Talking Things Through
Chapter 10: Talking Things Through
October 11, 1993
George had a Charms test that day.
Well, so did Fred. They both had a Charms test.
Neither of them had studied for it. And apparently it was pretty hard.
They sat in their seats nervously, glancing around, trying to find out if there was any way they could evade taking the test. Maybe it was all a joke. Maybe there was no Charms test. That was the most they could hope for.
"Okay, everyone!" Flitwick squeaked, dashing their hopes. "I'm passing out the tests now! Don't turn them over until I allow you to…"
There was a terrible retching sound, and everyone in the class glanced around at the unfortunate guy, Bernie Bilibum, who had just vomited all over the floor.
"Oh, dear," squealed Flitwick, putting a hand to his forehead dramatically. "Mister Bilibum, I think we should get you to the Hospital Wing."
"We'll do it!" announced Fred and George in unison, springing out of their seats.
"No you won't," Flitwick said disapprovingly. "Miss Horton, would you like to take Mr. Bilibum up to the Hospital Wing?"
"Of course," answered Sandra Horton immediately, standing up and escorting Bernie Bilibum to the Hospital Wing. "Up we go, Bernie. Easy does it."
Fred and George grumbled as they sat back down into their seats.
"Fred," George whispered, "what if one of us were to vomit in the middle of class? We wouldn't have to take the test!"
"George," Fred whispered, "that is absolutely brilliant."
James walked into his private quarters, thinking about where they could attempt to find Liana when he saw Lily sitting by the table, fiddling with the tablecloth, a distant look in her eyes. She was still having trouble getting over this whole problem.
James walked over to her and sat in the seat next to her. He reached out an arm and put it on her back. "Hey," he said softly.
She turned and looked at him in the eye. He could never get tired of looking at those eyes. "Hi," she said.
"It'll be okay," James said, not even bothering to ask if she was all right. He knew her better than anybody in the world did, and he knew from one glance at her face that she was upset.
"I know," Lily whispered, "but it's just so scary. You don't know how afraid I get when something happens to my family." She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I don't know what to do."
James rubbed her back consolingly. "Liana will be alright. You know that, right?"
Lily nodded. "I hope so."
"Don't worry," he said brightly. "It'll clear up. People go missing all the time. I went missing in my second-year, remember?"
Lily let out a small laugh. "Of course I do. But you just left to go spend the day at Hogsmeade. Just for a prank."
James sighed. "This will be over soon, too. I trust the Aurors." He paused. "I trust Tonks."
"She does seem all right," agreed Lily. She took a deep, quavery breath. "Thank you, James, you're a miracle."
"I know," said James with a grin. She laughed, and he felt a smile spread upon his face.
Laughter was much needed in these times. And that meant he had to give it, which was no problem.
It was his speciality.
Tonks knocked on the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom softly, her heart pounding against her chest.
"Come in," a voice called.
She pressed the door open and looked inside. The classroom was empty, except for Professor Lupin, who was leaning against his desk, sipping a mug of tea.
"Hi, Tonks," he welcomed with a wide smile. "Do you need something?"
"Er, yeah. I have no idea what the schedules are like, do you know where Harry is?" she asked.
"Harry will be attending this class in a few minutes, actually. You're welcome to wait until then. Do you have something to ask him?"
"Yeah. You know, it's standard procedure. If he has any idea where Liana could be," she explained.
"I see." He took another sip of tea and set his mug aside. "You can pull him from class when he gets here."
"No, actually, it's okay. I think we can wait until he has Potions, or something. I wouldn't want him to miss out on your class."
Remus smirked. "I see I wasn't the only one who didn't like Severus Snape."
She made a face. "Hated him. Good teacher, terrible person."
He laughed.
There was a moment of silence, and Tonks realized that there was something she wanted to tell him.
"Er, Remus," she began quietly, "I know we didn't really get a chance to talk about… er, your lycanthropy, what with the entire Liana thing. And I… Honestly, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. I feel so bad for you, but I know you probably don't want my pity. I do want you to know that this hasn't changed my opinion of you. I'm not… scared of you, or anything, and I'd still like to be your friend."
His face was impassive. Something flickered in his eyes, but she didn't know what it was. Maybe it was best to give him some space.
"I understand you'll need some time," she said with a small smile. "It's okay. Thanks."
She turned around and started walking out of the classroom, hoping that she hadn't just colossally messed everything up, when she heard his voice call, "Wait."
She turned to face him. "Yeah?"
In a few large strides, he was standing right in front of her. "You really mean it?"
"Absolutely," she replied, watching his face closely.
And then he swept her up into a hug. Surprised, but pleased, she returned it. She could almost feel the release of tension in him. Her toes lifted off the ground, ever so slightly, as he held her, tight, and up off the ground. She hugged him tightly, unable to help the smile that made its way onto her face. This was exactly what he needed. She could imagine the constant fear that came with being a werewolf, and she felt horrible that he had to endure so much. She leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling.
Finally, yet all too soon, she felt her toes touch ground again, and he released her gently. "Thank you," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You don't know how much that means to me."
"I mean it," she whispered. "That's what friends are for."
"Thank you," he repeated. "You're amazing. Thank you."
"Of course," she replied with a smile.
They stood there for a moment, smiling at each other, until the door burst open and some third-years started shuffling into the classroom.
"Are you sure we aren't learning about the Giant Squid today, Professor?" asked one of the students.
Tonks stifled a giggle. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"The Giant Squid," said the student, a deadpan look on his face. "We heard that we were learning it in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We were going to go Giant Squid hunting, but Professor Lupin said no."
"Don't even ask," muttered Remus as she raised an eyebrow.
"Whatever you say," she mumbled, smirking. "I'll see you later, Remus. It was nice talking to you."
"Bye," he said, smiling.
It felt like the two of them were alone in the room, the way he was smiling at her, the way she felt she was melting under his gaze. A thud brought her back to the present, and Dean sheepishly picked up the book he had dropped. With one last smile, she headed out of the room.
She was falling hard.
"This is so creepy," whispered Candice.
"Where's Sirius, huh?" asked Kylie. "I don't see him!"
"He's a notorious mass murderer, Kylie," snapped Liana. "If the Ministry hasn't found him yet, then it's going to take us a while to find him too."
"Do you even have any idea where we are?" asked Candice softly. "Is this a magical place, or something? Or is it a Muggle place?"
"I don't know. But Sirius Black has been here, I know it. We need to move, fast, before he goes somewhere else," Liana answered.
"Good idea," agreed Kylie. Her stomach gave a grumble. "Er, do we have anything to eat?"
Liana wanted to slap her forehead. "Yeah, some bread, I think."
"I should probably have a few chocolates somewhere," Candice muttered, looking through her backpack and fishing out three weirdly-shaped chocolates in small, foil wrapping.
"Thanks," grumbled Kylie, taking one, unwrapping it, and popping it into her mouth.
"I always have a few in case of an emergency," explained Candice, handing one to Liana and taking one for herself. "This definitely counts."
"Does anyone have any money?" asked Liana. "My parents are rich. I brought a few Galleons." She dug out a handful of golden coins. "But we need Muggle money. How are we going to do that?"
"Are we in a magical forest or a Muggle forest?" asked Kylie, hopping around.
"We'll just have to wait and…"
"MAGICAL!" cried Candice.
Liana turned to look at her friend, whose face was pale with fright. "What is it, Candice?"
Candice held up a shaking finger in front of her, and Liana whipped around to see what it was.
An Acromantula with glittery eyes was crawling towards them.
"Get your wand out and hit it with something!" shrieked Kylie.
But all they really knew was the Levitation Charm and the Disarming Spell, neither of which was effective against a fully-grown Acromantula.
"Rocks, rocks!" shouted Candice. "Throw something at it!"
Liana and her friends scrambled to find something on the ground that could be thrown at the Acromantula, though the spider in question did not seem very happy about having sticks thrown at it. It snarled and screeched, its black eyes glittering with malice.
And then there was a blast, and the Acromantula fell dead on the ground.
Lily sat on the sofa in her office, shivering. She was bundled in blankets, the ghosts of dried tear tracts stained on her cheeks. She huddled her knees against her chest, swaying slightly, when there was a gentle knock on the door.
"J-Just a second," Lily managed weakly. She dabbed at her face ferociously, to make it look like she wasn't crying. "C-Come in."
The Auror she had seen yesterday, Nymphadora Tonks, entered cautiously. "Hi, Miss Potter. How are you?"
"I'm not in the mood for an interrogation right now," Lily grumbled. She knew it sounded rude, but she didn't have the energy to care about that, not after she knew her daughter was missing.
"I'm not here for an interrogation," Tonks said, a small smile appearing on her face. "I thought you'd like some company."
Lily pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "I'm not in the mood for that either."
Tonks sat down next to her gently. "I'm not going to pretend I understand what you're going through. Because I don't at all. I'm not a mother, and I probably won't be for a long time. I don't know what it's like not to know what happened to your child. But I do know that we can find her. We can find Liana Potter, and the sooner, the better. We need to do everything we can, and we will."
Lily closed her eyes. Of course she knew all this. But it was easier said than done.
"I, er, I know this is your office," Tonks began, shifting uncomfortably, "but do you want me to get you something? If you have tea or something, I'd be more than happy to make it for you."
"I'm fine," snapped Lily. She took a deep breath and then added, in a softer tone, "Actually, there should be a few packets of hot chocolate that James nicked from Remus. Can you…"
Tonks gave her a sideways smile. "Of course."
Lily buried her head into more blankets until she heard Tonks return with a mug of steaming hot chocolate, a few marshmallows bobbing at the top. She accepted it gingerly. "Thanks."
"My pleasure," replied Tonks brightly. "You, er, you said that James nicked this from Remus?"
Lily took a sip. It was delicious; the richness of the chocolate was melting on her tongue. "Yeah. Remus loves chocolate. He doesn't go anywhere without it. And James, well, he's always nicking things. Remus doesn't mind, though," she added quickly.
"I know," responded Tonks nonchalantly.
"Why?" queried Lily shortly, taking another long sip. She knew that she shouldn't be so harsh with Tonks, but there were more pressing matters on her mind.
"I was just wondering," replied Tonks quickly. "Er, how long have you been teaching Ancient Runes?"
"Four years," said Lily. "I started a clothing shop before that. It closed down, and Dumbledore gave me an offer."
"Neat," said Tonks, running a hand through her bright blue hair. "No offense, but what exactly is Ancient Runes all about? I never took it. I took Arithmancy instead."
"None taken," said Lily flatly. "Ancient Runes is the study of translating runes into English. They wrote with ancient runes a long time back. We aim to translate and understand not only the runes, but the system and how it worked."
Tonks nodded thoughtfully. "It seems like a challenging class. There's no way I would've passed it."
Lily snorted. "James didn't take it either. Remus and I did. But that doesn't mean he isn't smart. People underestimate James since he's so goofy half the time."
"I'm not one to underestimate, Miss Potter," Tonks said. "I work with James at the Auror Office. I know what he's capable of. And he talks about you a lot."
Lily felt a small smile appear on her face. "He does?"
"All the time," replied Tonks. "He really loves you."
"Thank you," responded Lily, blushing, because she really didn't know what to say to that. "I'm sorry for being so grouchy earlier, I..."
"You don't need to apologize," Tonks said. "I understand. How long have you and James been married?"
"Thirteen years," Lily reflected happily. "Are you married?"
Tonks snorted. "I'm only twenty."
"I was twenty when I got married," defended Lily.
"No, I'm just saying I have plenty of time," Tonks amended.
"Oh, I see. Well, that's better than thirty-three and still single, like Remus is. You know, because he's a werewolf."
"People know?" asked Tonks in a hushed voice. "I thought it was a secret?"
"It is," Lily clarified. "I mean, Remus is really noble that way. He thinks he'll endanger people if he gets involved with them. I don't think he's ever been in a relationship before. He doesn't let himself get too close."
"That's so sad," whispered Tonks. "Having to be restrained like that."
"I hope there's someone out there who'll see him for who he is and not what he is," sighed Lily.
Tonks looked like she was going to say something, but thought better of it.
"Right," said Lily, sipping the last of her cocoa, "thank you for coming. It really helped, actually. Thanks."
"My pleasure," replied Tonks brightly. "Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all. It's been great meeting you. Bye!"
"Bye," said Lily, watching Tonks as the younger woman stood up and exited the room.
For some reason, she didn't feel so upset anymore.
"He's looking at you, you know," whispered Marietta.
"Be quiet!" said Cho, blushing.
Marietta snorted as Cho brushed her hair back nervously, watching him watch her.
His eyes bore into hers. His eyes were hazelnut-brown, and shining. She gazed at him back steadily, and offered a smile.
He smiled back, running a hand through his hair.
Someone walked in between them, breaking their eye contact. When she looked again, he was talking to the person next to him.
Cho Chang could get forever lost in the eyes of Cedric Diggory.
"Hey Dad," Harry sighed, plopping onto the sofa in his mother's room. Though James technically had his own room, he opted to stay with Lily. Harry always found him here.
"Hi, Harry," James said with a smile. "What's up?"
"Er, nothing much," Harry admitted, watching his father scribble at something. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to find Liana."
"Oh. I can come back later, I don't want to disturb…"
"No, Harry," interrupted James, looking uncomfortable. "Actually, I need you for something."
"Okay. What?"
"Yeah, I need you for, er, questioning." James looked at his son. "We need to know everything about where Liana could be. And, since you're her brother…"
"So I have to tell you everything I know about Liana?" asked Harry dubiously.
"Exactly. Tonks offered to do it, but I told her I think you'd be more comfortable if I did the questioning," James explained.
Harry honestly thought that he would've been more comfortable if it was someone who wasn't his dad asking the questions, but he didn't argue. "Er… Okay."
It was the weirdest thing, being asked questions about your sister by your own father, having to answer them formally and professionally, not being sarcastic or snarky, having to confess everything to your dad. It was uncomfortable, and tense, and by the time it was finally over, Harry wanted nothing more than to hide in his bed for the rest of his life.
"Well, that's that," mumbled James. "Thanks for your help, Harry. I promise we'll find her soon."
"Yeah," muttered Harry, and he practically ran out of the room.