Perfect Illusion: Scars Saga 2

A Truce of Sorts

Chapter 22

A Truce of Sorts

Remus and I came to a sort of truce after our dinner in Godric's Hollow. We still weren't as friendly as we had been at the start of school, but we also weren't going out of our way to avoid each other anymore. We even managed to have a few civil conversations in the corridors or at meals. And it was noticed.

"I see you and Mr. Lupin have mended things," Professor McGonagall said one morning at breakfast.

"Mended? No," I said. "But we have reached some sort of truce, or something. We're...civil."

"Yes?" Professor Trelawney asked as she pulled up a seat beside me. Apparently her crystal ball showed her dining with the staff again.

"I said 'civil' not 'Sybil'."

"Who's civil?"

"Doesn't matter. Jam?" I offered her a jar of blackberry jam hoping to distract her. It didn't quite work the way I hoped it would.

"Thank you, dearie."

She took the jar from my hands but as she did she grabbed my hand and flipped it over to study my palm. She tutted as she traced one of the lines.

"Such a pity, dear. It's so short. Oh! But what's this?" She brought my hand up closer to her face. "There appears to be another line, hidden beneath the first."

I pulled my hand back abruptly. My heart raced lightly. I was unsure what to make of what she had just "seen." But I knew I didn't want her to know how much it really affected me.

"Isn't it considered rude to read someone's palm without their consent? Learn your boundaries, Sybil, and stick to them."

I stood and quickly fled the hall, keeping my palm close to my chest. Had she really seen a second life line? Who was I kidding? They were just creases on the palm. They had nothing to do with predicting how long or short my life was going to be.

The Easter holiday flew by quickly, and the last term was fast approaching. That also meant that the final Quidditch match was approaching. As it did, tensions grew thick. The first week of class saw more skirmishes and resulted in more detentions than had been issued the entire month before hand.

Unfortunately, Jonathan was among them.

"Hello, Lady," I said with a polite smile as I stood outside the Gryffindor common room.

"Professor Porter," she greeted.

"I need to see my son, please."

"Gladly, but you know the rules. I'll need the password first."

"Flibbertigibbet."

"Do tell him I'm sorry about this," she said as she swung forward and allowed me passage.

The common room was decked in red and gold, just as I remembered it. The fires were crackling at just the right temperature. When I entered the air was abuzz with chatter, but then a hush fell over the students as the realized a professor had entered their safe haven. I smiled and walked towards the foot of the stairs that lead to the boy's dormitories. I placed the tip of my wand to my throat.