NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Seven: Sit and Stay-

There he was.

Skirting the edges of the Forbidden Forest, ducking between the trees when he had the chance. Following them. His dark greasy hair reflected the moonlight as well as any mirror. He was trying to stay hidden and out of sight. He was trying to be subtle. He was failing. Hello there, Severus. Helia's internal monologue had an amused tone.

Jade caught up with Helia by the Whomping Willow. She bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath. "Don't look." Helia said softly under her breath. "But we're being followed." Jade looked up at Helia through her hair, asking a question that she didn't dare voice out loud. "Snape. By the trees. Do. Not. Look."

Jade nodded. Helia turned away from the tree line. She could feel Snape's eyes on the back of her neck. She felt oddly vulnerable. She wanted to turn and attack. Instead, she clutched at the wand hidden under her robes.

"If we hit the knot at the stump of the tree, the passage opens up. And we see if I'm right." Helia said audibly, just to make sure Snape heard her. She cast a quick Wingardium Leviosa! and hurled a rock at the base of the willow. The tree instantly became still. Helia turned away, gesturing to Jade to do the same. "Give it ten minutes. Then we go in."

Jade looked confused "Why?"

Helia shot her a look. She could hear a twig snap, not far behind her. It wouldn't be such a bad thing to let Snape get in ahead of her. Whatever plan the Marauders had made would be enacted upon him.

"Do you have any idea what to do when we get in there?" Jade muttered under her breath.

"Oh, I have a million ideas, but they all point to certain death." Helia said cheerfully, making sure her voice was raised so her continued ignorance of Snape's presence was justified.

"I thought we were done with the Marvin quotes." Jade grumbled "We had a nice bonding session, quoting childhood classics and now we're about to walk into a werewolf's lair. Which, by the way, I still don't know why we're doing."

"You don't need to come in with me." Helia said. "You didn't need to come at all."

Jade frowned, but all she said was "Yes, I do."

It was cold. September was slowly turning to October and the trees of the Forbidden forest were catching on fire, leaves burning up scarlet and brown and yellow. A chill breeze rattled through Helia's bones, and she could feel Jade shivering next to her as they looked out silently on their school. The tall spires of Hogwarts met the inky blackness of space with a challenge, stabbing into the abys. A narrow dirt track laced it's way across the grounds to Hagrid's cabin.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor.

Helia shook her head to clear the memories of children, herself among them, laughing and singing the sad song of the Highwayman, not understanding the words that came out of their own mouths. It wasn't something that Helia needed or wanted to recall right now. But, like all tunes we want gone from our heads, it kept playing on repeat, over and over again she heard tinny, high pitched voices singing:

And the highwayman came riding-

Riding-riding-

"Okay. Time's up for Snape. Let's go." Helia faced the tree again, and walked toward the trunk. She could hear Jade swallow as she kept pace, a step behind Helia. Helia slipped through the opening in the trunk, landing on her feet at the bottom of the small slope. Jade, however, tumbled and fell until she fetched up against a rock, coughing. Helia reached down a hand to help her to her feet. "Lumos " She muttered. The walls of the small, underground passage were cast into harsh illumination as her wand lit up. They could only see a few feet in front of them.