The autumn went by quickly, blending into snow and evening hot cocoa. N.E.W.T.S were in three weeks and then it'd be Christmas. Seventh year was going by too fast for anyone to keep track of.
Most students were found holed up in the library when not in classes or at meals. Conversations had stopped in favor of text-books and foot-long essays. Fawn physically felt her brain hurt from the information being crammed into it. And she had thought O.W.Ls had been hard!
Christmas at the Potters was the only light house from the stress. It would all be over soon enough.
An impressive groan left Fawn's lips as she struggled over her Charms notes. She had used to love the class, but seventh year had stripped away that joy.
"You alright?" asked Remus from behind her. He had just entered the library to do some revisions himself but now was poorly biting back a grin at his friend's misery.
"No," whined Fawn, "I hate N.E.W.T.S."
"I think we all do."
Remus slid into the chair beside her. He glanced at the charm work. For him Charms came quite naturally. "Want some help?"
"Yes," Fawn breathed desperately.
That was how the next two hours were spent; note-writing, practice, and Remus' ability to teach in an understandable way. Remus was a fantastic teacher, not that that was surprising. He had been the best Professor Fawn had the pleasure of knowing even compared to McGonagall.
"You're a fast learner," commented Remus as the study session came to a close.
Fawn blew out a breath, her bangs fluttering. "Thank Merlin for you Remus Lupin," she laughed.
He chuckled, shaking his head humbly. "It was nothing."
The pair gathered up their supplies, books thudding into leather satchels, inkwells sealed tightly—something Fawn had made the mistake of not doing once in first year. The halls were quiet, everyone having found a study nook or out with friends enjoying the new snowfall.
The peace was disturbed by three boys—well they were all of age but that besides the point—who came tearing down the corridors laughing jovially, invisibility cloak flying behind them. The list of things they could have done was endless.
One would think that because James was with Lily now, the pranks and childish antics would have calmed but clearly not. Although the boys had matured immensely in the past year and a half, they were still kids, they still desired the freedom that Hogwarts allowed them.
"What did you lot do?" asked Remus, arms crossed over his chest, a false glare staring them down.
"Moony, how dare you think we did anything!" an offended Sirius exclaimed, right hand pressed firmly over his chest in disbelief.
"Yeah, we were just hanging out, being great mates," added Peter, James nodding and adding his own words of confirmation.
"Right," grinned Remus, his eyes rolling in amusement.
"We have chocolate," Peter spoke up, all three supplying a handful of the sweet each.
"Oh, so you idiots stole it from Honeydukes then?"
"Fawnie, you need to trust us more."
"Mhm, sure Sirius."
Remus shook his head again, a soft chuckle leaving his lips, eyes focused on the raven-haired boy who was slowly driving him mad. "Fine, I won't say anything. On one condition," he held up his pointer finger, "I get at least half of that chocolate."
Peter, James and Sirius exchanged glances, grinning widely. "Deal!"
It was always so strange to see Peter being kind-hearted and innocent. There had always been the assumption that Peter had always been sort of twisted, always had an ulterior motive. On the contrary, Peter Pettigrew was a sweet, seventeen year old boy who always wanted the best for his friends despite his myriad of insecurity.
He helped Remus with Herbology and gave him chocolate unquestionably, he joked loudly with James and Sirius, always encouraging them with their prank exhibitions, Quidditch matches, and, in James' case, always going out of his way to cheer James up after a rejection by Lily and being the first to throw a celebration when she finally fell for him.
How this boy turned around in a course of four years, becoming a villain, a traitor, a murderer, was extremely difficult to understand. Knowing Peter now, made hating him difficult even though Fawn wanted to desperately. Right now, they were all just kids. It's hard to pin a crime on a kid when the crime was committed at a very different time. Four years could, did, change everything. Even more so with Fawn possessing the knowledge that she had and knowing she had the power to alter the timeline if she so desired.
Sirius cleared his throat loudly, catapulting Fawn out of her thoughts yet again. "What?" she asked dumbly, sure her face reflected her lack of attention.
"I asked if you're going to Sluggy's party with Reg again?"
A snort exited her throat. "What?" This time the tone was amused.
"You heard me," sang Sirius, "I know there is something going on there."
"I can assure you, there is not. Who are you going with?"
Sirius grinned goofily. "Moony asked me again." The twinkle in the eyes of Remus' friends was undeniable. Everyone was ready for those two to make it official already.
Fawn wiggled her eyebrows at Remus who was very pointedly looking away.
Sirius leaned close, stage-whispering. "He's embarrassed."
"I am not!" declared Remus, his face ablaze with color. This declaration was met with a fit of giggles from the others and a pat on the back from Peter.
"Sure you're not, mate," he said.
*****
"Why are N.E.W.T.S right before the winter holidays?" whined Marlene, her face squished into a pillow, her body splayed out on a bed.
"Because otherwise they'd be before summer," Alice rationalized.
The exams were now only a week away. Lily refused to look up, she was hunched over her desk scribbling study-notes furiously, pages turning at such an alarming pace it was shocking that they hadn't ripped yet. The other girls were far less worried about their scores. All three were going down the path of being Aurors—well, Fawn was technically becoming a Curse-Breaker but that required the same exams only with the addition of Ancient Runes and no need for Potions.
For Marlene, Auroring was in her blood; her parents were both well-renowned Aurors as were many of her other family members.
Alice on the other-hand, came from a family line of businesses owners like her great-uncle Florean who owned an ice cream shop in Diagon Alley, Professors; her ancestor Dexter Fortescue had been Hogwarts' headmaster a century or so ago and other self-fulfilling careers. So, Alice becoming an Auror was a big deal to her family who were simultaneously overjoyed and terrified for their little girl.
As for Fawn, well her family were Muggles and in a completely separate timeline so what they thought of their daughter's career choices really wasn't relevant or even known. All Fawn knew was that Bill Weasley had spoken with her about his career a few times on his various visits home to The Burrow and she was fascinated.
Besides, the option to travel to new countries and to experience different cultures while doing work was an offer she wouldn't dare to pass up.
She was sure the Curse-Breaking dream would have to be on hold for a while with the upcoming climax of the war and inevitable joining of The Order after graduation that year, but she was going to work towards that goal nonetheless.
The war wouldn't last forever and, if by some miracle she lived to see the end of it, Fawn needed a future plan. So yes, the curses would undoubtedly have to wait to be broken until 1982 at the least, but it wasn't like they were going anywhere.
*****
"Thank Merlin that's over," sighed Alice, all eight Gryffindors settling into the sofas after the last N.E.W.T.
Sirius' head was resting in Remus' lap, the latter playing with hair. Peter and James were setting up the Wizards Chess board, James' free hand intertwined with Lily's while she laughed with Marlene about a particularly easy question that had been on the Potions examination.
"I second that," said Fawn, "We can relax for all of next term."
"Hallelujah," breathed Peter, easily beating James in a move—Fawn didn't understand how chess worked.
"We do need to keep our grades up for our future employers though," Lily pointed out.
"Minor details, Red."
Remus chuckled. "Won't really matter for me with my Lycanthropy and all. I can't get a job anyway."
Fawn paused. This was the first time Remus had openly mentioned being a Werewolf in front of her. She wasn't sure who else, besides the lads, knew. Clearly Lily knew, as she quickly joined in with Sirius and Remus, arguing that he would too find a job.
Did Marlene know? Given her reaction a year prior to the attack on her brother, Fawn expected this comment to be a point of tension. Instead, Marlene began going on a rant about the bullshit of the Ministry's treatment of marginalized groups. "Honestly, the only work being done isn't even done by the bloody Ministry!" she exclaimed. "We only have Fawn to thank for her S.P.E.W group."
The group froze, realization pouring over them that Fawn and Alice were, in fact, not aware of Remus' condition. Remus' palms rubbed over his jeans, wiping away the moisture that had accumulated. The air was thick, anticipating someone to say something.
"I..." He didn't continue, what was there to say?
"You're a Werewolf, Remus?" asked Alice, her voice calm as always.
He swallowed deeply, nodding stiffly. "Y-Yes."
"Okay."
"Okay?" asked James, "That's it?"
The brunette shrugged. "Why shouldn't it be? We all know Remus well. He's been nothing but kind to me. I have no reason to be bothered by this information. Sure, I wasn't expecting it but it won't change anything."
Remus overed a wavering smile. "Thanks Alice."
"Only took you a year and a half," Fawn said with a dry laugh.
The boys' eyes widened in varying levels of shock. Sirius shot upwards, accidentally hitting his head against Remus' chin. He ignored this.
"You knew?"
"I'm smarter than you lot give me credit for," she replied simply. "Why do you think I brought up the S.P.E.W idea to begin with this year?"
"Empathy for magical creatures?"
Fawn laughed genuinely at Peter's guess, the first time she'd been able to connect a positive feeling to the boy. "Well, yes, that too. But more because I figured out about Remus a while back and figured this group could advocate for him under the guise of caring about magical creatures in general—which I do, obviously—but I brought up the 'Werewolf chapter' for a reason."
Sirius was still flabbergasted. "How do you always know everything!"
"Magic."
She hoped that Sirius wasn't actually catching on to her excessive knowledge. She'd tripped up only two or three times but it could have easily been enough to raise suspicions.
Luckily, the dry quip changed the topic to jokes and thank yous from Remus, propelling them into a fun and relaxing Friday night.