Forgotten Promise- Marauders Era Fic

11: Expect the Unexpected

RYLAND was walking around the school grounds with Amos and Edgar, chatting about their timetables. Edgar was talking about how he had taken much more courses than he did last year, and Amos was complaining about the history of magic class and how he could never pay attention in that class.

"Maybe it's because you're always asleep," Ryland said with a snicker. It had been true, though. Amos was constantly falling asleep in that class, and Ryland would always have to try to cover him. Edgar shook his head in disappointment with a small amused smile playing on his lips.

"It's not my fault that the bloody class puts me to sleep" Amos huffed, shoving the blonde, causing Ryland to gasp dramatically. Ryland shoved Amos back, getting Edgar caught in the crossfire.

"Hey! stop it you two!" Edgar quickly scolded, but the two boys ignored him. A mischievous glint in both their eyes.

"Yeah! Stop Amos, or we'll tell Celia about her secret admirer" Ryland teased, as Amos' eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare," Amos said slowly, panic and a threat evident in his tone.

"Try me," Ryland responded with a smirk.

Amos had a look on his face, that was a sign for Ryland to get out of there. The shoving had turned to a chase through the school halls.

"Why do I put up with them?" Edgar sighed, giving up on trying to bring peace. As he embarked on his journey to go find Caradoc, Benjy, and Ted.

Ryland had been laughing as he sprinted away from Amos, weaving around people. Legs don't fail me now.

"I'm gonna kill you, Everest!" Amos yelled through the halls. Causing a few people to give the two strange looks.

Ryland turned his head back to look before he bumped flat into someone's chest, sending them both flying.

He landed on top of the other person with a grunt. His cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"Uhm, woah i am so sorry. Genuinely so sorry. I wasn't looking"

He propped himself up to see the face of the other person. His eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Oh, Remus hi" Ryland said stumbling over his words.

"Why am I not surprised that it's you?" Remus asked a hint of amusement in his eyes. Steady. Steady heartbeat. Calm down. Ryland tried to take a deep breath before responding.

"Well, maybe a small part of you was hoping that it would be me" Ryland quickly looked around to make sure no one had been here to see the embarrassing interaction.

"Or maybe I knew you'd plan something like this. Kidding. But I guess you never know" Remus responded his eyes narrowing as he accused the blonde. Shoot. Now that Remus knows about his crush on him...

Remus cleared his throat from underneath and placed his hands on Ryland's waist.

"As much as I'm enjoying this little moment. Could you maybe get up? People might get the wrong idea." Ryland turned even redder before he scrambled to get off of Remus, offering him a hand so he could get up as well. Ryland's thoughts kept circling to animagus questions. Was Remus an Animagus? Should I ask him? Or would he know I was spying on him? He knew better than to ask. The right person to talk about that with would be James.

"Uhm it was great seeing you and all but do you know where James is?"

"James?"

"Yea? your best friend, the one that's in love with Lily Evans, the boy with the massive ego-"
Remus had interrupted Ryland's rant.

"I know who you're talking about! I'm just confused about when you guys started getting closer."

"Oh and I'm confused about when you started caring" Ryland retorted, wishing he had chosen to bite his tongue instead. Remus just sighed in response before looking into Ryland's eyes.

"I never stopped caring Ry" Shit. He really knows how to make someone swoon. Why does he have to go and say things like that? Don't fall for it Ryland. Stay strong.

"Could've fooled me" Ryland said softly before walking away.

He wandered the halls for a bit. A part of him was looking for either James or Amos, but he was mainly just trying to clear his head.

He saw a flop of brown hair and heard an arrogant voice nearby. Bingo!

He had caught sight of James trying to chat up Lily, and he could definitely play this off as him saving Lily.

"Hey Lily nice to see you"
"Hey Everest, where are your friends?" Lily asked considering that she rarely ever saw him alone.

"Where's my greeting Ryland," James asked but the blonde ignored him.

"Lost them a while back anyways I've gotta talk to James, sorry to steal him from you Evans"

"No go right ahead," The ginger said with a smile.

The Hufflepuff smiled back before he grabbed James to pull him over to a more enclosed space.

"Listen, we need to talk," The blonde whispered.

"Talk about what?" James questioned, confusion written all over his face. The Hufflepuff groaned in annoyance that James wasn't understanding. but at the same time, he almost cooed at how cute James looked when he was clueless.

"the" He cut himself off realizing how loud he was speaking before he lowered his tone. "The animal problem," Ryland harshly whispered.

The Hufflepuff could almost see the light bulb going off in the Gryffindor's head.
"Ohh, that" James said, thinking for a bit before nodding to himself.

"I already talked to you about it." Punching him sounds so good right now. Ryland's head was immediately filled with thoughts on what he could do to James for being difficult.
"Yeah, you talked. I listened because I couldn't even speak, you fool." Ryland said, his voice raising towards the end.

"Woah calm down mate, now's your chance to talk," James said, not wanting the hot-headed Hufflepuff to explode at him.

"Woah, never thought I'd hear that from you," Ryland said a small mocking smile sneaking onto his expression.

"Maybe you should learn to expect the unexpected"

"Maybe I should... Wait. Stop distracting me, Potter."

"Whatever you say, Everest."

And so they talked, both filling eachother in on things. Well not everything.