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The early fall air was crisp and cool and clean, drawing many students of Hogwarts out to the pine covered mountains and sunny courtyards surrounding them. As usual on one of these perfect days, the shore of the Black Lake nearest to the castle with dozens of groups of students from all houses and years taking a break from their studies during lunch.
The breeze blowing through the leaves of a large oak tree made the five teenagers sitting underneath it shiver through their jackets and sweatshirts, and Hollis leaned into Remus's side to try and warm up more. And for the comfort of being close to him, obviously.
With quite a distance from Sirius, Marlene was having a staring contest with Peter, who seemed to have a hidden talent for the game it had taken him seventeen years to discover.
"They said they were going to be here twenty minutes ago," Peter pointed out once Marlene blinked her blue eyes finally. "What's taking them so long?"
With a small grin, Hollis took off her shoe and looked at the socks she was wearing. To her both amusement and shock, they were rapidly changing between the various colors she and Sirius had selected.
"Isn't it every time he says her name?" Marlene asked through laughter, and Sirius nodded.
"Okay, I am putting the shoe back on," Hollis declared. "That's disgusting."
Sirius started laughing at what Hollis had said as well, and for some reason, this made Marlene abruptly stop.
"Is everything alright?" Hollis asked the blonde girl softly. "You seem a little off."
Remus and Peter exchanged a nervous glance at their three friends in front of them and the tension building up. Thinking he had a pretty good idea about what was going on, Remus subtely gripped Hollis's hand on top of the grass.
Marlene's eyes narrowed cruelly at Hollis, seemingly uncharacteristic.
"No, everything is not alright, Hol," she spat, making the Rosier flinch back slightly into Remus. "You are causing so many more problems than you need to be right now."
Hollis brown eyes widened in confusion.
"What?" she asked, sliding away from Remus and towards Marlene. "What did I do?"
Marlene's eyes seemed to flicker between being angry and heartbroken and confused at the same time, making Hollis even more concerned.
"You and Sirius getting matching tattoos," she said in a low tone. "The four of you spending all summer together. I feel so alone."
