#with: self

[aliceafterall-blog-blog]

A Letter Home // September 7th // One-Shot

Dear Mum and Dad,

I've been here a week or so now, and finally have a smidgen of down time, so I figured I should write and tell you how I've been. Others have been sending owls out of late, and I've been quite caught up in my work, but now, at 2am on a Saturday night, or rather, Sunday morning I suppose it is, I'm alone, and I can tell you much of what's all that has been going on since I last saw you.

Classes are going well, I love the teachers I have this year. I was even complemented (once, but still) on how I'm doing in DADA, so there's that accomplishment. Dad, I know that you were excellent in that subject so perhaps my ability is shining through, albeit in a small manner. But any progress is something, is it not?

I met a new girl. I sat with someone new on the train-ride, due to   . 

I found someone who might be a new friend. She's called Andromeda, and she's a member of the Black family. I know that they're aligned with those less-favorable, but she seems different. She still got all nervous when her elder sister came by our compartment. Well, the elder sister only walked by, but Andromeda still seemed scared because of it all. 

Is it bad? I can't ask any of my friends, because I fear they'll chastise me. Is that bad? I should trust them with everything, shouldn't I? I'm sorry to pose all these questions to you two.

How are you? How's the home? Has Marnie come by asking for me? If she does, please give her a kiss and tell her Alice misses her so very much. It was so fun caring for her over the summertime! She does seem to be very intelligent and aware of the world, especially for being a muggle child of only five years old.  I don't want anybody to die, but I can sense it deep in my bones that I'm wrong about the outcome of that. Keep Marnie safe, please? She's a muggle, and I don't want her to see our world in a bad light. Thank you.

I'm also scared for what's going to happen this year----

I don't want to be. I want to be brave and protect everyone. I mean, I will. I'm not so scared I'm immobile, but still. I want to fix things, and make them right. I wish people didn't have the deep prejudices that they seem to have. It does nobody any kind of good to think that way. I want to make things right, and I want to live.

I suppose.

Though I do feel myself getting somewhat swept up in all of this. I'm more hesitant to trust some Slytherins, and I only sit with those in my house.

I just hope this all fixes itself sooner than later, because I don't want our world to burn up.

This is a short letter, and I'm sorry for that. I wish you both were here. I miss you terribly. Keep yourselves safe, and I'll see you come Christmastime. 

With all the love in the world,

Your daughter,

Alice

[monsterbymoonlight]

Prompt: You wake up post-full moon to see your friends sleeping beside you.

Thursday, 9 September 1976

Remus woke with a soft groan, every muscle in this body throbbing, stretched well past normal human limitations the night before. It had been the first moon of the school year, and he’d made his friends promise to keep him inside the cabin this time. Undoubtedly it had been a violent moon, but they’d opted to stay with him anyway.

He carefully turned his head to the side, a little surprised to find them there, but a smile bloomed across his face, as much as it hurt, he couldn’t get rid of it. It felt too good, to have them here when he woke. They were out, no doubt having worn themselves, and Moony, out the night before. Class wouldn’t begin for a couple hours yet; Remus always woke at dawn after a full moon, more than a little relieved to look human again. They could afford to sleep in a bit.

He studied each of them as they dozed on. James was on his side, spine arched backward against the wall, soft breathing nearly making Remus drift off again. Peter was curled in on himself, squeaking in his slumber at some imagined foe, perhaps. Sirius was sprawled out on his back, loud, snuffling snores vibrating through him.

Times like these gave Remus a kind of focus and perspective he rarely had at all. These boys, these Marauders were his family. There was no getting around that. They were his brothers more than his blood relatives were his family. These three boys were his pack.

Remus sighed, relaxed as best he could. His eyes drifted closed, a soft smile playing along his mouth. He was safe. His pack was watching over him. He could go back to sleep.