swim || remus lupin

over my head (cable car)

It was early December before I heard Theo's name again.

It wasn't that I had forgotten, how could I? It was just that things at Hogwarts seemed to speed up in the winter, and I was more than occupied with quidditch, school, my friends, and Remus.

The morning I had woken up from my coma, Alice, Lily, and Marlene explained what they knew of the situation: Alice had seen me enter the lake from our dorm window, and then about ten minutes later Theo got up with a smile to leave. The three of them had rushed to Dumbledore's office, and he had them wait there. After about a half an hour, Professor McGonagall was sent for them, and they found me in the hospital wing looking grey, bleeding from every surface, entirely soaked, and frowning arbitrarily.

It had occurred to me early on to ask the headmaster for details on my brother's whereabouts, but Remus seemed to dislike anything to do with the old wizard, and so I decided against it.

After a few weeks, when I started spending the nights with Remus and the nightmares stopped, I had pushed the name to the back of my thoughts.

Until one day in early December.

"Surprised his plan fell through," Severus had said during Herbology one morning.

Although for the rest of the school the enticement of my status was old news, the greasy boy was still not over his prejudice and bullying.

I ignored him.

"Theo's, I mean," he continued.

My hands stopped moving and he sneered knowing he had my attention.

"What did you do to him anyways?"

"Shut it, Snivellus," James warned, plucking the berries off of his mistletoe plant and glaring at the boy.

"Hey, I don't want any trouble," Severus said lightly, putting his hands up. "Wouldn't want to get pulled to the bottom of the lake or anything."

Sirius, who was closest, dove at him and pinned his shoulders down on the ground.

"Mr. Black!" Professor Sprout cried, but Sirius ignored her.

"Say it again," he dared. Severus did not. "That's what I thought. Fucking pitiful."

"Mr. Black that is quite enough."

Sirius rose to his feet, standing over Severus, and blew a piece of hair out of his face. He held out his hand to help up the boy, but just as Severus began to rise, Sirius shoved him back down and stepped over him, walking back to his place by Peter.

"10 points from Gryffindor," Sprout directed fervently. Sirius shrugged.

He made eye contact with me across the room and I mouthed a quick 'Thank you' to which he replied with a wink.

After class, I figured it was time to face what happened and talk to Dumbledore.

My friends all offered to come with, but I declined, knowing it was something I had to do alone. I knew that they were waiting outside, though, which did provide a little bit of comfort.