Liliana's Point of View

Liliana sauntered into the Slytherin common room, the flickering emerald light casting shadows on the stone walls. She was still thinking about the walk with Remus, a smirk playing on her lips. There was something about him—something different. He wasn’t like the other boys she’d spent time with. He was quieter, thoughtful, but there was a sharpness to him, a hidden wit that intrigued her. He was a challenge, and she liked challenges.

As she stepped inside, she immediately spotted her two best friends, Estelle and Marissa, lounging by the fire, sharing what looked like a chocolate frog. They glanced up when she entered, and Estelle raised an eyebrow.

“Well?” Estelle asked, sitting up straighter, her curiosity piqued. “How did it go?”

Liliana plopped down into the armchair across from them, her smirk widening. “I definitely found my guy.”

Marissa leaned forward, eyes wide with excitement. “Remus Lupin, right? The quiet bookworm?”

Liliana nodded, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Yeah, him. He’s more interesting than I thought. It's definitely not what I expected.”

Estelle grinned, but there was a sly glint in her eyes. “Okay, but how are you going to get him to break up with you? What’s your plan?”

Liliana leaned back in her chair, her mind already working through the details. “Well, tomorrow, I’ll start by getting him to like me. I’ll play it sweet, make him think he’s got a good thing going. Then—” She paused for dramatic effect, her grin turning almost wicked, “—I’ll flip the switch.”

Mari furrowed her brow, confused. “Flip the switch? What does that mean?”

Liliana rolled her eyes playfully. “You know... I’ll go all apeshit. Start acting insane, doing all the things that drive guys crazy. The annoying little habits, the weird clinginess, the wild mood swings. You know, the stuff they hate.”

Estelle’s laughter erupted, and Mari quickly joined in, both of them clutching their sides as they imagined the havoc Liliana was planning.

“You’re evil,” Mari said between giggles, wiping a tear from her eye. “Absolute evil. This poor guy doesn’t stand a chance.”

Liliana shrugged with a mock-innocent expression. “He’ll survive. And besides, it’s a bet. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

They spent the next half hour scheming, tossing around ridiculous ideas about how Liliana could torment poor Remus in the most creative ways possible. Estelle suggested she start chewing loudly during meals, while Mari suggested she could demand constant attention, texting him every second he wasn’t with her. The ideas became more outrageous, and by the time they were done, the three of them were in hysterics, barely able to breathe from laughing so hard.

“I can’t wait to see how this plays out,” Mari said, still catching her breath.

Liliana leaned back, her smirk firmly in place. “Oh, it’s going to be fun. He won’t know what hit him.”

---

Remus's Point of View

Remus walked back toward the Gryffindor Tower, the weight of the evening’s events lingering in his mind. He hadn’t expected the walk with Liliana to go the way it did. She was sharper than he thought—witty, confident, and definitely not easy to read. The whole bet felt different now. He thought it might be simple at first, but now? He wasn’t so sure.

As he pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady, the warm glow of the Gryffindor common room greeted him. The familiar sight of his three friends lounging on the couches near the fire instantly brought a sense of comfort. Sirius was sprawled out, James was flipping through a Quidditch magazine, and Peter was munching on some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.

“There he is,” Sirius called out, smirking as Remus made his way over to the group. “We thought you’d gotten lost. You were gone for so long, it’s already dark outside.”

Remus rolled his eyes, trying to keep his cool. “We were just talking. Lost track of time, I guess.”

James raised an eyebrow and shot a glance at Sirius. “Just talking, huh? I’d say you were doing more than talking, Moony.”

Before Remus could respond, James leaned forward, snatching the book out of his hand as he tried to sit down. “Come on, mate. Give us the details. How did it go?”

Remus hesitated, his mind replaying the conversation with Liliana. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before. She wasn’t just pretty; she was clever, sharp, and maybe even a little dangerous. But that only made her more intriguing.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, finally. “She’s...different.”

Sirius grinned, clearly entertained. “Different? How so?”

“She’s hard to read. She’s smart. Sharp-tongued. A bit of a challenge,” Remus said, leaning back in his chair. “But... I think I’m up for it. I think I can get her to fall for me.”

Peter, who had been unusually quiet, chimed in. “Are you sure? I mean, she’s a Slytherin.”

Remus shrugged. “That doesn’t mean anything. I think I can do it. But... Sirius, you said she's friends with your brother, right?”

"Yeah?"

James leaned forward, his eyes glinting with excitement. “But what?”

"What do you mean?"

James looked around and then back at Remus, "You were going to say something, but your mind went somewhere else."

Remus sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know.”