CHAPTER TWELVE
❛We're just friends!❜
Hope Lupin sat in the Great Hall, eating breakfast before she left for the winter holidays. George sat next to her with a smile on his face.
"You excited to go home?" he asked, bringing a piece of pancake into his mouth.
"More than you know." Hope smiled back to him. "I miss my Papa and Grandpa."
George admired the girl's natural beauty. "Since your birthday will be tomorrow, I have your gift."
Wrapped awfully in yellow paper, was a book entitled 'How Not to Get Angry' by George Weasley. She let out a loud laugh as she gave him a huge hug.
"Thank you, George." she admired the cover. "It's great art, really."
Fred strolled over and sat across from the two. "Do you just forget that I'm here?"
"No, Freddie Boy, how could we ever forget you?" Hope let out a chuckle.
"You do all the time."
George looked to his twin. "Don't get your panties in a twist, you know we wouldn't forget you on purpose."
Cormac McLaggen, Hope, and Alfie Lupin all sat across from each other on the Hogwarts Express. Alfie had his nose shoved in a book, while Hope stared out the window. Cormac just sat there awkwardly in the silence.
"Who's excited for Christmas?" asked Cormac, trying to break the silence.
"I'm going to miss my friends." admitted Hope, looking away from the window. "George gave me my birthday gift though."
"Let me see." Cormac admired the book in her hands "It's quite nice."
Alfie looked up from his book and muttered. "Disgusting."
"What's your problem?"
"My 12-year-old sister is sleeping around with a 14-year-old, I'm totally happy." the Lupin boy grumbled.
Hope's eyes widened. "Woah, woah, woah. I am not sleeping around with anyone."
"Sure seems like it, Sis."
The McLaggen boy leaned into Hope. "At least he doesn't know you sleep in his bed."
"You what?!"
The girl raised his hand and started smacking Cormac. "I'm going to kill you, McLaggen."
"Sorry, sorry." he apologized. "I didn't think he'd hear me!"
"My sister is a whore. You're going to ruin our family name. Are you stupid?" the brother rambled on. "Did you atleast use protection?"
"I'm not having sex!"
Cormac looked to his best friend. "She's not sleeping around, Alf. Just takes naps in their room."
"Don't defend her! You're such a whore, Hope." he yelled some more. "Just like Dad."
Hope stood up and hit her brother in the nose. "You deserved that." and as her older brother bent over in pain. "I'm finding Ced."
The Lupin household held an awkward silence once Alfie and Hope had gotten home. It didn't take long for Remus and Lyall to notice either. Hope and Lyall were sitting in the kitchen telling her grandfather all that had happened.
Hope pulled out a picture of her and George. "This is George, he's my friend. He got me a book, see?"
"Now, you and George are together?"
"No, Grandpa." she laughed. "Just friends."
"Are you sure?" Lyall questioned. "You seem pretty tight."
Remus walked into the kitchen, a brown-haired boy following. "Hope, your friend's here."
"Ced!" she jumped up, giving him a hug. "I'm glad you made it."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, J." laughed Cedric. "Thank you for letting me over, Mister Lupin."
Hope grabbed Cedric by the hand. "Come on, I have some books upstairs."
As Remus watched his daughter run up the stairs with the boy, his face turned into a scowl. Lyall let out a booming laugh as he drank his tea.
"Your little girl is growing up." the grandfather spoke through his laughter. "Which boy is that, Remus?"
"Cedric Diggory, Amos' boy." he spoke bitterly.
Lyall smiled. "You don't have to worry about him. He's not her boyfriend."
"And how do you know, Dad?"
"She tells me more than you think, Remus."
Remus, Lyall, and four children sat around the round table for dinner. Alfie shot daggers at Hope from across the table. While Hope didn't care and just talked about dragons with Cedric.
"Whore, pass me the salt please?" called out Alfie.
"Alphard Peter, watch your mouth." Remus scolded.
Hope held up a fork. "You want me to stab you? I got a fork."
"Cool it, J." Cedric took the fork out of her hand. "We don't need another fork scene."
Cormac looked to Alfie. "Dude, stop with the names."
"Maybe she shouldn't be such a slut." sneered the brother.
"Alphard, that is enough!"
Hope looked to Cedric. "Give me back the fork, please?"
"Both of you, out!" Remus stood up, yet both of the children stayed sitting down. "Now."
As Hope and Alfie walked out of the dining room, Remus looked red with anger. The young girl sat with her arms crossed as her father began to yell at the two of them.
"What's going on? Name calling at the table? Really, Alphard? I expected better from you."
Alfie began to yell. "She's dating Weasley! Who, might I add, is 2 years older than her, Papa."
"Hope, is that true?"
"No, we're just friends!" she yelled, making eye contact with her brother.
The brother just rolled his eyes. "Then why are you sleeping in his bed?"
"Hope James, are you sleeping in that boy's bed?" Remus' voice got scarily quiet.
"Well, yes, but--"
Remus cut off his daughter in fury. "Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I don't spend the night! It's just during the day." she mumbled. "Alfie wouldn't even know if he didn't hover over me."
Lyall opened the door, eyeing the scene that was unfolding. "Hope is just a girl, Remus. You did the same thing with Sirius. But you two shared a room! Poor James."
"That is irrelevant!"
"It is not. Come on, Hope. We can go put up the Christmas tree. I bet Cedric and Cormac would love to help out."
Christmas day had approached quickly. The Lupin household was once again at peace. Presents sat underneath the tree, Hope's being the biggest of all.
As Hope began to open up the multiple presents. From Remus she had gotten an old Gryffindor sweater. Cedric had gotten her a bunch of muggle pens. Hermione and Harry pitched together on some sundresses and sugar quills. Neville sent her some macarons. Molly sent a Weasley jumper and fudge.
Lyall had gotten Hope some makeup, which she opened and admired. "Is this makeup?"
"Dad--"
Hope smiled. "I love it!"
"Anything for you, Sweetheart. Now, I don't know how to put it on. But I bet one of your girlfriends can help you."
The next gift she opened was a beautiful charm bracelet from George and a pair of enchanted sunglasses from Fred.
"That bracelet is gorgeous." Lyall smiled. "George?"
"You already know." she grinned. "I love it."
Remus looked over. "It is very nice, Hope. But, you're much too young--"
"Oh, shush Remus." said Lyall. "That other jewelry is beautiful too."
Hope bit her lip. "Oh, yeah, that's expensive."
Alfie looked at his sister. "Who's it from?"
"Well, um, Ginny?" she said more as a question. "Yeah, Ginny got it for me."
Remus picked it up and read out the tag. "For my darling cousin Hope Black, much love Andromeda Tonks?"
"Oh, Andi got it for me?" Hope tried to act surprised. "How nice of her."
"Why is she getting you gifts, Hope James?" Remus tried to remain calm, but Hope stayed silent. "Answer me, Hope."
Her voice came out in a stutter. "Uh, well, I've been owling her for advice."
"Why?"
"I have no woman influences. Like what happens if I need help with boys? Or I don't know, help with my hair." she defended.
Remus looked to his daughter. "I thought we discussed this, that family is bad news."
"Not Andi, she was disowned. She's better than all of them, Papa."
"Hope Black? She calls you Hope Black?"
Her eyes widened. "It's what Dad calls me. In Andi's last letter, he said to tell you that he misses you. And that he's sorry. But he's innocent."
Lyall smiled. "Sirius is innocent."
"He killed Peter!" exclaimed Remus. "He betrayed James."
"You don't believe that Remus. He was a great father." he tried to tell his son. "Now, Peter was always causing trouble. Looked like he had a bunch of secrets."
At Hogwarts, Harry and Ron were a new Crabbe and Goyle. The two of them sprinted down the staircase, two steps at a time. Out of nowhere, the two ran into Percy, who only stood at the end of the corridor with his arms crossed.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ron, earning a shove in the side from Harry.
"I happen to be a Prefect. Now you on the other hand have no business wandering the corridors at night. It's not safe." the two boys only nodded, too afraid to speak. "What are your names again?"
Suddenly Draco appeared out of nowhere. "Crabbe, Goyle, where have you been? The food in the Great Hall isn't that good."
"Uh, well--"
"And what are you doing down here, Weasley?"
Percy's face grew red, almost matching his hair perfectly. "Mind your attitude, Malfoy. You might want to show a bit more respect to a school Prefect!"
"Come on boys. Weasley thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed." Draco chuckled. "Have you two seen Hope?"
The two boys exchanged worried glances, before Harry spoke deep. "Uh, she's at home."
"Oh, right. Forgot."
As Draco led the two into the Slytherin Common Room, he took a seat on the silver couch. While Harry and Ron stood nervously.
"Listen to this, 'Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was today fined 50 galleons for bewitching a muggle car.'" Draco looked shocked. "Can you believe it?"
Both boys stood silent. "Uh, what an awful man."
"Father says he's unfit for the Ministry." he rambled on. "Such a shame Hope's best friends with them all. Muggles are disgusting and they shouldn't love them."
"Why you--" Ron began to grumble before Harry elbowed him in the side.
"You all right, Crabbe?"
The fake Crabbe put a hand on his stomach. "Stomachache."
"Well, stay clear of the Hospital Wing. All those Muggle-borns are in there. I'm surprised The Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet." the Malfoy boy grew frustrated. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Dumbledore's the worst thing to happen to Hogwarts."
Harry, who looked like Goyle then yelled out. "You're wrong!"
"Hope's obviously the worst." Ron said loudly.
"What'd you say, Crabbe?"
His eyes widened. "I mean, worst at having good friends?"
"I don't care what Hope does, as long as she's safe. Though, hanging around Saint Potter will get her killed." Draco began to get angry. "She's too important to throw her life away for friendship."
"Why do you care about her so much anyway?" asked Harry. "She's a traitor."
He grew more angry than before. "We don't insult family, Goyle. She's family, and she treats you two just as great. Now, if she stopped hanging around Weasley, Granger, and Potter, she'd stay a lot safer. But, it's Hope's choice."