Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

Seventy-Four

"What do you mean you're not leaving?" Marlene was the first to speak on the train.

"Exactly what I said." Aries shrugged, opening another one of Liam Handley's books, one she had read countless times but never got tired of it.

"Don't you want to leave? I thought you hated it there?" Alice asked, concern edging her eyebrows in a frown.

"She's doing that annoying patience thing again." Honey growled, folding her arms together and pouting while glaring out the window. "I've tried to talk her out of going back there, but obviously I have failed" she added.

"Of course I hate it there at 12, Grimmauld Place, but I have to go back." Aries sighed closing her book, knowing she wouldn't get very far if the girls kept asking her questions, which she knew they would.

"Why? It doesn't make any sense. If Regulus and your father were the only ones keeping you there, and now that you got over that, why are you still going back?" Lily asked. 

Aries gulped, looking down at her lap nervously. It was the same question she had been asking herself for the past few hours. The same question she had asked herself the night Sirius had left. Why was I still staying?

"Because even though Aries is a reckless young woman, with the IQ of someone similar to Dumbledore, she is still a human being. And humans have fear." Honey rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Alice, Lily, and Marlene shared a moment to glance at one another in silence before Lily spoke, "You're afraid to leave? But wouldn't you be free of your mother if you left? What would you be afraid of?" 

"The same reason I'm scared to act out, or be someone other than the person my mother made me. Afraid to get punished. Afraid to be found and brought back. Scared to think I could never be free of her." Aries admitted.

The girls had never heard Aries speak of her fears, not even a fear of failing a test, not afraid of looking bad before classes start, not afraid of even being mocked at school. They had all realized in that moment how small she really was. How even the boldest, most reckless girl they knew, was no braver than them.

"Oh Meredith." Alice frowned, getting up with Lily and Marlene to hug Aries. Honey stayed out of the hug, keeping her distance and frowning out the window.

While Lily began humming her song, Alice took notice in Honey's bad mood and decided to take action on her own thoughts.

"You wanna talk?" Alice asked Honey, the blonde looked back to Alice, a single nod lead the two out of the compartment and into the train corridor. "What's on your mind with all of this?" Alice asked Honey as the girl leaned against the wall.

"I just hate how Aries won't help herself. Why can't she just run? Leave? Why can't she just take her own advice for once? I want to help her but I don't know how" Honey huffed in annoyance.

"Well, for one. Aries isn't just our friend, she's like a sister to all of us, so of course we all want to help her. But her situation is more complicated than that. It's Mere's decision if she wants to leave or not, and she does, we just need to help her keep up the motivation. We need to show her that she's not alone. That she has nothing to fear." Alice explained.

"Why does it have to be so hard though?" Honey whined.

"No one said it would be easy." Alice shrugged.

"No one said it would be this hard either." Honey countered.

"Patience, Honey. Everything will fall into place, just give it time." Alice shrugged. "I mean, look how long its taking Lily and James to get together. Even Aries and Remus." She added with a giggle.