Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

Twenty-Five

After Aries had burned the paper holding her most romantic secret, she had Pomfrey  practically shoved all of the boys out, letting the girls stay and chat for another few minutes to themselves.

"So" Honey started as Lily and Alice giggled. The two had come in only a bit ago, giving Marlene and Honey enough time to explain why there were ashes on the floor.

"So?" Aries asked.

"Uh-oh, let me guess, you still haven't told them about Prewett?" Marlene asked stealing a seat by Aries.

Honey sat beside Aries in a chair while and Lily and Alice sat at the foot of the bed.

"So there was a thing!" Alice said excitedly.

"And I didn't know about this, why?" Honey scolded jokingly.

"We were only together for about a year, then I broke it off about a month or so ago that's all." Aries shrugged.

"A year is quite a long time, Aries." Honey said knowingly. "What happened?" She asked.

"I didn't have time for it-"

"That's complete rubbish." Lily scoffed. "You stay locked up in the library for hours reading that stupid book series with Remus." She rolled her eyes.

"Whoa, so there's another guy! Meredith you sly dog." Marlene gasped a laugh.

Fox more like.

Aries groaned. "Remus is my book friend, Fabians a different story and wasn't even on the page. I didn't like how he constantly wanted me to talk to him and open up to him about everything. I didn't love him like he loved me." She explained.

"He loved you? Mere did you break his little fragile heart?" Marlene asked faking innocence.

Aries threw a pillow at her causing the girls to laugh. "He'll get on with his life, we're only in fifth year, it's not like he'll be alone forever. And hopefully neither will I." She shrugged

"Well enough about, Prewett and Lupin. We have to plan ourselves a girls night. Tomorrow is Saturday so we could go to Hogsmeade in the morning?" Marlene grinned.

"I'm going with Frank, he asked me with my favorite plant during herbology the other day." Alice smiled bashfully.  

"And you Miss Decker?" Honey felt shy all of the sudden.

"Erm, a guy from Slytherin asked me. Ben Crawford." She smiled dreamily.

"Ben Crawford? Oh I know him! He's been coming into the common room way too happy recently. " Aries grimaced.

Honey nodded, a goofy grin on her face. "I'm really excited, but I wish you could be there too, Aries." She frowned looking at her friend.

"Don't pity me because I helped a boy and got the measles, Honey. Pomfrey said I'd be fine a few hours" Aries shrugged.

"But you don't have a date either....we could-"

"Don't even think about it, Lily." Aries warned. "You're not dropping your dates just for me." She shook her head.

"You can still have your girls night. I'm fine." Aries shrugged.

"Alright." Marlene sighed as she threw her legs off the bed and stood, Lily and Alice following suit. "But just so you know, right after practice I'm coming back with candy." She said making Aries grin.

"And I'll see you soon as well, we'll talk about the whole Prewett thing another time." Honey said as she too got up. The three left the hospital wing just as Dumbledore walked in.

Aries didn't need to ask why to know what he was doing there.

"Hello, Miss Black, how are you feeling?" His eyes had the same glimmer they always did as he walked with his hands folded behind her back. His wand sticking out the side of his pocket.

"I'm doing well, Professor Dumbledore, I see you're having a good day today." Aries said giving Dumbledore a knowing look.

"Very well, in fact. A talent I see on that book of yours." He glanced over to the drawing of the suit on the tray beside her along with the jumble of torn pages.

With a single spell, he put together the book again and put it back on the tray.

"Thank you, but that's not what you're here to talk to me about, is it? My talents? Or the interesting skills I possess?" She asked getting straight to the point.

"You saw the memory? You are a rather skillful legilimens for your age. I do apologize that you now have insight on that particular moment of time." He spoke.

"Don't apologize, Dumbledore. If anything, it helps a lot. I suppose you already know of my plans, though I don't suppose you know why exactly I plan to do this." She asked.

Dumbledore pulled up a chair, as if silently asking her to go on.

"Dumbledore, some children don't have the best parents. Not that their under skilled in the parental category or that they might just not be fit for the role. But because some know what they're doing to their children and they just don't care.

Kids should feel safe in their own home, feel wanted, feel respected, feel loved. For me, it's a bit different. Some might laugh and say I do have a home, but to me I never had one in the first place.

A home is where you want to be. Where you can always go to if you need help. A home is where the people who care about you are. And currently I'm at home. Hogwarts is where I feel safe, cared for. The house where my parents live isn't my home, it's a building with people who could care less about my well being.

I needed a way out, a plan of escape, and when you showed me that memory, whether on purpose or accident, it finished my plan." Aries explained.

"How long have you been planning this, Aries?" He asked, his expression was not one of pity but of worry.

"Since year three." She answered, there was no hesitation in her answer, not a single ounce of fear in her words.

Aries was already committed to this and had been for a long time. It was only a matter of confirmation with Reggie and Andy.

"You know you can ask for help, from any of the professors, anyone you trust. You don't have to do it alone." Dumbledore said sincerely.

"I won't be doing it alone, Professor. Speaking of...Id like to request my cousin. Andromeda and Ted Tonks." Aries spoke with hope.

She hadn't seen her cousin in some time and was beginning to miss her, though that wasn't the main reason for her requested visit.

"Of course." Dumbledore smiled, "if there is anything you may need, just ask." Aries didn't know why exactly Dumbledore had always been so kind to her and had seemed to have favored her so much over the years.

Seeing the memory unlocked a lot of hidden questions she had buried. And with those questions answered, she was able to do the one thing she had been keeping her mind set on for years.

Escaping 12, Grimmauld Place.