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

Chapter Forty-Six - That's Disgusting! How Do You Do It?

Remus just shrugged. "I didn't get rid of his spell, just put my own over it."

"So it's still green under the black?"

"If you want to think of it that way."

Peter shook the robes out that he was carrying then gave Remus a grin. "Are you gonna tell them that?"

Remus raised his eyebrows, unable to stop a return grin from forming. "Of course not."

Both boys were still laughing when they finally caught up to Sirius and James, James wanted to know what was so funny. Remus and Peter just handed their robes back to them, goin on ahead, still snickering to each other. After that, Remus told the others he wanted to be alone, spending the rest of the afternoon under a table in the library, trying to tamp down his annoyed feelings towards Sirius and James, mostly Sirius. Remus couldn't help wonder if he had done something to deserve to be treated like that... or if he had just overblown the whole thing. Perhaps his reaction had been too... personal? Had Sirius meant to hurt Remus like that? He's probably not even aware he did, Remus thought, tracing his finger over the picture in the book he was trying to read. Peter's right, revenge just filled their heads and everything else left.

*

At supper Lily came over, tugging at Remus's sleeve until he left the Great Hall with her. She wanted to know if it had been James and/or Sirius who did the bat-bogey thing the night before. Remus shifted his weight and chewed at his nails, no idea how to respond. He didn't want to give away his friends but--Lily was also his friend. He didn't want to lie to her about things he didn't have to lie about...

"Yes," he finally admitted. "I snapped at James for it though. I d-didn't realize what he was doing until after he did it."

"He's done it to Severus before?" she asked and Remus nodded. "I see. Just James?"

"I haven't!" he promised. "I've never used that--" Then he stopped, looking away. Lily folded her arms, giving him a stare until he confessed, "All right, I have used that hex before. Only p-practicing though. On Peter. Willing."

"It's absolutely disgusting," Lily said as she took a step closer to him. He thought she'd start shouting at him however instead all she did was lean in and go eagerly, "What's the incantation?"

He spent a good ten minutes with her showing her the proper wand movement and pronunciation, then they waited until James, Sirius, and Peter were coming out of the Great Hall. Lily aimed at James and whammied him with the hex. Since it was her first time attempting it on anyone it wasn't as gloriously awful as the ones James managed however one large bat bogey formed, attacking James so viciously it knocked his glasses off while Sirius laughed and Peter panicked. Lily tugged Remus down a side corridor, both of them giggling.

"His dumb face!" Lily wheezed, clutching her sides as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "I love magic!"

*

They were waiting for Remus after study group, the three of them chilling out near the entrance to the common room. As soon as Remus, Lily, and Twycross clamored through the hole (Remus falling to the floor), James jumped out of the chair he was in, grabbing Remus, hauling him to his feet. Without another word, he dragged Remus up to the dorm with Sirius and Peter on their heels. Remus hated that his automatic thought was he was gonna be beaten up. He doubted they would (you're a monster you deserve it if they do) but it still filled his head anyway, that they were going to hurt him for whatever reason. When James let go, he cringed back, waiting for the blow.

"I'm sorry," James said.

Remus's body slowly untensed and he stared at James. "What?"

"We both are," Sirius mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "We were rude to you earlier today."