The Trunk at the End of the Bed
In the end, it had been a student who had revealed what you and your father were.
From what Snape had been able to collect from the Slytherin student body, a student who had been passing close enough by the infirmary’s entrance overheard the Aurors standing guard complaining about having to keep an eye on the two werewolves inside. ‘Complaining’ was too nice of a descriptor, what they said was no doubt more along the lines of something discriminatory.
That student had gone back to their common room and told others. It started off small: going from one student to another like uniformed dominoes in a line, hitting one piece after the next until it hit a house of cards where everything came crashing down. By morning, the Great Hall had been buzzing with talk of the beasts of Hogwarts.
When you woke, you stayed still at the sound of people talking. From the sounds of it, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were seated by your dad’s bedside, who also sounded awake, talking about what to do regarding the predicament at hand. You worried your lip to keep yourself from saying anything and giving yourself away; they were most likely openly discussing this for the sole reason that you were asleep and unable to refute whatever decisions they made.
They must have been wrapping things up by the time you woke up for their voices sounded tired and defeated.
“Are you sure, Remus?” Asked the voice that belonged to Dumbledore. “Perhaps I can sway them to —”
“I’m sure,” your father said adamantly. “Thank you for all you have done for us. You’ve taught us how it feels like to belong. I can’t thank you enough.”
There was a pause, Dumbledore was most likely giving your dad some kind of apologetic look.
“You and your daughter are always welcome at Hogwarts. It is a disservice that others do not see the same as I do. And it hurts me that I cannot persuade you to change your mind.” You heard a rustling of parchment and fabric; something must’ve been handed off. “May you find nothing but success in your future endeavors.”
From the corner of your eye, you noticed Dumbledore stand as he made his way to the fireplace in solemn form. He was soon accompanied by the other two heads of house in his motion. They must be on their way to see how those outside the infirmary walls were doing given a night to stew on the new information. You watched as the headmaster disappeared first followed by the deputy headmistress. Snape was about to cross the hearth when your dad called for him.
“Severus,” he breathed anxiously. Snape turned his head and you closed your eyes and forced your breath to remain steady. There was no answer so you assumed Snape was giving him his attention. “Unlike Albus and Minerva, you don’t care much for sugarcoating… tell me, there’s no chance we can come out of this unscathed is there?”
“I am no seer, but it doesn’t take a brainbox to see that this is out of our hands, Lupin.” It surprised you how little venom there was in his voice even with his choice of words. “Admittedly, it pains me to see the two of you go under such circumstances. It’s not a way anyone should go.”
“Thank you,” your father said with deep sincerity.
You snuck a peak then, to see Snape’s face. Snape, however, had not fully turned around, his chin carefully sat over his shoulder and his long dark hair covered his face, which hindered your ability to read him. You waited for his response, but he said nothing else and continued his way to the fireplace.
You stayed still even as the roar of flames from the fireplace crackled before going back to its usual quiet. It was only you and your dad now. You tried your best to not stir and alert your father that you had been listening in on his private conversations.
“I know you’re awake,” said your father in a playful tone. When you made no movement, he chuckled. “You’re not fooling me, I know your tells by now.”
You sighed and pushed yourself off of the bed and onto your pillow. “What gave it away?”
“I’m your father, it’s in my nature to know when my kid’s fake sleeping.” You turned and finally saw the audible smile in his voice. “I’m sure you heard us discussing, then?”
“I only caught the end of it, unfortunately.” Worry bubbled inside your chest. “What did Dumbledore want? You’re not getting sacked, are you?”
“No, er — quite the opposite actually,” he said, his smile fading with every word. “I’ve resigned.”
“What?” You nearly jumped out of the hospital bed but stopped when your pelvis groaned at the sudden movement. It was still giving you some trouble. Hopefully, Pomfrey would have something to help.
“Careful —” he began but you were still too caught up with the fact that he had resigned. Not planned to — resigned.
“Resign? Dad, you couldn’t have resigned. This job is the best thing that’s bloody happened to you.”
His eyes steeled. “Yes, however, given that students know about our condition, it won’t be long before Dumbledore starts receiving angry letters from parents.”
Your eyes fell to the unwrinkled white linen sheets covering your legs. They were bunched inside tight fists a second later out of fear of lashing out. You weren’t angry at your father, you were angry at the set of circumstances.
“And you think the best thing to have done was to resign?”
“I’d rather not cause any plight for Dumbledore or the rest of the staff. It would be easier to just… renounce the post of professor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts.” He looked so tired and defeated… you hated it. “I know it’s the best thing to do.”
It wasn’t the best thing to do, it was what was expected of him. You’ve always known what kind of man your father was, he’s the kind to choose what he thinks would be considered right even when it was something he didn’t want to do. You know he doesn’t want to resign, he’s looked and felt his best in ages and it was all thanks to this job. He enjoyed other people’s company and he took pleasure in teaching others, just like he did teaching you when you were younger, he was a natural. Resigning wasn’t the best thing to do and you hated that your dad thought so.
“But —”
Your name on his tongue sounded so definitive that it stopped your words short. He looked at you, really looked at you, in a way that told you to stop, to just give up. In a way, you wanted to. You wanted to drop everything because the façade you had cultivated over the years grew heavier and heavier the more you lied to those you cared about. Your lies hurt them and you could see it in their eyes with every excuse you gave them:
‘Sorry, I’m too tired.’
‘My legs hurt a lot, I can’t go.’
‘I’m feeling a bit peaky. Maybe next time?’
‘Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.’
It was apology after apology, lie after lie, and you. were. tired.
You had done so much already yet not enough at the same time. There was still so much to do, so much you had to get done. You didn’t want to give up. You were still researching for alternatives to use in the Wolfsbane Potion and Snape had offered to teach you how to brew it if you got an O in your O.W.L.s! The knowledge itself would’ve helped your dad. It was him who this was all for, wasn’t it? This had all been for him. Years of studying and getting top marks so you could go on and study at the N.E.W.T. level and find ways to brew a less expensive potion had all been for him.
Now your plan was all for nothing.
“I know you don’t want to give up on your aspirations. I don’t want you to either, but you need to understand that there are things that are out of our control,” he murmured almost in a rehearsed tone. You wondered how many times he’d gone over these exact words. “Please, tell me you understand.”
You did. You did understand which was why you were incredibly cross with the fact — with everything. This was out of your control and you ran your cards only to find that you had been dealt a bad hand and lost your lot.
“Pumpkin?”
You blinked at the nickname having forgotten that you were in the middle of a conversation with your dad. Your head bobbed numbly in a way that looked like someone else had control over it, it moved without your conscious effort.
“Yeah, I — er,” you croaked, unsure of what to say. “I understand.”
Remus, who had straightened himself earlier in the conversation, was now hunched. His legs slowly poked out of his covers until they hung over the bed and he sat at its edge. Even in his 34 years of existence and his sinewy physique he could still make himself look small like a timid child who was caught staying up past his bedtime. He looked at you, his head resting on his shoulder as he did so.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” you argued.
Remus shook his head and rose from his bed to sit beside you.
“I’m not entirely sure about that, dear.” His hand, warm and inviting, engulfed yours entirely. “Still, I feel a need to apologize as a parent who’s failed their child. I’m sorry.”
“You haven’t failed me. You shouldn’t need to apologize.” You slumped forward, stopping only when your forehead bumped into his shoulder. You shivered, a sob slowly creeping up your throat. “It’s not your fault.”
“We’ll be okay,” he whispered, pulling you in and placing a kiss on the crown of your head. “It’ll all work out in the end.”
You stayed motionless and basked in your father’s comforting embrace and redolence: old books, butter biscuits, and chocolate melted all into one. His scents rarely ever changed and were a constant in your life that you held onto ever since you could recognize what they were. Your eyelids drooped as you registered what he had said. The irony in the words you told him before the start of the school year made you chuckle dryly.
“They always do.”
|| ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ☾ ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ||
It was almost never quiet.
Throughout the day, rows between the Aurors and the students of Hogwarts happened like clockwork. Shouting matches would ensue followed by bouts of silence before starting all over again. During some of those instances, you heard unfamiliar voices squabbling to be let in, to see if the rumors were true, and often times most of the questions turned into confirmations when they saw the Aurors standing guard. Whether they knew it was werewolves or not, they knew there was something dangerous.
It hurt, to sound like some kind of freak attraction served to entertain, to be mocked and cast aside. But what hurt the most was hearing the voices of your friends shout from the other side of the doors, all of them pleading to be let in. Your spine stiffened with dread at the sound of their voices.
Solaris was the first and the most frequent out of everybody to try and get inside. She was usually accompanied by Adrian and Thea whose voices you heard spew legal jargon at the Aurors. Second to those three were Lee and the twins who would wreak havoc at not being let in. Of all of their attempts to break in, none were successful. You weren’t sure if you were grateful for that or not.
It was around evening when you heard noises by the door again. The quill in your hand continued to scratch at the parchment beneath it. It was getting old now, the constant disruption of what little peace you could get. You sighed and dipped the quill back into the inkwell to continue writing. You were nearly done with this one.
“I know the department your father works for, Weasley.” The name caught your attention and you looked up from the letter. “It would be in your best interests to leave or else.”
You breathed in, your lungs burning at capacity against your ribs. The breath of smoldering air stayed there, tearing through fibers of tissue as it caught in your throat and demanded to be let out. There was nowhere for it to go even if your lips parted in fright.
“I have to see her. I can’t just —”
“This is Ministry business. You will either leave now or be forcefully removed and be taken into our custody,” said one of the Aurors. The other picked up where the first left off:
“You wouldn’t take me into custody, I’m only a student —”
“Oh, you sure we wouldn’t?”
“I —” He was silent for a moment as the Auror’s voice dropped to an icy drawl.
“You wouldn’t want your father to be seen walking one of his children out of our offices now, would you? That would surely tarnish the little reputation your father has in the Ministry.”
The letter you had been writing no longer resembled anything coherent. Whether that was because the tears that fell from your face blurred the ink below or because the paper now stuck at odd angles from between your fingers you couldn’t tell. You balled the paper and tossed it to the foot of your bed where more futile attempts at letters were discarded.
You pushed everything off of you in a fit before balling yourself up as tightly as you could; your head dug into your knees and your fingers into your arms as tears streamed like rivers of longing and sorrow. Tomorrow morning couldn’t come any sooner.
|| ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ☾ ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ||
Midnight fell when no students were out wandering the corridors and no creatures skittered over cracked tiles. Your father had left earlier that night with Sirius Black in tow. He threw a weary smile your way with a vague description of where he was going. He told you he was going to help Sirius settle in before coming in to pack up his office. He had already handed Dumbledore his letter of resignation that morning after your heartfelt conversation.
An Auror had offered to accompany you to the dorms — which offered was a much nicer way to put it, but you digress. You politely declined the offer, saying you were more than capable of finding your way through the castle to collect your things. The Auror offered again, his fist clenching the wand in his hand when Snape materialized from the fireplace. He was at your side in seconds with a hand on your shoulder to pull you closer.
“I will accompany the young Lupin back to her dorm to collect her belongings,” Snape said in displeasure. He eyed the man’s hand until it no longer lingered near his wand. “Seeing as both Black and Lupin are no longer within the parameters of the hospital wing, your efforts are no longer needed.”
The Auror said nothing, at least nothing out loud; you could tell he wanted to voice his own displeasure publicly, maybe even have Snape agree with him. His lips moved, mumbling under his breath as he walked past, you froze at his words:
“Blithering beast.”
You bit your tongue knowing it would not end well if you told him off even if he was no longer in the same room, having flooed back to the Ministry. You turned to face Snape, eyes drawn lower than where his own eyes were from the ignominy of being called a beast.
“You didn’t have to do that. I could’ve handled it.”
“An Auror was about to attack a student on school grounds. It is my job to keep students safe from harm.”
“Oh come off it, professor,” you said without much thought. Your mouth twisted downward in an attempt to keep yourself from crying. “I’m no longer a student, there’s no need to protect me.”
“Do me a favor and keep quiet if you’re going to say such codswallop.”
You looked down at your hands and chastised yourself. That had been a bit barmy of you to say even by your standards.
“Sorry,” you mumbled, dragging a hand across your face. “But you understand what I meant, right?”
Snape sighed, deciding to say nothing in response and motioning with a quick hand to follow him toward the fireplace. You did and immediately got whisked away by the green flames. A second later you stepped out and recognized the green and silver decorations of the Slytherin common room. Your eyes scaled everything, drank in every nook and cranny to commit the image into memory. This would be the last time you see it after all.
Your eyes fell on the sofa in front of you where tousled platinum hair glowed in the low amber of the flames. Draco was asleep on the soft velvet material, his lanky body curled up tight in the crease between the backrest and the armrest. You were not jealous of the crick in his neck he was going to wake up with. You fought the urge to wake him so that he could go back to his bed and withdrew your already extended arm. It wouldn’t be a smart thing to do.
“I’ll escort Draco back to his dorm,” Snape muttered then turned to look at you. It almost felt as if he had read your mind. “Don’t take long. I’ll wait for you here.”
You nodded and made your way to your dorm. Every step felt like a tick closer to the end, like a countdown of sorts. You only had so much time left in the castle, every second spent was a second too many. The dark-stained wood beneath your hand felt smooth, the grain carefully polished, and the ornate knob cold but familiar to the touch.
You froze at the quiet voices of Draco and Snape in the common room.
“Professor? What are you doing here?” The younger of the two asked. There was a growing silence before he spoke again. “Where is she?”
“I’m sure you are capable of understanding what a bed is, Malfoy. Make use of it.”
“You didn’t answer my question: where is she?”
“It is none of your business. Now go to your quarters before I deduct points from Slytherin.”
“But I —”
“Draco.”
And although you couldn’t see them, you were sure that Snape was glaring at the younger Slytherin. You caught the trickling of Draco’s grumble as their footsteps faded, their scents dwindling along with them. You turned back to the door in front of you and carefully turned the knob.
The door creaked open softly and you made your way inside. You had to be quiet and quick with erasing every and all evidence of having ever lived there. You couldn’t risk Solaris waking: seeing her reaction to you… seeing her flinch in disgust or horror would never quell your fears of losing those you care about.
Light poured out from the crack, perhaps Solaris left a light on but that was unlike her; she hated sleeping with a light on. You slipped through the door and closed it quietly behind you. Solaris sat at the end of her bed, slouched and folded within herself with her arms wrapped around her legs to draw them closer. She looked ready for bed but her body was devoid of sleep. Her eyes snapped up to meet yours — neither of you had been expecting the other.
Your name on her tongue sounded dissonant. All you could do was stay frozen in your spot as you blinked. For the longest moment, there was only a deafening pause.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay,” she said in a voice so painfully careful you almost weren’t sure if it was Solaris. She unwrapped herself but stayed on her bed. “I was beginning to worry that you were actually dead and Madam Pomfrey was just making up excuses.”
You stayed quiet, your feet planted on the cold tiled floor, unsure of what to do. She was acting as if nothing had happened at all, as if the information about your lycanthropy hadn’t made its way to her ears. Perhaps they hadn’t, surely not everyone could know… but that was wishful thinking.
“Say something you’re worrying me.” She slid off the bed to her feet and made a step towards you. You took a step back. “Say something… please?”
You wished to any deity in existence who could hear your plea to answer. To tell you that somehow, by some miracle, the truth had fallen upon deaf ears; that she was blissfully unaware of your lycanthropy. Her green eyes shimmered, the flickering flames from the lantern revealing the truth in them there was something in her eyes that told you that she knew.
“I don’t know what to say,” your voice wavered in breath.
“Anything. Literally anything.”
“Anything?” you repeated, your voice devoid of answer.
The next thing you knew, Solaris was taking sweeping steps toward you, her arms wrapped around you tight as her head pressed firmly against your chest. You raised your arms up high so she could hold you and kept them there unsure of what to do. Solaris recognized your hesitancy to hold her back and tightened her hold on you.
“Just hug me, please?”
You finally wrapped your arms around her shaking figure and laid your cheek atop her head. The two of you stood there for perhaps a solid minute before you broke the silence. Her thick dark hair tickled your nose as she shifted beneath you and suddenly the smell of anise overwhelmed your senses.
“What’s with all the niceties?” You teased in hopes of distracting your own emotions. “Have you suddenly learned your manners after all these years?”
A wet chuckle came from Solaris and that was when you realized that her shaking was a result of her sobbing all this time.
“God, I forgot your humor always came up at the worst times.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
Another wet laugh sounded as she stepped back and finally put some distance between the two of you. You watched as she wiped at her face, her expression seemingly repulsed at the fact that she had cried so openly. You tried to assure her with a careful touch but stopped halfway through the motion, thinking it was best not to touch her now that she knew what you were but remembered that she had initiated a hug just moments before. This newfound hesitancy was awful and you knew better than to change how you would normally act around her so you let your hand gently hold her arm.
“How come you’re not freaking out?” you asked because you genuinely wanted to know.
“Oh don’t get me wrong, I absolutely freaked out when I first heard about it.” The gesture caught her attention and she looked at you. “I didn’t want to believe it at first but then all the little things started clicking together like a fitted puzzle and I just — I had to see you so I ran up to the infirmary and nearly got myself stunned by one of the Aurors there.”
You chuckled bitterly. Yeah, you were able to hear that much at least. Made it incredibly difficult to stay inside the infirmary and not rip that Auror’s head off from attacking her or the others.
“So it’s true? Some student heard the Aurors talking about me and my father?”
And just like that, as if with the push of a button, the sadness in her eyes was quickly replaced with anger.
“Don’t even get me started! — some student overheard the Aurors posted outside the Infirmary and put everything together — their words spread like fiendfyre and Montague had the gall to openly criticize not only you but Professor Lupin in the Great Hall yesterday during supper.” Solaris looked as if she had eaten a pepper imp from how red she looked, or perhaps there truly was smoke coming from her ears. “George had to hold me back before I did anything absolutely mad and lose Slytherin any more points for violence against peers. He was angry too, quite terrifying actually.”
You raised an eyebrow. “George held you back?”
Solaris nodded. “Fred and Lee were too busy pelting him with bangers, mash, and buttered peas from across the room. It got so bad when over half of Gryffindor started pelting the others students with food. Lost Gryffindor some points actually.”
“Why am I not surprised?” You couldn’t help but feel your face warm up pleasantly at the thought. It eased your thoughts to learn that the twins didn’t entirely hate you. At least you hoped so from what she’s told you so far.
Solaris fell back into her bed, a beckoning hand motioned for you to follow her steps and join her. You made your way over to the other side and sat down. Her unsuspecting hand, however, grabbed the back of your shirt and pulled you down beside her. All you could see now was the ceiling of her four-poster bed. Cutouts of wizarding magazines and photos adorned the once-barren wood. Photos upon photos were plastered over others as the years went by. You watched a few of the older photos of the three of you and compared them to the ones from now and how different you looked within the span of five years. You smiled.
“So… why were you awake?” you asked with a playful nudge. “It’s way past midnight and I know how much you love your sleep.”
“I was waiting for you.”
You furrowed your eyebrows, confused.
“How did you know I would be here tonight?”
“I didn’t,” she said earnestly, “I’ve been waiting since the night of the party.”
You counted the days since then in your head. “Sol, it’s Sunday now. It’s been three nights!”
“I mean, you had to come back eventually, right?” Solaris’ voice wavered, you didn’t need to look at her to know that there would be tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. “You said you were going to be in late to celebrate with us, but you never did.”
“Right.” You blinked, unsure of how else to respond. The letters on your person weighed on you more than ever now. “I did say that. I’m sorry I lied.”
“It was a full moon that night, wasn’t it?”
You didn’t want to talk about this, not yet at least, but you could tell her little things for now.
“Yeah.”
Solaris shifted a bit, she was probably looking up at the ceiling. To your surprise she wasn’t, her eyes met yours and you turned to your side to mirror her.
“Once the entire school found out, Thea told me she had suspected for months.”
“Of course, she had,” you said, a faint smile on your lips. “She’s in Ravenclaw for a reason.”
“Yeah,” Solaris breathed out, mystified by her. “She’s wicked smart — brilliant even.”
Her eyes darted from yours as she said it and it cemented the knowledge you had about her feelings toward the Ravenclaw. The admission made you think back. In hindsight, it seemed obvious that she suspected a few things when the two of you were around each other. She at least had the tact to not look or act disgusted by you, or tell others about your condition if she had ever taken a problem with it. Doubts still gnawed at the edges of your mind.
“So you’re not disgusted by me? By the fact that I’m a werewolf?”
You flinched and pressed yourself further into the bed at the sudden movement from Solaris who had pushed herself up onto her elbow.
“Merlin’s sake, no! I was so worried that you weren’t speaking to anyone. I can’t imagine how heavy of a burden this must have been.” The bed dipped from where she leaned in, her hair falling like a curtain. “You’re the nicest, most couthy person I’ve ever known. All that nonsense they say about werewolves is absurd! You being a werewolf changes absolutely nothing.”
Her words left you with few, if any, words of your own. The two of you stared at each other for a moment longer before you thought of something to say. You found there to be too much to say that you said nothing of worth at all. Again, humor seemed to be your default setting.
“Wow, sounds like you’re confessing your love for me,” you teased, which resulted in a pillow to the face. Laughter bounced between the two of you until it died down, you turned to look back up at the ceiling. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Solaris tilted her head to study you. “There’s nothing to thank me for, I’m just treating you like I always do, like a human being… like a friend.”
Tears filled your eyes at her words and you let them spill. Too emotional to care about where they fell or what they drenched, you cried and Solaris, with tears of her own, clung onto you and stayed there until your sobs gave way and you could breathe without fearing that you’d choke.
The two of you fell into a comfortable silence and laid still until Solaris couldn’t handle the silence anymore and talked about smaller, trivial things: trinket memories and exchanges fueled the kindling fire of safety.
“I won’t push you to talk about your lycanthropy, but if something’s ever bothering you I want you to tell me,” Solaris said as sleep addled her voice. “I want to be there for you.”
Before you could say anything, her breathing evened and the hand holding the back of your robes loosened just the tiniest bit. You laid there in silence for what seemed like hours before the door to the shared room creaked slightly. The scent of herbs and leather wafted through for a second, a long second; the presence at the entrance of the dorm was quiet but commanding. You forgot that he had accompanied you to the dorms in the first place to collect your things.
“Please,” you pleaded quietly, your hold on the sleeping girl tightening just the slightest. “Just let me have this for tonight.”
A deafening pause.
“Only for tonight,” was his response.
You exhaled a sigh of relief and felt your worry ease up. “Thank you.”
The scent retreated and disappeared with a click of the door.
|| ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ☾ ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ||
You woke with the familiar pressure of another body pressed against yours. Anise and cardamom entertained your nose, the scent sweet but with a kick that reminded you of masala chai.
Solaris was still asleep, a usual event even as the charmed lantern inside the dorm stated it was well past sunrise. Breakfast would be served sometime soon, giving the two of you enough time to change and freshen up in the lavatory. Her chest moved alongside her even breaths, you found that your own chest mimicked her movements as you focused on her heartbeat.
A distinguishable weight shifted behind you as it moved closer: Ahira.
“You need to get up,” she murmured by your ear, “your father’s already packing in his office. He’ll be waiting for you there.”
“Can’t I stay for another five minutes?”
“You know you’ve overstayed your welcome by sleeping here for the night.”
You wanted to refute that sentiment. You hadn’t overstayed any welcome, this was your dorm! This room, this bed, your roommate, all and anything inside it was yours and had been yours for the past five years — how was it possible to overstay in your own home where you rightfully belonged? Resentment bubbled inside and you opened your mouth but clicked it shut when the person in your arms shifted. Any thoughts you had previously drawn up vanished without a trace.
“Stop talking to your snake,” Solaris grumbled, her voice still full of sleep.
You couldn’t stop from chuckling. “Oh, does my Parseltongue bother you?”
“Of course it does,” she said as she stretched, her hand nearly knocking your chin. “I was having the best sleep I’ve had in ages until you decided to strike up a conversation.”
“Apologies, your highness.”
She groaned and pushed you away from her; this only garnered more laughter from you. “What time is it?”
Your eyes shifted over to the little ball of light floating inside the lantern. It had grown slightly brighter than it had previously been.
“Give or take twenty past seven?” She merely groaned and covered her face with a pillow. “Stop being so dramatic, Sol.”
“I’m not!” she said, her voice muffled by the pillow, “but it’s mid-June and we’re done with exams.” She shunted the pillow to her side in favor of glaring at you. “Why do we still have to get up early? We’ve got nothing better to do but sleep in and eat — oh my god, breakfast.”
You furrowed your eyebrows. “What about breakfast?”
“Everyone’s going to be at breakfast,” she stated as if it were obvious.
“And that concerns me…?” You had yet to grasp what she was insinuating.
“I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten but everyone now knows about you being… you know?”
The very fact that you knew you wouldn’t be joining them for breakfast never made the idea of dealing with everyone an option. You simply forgot. Ahira was right, you shouldn’t have stayed the night, you had overstayed what little time you had borrowed. You hadn’t even meant to find Solaris last night and have such a charged conversation, it had all simply… happened.
“Right,” you said tentatively, “breakfast at the Great Hall.”
Yet you had and you were so glad to be able to still talk to her, let alone hold her. Solaris got out of bed and made her way to her wardrobe where she pulled out a few items of wear. She tossed a couple of them aside. You watched her as if it were any other day, one where you weren’t leaving for good.
“You have no idea the kind of things people were saying when they first found out,” she said as she shrugged on a jumper and some dungarees. “Awful gits need to mind their own bloody —”
“That jumper looks good on you,” you said to distract her from her murderous thoughts.
She turned to smile at you. “Thanks. Mum said it complemented my skin tone.”
She hummed as she brushed her hair, giving you time to think of what to do about the Great Hall problem. You can’t just go and mingle with the students, the Aurors would have your head. You were supposed to be gone earlier today.
“If it’s alright with you, I think I’d like to stay down here. I don’t think it would be smart of me to show my face at the moment.”
She turned to look at you all the while her hands absentmindedly plaited her hair.
“Don’t worry I’ll make sure to bring you something. I’ll even have Adrian help me carry extras so we can all eat down here — like a picnic! Oh, a picnic, how wonderful does that sound?”
You smiled wearily. “Sounds great, Sol.”
“Alright, you wait here.” She was already out the door. “I won’t take long!”
And with that, she left. Leaving only the soft click of the door in her wake. A heavy, sinking feeling tugged at your stomach as you pulled out a stack of envelopes from your pocket, they had been charmed to remain unwrinkled and were perfectly wrapped with a length of twine.
There was an envelope for each of your closest friends: Solaris, Adrian, Lee… the twins, and a couple of others who you found also needed an explanation. Each one contained a brief explanation of what you were and why you hid your lycanthropy, basically answering basic questions you knew they would have. You wrote apologies. Apologies for having withheld this kind of information from them and apologies for what you were going to do. You knew they would interpret your actions as running away — as abandoning them and maybe it was, but could it be abandonment if they threw your friendship away at the idea of being friends with a werewolf?
There was a chance that they’d bear the weight of being your friend. The thought, although very slim, had crossed your mind, but did not entertain it. If they somehow did see past your condition, this part of you, they would write back. You had added no such note for them to do so, but you held out hope. Solaris had now instilled this sliver of hope after all.
Your mouth grew dry at the sight of the neat envelopes and no matter how many times you ran your tongue across your lips, it felt as if you’d been living in a desert your entire life.
“I’m sorry,” you said to no one in particular, placing the bundle of letters on her nightstand.
You faced your bed, eyes falling onto the trunk at the foot of it. In a moment’s time, the trunk would hold all of your belongings a little too early.
|| ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ☾ ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ||
“Pumpernickel,” you whispered into the green flames. Your father had the strangest password to his office.
The fire flickered graciously and allowed you to step inside the hearth. The Slytherin common room dissipated into a swirl of dark colors before light burned through and your father’s office came into view. His back faced you as he placed a stack of books inside a suitcase. At the sound of the roaring fire, he turned to look at you, his face crestfallen at your state. He didn’t comment on it, he knew how you felt about all of this.
“Have everything?”
You nodded, idly toeing the trunk at your feet.
“I’m almost done, just a tick.”
“There’s no rush.” You poked your wand at a different set of books and watched as they floated through the air and into the same suitcase. You helped to pack, hoping to keep your mind off of things but found it rather difficult. “Are we going to floo back home?”
Merlin, you hoped not. Day in and day out, the continuous use of the floo has worn you out. Ahira would also not appreciate that, she had told you once how constricted the floo had made her feel.
“No, our home isn’t connected to the network. Dumbledore has kindly arranged for a carriage.”
“You think I can sneak into the kitchens to snag something for the Thestrals?”
He chuckled. “I’m sure Hagrid’s gotten them something tasty for their travel.”
“Maybe we can give them some meat for the way back.”
“I’m sure they’ll like that.”
A shift in the air made you look at the door, it was a common tell of someone approaching. Your father looked at the open parchment that was the Marauder’s map and smiled. You tossed him a curious look.
“It’s only Harry.”
Not a moment later and familiar black hair appeared at the door. He looked at the nearly empty room, eyes dragging along the empty tank and battered suitcase before landing on you and your father. You felt Ahira wiggle slightly but remained still afterward.
“I just saw Hagrid,” Harry said, his breathing heavy. He must have ran here. “He said you’d resigned. It’s not true is it?”
“I’m afraid it is.”
“Why?”
“Well, someone let slip the nature of my condition to the school and it won’t be long before owls start arriving from parents. They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry.” Remus moved without looking at the boy, eyes downcast. “And after the other night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you… that must never happen again.”
“But — but you’re the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we’ve ever had!” cried Harry. “Don’t go!”
Your father shook his head and said nothing. He continued emptying his drawers and shelves and handed you a few things. The bright green eyes followed his movements, his attention shifting onto you.
“You’re not leaving too, are you?” he blurted and you turned to look at him. “Do the twins know?”
“Not yet,” you said, choking back the crack that desperately wanted out. “Keep the twins out of trouble for me, okay?”
“That’s a big ask.”
“I know,” you said with a fond smile. “I’m not really keeping you to it. There’s no stopping their havoc when it comes to them.”
Remus asked Harry about a few things from that night and learned that Harry’s patronus turned out to be a stag, just like his dad’s. There was something beautiful yet tragic about that. Yours wasn’t similar to your dad’s which was a wolf. He’d told you, the first time you had managed to conjure yours, how similar it resembled your mother's. You remember being so happy at the thought that you tried conjuring it again. There were nights when you summoned it for no particular reason other than to look at it and marvel at what little you had of your mum.
“Here,” Remus said, handing Harry back the invisibility cloak. He hesitated but handed over the Marauder’s Map after a second thought. “I am no longer your teacher, so I don’t feel guilty about giving you back this as well. I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle.”
Harry took the map and grinned. You could almost feel the warmth radiate off of him in waves. You had felt the same when you yourself learned that your father was one of the makers of the map. It had been a giddy feeling.
There was a knock on the door. It was Dumbledore.
“Your carriage is at the gates, Remus,” he said. “Alastor and Miss Tonks are here as well to accompany the two of you.”
You stood on the tips of your toes to peek around Dumbledore. There, you saw the two Aurors standing outside the door; Tonks’ spiky bubblegum pink hair was a beacon of color compared to the mute brown brick of your father’s old classroom. She happily waved at the two of you, her bubbly personality made it hard not to smile and wave back. Moody, on the other hand, stood defensively by her side, his magical eye darting from side to side. You noticed how it landed on Ahira a few times as if trying to interpret what it was picking up, but found nothing and returned to a usual state.
“Thank you, Headmaster,” Remus said before turning to look at Harry. “Well — this is not a goodbye, Harry, although it may feel like it,” he said smiling. Harry gave a puzzled look. “It has been a real pleasure teaching you but this will not be the last time we see each other. Perhaps we’ll see each other again this summer after Sirius’ trial.”
“Sirius’ trial?”
Remus nodded. “Sirius and I are looking forward to spending time with you after all these years. We’ve been meaning to fulfill our godfather duties since we’ve missed the first twelve.”
Harry’s eyes grew bright and he looked up at Dumbledore. “Does that mean I don’t have to go back to my aunt and uncle’s?”
“I’m afraid that is still not off the table, Harry,” Dumbledore said quietly. “Worry not, you will only stay with them until the trial ends. The arrangement, however, will not be permanent.”
Harry looked ready to refute the idea but thought against it, too engrossed with the thought that he’ll spend some summer time with both of them. “And when will that be?”
“That we still do not know.” Dumbledore hummed, twirling the ends of his beard with a lone finger. “Sooner than you hope for, at least.”
“The Ministry has yet to assign a time or day,” replied Remus. “I will ring your aunt to arrange a time for when to pick you up the moment the trial is over.”
“Sooner is not soon enough,” sighed Harry. “I want to see Sirius!”
“Patience, Harry. All in due time.” Your dad picked up his suitcase, threw his coat over the crook of his elbow, and motioned for you to join him. You followed suit with your trunk. “Well, we must be off now.”
“Goodbye then, Remus. Miss Lupin.” Dumbledore said soberly then nodded. “It’s such a tragedy to lose two brilliant minds on such short notice.”
“Headmaster,” you returned the sentiment. “Thank you, for everything.” You walked behind your dad and ruffled Harry’s hair on your way out. “See you ‘round, boy wonder.”
The moment you and your father stepped outside the room, Alastor quickly glanced up and down the corridor before hobbling toward the exit.
“Come along!”
You shared a glance with Tonks who shrugged and motioned for the two of you to follow him while she trailed behind. You walked in stride with your father and soon the four of you were outside having walked through the winding hallways and past the gates of Hogwarts. You made your way down the winding trail, kicking pebbles and loose tufts of grass that crossed your path. There was no rush now that you were no longer on the castle grounds. (Save for Moody’s little quips about keeping up the pace.)
“So what’s the plan now?”
“Plan?” Remus hummed in reply.
“Yeah, plan,” you said nonchalantly. “Now that I’m no longer a student at Hogwarts and you’re out of a job we need some kind of plan going forward.”
A figure familiarized itself with your sight as you got closer to the carriage area. Hagrid’s large figure moved around the carriage to caress the sunken face of the thestrals. It rubbed its bony head against his palm, like a cat enjoying a good pet.
“There is no plan, at least not yet.”
“I can live with that.” You shrugged, not entirely comforted by the idea, or rather lack thereof. “We have all the time in the world now, don’t we?”
He chuckled. “Optimism is a good look on you.”
You playfully shoved him with your shoulder and he returned the gesture nearly causing the two of you to topple. You laughed, a full laugh, for the first time this morning ever since you’ve had to reason with the fact that you were leaving. Your hand, which had caught his elbow, tightened at the thought once more.
“Optimism. It does everyone good doesn’t it?”
“Oh, absolutely. Don’t go worrying that little head of yours,” he said as he ruffled your hair. You smacked his hand away and tried your best to fix what little had managed to go untouched. “We’ll manage. We’ve done so before, we can do it again.”
You stopped some distance at the carriage and placed your trunk down.
“Hello there, Hagrid,” you greeted.
“Lovely day isn’t it?” Remus asked as he situated his suitcase on the ground.
The half-giant turned around to greet the two of you by swooping down to envelop you both in a hug. You felt the air being squeezed out of you but said nothing to let the poor man cry. Once Hagrid finally placed the two of you down, your dad fixed his robes all the while you took in a deep breath of air and straightened your own clothes.
“’S not fair.” Hagrid blotted his tears with a handkerchief. “None of this is.”
“It’s not something new we’ve had to deal with, Hagrid. but thank you for the sentiment.”
“Just ‘cause the two of ye have dealt with it before don’t make it right.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Remus sighed. “But there’s nothing we can do about it, now is there?”
Alastor cleared his throat and the two men wrapped up their conversations quickly. Hagrid returned to tending the thestrals, making sure everything was properly secured before flight.
“It’s best if you both head off now,” said Moody. “We won’t join you in the carriage so it’s goodbye here.” He stretched out the hand not holding his walking staff for your dad to shake. “Sorry it had to end like this, old friend.”
Remus nodded, shaking the man’s hand before picking up his suitcase and placing it inside the carriage. He motioned for you to give him yours, which you reluctantly handed over. With your baggage now inside, he held out his hand for you to hold as you made your way in. Your food barely made it off the floor when you felt the ground thrum with vigorous energy. Rapid footsteps sounded closer with every passing second, mimicking the feeling of an earthquake or some kind of stampede.
“Wait!” Someone shouted from behind the two of you.
“For Merlin’s sake — Do not get on that carriage!”
You knew those voices. You knew them all too well. Your feet moved on their own and your head swivelled to look at those who had made their way down the trail. Moody quickly raised his wand to the defense at the swarm of bodies quickly approaching. Tens if not dozens of students were running over to the carriage area.
The sight of so many students made the fine hair on your skin prickle. Was this it then? Were they here for your head? No, they couldn’t be. Your friends were there and surely Solaris wouldn’t be in the crowd if they were here to stone you. Not after what she’d told you… but if she had read your letter perhaps she had a change of heart.
“What is all of this?” You asked, still unsure of what was going on.
“We’re here — to stop you —that’s what!” George exclaimed between pants.
“You too, professor — don’t you even think of stepping one foot inside that carriage.” Fred managed to spit out between breaths.
Remus’ face had an odd mix of both confused and sullen features. “I’m afraid that’s not possible given that —”
“But it is possible!” shouted Solaris. “Professor, we don’t want you to leave. We don’t want either of you to leave!”
“It doesn’t matter what you want or not, Miss Greer. I’m sure more than enough of your classmates have written back home and told their parents that their professor is a dark creature.”
“We don’t care if you’re a bloody werewolf!” shouted Adrian who stood next to Solaris. “You’ve been the most reliable when it came to actually learning the material.”
“What Adrian said!” agreed Cedric who you just noticed was standing next to Adrian. “We’ll tell our parents that we want you to stay!”
“No, your parents won’t —” your father tried to say but was quieted by another student. He worried his lip, fingers teasing the fraying ends of his cloak. “Your parents can’t possibly…” he tried again feebly.
George snapped his fingers sharply. “No, Cedric’s got a point!”
“I’ve never gotten such high marks in any of my previous Defense classes,” said Thea smugly. “My parents can no doubt attest to that!”
“I’m sure I’ll get an O on the O.W.L.” Solaris added with a nod. “No doubt about it.”
It seemed that the students were all in their own bubbles, speaking in hurried breaths and sharp tones about what they could possibly do to keep their favorite professor at Hogwarts. The older students continued to discuss with themselves, adjourning with the younger ones when an interesting point came up.
More students began to gather behind them and you couldn’t tell where the road led anymore. It had become overwhelming, all this support that you believed no one would give both you and your dad. More people began to give their reasons for why you shouldn’t leave. Many stated how nice you were whenever you interacted with them or how helpful you had been whether they had asked for you or not. Regardless of having been sorted into Slytherin, you had never been one to discriminate against someone for their house or their person, you knew firsthand how it felt so, of course, you never did it to others.
Students continued recounting the times you had been a stellar classmate when an approaching figure commanded attention without saying a single word. His silvery grey hair and half-moon spectacles were unmistakable. At the sight of him, everyone parted aside to let him pass until he stood in front of the two of you.
“My, I wondered where the majority of the school populace had gone to,” Dumbledore joked lightheartedly. “It would have been difficult indeed, to explain to parents where their children disappeared to on a Sunday morning.”
“Headmaster,” your dad apologized profusely. “I tried telling the students that their attempts are all for naught. They should return to the castle where it’s safe.”
“Are their attempts really all for naught, Remus?” he asked, turning to face the crowd of students. “It sounded to me as if their attempts might frankly uproot some change.”
The crowd’s chatter surged again, their voices mixing with one another until no words could no longer be deciphered to the untrained ear. Dumbledore made a placating gesture with both hands and soon their remarks ceased.
“Well, it sounds like a decision has been made.”
He then pulled out a piece of parchment from his sleeve that you recognized to be your father’s resignation letter. As calmly as anyone would rip a piece of paper, he had done so to the letter, making it vanish with a flick of his wrist.
“It appears I will soon have tea with our lovely, Minister.” He turned to address Moody who was still wary of so many people. “I would like to have a word with Mrs. Bones this evening, Alastor. Perhaps you would like to accompany the three of us?”
Moody nodded and motioned for Tonks to follow him soon after as he made his way to the apparition point. Tonks appeased Moody, taking a moment to give you two thumbs up before following the older Auror. Two distant pops were heard in the drowning chatter between the students.
Dumbledore looked at Remus once more, his light blue eyes twinkling with delight.
“I will discuss with the board of directors and the Wizengamot about reinstating the two of you. If it were solely up to me, I would have the two of you back at Hogwarts faster than you can say sherbet lemon,” he chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did so. “As headmaster, fortunately, I am able to reinstitute your status as a student, Miss Lupin. Your status can not be revoked by the Ministry, however fit they may appear to seem. An attempt to do so cannot be granted until further judicial processes can occur.”
“Meaning?” You asked hopefully.
“You will have to prove your case to a court,” he said solemnly. “But fear not, you will be provided with a representative of the highest caliber to defend you and your father.”
Dumbledore offered you a kind smile, the sparkle in his eye brighter than you’ve ever seen it this close. He turned to your father who looked apprehensive about the idea but you could tell his fighter spirit was there, it just needed a little push. The two of them stepped aside to further discuss the probability of a trial and if so, what it could mean for the two of you. You would have asked to join if not for the group of people approaching you.
You watched as Solaris and Adrian made their way over; Cedric, Lee, and the twins trailing right behind them. In each of their hands were the envelopes that contained an apology and a possible goodbye.
“Why would you do this,” Solaris asked as she furiously shook her letter in front of you. “After everything we talked about last night? I thought we came to an understanding that I wouldn’t abandon you for being a werewolf so why would you leave for it?”
“I wasn’t abandoning you, Sol. None of you — I would never,” you explained, trying to justify your actions. “I stated at the end of the letter that you were free to reach me by owl… I just wasn’t sure if you lot would want to by the end of it.”
“Well, it sure sounds like you were leaving us with these letters!” She slammed the parchment to your chest, yet you didn’t move at all from the force. That seemed to rile her even more. “Stupid werewolf strength,” she grunted as she tried to shove you, her attempt feeble.
“Sol, don’t,” pleaded Adrian as he removed her hands from you. “We’re all upset but there’s no need for this.”
She took a deep breath in, then out, repeating the cycle with Adrian who coached her through it. Once the creased skin between her eyebrows had smoothed and her heart rate returned to a normal level, she turned to look at you.
“I just — I’m upset. This isn’t fair!”
“We all know it’s unfair,” said Cedric. It surprised you to hear his voice. “It hurts us, too, you know. We’re not just anybody to be tossed aside without our own input like that.”
“What Cedy-Bear here said,” Fred tacked on.
George snickered at the nickname. “You can’t get rid of us that easy.”
Soon, teachers appeared and instructed the drove of students back up the trail in their respective houses to better manage them. The groups whistled and cheered like drunkards after a winning game of quidditch but booed at the sight of their professors who told them to knock it off. You were delighted by the sentiment, knowing now that a majority of the school didn’t despise you took a load off your shoulders.
The group remained, however, ignoring the teachers’ calls. That was until Snape appeared behind Adrian and Solaris like some muggle horror caricature to herd the two back up the castle. Cedric, knowing when to listen, followed the three Slytherins to find his own Head of House.
“I’ll write you,” Solaris promised, as did Adrian, who were both nearly being dragged by the potions teacher by the collars of their shirts.
“Sol and I will visit you as soon as we’re out of Hogwarts.”
Your face hurt from how much you were smiling; the motion uncontrolled and unrestrained, but the burn felt great. Snape’s unpleased and ‘done with’ attitude only made you feel better about the situation.
To your surprise, or not to your surprise rather, two beds of red hair remained. You stared at them unsure of what to do or say until Fred reached out and pulled you into a tight embrace.
“I can’t believe you. Leaving us a letter just like that,” said Fred, his voice nearly muffled from your hair. He pulled back to look at you, his eyes jumping from every point and landmark on your face. “I don’t need a bloody letter. I just need you.”
Another weight pulled tight, moving Fred out of the way. You didn’t need to look to know that it was George. He was careful to cradle your head and further confirm what Fred told you.
“We need you.”
Your face burned and you barely managed to restrain the shy smile that wanted to break through. You sniffled and hoped you wouldn’t cry in front of them, knowing them, they’d find some way to tease you about it.
“I’m sorry.” You blinked repeatedly to push back the tears. “I just couldn’t bring myself to face the two of you. Especially if I saw a trace of disgust cross your faces because of me. It would’ve destroyed me, truly.”
Fred squeezed your hand. “We would never —”
“— Ever —” George emphasized.
“— Be disgusted by anything you are, especially if you’re a werewolf. Everything the Ministry says is barmy anyway.” Warmth crept up your cheeks and you tried your best not to show how flustered you had grown by his words. “Unless you’re a Death Eater.”
“Fred!” admonished George.
“What? It’s true!”
The three of you laughed until you were rendered into a useless fit of giggles. It wasn’t until the laughter resided that you noticed the absence of a certain Gryffindor.
“Hey, where’s Lee?”
“Lee? Oh right, he’s got detention.”
“Detention? Detention for what?”
“Food fight in the Great Hall —”
“You should have seen it,” Fred interrupted, “It was brilliant. He hexed the mash to chase this daft Ravenclaw, Lucas McAllen, all around Hogwarts.”
George shook his head. “Poor bloke won’t be eating any more mash any time soon is all I have to say.”
“What about the two of you?” you asked knowingly, having heard from Sol. “I’m sure the two of you aided him. Wouldn’t both of you have detention too?”
“Right —”
“About that…”
“Weasleys!” exclaimed a sharp voice. Three of you turned to look at the familiar tartan-covered teacher. “Come along, the two of you must return back to school grounds. The term isn’t over yet and neither is your detention.”
“Just a minute, Ms. G!” shouted George.
“We’ll chat about this later,” said Fred whose hand never let go of yours. “Once we’re home for summer break, we’ll have more time to talk about this.”
“Only with what you’re comfortable with, okay?” George quickly added. “Just don’t go disappearing on us again.”
“Not with a proper goodbye, at least. We know where you live after all.”
“Best believe we’ll stand outside your window until you let us in.”
You giggled. “My room’s on the second floor.”
“And?” George shrugged his shoulders. “If I stand on Freddie’s shoulders we ought to reach over the sill.”
“Hey, why do I have to be the one on the bottom?” Fred whined.
“Cause your feet smell like mad.”
“Do not!” he retorted, his face turning a soft shade of pink. “Yours do!”
You laughed harder, so much in fact that you nearly had to clutch your sides. You turned to look at your dad who now stood alone waiting for you; no sign of Dumbledore anywhere. Your eyes met his and with a nod of understanding, you caught your breath and faced the boys who were still bickering.
“I have to go now,” you said breathily. “I’ll explain all of this soon, I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” Fred smiled, his eyes downtrodden like a puppy’s but filled with hope as his hand slipped away. “Well, see you this summer — and keep an eye out for our owl, yeah? We’ll tell you beforehand when we’ll visit.”
“Yeah,” you breathed. A heavy feeling tugged at your stomach. “See you, then.”
Fred and George slowly turned away, their eyes glued to you in a way that showed that they didn’t trust you wouldn’t disappear if they looked away. You smiled, waving them goodbye to placate their worries. They turned around soon after and with that, you took your father’s hand and entered the carriage.
|| ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ☾ ⬫ ⬨ ⬫ ||
The front door opened with a click.
Remus pocketed his wand and held the door open for you. You passed the threshold and, with a simple tap of the wall, the candles lining the hallway flickered with light. Behind you, your father took off his shoes and placed them on the rack. You did not pay any mind to the unfamiliar set already there and made your way toward the staircase after having removed your own.
“Not hungry?” Your dad asked. “I’m about to head down to the muggle town and grab us a few groceries. Care to join me?”
You nervously shook your hand and, in turn, the trunk.
“Nah,” you mumbled, shaking your head. “I’m proper tired. ‘Think I’ll go for a kip in my bedroom.”
“Alright. I’ll wake you for supper if you’re not awake by then.”
“Thanks.”
He hummed softly, squeezing your shoulder before disappearing down the hall to the kitchen on the left. It was sometime after noon meaning supper wouldn’t be ready for a few hours. That gave you more than enough time to wallow in your room before needing to get your shit together.
You trudged upstairs, your body heavier than it had ever felt. The news of your trial did not comfort you, not in the slightest. Rather it loomed over you like some kind of storm, dark and leaving a sense of foreboding to weigh you down. You typically enjoyed the rain, the rhythmic pelting of droplets against your window soothed you… but not this time. Not when the pelting came in droves and threatened your window with sharp raps. Those were times when you conjured your patronus beneath your sheets, talking to it like a friend long before you had any.
Friends… thankfully you still had yours.
You unlocked the door to your room and pushed it open with a careful hand. Everything was still where you had left it. Everything was as it was. It rarely changed, but when it did, it changed while you grew: from color schemes to furniture arrangements and sporadic bursts of childlike magic, but it had always been yours to change.
Your feet led you to your bed without a second thought. Ahira made her way down from across your shoulders to the soft fabric sheets while you settled the heavy trunk at the end of the bed. You stood there for who knows how long just staring at it when Ahira slithered into view.
“Alright?”
You blinked out of your stupor, your eyelashes sticking together every time you did so. “What?”
“I asked if you’re alright?” Ahira said quietly. “You’re crying.”
You touched your face and noticed the shimmer that stuck to the pads of your fingers. More tears rolled down your face at the sight.
“Oh.” You didn’t know what else to say. “It looks like I am.”
You sat at the edge of your bed for a few moments, contemplating nothing as you fell onto your back to stare at the ceiling. Ahira slowly made her way over and laid over your chest where you absentmindedly petted her. The rhythmic movement of dragging your hand over scales helped you reel in your tears. Its residue dried, leaving your skin feeling sticky and taut.
“You have any schemes brewing in that mind of yours?” Ahira hissed curiously.
“I may have a few,” you admitted. “There have been a few ever since I was admitted to Hogwarts. Plans for each stage of my life if there ever came the need.”
She raised her head, turning it inquisitively. “You planned that far ahead at your age?”
“You have to when it comes to me.” You rolled onto your side, careful not to squish Ahira as you did so. She slithered further up and pooled next to you. “There’s no telling what could happen.”