Order In Chaos | Remus Lupin

1. Aye Aye Captain

"Two miserable weeks!" I've heard this rant twice today, it's no better this time around, "Two bloody weeks I've been working on you sorry sods and not a single muscle."

"But Alastor-" McKinnon starts to whine.

"IT'S MOODY TO ALL OF YOU! THIS IS WAR AND WE'LL LOSE WITH THAT SENTIMENT!"

"Well he's acting rather moody..." Sirius whispers into my ear.

Moody's eye swivels to Sirius' direction. "Something funny, boy?"

"No sir." Sirius' voice is meek, almost frightened. We're all shitting ourselves right now, the madman has lined us up in the kitchen like we're about to be shot by a firing squad.

"It's only been two weeks sir." I know this is a bad idea, the guy is unpredictable. When we were first shipped off to Moody at the start of the holidays, it was clear that he wasn't about to give me any kind of special treatment just because we'd met before.

"And that's two weeks more that Voldemort has gained," he says with a condescending overly sweet tone that tells me I'm in trouble. The others around me- including myself,- wince at the name. "So you kids better do your ten laps or you won't get a single bite to eat. Understand?"

There's a mumble of yes sir's as we begrudgingly stomp out of the cottage, towards the field Moody makes us run. A hand brushes mine as we walk up the path. "Nice work, Aylin."

I sigh, interlocking our fingers. "I'm sure he'll find a way to make me pay. Probably dinner duty or something, which will be worse because we'll almost certainly practice duelling beforehand, so I'll have to cook with aching limbs."

"We've got a month to go." Remus smiles, pulling away from me and starting to jog, "And I bet you won't be faster than me by that time."

I start to jog after him, unable to take my eyes off of the boy. If it weren't for him right now, I'd have given up, gone into hiding like my parents. But whenever I look at him, I feel stronger.
EWW OH MY MERLIN WHEN DID I BECOME SOPPY.
I try to pass him, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, just like Moody taught. "You wish, loser!"

"Uh huh, now who's the one who's five foot four?"

"I grew a centimetre." I huff.

"Sure you did."

"Oi lovebirds, get a room!" Lily shouts from behind us, starting to close the distance. I know that before long, I'll be lagging behind. Damn everyone and their long legs.

I look over my shoulder, and grin. "We would but that room is for you and Potter!"

"We aren't a thing, Novak!" I hear James shout, and when I look over my shoulder again, I see Lily running with a frown.

*

After the run, we are partnered up for duelling, and while it is fun to duel with my peers, it is certainly not fun to be made an example of by Moody, who jabs at my every fault. By evening, I can barely make it up the stairs to the room I share with the girls.

"Letter for you."I look up to find Emmeline closing the door behind her. She throws the two pieces onto my bunk. "That owl is messed up, Lin."

"It's my sister's." I roll onto my stomach and push onto my knees, trying to look casual as I tear open the envelope.

She picks up her cardigan and turns to leave, giving me privacy. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

"Thanks," I say, but she's already out the door, her footsteps creaking through the landing. I pull out the letter, finding comfort in my father's slanted and smudged handwriting:

Myshka,
I know you are busy and old Alastor is giving you Hell, but I couldn't resist the urge to make you jealous. I can't believe it's been years since I've seen the sea, and we spend the entire day sunning ourselves and eating ice-cream.
But in all seriousness, we know you'll be worrying, and we're fine. Our new home is much better and much less cramped thanks to Dumbledore. Your mother has already started putting up all of her knickknacks, and Miriam has painted her bedroom wall green and silver.
We've missed you, when will you be back? I think I'm going to go mad with your mother and sister siding against me all the time!
Stay safe, and if Alastor gives you Hell, remind him who stuck fake eyelashes onto that magical eye (me, by the way).

Love, Dad. 

I smile at the letter, tracing my finger over the ink lightly. Then, a flash of colour catches my eye in the discarded envelope. Pulling it out, I realize that it is a photo that must have dislodged itself from between the folds of the letter. Mum and dad wave out at me, sitting beside a Miriam covered by sand up to her neck, so that she looks more like a severed head. Despite her predicament, she is still grinning ear to ear at the camera.

"Sleeping Beauty?"Lily's voice floats up the stairs, and I shove the letter into the drawer nearest to me, and the photograph into my jeans pocket. The door creaks open. "Oh good, I thought you were asleep. Meadowes is making a right mess of it downstairs, could you help?"

I raise my brows. "Why can't you?"

"You know I'm shit at cooking."

"Ask Sirius."

"He's getting his arse beaten by Alastor."

"Peter."

"Hanging out the washing."

"Remus?" Lily opens her mouth, pauses, and then shuts it again, as though deciding against speaking. I frown. "Lily..."

"He left just after you went into the shower." She shrugs. "Something about his mum, I don't know."

"On his own?"

"Yes."

"For God's sake," I mutter, getting up and reaching for my cardigan.

"What are you doing?"

"How many times has Moody told us not to go out on our own?" I huff, and Alastor's voice echoes in my mind. "If I walk fast enough, I might be able to catch up with him in town."

"He apparated." Lily pulls my cardigan out of my hand and tosses it onto my bunk. "Leave it, and stop worrying, you can give him Hell when he comes back, alright?"