Salamander || The Marauders

VII. | S E P T E M |

What happened in the summer of their fourth year was not something Rita ever wanted to go on record.

James, driven by his jealousy, had spotted Severus at the top of the hill by the back of the school. Rita wasn't with the boys, but if she and Remus were, she had a feeling that the following events would not have happened.

"Hagrid, how long have you had Fang?" With a week off to wait for the results of their tests, the whole school was enjoying the sunshine in their own preferred ways, with Remus under a tree with a Muggle book, and Rita in Hagrid's hut, talking about magical beasts.

"Oh, since 'e was a pup," the half giant replied, placing cups down onto the table to fill with tea.

"Well he's grown a lot since I've first met you," Rita smiled, giving the dog a scratch behind his ears one last time, sitting at the table.

"How are your own animals doing, eh?"

"Oh, you mean the boys?" Rita laughed, helping herself to some tea as Hagrid let out his own bellowing laughter. "They're doing okay, some better than others," she admitted.

"How's Remus?"

"He's okay, he's doing a little better," Dumbledore had a knack for knowing everything in the school, and what Dumbledore knew about the students who worried him, Hagrid usually ended up knowing too. The Headmaster trusted the gamekeeper quite well.

"Is that Black?" Hagrid asked after a moment's hesitation, staring behind Rita, out the window.

"Uh, Hagrid, I think I'm going to cut this tea short, I'm gonna have to dash, I'm sorry," Rita grabbed her bag and rushed out of hut, running full speed at James, Sirius and Peter advancing on Lily and Severus who were talking under a tree.

"Hey, look! It's only Snivellus!"
"Potter!" Rita shouted at the top of her lungs. Or at least as her lungs allowed her while she was running up hill. "Sirius, stop!"

"Sorry, can't hear you Slamander!" Sirius waved an arm, not even turning back to her, making her see in red as she willed her legs to pump harder. In a very unladylike move, she managed to tackle Sirius to the ground, who laughed and got her off him. "What exactly is the matter, Salamander?" he asked, helping her up.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" she hissed at him, "Do not be the bullies, I swear to Merlin's beard-"

"Severus deserves it, don't you think? He's leading Millie on and has done so for almost the whole year, and-"

"Don't you dare bring up Lily and Severus, none of us have any business in that-"

"Don't you care how James feels?!" Sirius exclaimed, shocking Rita into taking a step back. "Do you not care about other people's feelings, Rita?!"

Shocked and a little hut, Rita stared back at Sirius, who had no idea what he had said. He was as angry as Rita was, and neither of them realised how much walls come down when anger boils up.

"How dare you! James! Put him down, James!" Lilly shouted by the tree where James had lifted Severus to. The Slytherin boy's uniform was caught on sticks and was dangling by his own clothes as James and Peter laughed, something Sirius would have been doing if he wasn't trying to calm his breathing. "James, stop being such an arrogant toe rag and put Severus down!"

Deciding that she had had enough of listening to her friend struggle, Rita shook her head and scoffed as she rushed over to where James was having a great time laughing at the object of his crush's affection. Jealousy really does make people ugly.