Scars and Bruises

Commitment

REMUS.

James was right, professor McGonagall did give them especially nasty homework next class, but they all had reached a level where one more complicated homework didn't even mattered.

Every day Remus thought that someone would lose their mind, because there was so much to do. He was worried about Lily the most because she looked like she could pass out any moment. She took these exams very seriously, too seriously if someone asked Remus's opinion.

Even Sirius who considered school one big entertainment looked worried about N.E.W.T.s. But Alex managed to calm him down, because apparently she didn't worry about a thing. She was the embodiment of peace in this stressful time.

She helped people who couldn't manage their homework of just wanted to talk. Remus did not knew if he ever had seen more kind-hearted person than Alex. For the last couple of weeks he had seen Alex help not only seventh years but also much younger students if they had some troubles with studying.

Remus had no clue how she found time for that, because she managed to study for herself, to help others and even to find time for Sirius. He didn't knew where she got so much energy for all of this.

It was already beginning of June, and Remus marched out of the castle and went straight to Alex and Sirius who studied by the lake.

"If I have to explain one more time to James how to correctly brew the draught of the living death, I will hex him with something especially nasty," Remus fell down beside them and grabbed his hair with his hands.

"Why are you helping him in potions?" Alex asked in surprise. "He got Lily for that, she is the potion prodigy."

"Lily doesn't want to be disturbed when she is studying," Remus said irritated. "And apparently I was the next best thing." And he sighed so heavily that he felt a sharp pain in his ribs.

"Prongs is not an idiot, but sometimes he doesn't understand even the simplest things," Remus bickered. "Ah, he tests my patience today, no, I need to calm down," he ranted. "Do you mind me lying here for a moment? Actually I don't care; I can't be around Prongs right now."

And Remus laid down on the blanket, he put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. Peace and quiet was all he needed right now just for five minutes.

"Mooney are you alright?" Sirius asked obviously worried about his friend.

"Yes, just let me lie here for ten minutes and I will be fine," Remus stated without opening his eyes.

After a couple of minutes Remus started to feel how his body calmed down, James had really made his blood boil. But it was just because his nervous system was hanging by its last thread. He could not imagine how they will survive the exams without dying.

He opened his eyes and looked at Sirius and Alex. "What are you revising?" he asked to his friends.

"I am reading my magic history notes for the last three hours, but I think that is useless I can't remember anything," Sirius was devastated.

"And you Alex?" Remus turned his head towards Alex.

"I am trying out all the spells that we had learnt over the years," she mumbled without even looking up from her notes.

"Why do you even need to do that?" Remus was surprised. "You know all the spells backwards and without words, why do you need to repeat them all?"

"Exactly my thoughts," Sirius added silently.

"So that I am sure that I know them backwards," Alex looked at Remus and smiled way too sweetly at him.

Remus didn't understood Alex, she was such a talented witch, magic was truly in her blood, but still she wanted to be sure that she knew everything perfectly. She never bragged about it, but it was clear as a day at least to those who knew her.