Lupins POV
Sirius corners me as soon as I set one foot in the common room, an angry, protective look etched onto his face. "Where were you last night?" He growls. "And how did you get those cuts on your face and hands?"
I just smile wide grin that's filled with fakery and lies. The most common lie of all doesn't even need any words, it's the smile that says I'm fine when I'm really not.
"Oh you know." I shrug nonchalantly, the smile beginning to fade on my lips. "Chats with Dumbledore."
I try to duck under his arm but instead he pins me to the wall by my shoulders. I grunt in pain as a random nail digs into my spine and look tiredly at his angry, distrustful expression.
"I'm being serious here Moony. Don't lie to me because you're crap at it and I can practically smell the bullshit radiating off you. Also, I'm almost certain that Dumbledore has not relocated his office into the girls bathroom. So. What went on last night."
"Nothing." I growl through gritted teeth and shove him away from me. "It's absolutely nothing."
"You can't lie to me." He calls as I walk away from him.
"I wasn't! It's NOTHING to do with you. It's NONE of your business." I hiss angrily, knowing that he can hear me perfectly well. "So. Leave it, leave me alone."
I creep up to my dorm and fling the door open. Peter and James sit on their opposite beds, talking lowly to each other. They stop abruptly as they see that it's me and awkwardly smile and try to avert their eyes. I flash that same sarcastic smile to them and head to my chest of draws, pulling out my uniform for the day. My hands sting slightly and I look down to see a small speck of the mirror, stuck in the skin below my thumb. I groan and try to dig it out with my stubby nails which only sparks more bleeding and irritation.
The boys look over suspiciously at me and I decide to ignore them, heading through to the small bathroom to try to clean myself up a bit before lessons start. The raw, red cuts are a stark contrast to the pink, shiny scars that already litter my skin, making me sigh at the tired, worn down reflection of myself.
I crack my neck as I get changed, trying to erase the stiffness that was left in there from last night. I attempt to massage it away but the irritating piece of glass stops me from applying any pressure to it.
I loosely loop my tie around my neck and grab my books. I don't bother telling them that I'm not going to be in the next lesson and instead head straight down to the hospital wing to get my hand sorted out.
Once she's pulled out the piece and it's bandaged up and stopped bleeding, I thank the nurse and head out towards my classes, clutching my books in my good hand. The first few corridors were empty, but gradually they start to fill with the hustle and bustle of a new day.
The crowds in the hallways seem to envelope me, gripping my senses and taking ahold of my mind. I hear my own heartbeat thudding in my ears and I can't cope with the noise. I seem to see her everywhere I go, with deep red eyes and fangs dripping with blood, a stark contrast to her perfectly white but dangerously sharp teeth.
She's coming to attack me.
I duck into the bathroom we were in just thirteen hours ago and splash water on my face, trying to clear the haunting images from my mind. I'm shocked back to reality by myrtle appearing on the ledge above the collection of sinks. She rests her head on her hands and smiles.
"Well, doesn't everyone want to see me recently." The pale ghost says smugly. "Do you want to helplessly sob on my shoulder too?" She winks at me and flutters her eyelashes. "I'd happily stroke your hair and let you fall asleep in my arms, peppering your forehead with kisses." She sighs and looks down at me, a weird gleam in her eyes.
"I'm ok thank you." I say as kindly as I can, leaning over the sink and looking at her in the reflection of the mirror.
"Suit yourself." She says, shrugging and turning around, a miffed air around her. "But don't come crying to me when your girl vanishes out of your life." She sings, flying overhead and disappearing into a cubicle.
"Vanishes?" I whisper in disbelief and spin around to try and get a good look at her. "What do you mean by vanishes?"
"Vanishes. You know, poof and she's gone!" She exclaims, her head suddenly popping out of the sink where I'm standing.
"Why would she go?"
"Well I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself? Oh wait...." She says, almost with a hint of smugness in her tone. "You can't."
"Because of me?" I say in fear. "Because of what I said?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was because of your rude, juvenile attitude that meant she couldn't explain herself to you." She says with an irritated, impatient air about her. "But what do I know, I only heard and saw your entire confrontation and consoled her afterwards."
"What did she say? What happened?"
"Ugh. She didn't say anything." She scoffs, swooping around the room. "She can't talk!"
I closes my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to salvage a drop of patience for the whining girl.
"You know what I meant." I breathe angrily. "What did she tell you?"
"Only that you didn't let her explain or do anything to help as she was pouring her soul and secrets out to you." Her head says and she sinks slowly down into the basin. "But I guess it doesn't matter as she'll be gone soon enough."
I claw desperately at the air to try and bring her back to the surface to talk to me. To give me answers to her cryptic, stupid words.
"Gone where? Where is she?"
"Where do you think she's gone?" Myrtle whispers suddenly in his ear. "You think she's a murderer. You think she's a killer. So, in your world, she's gone to Azkaban. Care to find out what's going on in actual life!" Her voice raises to an angry screech before she calmly sighs again. "But what do I know? Nothing compared to the boy who's read a thousand books. Because books have all the answers, don't they."
She swoops lowly around the room, flying in and out of walls and doors.
"Make some of your own choices now." Her bottom lip quivers slightly as tears spring into her eyes. "After all, who would want to take the advice of a pathetic, miserable ghost."
She lets out one last long, high pitched wail before vanishing with a splash down the sink.
A sudden strange thought struck me. After all this fear that I'd had about her and what she is, I can actually imagine life at Hogwarts without her. The thought of her leaving forever, actually scares me more than what she might be.
I guess she's right. It's time for me to face up to everything.
And that starts with a certain girl, who I may have misjudged.
Merlin, I've been such an idiot.
----
He is such a dish!t. Ugh.
So everyone, you have no idea how incredible it has been to have my book mentioned in a 'Harry potter books to read' thing. Oh my frickity frackity golly gooseberries thank you so much weasleyaesthetic for putting me in there, that is one of the best compliments I've ever had.
So, I went back to school and hated it. What about you lot?
QOTD : I'm seriously running out of questions to ask, so ask me and each other any question, you can do that or comment some random things you like.
I like pigs, warm scarfs, art, hot chocolate powder, and maple syrup with and bacon.
I love y'all my little fishes xxx