Recap ch 3
Finally, he stood. "Ready." He waited for her to lead the way. The entire walk was completed in silence. Well, not counting the girls following them giggling. They seemed to follow him everywhere; he even noticed a few in the library, hidden in the rows. They had almost reached the Great Hall when a large Slytherin approached.
"Granger." He snarled.
"LeStrange." Hermione stopped, producing her wand. She sounded equally disgusted. He too showed his wand.
Chap 4
Coming down the stairs, Harry and Ron quickened their pace to flank Hermione as several other Slytherins did the same to Fredrick LeStrange. Recognizing what was about to take place, Remus too prepared with his wand, stepping up on the other side of Harry. It was now 7 on 4. And Remus definitely didn't like the odds. Had Sirius and James been beside him, he wouldn't have been too worried but he didn't know how well these guys dueled.
"Uh-oh. Looks like the little Gryffindors are outnumbered." LeStrange smirked. He knew he had to hurry in order to keep the odds in his favor before the rest of their group heard what was happening. But he couldn't resist taunting them just a little first. "And can you really trust that werewolf? You know the full moon's tomorrow. He might turn on you when he smells your blood."
Remus' heart dropped into his shoes. How had the boy known? No one knew, except Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Madam Pomphrey, and he was certain they wouldn't have revealed him. He looked at the people standing beside him, preparing himself for their accusing stares. He finally gathered the courage to look at their faces, but not one of them was even looking at him. They were each staring straight back at the Slytherins. "The only blood spilled is going to be yours." Harry said it very quietly, though his voice carried through the silence.
"Students!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the hall. She had caught sight of them on her way to dinner. "Put down those wands at once!" Remus was the only to obey immediately. Slowly, the Slytherins complied, and only then did the trio. "Boys, you will go see your Head of House immediately following supper. And as for you." She rounded on the Gryffindors. "You will do the same. I don't know what you were thinking dragging Mr. Lupin into this on his first day." She was fuming. "Now, all of you, to dinner!" No one moved. "Slytherins go first." Glancing behind them, the seven obliged. Looking at the rest of them she gestured them in. The small herd of girls was gossiping the entire way.
Remus felt like he had lead in his stomach. He couldn't wait to leave now that everyone knew. He considered just hiding out in the Shrieking Shack until it was time to leave, that way he wouldn't have to face the hatred and fear that was now inevitable. Silently he trudged after them sitting himself at the end of the table away from everyone else. Moodily, he filled his plate just to shove it around a bit.
Harry sat, still angry at LeStrange for trying to catch Hermione alone. "Well, it's a good think Remus was there or-" He was suddenly aware that Remus hadn't sat with them. "Wait, where is he?" They all looked down the table to see a very sad, lonely looking Remus Lupin.
"What's he doing down there?" Ron piped up. "You think he's mad at us for involving him, like McGonagall said?"
"I don't know." Hermione stared at him.
"Well, I'm going to find out. You guys coming?" Harry announced.
The scraping of benches up the table and footsteps approaching caught Remus' attention. He looked up just as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny sat surrounding him. He just stared at them waiting for them to start accusing him. Perhaps they hadn't realized that LeStrange had been telling the truth.
"Look, Remus, if you're angry that you got pulled into that, we're really sorry. I'm sorry. But, you should know just because you're with us doesn't mean you have to duel with us. I mean, I understand if you don't want to get in trouble because of us and problems that you know nothing about. It's fine."
"Yeah, it's fine with all of us." Ginny offered. All six heads bobbed in agreement.
"No. It's not that. I wouldn't just stand by while you were outnumbered in a duel. It's just-" He looked nervous. "I mean, did you hear-." A heavy sigh. "That boy he said-"
"Oh!" Hermione seemed to catch on while everyone else sat and watched him not having a clue what he was talking about. "Remus, you don't have to worry about that here." Now the group was watching her. "Oh for crying out loud people, don't you pay any attention."
"Hermione, we weren't even there. Could you please just tell us what you two are going on about?" Ginny was annoyed. But Remus looked so frightened, hoping that if Hermione really did know what he was talking about that she wouldn't share it.
"Oh, it was nothing really. LeStrange tried to use Remus' lycanthropy against him." Remus looked at her like she was a nutter when she described it as nothing and talked about it so casually. Didn't she realize what it meant? Then his astonishment grew as a chorus of 'oh's and 'git's' circled the table. "Honestly, how dim is he?"
"You mean, you-you know?" His voice was small but held a glimmer of hope.
"Of course." Luna smiled at him.
"And you're okay with it? All of you?" He was looking straight into Hermione's eyes.
"I told you, didn't I?" He looked a bit confused before she continued. "You're a good man." Another round of nodding heads. "And, I'll have a surprise for you tomorrow night. But you can't mention it. Ever."
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A/N: Thanks for reading please Review. Anything you all are looking for at the full moon?
Lepusia: I'll keep a close eye on those girls, you never know what they'll try.
MMirazBA: Are you a mind reader? Full moon is coming soon, ch 7 I believe. I've just started it last night. Any suggestions of something particular you'd like to see?
Twinsie: I didn't specify Fredrick LeStrange's parentage but I'm thinking he was perhaps Bellatrix's nephew on her husband's side.
Amrawo: Yeah LeStrange has a bit of history with the Trio, the nasty kind of course.
Klopfer: Thanks! Glad you could get caught up.
