DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ79: PILLOW FIGHTS AND MOOD SWINGSϟ

"That isn't fair, Rhea!"

Anthony was pacing around the Ravenclaw common room, whilst Micheal, Terry, Padma, Lisa and Isobel were sitting on the couches, looking grim and a little hurt.

Rhea looked up at Anthony and said softly, "You know why I can't come back next year. Harry needs—"

"Well we need you too, if it slipped your notice!" Micheal said in a voice of forced calm. "Dumbledore's gone—we don't want you to go too!"

"I'm not going to die, Mike!" Rhea bristled.

"That's a suicide mission, Re!" Anthony snapped. "I dunno what that bloody mission is, and I don't give a bloody damn about it! Why can't you leave the fight to the grownups—"

"Anthy." Lisa said delicately. Out of all of them, Lisa was probably the only one who understood why Rhea was going to have to leave. There was no way in hell Rhea was letting Harry, Ron and Hermione go alone.

"Let us come with you." Padma said, a slight plea in her voice. "The more of us, the better—"

"You know that can't happen." Rhea gave a bitter smile. "I wish there was another way."

There was a long, heartbreaking, silence.

"I understand." Micheal said halfheartedly, avoiding her eyes. Then, he said quietly, "I'll miss you."

Rhea cracked a smile. "I know. I'd miss me too."

Everyone except Anthony choked out a laugh, finding Rhea's little dialogue endearing. Rhea looked hopefully at Anthony, expecting him to roll his eyes.

But he was scowling.

"Fine!" Anthony spat viscously. He was trying very hard to maintain an aloof façade. "If you don't come back next year, it's not a huge loss. At least there'll be no one to irritate me, anyway."

Rhea sighed. "Anthy—"

But he'd already stalked off to the boys' dormitory, leaving a tense silence in his wake.

However, not even forty five seconds later, there was a thundering of footsteps towards the Common Room. Anthony rushed towards Rhea and tackled her in a bone crushing hug, fake sobbing on her shoulder dramatically. "I lied! I do care if you don't come back, I do care if you don't irritate me! How will I survive without my little sister—"

"Anthony!" Rhea wheezed, fighting him off. "I can't breathe!"

"If your mission doesn't kill you, Rhea." Isobel smiled. "Anthony's hug surely will."

And that was probably the last day they spent together as normal, happy, teenagers. 

╔═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╗

"Come on, woman! You've been acting like a zombie for the past few weeks!"

Marlene, Mary and Lily were standing next to Rhea's bed, glaring at her with a parental air. It had been approximately two weeks and five days (not that Rhea was keeping a track of it) since Rhea and Remus had served detention.

After that sweet moment which included them holding hands for a while, Remus had cleared his throat before walking towards the bookshelf in the far end of the room. The two of them had finished their work in silence, and when Filch had come to inspect them, he'd grudgingly allowed them to leave. They'd parted ways to their respective dormitories without a word, but the silence between them wasn't hostile or uncomfortable. Rather, it was cautious and oddly polite, which Rhea considered an improvement.