Chapter 185 - Cherry on Top

Rowan seemed quite refreshed the next day when they arrived at platform 9 ¾'s. And unlike the times before this time, they were apparated there by Reginald and Tadbey from the outskirts off of the Prince grounds. The three boys had dark circles on their eyes, while Rowan's face gleamed with a night full of rest. Reginald did indeed notice but chose not to comment on the subject as all three boys kept shooting his granddaughter dark glares as they made their way through the station.

Stopping at the enchanted wall, Reginald says, "Alright, Severus, you're with the younger Black, and the eldest Black with Rowan and me." Glancing about, both boys calmly headed towards the wall, before vanishing on the other end. Reginald glanced about to before moving forward with the other two.

The three of them emerged on the other side of King's cross as the scarlet engine next to the platform that was presently smoking. The crowd, as usual, urges through the wrought-iron archway and chatters with their children and friends. "Alright now, children, I want you to be good and have fun this year," Reginald said as he gave each of his grandchildren a tight hug. Seeing the wistful gazes on the Black children, he quickly did the same for the two Back children after a brief hesitation.

Flushing brightly, but pleased Sirius tries to thank him only to awkwardly squeaks, "Thank you for signing my textbooks, sir!"

"It was my pleasure," Reginald solemnly replied ignoring the embarrassed expression of Sirius of having his voice abruptly squeak. Regulus hides a smirk and instead shyly nods his head in thanks as well.

The four of them quickly gave him one last goodbye before making their way through the crowd. "Do you see, Lily?" Severus asked as he craned his neck this way and yet.

"She's probably already on the train," Rowan muttered to only suddenly be left behind as Sirius at the same time shouts, "Lupin!"

Shaking her head, she turns to Regulus, who was also abandoned, "Let's go look for your friends or in my case, my idiot twin brother." Making their way forward, Rowan pauses to glance in the direction of Sirius and Lupin. Lupin still looked tired as usual, but the two parental figures behind him seemed much more at ease. It made sense that the monster, Fenrir Grayback, who had infected their child was now very much dead.

It was the only consolation Rowan had as at least that creature wouldn't be infecting anyone else ever again. But still, the price had been much too high costing Sara Vinovich her life. And though she was aware that Fenrir Grayback wasn't her killer, he was still half responsible for her death. For had Vinovich remained with Percius Clements the chances of her death would have been rather slim to none.

Levitating Regulus's trunk on board, Regulus flushes sheepishly in thanks having forgotten he could technically now perform magic. The two of them quickly made their way down the compartments before spotting the three friends of Regulus. "Hello, Prince!" Said, the squared jawed witch of Letitia Bones.

"Hello Miss Bones," Rowan said with a twitch of a smile on her lips. "And hello to you both as well, Mr. Crouch and Mr. Cresswell." The two boys greeted her back with a smile.

Letitia pouts and says, "It's Letitia! There's no Miss or Mr.'s here!"

"My bad," Rowan teased. "Well, have fun you, four, I still have to find my own compartment."

"Goodbye, Rowan!" All of them called out to her with cheeky smiles as Rowan shakes her head and mutters something about cheeky juniors under her breath.

Trying some various compartments, Rowan slams one open and freezes a bit in surprise at opening a Slytherin 7th year compartment. Mavis Nott, the short spiky haired Captain of Slytherin was chatting with the furry eyebrowed boy with a squashed nose that was one of the BELIEVERS.

Rowan shudders at recalling the 1st year quidditch cult incident. Not even meaning for her eyes stray to the couple making out on the other side of the compartment, but they did. To only spot a rather curved, luscious witch with dark hair and cocoa colored skin sitting on the lap of a certain dark-haired boy, S.R. Wilkes.

To Rowan's vast relief and slight disappointment, she didn't feel a single thing in her chest. Bowing quickly Rowan says, "My deepest apologies," before quickly closing the door and heading over to the next compartment. From behind her, she hears a curse and a female's angry voice as the compartment slams open and closes.

"Sorry that you had to see that, Rowan," Said, a rather flushed Wilkes with red, swollen kissed lips.

"It's alright," Rowan said with a shrug. "I'm just looking for Severus and Terry. I have yet to find either of them."

"Oh," Wilkes lamely said, before saying, "Well good luck then."

"Thanks," Rowan kindly said, before adding an afterthought. "And congratulations on the cute girlfriend." Wilkes is still for a moment, before flashing her a strange smile, before returning to his own compartment.

A bit puzzled by the smile, Rowan shrugs and continues down the train, before at last finding the right door. Waiting inside were the already seated figures of Lily, Severus, and Terry. Almost about to curse, the train lets out a warning shriek as the last of the gaggle boards the train.

Glaring, Rowan shoves her trunk in place and slumps down into her seat with her arms crossed over her chest. "I profusely dislike you all," Rowan grumbled as the Hogwarts Express gave one last shriek, before pulling away from the platform and surging forward on its way.

Not the least bit tired for once, Rowan pulled out a book to read, while Terry, Lily, and Severus discussed the latest news and gossip.

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Lily excitedly said. "Even if it's the only non-muggle community in Britain-."

"Honeydukes!" Terry happily said causing Lily to blankly stare. "It's only the greatest sweet shop in the world. There are Pepper Imps- that make you smoke at the mouth. Great fat, Chocoballs, full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream. Sugar quills that look just like quills only can be eaten!"

Before Terry ramble on the greatness of Honeydukes, Severus says, "Yes, Hogsmeade is rather interesting. It's one of the sites in Sites of Historical Sorcery as the inn was used as headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion."

Terry lets out a moan, "-And massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them!"

The three of them went on and on about Hogsmeade that Rowan was quite grateful when the lady with the food cart came by. But the peaceful silence did not last long as they continued their loud chatter.

Starting to get a headache, Rowan with a huff gets up and says, "I'm going to find a quieter place to read," before striding out to their surprised gazes.

Wandering down the corridor, Rowan searching an empty compartment, she suddenly found herself pulled into one. "What the-!"

"Shh, it's just us, Rowan!" James said with his face only scant inches away from her own.

Rowan quickly stumbled back to glare at the three other boys. "And pray tell, why I have been forcefully graced with the four of your presences?"

Sirius shrugs as if to say, "I told you so," while Pettigrew crosses his arms over his chest in as if to say, "Don't say I didn't warn you all!"

"Well, we need to talk about something private," Lupin nervously said as he clutched his robes in his hand.

Pointing her wand at the door, Rowan locks the door and murmurs Muffliato. "What was that last spell?" Lupin said with wide eyed curiosity.

"Severus invented it," Rowan honestly confessed. "It makes anyone listening in or trying to listen in on the conversation only hear a buzzing sound."

"That's brilliant!" Lupin said in awe as the other boys echoed the sentiment.

"So, what is it that you all deem so important to discuss in private?" Rowan said with a frown.

"Well, I'm-," Lupin started to say, before pausing to only do it all over again.

Exasperated, Rowan drily said, "You're a werewolf."

Everyone's mouth flops open as Sirius in panic shouts, "I swear I didn't tell her, Remy!"

Lupin seems confused until Rowan rolls her eyes and says, "I've known since our first year. We did study, the basics of werewolves you know. And anyone who knows you, personally, it is a rather easy feat to put all the pieces together."

"Oh," Lupin flushed in embarrassment. "But why didn't you say anything?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Rowan said with a shrug. "I wasn't about to pry into such a delicate, private subject unless you were willing to share it first."

"Huh, you're actually a good friend," Pettigrew said in amazement as Rowan flashed him a scowl.

"Well, that makes things so much easier," James said flashing her an award-winning smile.

Getting a very bad feeling, Rowan says, "And what exactly is that?"

Lupin sheepishly smiles at her as James grins warmly back. "In our independent research, we've at last come up with a feasible idea."

"Which is?" Rowan said with a distorting feeling in her stomach of knowing exactly what it was.

"We'll become animagus!" James proudly declared.

Rowan rapidly paled at the reply. In all honesty, this was her fault really. She was the one who instigated them to study and learn they did. And now, they were more than an entire year ahead of the previous timeline.

"And how will that help, Lupin?" Rowan faked her surprise, which wasn't a total exaggeration given that they had indeed sprung this neat little trap on her.

"While in Animagus form, wizards are immune to werewolf bites!" Sirius eagerly chirped. "But even better a werewolf won't attack them in that form either!"

"And you're going to what? Accompany Lupin every full moon, while in an Animagus form?" Rowan sarcastically said.

"Exactly!" They all said in unison.

Resisting the urge to slam her head into the wall, Rowan says, "And how will you all, exactly go about to accomplish such a feat? Need, I remind you that the process is incredibly difficult!" Rowan is about to list the exact steps as she freezes at seeing their identical Cheshire smiles.

"Oh, no!" Rowan said. "No, I'm not going to help you, four!"

"Please with a cherry on top!" Sirius begged proudly having learned that muggle expression from Severus.

"No, I'm not listening! La, la, la!" Rowan said as she moved to plug her ears.

"Please Rowan," Lupin pleaded with a tired, hopeful gaze.

Cursing their hope-filled gaze, Rowan finally says, "Fine, I'll help you."

"I knew you would!" James said as he pulled her into a hug as Rowan struggled to get away from the brat.

"I said, I would help! Now, let me go, James!" Rowan snarled only for James to smirk and plant a great big kiss right on her lips. Everyone freezes including that of James unable to believe what had just occurred as he'd been aiming for her cheek.

They both instantly pull away as Rowan rather pale and hoarse says, "Let us never speak of this incident again."

"That's fine with me," James solemnly agreed as they both actively avoided looking at each other, violently shuddering, and trying not to gag.

Clearing her throat, Rowans says, "Before we start anything, you're going to need to convince Severus to help as well."

"Why?" Pettigrew curiously piped in.

"Because I can't make the potion that is needed as it is far too complicated," Rowan snapped. "But Severus can. He helped grandfather this summer to make potions all the way up our seventh year. If anyone can do it, it'd be him."

"I'll handle that detail," Sirius proudly boasted as he thumped his chest in confidence.

"Then we'll see you in the library at our usual spot," Lupin said with a kind smile. "Thank you, Rowan for doing this. You didn't have too, but still, thanks again."

"Right," Rowan murmured, before hastily unlocking the door and fleeing lest she is coerced into anything else. Not that she had forgotten that James Potter had stolen her first kiss, but it wasn't very important in the scheme of things. Nor did she like him in that manner. It was largely uncomfortable, to say the least.