"I saw Harry." Diana said softly as she looked outside the broken window.
Both of them were still in the Shrieking Shack, occupying the same room; Remus was sitting beside her on the floor, leaning their backs against the cold wall. It had been twelve years since the two friends last saw each other and not to mention, there was some heavy misunderstanding on his part until now.
Remus felt awfully guilty for despising one of his best friends for twelve years for a crime she never even committed. He admitted that it was a dark time back then and they didn't know whom they could believe or should believe but he still couldn't forgive himself for not trusting her back then.
Now that he thought about it and after Diana explained everything, neither did he understand nor remember why they actually suspected Diana in the first place. How could a person like her possibly betray them when she probably never even hurt a fly in her life?
"When?" Asked Remus.
"During one of the Quidditch matches." Diana said with a soft, pained smile. "He flies just like James, Remus, he's like an identical copy of James. He looks so much like him that I almost felt like I was looking at James." It was hard to miss the evident sadness in her voice. "I saw his broom broke when he fell. I heard he's alright but his broom didn't look like it could be fixed anymore. I wanted to buy him a new one and send it to him anonymously but I didn't have any wizard money on me right now..."
"Don't worry about it." Remus assured her, smiling. "Sirius already bought him another one. Firebolt. It's the current favourite and the fastest one right now. He was ecstatic."
It didn't go unnoticed by Remus how she stiffened hearing Sirius's name. She looked away, fidgeting her fingers nervously, picking at her dirty nails and cuticle. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, for a split second, Remus saw a glimpse of a tattoo on her wrist. He didn't choose to mention it though as he assumed it must be from Azkaban and talking about her days she spent there would not be the best idea right now.
"H-how is he?" She asked tensely. Although, she was in Azkaban for the last twelve years but it wasn't hard for her to imagine how Sirius felt about her right now.
"He's good." It was hard for Remus too but he still lied. There was no way or words he could actually describe Sirius's current feelings towards her right now.
She turned and looked straight into his light brown eyes. As her hazel orbs that had subtle blue flecks in them stared into him, he couldn't help but remember how during their school years he used to think that Diana had the most enchanting eyes ever. And he was right still. He became speechless for a moment under her strong gaze.
"You're lying." She said bluntly and emotionlessly.
Remus blinked.
"You might be a marauder but you were never a good liar, Moony." For the first time, she called his nickname and winked playfully. Remus's inside felt warmed up. "He hates me, no, he probably resents me to the point where he wants to kill me. I know."
Of course, she knows. How many years they were friends after all? How many years were they mad for each other... and never admitted?
"Once the truth comes in light, everyone will know that you're innocent, Di." Remus said. "And then Sirius will know the truth too."
"I bet Harry hates me too. Heck he doesn't even know who I am probably. I want to see him so much..." As if she wasn't even listening to Remus, her glazed eyes stared in the distance as she mumbled to herself.
"He doesn't know now but he will, once we reveal Peter's existence. He is so much like Lily that you'll be as astonished, Di" He said and Diana looked at him curiously.
"Really?" The auburn haired looked at him with child-like curiosity in her eyes.
"Yes," He said with a soft smile. "He has her eyes, Di."
Diana's hazel eyes welled up in tears hearing that but she didn't let them fall. She looked upwards in an attempt to dry her eyes and smiled when she succeeded.
"And about the plan you mentioned..." Remus started.
"Don't worry, Moony." She looked at him with a determined gaze. "I'm absolutely sure that it will work."
"... and should I mention it to Sirius?"
Diana turned frantic at this proposition suddenly. She shook her head rapidly. "No! Don't tell him anything yet. He wouldn't believe unless we show him proof."
"He might understand and believe us if we tell him in advance." Remus pressed.
"No, Moony." She said firmly with a tone of finality in her voice. "You don't know everything between us. You wouldn't understand..."
_
When Remus came back to his office in the middle of the night, he checked the Marauders map if Snape was still in his office. When he saw the little dot named Severus Snape was still pacing inside his office, he went there quickly.
"Severus, would you please do me a favor and prepare me a Sleep potion?" Remus asked pleasantly.
Snape narrowed his dark eyes at him in suspicion. "What do you need a Sleep potion for?"
"I'm having a hard time sleeping every night. So, I thought maybe one of your potions might help me." The light brown haired man smiled.
Snape stared at him suspiciously for some time but he still went towards his cupboard where at least hundreds of vials of potions were in store. He took one particular vial from the third shelves and gave it to Remus.
"Does it work properly? ...Er, even on animals?" Remus asked, making Snape frown. "You know, as I'm a werewolf, I'm almost like a half animal." He chuckled.
"It works on every living thing - animals, humans... werewolves, all equally." Snape said. "Three drops every night will make you pass out before you can even register what is happening with you."
"Thank you, Severus. Goodnight." Remus bid him goodbye to which Snape said nothing in reply and Remus left his colleague's office with vial in his hand and a smile on his face.
Though when he returned to his office, his smile was no longer plastered on his face.
"Why are coming back to your office so late, Moony?"
There stood Sirius Black right in the middle of his office, leaning against his table, wearing his trademark black leather jacket and ripped jeans. He sat on the single sofa that was in the corner of the room, running his hand through his long black hair.
Remus sighed loudly. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh come on, Moony!" Sirius pouted. "Are you going to ignore me for the rest of your life just for one argument? We're made for each other!!"
"I wasn't particularly ignoring you, if you have to know, Padfoot. I was rather busy these weeks with the classes and everything." Remus walked towards his table and sat down on his chair.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Moony~."
As the black haired man lingered around his friend's wooden table, he picked up the map that was lying there. "I see that you've found our legendary map. How did you get it though? I don't think Filch just came into your office and gave it to you voluntarily?" Sirius asked before he snickered. "I bet that squib couldn't even figure out that this piece of parchment was actually a map, even after all these years of keeping it."
"Actually, it was Harry who found it. He didn't mention how he got though." Remus answered as he looked through some of the test papers. "I'm betting my money on Fred and George Weasley though. Those two are quite the troublemakers."
"Harry did that?!" Sirius exclaimed before a wide grin split across his face. "That's my godson! Oh, James, I hope you're watching! You should be so very proud!"
Remus shot him a glare. "I don't really think so. He could be sneaking out of the castle using this map for all we know."
"Hm..." Sirius paid very little attention to Remus's concerns about Harry though as his eyes roamed around the map that they once used to use everyday. "And about sneaking out of the castle, I saw you getting in the castle when I was coming in. Where did you go in the middle of night?"
Remus went rigid as soon as he heard Sirius, his hand halted abruptly from writing. He couldn't lift his head and his eyes stared on the paper blankly.
He couldn't tell him about Diana, and he couldn't tell him that he met her either. Not only because Sirius turned to a raving lunatic whenever the woman's name was mentioned but also because Remus already gave his words to Diana that he wouldn't say anything to Sirius before she did.
"So?" Asked Sirius looking at his friend curiously who stopped dead on his chair.
Though it was only for a couple of second; Remus quickly collected himself and looked up to Sirius. "Just had some business."
But Sirius had been a friend of this man for over twenty years. He didn't fail to recognize that split moment of hesitation of his best friend. Remus always did that whenever he had to think of a lie or an excuse or just to avoid whatever question.
"What is it, Moony?" Sirius asked with concern, lacing his deep voice. "You don't have to hide anything from me."
"I'm not hiding anything, Padfoot." Remus said lightly looking at him.
"Then?"
"Then what?"
"Where did you go?"
"I had some personal business to attend to."
"In the middle of night when there is a mass murderer on the loose?" Sirius frowned.
It pained Remus so much to hear Sirius calling Diana a mass murderer when she was nothing but a victim here. Remus closed his eyes in exasperation. "I'm not a bloody child, Padfoot and you're definitely not my mother here. If anything, I should be the one to ask you what you're doing here in my office in the middle of a night?"
Sirius avoided that question again, making Remus frown. "You are hiding something, aren't you?" Sirius asked in an icy tone.
"If you've nothing else to say Padfoot," Remus said. "I suggest you get out of my office now as I have many important things to do right now rather than wasting my time bickering with you."
After that Remus ignored Sirius's suspicious gaze on him and went back to grading his test papers.
Slightly annoyed, Sirius stood there for some time, looking at his best friend suspiciously before he huffed and strode out of the room without saying another word.
As soon as he got out of the room, Remus let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against his chair. He realized that he made Sirius suspicious now and he could only hope Sirius wouldn't find out anything before they got the chance to tell him in person.
'Oh, Diana...'
_
Word count- 1878
A/N: Sorry for this little late update and belated happy new year to everyone!
I had to find out about some things before writing this chapter, hence the lateness. In my opinion, slow updates are better than sloppy ones. That's Diana in the media again. Shit is about to go down in the next chapter though.
Don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter!! 💛🖤💛🖤