The Reincarnated Twin

Chapter Eleven - Christmas Planning

A week had passed by since Shaula confronted Sirius and not a lot had changed. The twins spent time together, Shaula studied with Lily, Severus and Pandora, James mooned over Lily, homework was irritating like usual and she continued to write and read through her diaries. The only things that changed, was Sirius' taunting towards Severus and Remus looking bemusedly at her every now and then.  Sirius in fact, hadn't interacted or taunted any of the Slytherins at all. Shaula found it strange, but it was a welcomed change and she wasn't about to question it, actually she was rather proud of him. Unlike with her not confronting Sirius, she knew she would have to confront Remus eventually. Whilst him staring at her wasn't something he had started to do in the past week, it was something he started to do after he left the hospital wing, and it was beginning to get on her nerves.

It was one afternoon that Shaula was wondering around the corridors, inspecting the paintings and talking to the portraits, that she bumped into Remus. He looked momentarily relieved but then it had changed to one of anxiety. Shaula furrowed her brow, watching as he wrung his hands and pulled at the threads of his worn jumper. 

"Everything okay Remus?" 

His head snapped up, having lowered towards the ground as he thought about the words that he had rehearsed in his head for the past week repeatedly. He nervously shuffled his feet. Shaula looks at him in concern, taking a step closer to him. He automatically steps away. 

"Remus what's wrong? You're worrying me." 

He gulped, his face pale.

"How did you know where I was?"

"Huh?" She replied unintelligently, taken back by his question. 'What the heck is he on about?'

"On-on your birthday, I mean. How-how did you know I was, um, in the, um... hospital wing..." He stuttered through his sentences, his voice lowering until he was whispering his final two words and looking down again at his feet, harshly tugging at the sleeves of his jumper. Realisation washed over her, and she froze for a moment. What did she say? She didn't think he would question her about that day, it had never even crossed her mind.

"Because... you... weren't with my brother!" She exclaims, rather loudly as well, she was never a good liar. Remus looks up at her in disbelief. 

"You... knew I was... In the hospital wing. Because I wasn't with your brother?" He questioned her, stopping every couple words to try and gain a better understanding.

She nods her head in false confidence. "Yes, if you weren't with my brother, James or Peter, then where else would you be?" 

"In the library maybe?" He questions her again, his brows furrowed, but his anxiety gone and replaced with confusion instead now. Her overly false-confidence in her statement made it sound more like the lie it was rather than the truth. 

"Yes well, I checked there and didn't find you. So, there. Hospital wing."

"Hospital wing."

The pair stood facing each other awkwardly, both fully aware that she was lying yet neither wanting to admit the truth. Shaula sometimes wondered if she really was a Ravenclaw, with her inability to answer riddles and create better lies. Remus nods slowly then, deciding to accept the answer because he doubted he was going to get the truth today. Deciding to break the awkward silence, Shaula brings up the Charms homework they had been set. The two quickly delve into a conversation on the studies and the awkwardness is soon forgotten. 

By the end of November, and with December beginning, everyone begins to become excited for Christmas. Everyone that is, excluding Sirius. He didn't want to return home to where he would have to suffer under his parents, yet he knew Shaula and Regulus would be upset if he didn't come back. He sighed.