-

     OUT OF EVERYONE IN THE CROWDED COMMON ROOM, Lina had to be the most sober. 

     And she wasn't even sober.

     Tommy hadn't left her side ever since Jules had gone to talk to a couple of Hufflepuff girls: he was a firm believer in the rules that the three had made for parties and always adhered to them no matter what. 

     He had been walking her around the room, his hand on the small of her back, introducing her to people he knew for quite some time. Despite his tendency to argue with just about anybody over quidditch, he was an extremely likable person and had friends in basically every house. 

     "Marlene, Lily, I don't believe you've met Adelina before," he said, walking the pair up to two gorgeous girls: a redhead and a blonde. 

     While Lina had never properly met Lily before, she sat by Marlene in Transfiguration during their fourth and fifth years, and the two got along well. 

     "You can call me Lina," she said quietly, shaking Lily's hand. Although she was slightly less tense due to the alcohol, she was still nervous meeting new people. Lily smiled kindly at her.

     "Lily here is the best Potions partner in all of Hogwarts," Tommy said, causing all three girls to laugh. 

     "I'm sure Lina here would have to disagree with that," Sirius walked up to the small group with James next to him, "I'm a damn good Potions partner if I do say so myself," he slurred. Lina silently marveled at his ability to always interrupt her conversations, even when drunk. "Moreau," he nodded at Tommy, who although confused, nodded back.

     "Where are the other two?" Lily asked, referring to Remus and Peter, who weren't present. 

     "What, are we not enough for you, Evans?" James fake-pouted. Lina could see Lily get physically irritated at James' presence, and she began to wonder why the black-haired boy hadn't lost faith yet. Lina would probably give up after being rejected once, let alone every single time she spoke. She didn't know if James' resilience was endearing or creepy. 

     Their conversation slowly began to fade out as Lina became hyper-aware of the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. They had been pushed towards the middle of the room and were now surrounded by a lot of drunk teenagers who kept bumping into them. Lina felt suffocated. She tugged at her collar as she began to sweat. 

     Her clammy hand found Tommy's and she pulled the boy down to her level so she could whisper into his ear. "Can we step outside?" She asked him, her voice wavering. He pulled away to look at her with a concerned yet questioning glance. 

     "Are you okay?" He mouthed, knowing that he'd have to yell in order to be heard. She nodded once, holding up her hands, which were shaking profusely. Tommy got the hint, and grabbed one of her hands in his, interlacing their fingers. "Excuse us," he said, stepping away from the group and leading Lina towards the exit. She attempted to take deep breaths as Tommy pushed through the crowd. 

     Adelina was familiar with panic attacks. Although she had been anxious for most of her life, panic attacks had only begun to surface after the death of her mother. 

     Her life had always been anything but normal. Her parents had gotten a divorce when she was very young, and although her mother would never directly admit it, Lina had a strong feeling it was due to her father's condition. Her mother would tell her stories about how they fell in love in school, and Lina just couldn't comprehend how two people that were once so infatuated with each other could fall out of love. There had to be another reason, right? 

     Lina rotated between each parent's house weekly, never being particularly fond of her father. The young girl felt as if she always had to walk on eggshells around him: she never seemed to please him and every little thing she did seemed to set him off. The only thing he approved of was Lina's sorting — he was a proud Slytherin himself.

     Her mother, however, was a different story.  Carina Romano was an extremely charismatic and kind woman. Her outgoing and caring nature caused Lina to cherish every moment she got to spend with her. Life in her mum's cozy flat consisted of warm hugs, patience, acceptance, and love. As a child, she dreaded the days where she had to leave and return to her father's cold mansion. She never thought she could dread them more until her mum died. 

     Her mother's death as a catalyst — one that led to such awful events that Lina didn't even remember what it was like to live a normal life with a normal family (not that her family was normal in the first place; they certainly weren't).

     Her father, a cold man who was once tolerable, became even colder as his child was now solely his responsibility. From then on, Lina felt like a burden, not a daughter.

     His condition that was once just a small part of his life quickly became the most important thing to him: he forced Lina to read books upon books on lycanthropy and often left for weeks at a time to meet with different werewolves. Her father was rarely present, and when he was home, he was cruel. 

     Any mistake made by Lina, no matter how insignificant in the long run, was met with harsh punishments. She began to detest the four walls that encapsulated her when she slept. Her bedroom was no longer a place of rest; it was a prison. She would go days without food because her father wouldn't send any up, locked in her room by a spell she couldn't break because her father had confiscated her wand. 

     So when Tommy lead her out of the common room and into the empty hall, she took in a deep breath of the air that was significantly cooler. Her chest continued to heave, but she could feel her body temperature begin to return to normal. Tommy grabbed her hands and turned to face her. He placed one hand on his own chest and exaggerated his breaths so that Lina could sync her breathing with his. "Look at me," he coaxed gently as he saw Lina's eyes began to dart around. She wasn't crying, but her throat burned as if she was holding in tears.

     Tommy's hand reached up to cup the side of Lina's face. She appreciated the contact — it helped tie her back to the real world and get her out of her head. "You're okay," he repeated as her breaths became normal again. He was careful not to smother her, for he knew what had caused the attack in the first place, so he pulled away and stepped back to give her space. 

     "I'm okay," she repeated. Her chest ached from her labored breathing and her throat was raw, but she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tommy, grateful for his help. He returned the hug, rubbing her back as she thanked him over and over again.

     "Hey," he said, pulling away but keeping his arms on her shoulders, "you don't have to thank me, Lina. I'd do anything for you and you know that." The sincerity in his voice almost caused her to tear up. She was so immensely grateful for her friends.

     She nodded, blinking back tears at his words. Lina wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and then brought them up to her eyes, wiping away the moisture that had collected there. "I think I'm going to just head back to the dorms," she informed Tommy, who still looked very concerned. "I'm sorry for ruining your night."

     "You didn't ruin my night, Lina," he assured her. "I'd much rather make sure you're okay than be in there with drunk gits like Potter and Black." Lina smiled weakly at his distaste for the Gryffindors. 

     "Why do you hate them so much?" She asked. "They seem nice. Sirius seemed like he really wanted you to come tonight," Lina told him, still baffled by the boy's intent to find Tommy. 

     "I don't hate them," he replied, stressing the word hate, "they're just both so big-headed. Hard to like someone when they already like themselves that much." Lina laughed at his words, although she could see some truth behind them. "I'm gonna go inside and make sure Jules is okay. Are you okay with finding your way back to the common room? How much did you drink? Do you need me to get someone to walk you back? I'm sure Lily or Marlene wouldn't mind," he rambled, only stopping when Lina interrupted him.

     "I'm fine, Tommy, thank you though. I had one shot, you don't need to get me a babysitter." While his overbearing nature may have seemed annoying to some, it made Lina happy. Never before had someone cared that much about her besides her mum. She wouldn't trade the love that Julianna and Thomas expressed for her for anything. 

     "Okay," he said, pressing a fleeting kiss to her hair, "I'll see you tomorrow."

     She watched him leave, then leaned against the wall. Running her fingers through her hair, she listened to the muffled noise that was coming out of the common room. Even from the outside, it was still loud enough that she could make out the lyrics of the song that was playing (if she had known it — Lina wasn't a big fan of pop).

     She was still slightly shaky, and she didn't fancy trying to walk down so many stairs when her legs felt like jelly, so she took a seat on the cold floor. Her hands found a loose thread on the rug she was sitting on and she began to tug on it absentmindedly. 

     Lina's mind began to race now that she was alone, visiting all the possibilities of what could've happened that night: what if she had taken three shots instead of just one? What if she had worn the green shirt instead of the one she was wearing? What if she had followed Jules instead of sticking with Tommy? Would she have still had a panic attack?

     Her thoughts were disrupted by the portrait hole opening once more, a tall figure stumbling out into the cool air just as she had done a few minutes prior. But this time, she recognized the tall frame. 

     "Remus?" She asked, and the boy in question looked up at her. He looked worse than he had all day, if that was even possible. His once-pale face now had a sickly green undertone, and his eyes were unfocused, a clear sign that he was much too intoxicated. "Are you okay?"

     He closed his eyes and nodded, obviously lying. He didn't look okay. "Yeah, just needed some fresh air," he slurred, "feeling a little sick." Lina stood up and walked over to the boy. 

     "How much did you drink?" She asked him as she watched him have to hold onto the wall in order to stand upright. 

     "Too much," he mumbled, a hand flying to his stomach as his eyes screwed shut once more. Lina remembered one of his friends saying that he never drank, and then also recalled him downing lots of alcohol — a definite recipe for disaster.

     "Do you want me to go get one of your friends?" She asked tentatively, genuinely unsure of how to handle the situation. 

     He nodded and mumbled "Peter." Remus knew that out of their friend group, he and Peter  didn't enjoy drinking and partying as much as the other two. He knew that the Pettigrew boy would most likely be sober and have a better handle on the situation.

     Lina nodded before realizing that there was a problem with his request. She glanced up at the portrait and cursed under her breath. "What's the password?" She asked him. 

     "The password?" He repeated. "Um, I can't remember."

     Lina nodded, feeling a mixture of both exasperation and sympathy. She knew that he obviously wasn't in a good state of mind — she herself had only been that drunk once, and never again — but she really didn't want to babysit a drunk stranger all night. She was mentally and physically exhausted from her episode earlier and just wanted to sleep.

     "Okay," she started, "you're a prefect, right?" She questioned, briefly remembering seeing the badge pinned to his robes in the train compartment a few days prior. 

     He nodded, looking greener than ever. Lina panicked; she really didn't want him to throw up in the middle of the corridor. 

     "Follow me." She began to walk down the hall with her destination in mind. She looked behind her to make sure Remus was following only to see him stumble forwards slightly. She grabbed onto his arm to steady him. 

     As soon as he saw the familiar doors of the prefects' bathroom, he rushed in, leaving Lina to reluctantly follow. Stopping at the door, she decided to stay back. She was already queasy from her panic attack and had a weak stomach to begin with, so she really didn't want to watch the boy throw up. 

     After a few minutes of leaning against the stone wall, she heard the toilet flush inside. She pushed open the door and walked in, briefly stopping to admire the large swimming pool-like bathtub in the middle of the room. She wasn't a prefect herself, so although she knew that this bathroom existed, Lina had never entered. She turned to see a line of bathroom stalls, only one of which was closed, and made her way over to it. 

     She pushed it open, wincing at the sight she saw. Remus was kneeling in front of the toilet, his long legs sprawled out behind him. His arms were folded in front of him and his forehead rested on the toilet seat. "How are you feeling?" She asked him.

     "Better now," he responded truthfully. His head was still foggy and he felt like he had no control over his actions, but the churning in his stomach was gone. 

     "You should probably get your head off of the toilet seat," she commented after a moment, "it's unsanitary." Lina nervously drummed her fingers against her thigh. She was way out of her comfort zone. Even though the boy probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning, she still was so scared to embarrass herself in front of a stranger. 

     "Feels good," he mumbled, closing his eyes and making no attempt to move his head. 

     She nodded, understanding that the cool porcelain probably did feel refreshing against his sweaty head. Her eyes darted around until they made contact with a stack of washcloths along one of the sinks. Lina grabbed one of them, turned on the faucet all the way to cold, and held it under the water. 

     When she returned, he had moved from his previous position, and was now sitting up against the wall in the stall. He had taken his sweater off and was now left in a dark grey short-sleeved shirt. He was still sweating and his face was still deathly pale, but he didn't look as nauseous. 

     "Here," she said, pressing the cool towel to his forehead. He grabbed it and held it there, thanking her meekly. 

     "I'm sorry," he said, avoiding her eyes. Although it may have been inappropriate in the situation, she couldn't help but laugh.

     "I've only spoken to you about three times and all three of those times you've apologized for something," he smiled sheepishly, "you don't need to be sorry. We've all been there," she said, gesturing to him and his current state. 

     "Even you?" Remus asked, surprise etched upon his features. He couldn't imagine the shy girl in front of him as drunk as he currently was. 

     "Even me," she reinstated, cringing at the memory. It was the previous year, and someone had snuck alcohol into the Slytherin common room. Lina hadn't really known her limits then, which resulted in the girl drinking way too much, participating in a very embarrassing game of truth or dare (which still haunted her to that day), and spending the rest of the night and next day over the toilet. "Never again," she said aloud.

     He nodded in agreement, suddenly much too tired to formulate words in response. He leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and reached up to run a hand through his damp hair. Lina stood up and momentarily returned with a small paper cup full of water. 

     "You need to drink this," she said, handing him the cup, "it'll help you get a head-start on getting rid of that hangover tomorrow." He took it, thanked her once more, and drank it all in one sip. 

     "Might want to drink slower," she warned, "you don't want to upset your stomach again." Lina took out her wand and filled the cup once more. Remus took it again, this time sipping gingerly. "Do you want me to walk you back to your dorms now? I'm sure we could find someone who knows the password."

     "I'm fine," he defended, shaking his head. "I'll stay here just in case I get sick again. You can leave, though. You don't need to stay with me," he mumbled, his words barely coherent.

     "If I left and something happened to you, I'd have to live with that," she refuted. "I'm fine with staying." Her hands found a loose thread in her shorts and began to wrap it around her finger: winding, then unwinding over and over. 

    Lina knew it was just a bit of alcohol poisoning and he'd be fine in the morning, but she truly felt bad. She knew what it was like to be left alone and she couldn't imagine leaving Remus in the state he was in. 

     "Thanks," he yawned, shutting his eyes.

     "If you're going to sleep, lay on your side." He didn't question her reasoning, but silently obeyed, laying his head on the tile of the bathroom floor. Lina cringed. He would really have to clean his head after tonight. 

     When his breathing had slowed and she knew he was asleep, she rested her own head against the stone wall behind her, letting out a deep sigh. She had never been more exhausted in her life. 

-

     The next morning, she woke up to the sun streaming through the mosaic on the wall of the prefects' bathroom. The events of the previous night came flooding back to her at once. Wiping her eyes, she shot them open immediately, confusion taking over briefly when she realized that the floor next to her was empty, except for a red sweater. Remus' red sweater. She grabbed the soft material and stuffed it in her pocket, silently making a mental note to return it to him. 

     Lina stood up and walked over to the sink. The cold water made her shiver, yet she took a handful and splashed it in her face anyways. She glanced at herself in the mirror and frowned. Her eye makeup was smudged — a result of wiping her eyes as she woke up — and her hair was an absolute mess. 

     Sighing, she left the bathroom, hoping that it was early enough that no one would be in the corridors. She really did not want to be seen like that. 

     When she successfully reached the dungeons without being seen, she all but sprinted through the common room and into her shared dorm. Jules was still sleeping, which didn't surprise her in the slightest.

      Lina quickly showered and got dressed, hoping to finish in time to get breakfast in the great hall with Tommy. Jules was somehow still sleeping (Lina swore the girl could sleep through anything), so Lina knew she didn't want to be awoken. They had an unspoken rule to not wake each other up the morning after a party if they didn't have classes. 

     Upon entering the common room, she was met with the cheery gaze of Tommy. "Good morning, love," he chirped. Lina had no clue how the boy could be so lively in the mornings. 

     "Morning, Tommy," she greeted, yawning. 

     "Did everything go okay after I went back into the party last night?" He asked, taking note of her exhausted state. 

     "Yeah," she responded. "Well, depends on how you define 'okay,' I suppose." Tommy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

     "What do you mean?" He asked, walking closer to her. With a sigh, she began to explain the situation, leaving out certain details that would only cause Tommy to dislike Remus and his group of friends more. 

     "Yikes," was all he said after she was done. "So he was just gone when you woke up?" He asked as they walked past a group of fifth-years. They were obviously eavesdropping, because their eyes widened at Tommy's statement. Lina's eyes widened too as she realized what it sounded like. 

     "Yeah. I hope he didn't die or something." Tommy laughed, but there was some truth behind her words. She knew that he didn't die, obviously, but she really hoped he was okay. He seemed like a nice enough guy. 

     "Well, he's alive," he informed, taking her arm in his as they walked over to the Slytherin table. Lina followed his gaze and saw the boy in question seated with his friends, his head down on the table. "Doesn't look too good, though," he observed. 

     "Oh, I almost forgot," Lina said, rummaging through her bag. "He left his sweater and I need to give it back. Come with me?" She asked. 

     Tommy frowned, holding back a groan. 

     "Please, Tommy," she begged, "I'll never ask for anything ever again!" While Tommy knew this was a lie, he gave in.

     "Fine. But I'm not staying to chat. I—"

     "Can't stand Black and his friends," she finished for him, "yeah, yeah. We get it." Rolling her eyes, she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him over to the Gryffindor table. There weren't many people in the great hall, so it went unnoticed for the most part. 

     When the duo appeared at the table, they received an odd glance from James and a large smile from Sirius. 

     "Potions buddy!" he beamed, waving them over. "Hey, Moreau," he greeted Tommy. Tommy, confused at the lack of insults coming from the boy, just nodded. 

     Sirius' yelling had caused Remus to lift his head in order to see what all of the noise was about. Lina met his eyes and offered him a soft smile when she saw just how bad he looked. His eyes were rimmed with red and glassy like he hadn't gotten any sleep, his hair was messy, and, just like the previous day, his face was sickly pale. 

     "Hi," Lina greeted the boys shyly. She had talked to these three at the party, but that was when alcohol was running through her veins, loosening her up. Now, she didn't know what to say. 

     "You started practicing already, Moreau? Merlin knows you'll need it," James pipes in, a smug look on his face. Sirius laughed at his friend's comment while Tommy just scoffed. Lina, not particularly interested in witnessing a testosterone battle, turned to Remus with another smile. 

     "How are you feeling?" She asked him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He sighed heavily before responding.

     "Awful," was all he said. His voice was hoarse and it looked like speaking caused him physical pain. 

     She nodded in understanding as he rubbed at his temples. "How much do you remember?" Lina asked.

     His cheeks flushed red as memories from the bathroom resurfaced. He felt so bad. Remus rarely drank — on the rare occasion that he did, it was only a couple sips — but he had let his condition control him. He only drank because he was stressed and looking to forget due to the full moon, which was now that night, but he had gone overboard. 

     "Enough to be really sorry."

     "It's okay, really. Don't worry about it." She meant it. She knew it really wasn't his fault. 

     He smiled at her again, something the two seemed to be doing a lot that morning, and they both turned back to their friends, who were still in the middle of a fairly heated quidditch discussion. 

     Upon noticing the two listening in, James turned his attention to Remus. "You okay, Moony?" He asked, worried by the boy's looks. 

     Remus responded, and Lina took that moment to distract Tommy before he could be enthralled in yet another argument with the two Gryffindors. 

     "C'mon," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him off of the bench he'd sat on in the heat of his quarrel. "We need to bring Jules some food."

     Still holding onto his hand, she wished the boys goodbye, pausing as she remembered the whole reason they were there in the first place. 

    "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, rummaging through her worn denim bag for his sweater. "Here. You left this last night." Lina extended it towards him and he grabbed it hurriedly, his cheeks flushing almost as red as the sweater itself. Lina, however, didn't realize that how she worded it made it sound kind of incriminating. 

     Grabbing onto Tommy's hand once more, she wished them a final goodbye and dragged him over to the Slytherin table, oblivious to Remus' friends teasing him about what they thought had gone down.

-

garbage chapter alert! but hey it's okay because i am finally done with all of my assignments — my teachers showed no mercy in the midst of a pandemic LMAO but anyways,,, im just glad i finally finished this chap bc its been sitting in my drafts for ages 

how are u guys?? good i hope??