Chapter 5

"Where are you going?" asked Peter as he watched Remus getting dressed much earlier than he usually did, the three boys watched him fumble with his tie, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he just let it hang from his shirt collar and soon ran a hand through his hair, not entirely caring that it was sticking up in all directions.

"I need to catch McGonagall before class," Remus shrugged, jumping around the room as he slipped on his shoes, almost tumbling to the ground in the process, "about Birdie."

"What about her?" asked Sirius, his eyebrow raised as he sat up, a yawn escaping his lips as he reached for a shirt, feeling the cold air hitting him instantly.

"I'm not her babysitter, nor does she want me to be," Remus shrugged, "so why should I have to do this when neither of us wants me to?"

"Oh please, Remus," James scoffed, almost knocking everything on his bedside table over as he reached lazily for his glasses, fumbling slightly with them before placing them on his face, "you love it!"

"I do not!" Remus snapped, turning to give an amused looking James a look, "and she doesn't either, she said it herself, I mean nothing to her!"

"Remus, please," Sirius chuckled, "I bet that she'll be your girlfriend by summer," Sirius smirked.

"He wishes," Peter let out a laugh.

"I have something to make this bet interesting-"

"We aren't betting on anything," Remus rolled his eyes, grabbing his cardigan that hung across his bed, "I'm not talking to her, and I won't ever."

"If you make her your girlfriend by summer then I'll get you that chocolate you've always wanted," James smirked, watching Remus turn to him with a glare.

"I'm not doing that," Remus shook his head, rolling his eyes, "I don't even like her!"

"You do, Remus, don't be an idiot, it's obvious!" Sirius scoffed, "McGonagall told you to look out for her occasionally, we were all bloody there, mate, you followed her around like a lost puppy, she was bound to get annoyed!"

"You're forgetting how upset she looked when he walked away," Peter piped in, earning nods from the two boys.

"She looked upset?" asked Remus, frowning as he done so, attempting to shake the guilt bubbling in her stomach when he remembered catching her eye in the hallway, "you can't bribe me with chocolate, James."

"It's that fancy chocolate, Remus," James teased, "what's the worst that could happen?"

"Why do you even care?!" Remus huffed, grabbing his wand.

"Because you like her and now you have the motivation to go after her," James rolled his eyes, "you'll regret going to McGonagall, mate, you know you will."

"I'm not betting on her," Remus grumbled, shaking his head, "I'm going now."

"You'll regret it!" Sirius sang, watching Remus throw him a look as he pushed himself down the stairs, he thought it wise to go to the great hall first before making his way to McGonagall's room, seeing as he had plenty of time to spare.

It had been just over a week since his last encounter with Birdie, and unknown to him, the boys were growing ever so sick of him going on about her countlessly as though she was the only thing ever to exist in his life.

He had almost got them caught on a particularly important prank pulled on Snivellus because he had caught sight of her with Nolan and Asa who seemed to always be with her at any point of the day, as though they were her body guards and no one was allowed near her.

Or better yet, he wasn't allowed near her.

He stumbled into the great hall, his head low as he made his way to the Gryffindor table, from what he saw when he glanced up, there was barely anyone there, something he was thankful for, he'd rather not have anyone remotely possible coming up to him.

But it seemed like his luck was shattered when the seat across from him was taken, and he only knew when the sound of textbook falling onto the table snapped him from the slight daze he was in. He was ready to tell the person that he wasn't in the mood, that he'd rather not talk to anyone right now, that he'd prefer to be alone.

And then he saw the person.

Sitting across from him, a frown on her lips almost exactly mimicking his own was Bridgette Durnan, or rather, Birdie, with bags under her eyes and her scars fully visible as though she didn't care all that much to cover them.

And she didn't, during the week when she had to get up early again did she think what's the point why did she have to cover her scars, she hated them with a passion but it was her mother who made her do it when she was younger, so why now, at fifteen was she still doing it when she couldn't care less.

He stared at her for a few moments longer than what he should have but she didn't say anything, she just sat there, her stare on the ground for a few moments, and Remus attempted to go back to what he was doing previously - sulking - when her voice rang through the small area in which they sat, "I'm sorry."

"Never thought I'd hear that from you-"

"I don't normally do this Remus, I can take it back," she cut him off, lifting her head to look at the amused smile that had fallen onto his lips almost instantly, "I'm sorry for saying those things, for saying you mean nothing to me, and what really freaking annoys me, Remus, is that I haven't been happier without you following me about, I've been sadder."

"You have?" he whispered, his eyes wide as he watched her nod, her lip between her teeth as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Yes," she mumbled, "but don't think I'm not mad about it!" she huffed, completely annoyed that she was, in fact, terribly sad without Remus around for company.

"Have to admit, Birdie, I thought you'd never talk to me again," Remus chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair whilst she bit her lip.

"Tempting," she muttered, sighing, "but who else am I going to get chocolate from when I forget my own?"

"Very true," Remus nodded, a small smile on his lips as he spoke, "what class do you have first?"

"Divination," she groaned, her head falling onto the table, but of course, Remus' hand reached out and caught her head, sending her a look.

"You're going to hurt yourself one of these days," Remus tutted, "how did you cope without me?"

"I had two bodyguards," she rolled her eyes, "wouldn't leave my sight I had to wake up earlier than I usually do just to get away from them!"

"Sounds familiar," he teased, watching the sides of her mouth twitch and finally did a small smile break her frown, "I have a proposition for you?"

"Wow where did you learn that word?" she teased, her eyebrow raised whilst he bit his lip to stop his amusement shining through.

"How can you be so irritating but so amazing at the same time?" Remus asked, his head titled whilst he watched her eyes widen slightly and her mouth part as though she was going to talk but simply couldn't, "what, have I rendered you speechless?! Well, I never!"

"You're a complete arse," she huffed, pushing herself up and grabbing her bag, hearing him laugh loudly from behind her and pushing herself forward ready to leave, "you coming or what?"

"Where are we going?" he asked, frowning, "what about my proposition?"

"Tell me it then," she chuckled, rolling her eyes as he approached her at the door of the great hall.

"Let's skip class," he shrugged, watching her turn to him wide eyed.

"Remus Lupin, Gryffindor Prefect, chocolate lover and the all around nice boy wants to skip class?!" she exclaimed, shaking her head furiously, "is this my influence, I'm so sorry!"

He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm, glaring as he done so, "I think the picture you've painted of me is a little wonky."

"Oh yes, let me fix that," she nodded, slipping through the door he held open for her with a smile, "Remus Lupin, lover of pranks and winding up professors, still Gryffindor Prefect but who knows how because he abuses his power to let his friends off with stuff, still loves chocolate, though, and has a knack for chasing girls around!"

"I don't chase girls around!" he exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, stalk them" she tutted, "my mistake!"

-

"Why are you being nice?" Remus asked as the two sat across from each other in a small window seat tucked away in a random hall of the castle, their chocolate stash now almost done in between them, "all of a sudden."

They had been there all day, the full day, talking about everything they could fit in, it was as though for the month - and a few weeks - that he had followed her around instead of properly talking, they were fitting into this day, and now, the moon was in the sky, and neither could say they were bored.

"Because I'm sick of being angry," she whispered, "at people who don't deserve it, because the anger is towards people who do deserve it, and they aren't here, so why should I take that out on you?"

"I kind of deserve it," Remus chuckled, "I followed you around annoyingly."

"I liked the company," she mumbled, "I'm just stubborn."

"You'd like my friends," Remus commented, rolling his eyes at the smirk she was giving him.

"Oh yes, the marauders," he couldn't say he wasn't surprised to hear her giggle, but what surprised him more was how much he loved the sound, "don't understand that, really."

"What, the Marauders?" Remus asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Why you need a group name," she laughed softly, "also, what's Moony?"

"You still remember that?" Remus laughed, watching as she nodded softly, an innocent grin on her lips as she leaned down to grab some more chocolate.

She felt happy, true, genuine happiness which was so rare and so unexpected, especially from the boy across from her who definitely shared her love for chocolate, but she had realised that she should never doubt McGonagall or Dumbledore, because somehow, in some odd way, Remus Lupin had managed to do what neither of her friends, nor her family could do since the 'accident' actually, no, since before the accident.

Remus Lupin made her laugh, made her smile, and made her happy in the weirdest way possible, she couldn't say she wasn't shocked, she barely knew him, she pushed him away, and she was more than shocked when she missed him, missed him following her, missed his presence and that smirk that always seemed to turn into a smile when she got a little too frustrated, or the way he ran a hand through his light brown hair in an attempt to calm his frustration.

"It's a nickname," he whispered, "we all have them."

She waited a few moments, staring at him whilst he stared at the almost full moon in the sky, fear creeping up his spine at what he'd need to go through soon until he felt a kick to his foot, and suddenly, the fear left his body replaced with amusement when he saw the look on her face.

"Oh, come on, Remus, you can't leave me hanging!" she exclaimed, "what are your friend's names?"

"Peter is wormtail," he watched her clasp her hand over her mouth at the odd nickname, hearing the muffled giggles she wished not to spill leave her lips, "Sirius is Padfoot, and James is Prongs."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs?" she giggled, shaking her head, "they sound rather odd."

"They have a meaning, but if I told you I'd have to kill you," he winked teasingly, watching her curiously as she reached silently for some chocolate.

She debated what she could say, her mind spinning gears at what she could say to the sentence she had answered before from him, but with a soft laugh, she spoke, "well we wouldn't want that."