spare time, spare room {open

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

School had finally finished for the day and Marlene McKinnon was not at all interested in going back to the Gryffindor Common Room. There was something unpleasant about the idea of going back to a crowded room where the noise levels were bound to rise above what Marley was comfortable with.

Book in hand, Marlene traipsed down the second floor corridor. She knew of an empty classroom around here somewhere, but for one reason or another, she had never taken the time to find it. Today, it seemed like the perfect place to sit down and read a book where there would be nobody there to disturb the peace.

Finally, after accidentally walking past it twice, Marley found it. She nudged the door open; the old wood creaking loudly. There was a musty smell in the air and the stacked chairs were covered in a thick layer of dust, only adding to the already thick air. But, Marley didn't mind. Smiling, she cradled her book closer to her chest and made her way towards the back corner of the room next to the window. She sat on the teachers desk which had been pushed up against the wall and found her spot in her book. Mm, she could feel that this afternoon was going to be a good one.

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[wirll]

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As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
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Classes were over and Remus was exhausted but he had homework to finish. He went back to the common room and began pulling books and parchment out of his bag. He tried to concentrate on his Transfiguration homework but students were buzzing with excitement that the day was over. People were yelling to their friends across the room and and laughing and chattering. Remus sighed and packed up all his stuff and left the room.

He walked through the hallways, looking for an empty classroom to finish his homework in. He reached the second floor and finally found an empty classroom. He opened the door and almost jumped back as the wood yelled with a creak. He laughed quietly at himself for getting scared so easily and then he continued walking into the room.

Remus settled down at an empty table and began dragging his books out of his bag, yet again. He began working on his Transfiguration again, his quill scratching against the parchment as he wrote quickly. It sounded so loud in the quiet room. After he finished, he set his quill down and leaned back in his chair, taking abreak. He scanned the room, thinking it was a nice place to come to when he needed peace and quiet, when he noticed a girl sitting in the back corner reading a book.

"Oh," he said as he stood up quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize there was someone in here. I can leave." He began to gather up his staff for the second time that day.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

There was something about books that attracted Marlene. Their old parchment smell, how the leather covers felt in her hands. The words contained inside them often flew Marley to a completely different world and left her there to wander around inside the world it had created. She was so enraptured that she didn't notice the loud creaking noise of the door, or when another boy shuffled into the room and began scratching away at a bit of parchment.

She did, however, look up as he spoke. She blinked a few times before she remembered where she was, and finally noticed that there was somebody else in the room with her. "Oh! she exclaimed, snapping her book shut. "No, please," she began, scrambling to get back onto her feet. "Don't leave on my account." She smiled sweetly and brushed a bit of her straw-like hair behind her ear. "Stay. Please. Honestly, I didn't even realise there was someone else in the room with me." The words began gushing out of her mouth, but for what reason, Marley didn't know.

"I'm Marlene," she began, shaking her head and putting her hand on her forehead, regaining her composure. "Marlene McKinnon."

She looked over at the boy and noticed that he too was in Gryffindor robes. Ah well, at least she was in the hands of good company. It was always nice to make new friends.

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[wirll]

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As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●



"Oh!" the girl exclaimed closing her book and jumping down off the desk she'd been sitting on. Remus noted that she was a Gryffindor as well. "No, please. Don't leave on my account." She smiled sweetly and Remus watched as she brushed a strand of her flaxen hair back. "Stay. Please. Honestly, I didn't even realize there was someone else in the room with me."

"Well, if you don't mind," Remus said bashfully. "I won't bother you. It's just to loud in the common room to even hear yourself think let alone get any work done." He rushed his words, almost tripping over them.

"I'm Marlene," the girl said as she put her hand on her forehead, attempting to regain her balance after Remus had startled her. "Marlene McKinnon."

"I'm Remus Lupin," Remus said smiling and sticking out his hand to shake hers.

The girl's name sounded familiar. But then of course Remus knew almost half the girls' names in the school thanks to Sirius. It was probably one of his latest flings that he'd mentioned when Remus was doing his homework. He smiled at her, and set his books and bag back down onto the table. He was glad he didn't have to go back to the noise of the common room.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

Marlene grinned back as she shook Remus' hand. She knew of him - it was hard not to be known when you were friends with James Potter and Sirius Black - but, in all her years at Hogwarts, she had never met him in person. "It's lovely to meet you." Marlene paused to look out the window briefly. "But, most people call me Marley. Marlene is a bit too long."

She sat back up on the teachers desk and folded her book into her lap. "Homework?" she asked, her eyebrows raised, gesturing towards the parchment and quill in front of him. She could only guess; with OWLs coming up at the end of the year, the teachers were relentless. Marley remembered all too well. "Yeah, it's pretty crowded back in the common room. It's so hard to hear yourself think, let alone do any work."

She watched as he set his bags back down, looking relieved at something. Probably the fact that he didn't have to go back to the noisy common room. Ah well, if she had to share this empty room with someone, she was glad it was someone who was so polite - and who was doing their homework. That earned a bonus twenty points in Marlene's books.

Silence fell between the two of them and Marley looked down at her book. What had seemed inviting only twenty minutes ago was now looking dark and off-putting. Carefully, as to not damage the cover, she put the book down on the desk next to her and looked up at Remus. "So, you're a fifth year, right? That means you must have OWLs coming up."

[/justify]

[wirll]

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As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


"It's nice to meet you too." Remus smiled when she told him her nickname. He liked it. Marley had a ring to it that made you just want to smile when you heard it.

Marley sat back down on the desk and Remus sat back down in his chair. "Yeah. Just finished Transfiguration. Now moving onto..." Remus paused to pull out a random book to decide what he'd do next. He flipped it over and read the title; Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. "Defense Against the Dark Arts." He sighed, pulling out some parchment to begin writing a summary of their assigned chapter to read.

"Yeah, it is. It's a crazy mess," Remus said chuckling. "Everyone's so excited classes are over for the day, they've forgotten their homework."

They became silent and continued on with what they'd been doing before. She went back to reading her book and Remus continued working on his homework. It's not that Remus enjoyed doing his homework. He was just responsible. He'd rather be out talking and goofing around with his friends but he realized that homework was important and had to be done. He leafed through the pages looking for the right chapter and then began reading "A counter-jinx is not properly named..."

Remus almost sighed in relief when Marley spoke again. He'd almost nodded completely off amd it gave him an excuse to stop working on his summary. "Yes," he replied smiling. "I'm feeling pretty confident about them though. By the end of the year, everyone else well be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, last minute studying the night before, while I'll be getting a good nights rest. You're a sixth year right? Are you nervous about N.E.W.T.S. next year?" Remus asked politely.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

Marlene couldn't help but smile at Remus' dedication to his homework - and his OWLs. They were a pretty important part of school, but there was a good third of Marley's year that simply didn't bother with them for whatever reason it was. Remus, on the other hand, seemed as nice as people had sketched him out to be. She couldn't help but feel that both James and Sirius were very lucky to have a friend like Remus.

Either way, Marley tried not to think of Sirius and their meeting that morning over brunch. There was always that burning curiosity to ask Remus what Sirius was like, but a little part at the back of her brain told her not to. They had only just met, for pete's sake, and it was hardly appropriate.

Almost like a light going on, her attention went back to Remus as he spoke. She smiled softly and pushed a bit of hair behind her ear, once again. "N.E.W.T.S. Wow. I am a bit nervious," Marley confessed. "But the teachers are pushing us harder than ever to study for them - and they're already over a year away!" She threw her hands up in the air for added texture. "But, the results basically decide what you're going to do for the rest of your life."

Marley hopped down off the side of the teacher's desk and moved closer to Remus, pulling up a chair next to where he was sitting. "As for me, I'm going to be an Auror." She was already getting private training from Alastor Moody, one of her father's oldest friends. Her aim was to join the Order of the Phoenix and give help in the Wizarding War. "You know," she started, shrugging, "with the Wizarding War happening and all that." she finished in a low tone.

[/justify]

[wirll]

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


"N.E.W.T.S. Wow. I am a bit nervious," Marley admitted. "But the teachers are pushing us harder than ever to study for them - and they're already over a year away!" Remus chuckled as Marley threw her hands up in the air. "But, the results basically decide what you're going to do for the rest of your life."

Remus winced. No matter how well he did on his N.E.W.T.S. it would never decide what he did for the rest of his life. His lycanthropy would. It would decide whether he got the job or was forced to move on and keep looking. Employers would judge him based on the fact that at every full moon he turned into a giant beast rather then what he scored on his N.E.W.T.S. They would tell him "I'm sorry to say but, well, I just don't think you're right for the job" when in fact he was probably perfect for it.

"As for me, I'm going to be an Auror," Marley continued. "You know with the Wizarding War happening and all that."

"Yeah," Remus nodded in agreement. Who didn't know the about the Wizarding War? Well, besides the muggles.

Not that it mattered, but Remus had never really thought about what he wanted to be. James and Sirius wanted to be Aurors but Remus knew that was certainly out of the question. He'd be lucky to even work in the Atrium at the ministry. He'd once thought about being a professor at Hogwarts but that was just about as likely as the first.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

Marlene watched as Remus went through a whole bag of mixed emotions, first wincing at Marley's mention of finding a job and then becoming lost in deep thought - but, over what, Marley didn't know.

"Remus?" she asked, stooping down a little so her eye-line was level with his. "Are you okay?" She didn't want to push the subject if he didn't want to talk about it, but from the look in his eyes, there was something the matter, and Marley wanted to lend a a friendly hand if she could. Almost immediately, she dropped the subject of N.E.W.T.S, OWLs and Aurors, as to hope that it wouldn't offend or upset Remus any further.

She sat there in silence, watching Remus and wondering what it was that was going on inside his head at that very moment in time. He'd gone from being so bubbly and polite, to silent and worried all in the matter of about a minute. Was it something she had said? Marley looked for more words to say, but nothing came.

"Remus, I'm sorry if I said something wrong," she began, pursing her lips tightly. "I didn't mean..." she didn't quite know how to finish her sentence.

[wirll]

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As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


"Remus?" Marley asked leaning down to meet his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Remus and the maurauders hadn't been able to get together lately, what with Prongs off trying to charm Lilly, Wormtail doing Padfoot's homework and Remus with his perfect duties. He hadn't really been able to talk openly to anyone about his being a werewolf and it was kind of eating at him. But even if Marley was friendly, he'd only just met her and he really couldn't just tell anybody. What if they rejected him?

Remus sighed. He could see the worry in Marley's face. He figured he should say something. She really hadn't said anything wrong. He just didn't think about things like his future unless he was forced to and when he did it tended to upset him. It wasn't something Marley could help. She had no idea.

"Remus, I'm sorry if I said something wrong," Marley started. "I didn't mean..." She let her words trail off, at a loss.

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about all this homework," he said smiling weakly, gesturing towards his bag. "Crazy loads of it this year, ya know? Just don't want to get behind or anything. It's really stressful, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." Remus was a terrible liar but he had a feeling that Marley wouldn't push.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

Marley leant in a bit closer, looking closer at Remus. Other than Peter, who kind of freaked her out a little bit, Remus was the only Marauder she wasn't particularly close to. Well, as of yet, anyway. Marley was hoping to change that. She'd always spent a lot of time with James because of Quidditch, and her and Sirius were becoming closer by the day. As she sat there and thought about it, a little part of her hoped that she would get to know Remus better. He seemed like such a lovely guy and he really valued working hard - which always got extra points in Marlene's books.

She was snapped out of her train of thought as Remus spoke again, a weak smile on his face. She smiled back; surely it wasn't all that was on his mind? "Okay," she said slowly, pursing her lips. "Yeah, I know all about the stresses of homework." She thought back to the two essays waiting for her in the Gryffindor Common Room. "But if there is something else on your mind, you can talk to me about it." she smiled warmly at Remus.

Well, he already did have his other three best friends, but sometimes it was just nice to talk to a third-party who didn't know as much about the situation. She leant back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, wondering how long it had been since she first came into the classroom. Surely it was nearly dinner time? Marlene was tempted to ask Remus if he would like to sit with her at dinner, but something stopped her. He already had a bunch of friends to sit with; what would he need her company for.

[/justify]

[wirll]

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As seasons changed I soon understood

There was far more here than meets the eye
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


"Okay," Marley said slowly, pursing her lips. "Yeah, I know all about the stresses of homework. But if there is something else on your mind, you can talk to me about it."

Remus hesitated. He wasn't suppose to tell other people. James, Sirius and Peter had figured it out on their own, Remus had never had to tell them. And what if Marlene reacted badly? What if she told other students? And the students told their parents? People would be outraged that a werewolf was attending the same school as their children, interacting with them everyday. He'd of course be instantly shunned and Dumbledore would have to kick him out of school. He'd no longer see his friends. Every full moon would be just as it was before- lonely, dreadful and unpleasant.

"No, that's about it," Remus replied, letting his logical side get the best of him. "Just a crazy load of homework. Not that I can complain. Suppose you have it worse?" Remus asked with fake cheeriness.

Without warning Remus's stomach began to growl. He looked down at it rubbing it. He hadn't eaten much for lunch for he wasn't feeling well but now he was starving. He contemplated asking Marley if she wanted to go down to the Great Hall for dinner. He would feel rude if he didn't invited her.

"Don't suppose you're a little hungry are you?" he asked tentatively. He stood up, hopeful, and picked up his book sliding it into his bag, waiting for a reply. He could already picture tables and tables of food and goblets filled with pumpkin juice. His stomach growled again.

[hellbourne]

WE'RE GETTING DOWN

'til the stars coming up.

Marlene sat and watched as the cogs started turning Remus's head. He was obviously thinking long and hard about something that was bothering, but once he replied, Marlene decided not to push it. Who knew? Perhaps their friendship would develop to the stage where they could share secrets and burdens, but that day would have to wait. Marlene smiled warmly at Remus, nodding in encouragement.

"I have it pretty bad at the moment, but I'm trying not to worry."

She heard Remus' stomach growl and her own tummy responded with an even louder growl. She laughed, "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." Marlene stood up with him and grabbed her school satchel off the ground.

[ ooc: shall we leave it there, felicia? <3 ]

[/justify]

[wirll]

[ooc// Yeah that sounds good to me:)]