9)Fifth Year

                                    

                                          
-Arabella's POV-
                          
   "Are you sure?" 
                          
    I crossed my arms and gave James and Sirius a disbelieving look.
                          
    "He would've told us. Remus doesn't lie." I said.
                          
    "Well, his mum can't get sick on the same week every month. Something's not right." James ruffled his hair.
                          
     "Well, the only way to know is if we ask him." Peter piped up.
                          
      "Brilliant! Peter, you have common sense! Unlike Bella here." Sirius clapped Peter on the back. Peter went bright red.
                          
      "I do have common sense! C'mon, let's ask him." I marched towards where Remus was sitting. Annie sat with him, obviously doing homework.
                          
     "Remus! We need to talk to you." I grabbed his arm.
                          
     "If you lot are planning another prank, I can't come. I'm a prefect, remember?"
                          
     "It's not about that." Sirius pushed me aside. I scoffed and pushed him.
                          
     "Then what is it?" Remus said impatiently.
                          
     "We know what you are." James lowered his voice, trying to stop Annie from listening in. She still did, of course.
                          
     Remus pursed his lips. "Really? Am I a leprechaun? Or a merperson?"
                          
     "A werewolf!" I yelled. Some of our peers gave me a weird look for my 'random' outburst. "Oops." I whispered.
                          
      "Fine, you've caught me." Remus put his hands up. Annie banged her head down on the desk.
                          
      "We didn't mean for you to know, Annie." Peter kindly said. I slapped my forehead. Peter has still not given up his crush on my sister.
                          
     "No, I already knew." Annie glared at us.
                          
     "Remus told you? I knew he had feelings for you!" Sirius applauded. Remus, Peter, and Annie blushed.
                          
      "No, I figured it out in second year." 
                          
      "Well, I still think Remus fancies you." Sirius flipped his hair.
                          
     "Get a grip, Sirius." I snapped. Peter nodded furiously.
                          
     "Why didn't you tell us?" James continued on.
                          
     "Because I was afraid you would stop being my friends. That you lot would think I was a freak." He held his head down.
                          
     "Of course not!" All of us said together.
                          
     "We're going to find a way to make your transformations easier." James said as if we've discussed this.
                          
     I slapped my forehead again. "James, we're all stupid. How are we going to make up some spell or brew up some potion?"
                          
     Sirius chuckled. "We're not stupid."
                          
     We all ignored him because we knew he was lying. "No, but Annie isn't." James said. We all stared at Annie.
                          
     "Fine, but I will still need help." Annie looked at each of us.
                          
     "Okay." We then started to walk away.
                          
     "Nope. We're going to the library." She came and quickly grabbed my hair along with Sirius's hair. With her free hand, she pulled on James's ear.
                          
     "Ow!" We all proclaimed. She dragged us out of the common room.
                          
     "Peter, you're coming too!" He stopped his laughing to follow us.
                          
     In the halls, a couple of students and professors stopped to watch us. McGonagall stopped us to ask what was going on. "Oh, just making sure they make it to the library for their O.W.L.'s." Annie had said.
                          
     "Congratulations! Finally those troublemakers can study!" McGonagall had responded. 
                          
     We made it to the library and she finally let go of my hair. I was about to walk away before I realised I couldn't.
                          
     "Annie! You put a knot in mine and Sirius's hair!"
                          
     "Shhhh!" Madam Pince scowled at us.
                          
     "Merlin's beard, Sirius, brush your hair!" I whispered loudly.
                          
     Sirius looked offended, but continued to try to untie the knot. James, however, was very helpful, and stood there laughing at us.
                          
     After we finally got rid of the knot, we joined the search of finding books. Annie didn't tell us what we were looking for so I just looked through books. "Is this a book we need?" I showed Annie a book about banshees.
                          
     "No! Werewolves would be nice!" She stomped off away from me. 
                          
     Finally, after a while, Annie found a book on werewolves. "It says here that werewolves are a danger to human beings."
                          
      "Obviously." Sirius said with no need whatsoever.
                          
     "But are they a danger to animals?" James caught on to what Annie was trying to tell us.
                          
     Annie gave James a look that said, Oh-you-are-not-as-stupid-as-I-thought. "Okay, let's look through it."
                          
     "Animals are only attacked by werewolves if the animals provoked attack by attacking first." I read.
                          
     Annie's eyes widened. She disappeared into the maze of bookshelves. When she came back empty handed, we all looked at each other, confused.
                          
     "I can't find it! It's probably in the restricted section!"
                          
     I thought about what she might be trying to find. "What book are you trying to-" I got caught off by Peter.
                          
     "What professor would give you permission to go into the restricted section?" 
                          
     I smacked my forehead yet again. "All of them. Annie's everyone's favorite." 
                          
     "All of us could ask Slughorn." Annie stood up. "At the next Slug Club meeting."
                          
      "Except for me." Peter shrugged.
                          
      "So we could try tomorrow. Because the next one's tomorrow." Annie suggested. 
                          
     "I was planning on skipping this next one..." Sirius tried to say, but Annie gave him a look. "I'll still come."
                          
     "Okay, James, tell Remus about our plan so he can help, too." Annie said as we all stood up.
                          
     "Why can't you?"
                          
     "I'm staying in the library to study."
                          
     "Or maybe you're just staying behind to read all of the books in the library." I smirked but Annie just smiled.
                          
     "Maybe. But you lot should go." Peter tried to stay behind after Annie said this but I grabbed his arm to drag him back to the common room. It was his turn to get dragged around.
                          
     On the way back to Gryffindor tower, Lily Evans passed us. Her dark red hair sat beautifully on her shoulders and her emerald green eyes sparkled.
                          
     "Hello, Evans. How's your friend Snivellus? Well, how's his greasy hair? Or his greasy nose?" James laughed and the rest of us joined in.
                          
     Lily rolled her eyes. "Severus is just fine, thank you for asking, Potter." She then walked off in the direction of the library.
                          
     "Evans won't ever like you, sorry James." Sirius put his hand on James's shoulder.
                          
     Then Sirius turned back. We locked eyes and he immediately looked forward again.
                          
     What's up with him? I ignored what just happened and continued to pull Peter, despite his constant nagging.