ENIGMA

ENIGMA

Chapter 2-Old Ways

Michelle slowly began emerging from the black murkiness. She could hear voices in the distance. One was female and the other three were male.
She immediately recognized the hospital wing. She turned her head left and Remus, Sirius and Severus were standing around her cot with anxious and worried expressions on their faces. Madam Pomfrey was fawning over another student in the cot across from her.
“Thank God,” Remus said letting out a relieved sigh.
As soon as Michelle saw Sirius, she lashed out at him, groping for anything on the nightstand beside the cot to throw at him. Luckily, she found a small vial and threw it at him. Sirius ducked and it crashed and shattered against the wall.
“GET HIM OUT OF HERE!” Michelle screamed furious.
Madam Pomfrey quickly came over.
“Calm down, Miss Matthews,” she said soothingly. “These lot were just worried about you that’s all.”
“Yeah well THAT is the reason I’m in here,” she said nastily gesturing to Sirius.
Remus took a seat beside her cot in a chair. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs and he clasped his hands above and between his knees. His green eyes were locked on Michelle and his wheat colored hair reflected the light in the hospital wing.
“Easy,” he said soothingly. “Sirius apologized. He was only teasing and he didn’t mean it.”
Michelle glared at Remus.
“You’re going to take his side?” she said wide-eyed. “Remus he could’ve caused me to crack my head open and all you can say is he didn’t mean it?”
Remus lowered his head.
“Honestly, Michelle,” Sirius said using her first name for the first time. “I really didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
His dark eyes were locked on her and his black, wavy hair fell into his eyes but he quickly brushed the bangs out of them. He actually looked remorseful.
Michelle sat up right, breathing heavily but there was a sharp pain still shooting across her skull. There was a white bandage around her head like a bandanna and several strands of hair hung over it and covered her eye.
Remus wouldn’t meet her eyes but he finally spoke.
“He didn’t mean it,” he said quietly. “Really. He feels bad.”
“Aw he feels bad?” Michelle mimicked in a sarcastic and mocking tone. “He should!”
“I’m not sticking up for Black,” Severus said suddenly breaking into the conversation. “But I really don’t think he would intentionally bring harm to someone.”
“Thank you, Snivellus, but I don’t need you sticking up for me,” Sirius said.
“That’s another thing,” Michelle said. “Tormenting Severus for no reason! Why should I believe you’re sorry when you just proved to me now that you’re not sorry about picking on him?”
Sirius didn’t reply.
“Get out…all of you,” Michelle snapped. “I don’t want to see any of you at this point.”
With that, she turned onto her side and pulled the blankets and sheet up to her shoulder and turned her back onto them.
Sirius slowly walked out of the hospital wing, then Severus. Only Remus hesitated.
“Michelle, please don’t be mad at me,” he pleaded as he stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I hate it when you’re angry with me.”
It was true. Remus hated her being mad at him. It ate away at him inside. He sat down on the cot near her knees.
“I thought you hated Sirius tormenting and teasing me,” Michelle said at last, but her voice was wobbly and shaky.
“I do,” Remus sighed. “But Sirius is genuinely sorry. I know him.”
Michelle finally sat up and faced him.
Her hazel eyes were filling with tears and her chocolate brown hair was slightly tousled.
“What did I ever do to deserve this?” she demanded of him. “I never did anything to those…assholes…and they just decide to prank me and torment me?”
“What did Severus ever do too,” Remus sighed. “Like I said…they get off on it. But I don’t think Sirius will be giving you anymore trouble.”
The tears spilled over and streaked down her cheeks. Remus sighed again. He hated seeing her crying so he reached over and gently wiped a tear away with his index finger. Michelle froze briefly.
He’s never touched me like that before. I have to admit, it was nice. She thought as Remus suddenly lowered his hand and cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed at what he’d just done.
Michelle felt herself smiling. Remus was so shy around girls, but yet he was open around her. She threw her arms around Remus’ neck and pulled him closer to her body. She rested her chin on top of his shoulder and hugged him tightly. Remus slowly wrapped his arms around Michelle. His chin was resting on her shoulder. He could smell the raspberry shampoo she’d used this morning.
She smells so good. He found himself thinking but again, shook his head slightly wondering where these thoughts were coming from.
Michelle found that Remus’ embrace was somehow soothing, yet strong and gentle at the same time.
“It’ll be okay,” Remus said quietly. “Trust me.”
“I know,” Michelle whispered back. “I know.”
After a few minutes, Remus pulled back from the embrace. Michelle quickly wiped the tears away with the back of her hands.
“So when am I sprung from this joint?” she asked grinning.
Remus grinned back.
“Well, Madam Pomfrey said you only had a surface abrasion so I think you’re able to go now,”
Madam Pomfrey nodded and came over.
“He’s right,” she said. “Just come back before you go to sleep for a Healing Potion. It’s to help aid that wound in the back to heal properly.”
Michelle nodded and Remus gently took her hand, helping her to stand. Her legs felt wobbly and like Jello for a bit, but with Remus’ help, she regained her balance.
They left the hospital wing walking side by side down the corridor. Sirius and Severus came up to her.
“How are you feeling?” Severus asked with concern.
“Okay,” Michelle admitted. “But my head feels like a dragon stepped on it.”
“That’s good that you’re feeling better now,” Sirius said.
“Why? So you can go back to tormenting me?” Michelle snapped at him.
Sirius shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I genuinely am glad you’re okay.”
Michelle didn’t know what to say.
Well, maybe now he sees that pranking people can actually cause someone to get hurt. Maybe he’s learned his lesson? Michelle thought to herself.
“Fine,” she said shortly.
“Well, I’m late for Transfiguration,” Severus said. “Bye Michelle.”
With that, he headed off in the opposite direction down to the Transfiguration classroom.
Remus, Sirius and Michelle headed back to the common room. They had a 45 minute break between classes so they all settled down on the couch.
James and Peter emerged from the boys’ dorm.
“Hey look, the cavalry is back,” James said grinning as he took a seat on the chair.
Remus was watching James warily. He didn’t want them to start on Michelle now when Michelle finally just realized that Sirius wasn’t meaning actual harm to her, but then, Sirius opened his mouth and that all went down hill from there. Remus exhaled and slapped his hand to his forehead.
“Yeah,” Sirius cracked. “Remus was her escort the whole time.”
Michelle’s hazel eyes flashed.
“I thought you were sorry,” she said in a dangerously low tone.
“Well yeah,” Sirius said. “I am sorry…but you’re okay now. So we can go back to old ways.”
“Have you not learned anything?” Michelle screamed. “God you two have got to be the most thick headed, self absorbed, arrogant, glacier people I have ever met!”
Remus threw Sirius a cold look.
“She’s right you know,” Remus snapped. “I honestly can’t believe how you three are behaving.”
Peter actually looked remorseful, but Michelle wasn’t about to buy it.
“Sirius look at that,” James said. “Remus is actually standing up for this skanky whore.”
Remus actually got up and stood in front of James. To Michelle’s surprise, Remus clenched his fist, and raised his arm drawing it back. He punched James right in the face.

Michelle was stunned as she’d never seen Remus do something like that and she gathered from the startled look on Sirius and Peter’s faces, neither were they.
James looked absolutely stunned before he raised a hand to his jaw where Remus had punched him.
“What the fuck, Moony?” James demanded angrily. “What did you do that for?”
“That’s for calling Michelle a skanky whore,” Remus snapped his green eyes flashing with anger. “Don’t ever call her that again.”
James’ blue eyes narrowed. “Looks like you’re with her, fine. Leave us then. We don’t want someone that’s going to stick up for that ‘thing’”
Michelle couldn’t believe her ears about how cruel they were being. Apart from being enraged at the words that James called her, she was also angry that they were technically kicking Remus out because he was nice to her.
Remus looked stunned and blown away.
Michelle’s anger hit the boiling point and a small porcelain figurine that was on the mantle piece suddenly shattered, sending little pieces all over the floor.
“What on earth?” Sirius cried looking completely stunned and confused.
“What just happened?” James asked looking at Sirius and at the broken pieces of the figurine.
“It just up and exploded,” Peter squeaked out.
“Strange,” James said eyeing Michelle.
“You honestly think she had something to do with that? Come on,” Remus scoffed rolling his eyes. “She was standing a good 2 feet away.”
“Why are you talking to me?” James demanded cruelly. “We don’t know you, do we Sirius?”
“Nope,” Sirius said shaking his head.
Peter looked at Remus with sympathy, but James and Sirius didn’t see him.
“You guys are kicking me out just because I’m nice to Michelle? That’s totally ridiculous!” Remus cried upset.
“Yeah well,” James said. “We don’t like to associate with ‘her’ kind anyway.”
Remus turned to Michelle and went over to her, but Michelle gave Remus a small smile.
“It’s okay, Remus,” she said quietly. “I understand. You’d rather be with them than me…it’s understandable and I don’t want to get in the way.”
“No, Michelle,” Remus pleaded, but Michelle just shook her head.
“Forget it alright?” she snapped to him. “I see who’s more important here.”
With that, she turned and abruptly left the common room, not knowing where she was going, but she knew it had to be far away from the Gryffindor common room.

Remus watched after Michelle his throat aching and his heart was breaking. He lost her…as a best friend and that was something he never wanted to happen…but it had. He felt a glimmering of tears in his green eyes.
James came up beside him and draped an arm over Remus’ shoulder.
“Forget her, Moony,” he said. “You can now hang out with the rest of the human species.”
Remus didn’t answer and instead, shrugged James’ arm off his shoulder and headed into the boys’ dorm.
He sat down on his bed and flipped through the small photo album that he had done with pictures of himself and Michelle and Lily Evans last Hogsmeade trip. Lily had shoulder length light auburn hair and emerald green eyes. Michelle was grinning and waving up at him. Of course, he hadn’t been in the picture as he had been the one taking it. Lily playfully tossed a snowball at Michelle and that resulted in a snowball fight.
Suddenly, Remus got an idea. Maybe he could have Lily talk to Michelle for him.
But what was he going to say? He’d not answered or stood up for Michelle, except for punching James for calling her that ‘name’.
He exhaled loudly and slammed the book shut. He already was missing her.
The bell rang, signaling it was time for class to start.
He grabbed his bag and flew out of the dorm, past James, Sirius and Peter and leaving the common room before them.

When he entered Charms class, Michelle was sitting with Severus. The two of them were talking. As Remus entered the room, Michelle gave him the coldest look ever before returning her eyes onto Severus.
Feeling even more miserable, Remus sat down beside Lily.
“Hey Moony,” she said gently. “Why is Michelle sitting with Severus?”
“Because she hates my guts,” Remus muttered miserably as he crossed his arms on top of the table and buried his head into them.
“Why?” Lily asked curiously and with concern.
Remus proceeded to tell her what happened. When he was finished, Lily’s emerald green eyes were filled with pure anger.
“Now you know why I won’t go out with that arrogant ass,” Lily said coldly. “He thinks he’s big shit because he’s the Seeker of the Quidditch team and popular. But in reality he’s as popular as dragon poop.”
Remus didn’t even reply.
Class began, but Remus’ heart wasn’t in it at all. He just stayed like that and refused to copy notes.
When Professor Caris left the room for a moment, Lily gently poked Remus.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Remus exhaled.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he admitted. “I really miss Michelle and I feel weird.”
“Weird? In what way?” Lily asked curiously, throwing James a cold look that would’ve frozen the Stunning Charm as Sirius and James began pointing to Michelle and Severus and whispering behind their backs and chortling.
“I can’t explain it,” Remus said sighing. “I miss Michelle and yet I’m envious of Severus…does that make sense?”
Lily broke into a smile.
“Yeah it does,” she said softly. “You’re jealous.”
“Jealous?” Remus asked finally raising his eyes to hers. “Why would I be jealous? That would mean I like Michelle as more than a best friend.”
Lily raised an eyebrow at him. “You catch on fast,”
Remus shook his head. “Well, I don’t,”
Or do I? Remus wondered to himself.
Lily just gave him a superior smirk and went back to her work. Remus watched Severus and Michelle talking. She looked really upset and Remus could see tears forming in her hazel eyes. He wanted to just get up and rush over there, to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright.
Maybe I do like her as more than a best friend, Remus thought.
Severus was watching her with a sympathetic expression on his face and he shyly placed a hand on her shoulder.
That really should be me comforting her not him,
But she hated him. He only hoped that she would give him a chance to let him explain things. He glanced over at James and Sirius, still chortling. Peter however, caught his eye and gave him an understanding smile. Remus had to smile back.
He turned his attention back to his work.

When the bell rang 20 minutes later ending the class, Remus quickly stuffed his belongings into his bag and went to approach Michelle, hoping to talk to her, but Severus had already left with her.
“There go the two lovebirds! But the thing is, how will two species mate?” Sirius called after them.
Remus narrowed his eyes, finally coming to a decision. He realized he wasn’t going to be able to be happy unless Michelle was back in his life. He stood in front of Sirius and James.
“What’s up Moony?” Sirius asked softly. “Did you catch the two leaving? What a cute couple they make!”
“Screw you, Sirius,” Remus spat at him and James. “You both can take my foot and shove it up your asses.”
With that, he brushed past them and headed out into the hall.