Unrelenting Fate: A Marauders Era AU

Chapter 5

Potions with Professor Slughorn were always a treat, especially if you were a part of his Slug Club.

He made a point of calling on you if there was a rather difficult question that he expected you to know the answer to.

Adelaide sat again near the back of the room, but this time it was simply to avoid being called upon by Professor Slughorn.

Today they were reviewing the Essence of Insanity, and as Slughorn went on with the history of the potion they were studying, the girl ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair and flipped around the pages of her textbook.

She was reading a paragraph on how you were supposed to stir the green potion counterclockwise when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Turning around, Adelaide saw two near-identical cheeky grins looking at her.

"Fab, Gid? What are you two doing in here?" She asked with wide eyes.

The Prewett twins trying to get her attention wasn't unusual; the fact that the Gryffindors weren't in Potions with the Ravenclaws was what she found unusual.

Hufflepuffs were with the Ravenclaws.

"We heard from a little Lark -" Fabian started.

"That you are planning to set up -" Gideon continued.

"Our dear darling Marcello with -"

"Cutie pit-oo-tee Pettigrew-ee -"

"And we want to help!" Fabian finished with a mischievous smile on his face.

Adelaide grinned at how the twins worked together on finishing their sentences.

"Alexander told you two all that, did he?" She asked while quirking an eyebrow at them.

They nodded in unison, making their messy red hair flop around.

"Hmm. How about after class we'll meet in the courtyard and strategize a plan of attack, how does that sound?"

"Smashing," The twins said together.

"Misters Prewett? I don't believe that you both are in this class. Would you please leave before you blow something up?" Professor Slughorn said with a tired sigh as he looked at the Hogwarts trouble makers.

"Right o' Sluggy!" Gideon smirked as he stood up.

"See ya later, Harthwood!" Fabian whispered to her before they quickly exited the dungeon.

Adelaide shook her head and chuckled.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Remus watched as the breeze blew over the Black Lake, creating a small succession of waves to wash up on the shore.

He wished more than anything in his life that he could have the same constant actions to revolve around.

His mind and body were tired from the stress of monthly shifts.

The fear of harming a fellow student or a teacher grew more difficult to deal with every day.

His friends did try and make it more bearable, but there was only so much they could do.

Remus was waiting for the day to come when one of them decided that they were done having to assist his sorry arse and that running around after a damn Werewolf was too much trouble.

He wouldn't blame them.

He would mourn the loss and then accept it.

Their safety was more important than his feeling the need for companionship.

They were more than his friends; they were his family.

"Oi, Lupin, whatcha doing out here? Doesn't Gryffindor have Charms right now?" Someone asked from behind the brown-haired boy.

Remus looked over his shoulder to find out who had spoken.

He spotted a Ravenclaw walking his way with a crooked smirk on his face.

He was blonde and had amazing green eyes that stared straight into Remus' soul.

"Could be asking you the same thing, Lark. Ravenclaw has Charms with Gryffindor, so what are you doing here?" Remus retorted, only slightly annoyed that his peace had been disturbed.

Alexander shrugged as if skipping class was an ordinary part of his day.

"Charms bore me," He said as he came to a stop next to where the other boy was sitting on the ground.

Remus snorted, "Aren't you Ravenclaws supposed to be obsessed with going to classes and getting good grades?"

"Hey," Alexander exclaimed with a fake pout, "Don't be stereotypical! We Ravenclaws can be total slackers with the best of them!"

They stared at each other for several seconds before they both broke out in laughter.

"Ha. Ah, I guess we can all be slackers sometimes," Remus sighed.

"Ay, we have more fun," Alexander said as he lowered himself down to lay on the ground by the Gryffindor boy.

A tranquil feeling settled over them as they watched the water before them rippling with movement from the creatures underneath its surface.

Reluctant to spoil the moment, Alexander turned his green eyes upon his companion and furrowed his brows in thought. "Seriously though, what's troubling you, Lupin?"

He noticed the tick in Remus's jaw when he asked this and wondered what was the matter.

As a rule, Alexander Lark refused to focus on other's problems when they didn't affect him.

Besides Adelaide and Della, there weren't very many people whom he trusted enough to let himself get involved with their lives.

But there was something about this reclusive Gryffindor student that intrigued him.

He thought that, if given the chance, he could see them becoming friends in the future.

Remus thought about the question and tried to find a reasonable response.

Finally, he said. "I wish I could give you an answer, but I can't right now."

Alexander nodded his head softly. "We all have times when we can't find the words or ways to fix or explain our own problems. We feel broken and lost within a hell of our own creation. Just remember that there is always someone out there with super glue to help you put it back together."

Remus let his words sink in. He didn't know how to untangle the string of words that had just come out of the green-eyed boy.

"Thanks," Was what he settled on.

Alexander grunted and looked down at his wristwatch, a birthday present from his muggle father from years ago.

"Charms is just ending, best get off to D.A.D.A. One class this slacker never misses!" He playfully shouted while getting to his feet.

He held out a hand to Remus, and the other boy looked at the offered hand before hesitantly allowing himself to be pulled up.

Once he had both feet planted on the ground, Remus looked straight into Alexander's eyes.

"We're the same height." His subconscious remarked.

"Yeah .... I guess I'm off to Divination now," He said slowly, trying to avoid eye contact as a butterfly in his mid-section suddenly decided to attack.

"God, that's a lame class," Alexander said with a grimace, "Good luck then, later, Lupin." He hollered over his shoulder as he strolled away towards the castle.

"Later," Remus whispered to no one in particular.