That punch landed on Theodore was the only progress or satisfaction the Gryffindors had made since the full moon. Which was now a week ago. The blow had gotten out some of Remus's anger, but presently he just felt even more defeated. Because he knew that punch was all he could do. And that small piece of revenge was nothing compared to what Theodore deserved.
"We haven't gotten anything figured out or helped Hol," Lily grumbled as she sat down heavily next to James on the cushy orange sofa by the fire in their common room. "At all."
Remus coughed a bit to hide his dubious expression, and Lily gave him an odd look.
"Yea, sorry, you're right," he said to Lily, wiping anything suspicious from his face.
"Talking about it isn't going to change that," said Sirius with an exasperated tone, standing up from the soft chair he had been sitting in and starting to pace by the fire.
"Well, then what is?" Marlene asked, placing a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder.
To everyone's surprise, Peter spoke up.
"I really think that Regulus could help," he said in a timid voice.
The blonde boy wasn't used to directly contradicting James's opinions, and it felt against his instincts. To support this unease, the hazel eyed boy turned to look at Peter with confusion. If there was anything the Potter could count on, it was that Pettigrew would always back him up.
"What?" James asked with irritation towards the short boy. "I thought you would back me up on how much of a no that is, Wormtail."
Lily frowned slightly at James's tone, not happy with the way he was treating Peter.
"He just has a different opinion than you," she said, and James looked down at the carpet from his chair. "And one that I agree with, I might add."
A stream of silvery, light gray smoker rose from Sirius's mouth before he dramatically crushed the smoldering tip into a gold coated ashtray on the mahogany table next to him.
"No," the Black boy said firmly, shaking his head.
"I agree," Remus added on, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. "No way in hell."
James turned apologetically to Lily with a sheepish shrug.
"Sorry, love, but they're right on this one," he said to the redhead. "If Regulus helps, it's not going to turn out well."
This comment made Marlene agree with Lily and Peter.
"And whose fault would that be?" Marlene asked briskly, looking mostly at Sirius. "You're the ones who always argue with him, just don't."
"Merlin, I hadn't thought of that!" Sirius said sarcastically. "Just don't, what lovely advice!"
Things were starting to get heated between the two sides the six Gryffindors had split into.
"Just because you dislike him doesn't mean that he isn't smart," stated Lily. "Don't mix those two things up here based on your tempers."
Taking a deep breath, Remus tried to present his side as calmly as possible to prove Lily wrong.
"He's been straight up cruel to her," the green eyed boy said to Lily, Marlene, and Peter. "We can't just ignore that."
Peter rubbed his fading blue eyes with the back of his wand in exasperation.
"And we haven't?"
James, Sirius, and Remus all stiffened at Peter's surprising words.
"What?"
Knowing that they had to have some evidence to back this up, the two girls exchanged a glance.
"Let's see," Lily said, pretending to think for a few seconds. "I don't know, maybe when James took Hol's journal and just started to read it."
The Potter's eyes widened and he threw his hands out at Lily, who was now standing across from him in shocked annoyance.
"That was in our FIFTH year!" James shouted in his own defense.
"We're not acting like we're completely innocent either!" Marlene exclaimed, gesturing with her arms. "I've fucked up too, like what I said to Hollis that day in the Great Hall!"
You don't like that when you're around Remus, you feel like you don't have to put up any walls. And that scares the living shit out of you because you've never had a family!
They all knew what she was referencing.
"What's your point?" Remus asked narrowing his eyes at the three Gryffindors standing across from him.
"Our point is that Regulus may have hurt her, but so have we," Lily said softly, trying to calm down the debate. "So that reason is just irrelevant."
"Do you know how bloody hard it used to be to make Hol cry before she got cursed?" Remus shouted, not matching Lily's calmness.
Only the crackling of fire could be heard as they knew where Remus was going with this. The used to be was not lost on any of them either. Now, it seemed like Theodore had that ability to make her brown eyes water and used it daily.
"Really, really hard," Remus said, this time in a low tone to emphasize his point. "And I know we've all seen Regulus do it on multiple occasions."
"Yea, like that time on Valentine's Day," James listed, ticking events off with his fingers. "In the hospital wing when he was screaming at her, need I go on?"
Lily had a phrase in her arsenal that she had been waiting to use for when she was stumped and didn't know what to say. She felt slightly bad using it and that it was a bit of a low blow, but at a point, it was the only way they could prove their argument.
"Hollis would agree with me."
The three boys across from her blinked a few times in shock that the redhead had pulled that card. And what Lily hadn't been expecting was for Remus to accept the absence of Hollis.
"Yea, well she isn't bloody here, is she?" Remus replied in a low tone, his voice hard and cold. "And look what's happening. Take a step back and really look at us."
The six Gryffindors did. They had split into two physical and mental sides, each trio glaring angrily with fists clenched at the other. Manipulative, cruel words associated with old memories had been tossed around carelessly.
The seemingly inseparable friends had separated with fierceness.
And all of them realized it at the exact same time.
Seeing this realization, Remus finished his point.
"Don't you guys get it?" he asked, his deep voice breaking slightly with emotion. "She holds us together, and without her, we're breaking apart."
Marlene sat back down on the couch heavily, and James lit a cigarette. All any of them could feel was guilt. Guilt for not being able to help Hollis more than a few punches, guilt for arguing so much among themselves, guilt for ever hurting the Rosier.
"So are we going to tell Regulus or not?"
"No way."
"Never."
"Nope."
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+
The howling wind mixed with hoots of owls could be instantly recognized by any Hogwarts student or professor as the sounds of the Owlery.
This high tower was one of the tallest in all of Hogwarts, making it easiest for the dozens of owls to take off from. Within its vast, open-air room, one could look up and see that the ceiling was as high as the spire itself, tapering to a point when the outside, grey surface did as well.
Regulus Black looked like a tiny speck compared to the hollow interior of the tower.
He had received a letter from his mother earlier that day that he had been instructed to reply to ask quickly as possible. Even through just penmanship, Regulus could feel the threatening tone in Walburga's letter.
The Black boy walked towards his grey and white owl that was perched on the second row of little straw nests, placing his reply in the owl's dark beak.
Right as he was about to leave, though, Regulus saw a familiar owl fly into a perch in the L section of the perches. Looking back at the B row, the Slytherin walked towards the red owl that had just landed in his nest.
On the outside of the wooden walls, there was a name neatly carved into the oak.
Lupin.
When an owl arrived early like this, it would just wait until breakfast the next day to deliver the owl to its recipient. Remus would never know that he missed a letter.
Regulus knew that he shouldn't pry in other people's business. It was unfair and nosy, and he would be infuriated if someone did it to him. But the Black boy was bored and, quite frankly, had nothing better to do.
His pale fingers crackled open the dark yellow seal, and the letter to Remus was surprisingly thick.
Dear Remus,
We have missed you dearly over these few months, only two more of your sixth year to go! We hope all of your studies have been going well, the N.E.W.T.s in May are very important.
On a less light note, we need to discuss your plans, or more namely, Hollis's plans over the summer.
Ever since Christmas break, when you, Sirius, and James came home from your hike, the Potters and we have been trying to find something on the Rosiers that give proof of their guilt on a topic so that we may get their daughter out of there. However, as you know, we haven't been able to uncover anything.
After the various incidents and shadowed figures involved, like her parents and the boy at the station, we want to be sure that Hollis knows that she is always welcome at Lupin Cottage or Potter Manor.
Please let her know this.
Much love,
Mum and Dad (Lyall and Hope Lupin)
Now, Regulus was very, very glad he had read the letter. Because he no longer even wanted to look at those Gryffindors ever again.
the boy at the station
Regulus was sure that Remus had described him as a bad person to his parents, which was the opposite of who he was trying to be towards Hollis.
They would never trust him.
Fine, Regulus thought as he magically resealed the letter with haste. If you don't trust me, then I'm not helping you with shit.
The door to the Owlery had never been so forcefully slammed.
that letter is gonna be important later, as will regulus's reaction (remember that pls)
you guys ive written two chapters AT SCHOOL
question: what do you guys think reggie's patronus is?
1.8k words
what do u wanna see?
VOTE! - it rly helps