Corrupted Souls | remus lupin

haikus for lisa abbott

"It's different to have someone confirm it."

"Nott told you?"

"Yeah." Sirius crossed his arms. "Regulus is an idiot."

"They all are." James mumbled. "Can't wait to never see their ugly faces again. Parkinson and Malfoy, especially."

"D'you think war - like, real war - is a possibility?"

"I'm pretty sure one's already going on, Pads."

"Yeah but ... I mean ..." Sirius frowned, trying to find his words. "We hear about Voldemort's shit in the papers and then a death eater or two will get locked up - and that's it. But it's only gonna get worse, y'know? What are we gonna do about it?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment. While these thoughts had a tendency to pop up from time to time when they were home, Hogwarts seemed to exist in a different dimension. They were safe - for now - and they didn't like to dwell on what waited for them outside of the castle.

"Dumbledore's starting up a resistance of some sort. Neoma told me about it."

"How did she hear about it? Her dad?" James inquired suspiciously, still not trusting the girl.

"No, Dumbledore told her. He wants her to get others on board before we graduate."

"Sorry, what?" Remus leaned forward a bit. "You mean to tell me Neoma's, like, a spy?"

"Eh, spy probably isn't the right word. Traitor, maybe, but she wasn't really on Voldy's side to begin with, so I dunno if that counts." Sirius mulled over Neoma's situation, trying to find a word to best describe her. "She's just defective, I guess. And this stays between us, 'cause this can't get back to the other twats in her house."

"So she's just been talking to us to - what - recruit us for Dumbledore?" Remus frowned, not wanting to think her kindness was so ... premeditated.

"Essentially, yeah." Sirius shrugged. 

Remus scoffed. "She really is a Slytherin."

"Well yes Moony, she is. How observant of you," Sirius mumbled.

"So she's just been nice to me - and Lily - to use us?"

"Stop being so dramatic, mate. I think she's genuinely interested in getting some new friends. Hers are, eh, not the best."

"So she thought lying to us would be a good way to make friends?"

"Why are you getting so upset with her? If Neoma Nott randomly walked up to you last year and said 'hello Remus, please join a resistance against Lord Voldemort', do you really think you would have taken her seriously?"

"Well, no -"

"Alright then, so unknot your knickers and stop acting like she's some evil mastermind."

Remus crossed his arms, and upon meeting James's questioning look he just shrugged. 

"Some conversation you two must have had if you're standing up for her like this," James observed. "What makes you trust what she's saying?"

"Neoma's gone through some shit. I'm sure we could just ask Dumbledore if we really wanted to confirm what she's saying, but I believe her."

"What 'shit' has she gone through?" Remus pried. Sirius picked at a loose thread on his blanket anxiously. 

"It really isn't my place to say, mate."

"Bullshit."

"Would you like it If I told her you were a werewolf?" Sirius replied hotly.