𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐧 • remus lupin

Chapter 20°

However, a cough from behind interrupted that silence and made their looks switch to the four boys behind them.

Amelia didn't even acknowledge them, as she was too focused on her three best friends in front of her. But when she did recognize them her eyes went wide. Peter, Remus, James and Sirius stood some meters away, awkwardly looking at her. Peter was folding his hands, while Remus was scratching his neck, nervously, his eyes never leaving Lia. Sirius face seemed relieved, probably for the fact that Lia was still alive and her pain was gone. 

James, for one, was more focused on the whole situation between Lauretta, Jaden, Molero and Amelia. They seemed so close and loving. Like a real family. It reminded him of the marauders themselves. And this thought made his stomach turn weirdly.

Seconds of silence passed in which all of them just looked at each other. Remus was the first one to raise his voice and snap out of this trance, that fell over the lot.

,,Amelia, we are really sorry." he said, scratching his neck once again, his eyes never leaving hers. ,,We didn't want our prank to go this far."

Peter still looked down at his hands but felt the strong need to say something too, as they put the innocent girl in so much danger. ,,We never meant for anyone to get hurt."

,,It's okay." Amelia said quietly, making the seven heads around her snap up in confusion and surprise. The boys expected her to shout or scream at them, while her friends thought she would snap or just glare at them in anger. None of them was expecting this soft voice of hers to appear right now. ,,I know you didn't mean for this to happen. Besides, you couldn't know what effect it would have on me."

,,We're still sorry." James spoke for the first time, since they had found Amelia laying on the ground in the hallway. She was a Slytherin, yes, but he didn't mean for her to get hurt. Not in such a mental way, that it seemed to affect her in. Besides, she seemed pretty genuine and understanding, so he decently had to apologize. In the end, Peter and Remus had warned him about the consequences, but he chose to ignore those for his own fun.

Suddenly, Sirius was the one to take a step forward and straighten his posture. ,,If I may ask, what was the effect? None of us knew what really happened. It seemed like a panic attack, but you didn't even notice any of us around you. You whispered some words and sentences, but it didn't make any sense." Maybe it would if he knew what those words were all about. 

,,He didn't make it." 

,,It was my fault."

The smile on Lias face faltered and she lowered her head, facing the white blanket that covered her legs. She didn't even know what exactly happened herself. It started with a panic attack and then she was unconscious. And she somehow saw Callum. But Lia wouldn't be able to explain that to any of them, especially not the marauders. Still this experience and her contact with Callum made the broken pieces of her heart rebuild a little bit. And that was more than she would have ever imagined and wished for.

,,It doesn't matter." she chose to say, like she always did when something stood between the truth and the lie.

Sirius just nodded his head, not wanting to push her into saying something, and faced the ground, but Remus didn't seem to be pleased with this answer. He had heard it way too often from her lips, to believe that it was truly unimportant. He raised his voice, as a troubled look took over his face. 

,,What do you mean? It does matter! You were laying on the ground unable to register us and fainted. We were scared that you wouldn't wake up again and you say it doesn't matter?!"