CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
"don't say i didn't warn you"
All of the sixth and seventh years were getting both anxious and slightly annoyed at what Hollis and Dumbledore were taking so long to discuss. The room had gotten much louder and almost returned to its previous state of joking around and practicing spells, besides the Gryffindor Marauders all huddled around a table and discussing what Hollis could be talking about. Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James had all tried to join their classmates with their frivolity at the beginning, but they quickly started to feel a bit guilty for doing so when Hollis was so obviously troubled about whatever the matter was.
"Yea, it was like her mood changed in a second," sighed Peter, biting one of his thumbnails in thought. "Like when Dumbledore came in, she seemed to snap back to reality or something."
Remus thought on this angle for a few seconds. He too had been noticing that Hollis was practically euphoric one moment, and then someone would say something that completely changed her mood or caused that glassy, distanced look to fall over her eyes. Many times, these changes had been linked to one of them saying something about being hungry, while others it was completely random. He didn't get it, at least not yet.
"So does that mean that she doesn't feel like it's real when she's happy?" asked James, questioning Peter's interesting choice of words. "Like it all feels stolen?"
Peter shrugged, not really having put that much thought into what he had said.
Stolen moments.
That phrase deeply resonated with Sirius. It was exactly how he had felt when he first went to the Potter's that horrible summer night, like every second of joy he had with Mia, Fleamont, and James wasn't really his, just borrowed and would soon have to be returned.
"I mean, hopefully after a few more weeks here she'll not feel like that anymore," Sirius sighed. "If we're even right about that in the first place."
From across the room, Gideon was watching the four boys in the year below him with a mildly haughty gaze. He followed their eyes repeatedly glancing towards the door with curiosity, and thought it selfish to keep his few clues to himself when the Gryffindors were so clearly both stressed and confused.
Excusing himself from where he was talking to Fabian and a seventh year Ravenclaw, the red-haired boy made his way across the softly carpeted floor to the concerned floor with an air of arrogance that he knew something they didn't.
"Trying to figure out why your friend's been in there so long?" Gideon asked, sliding between Remus and Sirius.
The seventh year either still didn't care that James despised him, or just didn't notice, but James was glaring at the boy with aggressive hazel eyes that did not want to be crossed.
"And why is that your business?" Sirius asked, noticing the expression on James's face and wanting Gideon to get out of their conversation for his own safety from Potter's wand and temper.
Gideon leaned his head in slightly and looked all the boys in the eye to make sure he had their full attention.
"Listen, I know she's one of your best friends, mates, and a little more," Gideon said tilting his head in Remus's direction when he said this last part. "But when Dumbledore was giving his beginning of the year speech with all that talk of sides and stuff, I could have sworn a saw a bit of black ink on Rosier's left forearm."
There was an incredibly tense silence as the five Gryffindors said nothing. The other four Marauders were all seething with anger inside, absolutely furious that Gideon would even suggest such a thing. After all that Hollis had been through, even if they didn't exactly know the details, there was no way in hell that she would even join them or get a Dark Mark.
"Get the hell away from us," James spat, his eyes narrowing even further. "And watch your mouth when you're talking about Hollis."
Gideon was completely unfazed.
"All I'm doing is trying to help out here-"
"You have no goddamn clue of how sheerly idiotic you sound right now," Remus seethed, looking down at Gideon with disgust. "Now, I think that James already asked you to leave, didn't he?"
Now, Gideon was brash and jumped to conclusions, but he was far from stupid. So when he saw the four outraged boys with a few of their wands inching towards their wands, he knew that he was outnumbered and walked away. However, he muttered something passively under his breath while he knew the Gryffindor Marauders were still within earshot.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+
Things between Hollis and Dumbledore were getting slightly heated.
"No offense professor, but I think that I can handle myself!" Hollis exclaimed, dragging a hand across her eyes with exasperation. "It's just going to seem suspicious if I suddenly have restricted Hogsmeade rights and all that stuff just so that I can 'stay safe' and that I 'could have too much valuable information'! In case you've forgotten, I've been at Hogwarts for over a month without telling you anything, and from what it seems you didn't notice that a single thing was out of place!"
Dumbledore was struggling to remain calm, his hands still patiently folded across the mahogany while Hollis proved his suggestions invalid with an unexpected amount of accuracy and convincing points.
"Yes, Miss Rosier, I think you may be correct on this one," Dumbledore nodded, taking her concerns into consideration. "But may I ask, you are hiding the Mark from everyone, correct?"
Hollis's brow furrowed slightly, not understanding what the headmaster meant.
"Sir?"
Dumbledore took in a reluctant breath before answering.
"Well, it is obvious that you and Mr. Lupin are, erm, very close, and I was just curious if you had indeed been hiding it from him as-"
Her cheeks heating slightly, Hollis covered part of her face with her hands again as she quickly cut in so that Dumbledore couldn't finish that sentence.
"No, no one else knows besides you and-"
Hollis abruptly stopped talking, mentally panicking that she had just slipped up. Dumbledore tilted his head at the Slytherin questioningly.
"And?"
"Excuse me, professor, I misspoke," Hollis swiftly amended, readjusting in her seat. "Just you."
Dumbledore glanced at the copper clock mounted on the wooden wall behind Hollis's head.
"It seems that we have been talking for well over the better part of an hour," Dumbledore said, rising from his seat and gesturing for Hollis to do the same. "This will, of course, not be the last of our discussions, but I wish to not keep your classmates waiting for too long. We can resume this argument later."
Swallowing forcefully, she nodded and slung back on her black and emerald robes that she had taken off so that she could properly roll up her sleeve.
"Yes, right down, professor."
Nothing felt quite right.
Hollis was living within a lie.
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