➥COMPLETED
Nova Black hadn't thought she would ever set a toe behind those thick castle walls she had fought to forget about during the past thirteen years, but here she was at Plattform 9¾, staring at the scarlet train in front of her with wobbly k...
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A CERTAIN comfort Nova hadn't felt in a while settled in her mind, when she placed her empty mug back on Remus desk with a seldom real smile on her lips. Whatever she had feared this day would turn out to be, her meeting (— she refused to listen to the annoying voice in the back of her head screaming, “its a date,, lady!” —) with Remus was not even half as bad as she had guessed, even though she still had difficulties looking at him without blushing.
It indeed was ridiculously easy talking to Remus. After she had started, words floated out of her lips like a running river, even being able to talk about things she used to kept hidden in a locked corner of her mind.
"... and he had tried to get Kreacher to help him with his pranks, but what can I say?", Nova snorted, shaking her head in amusement, "Kreacher loved Reggie, but he couldn't stand Sirius a tad bit. He loved to misinterpret Sirius' orders, so it wasn't rare that Sirius ended up with a nose biting mug for breakfast instead of Reg." She chuckled, staring down at her hands with a blissful smile over those happy memories. "It turned awfully quiet in the house, after he was gone", she added in a whisper.
"It indeed had been never really quiet, when Sirius had been around", Remus said, his voice vibrating with laughter. "He was the main source of all noise pollution in the Gryffindor tower. Or in the Great Hall. Blimey! Everywhere!"
"He was such a bright boy", Nova then sighed. "Such a kind one, though he would have never shown anyone! I can't imagine what had made him turn like he did. I often thought that maybe ... maybe he couldn't cope with Marlene's death. Maybe he was jealous with James and Lily for being happy, while he himself had lost every chance of ever receiving the same kind of bliss. Does that make sense?"
Remus face turned into a stern mask and his shoulders tensed as he shrugged.
"A lot of bad things had happened back then", he said. "Regulus' death didn't leave him cold as well, no matter how much he tried to persuade himself that it was your brother's own fault. He had lost him. And he never forgave himself what happened to Regulus." After a small pause he added. "And to you."
Nova felt her body stiffening, but in the warm light of the fire burning in Remus' office, the comfort she had felt before didn't fully leave her, so she found the strength to say, "I wondered for a long long time what life would have been if he hadn't left. Maybe I would have found comfort on the dark side as well." She looked down at her own knees, fumbling with the hem of her blouse. "But mainly I like the thought of the three of us having been able to prevent each other from being consumed by all this evil that had its grip around our necks."
"Sometimes the most heroic thing to do is to resist the darkness to pull yourself in, while you're still surrounded by it in a whole", Remus said, bringing the corners of his lips up to a smile; the first thing Nova saw, when she looked up. "You can be more than proud with yourself, Nova." He placed his hand on hers, that was now resting on her leg. "I for sure am."
And if anyone knew what it was like having to refuse to sink into the waters someone has willingly thrown them into to drown, a werewolf surely counted.
•✧•
JUST AS Nova's Christmas gift hadn't been cursed — not magically, nevertheless it hurt more than the Cruciatus Curse ever could — Harry Potter's broom wasn't as well, meaning that the boy was the owner of a brand new Firebolt, and if that wasn't a reason to be happy for a thirteen year old Quidditch enthusiast, Nova didn't know what else could bring joy to a young boy.
However, Harry Potter didn't seem to be happy at all. With Christmas far behind them, Nova found the boy more often in the library with his friends again. He seemed to have forgiven Hermione Granger, and though his ginger friend couldn't spare some nasty remarks about his dead rat every now and then, he also seemed to be done with their fight, all three of them having returned to their task to save Buckbeak, the Hippogriff, from his gruesome fate.
"Here", said Nova, placing a pile of books on their table in an otherwise empty library. "That one", she tapped on the book on top, "is plastered with helpful arguments, mainly about a Hippogriffs natural behaviour. I am not even sure if all of judges even know how to spell Hippogriff, so I think mainly Hagrid should focus on explaining why it was young Malfoy's mistake and tot Buckbeak's fault."
"Thank you", Hermione remarked, cracking a smile, while the ginger just blankly stared at her and Harry didn't waste even a blink in her direction. Hermione, who noticed the tension, cleared her throat, saying, "It's just that ... The trial is over. And ... and it didn't go well. They have sentenced Buckbeak —"
Nova felt like being slapped straight across the face. "But when — how —?"
"Hagrid was intimidated by Malfoy", Hermione sighed. "He was nervous. But there's still a small chance, another kind of trial here at Hogwarts at June sixth. Hagrid doesn't have much hope, but we won't give up on Buckbeak ..."
The tension didn't ease after that explanation, and Nova felt that Buckbeak's heartbreaking fate wasn't the only reason that Harry didn't even look at her and Ron Weasley eyed her with something that went deeper, weighed heavier than curiosity.
"Hagrid indeed has found some wonderful friends in you", nevertheless Nova said, forcing herself to smile. "He must be so grateful that you lots have his back."
And finally Harry looked up, his emerald green eyes burning with intentness, as he spoke in a firm growl, "Yeah, that's what friends are supposed to do. Help each other, you know? Not stabbing their backs ..."
