WARM HUGS AND PINK CHEEKS!

OCTOBER 1976

6th Year

• • • •

Holland sighed softly, running her fingertips along the spines of the books in the muggle section of the library, searching for her next read.

"Frankenstein." A voice spoke up from behind her, making the Slytherin jump slightly and quickly whip around.

"What?" The girl questioned.

"Frankenstein." Margaret repeated, "It's a good book. One you'd enjoy." She told Holland, holding a copy of the said book out to her.

"Thanks," Holland grinned, taking the book into her own hands, "So, what's up?"

"I just wanted to say hello," The Hufflepuff answered, "And check up on how your muggle studies classes are going."

"They're going much better, thank you so much." Holland grinned, taking the blonde's hand in her own.

"It's no problem." Margaret shook her head.

"And I am working on my end of the deal," Holland promised the slightly younger girl, "It's a little difficult because you and I rarely see each other for more than five minutes. That and I'm a Slytherin and Black's a prick."

"Well, I do still appreciate your help." Margaret told her.

"And I yours," Holland nodded, "Speaking of which, if you really want Black's attention, there is always the ball."

***

"Chocolate?" Remus questioned, holding out a piece of the said treat in Holland's direction.

The two had just caught a pair of fifth year Ravenclaws out past curfew, snogging, and sent them back to their tower with a detention and taking five points away from their house, each. They were now on their way to patrol around the kitchens and the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"Thanks." She smiled, taking the piece out of the boy's hand, biting into it as he did the same with a piece of his own.

"Alright, go on then." Remus nudged Holland, as the pair did their pair continued their rounds in the dark corridors.

"What?" The Slytherin girl asked, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"Last we properly saw each other, you were explaining why Care of Magical Creatures was one of your favourite subjects." The Gryffindor prompted.

"Oh, well, it's complicated." Holland told him.

"Give it a go." The boy encouraged, making a small smile flutter on the girl's face.

"Growing up, my mother taught me what was, in her mind, 'right'," Holland started, "That Purebloods are superior and Muggle-borns are scum. My father never had an opinion. Well, he never voiced it if he had one. The moment I was old enough to form an opinion, I stopped believing and listening to her thoughts on the matter, only nodding along when it was necessary. And, growing up it seemed that magical creatures were the only thing my mother didn't have an opinion. They're the only thing where I had a choice on what to believe."

"So, you like all magical creatures?" Remus questioned, as they turned a corner.

"Magical and muggle." Holland nodded.

"Even the ones that people proclaim are evil beasts?" He asked, looking at her nervously, hanging onto the words that she was about to say.

"No creature or man is born evil," Holland told him, the pair slowing their pace, coming to a complete stop as they looked at each other, "Others make make them that way," She said, looking out of the archway-windows that lined the corridor, eyeing the Waning Gibbous moon that shone brightly in the night sky, "Take werewolves, for example," She added, leaning against the arch, staring up at the bright moon, Remus following her anxious, hands trembling slightly as she spoke, "In most cases, they have no choice in who they are. What they become. And they have to live with the fact everyday that society sees them as this horrible, evil beast that will rip anyone and everyone apart, given the chance. They make these poor souls believe that it's their fault. That they deserve to be driven out their homes, their jobs, their families. And it disgusts me that people are like this. That they convince themselves that they deserve all the discrimination sent their way. But they don'. No-one does. I guess I can sympathise with them in a way. Everyone immediately thinks because I'm a Slytherin Pureblood and have some friends who are very much anti-muggles and muggle-borns, that I am too."

After she was finished, Holland looked up at the boy who was staring down at her in astonishment, feeling tears start prickling in his eyes.

"You really think that?" Remus asked softly, his voice so quiet, Holland almost didn't hear him, "About the werewolves."

"With my whole heart." The Slytherin nodded, looking up at the boy - who was staring down at her, an unreadable expression on his face, "Remus? Are you oka-"

The brunette boy couldn't help himself as he bent down, holding the shorter girl into a tight hug, leaving Holland shocked slightly, before she let her arms snake around his waist, the warm feeling she had felt when in a similar situation with Lily on the train at the beginning of term return as the two stood there for a moment. Holland smiled into the soft material if his Gryffindor jumper, that was underneath his robes, noting how he smelt like chocolate, which makes sense considering she never saw the boy without it. Remus gave her a squeeze, as his head rested in the crook of the Irish girl's neck, enjoying the vanilla scent that wafted into his nose. The pair then reluctantly let go, both blushing slightly, and both immediately missing the warmth and comfort they gave each other, before silently continuing with their rounds.

Remus cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck, "Sorry about that," He apologised, putting his hands in his pocket, "I've just never heard anyone put it that way. Just felt you deserved a hug."

"It's okay," The Slytherin told him softly, "I liked it." She admitted it, making them both blush harder than before.

"You know," Remus spoke up, "With kindness and beliefs like that, one would assume you'd be a Hufflepuff." He said lightly, making them both chuckle slightly.

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Holland nodded, "But some people seem to forget that the Sorting Hat takes what you want into consideration. You don't get put into a house based on what traits you most embody. The Hat puts you into the house with the values you virtue the most."

Remus pondered the thought, "You're right."

Holland nodded, "Otherwise, you'd probably be in Ravenclaw." She joked, nudging him, making the pair smile at each other.

The Prefects were walking past the kitchen, when they heard the loud noise of a pot hitting the ground from behind the painting. They shared a glance, before Holland tickled the pair, the entrance to the kitchens swinging open to see Sirius on the floor, lying in his back, propping himself up with his elbows, the steel pot sitting by his feet, James on the floor next to him, and Peter sitting nearby on a chair, mouth stuffed with cauldron cakes. All three heads snapped to the entrance, where the two prefects were looking at them, eyebrows raised, unimpressed.

"Oh, hey Moony." James greeted, grinning at his friend as he stood up, dragging his best friend up in the process.

"Moony." Sirius nodded at the boy, wiping the dust off of his clothes.

"What are you three doing?" Holland questioned, crossing her arms, looking harshly at the three Gryffindors.

"Nothing." They answered, more so James and Sirius, considering Peter's mouth was full.

"Because that's totally what it looks like," The Slytherin rolled her eyes, "Why aren't you in your dorms?"

"Just fancied a late night snack," Sirius shrugged, "Nothing wrong with that."

Holland glanced up at Remus for his reaction to this, seeing he was just awkwardly looking around the kitchen, scratching the back of his neck, a habit of sorts Holland has noticed he did whenever he felt awkward, embarrassed or nervous.

"Well, congratulations, because that late night snack has cost each of you five points from Gryffindor and detention. Now, go back to dormitories. She said, making the boys complain, used to Remus getting them off the hook, looking to him for help.

Remus cleated his throat looking at his best friends and his fellow Prefect - who raised an eyebrow at him - in turn.

"You heard her, guys," He said, quietly and as through it pained him to say it - which it probably did, "Go."

His friends looked at Remus in disbelief, making him look away, before Sirius swiftly left the kitchen, harshly bumping Holland's shoulder with his own as he passed. James followed the boy, quietly calling out to him, and Peter scurried behind the pair.

Holland turned to the boy, "You know what they were really doing, don't you?"

Remus nodded, his eyes not able to meet hers.

"Are you going to tell me?" The Irish girl asked.

"I-" Remus cut himself off with a sigh, not wanting to rat out his friends, especially as he knew that they were annoyed at him already for practically taking away points and giving them a detention, causing her to sigh and go to exit the kitchen, before she stopped.

"You know," Holland spoke up, turning around to face Remus, "The rest of us Prefects said that Dumbledore appointing you as Prefect was an attempt to get you tone down Black and Potter's misbehaving. We all knew it wouldn't. But we did think that you'd at least follow through on your duties and take away points. At the very least. I know that you think that if you stop cutting them slack, then they'll stop liking you," She said, making Remus look at her, eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "But let me tell you something, Remus. No-one could ever stop liking you. You're incredible." The dark-haired told him, making Remus blush for the third time that night, as Holland checked her watch, seeing that their rounds had ended, "I guess that's us for the night." She mumbled, turning to leave the kitchen.

"Don't drink the pumpkin juice tomorrow morning." Remus blurted out, making her stop and turn around.

"What?"

"Don't drink the pumpkin tomorrow morning." He repeated.

Holland raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"You'll see." Remus told her.

"Okay," Holland nodded, walking towards the entrance - and by extent, exit - of the kitchen, "Good Night Good Night Parting is such sweet sorrow." She said with an amount of dramatics that could rival Sirius Black's.

"That I shall say good night till it be morrow?" Remus copied her, leaving the two giggling, before smiling softly at each other.

"Goodnight, Romeo."

"Sweet dreams, Juliet."