eunoia | r. lupin

Alena raced down the dimly lit corridor, her heart pounding as she reached the foot of the dungeon staircase just in time to grab Severus's arm. He spun around, surprise etched across his face, but as recognition dawned, his features relaxed slightly. "What do you want?" he inquired, his voice laced with that familiar sharpness.

"Why did you come?" Alena pressed, her eyes searching his.

"What?"

"To the party," she clarified, her tone urgent. "Why would you show up knowing my brother would be there? And why did you invite everyone else?"

Severus fixed his gaze on her, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes before he yanked his arm away, causing her to nearly lose her balance. "Lily invited me," he spat, his voice low and dangerous. The shift in his attitude was palpable. "And I brought them along because they wanted to come. Is that suddenly an issue? Have you decided you hate Slytherins now?"

Alena's eyes widened in confusion. "What? That's not what I meant at all," she protested. "But Theodore—"

"Was right," Severus interjected sharply. "Maybe you really are just a slag."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode down the staircase, leaving Alena in a state of shock. She wouldn't have labeled Severus as a friend, but the sudden animosity he directed at her was bewildering. And as she stood there, she felt the familiar feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

⪩⪨

Remus leaned against the cool stone wall of the corridor, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Alena approached hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry to bother you," she began, her eyes darting away. "I just needed someone to talk to, and I didn't know who else to ask."

"I'm listening," Remus replied gently, his tone inviting.

Alena took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. "After last year, when Theodore spread those ridiculous rumors and Isla and Percy stopped talking to me, I started going to the Astronomy tower. I thought it might help with peace of mind or something. But then, I started finding these notes left behind."

"It was always marked with an S, and every Saturday night, without fail, I'd find a pack of cigarettes waiting for me. At first, I thought it was Sirius playing a prank, but he said it wasn't him," she said, her voice trailing off as memories of that Daily Prophet copy flooded her mind. "But then I found out it was Severus—"

"Snape was giving you cigarettes?" Remus interjected, his expression a mix of shock and amusement. Alena shot him a warning look. "I'll hold my tongue," he replied, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"I confronted him about it, and he admitted it was him. We started talking, and sometimes we'd just sit there smoking in silence. We weren't exactly friends—I'm not sure what we were—but he was the one who invited all the Slytherins to that party. When I brought it up, he got all defensive and—" Alena let out a frustrated sigh. "He called me a slag."

Remus's brow furrowed deeply, a storm of emotions swirling across his features, leaving Alena utterly perplexed. "You're not," he insisted, his voice firm. "Not even close. And honestly, if you did sleep with Barnes, so what?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's your choice. It doesn't define you. Ignore his bullshit. He's just upset he let such a sweet girl slip through his fingers," Remus added, his tone softening.

Alena felt a warmth spread through her, a gentle smile breaking through her earlier uncertainty, even as tears threatened to spill over. "Thank you, Remus," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

"Always here for you, Lena," Remus replied, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that made her heart flutter.

⪩⪨

Percy's voice cut through the lighthearted chatter like a knife, drawing the attention of Alena, Isla, and Kenneth. "Did you hear about the attacks?" The question hung in the air, heavy and foreboding, silencing the group that had been enjoying a carefree afternoon by the Black Lake.

Alena exchanged a glance with Isla, who was staring intently at her hands, her expression clouded with worry. Being muggleborn, Isla felt the weight of Percy's words more acutely than the others. "Yeah," Kenneth finally spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's not like anyone can ignore it," he added, his tone laced with unease.

"Do we really have to discuss this now?" Alena interjected, her gaze shifting back to Isla, who seemed to shrink further into herself.

"It's okay," Isla replied, lifting her chin defiantly. "The attacks are happening whether we talk about them or not."

"James mentioned it during the summer," Alena confessed. "Remus was mad at him for even bringing it up."

"Remus spent the summer with you all?" Percy inquired, but was quickly met with disapproving looks from both Alena and Kenneth. "Right, later."

"It's not looking good," Kenneth continued, his voice low. "My parents have been saying that You-Know-Who has been gaining strength for a while now. But the attacks? They've only started happening recently." A chill ran through Alena as she listened. "Whatever is coming, it's not going to be pleasant," he added ominously.

Alena shifted uncomfortably, her fingers tracing the rough surface of a stone as she muttered, "Isn't that obvious enough?" The sharpness in her tone surprised even her, and when she glanced up, she found all eyes fixed on her. "Sorry. Kenneth has a point. These attacks are only the beginning," she admitted, her gaze dropping once more.

A heavy silence enveloped the group. "I didn't get a chance to study over the summer because my mum insisted we visit my aunt," Isla revealed, her voice trembling slightly. Alena and Percy exchanged worried glances, their expressions widening in shock. "She was attacked back in March for marrying a muggle. My aunt is the only other magical person in our family besides me. But she wasn't doing good," Isla continued, her throat tightening. "Mum doesn't think we'll see her again."

The air grew heavy with silence, wrapping around them like a thick fog. Alena gently rested her hand on Isla's shoulder, drawing the girl's gaze. "You'll see her again," Alena reassured, though the words felt more like a fragile promise to herself than a comfort to Isla. Deep down, she feared the shadows lurking just beyond their understanding. "We'll get through this, yeah?" she added, and Isla nodded, though uncertainty flickered in her eyes.

Alena's heart raced with disbelief. She had hoped that by turning a blind eye to the Daily Prophet, by dismissing James's ominous words, she could weave a tapestry of normalcy around them. But reality was a relentless tide, crashing against her defenses, and now it loomed before her, undeniable and stark.