Among The Stars --- Remus Lupin

•twelve•

The following morning Ara met Lily at breakfast. She pulled her to the very end of the table and built a sort of fort around them with their bags and books.

"Got a secret?" Lily asked, looking amused at the wall of books around them.

Ara lowered her voice and whispered, "Don't freak out."

Lily's eyes widened. She nodded vigorously and leaned in closer. Her curtain of red hair added another layer of protection from prying eyes.

"Um, yes."

Lily jumped straight up and did a sort of dance. When she looked down at Ara's horrified face she quickly covered it up with a stretch and reached for the orange juice.

"Tell me everything," Lily squealed.

"Well, I went to visit him with the boys when he was sick last night and I had a really nice time."

Lily didn't even seem to be bothered that she wasn't invited. "Did you look into his eyes and just know? Or was it something he said?"

"I don't know," Ara shrugged, blushing madly.

"Did you hug him or kiss his cheek or hold his hand or--"

"We hugged."

Lily squealed again and luckily Ara was saved from answering more questions when the boys walked in.

-----

When Remus returned to school Ara didn't know how to feel. Whenever she saw him walking with his friends she wanted to run over and talk to him or hug him or laugh with him; but she also wanted to run away and shove her feelings in a box. Whenever she talked to him she felt ten times more aware of the way she held her arms or smiled; but at the same time she had never felt more comfortable with someone.

Ara just didn't want it to be awkward between them. When things got awkward they got, well... awkward.

One afternoon in Divination, Professor Trelawney asked someone to make a prophecy. No one raised their hand, but there were snickers coming from James' and Peter's table.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, is there something you'd like to share?" Trelawney asked, raising a brow.

James stared up at her blankly. He was on extremely thin ice with Trelawney, one more mishap and he could earn himself detention for the rest of the school year.

"Well? Do you have a prophecy you'd like to tell the class?"

Peter shook his head and James looked to Ara for help. Before she could try and help him out though, an evil grin stretched across the mischievous boy's face.

"I do, actually," Potter smirked.

The Professor looked as if her tea leaves had just sprouted into a full grown tree.

"I'd love to hear it," she sighed, regaining her composure.

Ara glanced towards Remus, wondering what was going on. She saw him motioning at James to shut up.

"I predict that Remus has a secret," Potter smiled.

It would only be a matter of time before Ara knew what that secret was.

"Hardly a prophecy Mr. Potter, everyone has secrets. 10 points from Gryffindor for talking during class and wasting my time. Ms. Jones, can you predict anything for us?"

"I predict that Professor McGonagall will talk to you later about getting new zodiac sign textbooks," Ara guessed.

"Wonderful dear! I have had my eye on a few written by Bishop Jenkins that I think would be perfect for this class," Trelawney praised, waving her hands dramatically.