Bonds.
Being the Sixth part in the Labyrinth of Tales.
The sun never seemed to rise on the days superseding the full moon; it was as if Remus was drowning slowly with no one to allow him to breathe until the monster was released. His limbs ached, his eyelids would grow tired and his scars would protest bitterly, desperate not to be re-opened. A feeble ray of buttery sunlight struggled through the gap in the curtains next to his usual bed in the Hospital Wing, sounds of elated laughter floated up from the grounds below. Heaving a sigh he turned back to the centre of the room, it was lunch break and Sirius, James and Peter had promised to visit him.
"You can lie down for a few minutes but unless you fall asleep you will attend afternoon classes. Just here will do, next to Mr Lupin."
Madam Pomfrey's voice came closer until she was visible beyond the row of beds and sickly patients, Remus quickly turned back towards the window when he saw the person she was leading towards him. It was strange, the circumstances in which he continuously met her, drawing his lips firmly closed he refused to say anything that would make him more idiotic in her eyes than he already was. The mattress beside him lowered and Madam Pomfrey's footsteps were retraced back down the corridor.
"Oh great, it's you again. Do you have a disease or are you just allergic to your filthy friends?"
Her voice filled his mind and it took him a second to realise that she was insulting him again. Turning his head towards her he raised his eyebrows.
"I could say the same thing to you, Narcissa, but that would be rude."
She gave a audible huff and rolled her head to the other side of the plush pillow, he watched her for a while lying there like that, golden locks spiralling towards him, her shoulders tense and he could tell her eyes were not shut. He did not know what it was about her that intrigued him, she was snobby, rude and had no consideration of his feelings. Sirius told him that she had always been like that, her nose in the air, quietly working on a tapestry or braiding her dolls hair while everyone else was climbing trees, playing quidditch or swimming in the estate's lake. Yet Remus seemed to see something else in her, the way she averted her eyes when she said rude comments, as if she didn't mean them but rather spoke them to keep her bitchy reputation.
"You seemed pretty upset the other night, maybe I could help?"
Voice kind he tried another tactic, desperate to break the shield he knew she was holding, knowing other members of her family however, he knew very well that he didn't stand much of a chance with this new tactic, but anything was worth the try.
"Maybe you could mind your own business."
"I didn't mean to pry, I'm sorry."
"Look Lupin, just shut up, I have a huge headache and I'm trying to fall asleep before the end of break."
Giving her shoulders a shrug she burrowed deeper into her covers, shaking his head hopelessly he turned his attention back to the dancing sunlight and wished the full moon would hurry up.
The horn sounded for end of break shortly after, Pomfrey came to check on Narcissa but apparently she had feigned sleep, another hour passed until Pomfrey came again to bring Remus an anti-ache potion which he gladly gulped down. The days he spent in the Hospital Wing were generally uneventful, excepting the midnights when his fellow marauders would bring him cup-cakes from the kitchens and discuss their plans for the actual night of the full moon. He wondered fleetingly what had kept them from their lunch time visit but he did not dwell on it, instead he thought of the girl beside him and her wall of no emotions. It rather surprised him when she turned and spoke.
"Do you ever wish you could be someone else?"
Hazels turning on her blue's he nodded slowly,
"All the time."
The truth was that Remus wished he was someone else for the majority of his life, wished he was handsome and popular like Sirius or James, wished his mother could make him breakfast and hug him goodnight, but mostly he wished he wasn't a werewolf. Yet Narcissa asked the question but she was the girl who had everything every other girl dreamed of; wealth, extreme beauty, intelligence, dozens of friends, a loving mother and father and the most powerful wealthy eligible bachelor begging her to go on a single date with him.
"Me too."
Remus did not know what to say, he lowered his eyes to the potion eaten carpet, feeling her pain but unable to share any wisdom, he didn't want to ruin the fact that she had finally spoken to him. Her velvet voice continued after the short silence,
"I am so tired of being who everyone wants me to be, yet I am afraid of being myself. I'm sorry that doesn't make sense."
It was Narcissa's turn to downcast her eyes, Remus could see her out of the corner of his eye, her blues were wide with emotion and she chewed thoughtfully on the side of her perfectly formed lips.
"It's not easy to be yourself, look at me, I'm always myself and I'm still a looser."
Uttering a little laugh Remus tried to lighten the situation, he glimpsed a small smile pirouetting over Narcissa's frown and he was glad.
"I don't think you're a looser, you are brave and honest, and those are qualities I could never claim, if anyone is the looser it's me."
She thought he was brave and honest! His heart gave a tiny flutter and he tried to steady his breathing, hoping to hell that when he opened his mouth he wouldn't stutter.
"You are only a looser when you stop trying, and you haven't stopped yet Narcissa, that is bravery, speaking these words to me now, that is honesty. You have far more qualities than you let yourself see, do not be blinded by a lack of self confidence, I am positive that there is more to you than you let on."
Their eyes connected for a moment, hazel and blue, a complete understanding crossed between the pair and Remus felt the happiest he had ever felt. She whispered a barely audible thankyou, lips forming perfect words.
"MOONY!!!!"
Sirius crashed into view, leaping spread eagled onto Remus' hospital bed, Madam Pomfrey's screams following him a split second later,
"No running in my Hospital Mr Black!"
Sirius dipped his head sheepishly before muttering rude comments about the nurse under his breath.
"Moony! Ha! Prongs and Wormtail landed themselves with a detention, man you should have been there, Snivellus was fully asking for it and then …"
Sirius stopped mid sentence finally realising that Narcissa was in the bed beside them.
"You skiving classes again Cissa? Uncle will make you take remedial classes again, remember when you had to spend all summer brewing potions! Ha!"
"Shove off and don't call me Cissa, it's not like you care about me spending summer inside now that you are disinherited, Uncle will just lock you in with the house elves I suppose."
She sniffed self-importantly and Remus tried to remember how she was a few seconds earlier, he could have knocked Sirius out cold for interrupting them but instead he just rolled his eyes and elbowed Sirius so he would move off his leg. Sirius obliged and moved into the chair next to his bed, rolling his eyes too.
"So anyway Snivellus ended up with an irreversible Bat Bogey Hex because Peter and James cast it at exactly the same time. I think he was bagging out Peter's mum, it was a pity I was late on the uptake, but at least you'll have me to keep you company tonight."
Remus nodded slightly and couldn't help to smile at the thought of Snape with a bat bogey hex to increase his already lacking looks. Offering Narcissa a slight disappointed look he turned back to Sirius who handed him a thick wad of parchment from his book bag.
"It's some notes Prongs and I made about the map, thought they would interest you instead of doing your homework or staring at the ceiling."
Remus nodded in thanks, they would be interesting reading and they meant that they could almost start on their greatest achievement to date, the marauders map.
"Cool, thanks mate, guess I'll see you tonight then."
Sirius stood, his hands reaching into the pockets of his school trousers.
"For sure, and I'll bring heaps of those muffins, the ones that get bigger in your mouth, I slipped an order in to the house elves this morning."
Remus was eternally grateful to his friends, even if they interrupted the most elated moment in his life, those muffins were his favourites, Sirius was well aware.
Author's note: I'm trying to update more regularly and make my chapters longer, as to the request of my faithful reviewers as to which I am eternally grateful. Thanks LunaStar for reviewing every chapter, you're a great motivator and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the others.