𝘗𝘌𝘙𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘚 ━━ 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙀𝙧𝙖

━ CHAPTER TWELVE

TULA'S HEAD LOLLED ON THE PALM OF HER hand as she watched the clock tick by.

Siruis snored away beside her and the indistinguishable sound of Peter eating could be heard.

"Where the bloody hell is he?" Remus thought aloud, his voice slightly gruff.

Suddenly- the dorm room doors burst open, making Vixen, Moony, Wormtail and Padfoot jump.

"I got it!" Came James' wavering voice. But that's not what the group was focused on.

They were focused on the fact that James was absolutely covered in red splatter patterns and was leaning on none other that Kingsley Shacklebolts shirtless figure for support.

"Holy-"

"Mother-"

"I really hope you two are concerned about our best friend and nothing else!" Siruis exclaimed obnoxiously, cutting off Tula and Remus.

"Keep hoping, Pads." Tula muttered under her breath as Remus snorted.

She and Siruis jumped off of the beds and walked towards the duo. "What the hell happend?" She questioned, eyes still firmly on the boys six pack.

"Evans." He said, waving a hand dismissively.

And that was all that was needed for his friends to understand.

"So, did you get it?" Siruis questioned eagerly.

Kingsley looked at Tula for some kind of back story, but her eyes were still firmly on his pecks.

"Yep!" James said proudly, "Ladies and Remus," Siruis rolled his eyes, "I present to you- The Slytherin Quidditch Plan."

Kingsley and Remus stared at the parchment with a flat expression. "That's what all this was about?" Kingsley questioned, "Quidditch?"

"Boy, they'd kill someone just so they could get a foot up for quidditch." Tula stated, finally tearing her eyes from Kingsleys abdomen. "You know, instead of using actual skill."

Jamed stuck his tongue out at her before unrolling the parchment, he winced as he snorted. "Idiots, this is the most basic plan in the all of history."

"Have you considered they'd knew you'd steal it?" Peter spoke up, still munching.

No sooner had he said the words did the parchment transform itself into a middle finger before exploding into stink sap. Soaking James and Siruis in the stuff.

There was a ringing silence before Tula broke it-

"Wow, you guys look so much better now."

***

Detention the following night was an unusually quiet affair.

Remus tried and failed to pretend he wasn't watching every little movement sleepy Siruis made, finding it all incredibly adorable.

Peter's mind was completely lost in some made up fantasy world, starring himself and some charachters he vaguely remembered from a book he had read when he was younger. His cheek was pressed to the desks surface as he gazed blankly ahead.

James, like always, was thinking furiously. Schemes to get Lily and prank others alike were filling his mind, making him wish now more then ever that he had something to write them down on. To at least be put under consideration.

Siruis, however, was furious for a different reason. He wasn't sure exactly who his anger was directed towards. It wasn't Kingsleys fault he was buff and decided to help James up the stairs.

It wasn't Remus' fault he found the boy attractive. It's not like they were dating.

He could try and blame Tula for her very obvious staring, but since when was Tula subtle about who she liked? Honestly, it was just a miracle she moved on from Shane Brown.

He could also try and blame James, but he really couldn't.

So, Siruis was left to silently fume to himself about nobody and over nothing.

Tula was also thinking about a certain boy with the last name Shacklebolt. He had been the boys dorm mate for as long as she could remember, and yet she had never had a conversation with or about the boy, which was a bit odd.

The closest they had ever come was when her fellow Marauders complained about his snoring.

Tula remembered vaguely over hearing Lily say how Kingsley, Dorcas and Remus were her biggest competitors when it came to top student in Gryffindor house. Before hurridly adding that it didn't matter to her, of course.

So here was a gorgeous, smart, kind, ripped, six foot five boy that had been under Tula Marcels nose for years and she had never once noticed him? He was the definition of a full package.

Tula blamed Shane, damn him.

For some unknown reason, her thoughts also drifted to Ashton. And she wondered if Peter and Siruis ever had any plans to inform Remus and James of her home situation or past.

She hoped they wouldn't, hadn't, would ever.

Because not only was it her buisness, she hadn't exactly planned for them to find out in the first place. Peter had found out because she desperately needed someone, and Siruis had found out because she wasn't thinking straight. Too caught up in the state her best friend was in.

That reminded her.

She looked up and caught Siruis' eye. She subtly jerked her head towards her friends and widend her eyes slightly. Immediately, Siruis shook his head.

She nodded and repeated the action, eventually, Remus saw what she was doing.

"What's up?" He asked tiredly, a faintly amused expression on his scarres features.

"Nothing!" Siruis said a little too quickly and loudly.

James and Peter also looked up. "Really? It sure doesn't sound that way."

"Yep!"

"Nope." Tula contradicted. Siruis glared at her.

"I'm keeping your secret!" He whisper shouted, knowing the others could hear oerfectly well.

"That's because it's supposed to be secret!" Tula responded, mimicking his tone. "Yours isn't!"

"Oh thank Godric, does Pads know too?" Peter asked, looking as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "It wasn't sure how much longer I could keep going on like this?"

"Going on like what?" Remus asked with a frown.

"Never mind that!" Tula said dismissively, still speaking in a hushed tone for no reason. "You need to tell them, Siruis. You said you would, and it's been long enough."

The dark haired boy grumbled before finally caving.

"Fine!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll confess."

Tula gave him a reassuring smile before leaning back in her chair.

Siruis sucked in a deep breath before blurting it out-

"Tula's ran away from home!"