selenophile || remus lupin

chapter seventy five

9 April 1977

6:44 pm

It had been about three months since Ophelia had been at Grimmauld Place. She thought three months would be enough to recover, but every day she was proven wrong. She knew it wasn't healthy, she knew she had to eat more, but her body had gotten used to the starvation and refused to go back to her normal eating habits.

Every night during dinner, she prayed to the muggle gods that no one would notice, and for the most part, they didn't. No one really pays attention to who's eating what when there's so much else going on in the world.

Remus Lupin had noticed. He had picked up on it the first day back from the Winter Holidays. He knew a bit about what happened at Grimmauld Place from Sirius, but he never pried too much, therefore not knowing the real extent. He knew that there was a good chance that Ophelia had been starved, but knew that she wouldn't take any help. He knew that if anyone confronted her about her home life she would shut them out and leave. He had thought that since she was with him at Hogwarts, he would be able to protect her. He thought that it would've gotten better by now, that she would've been able to start eating more, but every day he was proven wrong. What he was most appalled at, however, was the fact that he seemed to be the only one who noticed a change in her appetite.

Sirius occasionally said a small comment, but nothing too big as to put a spotlight on her. He knew that would be the last thing she would've wanted, and he didn't think there was any real problem either. He assumed she was being starved but he also assumed that she had already recovered.

That night at dinner, Ophelia had not taken very much food onto her plate, per usual. Sirius had noticed it this time and hadn't thought anything too bad about it. He assumed that she was just feeling a bit sick, and he knew his sister well. He knew that if she were to just eat something she would feel better. That was how it always was when they were younger.

"Fia, I know you're sick," he started, but soon got interrupted.

"What do you mean? I'm not sick," she said.

"I can tell you are. You aren't eating much, and I know you, Phee. Just eat a little bit and you'll start feeling better really quickly."

"Padfoot," Remus interrupted, knowing not to push his girlfriend into a corner. "It's alright. She doesn't eat what she doesn't want to. There's no need to pressure her."

"No, it's okay, Moony. She needs to actually eat and then she won't feel sick. Trust me, I've lived with her for fifteen years, I know how she works."

Yeah, but it's all changed since you left, thought Ophelia. I changed, you changed, mother and father have changed. It all changed.

"She is right here, and I can eat what I want, thank you. And I can eat this no problem, I'm not sick," Ophelia said, motioning to her plate.

She knew it was bad for her. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep it down, but Ophelia was stubborn and didn't like to be proven wrong. Out of spite, she quickly ate what was on her plate and gave her twin a look that said I told you so.

It only took a minute or two for the well known nausea to hit her like a brick wall. It had been three months and she had been raised in the sacred twenty eight, she knew how to keep her true emotions and feelings hidden. She kept her face straight as she stood up and excused herself to use the restroom. No one really paid her any attention, at least not that she saw.

Once she got out of the great hall and turned a corner, she all but ran into the nearest bathroom. She headed straight for the toilet, not bothering to lock the stall in a fit of urgency, not that it was necessary -- there was no one there.