Remus
I slide the key back under the door roughly. I found the entire action a bit ridiculous for a magical classroom. First, who would want to break into a classroom out of every other room in Hogwarts? Second, I know that Professors enchant these locks to be resistant to the unlocking charm, but I bet I could easily find a book in the library in 30 minutes with a spell to unlock this door. Still, I would never point these out to McGonagall; mostly because she likely already knows. I straighten up and start making my way back to the Gryffindor Tower.
After I sent Belle away, it hadn’t taken long to finish the assignments. Nevertheless, it was late when I left. What had taken so long was the time it took to read through the notes she left on the essays that she had gotten through. She gave feedback to each question regardless if it was right or wrong. She babbled in each comment about something different.
“This is almost there. Think more on why knowing your wand’s power is important when using a transf. spell and what you might need to adjust in your formula to achieve a desired outcome.”
“Very good! The switching spell is a very important spell to know as building upon it will allow you to transfigure many objects simultaneously in the future. When I was in first year…” Blah. Blah. Blah.
These poor children.
My stomach churns unpleasantly as I walk along the halls. For someone so smart, she had no instinct for self-preservation. I remember the delicious shade of red she turned as she yelled at me. I was enjoying the show when she ruined it. Monster. Of course she had no idea what she was saying. She was a foolish, inexperienced, child using random words and phrases designed to hurt. She didn’t know that word had a particularly sharp edge when used against me and I was fairly sure that she still didn’t. I imagine that when she thought on this evening later, the yelling wouldn’t be the part she would be remembering. An image of Belle pinned against the wall flashed in my mind and my cock hardened at the memory.
I was certainly not expecting the situation we found ourselves in, but she dared to take an attitude with me so, as promised, I showed her what happened to bratty girls who couldn’t control their anger. Had she finally learned that provoking me was not in her best interest? I ponder this thought and recall the way she squirmed her hips against me. She wasn’t immune to obedience; in fact, it had been so easy to reduce her to a squirming, obedient, mess. All I needed to do was lean into her and she was putty in my hands. Her hips stilled, her chest heaved, and she gasped my name– not my last name. My name.
I stroll into the common room feeling a strange satisfaction coursing through my veins. A few students are still awake but I fix my sights on 3 boys and 3 girls.
“Moony!” James, Sirius, and Peter chime as I approach leisurely, taking a seat on the floor at Sirius’ feet. Sirius nudges me with his heavy boot, “How was your sexy detention, Moons?” Lily Evans, Rose ‘The New Girl,’ and Alice Fortescue all whip their heads toward me as Peter and James crack up. I pull a book out of my bag, open it to the bookmarked page, and say, “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Three male voices continue to laugh but Lily breaks through the booming sound and asks, “Well why didn’t she come back with you?” I look up at her and respond, “How should I know? I let her go early and finished her work.”
I tried my best to maintain my nonchalance but I’m sure a small amount of confusion breaks through. Isabella is attached to Lily, Alice, and now Rose at the hip and I can’t imagine who else she would be with. Then I remember the comment Sirius made earlier about how dressed up she had been and that it was for me. I knew it wasn’t for me but perhaps Sirius was onto something and it was meant for someone else. Just as I come to this conclusion, Peter declares,
“I guess you were wrong about her dressing up for Moony,” he motions to Padfoot. Then he looks to Alice, “Has she mentioned any boys recently?” Sirius adds with a grin, “Or girls!”
I look from Lily to Alice as they ponder the question but when my eyes land on Rose she’s glaring at me. I deadpan her in return until the girls pull her attention away to compare their varying degrees of information. Belle wouldn’t have told Rose anything, would she? No, Belle is a suffer-in-silence type. Sometimes if Belle is feeling especially overwhelmed or miserable, she will plaster on a dazzling, out-of-place smile and effortlessly remove herself from whatever is occupying her attention. When she resurfaces her eyes are almost always a bit red and her chest is splotchy, they are evidence of the tears she unleashed somewhere on her own. I remember the times that these episodes were brought on by my own words and I smirk as I imagine her head buried in her pillow as she hysterically cries into it.
Rose’s harsh voice cuts off my sadistic musings. “You did something to her, didn’t you?” Everyone turns to look at me. Sirius and Peter lock their eyes and start laughing. James maintains his amused look but I don’t think the concept of his beloved cousin having something done to her was a laughable one. Lily and Alice give Rose a couple of good-natured, soft smiles. However, my eyes narrow at her hard gaze.
“I don’t know what you’re implying but I didn’t do anything to her,” I say defensively. Sirius is still laughing when he adds, “Moony might seem rough around the edges but deep down he’s a snuggly little puppy. Right, Moony?”
This comment makes my friends all burst out in laughter. I roll my eyes and stand up letting the mostly friendly group know that I would be doing some reading in the dorm. It’s 5 days ‘til the full moon so the usual protests at my turning in early don’t come. I can feel Rose’s glare on my back as I leave the common room but I ignore it. I settle into bed before I remember, the Map. It's hidden underneath James’ pillow and I tap the front to open it. I search the entire castle for her name, starting with the locations of the other common rooms. Nothing. As a last-ditch effort, I check the courtyards and outer grounds. Then I spot the name, ISABELLA CLARKE, heading towards the Entrance Hall from the Forbidden Forest. A wave of emotions crashes over me but I cling to the most familiar, anger.
Each year we are warned against going into the forest. I’m not sure if this was commonplace before I showed up, but I was certain that the warnings issued each year since I started, were meant to protect students from me. Of course, Belle is being reckless with her life. I bristle with anger and try to imagine what would draw the delicate girl to the ominous terrain. When I hear stomping coming up the stairs, I halt my angry thoughts. Quickly, I put the Map back and return to my bed, closing the curtains.
I contemplate waiting for her in the common room. I would corner her and demand to know what she thought she was doing. I would ensure she would never go back; that I would never run the risk of recreating our shared past. This is an optimistic thought, I think dryly. She escaped our first encounter relatively unscathed, but I know if I ever crossed paths with Belle during a full moon the reality would be worse than any nightmare my brain could dream up. I decide to stay away for now, not because I care for her, but because the calendar proximity to the full moon really has made me tired.