half way down when he heard the sound of scuffling, was someone there? Oh shit… Remus was being stupid it was just him…oh wait it was him! God Snape was going to see him turn into a werewolf. “Snape don’t go!” He screamed, he tried grabbing on to Snape but it was no use his hands went right through Snape. God what kind of dream was this? Usually you would have some semblance of control in your dream but this was not the case for Remus tonight. He didn’t want to follow Snape down the stairs, but it was like some magnetic force was compelling him to move faster.

Eventually they were down the path into the Shrieking Shack, it amazed him sometimes how quickly rumours spread, ever since Remus started transforming in the Shack, Hogsmede local’s and students alike proclaimed the place as haunted, little did they know it was being used by a teenage werewolf. When Peter first told Remus about the rumours he thought it was hilarious, I mean they lived at a school full of ghost’s for Merlin’s sake! What reason did they have to be scared, the Wizarding World had plenty of god awful monsters (himself included) that could garner fear, but a haunted house? no chance.

Remus was pulled out of his thoughts abruptly when Snape froze, causing him to nearly fall through Snape. “Lupin!?” Snape whispered sharply, running over to the figure that was bunched up in the corner of the shack.

Remus gasped to see himself all bunched up on the floor with a blanket covering himself, awaiting for the moon to rise. He couldn’t bring himself to go near Snape and his dream self, “I knew it.” Whispered Snape bending down towards his dream self.

“I knew those boys were doing something to you, but I have no idea what.” Snape gently reached out towards Remus and covered the blanket more onto him, as it was slipping off his shoulder. Did Snape think the Marauders were hurting him!?

“Let’s get you out of here Lupin, I’ll take you to Madam Pomfrey she’ll know what to do-”

A soft whine escaped his dream self’s throat, holy shit! His transformation, “Snape stop, run!” He screamed.

Remus continued watching in horror as his dream self began to contort and twist at different angles his nails growing longer into claws. “Shit!” Screeched Snape backing away from him.

“Shit, shit shit Black TRICKED ME!” Screamed Snape as his robe caught onto a broken table. Fur grew out of his dream self his features growing more wolf like, he was snarling at Snape, teeth bared.

“Somebody help me!” begged Snape tugging at his robes panicking as the werewolf stalked closer and closer. The werewolf was a few steps away when James appeared out of his invisibility cloak.

“SNAPE MOVE!” He pushed Snape out of way a mere seconds before Remus werewolf self pounced flying into the table. Snape let an ear piercing scream, before James began dragging him up the pathway out of the shack. He watched as Sirius and Peter came out the cloak a look of equal horror on Peter’s face, and a smirk on Sirius as they transformed into their animagus form’s distracting the werewolf away from the tunnel. Remus wanted to run, to escape this weird nightmare reality, but this force was holding him hostage, compelling him to follow. Snape was panting, sobbing, flailing about in James’ hold.

“Quiet down Snivellus.” James responded sharply, tightening his hold on Snape.

“I can’t believe you would actually listen to Sirius, ha, thanks to my kindness, you’re not becoming Moony’s midnight snack.”

“Lupin, Lupin’s a werewolf…” Snape was becoming going pale, on the verge of passing out. Snape collapsed in James arms, which was apparently very amusing to James, “Aah, a damsel in distress aren’t you Snivelly.”

Remus couldn’t help it, the whole experience was overwhelming for him, he wanted to get out of this dream as soon as possible. He didn’t want to watch what James did next to Snape, he didn’t want this, he didn’t want this, he didn’t want this, he didn’t want this, he didn’t want this, please make it stop, he didn’t want to see James kicking Snape’s body, he didn’t want to see it, HE DIDN’T WANT THIS…

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Remus woke up to find himself vomiting in a bush, he could taste the lingering bile in his mouth so strongly, causing him to gag. Where the fuck was he? The last thing he remembered was going to bed. He wasn’t wearing his school robes, he was wearing the fanciest pairs of robes he had ever seen, they were nothing like the typical pureblood robes that he saw in the windows of Diagon Alley. They were pitch black with white and gold thread for the stitching, he wore regular dress shoes, but they were new, unlike the ones he had at home (which were a size to small). After getting the last bit of vomit out of his system, he noticed that he had a white ribbon wrapped around his arm like the shoes of a ballet dancer, did white ribbon’s represent something? He thought back to Silversteam and Harris wearing white ribbon’s, Remus flushed, did it have something to do with purity? because that would certainly apply to him, fifteen years old having never even held the hands of a girl before, let alone do that. He rubbed his mouth against his sleeve trying to make himself a bit more presentable, taking in his surroundings once more.

Where was he? He looked around the area spying a road that stood across from him, it was the best course of action if he wanted to find out where the hell he was. The grounds along the cracked slab of road were overgrown, wild with no one around to look after it. Trees bare with no leaves, as if they too have been warped by whatever dark energy that surrounds this place, it made sense, it was autumn time after all, nothing demonic thought Remus trying to reassure himself.

Walking down the forgotten road led to a manor looming at the end of it, shrouded by towering trees with branches that reached out to you like skeletal fingers. The stone walls were dark and weathered, streaked with moss and lichen that gave the building an almost sickly greenish tint, perfectly matching with the throw up Remus did moments before. Instead of lush vines, was troublesome ivy clinging to the stone, a tangle of thorny, brittle stems, as if the plants themselves were struggling to survive in the shadow of something sinister. The lawn was a patchy field of brambles and dry yellow grass, filled by strange holes that have been dug at random with soil haphazardly covered on top of it. A faint, sour smell filled Remus nose, like decaying leaves or something worse.

The roof was steep and jagged, it’s shingles cracked and uneven from what seemed to be years of disrepair. In typical frightening fashion stood gargoyles statues which were crouched along the edges, their faces distorted, in frozen snarls that seemed almost lifelike in the foggy evening. The windows of the manor were tall and narrow with broken panes, while others are hidden behind thick, dusty curtains, as if the manor itself has secrets it doesn’t want the world to know.

The walkway leading to the entrance was broken and uneven, with weeds pushing through the gaps, pale and sickly, it’s leaves brushing against Remus ankles as he approached the front door. The front of the door was oversized, creating an ominous feel as Remus stood in front of it, blackened with age and splintered around the edges. Rusting iron knockers that were meant to mimic stars bent out of shape adorned the door, while scratch marks score the wood just beneath them. From every corner of the building lay shadows pooling unnaturally, stretching out from the corners of the house despite the soft autumn day, giving the manor a presence that feels almost alive, as if it watches, waiting patiently for it’s next guest. Remus gulped, maybe someone inside could help him?

Gingerly he knocked, the rust of the knocker staining his hands a light browny orange. There was a sound of shuffling that was nearly impossible to detect with human hearing, but of course Remus was not human. The door groaned causing Remus to jump back in fright.

“Hello?” He called, but no one appeared to be there at the opened door. Maybe he should leave? This doesn’t feel like a good idea, thought Remus cleaning the rust against his robes. He truly wanted to leave, but there was just something about this place that Remus had to see. He took a shaky breath entering the manor.

Once inside, the door slammed shut with a deep thud! giving Remus yet another fright. He scrunched his eyes shut, not willing to see the potential horror in front of him. He bit his lip, What was it that Peter always told him to do every time he was nervous for the full moon? Take a breath from your stomach to your toes, some bullshit like that. Remus continued the breathing exercises for a few minutes before slowly opening his eyes adjusting to the light and new surroundings.

Remus was met with a dimly lit corridor, on the left side, the walls were lined with portraits whose eyes followed you as you walked. Their expressions fixed in unsettling half-knowing smiles, he stood in front of one the portraits, it was a young man with curly brown hair and silver eyes. Come to think of it all the portraits had silver eyes. “Um, hello, could you please help me?” Asked Remus. It was was clear that these portraits were magical, so there wouldn’t be any harm in asking them, after all there is no such thing as an unfriendly portrait, of course you could count the time when the fat lady was particularly cross for disturbing her beauty sleep when Remus and Sirius came back from setting up a prank on the Slytherin’s late at night.

However the portrait made no movements, only staring at Remus every time he turned away. “Fine don’t help me!” Growled Remus, would reverse psychology work on a portrait? He always wondered what the maximum capabilities a portrait had, was it only as smart as the actual person it’s supposed to be, these things fascinated Remus about the Wizarding World. Enough messing around thought Remus as he continued down the corridor. The floorboards groaned with every step Remus was taking, as if the manor itself was protesting his presence. On the right side, had faded tapestries hanging form the wall, depicting scenes of forgotten Wizarding battles and dark figures with cloaks, they all stood in a circle most likely casting ominous rituals.

In the heart of the manor was an ancient winding staircase spiraling downwards to a place which was probably hidden from the rest of the world. Venturing into a small hallway, he came across what seemed to be an abandoned drawing room. The flickering chandelier barely illuminating the room casting long shadows that stretched across the room, Remus swore for a second he saw a shadow of an actual person, but it was most likely his mind playing tricks on him. To his horror and disgust he noticed in the corner of the room was a smattering of dark stains littering the walls, evidence of something spilled long ago, something best left forgotten.

Most likely this manor belonged to some ancient pureblood household that no longer existed. He remembered Sirius once speaking of pureblood houses having human-like qualities to them. It was certainly applicable here. The manor felt alive, as if it breathed in whispers and secrets that haunted the past generations. He was back in the hallway watching from a window as night fell, the silence of the manor was broken by faint sounds—a distant door creaking shut, a muffled laugh echoing from nowhere, and footsteps, soft but unmistakable. Walking in empty rooms.

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She laughed. She laughed at him, no she laughed with him. “I didn’t know you were so funny!”

“Yeah well there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.” Remus replied smugly.

She smiled, shuffling closer to him on the sofa. How did they end up like this in the first place? He couldn’t remember, he didn’t care to remember, all that he knew was that Isabel Silversteam was sitting next to him.

“So…what do you like to do for fun Remus.”

She called him by his name, his actual name. Merlin he going to crumble like a ceiling of this manor. “Remus are you going to answer my question or not?” she sighed, a smile on her face.

“You always have a thing were you go into yourself.”

“Go into myself?”

“Yes, like you go somewhere, and I can’t find you.”

“Er, well…I’m thinking of the perfect thing to say…”

“The perfect thing to say?” She sat up straight, never breaking eye contact with him.

“Yes…I need to come up with the perfect answer for you!” Blurted Remus.

She giggled Merlin her laugh was like a gentle bell. His mother use to tell him stories about fairies and when they would speak to you it would sound like a bell ringing, his father would always joke after how about how his mother would be very disappointed with actual fairies, but she didn’t care, always shooing her husband away with a laugh and continuing the story.

“Well go on then, give me the perfect answer.”

Remus sighed taking a long look up and down her, “What I like to do for fun is being around you.”

She shrieked with laughter, “My god, that is the most embarrassing things someone as ever said to me.”

Remus felt his cheeks burn, but he couldn’t help but grin. “Well, it’s true,” he muttered, pretending to look at the worn carpet, embarrassed and thrilled all at once.

“Oh, come on,” she teased, nudging his knee with her own. “There’s got to be more to you than that, Remus. I mean, what’s next, saying you like long walks around the castle and reading in front of a fire?”

“Actually…” he began, feigning a serious look, and she swatted his arm, laughing again. Merlin, he could listen to that sound forever.

She leaned back, catching her breath, then tilted her head, her smile fading slightly as she studied him. “But really,” she began, more softly this time. “What do you do? When you’re not busy with, you know, school and…your friends?”

Remus hesitated, not used to anyone asking him questions so earnestly. “I read a lot, I suppose… and, er, well, study.”

“Study,” she echoed, shaking her head with a smirk. “So that’s it then? Studying? I expected a little more adventure from a Gryffindor, if I’m honest.”

Remus shrugged, feeling slightly defensive and wondering if she was mocking him. “We’re not all the same, you know.”

“I know,” she replied, her expression softening. “Some of you Gryffindors, I think, are a lot more complicated than people give you credit for.”

For a moment, the room was quiet, a rare hush settling between them. Then she looked at him intently, as if a thought had just occurred to her. “It must be strange for you… growing up as a half-blood.”

Remus blinked, taken off guard. “I… guess,” he mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“I mean, I don’t mind,” she said quickly, looking a little flustered. “Obviously. But sometimes, I wonder how it must feel… seeing all of us purebloods go on about family names and traditions like they’re all that matter.”

Remus swallowed, unsure of what to say. Purebloods. Half-bloods. He’d grown so used to that weight in the room, unspoken yet always present.

“I mean I’ve never felt that much out of place, it’s just one of things I guess.” Went on Remus.

Isabel nodded, her gaze still fixed on him thoughtfully. “You make it sound so simple.”

Remus shrugged. “Well, it kind of is, for me at least. I mean, most of the time, it doesn’t really matter. My friends don’t care about all that.” He gave her a small smile, trying to brush it off. “It’s just one of those things, I guess.”

She didn’t return the smile right away, though. Instead, she watched him with an intensity that made him shift slightly. “I suppose that’s easy to say when you’ve found people who don’t care about blood status. But… it must feel strange, sometimes… right?”

Remus looked at her, a bit surprised by the question. “I guess. But, honestly, you get used to it. And not everyone’s like that.”

Isabel was quiet for a moment, glancing down at her hands. “I know what you mean,” she murmured. Then she looked up, her face softening. “Growing up with my aunt, in the Muggle world… people here assume I understand all the old pureblood traditions, but I don’t. It’s… complicated sometimes.”

Remus blinked, surprised. She rarely talked about her family. “I didn’t know that. You… grew up with a Muggle?”

She gave a small, almost shy nod. “Well, technically, she’s a squib, but she lived her whole life away from magic. So, yeah, I didn’t know much about our world until I came here.” She paused, a wistful look in her eyes. “Sometimes I feel like I’m straddling two worlds I don’t fully belong to.”

Remus nodded slowly, understanding in a way he hadn’t before. “Must’ve been… hard.”

She shrugged. “It’s all I knew, so it wasn’t bad. But it’s strange now, people assume I’m this perfect pureblood because of my name, but I barely know what that means half the time.” She gave a self-conscious smile. “Guess I never felt like a ‘real’ pureblood.”

Remus smiled softly, feeling a new connection with her. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

She returned his smile, her eyes shining with a warmth he hadn’t noticed before. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “Maybe it is.”

“You know you aren’t like your friends, James and Sirius, you’re kinder.”

Remus blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”

Isabel leaned back, considering her words. “I just mean… you’re different from them, from James and Sirius. They’re bold, confident, they’ve got that pureblood pride, even if they don’t flaunt it on purpose. It’s like they walk around expecting things to go their way.”

Remus frowned, feeling the need to defend his friends. “They don’t care about that pureblood stuff, not really.”

“I know they don’t mean to,” she said gently. “But it’s in them, even if they don’t think about it. You’re… softer somehow. Thoughtful. You don’t just charge ahead the way they do.”

Remus flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know about ‘softer’…”

Isabel smiled, her eyes warm. “Well, I do. You notice things. You listen. And you don’t assume the world will make room for you.”

He felt a strange rush of emotion at her words, caught off guard. “Maybe it’s because I know what it’s like… to not always fit in.”

They held each other’s gaze, a quiet understanding passing between them. It was as if, in that moment, they’d found someone who understood all the little cracks and spaces they usually kept hidden.

Isabel’s expression darkened, and for the first time, there was something colder in her eyes. She shifted slightly, as if weighing her words carefully. “Eventually, we all will. You can’t just stand on the sidelines forever. There’s this man… he believes in pureblood rights, the way things used to be.” She paused, her voice low and hesitant. “And honestly, some of the things he says, I… I agree with.”

Remus frowned, feeling a chill run down his spine. “Pick a side?” he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. “What do you mean?”

Remus felt his heart tighten in his chest. He had a sinking feeling where this conversation was going. “You don’t mean—” he started, but she interrupted him, shaking her head sharply.

“No, it’s not like that,” she said quickly. “I don’t agree with everything, not by a long shot. But there’s something in what he says, about bloodlines, about our place in the world…” She trailed off, her eyes searching his face as if looking for something. “I don’t know, Remus. Sometimes it makes sense. It’s just hard to reconcile the parts of me that don’t fit in with the rest of the world.”

Remus took a deep breath, trying to make sense of her words. “I get that things are complicated for you,” he said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. “But thinking that way, agreeing with someone like that, it leads down a dangerous path. A path that divides people, hurts people.”

Isabel looked away, biting her lip. “I’m not saying I believe everything he says. I just… sometimes it feels like there’s more to it. Like maybe the world could be different if we just went back to how things were before all this Muggle-born and half-blood business started causing chaos.”

Remus’ chest tightened, his instincts screaming that they were treading on dangerous ground. “You know that kind of thinking, that kind of talk, it’s what caused the worst of it. You don’t want to go down that path, Isabel.”

She met his gaze then, her expression conflicted but resolute. “I don’t know what I want yet, Remus. But I’m scared that I’ll have to choose eventually. We all will.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with an unspoken tension. Remus didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that there was still time, still a way to fight for what was right. But in that moment, he could see the uncertainty in her eyes, like she was already standing on the edge of something she couldn’t turn back from.

“I mean…” she continued, her tone still light, but her words sharp. “You’re going to be the first one to be culled, a half-blood and a werewolf.”

Remus froze, the words hitting him like a physical blow. His throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak, how the hell did she find out? That bastard Gold must have told her! Isabel’s smile, so cold and calculating, felt like a stranger’s. It was as if everything he thought he understood about her had suddenly shifted, leaving him disoriented.

Her smile twisted, something dark flickering in her eyes. It wasn’t the playful, teasing smile he was used to. This one was chilling, full of malice, and it made his blood run cold.

For a moment, all Remus could do was stare at her, trying to process the sudden change in her. How could she say that? He had thought they’d been building a connection, an understanding. But now, everything felt different.

“Isabel…” His voice cracked slightly as he said her name. “What are you saying? You don’t mean that. You can’t.”

She tilted her head, her smile never fading, but her eyes distant, almost calculating. “I’m just saying, Remus. You’re already marked. Whether you like it or not. People like you, people with blood like yours and conditions like yours, they’ll always be the first ones to go when the time comes. It’s just the way it works.”

Her words sank into him like lead, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. The girl he’d been talking to—the one who seemed to understand him, who seemed to see him, felt like a stranger now. It was like someone had peeled back a layer of her, exposing a side he never knew existed.

“Isabel, please,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “This isn’t you. You can’t really believe that.”

She leaned back, her expression still cold but with a hint of something else, something almost like pity. “You want to think that I don’t get it? That I’m not just as caught up in all of this as anyone else? But you’re wrong, Remus. You’ve always been wrong about me.”

She stood up, the air between them suddenly feeling heavier than before. “You don’t get to choose your place in this world, not really. Not when you’re a half-blood and a monster.”

Remus watched as she turned away, his heart racing, his thoughts a tangled mess. The words stung, but worse was the feeling of betrayal—a feeling that, somehow, everything he had thought was true about her had unraveled in an instant. And the worst part was, he didn’t know if there was a way back from this.

Remus stumbled back, his heart hammering in his chest as the words fell from her lips. The cold venom in her voice sent a shiver down his spine. “Isabel,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. “You… you don’t mean this. This isn’t you.”

But she was already standing, her wand pointed straight at him, trembling slightly in her grip. Her normally warm, dark brown eyes had shifted into a stormy silver, the tears brimming in them reflecting a strange, otherworldly light. They glittered like stars, but there was nothing beautiful about the look in them now.

“You hurt Severus,” she said, her voice low and shaking. “Now you’ll pay in blood.”

Remus’s throat went dry. He hadn’t truly hurt Snape the night of the prank. But the fury in her voice, the coldness in her stance, it made him question everything.

“Isabel, I never—” he started, but the words caught in his throat as she took a step forward, her wand flicking threateningly.

“I know what you did,” she interrupted, her voice sharp. “You can lie to everyone else, but I see through you, Remus. You hurt him, and now you’ll pay for it.”

Her tears glimmered like silver stars, painting her face in a haunting, ethereal light. The beautiful girl he had once been able to laugh with, the one who had shared bits of her soul with him, was slipping away before his eyes.

“I didn’t hurt him!” Remus pleaded, taking a step back, his mind racing. He could feel the heat of her magic, the tension in the air. He knew this wasn’t a game. This wasn’t a joke.

But Isabel didn’t lower her wand. Her expression remained hard, her jaw clenched. “You’ll regret it, Remus. I swear you will.”

She wasn’t just angry. She was broken—shattered by something deep inside her, something he couldn’t quite understand. Her tears glistened as they slid down her cheeks, but there was no softness in her gaze. Only rage.

“Please,” he said softly, his voice hoarse with desperation. “Isabel, I never meant—”

But the look in her eyes told him there was no going back now. There was no explaining, no fixing what had been broken. And with a sharp flick of her wand, she made it clear that she wasn’t about to let him off that easily. He wasn’t sure if he would make it out of this alive.

The tension in the air broke suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch. Isabel’s eyes twitched, her face faltering for just a moment as though something was shifting beneath the surface. Then, as if time itself had rewound, her expression softened. The cold fury vanished from her face, replaced by that familiar smile, the one that had always made Remus feel both comfortable and unsure all at once.

She laughed, genuinely, as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn’t just been on the edge of something dangerous. Her laughter echoed through the room, and Remus blinked, disoriented, feeling like the world had just reset itself.

“What….what was that?” Remus asked, his voice shaky, confused.

Isabel wiped her eyes quickly, as though trying to dismiss something from her face. “What do you mean?” she replied, her voice light, almost teasing. “You’re so weird, Remus.”

He stared at her, trying to make sense of the sudden shift. Had he imagined something? Had the words spilled like venom, the threat—had it all been some kind of twisted dream? But he could still feel the weight of it, the coldness of someone hanging in the air like a shadow.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, shaking his head slightly as if trying to clear the fog. “You just—looked like you were going to… do something.”

Isabel chuckled again, and this time there was no edge to it. “I’m just messing with you, Remus. You’re way too serious.” She shuffled closer, as if nothing had happened, as if the previous moments never existed.

Remus watched her, still unsure, his heart racing with a sense of unease he couldn’t shake. But Isabel was already on to something else, chatting about some trivial thing with a bright smile, as if that moment of danger had never occurred. And just like that, the world returned to normal, or at least, it seemed like it.

But inside, Remus felt the lingering tremor of uncertainty. Did we… did we just forget? It was as though his mind and hers had closed off the memory of what had just transpired, wiping it clean, like a forgotten dream. Yet, in the pit of his stomach, there was a gnawing sense that something had changed, something they couldn’t remember, but had somehow both lived through.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the danger wasn’t gone. It had just been hidden, buried in the spaces between them.

“Can I ask a weird question?” She asked

Remus glanced at Isabel, still trying to shake off the strange feeling from moments ago. Her bright, easy smile had returned, but there was something about the way she looked at him now, curious, almost hesitant, that made him pause

“Sure, go ahead,” he said, trying to steady himself.

Isabel shifted slightly, her fingers playing with the edge of her sleeve. “Do you ever feel like… like you’re not really here? Like you’re just… floating through things?”

Remus blinked, taken aback by the sudden depth of her question. It was so different from the teasing, lighthearted conversation they’d been having moments ago. He studied her face, trying to find the usual spark in her eyes. This time, there was something softer, something vulnerable there, as though she was asking more than just a simple question.

“I… I don’t know,” he said slowly, his voice quiet as he thought it through. “Sometimes, yeah. When everything feels… too loud or too much. Like I’m just going through the motions, waiting for something to click.” He hesitated, wondering if he was overthinking it. “Why do you ask?”

Isabel’s eyes shifted downward, and she seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment, her gaze distant. “I don’t know. Lately, I feel like I’m living in someone else’s life. Like everything around me is happening to someone who isn’t really me. Does that make sense?”

Remus nodded slowly, his mind reeling. There was something in the way she spoke, something raw and unguarded, that made his chest tighten. It was like she was opening up in a way that felt dangerous, exposing a part of herself that she kept hidden.

“Yeah, it does,” he said quietly. “I think we all feel like that sometimes. Especially when things don’t feel right, when we don’t really know who we are anymore.”

She looked back at him, her expression softening, and for a moment, the world outside of them seemed to fade away. There was no laughter, no distractions, just the two of them, sitting in the quiet tension that had returned between them, fragile and unspoken.

“I don’t know who I am sometimes,” Isabel whispered. “And it’s terrifying, like this world has something planned for me…. and I want no part of it.”

Remus looked at her, feeling the weight of her words settle over him. He wanted to say something, anything, to make her feel better. But the truth was, he didn’t know how to fix it. Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe they were both just floating through this world, pretending to know where they belonged.

But in that moment, as Isabel looked at him with something like fear in her eyes. They were both lost, in their own ways, and maybe that was the only thing that made sense.

“You’re not alone,” he said quietly, offering a small smile. “You’re not the only one who feels like that.”

Isabel didn’t respond right away, but for a brief moment, she nodded, her expression softening as she seemed to process his words. And though neither of them said anything more, there was an unspoken understanding between them, a silent acknowledgment that sometimes, the only thing you could offer someone was the reassurance that they weren’t entirely alone in their confusion.

“Does Gold have a crush on Snape?” He asked Isabel. He thought back to the two boys in the corridor together, how Gold was so protective of Snape.

Isabel raised an eyebrow. She glanced at him with a puzzled expression, her lips curving into a curious smile. “Cassian? You mean Cassian Gold?” she asked, her tone light, but her eyes narrowed slightly as if she was trying to understand where this conversation was headed.

Remus nodded, feeling a bit awkward now that the question was out in the open. “Yeah, Cassian Gold. I—I don’t know, it’s just… I’ve seen him with Snape a few times. He’s always… protective of him. It’s kind of strange, you know? I’ve never really seen him act that way with anyone else.”

Isabel’s smile softened, but there was a knowing look in her eyes. “Huh, well, you know, people can surprise you.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, almost as if considering something. “But now that you mention it… there is something off about the way Cassian acts around Snape.”

Remus felt a sense of relief that Isabel seemed to understand what he was trying to point out. “Exactly! Like, the way he stands up for him, even when nobody else will. It’s… different.”

She shrugged slightly, still looking thoughtful. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Cassian had a crush on him. He’s always been the type to latch onto someone who gives him attention, and Snape? Well, he’s not exactly the warmest, but he’s got that… thing, you know? The kind of intensity that people either love or hate.” Isabel’s eyes flicked away briefly, almost as if she was lost in thought before turning back to him. “And Cassian’s the type who might get fixated on that, especially if Snape’s the only one giving him any sort of recognition.”

Remus frowned, unsure whether Isabel was just speculating or if she had more insight into the situation than he did. “You really think so? Gold? I mean, I always thought he was kind of… well, you know, strong, like he doesn’t need anyone.”

Isabel gave him a pointed look. “You’d be surprised how much people can change when they find someone they feel a connection with. Maybe Snape’s the one person who’s given Cassian a sense of belonging, even if it’s just through their shared oddities.” She leaned back, her voice dropping slightly, “It’s strange, isn’t it? The way some people just seem to… fit together, even if it’s not obvious to everyone else.”

Remus considered this for a moment, still thinking back to the moments he’d seen between Gold and Snape. There was definitely something there, some unspoken bond that made Remus uneasy. “Yeah,” he murmured, “it’s strange.”

Isabel met his gaze again, her smile returning but now tinged with something a little more secretive, like she knew there was more to this situation than either of them could fully grasp. “People are always more complicated than we realise, Remus. Especially when it comes to relationships. You think you know what’s going on, and then, boom, a new piece of the puzzle shows up.” She shrugged, as if the whole thing was just another mystery to her.

Remus felt a strange sense of relief at Isabel’s words, as if, for a moment, she had given him a little more clarity—though he knew the mystery of Gold and Snape was far from solved. Still, it was comforting to know he wasn’t the only one who was seeing something odd between them.

“Maybe you’re right,” Remus said slowly, mulling it over. “Maybe there’s more going on than I realise.”

Isabel’s gaze softened, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. “There usually is.”

“Look, your friends haven’t been the nicest to my friends, and that’s putting it lightly, but if we want to work together for our potions project, you need to start apologising.” Her voice slightly firm.

Remus blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift in Isabel’s tone. The lightheartedness from earlier had disappeared, replaced with a firmness that commanded his attention. He could tell she wasn’t joking around this time.

“Look, your friends haven’t been the nicest to my friends, and that’s putting it lightly,” Isabel continued, her gaze steady as she met his eyes. “But if we want to work together for our potions project, you need to start apologizing.”

Her words hung in the air between them, heavier than he expected. Remus knew exactly what she meant. James, Sirius, and the others had been less than kind to her friends, especially Severus, and it seemed like Isabel wasn’t going to let it slide.

He swallowed, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach. He didn’t like confrontation, didn’t like the idea of being caught in the middle of tensions that weren’t his own. But this was different. He could see the resolve in Isabel’s eyes. She wasn’t going to back down.

“I’m sorry about that,” Remus said slowly, trying to meet her gaze without looking away. “I don’t agree with everything they do, but I can’t control them. I’ll talk to James and Sirius, but… I can’t promise anything, Isabel. You know how they are.”

Isabel nodded, her expression softening just slightly, though there was still a firmness in her voice. “I know. But it’s not just about controlling them. It’s about choosing to stand up for what’s right, even if it means stepping away from your friends for a moment.” She hesitated, a flicker of something behind her eyes. “I know you’re better than that, Remus.”

Her words stung a little, more than he expected. She was right, he could do more. He had chosen to ignore things before, just let the behaviour slide because it was easier to stay quiet than confront his friends. But Isabel was right. If he was going to make any kind of difference, it had to start with him.

“Alright,” Remus said, his voice quieter now, more resolved. “I’ll do what I can. I’ll talk to them.”

Isabel seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “Thank you. I know it’s not easy, but it’s the only way we’re going to get anything done.”

For a moment, they both just stood there, a fragile truce hanging in the air between them. It was uncomfortable, but there was something in Isabel’s eyes that told Remus she wasn’t asking for much, just some accountability. And maybe, just maybe, they could start fixing things, one conversation at a time.

He glanced at her, feeling a bit more weight on his shoulders, but also strangely lighter. “I’ll make it right,” he promised, even if he wasn’t entirely sure how.

Remus’s stomach churned at the change in Isabel’s tone. The lightness that had once filled the air between them had evaporated, replaced by something colder, more sinister. She had always been full of secrets, but now, there was a definite edge to her words that made him feel like he was walking a fine line.

“Work hard, Remus,” she said, her voice taking on a darker edge. “You’ll have to choose a side, and you certainly don’t want to be on the losing side…”

Her words hung in the air like a heavy fog, and for the first time, Remus felt a chill in his bones, as if she was no longer just Isabel, he girl with the quick smile and teasing remarks, but someone far more dangerous, someone who had already made up her mind about things he wasn’t sure he even understood.

He swallowed hard, suddenly unsure of how to respond, how to navigate this new conversation that felt like it was slipping into territory he wasn’t prepared for. “What do you mean?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, but it came out quieter than he intended.

Isabel leaned in slightly, her eyes gleaming with something like certainty, like she already knew the answer. “Do you want to be on the so-called ‘light side’?” she asked, her words dripping with disdain. “Or do you want to be on a side that will actually be there for you?”

The question struck Remus like a punch to the gut. The “light side,” the side of good, he had always been taught that was where he was supposed to be, where he was supposed to fight. But Isabel’s words made it sound like that side wasn’t enough, that it wasn’t going to protect him the way she seemed to promise. The way she seemed to know.

He blinked, trying to make sense of her sudden shift. “What are you talking about?” he asked, but the hesitation in his voice was unmistakable. He had to know—had to know—but something deep inside him recoiled from whatever dark path Isabel was hinting at.

Isabel’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, but it was a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You can keep pretending, Remus. But when the time comes, when you see who stands beside you, who’s there to pick you up when you fall… you’ll wish you had made a different choice.”

Her words weren’t just threatening, they were a warning. A warning that echoed in his mind, leaving him feeling more isolated, more uncertain about where he stood in the grand scheme of things.

“I don’t need anyone to pick me up,” Remus said more firmly than he felt, his gaze meeting hers as he tried to mask his confusion and fear. “I’ll make my own choices.”

Isabel’s expression hardened just slightly, her smile disappearing into something colder, more calculating. “We’ll see, Remus,” she murmured, her voice low. “We’ll see.”

And just like that, she pulled back, her gaze slipping away from him as if the conversation had ended. But Remus couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside him had shifted. Something dark had been planted, and now, it was growing in the back of his mind, pushing him to question everything he thought he knew about the sides he was supposed to choose, about the world that was rapidly slipping out of his control.

Suddenly, Remus gasped for air, his chest heaving as if he had just surfaced from drowning. His eyes snapped open, and for a moment, he was disoriented, his heart pounding in his ears. The walls of the dormitory came into focus around him, his bed, the familiar band posters on the walls, the soft glow of the early morning light filtering through the curtains.

It had all been a dream.

He sat up quickly, his breath still uneven, the vivid images of the conversation with Isabel lingering in his mind like an echo. The weight of her words, the coldness in her voice, still felt real. It was as though she had just been in the room with him, her warning still hanging in the air. His hand pressed against his forehead, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the nightmare.

He looked around, hoping the normalcy of the room would ground him. But even as he tried to calm himself, the feeling of unease settled deep within him, an uncomfortable knot in his stomach that he couldn’t shake.

The dream had felt too real. Too important*.*

“Remus?” came a sleepy voice from the bed next to his. Sirius was sitting up now, rubbing his eyes, looking concerned. “You okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Remus blinked, trying to steady his breathing. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, his voice rougher than he intended. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the clock. It was still early. “Just… a weird dream.”

Sirius frowned but didn’t press the issue. “Well, if it’s bothering you, you can talk about it, mate,” he said, but his tone was gentle now, the cruel edge from yesterday gone. “You don’t have to keep it all inside.”

Remus managed a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Just… not the best way to wake up.”

Sirius gave him a skeptical look, but instead of pushing, he just nodded. “Alright, if you say so.” He yawned, clearly ready to go back to sleep. “If you need anything, just wake me up.”

Remus nodded absently, his gaze drifting back to the window, the sunlight spilling across the floor. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed. Even if the dream was just a product of his mind working overtime, Silversteam’s words felt like they were still buzzing in his head.

Choose a side.

The idea clung to him as though it were a question that would be asked of him sooner rather than later. And as much as he wanted to believe it was all just a dream, Remus couldn’t help but wonder if, in some twisted way, it had been a warning.