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

Chapter Sixty-Four - Easter

He pulled his wand out, pointing at the trowel. "Accio trowel!" The trowel rolled over. Yeah, pretty much how he thought that would go. "Locomotor trowel!" He brought the trowel closer to the wall. "Wingardium leviosa." Now he floated it up, grabbing hold of it triumphantly. He climbed back down into the backyard.

"You're not supposed to use magic out of school," Hope said crossly, all traces of laughter long gone.

Remus frowned as his feet hit the ground. He had learned more about the no-underage-magic thing. Sirius had told them all that technically the Ministry didn't know when an underage person used magic, just if magic was used. If the household had multiple magical folk... "No one will know it was me and not da--"

Hope came closer, snatching the trowel from his hand. "That isn't the point! We can't risk anything! If the Ministry comes..." Then she looked over her shoulder in fear, as if they'd Apparate right there and then. "Remus, you're smarter than this!"

He felt hot at that, and a bit annoyed. "I didn't--" Now Hope grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. "Mum, I wasn't--"

"Lyall!"

Remus had to sit through a twenty minute long lecture about how they needed to follow every law to the letter considering the one they were breaking. Lyall went on about executions, and how he and Hope could go to Azkaban, and did Remus want that?

Lyall paced around, running his fingers through his hair. "You're getting lax. That school is making you lax. I think you should reread the book."

"No! Dad--" But Lyall left the living room then returned with a slim tome which he shoved into Remus's hand. "I've practically got this memorized!" Remus argued, fingers trembling as they curled around the horrible, awful book.

"Obviously not enough. Go on, go and read. I'll help Hope in the garden."

Remus trudged upstairs, throwing himself onto his bed with angry mutters. The Cure For Lycanthropy. Remus ran his finger over the title then flicked open the cover. He read this book so many times... he didn't want to again... It was just lengthy essays about how to deal with werewolves. AKA, killing them. It had bloody tale after bloody tale about werewolves being killed. Executed with an ax, stabbed with a dagger... The stories were full of how wrong werewolves were... and that the only cure was indeed death.

His father made him read it often, whenever he thought his son needed a refresher course on the importance of being hidden which was absolutely ridiculous because Remus knew.

Remus slammed the book shut, getting up to stalk over to his window. It looked out in the garden. Lyall was using spells to dig the ivy up while Hope wrung her hands. Neither were talking. Once all the ivy had been dug up Lyall put it in a pile to burn. Remus began coughing when the smoke wafted up past his window, and both his parents looked up. He gave a small wave then returned to his bed, quickly opening the book up partway to pretend he had been reading in case they came up.

*

Remus had horrible nightmares that night. He always did after reading that book and even though he hadn't reread it, it still plagued him. He woke up screaming several times, each time Hope running to his bed to hold him and rub his back while she sang soothing songs. It felt like forever until morning came and he had to pull himself out of bed, exhausted. The full moon would be starting the next night. He already dreaded going down into that dark cellar...

He spent the day doing all his schoolwork and thinking about James who was celebrating his twelfth birthday. He had sent a letter and a present off with Arthur the night before and just hoped that James got it before he left to return to Hogwarts.