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

Chapter Sixty-Three - More Lies

*

The weekend before the final week of the term was mostly spent with Peter, helping him study, trying to get him to retain some information, Remus doing his best to help him with memorization. It was a super rainy weekend so everyone else remained in the school too, James and Sirius constantly complaining about being bored. On Sunday they wreaked havoc by using the last of their firecrackers to put in all the toilets from the ground floor to the third floor (except Myrtle's bathroom). They packed one toilet so full that it exploded, the seat reportedly flying to the other side of the bathroom. The room was flooded and Filch had to spend ages trying to get everything mopped up.

Then the exams came and they were hardly anything. Mostly just revision, the teachers making sure they were prepared for the summer term. Even Peter thought they weren't so bad. But the homework--it was brutal. Every class the teachers piled more and more assignments onto the students until even James was grouchy.

"Impossible," he grumbled on Tuesday, staring at the pile of paper on his desk.

"My theory is they hate us and want us to suffer through the holidays," said Sirius.

Remus looked in despair at the work he needed to do. I should write home again, beg them to let me stay. The thought of being away from the Hogwarts library made him a little sick. He wanted the best possible grades he could get! He quickly penned out a note, folding it up carefully. "Going to the owlery, I'll see you guys down in the Great Hall," Remus said as he grabbed his cloak, figuring by the time he got the letter to Arthur and came down it'd be time for supper.

He didn't take encounters into consideration. When he went into the tower, he hesitated, seeing someone else in there already: Snape. Why? He considered waiting in the corridor then jut his chin out, marching into the owlery. Snape narrowed his eyes, watching as Remus went near to where Arthur usually stayed. Remus ignored the other boy as he held his arm out. Arthur flew down, looking a bit healthier than the last time Remus had seen him.

"You're a good boy," Remus said, accepting Arthur's nuzzles. "Need you to take this to Mum and Dad." He attached the letter and carried Arthur to the window, arm dipping as his owl took off. He felt very aware of being watched by Snape, little pinpricks of discomfort all over his body. When he turned he tried to avoid Snape's gaze. It got worse when he went down the stairs and Snape followed.

Snape's footsteps went a little quicker then Remus felt hands on his back, and Snape shoved. Remus stumbled and tripped, crashing rather painfully into the wall. "I know it was your friends," he said, watching Remus trying to right himself. "It's always them."

"I d-d-don't know wha--what you're t-talking about." Remus rubbed his arm where it had smacked against the stone.

"The spiders," Snape growled. "And the mud!"

"I--I r-really d-don't know what you're--" He stopped as Snape got out his wand. "I didn't do anything!"

"You tell them to stop!" The wand shook a little from the tension in Snape's arm. "Just--tell them to stop! I never did anything to them! They started it! If they don't stop then... then..."

"Then what?" Remus demanded rather hotly. "You'll g-go around attacking p-people who d-didn't have anything to--to do with it?"

"They're nothing but bullies."

"So are you!" The pain had finally faded and Remus straightened up, fumbling for his wand. "Going to use another--illegal curse on me?" he was immensely pleased to see how pale Snape went. "That spell--it's n--not anywhere that I can find."

Snape raised his wand a little bit, pointing right at Remus's face. "You don't know what spell I used!"

Remus got his wand out now, pointing it right back. "Langlock." A flash of annoyance appeared on the Slytherin's face. "Wh--where'd you find it?"