Chapter 141: Phoenix Feather (2)

Catherine sat alone in the deserted Gryffindor Common Room, her attention fixed on the worn pages of Guide to Rare and Dangerous Potions book. Every few moments, she paused to scribble a note on the parchment in front of her, her brow furrowed in concentration. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she reviewed the ingredients and steps for the Animagi potion for what felt like the hundredth time. The quiet of her sleepless nights offered a rare chance to delve into magic she might hesitate to explore in the presence of her classmates. Yet, the fatigue weighed on her, dulling her focus and sapping the strength she normally wielded with ease.

With a frustrated huff, the girl set aside her notes and stretched, her muscles aching from the hours spent hunched over her work. She extended a hand toward the ink bottle resting on the nearby table, her fingers splayed in anticipation. Concentrating, she uttered a calm, "Accio!" and the bottle immediately flew into her open hand. A small smile of satisfaction played on her lips—wandless magic was becoming more natural to her, despite the exhaustion that clung to her like a shadow.

'I'll have to show this off in Ancient Runes class!' – the young witch thought with a smug smile – 'I'll drop something and summon it without my wand—Snape's going to lose his mind! Let's see him try to one-up that.'

The thought startled her, and she shook her head as if to clear it, frowning at the direction her mind had taken. 'Since when do I care what that bastard thinks?!' – she chastised herself, reaching into the inner pocket of her robes for her wand. Her thoughts wandered as she considered her motivation for learning new spells and mastering obscure forms of magic. While her curiosity and thirst for knowledge were undeniable, a deeper, more personal drive pushed her—the need to acquire power and prove that she was more than just a vessel for a demon's power, that she was a witch in her own right. The weight of her family's expectations pressed down on her, from standing up to the other major Houses to finding a way to break the generational curse that plagued her bloodline.

'And here I am, worrying about whether some loser thinks I'm strong or not.' – she thought irritably, the memory of the Slytherin's arrogant smirk flashing before her eyes —the same smirk he'd worn when he had her hanging upside down two weeks ago.

"Levicorpus!" – the girl muttered absentmindedly, flicking her wand in the direction of the entrance. A flash of light and a startled shriek broke through her reverie, and Catherine's eyes widened in shock as she saw a pair of sneakers dangling midair.

"The fuck is this?" – James Potter yelled as his Invisibility Cloak slipped to the ground – "Flame, put me down!"

"Uh... just a second!" – Catherine mumbled, her mind racing as she tried to remember the counterspell Snape had used – "Liberacorpus!"

James dropped to the floor with a thud, wincing as he adjusted his glasses. "What's gotten into you? Why are you randomly casting spells around the room?!"

"I wanted to try it out. That git Snape used it on me the other day. I didn't know you were there!" – the girl shot back defensively – "Why are you sneaking out of the Gryffindor Tower so late with the Invisibility Cloak?"

"I'm not sneaking out, I'm sneaking in!" – the boy groaned, his eyes widening as he spotted something on the floor – "Oh no... I landed right on top of it!"

"What is it?" – the young witch asked, confused.

James sighed deeply, lifting what looked like a squashed pillow. "It used to be your birthday cake. Happy birthday, by the way."

Catherine blinked in surprise, glancing at her watch. It had just passed midnight, and therefore she had turned fourteen, against all odds.

"Thanks!" – she replied, her voice a bit stiff at first, but then she softened, offering him a gentle smile – "I'm sure the cake's still delicious!"

"It's your favourite!" – James grinned, placing the battered dessert on the nearest table – "Wanna grab a piece?"

The two teenagers sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the fireplace, the warmth of the dying flames casting flickering shadows on their faces as they quietly enjoyed the cake.

After a while, James broke the silence. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Catherine hesitated before answering, her pale face illuminated by the firelight. "Nightmares." - she admitted, her voice weary - "Sometimes they're so bad, I'd rather stay awake."

James looked at her with concern, his hazel eyes softening. "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "I don't think so. Madame Pomfrey gave me some Dreamless Sleep Potion, but it's not enough. She won't give me more because it can be addictive and dangerous."

"I'm really sorry, Flame!" - James said softly, his tone filled with genuine regret - "I wish there was more I could do. Do you know why you're having these nightmares? Is it stress?"

"I suppose it plays a part, yes." – the witch replied cautiously, careful not to reveal too much.

"And the situation with Moony... that's not helping, is it?" – James asked tentatively, his voice filled with concern.

"It certainly isn't." – Catherine admitted with a heavy heart – "I don't know what to do, James. On one hand, I want things to go back to normal with Remus. He's always been this steady, calming presence in my life, someone I could talk to about anything. I miss him so much! But on the other hand, I feel like we crossed a line that we can't uncross. Well, I crossed it. On the other hand, it hurts so much to be rejected, especially by someone I care deeply about. I'm angry, and I hate feeling this way, but what can I do? I can't just pretend nothing happened. Even if I tried, our friendship is different now. He'll always wonder if I'm just being friendly or if there's something more behind it..."

"Are you sure you're not overthinking this?" – James asked, stunned that someone can experience so many emotions at the same time – "Can I be honest with you?"

"Go ahead." – the girl mumbled, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"I don't think you and Remus would have worked out, even if he had reacted in another way." – the boy said cautiously – "You're great as friends, but love—as in a couple—that's something different, I think. Do you really feel that way about Moony, or were you just looking for comfort and ended up with your pride hurt?"

Catherine scoffed, rising to her feet and heading towards her dormitory. "Light, what a way to start my birthday!" 

"You can run away if you wish, but sooner or later you'll have to answer this question or lose your best friend!" – James called after her, shaking his head.

***

It was a drizzly Sunday afternoon, the rain tapping softly against the windows of the library. Remus Lupin sighed heavily, realising he was reading the same page for the third time without absorbing a single word. Arithmancy was challenging enough, but today his lack of concentration was the real issue. The tension in the Gryffindor Common Room had become so thick that Remus preferred the solitude of the Library, where he could at least free Catherine from the burden of his company—his very presence seemed to irritate her.

He had hoped that her birthday might offer a chance to mend their strained friendship, but the young witch had completely ignored him. In fact, she hadn't paid attention to any of them and spent the majority of the day with Lily, Gwyneth, Mary, and—to Sirius's intense frustration—Greg McMahon. To make matters worse, the aristocrat had gifted Catherine a beautiful bouquet of orchids that must have cost a small fortune, adding insult to injury.

While Sirius had been fuming about what they had done to deserve such injustice, Remus caught James' quick glance and understood that he knew the reason. Feeling deeply ashamed and confused, the wizard decided to actively avoid his friends whenever he could, hoping that giving Catherine space would help her return to her usual self.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke his reverie, and Remus looked up to see James emerging from behind one of the bookcases. Without waiting for an invitation, James sat down across from him, trying to smile despite the clear discomfort etched on his face. 

"Aren't you done with schoolwork yet?" - he asked, trying to sound casual as he took a seat.

"I still have two essays to finish, but it's fine. I like it here—fewer distractions." - Remus replied with a sad smile.

"Is one of those distractions named Catherine Plantier?" James inquired with a crooked grin.

The other boy sighed, realising there was no point in pretending. "You already know the answer, so why deny it?"

"I know what Flame told me, but I haven't heard your side of the story." - the black-haired wizard remarked, watching as Remus looked at him with surprise.

"There's not much to tell." - Moony admitted quietly, his eyes fixed on the parchment in front of him - "I got scared, reacted badly, and probably didn't express myself the way I should have. Now I've lost my best friend and made things awkward for everyone else."

"We're not what matters here." - James said, waving his hand dismissively - "What I want to know is, do you like Catherine?"

"Of course I do." – Remus answered immediately, his cheeks flushing a deep red – "But I think not in the way she wants me to. I'm not going to lie, kissing her felt good, and I'm honestly amazed she chose me of all people. But I can't pull her deeper into my life than she already is. Since coming to Hogwarts, I've been happier than I've ever been. However, it remains a beautiful dream that's constantly overshadowed by the nightmare of what I am."

"Moony, you know she doesn't care you are… you know." – the other boy whispered, leaning in slightly.

"I know." – Remus replied with a soft smile – "But that doesn't make it right. I can't risk ruining her life by tying her to a werewolf. She already has enough to deal with just being Muggle-born. And honestly, I don't think we'd work as a couple. We're great as friends, but imagining us doing... couple things just feels off."

"I get it, mate." – James nodded thoughtfully – "And I think Catherine knows you're right too. However, she feels like you rejected her because she wasn't good enough, and now her pride's keeping her from making the first move."

"You really think so?" – the other Gryffindor asked, a flicker of hope in his voice.

"Yeah." – the black-haired boy grinned – "She misses you a lot. You two are so close, it's hard to believe your friendship could end like this."

"But what should I do?" – Remus asked, his tone tinged with panic.

"Talk to her! Tell her how much your friendship means to you!" – James urged, hoping his advice would take hold – "You know she's not unreasonable... well, once her anger cools down, anyway."

"Should I talk to her now?" - Remus asked anxiously, looking for reassurance.

"Maybe give it another week." – James suggested – "She's a bit on edge now because we need to steal a feather from Dumbledore's phoenix."

"What?!" – Remus almost choked.

"Never mind that! - James waved it off quickly - "It might be best to talk to her when we go to Hogsmeade at the beginning of December."

"I... I'm actually working that day." - Remus admitted, his voice trembling slightly - "I managed to get a job at a local shop during the days when the Hogwarts students visit. I'll be spending the day at The Witch's Garden."

"The Witch's Garden?" – James asked, puzzled.

"It's a flower shop." – Moony replied, blushing – "I think the owner took pity of me. She's a kind elderly lady."

"How about I bring her to you?" – the other boy suggested enthusiastically – "This way, I can ensure you're going to be alone."

"I think this might work." – Remus agreed, biting his lower lip nervously. After a moment, he added hesitantly – "James, about Sirius…"

"You're not thinking of telling him, are you?" – James asked alarmed.

"I don't know. Should I?" – the other Gryffindor asked, uncertainty clear in his voice.

"Absolutely not! – the black-haired wizard declared firmly – "He's going to be livid! I'm not sure he's going to understand either."

"I don't like the idea of lying to him," Remus admitted gloomily.

"I'm not telling you to lie, I'm telling you to keep your mouth shut." – James snapped – "We've got enough tension without Sirius having a meltdown on top of it all."

"But what do I say if he asks again why things are off between me and Catherine?" Remus inquired with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know… just change the subject. With any luck, we'll patch things up between you and Flame before he even gets the chance to ask again." - James said with a shrug.

"I do hope so!" – Moony mumbled under his breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.