A/N: I submitted this chapter 4 times but it kept deleting itself. Chapter 14 (yes 14) is being typed up. I’m getting these chapters up as fast as I can. A special thanks to dramaangelsj for staying up till 1:30 in the morning to help me finish this chapter. Thanks to songbook99 and quandogirl for their uplifting reviews. In response to songbook99’s review, I did not want to show Joanne exiting the Gryffindor common room. I felt that I’d already given enough clues and did not want to make it more obvious than it already was. And heeeeeere’s chapter 6! This chapter was lots of fun to write, especially after all the seriousness of the last chapter. Seriousness is good as long as there’s some fluff after it to lighten the mood. So enjoy!
Miss Radcliffe
Chapter 6: Hogsmeade Weekend
Joanne sat in one of the large red armchairs that occupied the Gryffindor common room. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she trembled as tears silently rolled down her face. Her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sat solemnly in a corner of the room. She had proven right her theory, but somehow she didn’t feel any better. So she had finally uncovered the reason Remus Lupin left Gryffindor Tower once a month. But she had also uncovered his deepest darkest secret. Something he hadn’t wanted to share with her. The guilt was overwhelming. She didn’t look up as four people entered the common room. She still didn’t look up when someone put his arm around her to give her a comforting hug. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter sat down next to the blaze inside the fireplace. Joanne let out a sob.
“I’m s-s-so sorry, Remus,” she cried. “I thought it might have been true when I read about werewolves in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I started becoming obsessed with the idea of you being a werewolf and I let curiosity get the better of me.”
“Listen, Jo,” said Remus softly. He was covered in scratches and there a cut was bleeding profusely on his left arm. He sat down on the arm of her chair. “If anyone were to find out, I’m glad it’s you.” She looked up at his comment and gave him a small but reassuring smile.
“I suppose we’ve got a lot of explaining to do, eh Mooney?” grinned Sirius.
“For starters, how did you three become Animagi? It’s very advanced magic,” she questioned.
“It took us five years,” answered James. “We found out about Mooney’s condition in first year and had been trying to become Animagi ever since. It helps Remus here deal a little better with the transformations.” Remus nodded glumly.
“Each full moon, Madam Pomfrey takes me to the Whomping Willow. Underneath it is a secret passageway that leads to the only entrance of the Shrieking Shack. The Willow was planted to keep people away from me while I transform. To keep people safe,” explained Remus.
Joanne pondered, “So the ghosts people hear in the Shrieking Shack are really-,”
“Him during his transformations,” finished Sirius.
“It all makes sense now,” Joanne thought out loud. “Your disappearances, the Whomping Willow, the noises at the Shrieking Shack and-,”
“And James’ brilliant Transfiguration skills?” supplied Peter. Joanne chuckled.
“And James’ brilliant Transfiguration skills.” she agreed.
“Now comes the serious part of this conversation,” began James. “You can’t tell anyone, including Lily and Alexis, about Remus being a werewolf or us being Animagi. No one, not even Professor Dumbledore, knows about our Animagi forms and what we do on full moons. Obviously, we’re unregistered,” he smirked, seemingly proud of his ability to break real laws.
“Your secret is safe with me,” Joanne promised.
“You have no idea how much this means to us Jo, especially me,” Remus said softly.
“Sirius! Where are we going?” squealed a blindfolded Alexis.
“You’ll see, you’ll see,” replied Sirius mischievously.
“Well, I haven’t been able to see anything for the past half hour!” she whined as she tugged on the blindfold. “Can I please take it off? It’s getting really-,”
“Here we are,” said a relieved Sirius. He pulled off the blindfold and Alexis gasped. They had entered a small grove that sat by the lakeshore. There was a small pool of water in the middle of the grove and the rest of the ground was littered with flowers of various colors.
“H-However did you find this place?” stammered Alexis.
“Oh, on one or another of the escapades my friends and I have had around here,” he grinned.
“It’s beautiful,” she gaped.
“I think so too. That’s why I kept coming back here after we found it. I come here when things get too complicated at the castle. It’s a great place to just sit down and think,” explained Sirius. “Come on, let’s sit by the lake.” The two of them sat on the sandy banks of the lake and Sirius opened up the picnic basket.
“What do we have here,” he mumbled and lifted a rat out of the basket and into the air. Alexis screamed.
“Get it away, get it away!” cried Alexis.
"Stupefy!" he muttered. Sirius pocketed the rat, and then he proceeded to take food out of the picnic basket.
“How did that thing get into the ba-,” stuttered Alexis.
“Never mind that,” he interrupted and glowered at his pocket. "Let's see here. We've got fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and your choice of butterbeer, gillywater, or firewhiskey," recited Sirius. He looked up eagerly at her, willing her to choose the final option.
"I'll take gillywater, thanks," replied Alexis. Sirius inwardly pouted but nevertheless, handed her a glass of gillywater. "How did you get all this food?" directed Alexis. She spooned some potatoes into her mouth. "It's great! In fact, it tastes exactly like the food at-," she paused and gave him a questioning look. She smirked. "And I thought you actually made the food yourself. I should've known. So, how do you get into the Hogwarts kitchens anyway? I've always wanted to know where it was. It would make those midnight cravings for chocolate so much easier!" Sirius looked up, thankful that she hadn't been disappointed or mad at him.
"There's a door in the rear of the Great Hall that reveals a staircase," he explained, "On the walls are portraits of food. There's this one of a fruit bowl. You just tickle the pear and a doorknob appears. The house elves get you anything you want the second you ask for it. I go down there all the time."
"Say good-bye to annoying chocolate cravings!" exclaimed Alexis as she punched her fist into the air.
"Speaking of chocolate…" Sirius lifted a giant slice of chocolate cake out of the basket. "Dessert for two." Alexis devilishly took a piece of the cake with her finger before Sirius had even set it down. Sirius looked at her, surprised, but pleased.
"Mmmm, it's really good," she giggled.
"You've got chocolate on your face," laughed Sirius as he reached out to wipe it away. His hand landed on her cheek and they gazed into each other's eyes. Slowly, he pulled her face towards his. Their lips grazed each other’s and melded together in a passionate kiss. She ran her fingers through his dark cluttered hair and allowed his hands to fall gently on her back, hugging her to him. They stayed together like this, glued by the lips, only pausing to breathe. Suddenly Alexis pulled away and rested her head on his shoulder while he set his chin upon her head.
Only moving her lips she said, "I've been waiting to do that for a while."
"Me too. I was just afraid you'd be like all the other girls who fawn over me nonstop," sighed Sirius.
"Tell me, now that you know me, am I like those girls? I never wanted to be," she stated. He pushed her away so that they were barely an inch apart. Staring directly into her cinnamon brown eyes he whispered,
"I’ve never met somebody so unlike those girls."
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. So far, it’s been my favorite one to write! I’ve decided to put a small spoiler at the end of each of my chapters to keep you reading and also to be a little evil. Here is the spoiler for chapter 7:
Peter sprinted as fast as he could through the dungeons.
“Insignificant little rodent! What was he saying? I thought he was my friend,” he thought. Peter turned a corner and collided into something. No, someone.
And the plot thickens. God, it feels good being evil. Hehe. Thanks as always to my betas Kaity445, Madam Bones, and dramaangelsj. At the rate these chapters are getting validated, I’ll have the rest of the chapters up in less than two weeks! Please review!
Miss Radcliffe