My mates are yours
I was curled on the windows bench reading. I started reading educational books, for some reason I never got tired of learning things. If I learned about everything going on in the world, then it was like I was apart of it. I always knew my world was small, limited to the wizard world, but learning about everything somehow made it seem bigger.
My friends were in the library studying, they invited me but I chose to stay alone in the quiet. I thought about going to the room of requirement, but here just seemed right. I had only ever been in the Gryffindor common room but I had a feeling it was the coziest. The fire was always lit, it smells like cinnamon cocoa and butterbeer. The lights were always dimmed and there were pillows and rugs everywhere. If I ever had a peaceful cabin in the woods, this would be it.
I hadn’t seen Severus Snape since Mary beat him wild. We hadn’t talked about what happened with Lily. Without Lily, Marlene had already started planning round two. This time she wanted all his creepy friends to be there too.
“We set them all up by starting a muggle born hate club or something then when they show up: Bam! We literally kick them to the curb!” Marlene had said.
“You want to start a muggle born hate club?” Mary asked.
“Only as a ruse to fight them.” Marlene had smiled an almost evil grin.
“So like… a fight club?” I questioned. I thought of the idea, pounding the creeps until they were sorry. It was a brilliant fantasy but it would never happen. I couldn’t spend my nights kicking and punching people it’s not right. Tormenting the boys would only turn me like them, and I will never be related to them.
“Club meeting.” Remus whispered, pulling me out of my memory. He sat on the other end of the bench. The other boys were in the common room too.
“Another bird part of Remus’s fan club.” Sirius teased, I shut my book and stood up. Remus followed.
“Where are you two going?” James laughed, I decided to shut them up.
“Oh well Remus and I are simply in love and we’ve decided to run off together.” I smiled, Remus spat like he was being choked. James and Sirius turned bright red, Peter’s jaw dropped.
“Obviously I’m joking!” I laughed, “the look on your faces! Priceless! I wish I had a picture.” I laughed leaving the common room, Remus was laughing behind me. We went to the secret room where we used to complete our lessons so long ago.
“Thanks for that.” Remus sighed, “they already believe I’m snogging your friends.”
“Oh please, Marlene would never your not her type.” I mused. “You alright?” I asked.
“Does Lily tell everything to Severus?” He asked. That is certainly not where I thought this was going. I wondered what Lily found out about him. It definitely wasn’t the werewolf thing because Remus was way too calm for that. What other secrets does Remus have? Then I remembered his clever spell so he could read. I found it out very easily and Lily was an incredibly smart girl.
“Lily and Severus are on a but of a row now so I don’t think you have much to worry about.” I explained what happened at Lily’s birthday, the name Mary was called and the events that followed.
“But what if they make up?” Remus asked.
“I’ve told Lily many things about my life and none of them have been repeated by Snape. I trust Lily with everything in me.” I did trust Lily. I never said it out loud but I was closer with Lily than I was Mary or Marlene. We had our group of four but Mary and Marlene were closer and Lily and I were closer. I used to think Severus came between us but I know now who Lily would choose.
“Ok, thanks.” Remus nodded.
“Anything in particular you want to talk about?” I asked. I didn’t want to push him, but I also wanted to know if he would tell me the truth or not. Would he share his secret with me?
“I um… I can’t.. I can’t read without a magic spell that Sirius made. Lily found out today.” He didn’t look at me when he spoke. I wondered if it was out of shame or fear of being treated differently. The only part of the puzzle I didn’t know was that Sirius made the spell.
“That’s insanely cool.” I smiled, Remus looked up to me confused. “I always knew that there was a spell for everything but this is like next level genius!” I gawked. Remus scoffed in surprise, as if he had no idea this was cool.
“Thanks..” was all he could say.
“So you’re hanging around my mates now are you?” I smiled.
“That a problem?” Remus grinned.
“Nah, my mates are yours.”
* * *
A few days later I actually joined my friends in the library, and so did Remus.
“So if you’re not in a gang,” Mary smirked, I couldn’t believe they were still on this gang idea. I understand being confused where the scars where from, but Remus was the last person to be in a gang. “Where’d you get all the cuts and bruises?”
“Pet rabbit,” Remus guickly lied, I gave him props for lying while still reading over Marlene’s paper. He was definitely good at keeping this secret. “Vicious temper.”
“Oh yeah? I thought you lived in a home?” Lily didn’t buy it, I didn’t blame her.
“I do.” He replied without hesitation, “We’re allowed pets.”
I hid my smile, he was talented indeed. “Aww, I want to meet this bunny!” I said and Remus gave me a look that said watch it
“Oh, in a children’s home?” Mary became eager, “Are you muggleborn too?”
“No,” Marlene spoke first. She was so confident with her answer, I had no idea how, “’Lupin’s’ a wizard name – your dad?” She looked to Remus, pressuring him with her eyes until he nodded. Marlene knew many obscure facts but this was the strangest.
“Yeah, how did you know?” Remus looked uneasy.
“I saw the name on a trophy.” Marlene shrugged like this was all no big deal.
“A… trophy?” Remus asked.
“Yeah. Can’t remember what for, I think it was outside the Ravenclaw common room.”
“Oh, right.” Remus looked like his brain was starting to explode. Whatever trophy this was, Remus had no idea it existed. I couldn’t imagine learning about your family history from relics and stories. It seemed like such a cruel fate.
“Go, Remus.” I noticed Lily hadn’t taken her eyes off the man. I looked to see all my friends starring at him. It didn’t take long before Remus was up and out of the library.
“So why we’re you outside the Ravenclaw common room?” I asked Marlene who simply shrugged.
“I went to see Dorcus.” She stated like it was obvious.
“Sometimes I feel like you’re replacing me with Dorcus.” Mary raised her eyebrows.
“I could never! You wouldn’t let me do it that quickly.” Marlene smirked, Mary’s jaw dropped as she pretended to be hurt.
“I think there’s trouble in paradise.” I whispered to Lily who laughed.
“I agree, it’s not looking well for Macdonald either.” Lily agreed.
“Oh shove it!” Mary fired jokingly.
“Ooh, hostility is not a good sign.” I tisked and shook my head. Mary threw her essay at me smiling, I threw my quill at her.