SECURE | REMUS LUPIN

PROLOGUE (pt 2)

With a slight intake of breath, she saw him close his eyes briefly, waiting quietly for the hat to utter its deciding words.

"Gryffindor!"

At that, the boy opened his eyes, confusion written all over his young face. All eyes had turned to him, and Katie noticed the way his eyes darted towards the table off to the far right of the room. Getting up slowly from the stool, he continued to sneak glances at the table—many of the occupants now talking in hushed whispers as they shot unabashed glares at him.

From the way that not one person from the Gryffindor table had cheered—they instead sat there in shock, everyone too out of it to make a sound—told Katie that what the hat bellowed out went against all social normalcy.

Name after name was called, until at last Katie was standing just five feet from the stool.

"Katherine Hart."

She tried to find James in the line, and she saw a thumbs up peeking out over the line of heads. Remus gave her a reassuring smile, Katie sending a nervous one back.

Eyes were now on her as she sat, her robes draping over the stool's curvature. There was a slight pause in silence, the hat wasn't uttering a word. A small voice was rushing in her mind, almost as if it was ... analyzing. The mutters were too incoherent to make out and she just sat there, slight fear as some of the murmurs in her head got louder.

By the time the hat had said something, her mind was too preoccupied with the muttering her head that the loud 'Gryffindor!' made her jump slightly in her seat as she yelped. Many of the students laughed at that, whether it was meant to be rude or not, she didn't find out, as she raced to the Gryffindor table, a slight redness to her cheeks as she moved to sit across from the black-haired boy from earlier.

He didn't say a word to her, instead still wearing the slightly confused expression on his face as his line of sight switched between his lap and the table around him.

Finally coming out of her slight stupor as the hall silenced again, another name was called.

"Remus Lupin!" The already familiar voice of Professor Mcgonagall bellowed our clearly to the hall. She smiled at Remus as he made his way up the stool and sat on it, his legs already being able to reach the floor from his tall height.

She watched as he started to wriggle in anticipation when the hat turned silent once again. Her heart had began to beat slightly, suddenly being hit with the realization that her newfound friend could very well be placed into a different house.

"Gryffindor!" He let out a breath and she smiled widely as she began to cheer. He hurriedly walked to the Gryffindor table, a small smile on his face as he approached her. He looked as if he was about to open his mouth to say something, but the voice of Professor Mcgonagall once again silenced the hall.

The two turned their attention to the following students being called up, but it wasn't until the name 'James Potter' left the professor's lips that they really paid attention.

He had walked confidently up to the stool, a slight jazz to his step. Professor Mcgonagall placed the dusty hat on his head and Katie didn't even have time to blink before the hat bellowed out an affirmative 'Gryffindor!'

As she cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindor table, she could feel a pair of eyes on her, and she turned her head to right to see Sirius Black looking at her in slight contemplation, his eyebrows knit. He was looking around at the table again as he looked away from her.

As he turned his gaze back her, she saw the confliction in his eyes, and to her just looked—well, lonely. Remembering what her mother had always told her—always seek to make others happy—she gave him a small smile, and to her surprise, she received a shy grin in return.

Her attention was drawn back to James when she heard a yell from behind her, looking over just in time to see James nearly trip on himself in cheerfulness.

He let out a loud laugh, as he took a quick seat next to Sirius when Professor Mcgonagall's voice rang out a again. Nodding at her and Remus, he gave them broad smiles before turning his attention to the hat.

+++

" ... and enjoy another marvelous year here at Hogwarts. Eat up!" With those last words from the old, bearded man the hall burst out in talk as several plates of food appeared at the table.

Grabbing a chicken leg, James called out her name. "Kate, how 'bout it then huh? Uncle William always knows these things."

Katie let out a small laugh, watching as James turned to his left, taking a small bite of chicken. "Hey I'm James," he said through a mouthful of chicken.

This seemed to ease some of the confliction from within the young Black and he smiled widely at James in return.

"Sirius. Sirius Black," he said, a new sparkle in his previously dull grey eyes.

There was a tap on Katie's shoulder and she turned around to find the redheaded girl smiling at her with her hand outstretched.

"I'm Lily," She said brightly.

Katie took her hand and shook it. "I'm Katherine, but you can call me Katie." She chatted with the girl a little while, a fondness for this new friend growing, and they continued to talk until a girl had come up to Lily to introduce herself.

Finally turning back to Remus, Katie grinned as he was hobbling down a piece of honey cake. Looking up suddenly at her, some crumbs were left on the corners of his mouth as he attempted to wipe them off hastily. "So are you a huge fan of honey cake or just that cake in particular?"

Chuckling, he took one last wipe at his mouth before answering. "I'd say both."

"Well then, I can't wait for third year. My mum says that the candy shop they have at Hogsmeade is heavenly. I'll just have to go and buy you all the honey-flavored sweets so you can taste them."

"Katherine you don't have t—"

She silenced him with a shake of her head. "Anything for my favorite honey-loving friend. You do like honey right?"

Remus just nodded. He seemed taken aback slightly at the words 'friend' and 'favorite' and joy bubbled up in his chest. "You're gonna keep me around for that long?" A hint of doubt was sprinkled in his voice, but Katie hadn't noticed.

"Of course I will," she said to him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. A sparkle in her eyes, she smiled widely at him. "I've got a good feeling about this friendship."

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an; young remus really do be the cutest though