moon cycles and raven feathers [r. lupin]

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"you don't have to be a good duelist, wear lots of rings and keep your thumb out of the fist." cath said simply while snatching her envelope back and opening her next letter.
"cath!! i can't just hit her!! that's wrong!!"
"you know i think most people would say sleeping with another chicks boyfriend is wrong too."

lila scoffed at her friend and continued on about her midnight rendezvous and the girl she had upset despite the fact that the person she was having a conversation with wasn't paying her the least bit of attention.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

'catherine,

i trust that you're coming home for the holidays? i've had the house elves prepare your room how you like it in anticipation and i've arranged for a new portrait meeting, after hearing the news of your brother i think it's best to hang an altered picture of our new family up. i look forward to seeing you.

othella webster'

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

'our new family'

the phrase, found in a letter that was supposed to be warm, turned her stomach. it was things like this that led cath to such a torn place about her mother.

she knew othella was trying to be inviting in her letter, she had taken care to make things to her liking and she was clearly anticipating her daughters arrival but she couldn't help but to include something about the brother that she was sure her mother would dare not name. if only her mother knew when to stop it would make it a lot easier to turn a blind eye to her wrongdoings, which is all cath wanted to do.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

before preparing herself to open her final letter cath made a point to look back up at lila, who she had completely tuned out. when she did she saw her complaining to a very annoying looking nicola verley about the same girlfriend having boy. quickly, she returned to her reading, now know that she wouldn't be interrupted.

this next letter was noticeably different than the ones from her parents, the wax seal was sloppy and poorly executed and the handwriting of the quite short letter was near illegible, which was oh so fitting for the scatterbrained girl who pinned it.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

'to my closest friend cath who loves me VERY much,

please please PLEASE come home. it seems in the 16 years we've been friends that i have surely failed to realize the benefits of being your friend.

everyone here absolutely blows and i'm going to go crazy if i don't see you soon.

sincerely, your best friend who is patiently waiting for your return home,

delia'

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*

delia's parchment pleads for catherine's speedy return warranted a slight chuckle from cath. she could practically both hear and see her cross country sitting beside her pouting about how she was all alone now. she knew that delia would be ecstatic when she found out she would be spending the holidays with her mother which almost made the idea of another webster christmas bearable.

as cath began folding her letters back up in their envelopes and sliding them into her bag she locked eyes with the boy she knew delia would want to hear all about, remus. he had been more than odd since her conversation with sirius and if she didn't know any better she would think he was jealous.

but she did know better.

'if he was jealous he would've done something by now, and besides, there's nothing to be jealous of.'

but if jealousy wasn't the reason behind his behavior she couldn't figure out what was.

as she began to play out all the possible explanations she could think of for the way he was acting in her head remus himself was working on some mental scenarios as well.

unbeknownst to her the tall boy was being urged by his fellow marauders to 'man up' and have a real conversation with cath about what they thought to be his 'super obvious' feelings.
"it's not that hard mate, honestly, what's the worst that could happen?"
"she could laugh, or maybe she'll be so disgusted that she'll start to hate me, she could find out about... you know, and out me to the whole school because i told her i fancied her, she could-"
"moony man, you're honestly mental if you think she'd do that, you know that right? the worst thing she can say is no and i'm pretty damn sure she won't do that. i mean just look at the way she looks at you for merlin's sake!" james pleaded with his friend, desperately wanting him to just take the bull by its horns.
"if i can do it with evans every bloody day you can do it with webster!"

remus didn't say anything in response to his ever so persistent friend, instead he opted to play out even more situations in his head just like the girl he was making bashful eye contact with was doing.

a single thought went across the minds of the two teens seemingly at the same time.

'maybe...'