A/N: This was for honeybeebeauty's Unlikely Pairing Challenge! Hope it isn't rubbish. Reviews are lovely and everyone knows that.

Remus Lupin had no idea why he let James and Sirius make him do stupid things. Like go to dances. He couldn't dance! He didn't even want to dance. So he stood against the wall, sipping on (spiked) punch.

"Well. If isn't Loony Lupin," Narcissa Black grumbled as she leaned against the wall as well. "What brings you here?"

Remus raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, if it isn't Narcissa the Narcissist. Why do you care what brings me here?"
Narcissa slowly moved her eyes from the dancing couples to Remus to stare at him blankly. "I don't care. It's called small talk."

Remus laughed under his breath. "And why, exactly, do you care about making small talk with me? I'm a 'filthy half-blood,' remember?"

"Repeat: I don't care. And yes, I do remember. But in all honesty, I have absolutely nothing better to do."

"Um. Well," Remus said, "where's Lucius?"

"What does he matter?" Narcissa exclaimed, making Remus jump. "I hate him! He's a disgusting prick. And I hate him. Why does everyone expect me to be with him constantly? We're not the same person, you know. We have separate lives. He doesn't control me. He doesn't. I hate him!" Narcissa looked around wildly, then whispered, "Oh, shit! Here he comes. Dance with me, quick. QUICK!"

She yanked his hands and rested them on her waist, then put her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him close. Remus's brain was in total disarray. One second, he was waiting for this stupid dance to get over, and the next he was dancing. With Narcissa Black.

Who, at the moment, was spinning him around, navigating through the crowd. It seemed like she was trying to get as far away from Malfoy as possible.

"May I ask what the bloody hell you're doing?" Remus said, not sure if he should be amused or annoyed.

"You kind of already did, didn't you?" Narcissa replied, distracted. "Why would you ask if you can ask a question? It seems redundant."

"Have it your way, then," Remus replied, annoyance winning out over amusement. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Dancing," Narcissa said immediately.

"I can see that," Remus enunciated. Perhaps she was having some sort of psychotic break, he reasoned, and didn't remember who he – or Lucius – was. "But I'm rather curious as to why."

"Because I needed to get away from Lucius," she said, pressing her face into his chest so as to hide more effectively.

"Narcissa Black. You must know I'm going to ask this, but I guess I'm going to have to force it out of you – why did you come in here, start making small talk with me, then, then..." he paused, trying to find the correct term, "dance rape me?" Narcissa gave a soft chuckle but kept her face hidden. "And why," Remus continued, "haven't you got the decency to even look at me?"

She shuffled her feet, then finally looked up athim. The first thing he noticed was the tears starting to well in her eyes, and he was hit once again by the surrealness of it all. Before he could recap the night's events once again, he noticed something else – the start of a black eye.

"What hap – ? No. No. He didn't." Remus always knew Lucius Malfoy was a scumbag, but hitting his girlfriend was going over the line, "What happened, Bl – Narcissa?"

She hid her face again and shook her head.

Remus muttered, "Come on," and led her out of the Great Hall. He sat her down on a bench, then sat himself beside her. "Now. What happened?"
Narcissa took a great, shaky breath. "I don't know how much I should tell you."

"All of it," Remus said earnestly. For some reason he couldn't hate her right now.

"But... Do you promise not to say anything? To anyone?"

Remus paused. Anyone? "I promise."

"Well," she gulped, "Lucius and I were arguing. He wants to... to drop out of Hogwarts. To join... him. You-Know-Who," she said forcefully, seeing the look of confusion on Remus's face. "Don't even act surprised. Everyone knows he supports him. But... I didn't know he wanted to go so soon. We still have another year, and I don't want to leave." She started tearing up again. "But I love him. I tried to convince him not to go, and he said something about he had to go, and... he hit me." She finally broke into sobs.

Remus, acting on instinct, took her in his arms. "Shh, it's okay. He's not worth it, he's a bastard. He's not good enough for you."

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?" Lucius yelled. Narcissa and Remus jumped apart. "Narcissa? What are you doing with Loony Lupin?"

"Lucius, we were just talking, I swear!" Narcissa sobbed. But Lucius ignored her.

"Stay. Away. From. Her." He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.

"Lucius, please – !"

"Quiet, Cissy." He threw one last glare at Lupin, and pulled her down the corridor.

Lupin stood, frozen on the spot. What had just happened? Should he tell someone? He immediately discarded that thought. She had been adamant that it stayed between them

Just forget about it, he thought to himself, and made his way up to his dormitory.

He collapsed onto his bed, and his pillow crunched. Frowning, he stuck his hand under his pillow and pulled out a piece of parchment that read,

Remus –

Thank you so much for listening to me ramble. It means more to me than you know. I'm sorry for the past few years. You're a good person.

Narcissa.

P.S., Remember, between us. Please.