Deep In The Woods

10 ~ The Tunnel

You excused yourself from breakfast. It was difficult to weasel away, however, because Dorcas was going on about something that she wanted your opinion on. You insisted you had forgotten something in the dorm, and how you didn't have much of an answer for her dilemma. Certainly Mary and Alice would be better to ask for advice anyway, wouldn't they? And you're sure Lily has some answers. You managed, after the short issue, to hustle out of the Great Hall.

"Don't run!" Selena hissed as you passed. You, rolling your eyes and muttering some insult, continued to speed away.

You were going to confront Remus. How could he hide something like this, whatever it was, from you? It must be important if he would keep it a secret, right? You thought he trusted you enough to tell you anything, anything! You would listen. You would keep his secrets. He was among your dearest friends, and you wanted nothing more than to help him.

Still, this hurt. Lying to your face for months at a time. He had been lying since you met him. Your first friend, and he's been up to something all year? Maybe your gut had been right. Maybe all wizards were like Jasmine, and everyone was keeping up the facade much better than Remus.

No, you scolded yourself. Lily and Dorcas, Alice and Mary, Severus and Maddie, they were good. You had met good people. Your teachers, at the very least, were tolerable. You had to remember that.

The guilty thoughts that everyone had been lying to you mingled with the pinge of hurt that Remus had betrayed your trust. You asked Merlin that this was all some big misunderstanding.

You had seen Lupin in the Great Hall at lunch, so you figured he was leaving late tonight. You were going to catch him. Either way, he had some questions to answer!

Your haste was not you friend; clumsy as always, managed to slam face first into the air as you ran down the hall.

Brushing hair out of your face as you stood, you were bewitched by the sight before you. How had you not seen them? There was no one in the hall a moment ago, but now, on the ground like you, were Sirius and James half covered in Potter's dusty old quilt.

"Sorry," you said. "I didn't see you there. What are you doing anyway? Dinner is in the hall."

James glared, apparently not raised to be polite as you were. "None of your business."

"You wouldn't have seen us, though, would you?" Smirked Sirius. Great, no apology from him, either.

"I wouldn't?"

James elbowed Sirius, hard. The boy doubled over, clutching his gut as the pair stood; James gathered up the old quilt into his arms and adjusted his square glasses. Sweeping his already messy hair over his newly fitted goggles, he tilted up his chin.

"No! You wouldn't! Guess some of us are just good at magic."

"What sort of charm- nevermind. Have you seen Remus?"

Sirius scoffed. "Ditching dinner to see your boyfriend?"

"He's not my-!"

"He's getting ready to see his mum," said James as he turned on his heel. "Shame you didn't know, probably won't catch him! Train leaves at dusk."

"It's already dusk!" You exclaimed, looking out one of the towering windows. The few golden rays of sun left were slowly losing the battle against darkness as the stars began to twinkle among the clouds.

"You'd better hurry then!" Shouted Sirius as they strut away.

You let out a frustrated noise as you dashed back towards the stairs, this time sprinting up the stone and being certain to skip the vanishing step that had caught you off guard one too many times. Of all the people you could literally run into, why Idiot One and Two? There wasn't a single pleasant conversation with them!