june 12th, 1976.
HOGWARTS
-
"she eyes me like a pisces when i am weak. i've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks."
•••
Rhiannon was waiting outside the hospital wing for Remus since James sad that he was sick. Remus walks out and Rhiannon follows him.
"Hey!" She greets, smiling widely.
"What." He turns around, he looked tired and was limping.
"Um, I just wanted to thank you for my late birthday present. I love the earrings." She pulled back her hair to show him the hoop earrings he got her. Remus just rolled his eyes, it was strange how fast his mood could change. But who is Rhiannon to talk about mood swings?
"No problem, Maddie helped me pick them out." Right, Maddie. "But I just want to be alone right now." He walks away and she furrows her eyebrows and walks away and she stands there, confused. She walks away and goes to the great hall where James and Sirius seem to be in a deep conversation.
"What's up with Remus?"
"Nothing." Sirius quickly replies, picking up his book and then leaving the great hall. She scoffs, "What the fuck is up with everyone today?". She takes her notebook out and looks over the study guide for O.W.L.S, and grabbing a waffle. "Marls', later today do you wanna' study in the library with me."
"Yeah, but can we focus on Defense Against The Dark Arts? It isn't my strong suit."
"Yeah, that's fine."
Rhiannon leaves the great hall and it's walking back to the common room when she hears an argument,
"Are you always going to run away from your problems like a bitch."
"I'm not running away, I just have a lot going on."
"Is this because of that bitch, Rhiannon?"
Rhiannon is listening from the other side of the wall, thinking about a way to get to the common room without being seen.
"No. Jesus Maddie, you're fucking insane. I'm done."
"So you're breaking up with me to go to that horrid, drunk, juvenile delinquent!"
"No, I'm breaking up with you because you're a psycho bitch." Remus slams Maddie's book bag on the floor and walks away, they both part ways and Maddie sees Rhiannon behind the wall and glares at her.
Rhiannon walks through the corridors and slips into the common room right after Remus so she doesn't have to say the password. She was planning to talk to Remus, ask if he was okay. But by the time she entered the common room he was already up the stairs and in the boy's dormitory.
———
June 14th, 1976.
O.W.L.S
It was the last period of the day, which meant the last test. Everyone was extremely focused, also wishing this would all be over. Defense Against The Dark Arts was the hardest, but Marlene and Rhiannon had been studying their asses off all weekend.
When the exam finished, the students were instructed to stand back against the walls of the Great Hall, waiting for McGonagall. Once she walked out and told everyone classes were done for the day, all the students cheered in thankfulness.
Rhiannon was heading to the wooden bridge to smoke, needing some release. As she walked outside, feeling the cool summer air hit her face, Regulus was already there. Sulking. He looks up at her with anger, while she smiled at him, "Hey."
"What do you want?" He replied, coldly. Rhiannon just laughed, which made Regulus furrow his eyebrows. Rhiannon walked over to him, taking a pack of cigarettes and taking one out, placing it on her mouth.
"Just bein' friendly." She mutters, lighting the cigarette. Regulus looks at her in disgust, she exhales smoke and asks, "Want a drag?"
"No.", this made Rhiannon laugh, even more, she turns to him, "What is up with you? What happened to the old you."
"I didn't change. I got realistic."
"No you're just acting like a dick, that's not being realistic."
"Oh, and telling me that is?" His facial expression becomes more and more intense, she just hit a nerve.
"I'm just being realistic." She mocks him, Regulus clenches his fist and walks away into the castle, bumping her shoulder as he does. "Go run away and cry to mommy!" She bellows, taking a pull and blowing smoke again.
She met Regulus back at the beginning of the second year, they both hit it off. Though she was extremely talkative and out there, and he was quiet and closed off. She always admired his ambition and had extreme potential in him, that was before all this Voldemort stuff happened.
She secretly hoped that Regulus became happy, and wasn't going to join Voldemort's Army like the rest of his family. Maybe he just had grown to believe all the Muggleborn bullshit, and that's why he didn't like Rhiannon anymore.
"What's got you all saddened? Mommy didn't get you the right jacket?" Remus teases Regulus when he walks through the castle, tears in his eyes.
"Piss off Loony Lupin, why don't you go run and mess with my disgrace of a brother!" Regulus yells and walks away, departing by going in the dungeons to get to the Slytherin common room.
———
July 1st, 1976.
"I'm gonna miss you guys so much." Marlene cry's, hugging Rhiannon on the train. Rhiannon was dreading going to her father's house. She hasn't seen him in around seven years, she just hopes that he's better now.
Marlene released Rhiannon from her right embrace, fixing her glasses and wiping her tears. Rhiannon looked at the pack of cigarettes in her hand, at least she can still stash up some for next school year.
Every time she went home to the Muggle world, she would go to the nearest gas station and spend most of her money on alcohol and cigarettes. She would stash them in a box, have a bit over summer, then bring it to school, and she'd be occupied for the whole year.
"It's only two months, and I'll be able to get my driver's license finally!" Mary says, sounding happy unlike the rest of the girls. Mary definitely was the post perceiving of the group, she didn't judge Rhiannon when the whole pregnancy scare happened, and always just gets you. Mary never made Rhiannon feel bad about herself.
"I just don't want to see my sister." Lily groans, organizing everything in her trunk. Back in the second year, Lily told Rhiannon everything about her family and before she learned that she was a witch. Sure they were both muggle-born, but their lives were very different.
Lily's parents were extremely proud of her and threw a party. She'd already had a friend, even if it was Snape. She had a great childhood, good parents, good money, a good personality, and the golden boy still chasing after her.
"I'm just gonna miss you guys." Marlene laughs, still wiping tears. She was a high achiever. Being a half-blood, her brother went to Hogwarts also and was head boy. That always bothered Marlene, she tires herself out trying to be good, and even better than him. There would be nights where Rhiannon would find her in the library, or a bench at night, crying while doing school work.
Sure they were in different houses, but in some way, Marlene was the girlfriend she was closest to. She was the only one that knew about her dad and all the addiction stuff. Remus was the only one she told about the violence, and she regrets it.
Rhiannon never understood the whole competitive sibling thing. Xandra was 21, in college, and never seemed jealous of Rhiannon. They grew up close, though they are around 6 years apart.
"Hey ladies!" someone opens the compartment door and squeezes in between Rhiannon and Marlene, Sirius. "I cannot wait for summer!". After Christmas, something changed. She was glad he grew to be happier since he got disowned and is now living with James.
Sirius was definitely Rhiannon's best friend, they related to each other in almost everything. They were both troublemakers, had shitty parents, and liked smoking. What else do you need?
After a few long minutes, the train ride came to a close and she said her goodbyes to everyone. James gave her a small late birthday present, it was a necklace with the Gemini constellation on it. She was surprised that he even bothered to listen when she would talk about astrology.
James was definitely the more caring one in the group. He was a people pleaser. Most of his conversations with Rhiannon were either about sex, relationships, or pranks. She taught him the right way the french kiss back in his fourth year. It wasn't weird, they both had already had their big first kiss long before they did.
He knew that she was the most experienced person, and of course, Rhiannon was up for practice. They never liked each other though, he always had eyes for Lily and she never saw him like that. Of course, there were rumors, but it never actually happened.
Peter gave her the next present, it was just a pack of cigarettes he stole from Remus. She laughed and thanked him. Peter was the quiet one, she never really got the chance to know him. He was always buried in a book or doing something that she wasn't interested in. He was sweet though, and she felt bad that she hadn't had a good conversation with him yet.
Remus was alone on the platform, away from the boys which was a surprise. Remus hadn't talked to Sirius in three weeks, and she didn't know what happened. Whenever she asked, they would change the subject or say it's "nothing".
She hadn't really gotten to know Remus until this year. They never got along, they had very different musical opinions. The only artist they both liked was Bowie. She had never opened up to someone so quickly and she didn't know why she trusted him.
They had ups and downs in their friendship and she didn't know why his mood changed so much or why he was so secretive.
"Hey." She says to him. He turns around then rolls his eyes, "I know you're not that fond of me, but maybe you should stop treating me like shit." She walks up to him so there now face-to-face. "Deal with your shit."
"Well, my shit isn't your business."
"God, do you think I'm stupid. I know you've been avoiding Sirius ever since O.W.L.S, and he's off the quidditch team? What did he even do?"
"Look, you wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Remus takes a breath, "Gotta go. Matrons here, have a great summer." he says with fury.
"You too." She smiles at him, then walks away entering the portal to the muggle world.