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

Chapter Sixty-Six - Tartan Knickers

Remus lifted his head and knew his hair was sticking everywhere from static. "It's bunch-backed."

Sirius grinned. "Same thing."

*

Remus wound up rewriting most his essays. He considered leaving his Defense essay since he knew it didn't matter, however part of him felt physically sick at the thought so he spent loads of time researching and rewriting. Hopefully next year we'll have a new teacher, he thought as he rubbed his eyes once he put the last word onto the parchment. The school had a new Defense teacher every year for a few years so... surely...? Then again it'd be his luck that Dedenne stayed for the entire seven years and he got Ps and Ds for the entirety of his academic career. Which sucked because he really liked the subject matter. He loved learning ways to defend, to attack (not that he needed that)--plus all the dark creatures. He really had an interest in learning about them. If he had a decent teacher he thought that'd be his favorite class.

Even if Dedenne leaves anyone else who comes will probably hate me too so... He couldn't imagine anyone in the Defense Against the Dark Arts world that would tolerate a werewolf.

When noon hit Lily got up to go get some lunch, trying to convince Remus to come with her but he stayed behind, preferring to work on his homework. When she returned forty minutes later she snuck a couple sandwiches in for him.

If we're spending thi--no, if I'M spending this much time studying right now, what's it going to be like when I take electives? he wondered as he broke off a corner of a sandwich to nibble on. According to Hogwarts, a History third years could take extra classes. He didn't know a lot about them (figuring he'd just do research when the time to pick them came closer) but the thought of more classes and more homework both excited and scared him.

The second part of the afternoon as well as most the evening was spent helping his male friends with their homework, correcting a few parts, giving suggestions, fixing a few things... Finally he collapsed into his bed rather late, exhausted from all the eyestrain throughout the day.

*

Monday marked eight weeks before final exams and the mood at study group reflected that. The first fifteen minutes were spent discussion possible schedules (as well as light arguing, mostly from Craft). After group when Remus got back to his dorm he spread parchment out around him on the floor and began making another schedule for his free time.

"Whatcha doing?" Sirius asked.

"Making studying schedules," Remus muttered, bent down low over one bit of parchment. "You could do with one as well. I'd be happy to make one for you."

"Sure, please add 'locked in a room with Binns after being forced to take a wideye potion' onto that too," he replied.

Remus glared up at him. "You could do with some studying, you know. Your grades aren't that great."

"I'll be fine. Practical is more important and I'm pretty good at that."

Now Remus frowned, returning to the parchment. It was true. Sirius had a knack for getting spells pretty quickly... however, only after spectacular failures (usually involving setting things on fire which made them all nervous when they were trying out new prank spells). "Peter?"

"Um, m--maybe, I--I don't know."

"You--studied before the other exams..."

Pete looked down at the comic book in his lap. "Yes but... that was right before. The exams are two months away! I'll forget everything by then."