❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
6th Year of Hogwarts
❃.✮:▹ ◃:✮.❃
NEEDLESS TO say that the Death Eater attack had changed things further than the angry scars that covered James Potter's tan skin. Tensions had risen amongst the students. Most of the people who had attacked the wedding were adults, but there had been a handful of teenagers involved. Most of whom belonged to Slytherin with a handful of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors.
The teachers had already handed out thrice the amount of punishment surrounding duelling between students.
Severus Snape had found himself in the hospital wing for three weeks and Eloise accepted her three month detention with head held high. Just as the Slytherin boy got out of the hospital wing, a hex made it so that Snape could only swear and walk backwards and so Sirius joined his mate in detention. With the three loudest Marauders in no pranking condition, Severus expected some peace, but oh was he wrong. It wasn't long or Remus and Peter took their own revenge strikes at him. Battered and bruised, Snape would pass by the halls in a rush whenever he saw a group clad in red and gold. In the end it was only James who didn't retaliate for even Lily took her swing at her former best friend.
It was truly a sight to behold, the Lily Evans had detention. Lily Jade Evans had detention. The teachers declared that it was the Marauders' bad influence. They were not entirely wrong.
Some weeks passed and Horace Slughorn's birthday came around. As it was tradition, a big party for all students who took N.E.W.T. potions was organised in honour of the professor. Most of the Marauders were lucky enough to not have detention the night of the party, Peter however wasn't.
And while Peter and Remus didn't take potions, they would have attended as plus ones to Sirius and Eloise respectively.
☆——⍟——☆
Chilly wind nipped at Eloise's cheeks and nose and rustled the strands of her brown hair. The girl nuzzled further into the cloak around her shoulders. A long afternoon of cleaning the accommodations of the fire crabs and bowtruckles had left the Prewett with burns, blisters and cuts on her hands.
Eloise's attention was caught by Regulus Black walking with Therese Windslow, large stacks of books in both their arms. With a swish and flick, the books floated into the air, and with a jab the books turned into clouds and words rained down onto the two Slytherin students. Promptly after being soaked in ink, the clouds transfigured back and dropped onto the floor in a stack of books.
In order to avoid the bewildered steel eyes of the youngest Black son, Eloise jumped into a bush, morphing into a fox as she did so. A grin played on Eloise's lips and she trotted away satisfied.
All that Regulus and Therese saw was a fox speeding out of a bush.
By the Black Lake, Remus Lupin had curled up under a tree with a book in hand. A soft knit sweater that Molly had made him, adorned his lanky frame. If not for his heightened sense of hearing, Remus would not have noticed the fox creeping by some of the flowers. No doubt the fox was planning to scare the dormant wolf.
He would allow her some fun for now.
Remus feigned brief panic when Eloise jumped out and barked in his face. She had been doing that little joke for years. What had not been going on for years, was that Eloise morphed back as Remus petted her and gave him a kiss.
The couple pulled apart and Eloise turned in her boyfriend's arms. Eloise sat with her back against Remus' stomach, his arms around her and legs on each side of her. "What is your book about?"
The copy of The Silmarillion was worn, pages frayed and curled after many readings. The book had once belonged to Hope Lupin, but when she became ill, the book was gifted to her son. Her son in return read it to Hope whenever she wanted. "It's about various stories that take place in the universe of Middle-Earth."
"Middle-Earth?" Eloise furrowed her brow. "Do The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings take place there?"
A peck to Eloise's temple was the affirmative answer she received. "How do you even remember that? You hate these types of books."
"Do not!"
"Yes you do."
"...yeah, I do," Eloise admitted with a sigh. She crossed her arms with a pout. "But how could I not remember? You've been reading those bloody books ever since I met you," Eloise said, her Welsh accent stronger than usual. "Literally," She spat.
With a teasing smile Remus looked down at the witch in his arms. "I'm flattered Elo."
"As you should," Eloise mused. Desperately she tried to keep her grin hidden, but it eventually came out, which resulted in some more teasing from Remus.
Some distance from the loving couple, Quinn had started to hurl contents of her stomach onto the green grass. "Quinn?" Alice asked concerned, the card game the girls had been playing long forgotten. Dorcas Meadows quickly conjured a bucket for Quinn.
With her belly emptied, Quinn panted before gratefully taking Alice's handkerchief with a mumbled thank you and using it to wipe her mouth. "Did you eat something spoiled?" Dorcas asked, tucking her curly black hair behind her ear. The sunlight reflected off of the gold rings around Dorcas' dark fingers.
"Probably," Quinn murmured. She looked deadly pale. "I think I'll just go lie down for a bit."
The English-Chinese girl stood and swayed gently. "I'll walk you." Alice quickly jumped to her feet, but Quinn waved her off.
"No need, I feel fine." Quinn left Alice and Dorcas to exchange concerned looks.
Dorcas made the bucket filled with vomit disappear with a curled up nose. "Strange..." She trailed off.
"What exactly?" Alice questioned.
The older Gryffindor girl shrugged. "Well, we ate together last night. One would expect that we would be sick as well."
While Alice offered that maybe their immune systems were stronger, or that they were yet to get sick, Dorcas didn't fully believe it. Her immune system was pretty shitty, there was a reason she and Madam Pomfrey were good friends. Yet, Dorcas didn't feel sick in the slightest.
☆——⍟——☆
In the Gryffindor common room, Peter had found his old guitar that had been hidden away under his bed after he became a Marauder. He had long changed into his silver striped pyjamas.
While James and Sirius were out making Evan Rosier's life miserable, Eloise and Remus were making others uncomfortable with their love, Lily and Peter were in the common room together. The redhead was reading a muggle magazine that Sirius would steal the moment he saw it while Peter played.
Peter stared at his mate's girlfriend. Her bright red hair had been pulled up into a wavy ponytail, a t-shirt that belonged to James hugged her figure. Lily was quite tall —she stood half a head taller than Peter and was a hair taller than Remus— but James was even taller and so his shirt was still a dress on her. Millions of freckled were peppered about Lily's exposed shoulder, neck and face. A result of her love of being outside in summer.
"I was flying by Glasgow when I saw her
Red braids and all
It was then that I knew she would be my own
Jolly curves and all
With rose in hand I met her
And soon after she wore my ring
Her name was Hilda Hollister
And I was William Hufflepuff
Family and tradition forgotten as we went away
Soon after she took my name and we were one."
Lily had put away her glimmering magazine as the song picked up pace and started to clap and hum along with a smile that matched Peter's.
"Within the year we had our daughter
I swore to Merlin I'd love her too
Red hair, jolly curves and all
My sweet little Helga
Within the joyous decade we grew old and had our children
And I swore I still loved my Hilda
White hair and sagging body
And she loved me through and through
Crooked nose, warts and all
For fifty years and on I have loved her
Through poverty and riches
Through death and disease
Our five boys and seven girls grew old and soon we were grandparents."
Through the hole in the wall, the other Marauders emerged with confused looks. "What the bloody hell is—" James never finished that statement for Lily swooped him away. Her arms lacing around his as she pranced around the room.
Hauling Eloise up into the air, Sirius joined the couple while ignoring the curses in English and Welsh he received from the tiny brunette. With no partner to annoy or dance with, Remus resulted to his awkward small dance consisting of moving his hands in front of his chest and minimal hip movement.
"She took my heart and kept it all my life
Only returning small pieces in pudding
I lost track of the time but somehow I ended up with 30 grandchildren
5 great grandchildren on the way
But still I loved my Hilda
Red hair and all
Jolly curves and all
I loved her until her story ended in a flash
At least I got to love her
And still I fly by Glasgow every week
There I see her young soul in all her red plump glory."
As the song's tunes died, the Marauders and Lily's jolly laughter replaced the music and Peter glowed. He had rarely caused his friends so much joy.
Breathless James dropped himself onto a loveseat, hand racking through his messy hair. Lily sat down on the armrest of the seat, her legs folded over James' in such casualty that strangers would think them married or a couple that had been dating for many years. The truth that the two's relationship was a little shy of one year was surprising to most.
Just looking at them was enough to make cynics believe in magic, for hopeless romantic to be hopeful and enough to serve as a light at the end of a tunnel of the brewing war. James Fleamont Potter after all came from a well respected family who's biggest scandal to the white rich wizarding community had been Fleamont's marriage to the half-blood Euphemia of Desi parents, and Lily Jade Evans came from a working class muggle family, her father had protested alongside his fellow miners some years before.
While most people were either looking at the couple in admiration or just ignoring them, Sirius was doing something else entirely. He was pouting, arms crossed and glaring at both couples in the common room. "Fuck all you people in love," Sirius grumbled, his obscene amount of eyeliner made his steel gaze even darker than usual.
"Gladly." James grinned, squeezed Lily's waist and started laughing as Sirius started to swat at him. Lily made an attempt to stop them but was ultimately caught in the crossfire and fell down with a yelp. That in turn caused James' eye to twitch and he tackled Sirius with newly fuelled aggression.
"I can't believe this," Eloise muttered.
Lily staggered to her feet while rubbing her painful butt. "Me neither, are they incapable of acting as adul..." She trailed off as she saw Eloise get up from the couch and quite literally dive in between the fighting boys to join them. The pale girl blinked a few times before letting out a breath. "I should've known," She murmured.
Remus, didn't even seem to be thinking about intervening. "You should have."
As Remus and Lily busied themselves with keeping their idiots from destroying decor in the common room, Peter screamed and jumped up on a chair to avoid a rouge punch and wild kick. In his arms he held a box of fudge and a bottle of butterbeer, both items he intended to protect from the crazy animals rolling around on the floor as they pulled each other's hair.
"How you have survived with them as your roommates I'll never know," Alice whispered in the far corner of the room where she and Frank were curled up on the window sill. They were partly hidden by the thick maroon curtains.
Frank shrugged in reply and grabbed his camera that had been put down on a nearby table some time earlier. "I wouldn't know," With a click the chaotic but common scene was captured. "Suppose I'm lucky in many ways." He smiled at Alice who quirked a brow at his statement and asked what he meant by that. "Well," Frank tucked a strand of brown hair behind the younger girl's ear. "I'm lucky I have survived them as roommates—"
"I HEARD THAT!" James hollered before he was cut off by Eloise slamming a pillow into his face. "OIE!! YOU GIT!"
Frank gestured to the Marauders as if to provide explanation. "And I'm lucky to go out with you." He kissed her. After one too many lectures by Lily, Eloise and Marlene on the patriarchy and sexism, Frank didn't dare to say Alice was his. She was her own human being who he loved and dated and wished to marry.
☆——⍟——☆
Despite having worn dress robes since he could walk, Sirius struggled with the lace, prompting James to step in. As the younger boy fiddled with the tie in the front, Sirius launched into a long whine. "Why am I even going? He's not going to be there."
"Oh hush, you big baby," James hissed as he finished the tie, leaving it slightly crooked.
A dramatic gasp left the Black boy's lips and he rested a hand on his puffed out chest. "You dare hush me? Me? Your darling future in law?" James fake grimaced at the statement and tried, and failed, to avoid Sirius flinging his arms around him.
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
The two had stopped fazing Remus years ago and so he barley spared them a glance. A deep frown was etched on his forehead as he fiddled with the cuffs of his suit. If James wasn't so preoccupied with the baby of the Marauders, he would have been swatting Remus' hands and scold Remus for messing up his hard work.
Alas the boy couldn't help it. He was going to attend a party with a girl, and not just any girl, his girlfriend. Who also happened to be one of the smartest, strongest, prettiest, funniest and most popular people at Hogwarts. Someone who was very much out of Remus' league in his mind.
All their kisses and touches felt like sweet dreams that would soon turn melancholy. A fleeting dream that was too good to be true and would soon be interrupted by reality. Wether that slap of reality would be Eloise realising she could do better than a monster or the war whisking away Remus, who was a half-blood half-breed. Eloise's embraces were comforting like a warm bed on a wintery morning where one just wanted to curl up under the blankets forever.
Soon enough Lily, Eloise and Marlene appeared and the company set off to the party. On the way Remus bore witness to Eloise's angry whispers about tall Lily wearing high heels.
Despite Professor Slughorn having locked his liquor cabinet, it didn't take long for alcohol to infiltrate the party and be mixed in with the provided drinks there.
A muggle song had started to play somehow and the wild teenagers were prancing around as Slughorn grinned in joy and shook his hands around in small movements. Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black were dancing like there was no tomorrow, at the start of the evening Sirius had quickly agreed to be Marlene's wingman and help her find a fling for the night.
Before coming out, Sirius had been a player amongst the witches at Hogwarts in a desperate fleeting attempt to prove to himself and others he was attracted to women. He slept with Marlene on a handful of occasions but the moment she heard about his sexuality their relationship shifted. Truthfully Sirius hadn't been so terrified of coming out to Marlene for he had heard that she had made out amongst other things with Eloise in the past.
Marlene had confided in Sirius that gender and sex played no role for her when it came to romance or sex. If she was attracted to someone, she was attracted to someone. Easy as that. Eloise in turn had said that while gender played no role in her romantic or sexual attraction, she couldn't imagine being attracted to all genders.
The domino effect of Sirius' coming out had comforted him. Even when most of them lacked words to explain their sexualities and gender, they explained it however they could. James explained he was only attracted to women and feminine presenting people and even mentioned he had some doubts about feeling like a man, Remus that he would prefer to know someone really well before sleeping with them, Peter and Lily had simply shrugged and said they were heterosexual.
That was something else that worried Remus as he watched Eloise dance. The flared jumpsuit she wore exposed her shoulders and part of her cleavage, multiple guys at the party had long noticed and were ogling her quite obviously. Which in return had resulted in hexes from Eloise. But Remus didn't feel anything as he looked at her body. Yes he felt affection and he had to admit she was very attractive. But the desire to have any sexual contact beyond kissing was lacking. Eloise was confident in her sexuality, stories of her sleeping with past partners were not scarce. What if she got fed up with his low libido and left him for someone like Marlene? After all, finding out she wasn't only attracted to men gave her even more options.
"Moonsy!" The voice of the girl in question pulled Remus' mind back to reality like a lifeline. "What did I tell you about frowning?" Her fingers reached up and pressed the spot in between his brows. He offered her a bashful smile and pulled his shoulders up. The loud music and chatter of the party seemed to fade away as Eloise pulled Remus down slightly and rose to the tip of her toes to connect their lips. Pulling apart, Eloise leaned in to whisper in the sandy haired boy's ear. "Come."
She gripped his hand and led him away from the party. The queasy feeling in Remus' stomach grew and his throat tightened. He should say something but the way she ran through the hallways with merry laughter stopped him. He still didn't utter a word when Eloise jumped into his arms as a fox and he carried her up the stairs to his dorm.
Not even asking of she could borrow a shirt, Eloise jumped from Remus' arms and beelined for his trunk. Remus' brows furrowed. "What are you looking for?" His voice higher than usual.
Eloise cast him a look over her shoulder with that sweet dimple smile. "A shirt of course."
"A shirt?" What would she need a shirt for? James, Sirius and Peter had never mentioned shirts being necessary.
Finally Eloise found a suitable shirt and she straightened her back. Quickly the brunette made her way to the bathroom and stripped out of her clothes. At the sink she washed off her eye liner and brushed out her hair with her fingers. Satisfied, Eloise opened the bathroom door and returned to the bedroom where she found Remus sitting on his bed, head buried in his hands.
"Remus?"
Said boy looked up and gulped.
Within a few steps Eloise stood before him and quickly sat down on his lap, which unbeknownst to Eloise made him even more nervous. "What's going on?" Eloise questioned, wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders.
Carefully Remus looked up, meeting her brown eyes briefly. "I'm not ready," He whispered.
Then it clicked in Eloise's head and she started laughing. Remus looked as she grew red, his head spinning as questions filled his head.
Finally Eloise regained her composure and looked at Remus with a giddy smile. "Remus," Their eyes met again. "We have been dating for a little over a month now, I don't expect you to be ready," Her small hands cupped his cheeks. "It would be your first time and I know how you feel about stuff like this," Eloise's dark eyes wandered from Remus' eyes to look over the scars that littered his skin. "This is a relationship with two people, it's important we're both ready for that step. Wether that's next week, month, year or never doesn't matter to me. You matter to me."
Silence enveloped the couple for a few moments as Remus stared at her with newly found infatuation. Merlin he loved her. "So you'd be okay with possibly never doing it?"
Eloise nodded in sincerity before she felt the need to make an unnecessary comment, she was still Eloise Matilda Prewett after all. "Yes, after all, I'll always have my fingers."
Laughter spilled from Remus' lips and he buried his face in the crook of her neck before hugging her. Absently Eloise threaded her fingers through his hair and scratched his scalp slightly. "So..."
The younger boy pulled back and looked up at her. "So?"
"Can I sleep here with you?"
Remus nodded and soon enough the two drifted away to dream land. Eloise's head tucked away against Remus' chest, her arms encircled his frame much like he hugged her.
a/n:
sorry i've been gone, i was very busy with a lot of stuff.
but anyway i'm back now! ugh i adore reloise honestly, they deserve better.
just as an overview, eloise is polysexual and genderfluid, sirius is gay, lily and peter
are straight, remus is demiromantic and demisexual, and james is gynosexual and demiboy.
fun fact, rahul kohli (james' face claim) uses he/they pronouns and while i don't know
his gender specifically or if he chooses to label it, i wanted to make him and james have the
same pronouns so get ready for james opening up about his pronouns. and jk rowling can fight me.
alsoooooo, foreshadowing for a certain character's future. did you see it?👀
funny post
date published:13 december 2021
word count:3741