Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 84

They were all right. Completely right when they told her that fifth year was going to be tough.

Isabella was practically running around the place during the first week, trying to adjust to everything. Her bag was heavy with large books, scrolls threatening to fall off, a quill stuck in her hair because it was getting crumpled in the mess of her bag. 

Not to mention that, she had to write for both the Daily Prophet and the Witch Weekly. Now she knew why jobs were actually difficult.

And she was reading the sixth book now, and she would finish it soon before finishing the entire series with the last one. 

"Hello, there,"

Isabella wanted to slam her head into the table. She really didn't want to deal with them. She already had a lot of homework to do, and currently, two of her were working, one in the library and the other in the Room of Requirement.

"James, leave her alone," Remus said with a sigh and he ushered them away. 

A few minutes later, Remus came back and sat a good few seats away from her with his books and started his homework. 

Isabella looked up when she saw a piece of parchment slid towards her.

'Thought you could do with some peace.'

Isabella took her quill, dipped it in ink and scribbled down a 'Thank you', before passing it back to Remus.

The note slid back to her a few minutes later.

'Stressed?'

'Nothing I can't handle.' Isabella wrote back.

'OK' Remus wrote back.

Isabella stared at the two letters, wondering if she should write something back. . .But what would she write after this? The conversation was closed. There was nothing to add to it now, it would only make it awkward. 

So she folded the parchment piece and put it aside, then went to finishing her History of Magic essay.

Remus looked up from his book, and stared at the bookshelf opposite to his seat. Then a frown crept up his face. 

He was sure that he had seen Sirius' head vanish behind the shelf. 

He slapped a hand to his forehead. Obviously, those three were spying. 

Remus got up slowly, glancing at the girl sitting at the other end of the table, then hurried towards the bookshelves.

"Oi!" Remus snapped, as he glared around the empty space. They must be under the Invisibility cloak.

"I can see Peter's foot," Remus said and then he heard a shuffled groan followed by James slipping the cloak down, so that only three heads were bobbing in the air.

"What are you doing here?" Remus said, crossing his arms.

"What do you think?" Sirius smirked.

"I tried to stop them, but they didn't listen," Peter cried, in an attempt to explain.

"What are you doing here?" James drawled. "Get back there,"

"With you lot running loose?" Remus scoffed. "Likely,"

"Moony," Sirius said, raising his eyebrows. "You aren't looking for reasons to leave, are you?"

"Of course not," Remus huffed, and the other three recognised this as a lie.