Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Fourteen - Sawdust Doesn't Make Good Candy

"Mate, you don't look so well," Potter said and Remus turned to glance at the mirror, seeing he looked almost as pale as he normally did when it was the full moon, the shadows under his eyes just as bad.

"It w--was a b-bad nightmare," Remus mumbled and rubbed his eyes. "I'll be--b-be okay. Sorry," he added again for good measure and then climbed into bed, shutting the curtains. He heard Spinnet muttering complaints and then Black, Potter, and Pettigrew going to their beds. He heard Pettigrew ask the other two if they thought Remus was really okay, and Potter saying he didn't think so, and Black saying he thought Remus needed to see Pomfrey again.

Then after about ten minutes when everyone else seemed to be asleep Remus could hear Black and Potter talking about him. Wondering what was wrong. Remus began chewing at his fingernails. It wasn't even a month into school and already people were becoming suspicious of him. I'll have to do better. I'll have to try and--and...

And what? He had no idea how to be a person. He could only talk normal with ghosts or when he wasn't really noticing he was talking to someone. Just try and be normal. Whatever that is...

*

Tuesday afternoon held another flying lesson and Remus clutched at his broom desperately, not wanting to go the ten to twelve feet in the air they were supposed to. The worst part was they had an audience. A group of fifth years had been walking back to the castle when they noticed Potter doing a particularly fantastic barrel spin to the ground and jerked the broom up just before crashing, which earned a great deal of angry shouts from Hooch. But most the fifth years had seen it and were now stopped, watching the class with interest. Watching Potter. Which egged him into showing off some more. He flipped his broom upside down and flew along hanging off the bottom, then flipped it back around and did a dizzying forward spin. Hooch yelled at him again and he coolly responded he was only eleven feet off the ground just as she asked.

"What a show-off!" Evans drifted over next to Remus and was watching Potter with a wrinkled nose.

Potter was now standing on his broom, arms out, balancing easily. The fifth years were clapping and enjoying the show, and Potter was flushed with enjoyment. He jumped and there were several gasps but as he fell he grabbed hold of the broom and swung himself back up, his feet just barely brushing the tops of the grass. More applause, from some of the first years too.

"POTTER THAT IS ENOUGH!" Hooch yelled, blowing her whistle. "IF YOU CAN'T SIT ON THE BROOM LIKE EVERYONE ELSE YOU ARE LEAVING THIS LESSON IMMEDIATELY!"

Potter promptly got into a proper seated position and gave Hooch an innocent smile. "Sorry, ma'am!"

"It's incredible he can do all that with an old school broom," Remus heard one of the fifth year Gryffindors say.

"He better be trying out for the team next year," added another Gryffindor.

With the wind and the distance of the students Remus figured Potter hadn't heard them however Potter did stand up on his broom again the second Hooch's back was turned and did a quick bow before slipping back into a regular position. The fifth years clapped and Hooch spun around, glaring suspiciously at the bespectacled boy who still had that infuriatingly 'who, me?' smile on.

Black was laughing uproariously.

"Madame Hooch, if all this class is for is to make us watch Potter show off then can we skip the next time?" one of the Slytherins asked.

"I wasn't doing anything," Potter complained. "Just because you can't fly worth beans doesn't--"

"I can fly," the Slytherin snarled, face going rather pink.