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CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
new years resolutions
BETTY AND REMUS spent the rest of the holiday sleeping off the amount that they had drank during the night of New Year's Eve. Dark circles were creased under Remus's eyes as they plodded through King's Cross Station; however, a wash of melancholy took hold of his nearly slumbering body as he realized this was the second to last time he was ever going to board the Hogwarts Express. That his childhood was nearly over. His heart and mind froze as his feet kept trekking towards the entrance.
Betty, next to him, watched the muggles around them—people like her mother. People that were blissfully unaware that at any moment a wizard could kill them in a green flash. That there were plots against them currently brewing and not even the proclaimed best and brightest—Dumbledore, Lily, McGonagall, herself—could make out when those plots would unfold. She pushed the dark, encroaching thoughts to the back of her mind, shoved a smile on her face and picked up her pace as she tore her eyes away from the passersby and ran into the platform.
She swerved immediately to the side to avoid hitting a man standing quite close to the entrance and continued forward with a spring in her step. Her brother ( who was taller than her, even though she was also quite tall ) caught up to her though, despite her fast stride.
"Cookies in the kitchens tonight?" he asked as he nudged her shoulder with a smile and a knot in his throat.
She smiled at him remorsefully. "Can't. I have rounds first. Filling in for Edgar." She sighed at the thought, not knowing whoher rounds partner would be, knowing it could be terrible or a fantastic night.
"James!" Remus called with a wide grin as he waved him over.
"And that's my cue."
"Come on Betty!" Remus pouted as his smile turned up more, his eyes pleading. "You were getting along fine over the holidays."
"I'm always in a better mood around Christmas." Betty blew a piece of hair out of her face and huffed obstinately. But, she'd spent too much time talking about how much she didn't want to be around James that he'd arrived before she could make a swift exit. She sighed and turned to face the boy; however, she found herself looking at the way his honey brown hair moved with the steam from the train a little too long before snapping back to his face. "Hi James."
"Hi Betty." His lips were pursed, obviously holding back laughter as he looked at her with twinkling eyes.
For once, she didn't want to be mad at him. "How was your holiday?" Remus looked at her like she was a ghost and James visibly was shocked, but was much more inconspicuous than her brother.
