NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Forty Three: Her Mistake-

Are you ready for the weirdest game of literary Where's Wally you've ever played?

Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? One mistake can cause a ripple that affects so many people.

Helia Blacksmith is about to make a mistake that will be regretted by her, Jade, Bella, Lin, Sirius and Remus.  Whatever happens tonight, there is no way that any of their relationships will be the same. It may take seconds, or minutes, or weeks to manifest itself, but everything can be traced back to this one, simple mistake.

Let's see if you can spot it.

....................................

"You are not escaping this time."

Remus glanced up to see James standing over him triumphantly. There was a gleam in his eyes that Remus had learned to recognise as meaning nothing good, unless 'good' constituted explosions. Many, many explosions. Sirius was sat on the arm to the side of his armchair by the Common Room fire.

"Huh?" he asked, blinking. Remus had a feeling that James had been talking to him about something, but his mind had drifted off.

"The end of year party." James said, rolling his eyes at Remus's lack of attention span, "We even moved it forward a week so that it wouldn't overlap with your," he lowered his voice "furry little problem. You can't miss it."

Remus half smiled, but there was no real emotion behind it. "'Can't' is a strong word."

"Put it this way," Sirius chipped in, grinning in a way that Remus really didn't like, "I know one Ravenclaw who's being dragged along. And who knows? With alcohol and a some of James's really bad music, forgiveness has a way of happening."

"Hey!" James sounded like a kicked puppy.

Remus raised his eyebrows, "If that doesn't have a story behind it..."

Sirius shrugged, and Remus almost thought he saw a slight blush on his cheeks. "Shut up."

"Is no one going to acknowledge the fact that he called my music terrible?" James demanded.

Remus winced. "To be honest, mate..."

"I can't believe this!" James collapsed back onto the ancient sofa, releasing a poof! of air. He pointed an accusing finger at Remus. "Betrayal! Treachery! Backstabbing Judas!"

"You have Rick Astley on your playlist, Prongs." Sirius pointed out, none too gently.

"It's a muggle joke." James argued. Sirius and Remus shared unconvinced looks.

Sirius and James's arguing faded into the background as Remus contemplated the thought of actually going to the party. One the one hand, he was a prefect, and this kind of behaviour would definitely not be considered appropriate. Also, parties weren't really what Remus would have considered his 'scene'. But Helia would be there...

When they had got back to the castle almost a month previously, it was like she had just switched off. Something clicked in her head, and the girl who had let him sleep on her shoulder, and spilled the most private thing in her life to him was gone. The girl he had known for six years with her wall built up like daunting towers of defence reinstated herself. She had given him a stiff nod and left him on the dirt track to his side of the castle. They hadn't spoken since. I mean, he got it. He got the fact that she had to at least try to be amiable with him when he was in her home, and that that obligation no longer held at the castle, but he couldn't help but feel the whiplash from the sudden shut out.

The chance of seeing Helia and explaining himself was too inviting and too daunting.

"Oi, Moony!"