Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-Twelve - Fathers

After a moment he got some paper out. Dear Mum and Dad. He began chewing at the quill. I don't want to come home for the holidays because I have a lot of schoolwork and

He used some Ink-Away to get rid of that, and tried again.

I don't want to come home for the holidays

Then he stopped, staring at the words. He began wiping them away, from the back, and then paused when all it said was I don't want to come home. His fingers twitched and then he pushed the handkerchief aside and crumpled the parchment up, throwing it away. It was pointless, anyway. Even if he sent a letter with a hundred logical reasons to remain at Hogwarts, his mother would never let him.

But his father might.

Remus sat up straighter, chewing his lip now instead of the quill. Would he? Would Lyall agree?

Dear Dad,

I'm writing to you, for your eyes only. After everything that has happened I was wondering if perhaps it would be best if I were to remain at Hogwarts for the Easter holidays.

He stopped there, hunching over and rubbing his forehead. He didn't want to say the main reason was Lyall. That'd just make everything worse.

I have a lot of schoolwork, especially now that I have so many electives, and I want to stay behind to work on my assignments and study. Plus the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has asked me to occasionally help him, not as a teacher's aide since I'm too young, but down the line I could probably become one which would be very helpful.

Helpful for what? He had no future.

After all, the more I learn, the more I can help after graduation.

He sat back in his seat, the quill back in his mouth. He wanted to add that he didn't think his father wanted him there anyway, but didn't dare. Finally he just left it at what he wrote, signed his name, and sealed the letter up.

"I need to go to the owlery. I need to get this letter off."

"It's after curfew," James noted. Remus frowned, debating whether to go or not. As he stood there, James got up and fetched his cloak. "Here."

"Thank you."

"Cocoa isn't there," Peter said, biting his lip. "I'm sorry..."

"It's all right, I can just use a school owl," Remus said as he pulled the cloak on already, in case Magpie was down there, ready to take points off if he saw Remus trying to leave. "I'll be right back."

He left, being cautious as he slipped through the common room and out the entrance, and then ran the whole way to the owlery. He fell twice and wound up with a bleeding nose which he wiped off on his jumper so as not to get any blood on the cloak. Inside the owlery he managed to corner an owl and get the letter tied to it, apologizing as he did so and giving instructions to take it to the thrift shop in Caerphilly immediately.

He watched the owl fly off, clutching his stomach and wondering what the hell he had just done. Either Lyall would agree and Remus could put off dealing with being at home for a while longer... or else he probably just infuriated his father and made his time home during the holidays even worse.

*

All anxiety about home had to be put aside the following morning, as he had to focus on his exams instead. They were starting the week off strong with their first exam right away: Potions. More specifically, making a potion. Or rather, starting a potion. They'd have their written exams on Wednesday, and then finish the potion on Friday.