Mary nudged him with her foot, too comfortable to move from where she sat on the couch in the common room, book in hand. With a tilt of her head, she flashed him a sympathetic smile. “I was just telling you about this new book I’m reading, but you seem like you’re dozing off. Have you been sleeping enough?”

Remus sat up, readjusting himself to actually look awake and look as though he cared. Of course he cared, of course Remus cared what Mary was saying-- he was simply out of it. “No, no, no, no-- of course I’m listening. I’m listening I swear, I’m totally listening. Could you just uh, repeat that again?” Remus asked tentatively, flashing a smile as if it would convince her. 

“The Ravenclaw fifth year prefects had asked if we could switch patrol times so that they could study for their History of Magic exams. I told them I had to check with you first.” Lily offered a soft smile. It was obvious that he needed rest, and that any extra work was not the best option right now. “I’ll send them to check with the Hufflepuffs. Remus, is everything okay?”

Remus tilted his head, listening carefully. “Yeah, I’m all good not to worry.” He told Lily, sitting up a bit and propping his head on his arms. “You don’t need to send them to the Hufflepuffs, I can switch times with them if that’s alright with you.” Giving her a smile, he went on. “How are you doing, Lily?”

“Good morning, sunshine,” Emmeline said, far too loudly, grinning and aiming to shake him out of his reverie. She took a sip of the cup of coffee in her hand and nodded her chin in the direction of a second, that she’d brought over to offer to him. “I’m not going to repeat it. It’s too much fun to leave you wondering what you’ve missed. Which–– apparently, is about fifty years of sleep on top of all of my enlightening remarks today.”

Remus glanced over at the cup of coffee that Emmeline had brought him, instantly taking it and bringing it to his lips. “Thank you so much, I’ve been secretly craving this and I hadn’t known it and here you are.” He told her, raising the cup to her before taking a sip again. “Merlin, you’re probably right. Uh-- what have you been up to, Emmeline?” Although nicknames were quite common and some even preferred those over their actual names, Remus always seemed to sway towards others real names more than anything-- unless specifically asked by that one person. The last thing he wanted to do was force a nickname upon someone.

“Bloody Merlin, Moony.”  James replied.

Remus squeezed his eyes shut, as his brain finally processed what James was saying and he actually had to think about that a moment. “Its, uh, aconite, I think.” He only knew that from growing up in the forest, his mother made him learn a ridiculous amount of herbology-- at least, the poisonous ones.

“I… what?” Lily rose her head quickly, green eyes rapidly taking in her surroundings, red hair stuck to her face. Shaking her head, she reached for a nearby pot of coffee, poured herself a mug, and began cleaning the books and parchment that had been littered around her. “Look, the next time I say that I’m going to study all night in the Great Hall, please stop me. Take my quills away, slip me a sleeping potion, something.”

Remus smiled upon the sight he found, poor Lily sleeping away her morning already. “Lily-- I’ve tried, and honestly, I’ve told you that you can study all night with me. No need to er, pull an all nighter by yourself down here.” Without asking, Remus moved to help her with her books as she was probably far more exhausted than he was-- and that was certainly saying something. “Have you any idea exactly when it was you passed out?” He asked, taking up the seat beside her.

Remus wasn’t necessarily a prideful person, but he did not like the idea of taking her arm. It just didn’t sit right with him for some reason, so naturally he declined her offer. “Oh no thank you, I’m quite alright. I’ve held up two very not-sober teenage boys on my own.” He flashed a smile, still putting up a sober voice-- which, didn’t quite work out as he hoped. “I must admit, that is a good disguise though, I would not have thought of it myself.”

Daisy smiled widely as the boy changed his answer. Whenever someone talked about apple pie, she referred it to home life. Her parents, though, wasn’t much for that type of home life. “Apple pie? People always rave that their parents make the best.”

Remus blushed in the slightest at her words, as that was precisely what he was going to say. “Ah-- yes, my mother really does. Or at least, in my opinion. I can make a decent apple pie, but it’s nowhere near the wonder that my mother can create.” He told her, smiling at the thought.

She stepped away from the wall as he did, stepping a bit in front of him to maneuver her way through the crowd. Her dress had started to feel more restricting as the time had passed, and maybe it was the crowd that was making her chest tighten, but an excuse to get away from the crowds. Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled. “Now that I’ve gotten you to leave the ball, you have no choice but to hear me drown on about muggle books.”

Shaking his head slightly, Remus laughed for a moment. “Honestly, that sounds a whole lot better than these drunken fourth years rambling on and on.” At one point, several of them gathered around his corner and gossiped about their little circle of friends-- it was a conversation he really wish would disappear from his memory. “I’m also just a bit out of it myself, and I truly don’t want to make a fool of myself,” he added after a moment while putting on his best sober voice.

“Thank you, Remus.” She blushed slightly as he looked at her, the punch already betraying her and making the blush worse. Clearing her throat, she glanced around. “What do you say? Think you’ve had enough of the party or is this still a better fate than hearing about the books I like?”

Instantly, Remus pushed himself off the wall and set down his glass. “I’ve been dying for an excuse to leave, truly.” He told her, already gesturing for her to walk first. Admittedly, he didn’t quite want her to see him walk-- he was a bit of a mess this evening. “This is a dreadfully boring ball, and I would much rather be sitting by the fire and not around er-- so many people.”

Daisy smiled at the the boy, even though he didn’t seem very comfortable at the situation going on right now, he seemed to be trying. The blonde girl appreciated that. She knew she was sometimes too perky or too upbeat for others.

Remus quickly shook his head, “Oh gosh no-- sugar isn’t very much for me.” He told her, but of course he changed his mind. “Actually, unless its in the form of pie or cookies. Specifically apple pie.” It was definitely up there for him, seeing as it constantly reminded him of home. Not the sort of home that meant looks of pity and being locked in the basement, but the kind with picnics in the forest and homemade apple pie. The best kind.

Maya rose her brows and laughed, walking with him to the exit as the cool breeze greeted them both.

Remus wasn’t quite sure why Maya was going outside, it was quite cold out there to be honest. He preferred the warmth of indoors, even if there were far too many people stuffed into the hallways. 

She heard the familiar voice and kept walking until she was right next to him. Eyes turning to scan the crowd and admire the decorations, Mary smiled. “Well, you look handsome, Remus.” She turned back to look at him. “Though someone should tell you not to look at everyone with such an unhappy look.”

Flashing Mary a look, he frowned slightly. “I do not have an unhappy look on my face,” that was obviously a lie. “I am perfectly content here in my corner.” He told her, holding up his nearly finished glass of punch. For a moment, Remus actually took a look at what Mary was wearing. Just as many of the girls here, she looked just wonderful. “You look lovely as well, Mary.” A small smile appeared briefly.

Maya smirked, watching him take the cup with almost steady hands and a steady stance, her amusement at the perfect student’s inability to string a sentence together almost making her laugh outright.

Remus watched her take his cup, scrunching his eyebrows together as if trying to figure out why she had done that. Her words whisked away the thought, as he followed after her a bit. Whenever Remus drank, he either became very depressed and lonely or he suddenly turned into, well, a people person. The boy was no longer terrified to hold a conversation when he was intoxicated.