for the one i love ; fred weasley

chapter 20

NARRATOR'S POV

"It's over!" Shouts Cassius excitedly, running out of the classroom. Adrian and Carina chuckle, following after him at their own pace. "We did it! Fifth year's finally done!" He exclaims, jumping around. "Two more years and it'll be our graduation!" He yells, hugging random Slytherin students along the way. Some of them look shocked, while others hug him back after short deliberation, patting his shoulder.

Carina laughs at his enthusiasm, "I love how he's forgotten we have to take our N.E.W.Ts before then," she murmurs for Adrian, who purses his lips to contain a snort as Cass celebrates.

"Don't remind him," mutters the long haired boy, draping his arm over his best girl friend's shoulder. "Last night at Hogwarts for the next two months..." he adds, biting the inside of his cheek as Nina sighs heavily. They had to stay for the End of Term Feast, which was always held the day after the exams were done. "I'll miss you," Adrian tells Carina as Cassius finally calms down, walking over to his friends.

"I'll miss you both," Carina says with a wistful grin. Cassius' energy lowers a little but then he's wrapping his arms around his friend and Adrian joins in, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. In a good way. "I'm gonna die suffocated, help!" Cries Carina, dramatically flailing her arms from under their bone crushing embrace.

Suddenly, a voice comes from behind them, "I believe, Miss Malfoy may need to breathe in order to be able to come back next term?" Its Remus, Carina gasps for air exaggeratedly as her friends pull away with innocent smiles on their faces. "Allow me to have a word with Carina, will you?" The boys nod without hesitation. They know she has a good relationship with Lupin.

"She hasn't eaten today!" Calls Cassius as him and Adrian begin to walk away. Carina scowls at his words, narrowing her eyes.

"Sod off, Warrington!" She hisses, afraid of her dad's reaction. Slowly, she turns to look at Professor Lupin, who has both eyebrows raised at her in a warning manner. Immediately, she offers him an angelic smile, "I'm sorry, I forget to eat sometimes. I've been working on it -"

Without saying anything, the man hands her a couple of their favourite sweets: chocolates. Carina thanks him quietly, taking the treat in her hands before beginning to eat it in silence. Lupin nods his head, asking her silently to walk with him and she agrees by following his lead. "I'm still seeing what I can do to have you come home with me," says the teacher, making sure nobody can hear their conversation. Carina turns to him, eyes wide at his words, "What I have - is nothing compared to what Lucius has but -"

"Stop," Carina says, a look of disgust on her face at the way he's degrading himself. "I - I don't care about what you have or don't. I would be happy with anything as long as it's you and Padfoot..."

Remus feels his heart soar, but he doesn't say anything about that, instead he says, "I've avoided Dumbledore as much as possible because of the Padfoot situation, but I think he may be my last resort..." He breathes out, shaking his head vigorously. "I can't let you go back to the Manor."

As she watches him speak, she realises he looks different today. He looks tired, and angrier, hair messy and eyes lost, "I'm afraid there's not much we can do there, Professor," she sighs, finishing the chocolate and throwing away the wrapper. They stop at the Hogwarts Bridge, and Carina holds on to the railing, looking at the sky. "Look, Rem, I - I really wish I could go home with you, with Padfoot... But I think Lucius knows something," Remus looks down at her with surprise. "He spoke to me at the game, asked me if there was anything I needed to tell him. I said no but, it's only a matter of time until he finds out. I have to act normal. I can't let them catch Padfoot because of me."

"We just have to get to Wormtail first then," mutters Remus, inhaling deeply. It's a long shot, they both know that. Finding a small rat is not an easy task, even less so when it knows it's being sought after. "Pads wouldn't want you to go back to the Manor if he knew where you were going," he mumbles warily.