It Only Hurts When I Breathe

Chapter 3

Remus began the difficult task of helping Grace improve her Potions marks. He had found an unused classroom where they could work in peace. Grace was anxious to raise her grade from a P to at least an A by Christmas, so she applied herself to the task much more readily than before. Occasionally, Lily would pop in to see how the tutoring was going, giving helpful tips to the often exasperated pair.

"Really, Remus, I'm not sure I'm cut out for this," Grace said after her potion exploded in their faces, covering them with thick, brilliantly purple ooze. " I'm doing the best I can, but it doesn't seem to be helping much."

Remus wiped the potion off of his face. "You've gotten loads better, given the short amount of time. You just need to relax and be patient, it takes time to learn these kinds of things." He grinned. "Besides, seeing you get a face full of that slop was worth it today anyways."

Grace scowled and threw a handful of her ruined potion at his head. "C'mon, lets clean up and get out of here, I've had enough of this for one day." They cast several cleaning charms on both themselves and the classroom and headed back to Gryffindor tower.

They were discussing their recently assigned Charms essay when a group of five Slytherins blocked the corridor.

"And where do you think you're going?" a tall, stringy boy said.

"None of your bloody business," Grace retorted. She was in no mood to play games with anyone. "Get out of our way or I'll hex you to kingdom come." She started toward them, wand drawn. The Slytherins immediately drew theirs and readied for a fight.

Remus pulled Grace back. "They're not worth it," he whispered.

Grace jerked her arm away from his grasp. "Don't tell me what to do, Remus."

"Oh, looks like Prewitt's wearing the pants in this relationship," Rastaban Lestrange ridiculed.

Grace started toward him, poised to fight, when Clarence Alden, a Ravenclaw and current Head Boy rounded the corner and fell upon the scene.

"What's all this?" he asked, eyes narrowing when he saw five Slytherins against two Gryffindors.

"Nothing, just having a friendly chat," MacNair said, motioning to his friends to stow their wands.

Alden gave a disbelieving look. "Just make sure you keep it that way. Prewitt, Lupin, why don't you make your way up to your common room?"

Grace and Remus nodded and slipped past the Slytherins, who were furious that they had been caught. As they started down the hall again, one of them howled like a wolf. Grace turned to see Severus Snape smirking evilly at Remus, who had frozen in his tracks. She made a rude hand gesture at him, grabbed Remus' arm and dragged him back to Gryffindor tower. Remus was very quiet the entire way back. After giving the Fat Lady the password (grindylow) they flopped down onto a pair of chairs next to the fire. Remus sat silently staring into the fire.

"What is it?" She asked him. He didn't respond. "What's wrong?" Again he didn't respond so she poked him in the ribs.

"What?" he said. "Oh, nothing." he shook his head and smiled faintly. "Everything's right as rain." He paused. "Ow! What was that for?"

Grace had hit him hard in the arm. "You think I'm that stupid? Snape says something and you fly off to some other planet. There's an obvious connection between what he did and what's wrong with you now."

Remus shook his head. "No there isn't, I was thinking about something else."

"When flobberworms fly," Grace retorted. She was about to push her case further when James and Sirius bounded down the stairs from their dormitory. She decided to get their opinion. "Oy, you two Neanderthals, c'mere," she said, motioning for the two boys to join them.

They looked at each other and sat down next to Remus, who knew what was about to happen and flopped his head back on the chair to stare at the ceiling.

Grace began to recount the previous events. "... And then Snape lets out this awful howl and Remus turns to stone in the corridor. I practically had to drag him the entire way back here, and now he won't tell me what his problem is.

James and Sirius gave each other somber looks; they knew exactly what Remus' problem was. "It was probably nothing, right Remus?" James said casually.

"Yeah, it's nothing Grace. You're reading far to into it," Sirius said nonchalantly as he propped his legs up on the couch.

Grace knew that something was going on between the three of them. She narrowed her eyes. "Now look here, I don't know what this is all about, but I should have figured the two of you were in on it." She stood up and stomped to the dormitory stairs. "I only thought that friends told each other stuff, so apparently I don't count." She huffed up the stairs into her room to rage to Lily about the idiocy of boys.