I Already Know | Remus Lupin | Marauders Era

5

The first few months back at Hogwarts went by too quickly for Robyn's liking and, soon enough, it was November and the temperatures began to drop to below freezing. Robyn's favourite season was Spring but Winter came at a close second. Her ideal past time was curling up in front of the fire with a thick novel and equally thick, fluffy socks. Rory often joined her on the sofa in the Common Room with a hot cocoa and some cheesy romance novel that he took major joy in taking the piss out of (despite secretly loving all of them) but Arabella, on the other hand, took no part in it...unless she had a gossip magazine, silk pyjamas and a large mug of chamomile tea.

On one particularly chilly evening, Robyn was cuddled next to Rory under a blanket with Arabella on the armchair beside them with her legs resting on Rory's lap. Robyn, whilst still having it open on her lap, had given up on reading and decided to tune in to the thoughts drifting around her, tonight being particularly entertaining.

'How is he so blind to the fact that I like him?'

'Should I charm my hair black? No...well...no...hmm.'

'HOW IS THE ANSWER EXPELLIARMUS? IT MAKES NO SENSE!'

'Why has another spot appeared on my chin in the last TWO MINUTES?!'

'I'm going to do it. I'm going to ask Phillip to Hogsmeade. I'm not going to chicken out, I'm not going to run away and I am definitely not going to cry this time.'

'She's so effortlessly beautiful. How she doesn't know it is beyond me. Merlin. Why can't Ara just like me back?'

Robyn's head snapped upwards. She turned her head to the side and saw Rory staring at their blonde friend, his lips curved up at the sight of her scoffing at an article about Celestina Warbeck's secret love affair with some muggle called Elton John. Robyn felt her heart drop slightly at the lost puppy look on Rory's face and focused all of her attention on Arabella, hoping to hear even the tiniest thing about Rory.

'Oh please, Celestina isn't a common whore! These journalists really need to get their facts straight.'

Robyn shook her head ever so slightly and focused even harder, reaching deep into her friend's mind where she searched through shuffled fragments of unconscious thoughts:

'-swish and flick-'

'-Mrs Arabella Travolta-'

'-oooh don't go breaking my heart-'

'-not a priss-'

'-Rory's hair-'

Bingo. Robyn zeroed in on the last thought.

'Rory's hair looks nicer short, it doesn't hide his face like the afro did...you can really see his eyes.'

Robyn smirked to herself and snapped closed her book, turning to Rory and running a hand through his hair,

"I think your hair looks really nice like this, Rory." she commented thoughtfully and Arabella's head snapped up as Rory looked at the legilimens with a smile,

"Thanks, Ro."

"Don't you think, Ara?" Robyn turned to Arabella and lifted one side of her pink lips in a smile at her wide-eyed look, "It's not in his face as much anymore, is it?" Robyn patted Rory's cheek, "We can see those beautiful eyes." she blinked dramatically at the boy and he laughed loudly, not seeing Arabella who was drawing a finger across her throat as she glared at the smug looking Robyn.

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Robyn was rubbing her towel against her hair as she walked out of the bathroom in her snowflake pyjamas and sat on the window seat. She smiled at the twinkling stars reflected in the frozen Black Lake and sighed contently at the sight of specks of white, snow floating past the glass. Someone cleared their throat and Robyn reluctantly turned away from the window, facing a very angry, very pouty, Arabella. The girl had crossed her arms and was practically snarling at Robyn but the pink, frilly nightie and curlers in her hair took away from her attempted intimidation.

"What the fuck was that back then?"

"I beg your pardon?" Robyn raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, earning herself an aggravated eye roll from Ara.

"Drop the innocent act, Morrow." she stared Robyn down and the small girl had to bite back her smirk, "I know that you rifled through my mind to find that thought about Rory because, after all of these years, I know what it feels like." Arabella stepped forward and leaned against the wall, narrowing her bottle-green eyes. "What I don't know...is why."

"Why?" Robyn repeated, putting down her towel and putting her damp hair up into a bun on top of her head,

"Yes, why." Arabella's patience began to grow thin and her hands started to move around more, "Why you were looking for the thought in the first place. Why you felt you had to. And why you had to basically shout it out for everyone to hear!"

"Oh, please," Robyn scoffed, "Rory was hardly suspicious, I'm always complimenting him."

"You're not almost as subtle as you think." Ara murmured and Robyn smirked,

"Neither are you." she winked before turning back to the window and letting her eyes roam the white expanse of the grounds.

Robyn had always thought that the snow that covered the grass each year was Mother Nature's way of keeping a few more secrets...as well as revealing a few more. Robyn searched for the tell-tale sign of mischief and, soon enough, she found it: footprints. What's more, that night she saw who they belonged to. A tall boy in a dark cloak was trudging across the grounds, his brown hair speckled with snow and his bony hands clutching at his clothes. Robyn's smile faltered ever so slightly as she watched Remus Lupin look from side to side to see if anyone was around and she caught the worry on his scarred face. She was immediately transported back to the first night back at Hogwarts, when she had looked into his head. Robyn hadn't seen anything in particular and was still knew hardly anything about him, but she did see something. Something that plagued the boy with terror and self-loathing: deep scratched in dark wood; slashed, pale skin with blood oozing out of each claw mark; sharp teeth bared against a shadow moving in the night. All Robyn had seen was fragments but they had disturbed her deeply. They hadn't made her scared of the Lupin boy, no, she just held more pity and, though she hated to admit it, curiosity. She wanted to figure out what was going on with Remus...and, as it goes, she would.