Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Breaking Silence ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two

Dear Gentleman,

I assure you I am very much sane. Well, most of the time. The only time I tend to lose a grip on my control would be during Charms homework. I am not sold on your sanity, especially if you continue to write to me. I still vainly hope you will, talking to an insane man is better than talking to a brick wall or thin air as I frequently do. I can not help but find myself wondering why you would be writing to me. Your letters sound intelligent enough so you must have some friends. Or why you were in the Room of Requirements? Not many people know of that particular room.

Yours curiously

A Lady

Dear Lady,

Well I assure you, you were correct in your assessment of my insanity, I should be locked up! I do not share your same affliction with Charms though Potions does escape me. As to why I was in the Room of Requirements, well it's rather complicated. The reality would be I was running away from Flitch after playing a prank with my friends. We split up and tried to find places to hide and the Room opened up to me. All that was in it was a desk, your letter, and a piece of paper saying Write Back. What were you doing in the Room that evening? Also, I thought I would finally sign with my real name.

Yours not so anonymously

Remus Lupin

P.S. If you stop writing to me because of whom I am, just be warned that I will keep sending you letters anyways.

"Miss Naldeg, what is the answer?" Sophie looked up at her teacher a little dumb struck.

"Um, what was the question Professor?" she looked sheepishly at her potions professor.

"That's what I thought Miss Naldeg. Please in the future pay more attention to the lesson. Now Miss Ross, what is the answer that your lab partner felt she was above?" Sophie didn't hear the answer; she was once again too focused on the letter she was reading. Remus Lupin that was the last person she thought she was writing to. All she could think was that he's best friends with Sirius Black, not necessarily a good thing in her mind. Her father is good friends with Sirius's father; both had a shared devotion for the Dark Lord. Which was another thing that separated her from her family; she didn't care what combination of blood ran through your veins. She didn't know for sure, if he shared his family's views. From talk that surrounded him, she did not believe so. But that did not prove what his opinion of her would be at the mention of her last name.

"Miss Naldeg, why don't you try this question?" she looked up at her Professor again thinking of just how much homework she was going to get for this mess up. Shaking her head, she awaited her punishment. "As I thought, I want a seven inch long essay on mushrooms on my desk tomorrow and anymore offenses and you will have detention as well as a thirty inch report on peppermint leaves." Sophie deiced after that threat she should pay attention.

The rest of class passed quickly, which was a very good thing in Sophie's eyes, considering the fact that she was completely distracted. Collecting her books, she left skipping her lunch to go to the library instead. She wanted time to think, without going to the Room, too many people would be around that could possibly see, she didn't want to chance it. Walking through the large double doors, she breathed in the familiar scent of musty old book, and still air. Not going anywhere in particular, she started to wander around the library thinking of a response to Lupin's letter. Sophie decided to respond, he was fun to talk to, and it was nice just to talk to someone, something that she admittedly didn't do often. Passing along through the many aisles, she heard hushed voices talking very hurriedly and rather angrily.

"What do you want me to do Gwen?" Sophie missed a step at the mention of her dorm mate's name. Curiosity got the best of her and she sneaked a peek through the crack that existed between the shelves of books and looked to see who was talking to Gwen.

"It's what you should do Remus, I'm your girlfriend for crying out loud! Why are you talking to another woman?" It felt like ice water had been poured down her back. She kept listening, worried now where this was going.

"It's not like I'm cheating on you Gwen." He sounded tired, as if they had had this argument before and already knew the outcome. She looked again, trying to change her line of sight. She had never actually seen Remus Lupin before. She had heard of him, considering the fact that he's part of the infamous Marauder gang. Sadly, the only thing she could actually see was Gwen. She didn't need to see Gwen to remember what she looked like; she has been living with her for six years. Tall, taller than herself by about an inch, trim, blonde, with standard blue eyes. She has had a rash of boyfriends since fifth year; Sophie had gotten to hear about everyone of them. Beautiful she maybe, but she was whiny, a little shallow in her views, and actions. She would talk openly to another one of their room mates about her every action. "She's a friend, and we just exchange letters, I don't even know who she is! I can't cheat on you with someone when I don't even know their name! Actually Gwen, I'm offended that you think that I'm the type of person to cheat at all!" his voice was calm but with steel threaded through it, he had his calm now but it sounded like it wasn't going to hold out much longer.

"You know my history, it just worries me, and I don't want you to leave me." Sophie could hear the pout in her voice. Desperately, Sophie tried to hold in a laugh. From Gwen's nightly chats it was clear, if anyone has cheated in any of Gwen's relationships it had been her. Her first boyfriend, or second boyfriend, probably didn't know, but there was a two month span that they had been dating her at the same time.

"Gwen, do you trust me?" his voice sounded weary.

"Of course Remus." Still watching the exchange, Sophie watched Gwen move out of the line of sight Sophie could see in the slight crack that was her visibility. She was probably moving into Remus's arms, or trying to.

"Then why do we have this argument every time I even look at another girl no matter how innocent?" before Gwen could attempt to answer him another person caught Gwen's attention.

"Gwen, Transfiguration Professor wants to see you about a paper." Some young girl's voice told her. Sophie didn't wait for an answer she started back tracking knowing the interesting part would be over by now.

She made a few turns, picked up a random book from the shelves and went to find a table to spend the rest of lunch at. Because luck had never been one of her best qualities, the table she choose to sit at was of course occupied by someone when she desperately wanted to be alone and write to Lupin. She had never seen him before, his legs were long and lightly gawky, his head was in his hands, sandy blonde hair, hovering somewhere between tarnished gold and a tannish color.

She stopped suddenly going trying to turn around and go back but as was her luck, she dropped the heavy tome onto the floor with a loud thud. She couldn't see the man, her back was to him but she knew his head would have snapped up at her dropping the book.

"Oh I'm sorry you can sit here." For the second time today, it felt like cold water was running down her back. She had heard that voice for the first time today but she wasn't sure she would ever forget it. It was warm, with a slight musical quality that she was sure someone would call her crazy for ever admitting. At the same time, she could hear a sadness in his voice; she wasn't sure why she heard it just she knew it was there.

With out turning around she answered him trying to keep the blush from her face and voice. "No that's fine I can go some place else." Bending down to pick up the forsaken book that she had dropped, Sophie almost dropped it again after noticing the title, Bells and whistles, Charm spells that will get you noticed!

"No really come sit down, I don't bite, I promise." Turning around, she noticed the wolfish smile that played across his face. She also noticed it didn't reach his eyes. Walking as if a rabbit caught in wolfs gaze, Sophie edged her way around the table before sitting as far away from him as possible. Realizing she couldn't just take out parchment and start working on her letter to Remus with him sitting this close to her, she took the only other option open to her. She opened the dreaded charms book and started reading a random page.

In this chapter, we shall learn about charms to cut your hair with!

Great, she thought not only had the book ruined her escape plan but it didn't even have a spell she could use. Charms, why was it always charms. She turned to another page about makeup or something of that sort and stared at the same sentence for the next five minutes.

"You know what I really hate?" Sophie looked up at him, taking note that he wasn't looking at her. Remus was currently looking away at some random point in the air. Sophie didn't attempt to answer, she had a feeling that she wasn't suppose to. Her suspicions were proven correct when he continued a breath later. "Lying, dishonesty, half truths. I can't stand them! But for some reason or another, my life seems to be full of them and there is no conceivable plan to eliminate them!" he was supremely frustrated. At this last statement, he was up and out of his chair, running an agitated hand through already mussed hair, exposing his eyes to her. They fascinated her; at first glance, they seemed a mellow green, closer inspection would show the golden flecks that worked their way though them. She took a shaky breath and tried to help as best she could.

"Well you do what you can. That's all you can really do. You take care of what you can and deal with what you can't. It's frustrating I know" she considered her own family life. "In some situations, that's all you can really do." The bell rung for lunch to end and classes to begin again, neither of them made a move to leave.

"Thank you?" he looked at her expectedly.

"Sophie Naldeg."

"Sophie." He smiled. "You right. You know something though? In the span of the last five minutes, I have told you something that has been plaguing me for longer than I can remember, and you're the first person I've actually gotten up the nerve to tell." He stared at her as if she was some new contraption that he had never seen before. It was rather confusing and refreshing to him at the same time.

"No offense, but I don't think that's something that you should be proud of." she smiled at him sheepishly. He laughed, which only made her smile more.

"No, I guess not. At least this means I wasn't lying to a girl about my sanity earlier." It registered in her mind that he was talking about her, well A Lady, which freaked her out slightly. The late bell took that moment to ring. "Well it has been very nice to talk to you Sophie, I do hope we get another chance to talk and I promise to be more civil." Standing up suddenly he waved and left. Sophie was left a little rattled not sure what to make of her encounter with Lupin. She deiced that she had enjoyed it, as harried as it was. If Lupin wanted someone to talk to that, he didn't have to hide things from, that wouldn't hide things from him, she would give it to him. Packing up her stuff, she thought of just how late she was going to be to be to her second half of potions. (Because she was in advanced potions it was a double block class one before lunch and one after lunch).

"Hullo." A voice called from behind her. She turned around and faced the man. A sixth year like herself, his name was Joseph, also a Ravensclaw. Roughly her height taller maybe by an inch and an half, his hair was a darker brown shade with eyes to match, recently he had been hanging around Gwen bragging about his statues as team captain. "I see you were talking to Remus Lupin." He walked slyly over toward her.

"Yes, he's a nice guy." Sophie just kept packing up her things, hoping not to have this go in a sour direction.

"I've heard he might be cheating on his girl friend. Think of what a shame it would be if, you know, if she found out it was you huh?" She turned and faced him.

"What do you want?" she said coldly, mimicking the tone her father would take when he spoke to her on a rare occasion.

"I was just thinking on how much it would hurt poor Gwen if she ever found out her boyfriend was cheating on her? Especially to someone like you." She ignored the jab, she had heard worse. What she didn't understand was his motives. If he liked Gwen, wouldn't it be in his favor to have Gwen know about her and Lupin's supposed relationship?

"I think you have gravely misunderstood the situation. This was the first time I have ever seen Remus Lupin."

"I'm just saying. If anything would happen that upsets my Gwen then I won't be held responsible for my actions." He took his leave after that last confusing comment. She shook her head not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Maybe he's touched in the brain?" she said to no one at all. Hurrying now she rushed to potions where she started to draft her letter in response to Remus, her encounter with Joseph had changed nothing for her. She wasn't going to give Remus her name in the first place hoping not to complicate things if she could help it, him knowing her name would complicate it. She was finished by dinner having had to stop and work on it in charms because of her potions professor.

Dear Master Lupin,

I am honored to know I have the pleasure to talk to one of the Marauders! I know you are probably expecting my name in return, but I fear that our little interludes would lose some of there appeal without my anonymity. I have of course not made this decision lightly, I agonized over it all through potions, thanks to you I now have a thirty inch essay due on peppermint leave of which I assure you I have no idea how I will complete, as well was a fifteen inch essay on the history of the most obscure charms master ever Master Will Crefisore. Whom of which I know nothing about and I know I shall not finish, considering both are due tomorrow. But I shall assure you that I shall continue to write to you, and badger you with constant letters if you refuse to respond to me. Right now, what I shall do is issue you a challenge. I'm guessing that the news of my withholding my name will not settle well with you, so I'm going to let you guess! I shall answer all of your questions within reason, as long as you answer mine. Such as, tell me of your friends? I find myself highly curious about them, and the reason you would write to me instead of talking to them. I also wonder what your friends think of me, have you even told them of me? Well till next time.

Yours Mischievously

A Lady

She sent the letter off before dinner. She got a strange thrill when she saw the owl carrying her letter swoop down on the Gryffindor house table knowing whom it went to. She went to sleep that night well passed midnight having finished her potions essay and not her charms. She just accepted that she was going to have to take her punishment. But she went to sleep in good spirits anyways.

The morning came and she worked her way to the breakfast table sitting down in a daze not really awake yet having not recovered yet from her long night. The morning post came in halfway though breakfast as it always did and a letter came to her as she hoped, it was heavier than normal with one roll of parchment and one actually sealed unrolled the parchment first before reading the letter. Reading the intro written in bold graceful script that marked it as Lupin's

Getting an accurate history of Will….

Sophie gaped at it; it was a fifteen inch essay on that forsaken Charms master that she had not written. She quickly tore open the letter and read.

Dear Lady,

You are rather vexing you know? Well maybe it's been the day I've been having. You letter did make me smile at parts and I thank you for that, I sourly needed a smile yesterday. I am so sorry that because of your correspondences with me, you gained more work than you could manage. Though in truth it is your fault not mine. Anyways you should now be in possession of the charms essay you weren't going to write, you're on your own for potions. Your added payment for the essay shall be a short letter thanks to the fact you have now doubled my work load! That and just to make sure, tell me of your friends first, then I shall regale you with the tales of my most defiantly insane family.

Yours Frustratedly

Remus Lupin