PUNKS & POETS (book one, year 1-4)

023; The Empty Table

Friday the tenth of September 1971;

The Gryffindor common room was busy, with people studying at every desk and table and others making a ruckus around the fireplace. It was loud, chatter and laughs ringing out into the air. A sixth year boy was sitting by the piano playing loudly and a group of his friends sang and screamed around him. A typical Friday afternoon. Remus sighed, laying his head in his hands as he looked down at his potions homework that he had gotten yesterday once more, knowing that it was to be turned in on Monday. He didn't find potions very hard to understand, he actually found it rather interesting whenever he managed to block out the strong scents of the many ingredients and the bubbling potions. But he barely understood a single thing he read, seeing as it was near impossible to focus in the loud common room filled with commotion. He usually liked himself some privacy, but he didn't want to be cooped up in his dorm room either. James, Sirius and Peter were planning their rain cloud prank on Severus and he wanted nothing to do with it, knowing that him getting into Hogwarts was already a long shot. He couldn't possibly be so stupid as to put himself into a scenario where he might risk getting expelled. No, never.

So as another fit of obnoxious laughter and screaming broke out around him he muttered to himself that enough was enough. He rubbed his temples before he quickly packed all of his things into his old book bag, leaving the common room behind. Peace and quiet surrounded him as soon as he stepped out of the hidden passage in the stone wall, embracing him like never before. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling the ringing in his ears slowly going away. Remus pulled the strap of his book bag further up onto his shoulder before he began walking, dragging his feet along the cold stone floor. He made his way to the library, walking into it with his lips pushed together. The library was almost as full as the Gryffindor common room, if not even more. But it was quiet. Students in various ages from the all of the school's four houses sat at every table reading or writing, fully consumed with their work. Some of them had silver prefect and head boy or head girl pins stuck to their robes and others looked like mere children, no older than himself. Remus walked through the quiet room with the tall ceiling, holding onto his book bag with both of his hands as he gazed around looking for an empty table. He soon found one towards the back and hurried there, putting his book bag down. He got his things out and scattered them across the table, once again turning his focus towards his potions homework.

"What does the boil-cure potion contain?" he muttered to himself as he flipped through his book, scribbling down dried nettles, snake fangs, stewed horned slugs, porcupine quills and flobberworm mucus onto his parchment. He continued to answer another question, scribbling down where each of these ingredients could be found. "Excuse me?" he suddenly heard a soft voice call out. He had heard the voice before, but he could not remember where. It sounded kind and feminine, but he could not place it to a face. So he looked up from his books, and his eyes landed on the short girl with bangs and apple cheeks that he had seen both in class and in the common room so many times. She was wearing a scarlet red and gold tie and a Gryffindor emblem could be seen on her robes. "I do apologize for bothering you but everywhere else is full, could we perhaps sit with you?" she asked, nodding her head towards the table that he was sat at. Remus saw red haired Lily standing next to the girl with the bangs and big doe eyes, her arms crossed over her chest and her pink lips pushed together. She didn't look too pleased to be here, and Remus wondered if it was because of the studying or because the two of them were now forced to sit with him. "Yes uhm sure" Remus mumbled however, gathering his things as to clear some space for the two girls. "Thank you" the brown haired girl said, beaming a soft smile towards him as she sat down and hung her book bag on the backrest of her chair. Remus watched as she turned to Lily, nodding her head as to motion the red haired girl to sit down, which she eventually did with a displeased sigh. There was a moment of silence as Lily's eyes met his, and he awkwardly looked back down at his things, picking up his quill once more, fiddling with it in his hands."Ah you're doing the potions homework too" the brown haired girl said softly, glancing over at his parchment and open book that laid on the table "me and Lily were just about to get started on it"