evergreen • remus lupin

52. uneasy

june 17, 1977

"We can't stay here anymore." Selene spoke suddenly. 

"What?" Remus asked looking around

"Something's wrong, I'm telling you, we can't stay here, I can feel it." The five of them were sitting on the edge of the cliffs by the ocean during dusk.

"Selene we talked about this." Remus started. Despite their talk on the cliffs yesterday she was still tense about their living situation. 

"I think we should stay, it's safe here" Sirius spoke up

"Don't you think it's suspicious that we've been in one place for almost a week," she asked

"There's nothing wrong with this place, why would we leave if we didn't have to?" Sirius said

"There's obviously something going on that we don't understand, I say we get out of here before it happens" she countered

"You have no proof that there's anything wrong. If I'm wrong please by all means correct me. I say we vote." Sirius said defiantly

"I think we should stay" Peter said first

"Thank you" 

"I'm with Selene I say we go" Remus spoke up

"No surprise there" Sirius rolled his eyes

"Excuse me?" Selene raised her eyebrows

"Are you surprised your boyfriend sided with you?" Sirius quirked

"Are you suggesting something?"

"Honestly Selene open your eyes"

"Watch it Sirius" Remus cautioned 

"There it is! You always side with her!" Sirius huffed

"Sirius just calm down" James started

"What's your vote James?" Sirius cut him off

"Sirius just calm..."

"Unbelievable" Sirius scoffed before storming off to the tents. Remus, with an angry expression, went to stand up, but Selene stopped him. 

"Let me." she stood up slowly and followed him over to his tent. He was sitting in his tent twirling his wand with a blank expression on his face. 

"Hey" She whispered 

"Not now Selene"

"Please Sirius. I'm sorry" She sat down across from him 

"Just leave me alone" he looked at his feet

"I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel alienated from Remus, that was never my intent and I'm so sorry if you feel that way."

The truth was Sirius didn't feel that way. He didn't feel alienated at all, but going from Selene staying in their dorm a couple nights a week, to her and Remus sharing a tent every night was a bit of an adjustment. 

He knew that was probably selfish, but she was hardly ever around and now it always her, everywhere. And he didn't have anything against her, just how Remus was when she was around. She had become his entire world, but he was happy for them. 

He just missed his best friend.

"It's not your fault and it's not his either. You two can't help your love for each other, and you shouldn't have to," Selene looked at him sadly

"You know you can tell me when you feel like this, I want to know."

"You don't want to know"

"No I do. I had no idea you felt like this, and that's my fault. I don't want you to have to feel like this, I love you Sirius, you're family to me." Sirius looked up at her 

"I love you too."

"And you'll always be Remus' best mate, you mean too much to him for that to change, whether I'm here or not" Sirius leaned in and hugged her tightly 

"Thank you Selene" he whispered

"Of course Sirius"

When the two rejoined the group, they found Remus, James and Peter starting a fire to keep warm through the night. 

Smoke rose into sky with the embers of the fire as the five teenagers sat around the fire. Selene was sitting in the grass next to Remus with her head on his shoulder. 

On their left James sat talking to Sirius, who was on James' left, and Peter was listening from the right of Remus. 

"I'm just saying, you could make the switch permanently, we would all love you just the same, if not more." he teased

"You could never understand the troubles I face Potter" Sirius said 

"Like what your tail?"

"Try fleas."

"Fleas?" Selene asked

"They're fucking murder, so may of them" Sirius shuddered

"We can bathe you" James suggested

"Never say those words again" Sirius shook his head pointing at James. "And what about you? Why don't you turn into a stag forever"

"Ah yes because walking around town with a stag is the same as walking a dog" James sassed. 

"Yeah it's pretty much the same" Sirius reasoned

"No Pads, it's not" They continued arguing about animagi, and stags and dogs for far longer than necessary. 

All of a sudden there was a small noise behind Sirius that went unnoticed by the laughing teens, but Remus heard it, 

"What was that?" he asked staring at the darkness behind Sirius. The group fell silent, 

"What?" Peter asked, and in that silence there it was again. It sounded like rustling, but they were on a grassy cliff, there were no leaves or bushes, or anything. 

Remus and the others stood up, retrieving their wands. Selene was pulled to her feet by Remus, who put her behind him, for precaution. The five of them, wands ready, advanced on the sound in front of them. 

The fire only cast an orange glow in about a five foot radius, so they were soon consumed into the darkness. James and Sirius illuminated their wands, revealing nothing in front of them. Remus and Selene's spare hands locked tightly. 

There was no more noise, just the splashing of the water and the whistling of the wind, 

"Maybe it was just an animal" James whispered 

Selene forcefully pulled her hand form Remus' grip. The boys turned to see if something was wrong, but they weren't prepared for what they saw. 

If they turned a second later they would've missed the malicious look on Theodore Nott's face illuminated by the wand-light, as he had his hand wrapped around Selene's mouth, silencing her screams.  

Before any one of them could act, the two Sytherin's were gone with a crack, leaving an uneasy silence over them.

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