Promise Me

The Map

Weeks passed. The Marauders kept a constant eye on the Prophet to see if Valerie's birth mother had been caught yet. One Saturday while the boys poured over the post in the common room, Sirius sat bolt upright.
"No," Remus said before Sirius even opened his mouth.
"You haven't even heard my idea!" Sirius was indignant.
"Still no."
"It's going to help Val," At that Remus went silent.
"Okay, so I was thinking, what if there was something that you could see everyone around and maybe where they were? I don't know how you would do it though."
"Like... maybe a map of some kind? And you could see everyone in the castle and maybe we could even work out how to get Hogsmeade on there? That way if that nasty woman shows up around here looking for Val, we could see it and hide her somewhere." James suggested.
Remus sat back looking puzzled. "Yeah that's a great idea but I have no idea how on earth you would do something like that. That would take some serious charms work..."
"I heard charms. I love charms. What are we doing using charms? A prank? Ooh, can I do the charms?" Valerie chattered as she practically skipped over.
"Val, my god, what are you on?" Remus asked.
"Five sickles says it's Firewhiskey," Sirius murmured to James.
"Nah, I'd say a potion of some sort." James shot back.
"Just coffee," Val said and shot Sirius and James a glare. "I can't sleep," she continued, as she slid down the couch next to Remus and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm worried about my real mother showing up, so I just sit in the common room and read most of the nights. The house-elves just keep bringing me hot coffee, and it helps me stay awake."
Remus turned to James, "Yeah, let's figure out how to do the map before she ends up in the hospital wing with a caffeine overdose or something."
"What map?" Val asked, and was promptly filled in by a proud James, who made sure to say that it was his idea twelve times. "Well, that sounds... I don't even know how you would do that. I might know a book that could maybe help..." she trailed off and stood up. "I'll be right back..." she said before she headed up the stairs to the girls' dorms.
"Mate, are you ever going to tell her that you love her?" Sirius asked Remus as soon as Valerie walked away.
"I, uh, don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, the only people that don't know that you are madly in love with Valerie are you and Valerie." Sirius retorted.
"I don't love her, okay. And even if I did, which I don't..."
"I'm gonna stop you right there. The way you look at her whenever she walks into a room says otherwise. And so does the way you looked at her when she put her head on your shoulder." Sirius waggled his eyebrows at Remus.
"Stop it! And like I was going to say, even if I did love her, I would never tell her. Besides she would never love me back. I'm an actual real-life monster, and I would never put her in danger like that."
"So since you don't like her you wouldn't be at all upset if someone took to her to Hogsmeade next week on her birthday?"
"Nope, not upset," Remus said firmly.
"And not upset if they also asked her to the ball this year?"
"Not... at... all," Remus ground out through clenched teeth.
At that moment Valerie came tottering down the stairs with a huge pile of books. As soon as she sat down, Sirius cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Valerie, there's something I would like to ask you."
"Yeah, sure go for it,"
"I know next week is your birthday, and also our Hogsmeade trip. Would you let me take you out for a butterbeer?"
"Um... yeah sure," Valerie said somewhat apprehensively. "This isn't another one of your pranks, right Sirius?"
"Right," He said with satisfaction, however, he didn't miss the look of horror and pain that flashed through Remus's eyes, nor the quick sidelong glance Valerie gave to Remus when he wasn't looking.

December 18th dawned bright and crisp, and there was fresh snow blanketing the grounds. Valerie jumped out of bed and quickly dressed before running over to the boys' dorm and pounding on the door.
A groggy Remus answered it, "Boy, you're up early," he mumbled.
Sirius was sitting up in his bed. "So how does it feel to finally join the sixteen club?"
"Feels great," she grinned. "Only waiting on you, James. How far away does January feel now?"
"Stop reminding me that I am younger than you, please," he groaned into his pillow.