Episkey//D.M

5

Christmas was dawning on us quicker and quicker everyday, the weather had gotten colder which was my opportunity to wear as many scarves as I could and steal the twins jumpers. I stared down at my potions book, wishing that I could just absorb all the information and not have to worry about it. As I crossed the bridge, I hadn't looked up to see if anyone was in front of me so, of course, I managed to collide with someone, quite harshly also. I quickly looked up as the person grabbed my arm to steady me.

"Oh Professor Lupin, my apologies. I was distracted. I should probably look where I'm going sometimes." I laughed nervously and he smiled at me softly, chuckling lightly.

"I would advise that, but it seems I was distracted also. So all is forgiven." He smiled at me and I returned the smile, but it faltered slightly when he looked at me. "Are you alright, Phoenix?" He asked me and I pondered the question for a second before looking out, over the view from the bridge.

"I'm not sur, sir. Things have been so off, I'm jusd coming to terms with the fact that things aren't as normal was well think they could be. Alas, we are witches and wizards, something muggles only tell stories about." I spoke my thoughts out loud, something about Lupin felt comfortable, again, as if I'd known him before.

"You are much like your mother, always thinking of the bigger picture, pondering things that some wouldn't even think about." I stared up at the man in shock this was the first time I was hearing anything about him knowing of my mother.

"You knew my mother?" I asked him as he leaned on the ledge of the gap on the bridge, me leaning on the other one as I continued to look at him as he smiled at me sadly

"A long time ago, I knew both of your parents. The second I saw you, I knew who you were. I'd met you when you were only young and your mother and father-" he paused for a long moment before continuing. "You had your fathers eyes and your mothers nose, I remember distinctly a conversation between the pair about who you looked more like." I watched as the man seemed to get lost in the memory before he looked back over to me with a pained smile.

"Knowing you for this short period of time, I saw the similarities. Your mothers mind, your fathers quirks and seeking trouble." Lupin smirked while I just smiled down at my hands. No one talked about my parents in such a way and they never compared me to them.

"I never knew my mother Professor, she died before I could get to know her." Lupin smile faltered and he searched for words for a few seconds, as if not knowing what to say.

"She was not like anyone else we ever knew, she was quiet yet her thoughts were so loud. Sometimes she'd talk people to sleep, not because she was boring, but because it was so relaxing to hear her talk about anything. It took your father a good few years to win her over, it was much like James and Lilly." I looked back to Lupin quickly, Harry's parents name shocking me slightly.

"James and Lilly were friends with my parents?" I asked him and he looked at me in shock for a few seconds, as if I should have known this. But quickly, his shock was replaced with a sad smile as he nodded slowly.

"Yes, they were friends, we all were." He seemed as if he didn't want to discuss that topic any further, so I didn't push it. "Your mother was a loving woman, with both a beautiful heart and a beautiful mind. Your father-" he sighed gently as he bowed his head. "He had to go through losing your mother alone, it wasn't easy on him." I nodded slowly, knowing he was trying to comfort me.

***

Night had began to set and I was walking to the library to look for a new book to read tonight. Some
"Watch where you're going you rat!" Draco yelled how, I hadn't learnt from the first time of having my nose buried in a book while walking through the halls, because when I collided with someone this time, I fell straight on my ass.

"Watch where you're going dimwit!" He yelled and I rolled my eyes as I reached over to pick up my book from the floor, holding it to my chest as I stood up, brushing off my tights and skirt.

"Maybe you should watch where you're doing, it takes two people to not see each other to collide." I argued back and he huffed at me in annoyance.

"You are insufferable." He commented in fury and I rolled my eyes as I looked up at him. As he searched my eyes for a moment he seemed to soften only slightly. "What's wrong with you?" He asked me in annoyance and I looked at him confused.

"You just sent me flying to the floor, I'm annoyed and my ass hurts, what the hell do you think is wrong." I brushed past him roughly as I tried to get past him, but he quickly grabbed my arm and made me look back at him.

"You think you can talk to me like that?" He asked me, genuinely seething with anger and I stared him down.

"I see through your bullshit Malfoy, I can see straight through you." I threatened him and something in his eyes shifted and he dropped my arm, watching as I walked away. I walked my way to the library, annoyed that I let Draco get to me so much, he was nothing more than a privileged whiny brat. My thoughts of Draco soon passed as I browsed the books, finding the perfect one and setting off to the great hall to meet up with everyone else for dinner. Hermione and Ron had told Harry of what they did at Hogsmeade as we climbed the stairs, heading up to the common room.

"What's the hold up? Only Neville forgets the password." Ron commented and I looked back at him, to see Neville stood just behind him.

"I'm right here!" Neville exclaimed and Ron looked at him and shrugged his shoulders as an apology. We watched as Percy pushed past everyone, trying his best to get through to see what was going on.

"Let me through, please. Excuse me, Thankyou, I'm head boy!" He exclaimed and I rolled my eyes while Ron just huffed in annoyance, Percy gave me a headache. "Back off all of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!" Peecy bellowed over the chatter and I smiled as I saw Ginny pushing her way through the crowd towards us.

"The fat lady... she's gone." She told us in a panic and my smile immediately fell from my face, something felt off about this.

"Probably stuffing her face with apples in that still life on the second floor again." Ron joked and I laughed nervously bud Ginny shook her head.

"No. You don't understand-" Ginny began to explain, but Hermione cut her off, grabbing both of our hands and dragging us up to the painting here the fat lady was supposed to me. The fat lady wasn't jsut gone, but the painting was slashed, three large slashes. We were quickly pulled to the side as Mr Filch and Dumbledore pushed themselves through the crowd.

"Mr. Filch. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady." Dumbledore instructed, but, before Filch could even do much as step forwards, a scream split the tension right in half and everyone rushed to the landing in which it came from.
"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..." Filch spoke with a low voice, pointing towards a painting. Dumbledore rushed quickly towards it and Harry and I followed, trying to keep up.

"Dear lady. Who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked and the Fat Lady cowered behind a large hippo, poking up from it to take notice in us.

"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, headmaster. The one they talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black." Everyone erupted into a state of panic as I just grabbed Harry's arm, wishing this could just be a dream.

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you... to the great hall." Dumbledore instructed, his tone hood and powerful, none of us wasted time in getting to the great hall as soon as possible.