Ebb and Flow

Hogwarts, June 1978

***

Althea rested her head against Sirius stomach, as the two lay under the beech tree. N.E.W.T.s were over, and they would receive the results sometime next week. Althea did not care if she did well--she was relieved those exams were over--nastily exhausting was a great understatement. For late afternoon, the grounds of Hogwarts were exceptionally quiet. Where were the other students? It was such a beautiful late afternoon in June, and Althea wondered why more students were not out on the school grounds. If they took their N.E.W.T.s, they're probably in their dormitories crying, she thought, as Sirius stroked the top of her head. Or writing their parents preparing them for poor results. Unlike those students, Althea did not have to worry about poor results. She was already accepted into the Healer Program of St. Mungo's. In one month, she would begin her studies, and in three months, she would begin her training. Sirius still had no idea what he wanted to do after Hogwarts--battling dark wizards, curse-breaking in Egypt, or researching as an Unspeakable. I've given him enough ideas, she thought, taking his hand from her head. He's so elusive on the matter, though.

"Have you thought anymore about what you want to do?" she asked, tracing the lines of his palm with her index finger.

"About traveling? It sounds fantastic, but I think I'm needed here," he answered, taking his hand from hers and resting it across her chest.

"Oh," she murmured, frowning slightly.

"Anyway, I have something," he replied, reaching into his pocket. Althea heard the crinkling and rustling of paper. "Here, read this," he said, holding the paper over her eyes.

Althea blinked, attempting to focus on the closely held paper. "'Muckle Black Tyke Spotted in Local Village,'" she read, frowning. "Sirius, what is that?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Read on," he replied, smiling.

Althea sighed and continued to read; however, soon she was overcome with laughter. "'Hubert Roch was not the only member of the village to spot the shaggy black dog,'" she said, stifling her laughter, sitting up. "Sirius, you didn't," she admonished, attempting to halt her smile.

"Read on," he replied, continuing to smile.

"'Hertha Gaudurge disputes reports that this dog is malevolent. Mrs. Gaudurge reports the dog followed one of her teenage daughters home--'"

Sirius quickly grabbed the paper from her hands. "You weren't supposed to read that," he muttered, folding the paper.

A wicked smile crept across Althea's face. "No, I want to read it," she said, attempting to retrieve the paper.

"No, no, you don't want to read it," he replied, stuffing the paper into his pocket.

Althea leaned over and reached into his pocket, causing Sirius to laugh as he attempted to wrestle her hand from his pocket. Triumphantly, Althea retrieved the paper and smiled as she continued to read.

"Where was I?" she murmured, quickly rereading the first half of the article. "Ah, here I was. 'Mrs. Gaudurge reports the dog followed one of her teenage daughters home as she returned from the market. She stated that it had a loveable quality and almost keen understanding of humans. She, like the local magistrate, believes this dog to be a stray,'" she finished, her eyes narrowing on Sirius.

Sirius ran his fingers through his hair and laughed.

"Teenage daughters, Sirius?" she replied, attempting to sound hurt. "How many others were there?" she asked, forcing her bottom lip to tremble. "After all these years, and you give it all up for a scratch behind the ears?" she asked and covered her face with her hands.

Sirius rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry--I didn't know you would react this way," he replied softly, resting his forehead against her hands. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't let them scratch me behind my ears."

Shaking from laughter, Althea uncovered her face and fell back onto the soft grass. "I'm going to buy you a leash," she teased, staring at Sirius who was still making sense of the situation.

"I resent that!" Sirius said, horribly attempting to suppress a smile. He started to tickle Althea as the two wrestled and laughed. Suddenly, Sirius stopped, looking up, he whispered, "Snivellus."

Althea sighed. "Sirius, don't do anything," she whispered, as Sirius continued to hold down her hands, and stared mischievously at the approaching Snape.

Sirius grinned. "Come on, say something about your knickers," he whispered mischievously.

"I will not."

"Come on," he whispered, grinning naughtily. "It'll be hilarious."

Althea rolled her eyes. "Sirius, get your hand out of my knickers!" she yelled, staring at Sirius. "There, happy?" she whispered as Sirius laughed.

"You should see his face," Sirius whispered in her ear.

"Disgusting feral behavior," Snape sneered, staring at the two disapprovingly.

Sirius stopped laughing into Althea's ear, and raised his head. "What's that Hogwarts' oldest virgin?"

"Sirius!" Althea admonished, pinching his side.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from a blood traitor and that Muckblood tart--"

Sirius immediately leapt off Althea and stood--his wand pointed at Snape. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" he roared, advancing on Snape.

Althea sat up and watched as Sirius and Snape sized up each other.

A twisted smile contorted across Snape's face. "You won't be so apt to defend her if you saw this," he said, producing a folded note from his robe pocket.

Snape threw the folded note at Sirius's feet, and Althea covered her mouth. It was a letter in her handwriting, but how did Snape have a letter in her handwriting? Sirius, not taking his eyes off Snape, knelt and picked up the letter. Unfolding the letter, Sirius's face drained of color. Throwing the letter to the ground, he charged Snape.

"I SHOULD HAVE LET HIM KILL YOU!" he shouted, knocking into Snape.

"STOP THIS!" Althea shouted, pointing her wand at the two. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" she yelled, pointing her wand at Sirius and then at Snape.

Althea timidly walked to the letter and picked it up from the ground. Shaking, she opened the letter and gasped. Althea covered her mouth as she read of her most intimate secret: she lost her virginity to a Remus. She looked to Snape--how many others knew? She was too scared to feel the rage she should have felt toward Snape--if others knew of this, her life would be ruined. She thought to Iphigenia and her eyes widened as she ran her fingers through her hair. Walking over to Snape, she revived him, and watched him as he scrambled to his feet.

"H-h-how did you get this?" she asked, tightly holding the letter.

Snape laughed. Althea had never heard Snape laugh, and his voice contorting in laughter sickened her. "I'm not telling you," he sneered, brushing himself off.

Althea charged at him. "How did you get this letter?" she screamed, holding the letter above her head.

Snape sneered.

"You tell me now," she began, narrowing her eyes, "or I will strike you where you stand."

"I took it," he said and looked to Sirius upon the ground. "I knew it would be of some use to me."

Althea growled and raised her wand.

"If you curse me I will tell all that you slept with a werewolf!"

Althea stopped.

"He deserved it, Morrigan," Snape said and sneered at Sirius. "Black is a monster! And that monster tried to kill me again--just like fifth-year."

Althea furrowed her eyebrows. "Fifth-year? What about fifth-year?"

Snape grinned--revealing his yellow, uneven teeth. "Your boyfriend sent me down the Whomping Willow to find Lupin--as a werewolf," he replied, his grin widening.

"He wouldn't--"

"He told me how to access the passage under the Whomping Willow--"

"Get out--"

"Thought it a joke--"

Althea clutched her fists tighter to keep herself from vomiting. "Get out!"

Snape did not move.

"GET OUT!" she screamed, pointing her wand a Snape. "Or else I wake him up and let him kill you!"

Snape turned on heel and walked away--his black robes billowing behind him. Althea looked at Sirius and then at the letter in her hand. She could destroy it. She could destroy it and then use a Memory Charm to remove the incident with Snape. Sirius knew about her relationship with Remus from the letter Snape stole. He loved her--this was wounded pride. She revived Sirius.

"Give me that letter," Sirius said coldly, his face ashen.

Althea handed him the letter and he roughly grabbed it. Biting the inside of his cheek, he read the letter--his jaw tightening as he read. Crumpling the letter in his hand, he looked at Althea with a mixture of betrayal, sadness, and repulsion.

"Is this true?" he said, stepping forward. "This is your handwriting, isn't it?"

"Yes, but--"

"But nothing. You lied to me."

Althea's body jerked forward--she never lied to him. He received that letter. "I never lied to you! You--you told me you got that letter," she said, her body starting to tremble.

"I never received this letter!"

"Yes--yes you did! Last year! I asked you! The day your Uncle Alphard gave you the money! You said you received my letter!" she explained, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I didn't receive this letter!" he snarled, holding the letter close to her face.

"So--so you didn't know about..." she said trailing off, covering her mouth as she cried.

"How could you do this to me?"

Althea folded her arms. "We--we promised we wouldn't tell.... It was the night before a full moon, and it happened...once. I--I thought because you and Rosmerta, it--it would be all right to tell you, but--but I couldn't tell you.... I was too scared to tell you.... I knew it would end like this," she said quietly, rubbing her upper arms. "I hated what you'd think of me."

"Of course, it would end like this!" he growled, waving his arms at her. "How many--huh? How many? Maybe you slept with Peter and James too?" he roared, within inches of her face.

Althea backed away, but Sirius walked forward. "He--he's the only one besides you," she said and bit her lip.

Sirius ran his fingers through his hair. "I have given everything up for you!" he shouted, pulling at his hair. "This is how you repay me? I should have let him kill Snivellus!"

"It's true, then? You were going to let Remus bite Snape!" she yelled, finding her voice. "How could you?"

"Don't lecture me!"

Althea stepped backward. "You are horrible," she said, shaking her head. "How--how could you want to kill another person? Remus, Sirius, Remus! Your best friend! He's never hurt you! He had no friends before you--none! How could you use him like that?"

Sirius shook his head. "All you care about is Remus," he said callously. "I've always come second--haven't I? And always will...but maybe I'm third, or fourth, or even fifth--"

"Sirius, I love you," she said quietly, not bothering to wipe her tears away anymore. "You know that I love you.... I was too afraid to tell you, but Lily said that I should. She--she convinced me to write the letter.... I couldn't tell you in person; I didn't want to see your face as I told you.... I'm sorry."

"I should have let you hit the Whomping Willow," he replied, coldly staring into her eyes.

Althea shuddered. "Sirius, how can you say that?" she asked, her body feeling like it was collapsing upon itself.

"Easy," he sighed, folding his arms. "It was the only time someone else couldn't have saved you."

"You didn't mean that!" she said and bit her lip--the blood seeping into her mouth.

"I meant it," he answered cruelly. "Whore."

Althea gasped--her stomach twisting and heaving upon itself. "But you! What about you? Rosmerta!" she reminded, her throat aching.

Sirius laughed mirthlessly. "I was honest!" he replied, throwing his hands up into the air. He brought his right hand to the back of his head, ruffling the back of his hair. "Honestly, go away. I'm done with you."

"Done?"

Sirius's demeanor instantly cooled. "We're over, Morrigan," he replied with an air of boredom. "You aren't that bright of a witch, are you? We're over," he continued, and rolled his eyes. "Probably used your only talent to get accepted into the Healer Program."

"Son of a bitch," she replied--a part of her grief transforming into anger.

"As if I hadn't heard that before," he remarked, folding his arms. "Why are you still standing here?"

Althea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If their relationship was over, she wanted to hurt him more than he could ever hurt her. She opened her eyes, looked over in the direction of the Quidditch pitch, sighed, and returned her gaze to Sirius.

"During our game against Slytherin, I'm so glad that you missed that Bludger and it hit me," she said, looking him directly in his grey eyes. "Otherwise, I'd have that abomination growing inside me."

Sirius's face quickly paled--his mouth contorted, but no words came out.

"Yes, Sirius, I was pregnant," she said, refusing to look away from his eyes.

Sirius inhaled a slow, ragged breath. "My..." he trailed off and swallowed hard.

Althea nodded solemnly. "Two months from the Winter Fête, " she replied, witnessing the cool demeanor crack.

"God," Sirius whispered--horrified--covering his mouth with a shaking hand.

Althea roughly removed the amethyst ring from her hand. "Go back to your family, Sirius," she said, placing the ring in his sweaty hand. "Gran was right, you are inherently evil."

Althea did not look back as she walked back to the castle. Her head bent, her eyes blurred with tears, she ran up the staircases that led to Gryffindor Tower. Breathless, she hoarsely shouted the password to the Fat Lady and stormed upstairs to the seventh-year girls' dormitory. Althea flung herself upon her bed and violently shook from sobbing. You are so bloody stupid, she thought as she tightly clutched her pillow. You actually believed he loved you. He loved you that much that he could overcome his stupid pride. That stupid pride! That stupid pride that paraded you round as if you were some sick trophy! 'Not now, Althea.' How many times did you hear him say that? Oh, but if a Slytherin were round, he'd take every opportunity to kiss you, she thought, twisting her pillow in her hands. I know what sort of priority I was now--arrogant son of a bitch! To care more about his ego than me!

Althea felt heaviness to her right as Lily reclined next to her and wrapped her arms around her shaking back. "What did Sirius do?" she whispered and kissed the back of Althea's head.

It was Lily. Lily convinced Althea to write the letter--to explain to Sirius about Remus. Sirius would understand--Lily was sure of it. It would only wound his pride. Obviously, Sirius loved his pride more than Althea.

Sniffing back her tears, Althea pushed Lily off her as she sat up on her bed. "It's your fault," she said, her shaky hands roughly rubbing her eyes. "Tell Sirius all about Remus and he'll understand--don't touch me!"

Lily frowned as she retracted her hand. "But you did--last year--"

"I thought I did!" she snapped, bringing her knees to her chest. "I thought he knew! I thought he had the letter!" Althea rested her forehead against her knees and started to cry once more.

This time Althea slightly shrugged her shoulders as Lily placed her hand on Althea's back. "He didn't have the letter?" she asked quietly, rubbing Althea's back.

"No," she forced herself to say as she continued to cry into her knees.

"Oh God," she whispered, resting her head on Althea's shaking shoulder. "How?"

Althea coughed as the mucus drained into her throat. "Snape--Snape had the letter.... Sirius never had the letter. He showed it to Sirius before by the lake," she explained and looked up. Panic-stricken, her eyes widening, she turned toward Lily. "Lily, Lily, how do you think he got the letter? How many others know?" she asked and covered her mouth.

"I--James!" Lily exclaimed and the two girls looked toward the closing fireplace.

Taking a deep breath, he rested his hand against the mantel. "What the bloody hell is going on?" he asked angrily, looking from the floor to Althea--Althea caught her breath.

"James, leave her alone. She's upset," Lily replied sternly, placing her arm around Althea. "Come back later."

James slammed his fist against the mantel and walked forward. "I just had to stun my best friend, and all I could hear as I kept him from killing Moony was your name, Althea," he explained and folded his arms as he stood before the two.

Althea noticed James clutched the letter in his fist, and covered her mouth--praying she would not go into hysterics as her body started to heave.

"What did you do?"

"Leave her alone," Lily replied through clenched jaws. "Go away."

"No," Althea whispered, nodding toward James's fist. "He has the letter."

James looked from the two to his hand. "Sirius shoved this in my hand," he said, smoothing out the letter. "Said it would explain everything."

Althea took a deep, shaky breath as he read the crumpled letter.

"Unbelievable," he murmured, shaking his head. "You wrote this in a letter? Of all the--"

"Shut it!" Lily warned, standing.

"No!" James replied heatedly, furrowing his eyebrows. "Of all the stupid things you've done--"

"I said shut it," Lily growled, pressing her wand against his chest. "It was my idea. Now--"

James laughed with surprise. "Your idea?" he asked and Lily nodded resolutely. "Bloody brilliant idea, Lily--"

"Get out," she replied, thrusting her wand into James's chest.

James took a step back. "Now, I have to explain it was my girlfriend who gave Althea the idea. It was a triangle, Lily, now it's a damn pentagon."

Lily rolled her eyes. "He needs to get over himself," she sighed, keeping her wand pointed at his chest. "They've been together for two years."

James' eyes flashed from Lily's wand to her face. "You can't imagine what he's capable of, Lily."

"Believe me, it's not as terrible as what I'll do to him," she replied, directing James toward the staircase.

Althea felt a small surge of gratitude at Lily's defense of her.

"Remind him of the talk I had with him our sixth-year when Althea was in the hospital wing."

"The fireplace is over there."

"I know."

"I need over there," James said, nodding toward the fireplace.

"No, you don't," she replied, shaking her head. "Use the staircase."

"You know I can't use the staircase. Let me pass...please," he replied and attempted to pass Lily.

Lily rested her hand in the doorway, blocking James from passing. "Use the staircase like everyone else in this dormitory room."

James shook his head and attempted to pass; however, Lily was ready and pushed him backward. He stumbled for a moment--his eyes widening--and he fell backward, the staircase underneath him sloping. Althea snorted with a laugh as she heard James tumbling and cursing down the slide. Lily smoothed her dark red hair away from her face as she took one last look at the converted staircase.

"Thank you," Althea said quietly and blew her nose into her handkerchief.

"We'll mend this," Lily replied as she sat next to Althea.

Althea vigorously shook her head. "It can't be mended," she said, looking at her shoes. "We said some very awful things."

"It probably wasn't as awful as what you used to say to one another," Lily replied softly, stroking wet pieces of hair from Althea's face.

Althea looked from her shoes to Lily's eyes. "I told him that I was glad I was hit with the Bludger he missed because I wasn't pregnant anymore," she said, new tears streaming down her face. "I wanted to hurt him so terribly."

"But you know it--"

"I know!" she interrupted, standing. "I can't stay here anymore. I don't want to see him."

Lily stood as well. "You can't leave--we only have a few days left," she replied soothingly, resting her hand on Althea's upper arm.

Althea roughly smacked Lily's hand away. "Yes, I can. I have to," she said, eyeing her things.

Despite Lily's protests, Althea threw her things in her trunk. Lily did not understand--Althea could not stay. The stares. The whispers. Everyone would know what happened by the lake, and she did not want to face one meal in the Great Hall or one walk through the common room. Althea sat on her trunk to close it. He would have someone within this week--someone to flaunt and parade in front of Althea. What girl didn't want to be in Althea's former position? There were plenty of stupid girls to ease Sirius through the pain of this breakup. Althea's eyes narrowed as she locked her trunk. If he doesn't make it look like he was bored with me and tossed me aside, she thought darkly, dragging her trunk toward the door. Of course, that's what he'll do. I wouldn't doubt if there is a new girl on his arm by next week.

"Althea, I wish you wouldn't," Lily frowned as Althea opened the dormitory door.

"I have to," she replied, letting her trunk drop to the floor. "I'll write you once I return to Northfield and I'll write you constantly this week."

"Gabriel will never forgive you," she replied, wiping her eyes.

"I'll return for the Hogsmeade weekend. I'll meet you at King's Cross. I promise I won't enter the cottage until you arrive," she replied, wiping her own eyes. "We'll decorate it together...and clean it. I don't think it's been lived in since I was six or so."

Lily sighed as she charmed Althea's trunk lighter. "I wanted to see Gran's face when you arrived at Northfield."

Althea smiled half-heartedly. "I'll take a photograph, and I'll reenact the scene when you arrive."

Lily threw her arms around Althea and pulled her into a tight hug. "Two Galleons she mentions Sirius within her first breath," she whispered and kissed Althea's cheek.

Althea kissed Lily's cheek. "Five she sends him a Howler at breakfast tomorrow," she replied, holding Lily tighter.

Lily pulled away, raising an eyebrow. "Gran doesn't know how to use a Howler."

"She does," she replied and rubbed her forehead. "She enjoys yelling at me personally, though."

"I suppose I should keep Gabriel for the week."

"Right, I wouldn't want you using the school owls," Althea replied and sniffed back tears. "Well, then...bye."

"Bye," Lily replied, pulling Althea into another tight hug.

Althea pulled away, tapped her trunk to follower her, and descended the staircase. Bloody hell, she thought, frowning as she saw the common room full of students. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and floated her suitcase behind her. She continued to look ahead, refusing to make eye contact with any of the students staring at her. She knew why they were staring--how could something so explosive be kept secret?

"Althea, is it true?"

Althea stopped, her trunk slamming into her back. She turned to face a sixth-year Gryffindor girl.

"What, about Black?" Althea asked and a few of the students nodded. "Is anything secret anymore?" she murmured, resting her hands on her hips. Althea sighed and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, go upstairs and throw yourselves at him. It would surely make his day," she explained and tapped her trunk with her wand.

Unbelievable, she thought angrily as she waited as the staircase shifted, allowing her to descend. Not, 'Althea, are you all right? What an awful swine Sirius is, telling you he wanted you dead.' I hear, 'Is it true about Black?' Bloody hell, how predictable, too. I reckon one of them is already there making him feel just fine.

"Althea!" she heard Remus shout from above her.

Althea continued to descend the staircase as she heard Remus run down the stairs. Please, just go away, she thought, clenching her jaw--her eyes hurting from the new tears she painfully attempted to suppress. She had broken his trust. God, Iphigenia will know now, she thought, stepping off the last step. I didn't think.... I should never have written him, but I was too much of a coward. I've hurt so many people.

Remus's footsteps grew louder. "Althea, wait!" he shouted breathlessly.

Althea stopped and turned to face Remus. Remus quickly descended the staircase and Althea clasped her hands over her mouth. His nose broken and left eye swollen shut, he quickly approached Althea. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she took out her wand to heal his cuts.

"He did this to you?" she whispered, holding her wand to his cut bottom lip.

Remus nodded.

Althea stopped and covered her face with her hands. "I'm--so--sorry," she choked out between her sobs. Remus placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder, and Althea gently knocked his arm away. "You shouldn't...I'm awful," she said, looking into his eyes. "Oh, let me mend that," she added, placing her wand against his blackened eye. Instantly, the swelling lessened and Remus was able to blink his eye.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows. "Why did you..." he began, but shook his head. "I never told anyone."

"I couldn't let him believe a lie," she began, her trembling hand placing her wand in her pocket. "I wrote him a letter explaining everything last year--"

"Last year?" he repeated quietly and Althea nodded vigorously. "Why now?"

Althea wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. "I thought he knew. I thought he had the letter, but he didn't...Snape had the letter," she explained and Remus covered his mouth with his cut and bruised hand. "Snape showed him the letter today.... He never knew."

Remus kept his mouth covered as he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as Remus trembled.

He uncovered his mouth and rubbed the side of his face. "He's threatening to tell everyone about me," he said, his frightened eyes looking into hers. "Althea, you can't leave. In a day or two, we'll explain to him. We have to, or else he'll tell."

Althea slowly shook her head. "I can't."

Remus gently grabbed Althea by her upper arms. "You have to, you have to stay and explain with me. He'll come to understand," he softly assured, rubbing her upper arms.

Althea sniffed and rapidly blinked her eyes. "Understand? He's threatening to tell everyone about you and he wants me dead.... I know about fifth-year. He has no remorse for what he did," she explained, frowning. "Nothing I could say would ever repair it, Remus. You can talk with him because I've ruined everything."

"No, you haven't. Come on," he replied and squeezed her upper arms.

Althea refused to look at Remus; instead, she looked at his bloodstained robe. "No, I've said the most horrible thing," she replied, her throat tightening.

She would tell Remus about her pregnancy. It did not matter anymore to hide such a secret. He would discover her secret when he returned to his dormitory. She wanted to tell him the truth of how truly awful she was.

"The most horrible thing?" he repeated, lifting her face.

Althea nodded fretfully.

"What?"

"I don't want to say it. Please," she answered, motioning him to bend. "I told him that he was the reason why I lost the baby in February," she whispered into his ear.

Remus pulled away. "Baby?" he whispered--his eyes slightly wide.

Althea nodded.

"Did he know you were?" he insinuated and took a deep gulp of air.

Althea slightly shook her head. "No, only Lily knew. She found me after I took the test and I made her swear not to tell," she explained and bit her bottom lip.

"You were going to have to tell eventually," he replied, letting go of Althea.

Althea rubbed her upper arms. "I wasn't thinking that far. I was too frightened."

"Now it all makes sense," he murmured, absentmindedly rubbing his chin.

Althea looked at him quizzically.

"I remember, you'd sneeze and all the parchments would fly off the desks and books would fly off the shelves in the library. My mum told me she had all this weird stuff happen when she was pregnant with me--supposed to make me feel better. As if I'm some special child, or something..." he continued with an uneasy smile. "Anyway, after the match right?"

Althea nodded. "Was it that obvious?" she asked with embarrassment.

Remus shook his head. "No," he answered, placing his hands on her shoulders, "but a simple Bludger hit doesn't normally require a three day stay in St. Mungo's."

"No, Muggle hospital," she murmured, wiping her eyes. "It was so embarrassing too--Muggle hospital, I mean. For three days, I overheard, 'Poor girl, so young, too. Has she said who the father was? I wonder.... It's all for the best, I suppose.' It was awful."

Remus's expression turned grim. "You're not telling me the truth," he replied knowingly--Althea took a sharp intake of breath. "He wasn't the reason, Althea.... You had--"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "It was an accident. The Bludger and the fall caused the miscarriage, but he had nothing to do with it.... I--I told him that he caused the miscarriage because I wanted to hurt him."

Remus removed his hands from Althea's shoulders. "God, Althea," he breathed--his eyes registering disbelief and horror.

"So you see, I can't go up there to talk with him," she explained in earnest. "I see the way you are looking at me now.... How am I capable of saying such a horrible lie?"

"Althea--"

"No," she started, backing away from him, "you can't even bear to touch me. You...." Althea rubbed her forehead as she laughed. "A werewolf can't even bear to touch me...a werewolf," she murmured and sighed sadly. "Goodbye, Remus."

***

"What is that awful wailing?" Gran remarked, opening Althea's door.

Althea continued to lie on her bed--her knees pulled up to her chest. Oh, she will love what happened, she thought, pulling herself into a tighter ball. She'll tell me I deserved every part of it.

"Althea Rosemary, why are you here?" Gran asked loudly, which startled Althea--she had not realized Gran had walked to the side of her bed. "Calm down, you silly girl. Your wailing is ruining my Bridge game," she continued, sitting on Althea's bed.

Althea attempted to stifle her sobbing and Gran frowned as she examined her.

"Wailing does not suit you, and sit up. I won't speak to you as you are," she added and Althea slowly sat up.

Roughly wiping her eyes and sniffing back more tears, she waited for Gran's condescension.

"I thought after Easter Holiday you never wanted to see me again," she remarked, raising an eyebrow. "You made it perfectly clear as you hopped on the back of that horrible boy's motorbike."

"Don't," Althea muttered, bringing her knees to her chest.

Gran sighed as she handed Althea her handkerchief. Althea wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"I've taken my N.E.W.T.s--the results will come next week or after. I've passed."

"I don't doubt you've passed your exams, but why are you here?" she asked, folding her arms. "It's that boy, isn't it?"

Althea remained silent.

"He's left you, hasn't he? I doubt you were bright enough to leave him."

"I left him, Gran," she replied, straightening her legs.

"And you left Hogwarts, I see," she remarked, looking from Althea to Althea's trunk and broom.

"And you're not playing Bridge. You're playing Poker," Althea replied as Gran's eyes slightly widened. "Lily and I eavesdropped on your Bridge game when we were fifteen. We heard you laughing as you collected your winnings as Lady Applewood remarked on your bluffing at Five-Card Stud."

Gran's lips twitched. "Yes, well, your wailing cost me that last hand, Althea Rosemary," she replied, regaining her stern look. "You shouldn't be here. You made such a dramatic fuss over staying at Hogwarts, and now you leave early--"

"I can't go back there," she interrupted, shaking her head.

"Yes, because that boy is still there," she sneered and sighed. "What did he do? Leave you for someone else? A pure-blooded girl?"

"No," she murmured, rubbing her forehead. "I finally saw him for what he was--an arrogant actor," she continued, bringing her knees to her chest. "Aren't you going to say, 'I told you so,' Gran?"

Gran slowly reached forward and stroked stray hairs behind Althea's ear. Her uncharacteristic behavior caused Althea to straighten. "You are a beautiful girl, Althea Rosemary. You will find a man--not a boy--deserving of your love," she replied and awkwardly placed her hand in her lap. "I'll have Harrison bring you some tea...I have more of Lady Applewood's money to take."