Monster - [Marauder Era] {Remus Lupin}

Chapter Three ~ Hurting and Hogsmeade

"No, I'm rubbish!" I respond to James, my temper flaring. My feet carry me down the frigid corridor, two tall boys with black hair hurrying after me.

"Calico, there's no shame in trying out!" Sirius encourages, but I roll my eyes.

"Um, yes, there is, if you can't even fly the broom, for Merlin's sake!" I reply, rolling my eyes and pulling my scarf up higher around my face.

The cold had finally set in at Hogwarts, and it was especially early this year. Noses were red, jackets were on, and hot chocolate had become a life saver.

James lets out a warm laugh that seems to heat up the freezing cold, his breath billowing in the air. "How do you know if you haven't tried?"

Memories from my first year rush back to me. When Madam Hooch taught us to fly brooms, I had always been the worst. It was the only thing I could never get in the wizarding world. "I have tried." I mutter under my breath.

"I guess she's a hopeless cause." Sirius sighs.

"It's better that I'm not on the team anyway." I mumble after a moment of silence. We were now in the Common Room. I throw myself into the armchair nearest to the fire, dropping my bag of books by my feet. My cat William trots up to me and leaps into my lap, his thick black fur swishing around. I stroke him half-heartedly. "I'd just bring us down, no matter how good I was. I have stage fright."

Remus joins me in the chair to my left, smiling his shining grin. He hadn't heard my previous words. Sirius was holding in a laugh. James wasn't that polite, though; he started chuckling. Peter walked up, and, being as he is, started laughing along, even though he had no idea what was going on.

"You? Stage fright? The smartest witch in school, who's always showing off, has stage fright?" James says, giving me a lopsided smirk. I shrug, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

"It's not that funny, guys." Remus gives his three friends pointed looks, and they all stop making fun of me. I give Remus a grateful smile, and he returns it with a slight pink to his cheeks. Why would he blush? He was just standing up for a friend. Maybe it was just a trick of the firelight, I tell myself.

~~~

Until dinner, Remus and I work on schoolwork together. James and Sirius were conducting Quidditch team try outs, and Peter had followed them. I saw Remus looking at me out of the corner of my eye multiple times, probably checking my work.

James, Sirius, and Peter arrived late to dinner, James and Sirius seeming particularly stressed. They were both still dressed in their Quidditch robes, their black hair wind blown. Peter immediately began eating, digging into a large piece of chicken. He seemed a bit nervous too, but not enough that he couldn't eat. Sirius and James were the opposite. I had never seen them not eat their dinner before.

"Are you guys alright?" I ask worriedly. Hazel and gray eyes focus on me.

"Quidditch tryouts were good, but that's the problem." James sighs, finally taking a bite of buttered bread. "So many people were really, really good."

"And we don't want to choose wrong." Sirius groans, starting to eat some ham.

"Well, I'm sure you'll choose right." I attempt to comfort the pair, but they just continue eating, sighing in between bites.

"Thanks for that reassurance, Calico." James snaps sarcastically.

"Yeah, I feel so much better now." Sirius adds, sounding snarky.