"Oh, Merlin," Romi muttered as she stared at her brother's bed. In it, Remus slept - thankfully covered by his blanket - with his arm wrapped around Mary.

James peeked in over her shoulder and grinned, "Go, Moony."

Romi brought her elbow back and nailed him in the stomach, causing him to groan. Drawing attention to this would not make the situation better.

"What are you lot staring at?" Sirius spoke up from behind them and Remus covered his face with his hands. Sirius managed to squeeze his way between James and Romi to get a better view and his face dropped. He quickly recovered and masked it with a grin, "I knew you had it in you, Lupin."

James looked at the boy sideways, one eyebrow raised curiously but he said nothing. Mary shifted and her eyes fluttered open. She sat up quickly upon seeing the three people staring at her, "Have you ever heard of privacy?"

"If you wanted privacy, you would have used a spell to keep us out," Romi said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I did," Remus replied.

"Then you would have put up a stronger one," she countered as she stepped into the area. "Get up and get changed," she told them - Mary in particular - grabbing her clothes off the ground and handing them to her. "We have class in thirty minutes."

She shot her brother a pointed look before she turned around and ushered the other boys away and closed the curtain swiftly. Romi turned to look at Sirius who appeared as though he wanted to say something but instead, he clamped his mouth shut. She shook her head slightly before she turned and left the room without another word.

James opened his mouth to ask Sirius a question but he entered his area and closed the curtain before he could. Romi was ready in no time, making her way down the stairs after a rather awkward run in with Mary.

James, Sirius and Peter descended the stairs first and Romi addressed them, "Where's my brother?"

"He's still upstairs, a little hungover," James explained. He still appeared confused and seemed to have questions but instead went for, "Go easy on him, would you? He's allowed to be...well, a teenage boy."

"I, of all people, am the last to judge him for that," she pointed out, her gaze flickering over to Sirius for the briefest moment. He averted his gaze quickly, his shoes suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. "That's not what I need to talk to him about."

"We'll see you in History of Magic," Peter spoke up and Romi nodded in agreement.

The three boys left a moment later and Romi waited for her brother to emerge. He descended the stairs a moment later, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I know exactly what you're going to say."

"Do you?" she inquired. She was certain that he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Can we not do this right now?" he requested. "We have a class to get to."

"We're not going to class."

He huffed, "Romi-"

"Remus," she interrupted. "The sooner we get this over with, the better."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and she raised an eyebrow. The siblings stared at each other as though daring the other to break. Remus shook his head slightly, falling prey to his sister's gaze as he always did.

"Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "But not here."

"I know the perfect place," she informed him before the two made their way through the school in silence. Romi paced back and forth for a moment until a door appeared. She entered immediately, waiting for Remus to follow her in.

"I know what your thinking-"

"No you don't," she countered. "You have absolutely no idea what I'm thinking."

"Then what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you're an idiot," she informed him and he rolled his eyes. "You wanna know why?"

"I think I can come to that conclusion on my own but something tells me that you're going to tell me anyway."

"Why did you do it?"

"What?"

"Allow me to rephrase," she frowned slightly, "Why did you do Mary?"

He cringed at the phrasing, "I don't know."

"You don't?"

He let out a sigh before taking a seat on the couch that the Room of Requirement had provided. He rested his head in his hands and groaned. "I don't even like her," he admitted, "I mean, I like her alright, but as a friend. She's just - She's not..."

"She's not Sirius?" she concluded. He looked up at her and nodded. "What happened after I left on his birthday?"

"We talked," he explained. "We agreed that we weren't going to be exclusive."

"Agreed?" she inquired, "Or did Sirius suggest it and you went along with it?"

"What do I do?" he asked. "And I really need your advice, not some jackass answer that's just you being a bitch."

She laughed slightly at this before joining him on the couch. "Talk to him," she suggested, "Tell him how you feel. How you really feel. If he doesn't like it...well, maybe it's time for you to move on."

"I'm scared that he won't feel the same way."

Romi frowned, "It's a part of it, I guess. If he doesn't like you, it's his loss."

"Are you going to talk to James?" he asked and her head shot up. "It's obvious, Romi, I can smell it on you. The both of you."

She grimaced, "Lovely." She shifted in her seat, "It's not the same thing."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, it is."

"It's different," she explained. "Anything he would want in life...I can't give it to him."

Remus sucked in a breath, clearly understanding what she had meant. The Potter line would end with James if he decided to be with Romi.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is starting soon," Remus pointed out as he stood up, changing the subject so Romi wouldn't have to dwell on it any longer. "It's bad enough we missed History of Magic, I'll kill you if I have to miss Defense too."

She rolled her eyes, standing up as well, "You're such a nerd."

"Says the one who can't go anywhere without a book."

They made their way to the classroom. "Think he's still going to make us try our Patronus?"

"Yep," Remus nodded, "I don't want to know what mine is."

"Worst case scenario, it's a wolf."

"That's precisely why I have no intention in finding out what it is." She rolled her eyes before entering the classroom, holding the door for her brother to enter.

Lily approached them immediately. "I can't believe you two skipped!" she hissed before turning on Remus. "You're a Prefect," she reminded him, "You're supposed to set an example."

"It's my fault," Romi admitted. "You hang around me long enough and eventually you get corrupted. It's a miracle he lasted this long."

The Professor stepped forward and Romi immediately stepped to the back of the room.

"There's really no point in throwing all of the important stuff at us in one year," Romi huffed as she leaned against the wall. They had been working on their patronus charms and the only ones to be completely successful were James and Sirius.

Lily, Marlene and Dorcas Meadowes had gotten wisps of white and blue but Romi had nothing.

"If they would have just taught us periodically over the past few years, we wouldn't be nearly as stressed."

"You're just upset because you can't conjure your patronus," Marlene pointed out.

"Oh, shut up."

"Let's get started," the teacher announced, clapping his hands together. "Spread out, you'll want plenty of room."

"Think of your happiest memory," the Professor suggested and Romi huffed. She didn't have any of those. She had spent the past few days trying to come up with something. Anything. Nothing she thought of was strong enough to conjure it. She had nothing.

At least she thought so until she thought back to the night when she managed to get James to go skinny dipping. She felt a warmth bubble in her chest as she thought about how close they had been to kissing.

While she had originally thought that the worst case scenario was a werewolf making its way around the room, she had been wrong. This was the worst case scenario.

She stared with her jaw hanging open as a doe leapt around the room. It caught up to the fully corporeal stag that had been wandering and the two appeared to instinctively roam together, glowing brighter at the presence of the other.

The room fell silent as they stared in awe at the pair of deers. Sirius nudged James who appeared shocked at the sight, his expression resembling Romi's rather similarly. She quickly dropped her hand, tucking her wand away and the doe dissipated. James dropped his hand as well and the stag vanished.

The two looked up at each other, silently trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Romi wasn't entirely sure what James was feeling but she knew exactly what the look in her eyes would tell him. She was terrified.

The Professor cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the students who had been watching. James and Romi's sight, however, remained on each other.

As soon as class was dismissed, Romi took off, running as fast and as far away from James as she possibly could. She wasn't sure where she was heading but somehow she ended up outside the infirmary. She entered the room and Pomfrey immediately popped her head out. "Romulus, dear," she greeted, standing up and leaving her office, "Is everything alright?"

Romi shook her head quickly, "No, nothing is alright."

"Let's fix that."

Romi spent the week leading up to the full moon hiding in the infirmary. She told Pomfrey that she just wasn't feeling well but Remus saw right through it. She was sure others would too if she would let anyone else.

"I just want to see her," James explained. "Just one minute. One second, even. And then I'll be out of your hair."

"She's really in no state or mood to be around anyone, Potter," Pomfrey informed him apologetically. "And she specifically requested that no one be allowed to see her except her brother. That includes you."

"Romi," he tried, leaning to the side slightly so he wasn't talking through Pomfrey, "Please, I just want to see you. I need to know you're okay." Romi remained silent, biting her tongue as tears welled in her eyes despite herself. This was inevitable and she hated it.

"You should get going, dear," Pomfrey requested. "Maybe she'll be up for visitors in the morning."

James muttered something that sounded like 'she won't be' before he left the room, the door closing behind him. The door opened again a moment later to reveal a frowning Remus.

Pomfrey opened the curtain that surrounded Romi's bed and raised a pointed eyebrow, "Are you aware of what you're doing?"

Romi nodded though she didn't appear happy as she hopped out of the bed and crossed the room to her brother. "Can we go?" she requested. "Today is already going to be bad enough, I have no desire to sit here and listen to you two scold me."

"The potion will make it better," Pomfrey informed her as they made their way out of the school. "If only a little."

James made his way up to his dorm, running a hand over his face. He just wanted to see her. He needed to know if she was really sick or she was just avoiding him. Or if it was both. He laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Eventually, and not soon enough, sleep overtook him.

"James!" Sirius shouted frantically as he entered the dorm room. "James, are you in here?"

"Merlin, Sirius," James muttered as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What is it?"

"I've made a mistake," he explained, his eyes wide. James got out of bed quickly upon seeing his friend in such a distressed state. "A huge mistake."

Romi groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She could both taste and smell the familiar coppery fluid. She placed her hands on the ground to push herself up but stopped upon seeing the blood that had now coated her hand.

Her heart rate began to pick up as she sat up quickly. She grew light headed at the action but her adrenaline was carrying her. "Remus!" she managed to get out. "Remus!"

"Not my blood," she heard him mutter. Her head shot in the direction. She couldn't find him and she grabbed a blanket off the floor. "The blood. Not mine. Yours."

Romi faltered before looking down, moving the blanket she had wrapped around herself to reveal weirdly shaped holes dug into her skin. Antlers.

She started toward where she had heard Remus but she tripped. She was unable to catch herself as she hit the ground. She groaned in pain and tried to pick herself up but failed.

"Just wait," Remus managed to get out. "For Pomfrey."

Romi squeezed her eyes shut as the adrenaline slowly started to die down, "You...okay?"

"Yes," he answered but that was all he said.

"What happened?" she asked and he remained silent. "Remmy?" she said as she forced herself to sit up.

"I'm fine," he stopped her. "I don't know what happened."

"I thought the potion would make it better," she frowned. She hadn't had her hopes up in the slightest but this isn't what she had expected. "I don't think I've ever felt this bad."

"Save your energy," he suggested and she was inclined to protest but decided against it. She fell limp against the floor as her eyes began to flutter shut, exhaustion washing over her. The last thing she heard was, "He's okay."

Romi opened her eyes and she was greeted with a mop of dark hair. She blinked a few times before a familiar pair of hazel eyes covered by glasses came into view. "James?" she managed to get out, "What - what happened?"

"Oh, thank Merlin," he muttered, shaking his head slightly in relief. "Pomfrey, she's awake!"

Pomfrey immediately came skidding around the corner. "Oh, dear," she greeted with an apologetic smile, "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" she countered as she tried to sit up but the women stopped her. "What happened? I usually remember something, I don't remember anything. Except for the blood. There was a lot of blood."

"You did lose quite a bit but we've been working at getting it replenished," she explained. "The color has already started to return to your face."

"I don't understand," Romi frowned. "How did this happen?" She looked down at her stomach that was uncovered, "What did this?"

"We're not sure," Pomfrey informed her but Romi noted the guilty look on James's face.

"Romi!" someone shouted and Sirius appeared around the corner a moment later. "Oh, Romi, I'm so sorry."

Romi raised an eyebrow. He certainly had a lot to be sorry for. "Sorry for what?"

James turned to look at him, "I haven't told her yet, mate."

Romi turned to look at her brother for help but he appeared to be out cold. She sat up carefully, "What's going on?"

"I'll tell her," Sirius spoke up, "I should tell her."

"What the hell did you do this time, Black?"

Sirius explained what exactly had happened the previous night. He started with when Snape had cornered him in the hall and started asking unanswerable questions about Romi and Remus's whereabouts and ended with how Snape had entered the Shrieking Shack and seen Romi and eventually Remus.

James had arrived in time - and reluctantly explained that he and the boys had become Animagus - and managed to stop Romi. He had to pin her up against the wall with antlers after managing to convince Snape to run away while he was in human form. That explained the antler marks in her abdomen.

"Say something," Sirius requested. "Please."

"I swear to Merlin, Black, if you don't walk away right now, I'll kill you," Romi informed the boy. He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately decided against it. His shoulders slumped forward as he shot one last furtive glance at the twins before disappearing.

"He didn't want anyone to get hurt," James explained and it took everything in her power not to hex him. "As soon as he-"

"I don't want to hear it," she snapped, cutting him off. "You should go too."

"But-"

"Go."

Things had been tense already and the Snape incident on top of it did not help. Romi sat down at the library table and set to work. She had been out of the infirmary for a few days now and had fallen behind. She still felt awful but after the week she had taken off, she couldn't afford anymore lost work time.

As soon as James entered the room, the smell invaded her senses and her head shot up.

"I will not sit here and listen to you defend his actions," Romi informed him as soon as he sat down. "If you're going to keep doing that, you can just stay the hell away from me."

"Ro, come on," he tried. "He feels awful."

"And what about me?" she inquired. "What about my brother? If you hadn't gotten there in time, we would have killed him!" She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. She turned to face him, "What would have happened then?"

"I - I don't know," he admitted.

"That's the problem, Potter," she informed him as she stood up and gathered her things. "And if you can't understand that or understand why I can barely look at him without wanting to tear his head off, then I don't think I can be around you either."