CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑦.

"I'm sorry, you three, but you can't stay at St. Mungo's with her forever," McGonagall said with a sigh as she had to practically drag Sirius, James, and Remus away from walking in the direction of Hollis's door. "You have to resume your studies, your N.E.W.T.'s are at the end of the month and the last thing that would benefit your future careers would be to fail those."

Remus gestured in the general direction of the hallway leading to Hollis's room angrily.

"What about Hol?" he asked. "How is she going to take hers if she's locked up for the rest of the school year?"

McGonagall frowned, she hated keeping the Marauders apart more than anything, but she knew it was what they all needed whether they realized it at the moment or not.

"She needs time to regain her strength fully," she told the three boys. "It is no easy feat, not even for Miss Rosier, to completely recover from the Imperius Curse. And I highly doubt that weeks or rigorous study would do any favors to that recovery."

James crossed his arms over his chest and spoke up.

"Yea, it might help, but why should that time have to be alone?"

Running a few fingers across her eyes, McGonagall realized they weren't going to leave Hollis until they had a defined time they were going to see her again.

"I'll see what I can work out for visits with Professor Dumbledore," she said, and Sirius beamed.

"And for Lily, Marlene, and Peter as well," Remus said. "They would all want to see her as well."

Smiling at her considerate student, McGonagall nodded at him in acknowledgment that she would also attempt to fulfill this request.

"Of course, Mr. Lupin," she said kindly. "But for now, we need to leave."

The three boys exchanged a glance before smiling apologetically at McGonagall and sprinting to Hollis's room to say goodbye.

She just sighed yet again and shook her head.

Sirius was the one to throw open the wooden door, making Hollis, who was sitting up against her pillow and reading, promptly set down her book in alarm.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, panicked at how quickly they had come in.

Kneeling down by her bed and resting his chin on the sheets like a little puppy, Sirius nodded.

"Yes, there is," he told Hollis dramatically. "Minnie is making us leave so we can pass our N.E.W.T.'s."

Hollis laughed slightly and relaxed her shoulders as Remus sat down on the other side and James attempted to balance on the ending copper rail and failed.

"It's fine," she said, looking at James with mild amusement. "And Minnie's right, you can't pass them if you stay here much longer. I'm sure you've already missed out on loads of valuable review."

Hollis seemed highly reluctant that she was losing some of this knowledge, too. She was one of the smartest in their year, and the last thing she wanted to do was for that trait to take a blow.

"So will you," Remus said, reading her mind. "And that's not fair."

A crease forming in her brow, Hollis just ran a hand down her face.

"I'll catch up quickly," she said confidently, nodding to herself. "It's just review, I don't think there's any more material. And I already understood everything."

"Obviously," said Sirius, rolling his eyes jokingly. "Your grades now would probably be better than half the school's normally."

Hollis couldn't deny that this was most likely true. Right as she was about to reply, though footsteps that she recognized as McGonagall's started to come down the hall.