Chapter 8: More Lies
"That was bloody horrible," moaned Sirius, massaging his arms as the four made their way up to their dorms.
It was past ten now, and they had only just finished cleaning up the Great Hall.
"We would have been done earlier had you and James not started another food fight," said Remus, frowning at them.
Sirius waved him away. "It was fun."
"Oh, crap," said James. "We have that Potions essay due tomorrow!"
"Peter and I finished," said Remus. "I told you two to do it!"
"Help us!" they whined.
"No. I am tired, and I am going to bed." And it's the full moon tomorrow, Remus added glumly in his head.
"Remmyyy," moaned Sirius.
"I said no. Come on, Peter, let's leave these two to do the homework they should have done earlier."
Ignoring Sirius and James' shouts of protest behind them, Peter and Remus made their way up to the dorm for a night of sleep.
"Oi, wake up, Remus."
Remus scowled and cracked open his eyes. He felt horrible. His stomach hurt like crazy, and his entire body ached with exhaustion. Nevertheless, he slowly sat up in his bed.
"We're going to be late for breakfast," Sirius fretted, trying to squeeze his head through the armhole of his robe.
"Ah, shut it, Sirius, you just don't want to miss the food," said James, rolling his eyes.
"Remus, are you okay?" asked Peter suddenly.
The other two turned to look at Remus, who was shakily climbing out of bed.
"I'm fine," he muttered, stumbling over to his trunk and pulling his robes out of it.
"Remus," James warned.
"I'm fine," he said more forcefully, drawing the curtains shut with a snap.
"Wonder why he changes behind those," muttered Peter to Sirius and James. They looked at the closed hangings with a frown, then shrugged.
Remus was quiet as they walked down to breakfast. Though he didn't notice it, the other three had slowed their pace to match Remus' trudging. They exchanged worried looks with each other and glanced at Remus out of the corner of their eyes, who looked too pale for their liking.
At breakfast, Remus didn't eat. He pushed the food around on his plate and leaned his head on his hand, eyes drooping.
"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Peter.
"Mmm," said Remus.
"At least eat," said Sirius.
"Not hungry," Remus muttered.
"Remus-"
"I'm just not hungry, James."
James, Sirius, and Peter glanced at each other, worried.
Their worry increased when Remus did not even attempt to take notes in History, but instead opted for a nap. The class stared open-mouthed as star-student Remus slouched across his desk, mouth hanging open slightly as he snored lightly.
"Is he okay?" whispered Lily Evans to Peter worriedly.
"I'm not sure," frowned Peter.
"Remus, wake up," Sirius said when the lesson had ended.
Remus sat up with a start. "Huh?"
"You slept through History of Magic," James frowned.
"Did I?" muttered Remus vaguely, gathering his things and slouching out of the classroom.
"Am I the only one that's really worried about him?" muttered Sirius.
"Nope," Peter said, and they followed Remus to Transfiguration.
They walked into the classroom to find Remus already sitting in his usual seat, eyelids drooping. The three dropped into chairs on either side of him just as McGonagall walked in.
"Today, class," she said, "we will be learning how to transfigure pencils into pens. This can be very difficult because of the properties of the graphite and ink found in either tool."
She launched into an explanation, holding up examples to help. About halfway through, there was a thump from the back of the class, and every eye turned to Remus, who had collapsed against his desk, snoring again.
"Oh no," muttered Sirius, poking Remus frantically. "Wake up, Remus!"
"Mr. Black?" asked McGonagall, walking forward. "What's wrong?"
"Er- Remus is sleeping, Professor," Sirius said quietly. Everyone watched for her reaction eagerly, slightly worried for the sleeping first year.
"He's-" McGonagall frowned, then comprehension dawned on her. "Of course," she said briskly. She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. "Mr. Lupin."
Remus sat up, blinking blearily. "What?" he asked sleepily.
"You were sleeping during class," she said.
"Oh," he said with a yawn. "Oops. Sorry."
"It's alright," McGonagall said.
Everyone gaped at their strictest professor, who normally would give out a week of detention to anyone who dared to sleep in her class.
"May I have a word with you?" she went on.
Remus nodded slowly and stood up, following her slowly up to her desk, dragging his feet. Everyone watched, curious.
"It's the full moon tonight, is it not?" McGonagall asked very quietly. Remus nodded again. "Why have you not reported to the hospital wing? You don't look well."
"I did that last month," muttered Remus. "I don't want people getting suspicious."
"I can see your reasoning," mused McGonagall. "Very well. Return to your seat, and I will take care of it."
Remus turned around and went back to his seat, aware of all the stares, and sat down with a thump.
McGonagall stood back up and went into her explanation again, finishing it by telling them to get to work. She then returned to her desk and bent over a piece of paper.
"Remus?" asked James worriedly.
"Drop it," growled Remus. His friends appeared rather taken aback.
"But-"
"I said, drop it!"
"Mr. Lupin," said McGonagall. Everyone looked up immediately. "The headmaster wishes to see you."
"Alright," said Remus, hurriedly throwing his things into his bag. He passed McGonagall on his way out, giving her a thankful look. She gave him a small, reassuring smile before turning back to the class. "Did I not tell you to get to work? Now then…"
Remus walked through the corridors in a trance, not sure where he was going. Somehow, he reached the hospital wing and stood for a moment just looking at the door before going in.
"What do you ne- Remus!"
Madam Pomfrey stepped forward and took Remus' bag for him. He immediately stumbled to a bed and collapsed.
"I've been expecting you," she said. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," he yawned. "And my stomach hurts."
"Take this," she said, handing him a green potion. Remus took a sniff of it and gagged. "Go on, then," she said.
With a sigh, he gulped it down, grimacing. To his relief, the pain in his stomach subsided at once. He collapsed back against the pillows with a sigh.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," he sighed.
"Of course," she said, pulling the covers up. "Now, sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go."
He nodded once before slipping off into blissful sleep.
Remus was shaken awake a half an hour before the full moon rose. Madam Pomfrey handed him the cloak without a word, and he dragged it over himself.
They trooped out of the castle and down to the Whomping Willow, which Madam Pomfrey quickly froze. She hesitated slightly, seeming reluctant to let him go alone.
"I'll be there for you in the morning," she said. "You'll be alright."
"I know," Remus said.
She smiled sadly at him before squeezing his shoulder for comfort. "Go on, then."
Remus turned and weaved his way through the immobile branches, finally reaching the small entrance to the secret passageway. Once he was safely inside the dark, enclosed tunnel he took off the cloak and it fell to his feet, where he left it.
The shack was exactly the way he had left it last month. He spent his time before the moon rose wandering around, examining different pieces of furniture and rugs, completely bored out of his mind.
Suddenly, it hit him. He froze where he was standing, then collapsed to the ground, twitching. He let out a scream of pain that turned to a howl as his muscles twisted and broke, forming that of a wolves. He quivered as fur sprung up and he snarled, his teeth ripping through the air.
A bloodthirsty wolf now stood where Remus Lupin had been.
The wolf wandered around, sniffing and scratching at the furniture, trying to find a way out. It could smell human's close by, tantalizingly close, and it knew that it had to get out, to sink its fangs into the soft flesh-
There was no way out. The wolf attacked the walls with vigor, carving deep scratches into it, but it could not escape. Its jaws quivered as he darted around, looking for anything to satisfy his hunger.
With a snarl, it sunk its teeth into its own hind leg, then began scratching furiously into the black fur. It howled in pain then sprinted up and down the stairs, destroying anything that came in its path.
After what seemed to be years, the wolf collapsed in a heap on the ground. It's limbs shook, and it let out a small whimper as it's bones reformed. And suddenly, Remus Lupin was once again laying there, rolled up into a tight ball as if to shield himself from a blow.
He stayed still for a long time, and the only sound in the empty shack was his ragged breathing. Blood oozed steadily from a deep cut on his cheek, dripping slowly onto the floor, and all he could do was lay there and watch it pool into a small, amber puddle on the grey floorboards.
"Remus?" called a voice from downstairs.
Remus shut his eyes, relieved to hear Madam Pomfrey's voice again. He wished he could call back to her, but he couldn't find the strength to even mover.
"Remus!" Madam Pomfrey rushed into the room and bent down over him, turning him onto his back. "Open your eyes if you can hear me, Remus, please."
With great effort, Remus dragged his eyes open, gazing unfocusedly up at Pomfrey, who smiled, relieved. "Oh, excellent. Now then, I'm just going to get you back to the hospital wing."
She waved her wand and a stretcher appeared next to her. With another flick of her wrist, she had expertly levitated Remus up and onto it, where he attempted to shut his eyes again.
"No, Remus, keep your eyes open."
With a slight frown, he opened his eyes again as she hurried back through the passageway, levitating the stretcher behind her. She picked up the cloak from the entrance and walked out into the cool morning air.
Remus watched the castle go by from where he lay, and they made it to the hospital wing a lot faster than he had expected. Pomfrey brought him to a bed in the far back and levitated it on to him, drawing the curtains securely around them.
"Now then, let's have a look," she muttered, bending over him.
She grimaced slightly when she saw his cheek, but checked for more serious wounds first. She discovered a broken rib and a few more scratches, but nothing too bad. She fixed the rib up the best that she could before wrapping it tightly with a bandage.
Pomfrey pressed a wet rag to Remus' still bleeding cheek, then muttered a spell. The blood stopped flowing and she was free to clean off the blood to better examine the wound.
She did everything she could, but he was still left with quite a cut. She sighed and placed a bandage over it, wishing that she could do more.
"Remus," she said, shaking him. He opened his eyes groggily. "Drink this," she said, handing him a potion. He took it without complaint and drowned it in one gulp, before collapsing back against the pillows.
Pomfrey smiled sadly at him before slipping out through the curtains and returning to her office.
LINE BREAK
"But where is he, Professor?"
"For the tenth time, Mr. Black, he had to return home!"
"But why?" asked James, hurrying behind McGonagall.
"That is not for you to know, Mr. Potter!" she scowled.
"But we're worried about him," Peter said quietly.
McGonagall seemed to soften slightly.
"I am not sure why he had to leave, but I can assure you he is okay and that he will be returning very soon. Now, in the meantime, I suggest you go to your classes so you can help him with his work when he does return. Go on," she said.
The four boys turned in defeat and made their way down to Potions.
"I wonder why he had to go home?" wondered Sirius.
"I dunno," said James, frowning. "But whatever it is, I don't think it's good."
Remus opened his eyes with a groan, then frowned, confused. Where was he? Wherever it was, it was very… white. He didn't recognize it.
"Ah, Mr. Lupin, you're awake."
Madam Pomfrey opened the curtain partly and entered. Then Remus remembered that he was in the Hospital Wing, after his transformation. He sat up and winced, putting a hand to his ribs.
"Yes, you had a broken rib," said Pomfrey, watching him. "I fixed it the best I could, but I'm afraid I couldn't fully heal it. It will be sore for a couple of days."
She handed him another potion, which he drank with a grimace. "You've been asleep for two days," she informed him.
He spluttered on his potion. "Two days?" he choked.
"Yes," the matron said, straightening his sheets. "The moon took a lot out of you."
Remus sighed, running a hand over his face. He stopped when he felt something on his cheek and fingered a bandage.
"A nasty cut," winced Pomfrey. "I did the best I could, but… it might scar."
"It's alright," he sighed. "I have a lot of those."
Pomfrey frowned. A young boy should not have scars, especially not multiple ones. "Yes, well," she said, "it's time that you eat some food. It's almost dinner."
"Can I go down to the Great Hall?" asked Remus hopefully.
"No," said Pomfrey firmly. "You'll eat here, then, if you feel up to it, you may return to your dorm."
She set a bowl of broth in front of him, and he quickly snatched up a spoon and started eating. He got through about half of the bowl before he set his spoon down. "I'm full," he muttered.
Pomfrey frowned but didn't push it. "Alright," she said. "Here are your clothes." She handed them to him and then drew the curtains again.
Remus stood up on shaky feet and carefully pulled his robes on, leaving the pajamas he had been wearing on the empty bed. When he had finished, he drew back the curtains and stepped out into the bright hospital wing. It was empty today, and all the beds were neat tidy, lined up on both sides of the room.
"You come straight back to me if you have any problems at all, you hear me?" Madam Pomfrey said sternly.
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," said Remus with a smile. "Thank you."
"Of course, Remus, dear," she said, giving him a small smile before retreating to her office.
Remus made his way through the empty corridors slowly. Everyone must be at dinner, he thought. He had absolutely no desire to join everyone in the Great Hall, so instead decided to head up to the dorms.
"Draculis Gorgantum," he said to the Fat Lady. She swung open and he stepped into the deserted common room, heading up the stairs to his dorm. It was, as he had expected, empty. He walked over to his bed and pulled a book out of his trunk, deciding to read until his dorm mates returned.
"This is getting ridiculous," growled James, slamming his spoon down onto the table in obvious anger. "Remus has been gone for three days now, and still no one tells us where he is! We're his bloody best friends! We have a right to know what happened!"
"He is going to come back, isn't he?" asked Peter worriedly.
"He'd better," muttered Sirius. "Or I'll hunt him down and kill him."
"I'm not hungry," sighed James, pushing his food away.
"Neither am I," said Peter glumly.
"Me neither," Sirius said under his breath. The other two turned to him, shocked. "What? I'm worried! Gosh, I don't always think with my stomach!"
"Yeah, just most of the time," said Peter.
"Oh, sod off."
They stood up and walked out of the Great Hall before anyone else. "What do we do now?" moaned Sirius. "This is killing me."
"Let's head back to the dorm," suggested Peter. "We can do some homework or something."
"Ooooor," said James, "we could go back to the dorm and get out my set of wizard's chess."
"But I need help with my Herbology work," complained Peter.
"So do we!" said Sirius.
"I miss Remus," muttered Peter.
"So do we, Pete," said James, giving the password to the Fat Lady and walking into the common room.
"There are too many stairs," complained Sirius as they climbed up to their dorm. "Ooo! We should make a moving staircase, like the headmaster's!" he said, opening the door.
"That's a bit advanced for you, isn't it, Sirius?" asked an amused voice.
They all spun around to see Remus lounging on the bed, a book in one hand.
"REMUS!"
They launched themselves at the sandy-haired boy, engulfing him in a hug. He let out a hiss of pain as they squeezed his ribs. They immediately jumped off of him.
"What's wrong?" asked James worriedly.
"Nothing," said Remus, massaging his ribs. "Just knocked into a suit of armor on my way here. I'm a bit sore."
All three boys surrounded Remus, crossing their arms and glaring at him. He glanced at them wearily. "Er… yes?"
"Where have you been?" Sirius demanded.
"You've been gone for three days!" said Peter.
"With no explanation!" James said.
"I was at home," muttered Remus.
"Why?" asked Peter.
"My mum is sick," lied Remus. He felt a sick feeling settle in the pit of his stomach as he spoke. He hated lying to his friends.
"Then what happened to your cheek?" asked James suspiciously.
Remus raised a hand to his cheek. "I tripped down the stairs and smashed into a vase. The glass cut me." The lie came much easier that time, and Remus felt disgusted with himself.
Sirius frowned. "Couldn't you ask Madam Pomfrey to heal it?"
"I didn't want to bother her," said Remus, waving his suggestion away.
"Is your mom okay?" asked Peter worryingly.
"She's doing alright," said Remus. "Not the best, but she'll be fine soon enough."
"That's good," said Sirius.
"Yeah," said Remus hollowly.
"Okay," said James. "You're forgiven for disappearing. But next time, tell us where you're going, okay?"
"Okay," said Remus, relieved that the questioning was over.
"Here you go," said Sirius, shoving papers into his hands. "Notes from the days you missed."
"Thanks," said Remus gratefully.
"No problem," said James. "Now, come on, we were just about to play a game of chess."
A/N: Mwahaha, two updates in one night. I'm bored, okay? Thanks for reading, everyone!
Xoxo,
Kayla
