Battle Report

Little Barty's expression froze for a second, looking somewhat confused.

Lucretia added, "Not snacks. Something filling, like sandwiches and hot soup, so you can eat during your break. Training is tough, you should replenish your energy."

Little Barty stopped walking and turned to her. "...You want to make me lunch?"

"Mm, I need to practice my cooking anyway..."

The fatigue on Little Barty's face faded by half. "There's a rest area behind the training grounds. You can come straight there. Don't enter the training grounds—it's dangerous."

They reached the corner of the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower before Little Barty stopped, reaching out to straighten a loose spot on her robe's collar.

"If you're coming, I'll tell Regulus. He'll definitely look forward to your lunch too."

Lucretia took the bag he handed back. "Alright. Then go back early and change your clothes. Don't catch a cold."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

Lupin had already been about to leave.

Patrol was over; time to head back to the Common Room.

But his steps halted.

Little Barty was still standing at the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

Lucretia had already gone inside, the door shut, but he remained there.

Lupin retreated into the shadows.

Little Barty's shoulders were still straight, like on the training grounds.

But after a few seconds, his whole posture suddenly slackened.

First his shoulders dropped, then he sneezed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

He stood there for a few more seconds, his gaze still fixed on the tower entrance.

Then he shook his head, as if shaking off a thought, before turning and heading toward the dungeons.

Lupin waited until his figure had completely disappeared before stepping out of the shadows.

That waiting, that reluctance to leave...

He wasn't spying; he just wanted to make sure Lucretia reached her destination safely.

But what he'd just seen made him think.

This wasn't a simple escort.

Little Barty had waited for her to enter the tower, standing there for a long time before leaving.

It was a genuine care that couldn't be ignored.

But now he needed to decide how much to tell his friends.

Especially where Sirius was concerned.

After all, James would inevitably give him a friendly grilling when he got back.

He chose the longer route back to Gryffindor Tower, avoiding the secret passages.

The corridors were empty, save for his footsteps and the occasional murmur of portraits as he passed.

The werewolf relief potion Lucretia had prepared for him was already finished; she'd bring it to him on Saturday.

At that thought, a wave of gratitude washed over Lupin.

Such kindness and understanding meant a lot to him.

By the time Lupin stepped into the Common Room, it was nearly empty.

Only two younger girls remained by the fireplace, enthusiastically swapping Chocolate Frog cards.

James and Sirius sat at the round table closest to the hearth.

Parchment was spread out, quills in hand, but the pretense was too obvious.

James's gaze drifted toward the portrait hole every few seconds, his fingers tapping an arrhythmic beat on the table.

Sirius's quill hovered in mid-air, ink pooling at the tip, ready to drip.

But his attention was nowhere near his homework.

The Marauder's Map lay open on the table, a single label stationary.

Lucretia Crouch, Ravenclaw Tower.

The moment he saw Lupin, James set down his quill. "Moony! Finally! We were about to send out a search party."

Sirius's quill finally left an ink blot on the paper.

Lupin walked over to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The warmth from the Common Room fireplace was comforting, driving away the chill of the night corridors.

The torches on the walls cast flickering shadows around them, illuminating Sirius's tense shoulders.

Lupin said calmly, draping his robe over the back of the chair, "I got held up on the way. Wanted to make sure they were both alright."

Sirius looked up, his brow furrowed. "She got back to the Common Room safely?"

Lupin nodded, reaching for a copy of Advanced Transfiguration that James had used to weigh down the edge of the Marauder's Map, flipping through a few pages idly.

"Safe and sound. But you wouldn't believe the state Crouch was in. Soaked through, head to toe."

James stopped his unconscious drumming on the table. "Soaked through?"

Lupin explained quietly, still turning pages, his eyes skimming paragraphs he already knew by heart. "Downpour. It was pouring during Quidditch training. Looks like he came straight from practice, didn't have time to change before he went to get her."

James straightened up, tugged at his tie, and made an exaggerated shivering pose. "Aha! How perfectly Slytherin-romantic, truly touching! I can picture it now—the knight in the storm, braving the elements, just to wait for his princess!"

Sirius snatched the book from Lupin's hands and slammed it down in front of James. "Shut it, you bloody Fork."

James grinned at Sirius, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, getting touchy, are we? My dear Padfoot, is that jealousy I smell? Or are you just kicking yourself for not having an excuse to pick up the little princess yourself?"

Sirius gritted his teeth and shoved James's arm off, glancing at the clock above the Common Room. "I'm not jealous. I just want to know what they talked about."

James waved a hand dismissively. "Do you even need to think about it? Crouch probably did what we saw last time—classic guard-dog dialogue, all protective posture, with that soft tone only she gets to hear. Though I'm guessing no Slytherin cloak wrap this time, right, Moony? Can't exactly send a girl home dripping wet."

Lupin shifted his gaze to the Marauder's Map on the table, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Not quite, James. Actually, they looked... natural."

Sirius stopped fiddling with his quill and looked up. "What do you mean?"

Lupin leaned back in his chair, thinking about how to accurately describe what he'd seen.

"Crouch was standing there waiting for her, soaked through, of course. But when she showed concern, he didn't pretend everything was fine, and he didn't put on a brave front... There was an ease between them when they were alone, more comfortable than anything I've seen before. He took her bag, like it was something they did every day."

Sirius's voice was low, almost flat. "And then?"

"They talked about the Perception Magic Lucretia learned in class. Crouch mentioned that from high altitudes, you can sense magical fluctuations differently—especially when looking down from above the castle."

"What?"

Lupin said, "He offered to take her up to experience it from the air."

Sirius hadn't quite processed the implication yet.

"After next week's training, around sunset. He said from that height, you can see the whole magical flow of Hogwarts, like a web of life."

James asked in surprise, his eyes lighting up. "Crouch is taking her on a broom? Merlin's beard, if I'd known about her talent sooner, I'd have brainwashed her on the spot at my place instead of all that Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff talk! And you all saw her first Flying class—that broom control was practically instinct! If she were our Gryffindor first-year..."

Lupin noticed Sirius gripping his quill tighter and cut James off immediately. "He said he'd take her like before, wouldn't let her handle the broom alone. Lucretia hesitated for a bit, but she agreed in the end."

James clutched his chest dramatically, making an injured face. "Sunset flight overlooking the magical web? Merlin's beard! I've been chasing Lily for years, and it never occurred to me to try that! I've been stuck on 'Hey, Lily, want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend?' like some ancient pick-up line."

He turned to Sirius, winking.

"Looks like we need to take romance lessons from Crouch, Padfoot. Who knew that stone-faced Slytherin would be a dating expert? And with the classic 'I'm only special to you' routine that girls can't resist! I've got to find a way to get closer to him—maybe this year you'll hear my good news!"

James kept rambling, dissecting Crouch's dating techniques, each word stabbing into Sirius's nerves like a needle.

Sunset flight.

Magical web.

Dating expert.

Sirius suddenly dropped his quill. It bounced off the table with a sharp clatter. "That's not a date."

His voice was calm.

So calm that even James stopped his teasing, blinking.

Sirius picked up the quill again and lowered his head.

But he had no idea what he was writing.

He just needed to do something to prove he was normal, composed.

That he didn't care one bit about Little Barty taking Lucretia to see some magical web.

Lupin quietly set down his book and shot James a warning look.

Seeing James shrug in surrender, signaling he'd play the quiet listener for now, Lupin continued. "They also talked about Saturday's plans."

Sirius forced himself to look like he was listening, not imagining a sunset flight high in the air.

Lupin tapped the spine of the book with his fingers. "She offered to make him lunch and bring it to the training field. Crouch said Saturday was a full day of practice, no lunch break. Sandwiches, hot soup—that kind of thing. She said he works hard and needs the energy."

Sirius stared at the ink stain on the table. It had grown as big as a black flower.

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