Frames » Remus Lupin

twelve

After having dragged on for what seemed like eons, the fall term ended faster than anyone anticipated, including Ophelia. Winter break had arrived with such vigor that Ophelia found herself packing the morning the train left, rather than the night before, like she usually did.

Breakfast was somber that morning, the group all going their separate ways. Ophelia had said goodbye to her newfound friends in the Gryffindor girl's dorm before she had gone down, as she was going to ride with Remus. Hardly anyone in Gryffindor was staying at Hogwarts in their year, save for Mary McDonald.

"I'm glad we met, Ophelia," James said suddenly, taking a bite of bacon. Ophelia raised her eyebrows as she look a bite of her croissant.

"Why is that?" she asked, wiping her hands on her napkin.

"Remus finally stopped being lonely," James sighed like he was a lovey-dovey schoolgirl (which, considering he had chased after Lily since first year, wasn't entirely false). Remus rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. There was a new scratch on his face from the last full moon of the year. Ophelia, though she would never admit it, freaked out when she saw it, but knew there was nothing she could do. Werewolf wounds couldn't be healed by magic, and Ophelia was no Merlin.

"I'm glad that's the only reason that we're friends," Ophelia replied, smoothly, only a hint of dryness in her tone. "And not because you enjoy my company."

"Of course, James means that as well," Sirius popped in. "What about you? Are you enjoying our friendship?"

"Innumerably," Ophelia chirped.

"You know that's the first time I've heard that word in my life," James snickered. "You should have been a Ravenclaw."

"The hat thought about it," Ophelia said simply. "But here I am, a Gryffindor."

"There can be smart Gryffindors, James," Remus pointed out. "just because you try to define everyone by a stereotype into one of four boxes doesn't mean that everyone fits cleanly into those."

There was a pause. "What?" James asked, confused.

"Never mind," Remus shook his head. Ophelia threw her head back and laughed, something that, a few months ago, she would have been terrified to do.

Only an hour later, they were all sitting on the train, Ophelia's head resting on Remus' shoulder as she read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for the third time. Whatever conversation they were having didn't make it past the blinder that Ophelia wore when she read. She was fully immersed in the world that Lewis Carroll had written. The train ride blew by, and soon she was hugging her new friends on the platform.

"Write me, won't you?" she asked James, smiling as she pulled out of their very awkward hug. He grinned and nodded, being the last of the Marauders (save for her boyfriend) who she had said bye too.

"Do I get a hug too?" Remus asked, the ghost of a smile on his lips. She let a smile slip through.

"You get better," She said, before kissing him. In that moment, it didn't matter that his parents were watching, along with most of the rest of her school. All that mattered was her and him, and how human they made the other feel.

"You'll have to write me as well," Remus murmured as they pulled away. "I hope we can see each other before we go back to Hogwarts."

"Of course..." Ophelia smiled. She looked over her shoulder as she hugged him.

In the midst of the crowd stood her brother holding hands with a woman who must have been Maggie, his girlfriend. She pulled away from Remus in shock.

"What's happened?" he asked, concerned. "Is it the...?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "I've just seen Jack."

He saw her watching him and threw a shit-eating grin, waving, signifying that he had just seen her kiss Remus. "Go," Remus urged. "We'll see each other soon, right?"

She picked up her trunk and walked over to Jack, wrapping him tightly in a hug. "You said you weren't coming until the summer!"

"Is it a crime for me to see my little sister?" Jack asked. "Looks like I caught you at the wrong time though." He laughed heartily at his joke. Maggie looked as though she was holding back a laugh as to not hurt Ophelia's feelings.

"Shut up," she blushed, but a smile broke through her frown. She truly felt like herself, something she couldn't say for the past five years. "You must be Maggie?"

"It's wonderful to meet you, Ophelia," Maggie smiled, her eyes crinkling as she did so. "Jack's said a lot."

"None of it's true," Ophelia defended airily. "Are you here to pick me up?"

"Of course," Jack smiled at her again. "How else were you supposed to get home?"

"The same way I do every year," Ophelia replied, the smile sliding off of her face, reeling her emotions back in. "The muggle transportation is expansive." Jack stared at her slightly, the smile still on his face, but anyone could tell that it was fake. Ophelia smiled back at him and picked up her luggage. "You haven't seen Mum yet, have you?"

"No," Jack replied, hesitating slightly. "We came straight here."

"You'll understand when we get there," Ophelia replied, her tone dark, all pretenses of a smile gone. After a breath, she smiled again, just as plastic as ever. Jack offered his arm and they spun off, away from the rush of platform 9 & 3/4.