CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡.

The only thing that got the six Gryffindors through their first N.E.W.T.'s was knowing that Hollis would want them to focus on their studies over worrying about her. Remus could practically hear her saying that she was fine, the line that they shared in saying so often.

Transfiguration had been their first exam, with McGonagall walking around as their proctor. The professor had noticed a slight shake in James's hand even if he hadn't been writing for long, or Marlene rocking back in forth in her chair more than usual.

She didn't know exactly what had happened in that hospital room, only that Hollis was gone, her six students were deeply upset, and Remus had taken some sort of heavy book with him to 'keep safe.'

That night after their exam, Sirius and Lily had both successfully not gotten a wink of sleep, although they tried to hide it unsuccessfully as the six friends sat down at breakfast before their Charms N.E.W.T.

"Her birthday is on Friday," Sirius said, trying to work some things out verbally. "And we leave to go home for the summer on Saturday."

"And she would have gotten back Thursday," Marlene added on. "And some people were missing Sunday."

"Yea, where were all of them after we got back last night?" Peter asked, referring to the absence of Malfoy, Nott, and Lestrange at dinner on Sunday.

"Funeral," Marlene answered, having heard it from Bellatrix talking to Narcissa.

"Hopefully that's just why they wanted Hollis to leave early," Lily suggested halfheartedly.

Something in his gut was telling Remus that quite the opposite was possible. The likeness of Hollis going to the funeral of someone who had cursed her, and she had openly hated seemed rather low unless her parents had used the 'someone else will get hurt' threat on her to get the Rosier to attend.

Suddenly, James got up from the table and started to talk towards the entrance of the Great Hall without saying a word. Lily looked concerned, and Sirius confused at what he was doing even though they knew him so well.

To their surprise, the Potter intercepted Narcissa's path to the Slytherin table.

Narcissa looked at James like she was thoroughly disgusted to even be within a few inches of a blood traitor like him and hugged her bag closer to her chest.

"Hello?" she prompted with a sneer on her face. "What do you want?"

Now quite a few people in the Great Hall eating the breakfast were turned towards the two unlikely sixth years with curiosity.

James was completely undaunted at her obvious distaste, determined to figure more out about Hollis.

"Was she at the funeral Sunday night?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

A shoot of jealousy for how close Hollis was with so many people who clearly cared so much about her went through Narcissa.

"Was who?" she asked with a glare, and they both knew that she knew who he was referring to.

"Hollis," James clarified, already starting to lose his patience as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Was Hollis at the funeral?"

Narcissa hesitated a few seconds before answering.

"No," she replied honestly. "She wasn't there."

James didn't thank her as he walked back to the Gryffindor table between Lily and Peter with a frown.

"What the hell was that all about, Prongs?" Sirius questioned in a low tone, looking behind Peter's head at where Narcissa was just now heading back to her table after watching James for a few seconds.