CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑓𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑦.

Train rides always signified the beginning or end of something. This meaning could be that you were moving to a new home and leaving an old life behind. You could be visiting a relative to remind yourself why you loved them or going to on a trip to relax from your busy, chaotic life.

For the students of Hogwarts, train rides meant that they were either going to their home for Christmas or the summer, or that they were returning home after one of these breaks at their houses.

To Remus Lupin, he found a home in both trips, but that wasn't what was bothering him so deeply.

As he climbed into the scarlet painted steel train, he looked behind him at Hogwarts castle, knowing that his sixth year was over for good. In his next and final term at the school, though, he had no idea who would be returning and not.

Several students such as Gideon Prewett and Corban Yaxley had already left midyear for either losses in their families or to go on some unknown mission for either side of the war. Over the summer, Remus had an uneasy feeling that others in his year might not come back as well, either from death or some dangerous journey to play their part in the war.

One student in particular, he was worried about.

Hollis had now been alone at Rosier Manor for a week, and anything could have happened to her in that time.

She could have been placed under the Imperius Curse yet again, forced into being a Death Eater, or tortured mentally or physically like she had so many other times by her parents. Or, she could not even be at that dark place, and instead be visiting Grimmauld Place and having to go through the phycological element of Sirius's abuse.

All of this suffering could be going on at this very instant without his knowledge, but Remus knew that she wasn't dead.

He had a certainty that if her life had ended, he would be able to feel it. Hollis and his lives were so deeply intertwined, and their hearts as a biproduct. Remus always had a gut feeling whenever something bad was happening, and he hadn't, in fact, been able to shake the pit away ever since they left St. Mungo's.

And there was no doubt in his mind that if Hollis was killed, that pit would swallow him whole.

This was only a momentary comfort, though, because even if she was still alive, that fact could change at any second. He was running a race against time with his legs tied to figure out how to save her without getting caught as they had the last time, and Remus was losing at the moment.

As he sat down on the blue plaid seats of the Express, Remus stared at the place Hollis usually sat and felt a sharp blow go through him even further.

James's voice broke him out of the deep thought he had been burying himself in ever since he was walking towards the train.

"Seven bars of chocolate, please," he heard the Potter say. "Yes, seven, it's going to be a long trip, miss."

After a few more seconds, Peter helped James carry all of the blue foil wrapped bars into the car, dumping them right into Sirius's spot.

"So, am I just being replaced by chocolate, then?" Sirius joked as he picked up one of the thick rectangles and tossed it in the air a few times, catching it smoothly.

"Probably sweeter," Marlene muttered under her breath as she passed by with Lily, quickly disappearing into a compartment a few away from theirs.

Peter chuckled slightly at her comment as Sirius moved the bars over into the middle of him and the blonde boy with one hand while fixing his hair in case Marlene came back with the other.