✓ | EPISKEY → remus lupin [ discontinued ]

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Alanna awoke groggily to Tiffany bouncing on her bed. Alanna was never one for early mornings.

"Tiff," Alanna groaned tiredly. "Get off!"

"Nope!" Tiffany continued bouncing on her friend. "C'mon, sleepyhead! It's time to get UP!"

Alanna grunted as she kicked Tiffany. Tiffany bounced off Alanna's bed and onto the floor, landing on her bottom once more. Standing up, Tiffany huffed.

"Fine then. I'll go to breakfast." She walked to the door. She glanced back at Alanna. "Alone."

Alanna grunted in her sleep.

"Without you!" Tiffany reiterated as she opened the door. When she didn't earn a response from Alanna, she huffed and slammed the door closed.

After about ten minutes of trying to fall back alseep, Alanna finally sat up and decided to get ready for the day. She chuckled to herself as she realised that Tiffany had in fact left without her. What a drama queen.

After showering and dressing in her school uniform, Alanna grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill. She sat down at one of the two desks in the dorm and began writing a letter to her family. When she was finished, she sealed the letter securely in an envelope. She stowed the envelope away in her robes for safe keeping until she was able to go to the Owlery later on.

As Alanna trotted downstairs, taking them by twos, she spied the boy with the chocolate brown hair and mismatching eyes on one of the blue sofas near the fire. She slowed down on the stairs, debating internally whether to just leave and have breakfast like she'd originally planned or talk to the unknown boy.

Deciding on the latter, Alanna strode over to him confidently. She sat down next to him on the sofa and watched the crackling fire. The boy glanced down at her, being abnormally tall for his age, before noting how close Alanna was to him and scooting over.

"Are you gonna tell me your name?" Alanna asked after a few minutes of awkward silence and avoiding each other's gazes.

The boy laughed bitterly. "No."

Alanna shrugged. "When you come out of your shell, I'll be in the Great Hall."

With that, Alanna stood up and walked over to the exit. She stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. The boy was watching her, an utmost curious expression on his face. Alanna waved at him somewhat shyly before she disappeared out the door.

The boy frowned as he looked down at his folded hands in his lap. Deciding on a rogue decision of his mind, the boy cursed to himself quietly and stood up to follow the strange girl.

As Alanna approached the Great Hall, she stopped in the entrance. She had spotted two groups almost immediately. One was Tiffany and her three other friends sitting at the Hufflepuff table together. The other was the four Gryffindor boys she had befriended last night. They were laughing with each other, James and Sirius having their own mini food fight.

As she was debating which group to join, Alanna felt someone come up behind her. Glancing up, she couldn't help the smile that spread on her face as she saw that it was the boy with the chocolate brown hair and mismatching eyes.

"Funny seeing you here," she said in amusement. The boy rolled his eyes and began walking into the Hall.

"Wait!" Alanna called. Forgetting about her other friends completely, she followed the older boy. He walked briskly towards the Ravenclaw table and sat down at the very end nearest the staff table at the front. Alanna sat down next to him once she'd caught up.

"Who are you?" Alanna asked curiously.

The boy shrugged and looked down at her. "I could ask you the same question, though I already know," he said smartly. "Annoying."

Alanna frowned. "That's not very nice of you to say."

"You're not in charge of what I say, are you?" he retorted.

Alanna sighed. This older boy was hard work. But she would be patient if she needed to be.

"Can you at least tell me your name?"

The boy's irritated look faltered, a more soft look appearing on his hardened face. But it was gone before Alanna could acknowledge it fully.

"No."

"Why not?" Alanna asked. She was going to be persistent as to why he couldn't tell her his name. It was all a facade, and Alanna knew it. Sooner or later that hard outer shell would crack.

"Because I said no."

She guessed later.

*

Two people seating themselves at the Ravenclaw table caught James' eye. He grinned in delight as he saw that it was Alanna with a mysterious boy.

"Sirius." James nudged his friend in the ribs, making Sirius glare at him. "Look."

Sirius rolled his eyes but followed James' finger. He grinned as he saw Alanna talking to a boy who looked to be at least a year or two older than her.

"Let's go," Sirius said eagerly. The two boys jumped up and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table. Remus and Peter stayed behind and exchanged confused glances before Remus saw Alanna.

"Oh no," he murmured as he scrambled off the bench. He followed quickly after his two friends to stop them from intervening Alanna's conversation.

James and Sirius approached the Ravenclaw table quietly. Sirius sat down on one side of Alanna while James squeezed in between her and the mysterious boy. Startled, Alanna jumped a bit in her seat before realising it was just two of her friends.

"This is James and Sirius," Alanna introduced. "They're friends of mine."

The boy with the chocolate brown hair and mismatching eyes frowned. Remus soon came up behind Alanna. Glancing up, Alanna smiled, forgetting all about the previous night's blame game or whatever-you-have-it.

"This is Remus, another--"

"Friend of yours, I get it," the boy muttered angrily. "You never told me you had followers."

"Hey, we didn't come here for her," Sirius said defensively.

"Actually, we kinda did," James pointed out. Sirius thought for a moment before he realised James was right.

"Oh, whatever. But we came here of our own accord, not because of her," Sirius said, changing his choice of words.

"We came to get Alanna," Remus interjected. "We need to have a word with her."

"But we're--"

"Sure, go ahead, take her. See if I care," he boy muttered as he picked absentmindedly at his nails. "She's all yours."

Alanna frowned and crossed her arms. She stood up and walked away with a huff. James and Sirius turned to the boy.

"That was rude," Sirius muttered.

"Does this look like a caring face?" The boy pointed to his own bored, expressionless face and shook his head. "No. Go blather to somebody who really cares."

The three boys exchanged looks before Sirius and James stood up and left with Remus.

"He seemed awfully ... strange," Remus commented, trying his best not to offend the boy.

James snorted. "Be real, Remus; the guy's a total jerk."

"I second that," Sirius agreed.