The Moon Looks Brighter Than the Sun

The short girl walked down the aisle of the train looking for an empty compartment, thankful to be away from her brother, Austin. Austin Wilkes threatened his sister the moment the stepped on the train. If she crossed him and his friends this year he wouldn’t be as nice as he has been. Not that Austin Wilkes was ever nice, dabbling in Dark Magic just like the rest of his Slytherin friends. Elise Wilkes, still dressed in her Muggle clothes, found a compartment that was only taken up by one boy. She knew him as Peter Pettigrew. He is her age, a Gryffindor also and always trailed behind James Potter and Sirius Black.

Her heart pounded thinking that Remus Lupin would be with him. She stood in the doorway, Peter acknowledging her right away and barely could squeak out a greeting due to his nerves. She turned on her heel and walked down towards the end of the train. Why is it so hard to find a compartment? Elise wondered as she almost gave up hope. She turned around to try again when she ran into someone. She made a weird noise as she fell to the ground and the other person fell too.

“I’m so sorry,” Elise mumbled quickly as she stood up and helped the other person up. She noticed the dark, shaggy hair of Sirius Black, along with his light eyes and charming smile.

“Elise, darling, how are you?” Elise raised an eyebrow as Sirius pulled her close to him with his arm going around her shoulders.

“Looking for a compartment to sit in,” Elise’s voice was full of confusion when Sirius grabbed her trunk, leading her towards a compartment she’s already looked at.

“Everywhere else is full so why not spend it with some fellow Gryffindors, aye?”

“I-I’m okay, Sirius, really. Uh, I don’t think Austin would appreciate it.” It was a lie. A complete lie that Sirius saw through. Sirius, too, is a pure-blood from a long line of Slytherins sorted into Gryffindor. Sirius understood how Austin hates Elise for being a Gryffindor, just like Sirius’ brother, Regulus, resents him. Sirius gave Elise a look and she blushed. “Will Remus be there?”

Sirius stopped walking to look at Elise with a dangerous smile on his face. Elise did not like this smile. It definitely showed her that Sirius is up to his old tricks again. “So,” he started with a smooth voice, “you fancy Remus, huh?”

A blush colored her cheeks and she looked away from Sirius. “Shut it,” Sirius just laughed and Elise turned and glared at him. “I said shut it!” Sirius stopped laughing and put his hands up in defense.

“Hey, if it makes you feel better he’s on Prefect duty,” he opened the compartment door to reveal that Remus was not in the compartment but just Peter Pettigrew and James Potter. Peter waved, James smirked and Sirius pulled Elise into the compartment and stuffed her trunk overhead.

“Ah, Ms. Wilkes, are you going to stay when Remus returns?” James Potter kept his smirk on his face before messing up his hair, like he always did, to impress any girl around him. It was like James Potter instinct. Elise’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head dramatically.

“Oh Merlin, no! I d-don’t think I can.” The three boys looked at each other before laughing. Elise stared at them, firmly setting her jaw and crossing her arms over her chest. “What?” She snapped and each boy straightened up.

“It’s just, when you winked at him in Diagon Alley Remus hasn’t shut up about you.” James pointed out, which instantly made color fill Elise’s cheeks and she bit her lip.

“Well at first, I had to tell him about you, of course.” Sirius shrugged as he sat down next to Elise, Elise pulled some of her hair behind her ear and didn’t look at him. She knew that she wasn’t quite known as James or Sirius at Hogwarts, or even in Gryffindor, so the fact that Remus didn’t know who she was didn’t surprise her. It wasn’t like she was the most known girl in the fifth year, let alone of Hogwarts. Elise is quiet, sticks to her studies and hasn’t made really any friends. The only person she truly talks to is Lily Evans during various Slug Club parties and dinners. But Lily is friends with Severus Snape, who hangs out with her brother Austin and Elise usually steered clear of Austin’s lot.

For some reason, this year, Elise wanted to have friends. With three years left at Hogwarts she wanted to break out of her shell. She wanted to tell Remus that she’s fancied him for what felt like ages, even though it has only been two years. In their third year, he smiled at her when he picked up a book that she dropped. That smile left Elise’s heart fluttering since. After that she stared at him. Of course at thirteen and fourteen it wasn’t as creepy as Elise thinks now. She just noticed him from afar. She loved it when he laughed. The sound was beautiful in her ears, the way his nose would crinkle and the sides of his eyes. If he laughed too hard, he’d start hiccupping. It was rare when Remus Lupin would laugh real hard. One could count on James or Sirius for that laugh.

Elise noticed how tired Remus looked, the look got worse every month and Elise hated it. She noticed how Remus ignored his friends rude behavior by burying his nose in a book. Elise loved that. Over time, from the staring she’ll do in class or the Common Room, Elise learned a lot about Remus. The most important is that she knew of his secret. It didn’t take long for her to realize he was a werewolf. Once a month he’ll be out of class for a day or two, spending the night away from the Common Room. But she didn’t care about his lycanthropy. Remus isn’t a horrible person. His heart isn’t horrible. Elise knew this but did Remus?

A quick clap in Elise’s face caused her to snap out of her thoughts and blink a few times at James Potter’s face. He stared at her with his dark brown eyes and smirk on his face. Peter was laughing a squeaky laugh next to James and Sirius was laughing loudly at Elise’s side. Her face burned with embarrassment. “Glad you could join us,” James spoke smoothly as he sat back down with Peter. He smiled wide, “you go to those Slug Clubs with Evans right?”

“Yes,” she paused and eyed up James suspiciously, “but I’m not going to talk you up to her. She doesn’t particularly like it when you pick on Severus.” James rolled his eyes, Sirius laughed louder and Peter patted James on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

“You’re not fun ‘Lise, mind if I call you ‘Lise, do you?” Elise raised an eyebrow at her new nickname from James but shrugged, there was no use in saying no because he’ll still call her this. James smiled, a small laugh escaped his lips. “I like you. You’ll make Remus happy, I know that.” Elise stared at him with wide eyes.

“Will you stop? I-I don’t t-think Remus likes me in the first place.” Sirius straightened up in his seat and stared at Elise, James raised both of his eyebrows and Peter cocked his head to the side.

“How can you say that?”

“He’s crazy about you.”

“You’re pretty.” Elise, James and Sirius both gave Peter a look, who just blushed and started nervously playing with his fingers. The door to the compartment opened up and Remus stood in the doorway. His brown eyes were fixed on Elise, she stared back at him with her gray eyes wide. Sirius gave a look to James, one that read ‘awkward’ and James laughed silently.

“H-hi,” Remus didn’t look at his friends, just at Elise, with a blush on his cheeks. He could feel his face getting warmer and his ears were most-likely red already. Elise’s lips curled into a small smile as she looked down at her lap.

“Hey.” Her voice sounded like the most gorgeous thing in his ears. It was light yet not annoying like most girls. It flowed out of her and to him. And her scent filled his nostrils more than the boys in the compartment. Strawberries and fresh pine. Remus felt like he was outside in an empty meadow with strawberry patches and pine trees in the distance. It wasn’t until Lily Evans poked her head into the compartment under Remus’ arm and spoke loudly.

“Elise! Do you want to come to my compartment with the girls? These boys kind of, well, they’re not cool.” Lily smirked as she eyed up James and James’ face fell. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked over to Elise.

“Go or she’ll never shut up.” Elise nodded, Sirius grabbed her trunk and she waved goodbye to James and Peter. Remus stepped aside for Elise to go through, his body stiffened when her arm barely brushed his. The touch felt like electric. Elise looked back at Remus, as Lily walked towards her compartment talking Elise’s ear off, Elise gave Remus a small wave. Remus swallowed and looked back into the compartment that held his three best friends.

“And all you said to her was h-hi?” James shook his head and Sirius clamped a hand on Remus’ shoulder as he sat down. Still stunned he looked up at James with wide eyes.

“Why was she here?” He barely got out, like the words completely escaped him as he spoke. It came out rude, which he didn’t want but his friend shrugged.

“Peter saw her pass the compartment not long ago so I asked her to join us when I found her. James thought it’ll be a good idea to have her stay so you two can talk. Or something.” Sirius paused and gave his friend a serious face. “You totally blew it.”

“I’m sorry,” Remus told him quietly before rubbing his face with his hand. “She smelled so good.” He admitted, the three other boys exchanged looks and looked at their friend strangely.

“She smelled normal, mate, I don’t know what your special nose is smelling.” James winked at saying special and Remus’ face heated up. He didn’t know his friends couldn’t smell the gorgeous smell that belongs to Elise Wilkes.

“It was strawberries and pine.”

“Maybe you should stop being awkward and go talk to her,” Peter spoke up, definitely making up for his petty pretty comment to Elise earlier. Remus shook his head at his friend.

“That’s-that’s impossible.” James and Sirius exchanged looks that read ‘challenge accepted’.

Meanwhile in Lily’s compartment, Elise sat there listening to all the fast spoken words of Lily Evans and Mary MacDonald. Elise felt possibly more uncomfortable in this compartment than with boys who wanted to set her up with their best friend. Lily suddenly turned to Elise and smiled, her green eyes lighting up with excitement behind them.

“I know who you like,” she spoke in a sing-song voice and Elise stared at her, alarmed.

“No you don’t,” she choked out and Lily giggled, Mary doing the same but covered her mouth with her hand.

“Yeah, I do, Elise. You like Remus Lupin. I’ve known for AGES now, like the way you look at him and stuff.”

“You’re delusional.”

“No, my dear Elise, you are. I’ll talk to Remus about you and you two will be snogging in no time!” Lily and Mary squealed and Elise rolled her eyes but a small smile formed on her face.

“You’d really do that?” Lily nodded, moving over to Elise and put an arm around her.

“Of course, we’re friends.” Lily didn’t know how happy she really made Elise that day. It was then that Lily Evans became best friends with Elise Wilkes. And Lily ended up accepting the same challenge that James and Sirius silently accepted. From then on in, three people were in operation: Get Elise and Remus together.