Disclaimer: I own only Malika and Jane, the rest belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 9

November 1994

A few weeks had passed since that day in October, when Remus had told Malika about the new laws the Ministry wanted to establish. When he had told her, Malika couldn't really believe the Ministry would go that far, but by mid-November it had been proven to her he was right.

The 'new decrees for control and regulation of dangerous creatures', as the Ministry had officially named them, had been inaugurated on November 12th.

A storm of protests had followed them.

Only two days later, the Ministry had been washed over with angry werewolves and their relatives from all over Britain, who had come to protest against the injustice of the new decrees.

Malika and a few of her fellow-aurors had been assigned to keep the angry masses in check and to make sure no violence was used.

It was however with mixed feelings that she carried out this job, and only to make sure no-one got injured during the demonstrations. However, she stubbornly refused to arrest people, and she was disgusted by the way some of the other aurors seemed to relish in the fact they could take some of the demonstrators into custody.

For the first time in her career as an auror, Malika started to really close herself off from her colleagues, who didn't understand why she would care anyway.

The truth was, Malika really wanted to take part in the demonstrations, but she didn't dare to risk her job by actually doing it.

When she came home from work that day, it was obvious Remus had been waiting for her impatiently. He knew what would happen that day, of course, although he didn't go himself, and he had been worrying about Malika all day.

Malika had barely entered their apartment when he pulled her in his arms.

"Hey, I was worried about you, how did it go?"

Malika leaned into his embrace.

"It was terrible. All these people were so angry and disappointed in our government, and I was supposed to defend the Ministry, while I wanted nothing more than be one of the demonstrators, but I couldn't because it could cost me my job."

Remus guided her to the couch, and pulled her into his lap. Malika sighed and cuddled close to him. They sat in silence for a while, until Malika spoke again.

"What bothered me the most was the behaviour of the other aurors who were there with me. They seemed to be enjoying the fact they could arrest innocent people. They didn't understand why I didn't arrest anyone. They are really getting on my nerves sometimes, with their ignorance and narrow-minded talk. Sometimes I just want to get out of there, find a job elsewhere."

"I thought you loved your work as an auror, you can't just quit like that. Don't let them get to you, Malika, it has nothing to do with you."

Malika pulled away slightly, so she could look into his face.

"But it has to do with me, because I love you. I can only imagine their reaction when they find out I've actually been living together, and sleeping, with a werewolf for years."

Remus frowned a bit. "Would it matter, if they find out?"

Malika smiled at him. "It would to them, but I don't care a damn what they think or say."

"But you do care, you said it yourself, you're even thinking about quitting your job."

"No, that's not what I meant, and you know it. Don't start feeling guilty again, because nothing of it is your fault, okay?"

He smiled back now. "I promise, if you promise you won't quit your job just because you can't stand some of your colleagues."

"I promise."

They sealed their promises with a kiss.

October 1976 (Marauders 7th year)

Sirius was lying on his bed and thinking over the events of that evening.

The Marauders had been planning their next prank and their escape route on the Map, when they noticed Malika alone in an empty classroom. All of a sudden, Snape had appeared and headed obviously for the same classroom Malika was in.

They had thought she was in trouble, and so they immediately went to her rescue. However, the situation had turned out to be completely different.

Sirius couldn't believe what he saw then. It was hard enough to see Malika dating those other boys, but to see her kissing with his enemy, it didn't only hurt, it made him furious. He had thought about going after Snape, but he thought against it, because, for some reason, he didn't want Malika to be mad at him. Sirius had to admit he didn't really understand his own way of thinking at the moment.

Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, and the next moment, Malika entered the room, looking very insecure, and very beautiful, Sirius thought.

But he decided against saying anything and let her break the awkward silence between them.

"Hey," Malika bit her lip, "can we talk?"

Sirius only shrugged, and kept staring at the ceiling.

Malika carefully approached his bed, thinking a shrug was better than getting yelled at, she had had enough of that from Remus already.

"I wanted to apologize for my behaviour these past weeks and this evening. I wasn't really thinking."

"That much is obvious."

"I'm sorry alright."

"You didn't really look like it while you were kissing Snivelly."

Sirius inwardly chided himself for reacting like this, but he just couldn't help feeling angry.

Malika sighed. "I didn't kiss him, Sirius, and I didn't want to either, he kissed me the moment you guys entered. In fact, that was the only reason why he kissed me. He only used me to get to you."

By now, Sirius was staring at her. Malika turned her head away from him before continuing.

"I'm really sorry, I feel so stupid, I made a mess of everything. Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, I mean, I was at first, but not anymore. I could never stay mad at you for a long time."

They looked at each other, and both smiled.

Then, Malika frowned again and hesitated a moment before asking, "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I have to find Remus, but I have no idea where to look."

Sirius frowned too now, wondering with a pang of jealousy what was going on.

"Why do you have to find him?"

Malika looked troubled. "Like I said, I made a mess of everything. He was pretty mad at me for what happened and I got mad too, and, well, I said some nasty stuff I didn't really mean. He left the common room after that, and I think I really hurt him."

A heavy silence fell between both friends. After a moment, Sirius got up from his bed, and went to retrieve something from his bag. Malika watched as he opened some piece of parchment, whispered something and looked it over.

At last, he turned to the girl. "I think I know where to find him, but you must have gotten him really upset to go there." He gazed at her pensively for a moment, before coming to a decision.

"I'll take you to him, but first you have to promise me something. You will tell no-one about the place I'll bring you to and you won't ask any questions about it. Swear it to me now."

Malika frowned, but obeyed none-the-less. "I swear."

She followed Sirius out of the dormitory and the common room. As they were walking through the castle, Sirius was constantly looking around him while at the same time keeping an eye on the piece of parchment Malika had seen him use earlier.

Soon, they left the castle behind them and walked across the grounds, they appeared to be walking in the direction of the Whomping Willow and Malika had no idea where they were off to, but she didn't dare to ask questions. As they reached the tree with his endless swinging branches, Sirius picked up a stick from the ground, and to Malika's amazement he prodded the tree with it and it stopped moving immediately.

Then, he ushered her into a tunnel that started at the base of the Willow, and after he had entered the tunnel too he lighted his wand and led the way through it. The tunnel was dark and long and Malika had bumped her head against some roots of trees, but she didn't want to ask how much further it was, she had promised to not ask questions. Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel, and as they climbed out of it, they appeared to be in the basement of a house. Sirius took her to the ground floor.

"He is probably upstairs in one of the bedrooms," he whispered quietly in her ear and with these words, he returned to the basement and disappeared.

Malika took a look around the small house and felt her heart beating faster in her chest. The scarce furniture was mostly destroyed, torn apart and covered with teeth marks and blood. The light of the setting sun was shining through cracks in the walls. Malika was sure she had never been here, but somehow, the place still seemed familiar. It took some time before she realised she was in the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted place in Britain. Only, this house didn't look like it was haunted by ghosts, but more like it housed some wild animal or something.

As those thoughts occurred to her, she remembered something Sirius had said, about Remus being really upset, if he had come to this place. Finally, everything clicked in her mind, this must be the place where Remus came on full moons to transform. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked around the place once more, and was relieved that tonight was not the full moon. She quickly turned away from the small living room she was in, and headed for the stairs, while thinking to herself that all in all, this was a place where one could be alone, if one didn't want to be found.

000

Remus was sitting in one of the bedrooms of the Shrieking Shack, in his mind repeating the events of that evening over and over again.

When he had left the common room earlier, after his argument with Malika, he needed to be alone and so he went to the place with the smallest chance to be disturbed, all the way trying his hardest to keep his tears at bay. But as he sank down on the floor of the bedroom where he transformed on full moons, he couldn't stop the tears from coming. Malika's words kept repeating over and over again in his head.

How could she say those things? How could she say she didn't want him in her life? He knew he shouldn't have yelled at her and he felt terrible for doing so. But was that enough reason for her to end their friendship? It had been hard enough to see her date someone else while he was only her friend. How would he ever be able to handle it when she didn't want anything to do with him? He had never really believed she would ever see him as more than a friend, besides, who could ever love a Dark Creature like him? But knowing she cared about him, if only as a friend, had given him a bit of comfort, and now he had lost her friendship too. Never in his life had he felt this miserable, she had broken his heart without even knowing, and it was by his own stupid mistake. If only he had kept his mouth shut, as he did other times, for the first time he had really spoken up against one of his closest friends, and now one of his worst nightmares had come true. He had lost her.

Remus was suddenly pulled out of his gradually becoming more depressed thoughts by a sound on the stairs. Someone was coming up the stairs. The next moment, a sweet scent of roses and lavender reached him, a scent he knew all too well. Malika.

A wave of panic rushed through him. What was she doing here and how did she get here? Someone must have told her. How could they do this to him? She would certainly ask questions about this place and eventually find out about his lycanthropy. This just couldn't get any worse.

000

As Malika reached the top of the stairs, she quietly went over to the only bedroom door that stood slightly ajar. She peeked her head around the door and was relieved to find Remus sitting in a corner of the room, his arms wrapped around his knees and his head lying on his arms.

She walked towards him and seated herself beside him. If he had noticed her come in, he didn't show it, although Malika was sure he knew she was there.

"Hey," she said quietly, "I've come to apologize for what I said."

Remus didn't react, and Malika had a strange sense of déjà-vu, only a little time before she had been in the same situation with Sirius.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have said those things, I didn't mean it anyway."

"Then why did you say it?" His voice was muffled because he still didn't lift his head.

"Because I was angry, and because I knew you were right, but I know that isn't an excuse." A silence fell between them. Remus still refused to talk and Malika was thinking about the right thing to say next. At last, she decided to ask the question that was burning in her mind.

"After you left, Lily told me something, and I would like to know if it is true." She paused for a moment before finishing. "She told me you're inlovewith me."

Finally Remus lifted his head and faced her, eyes wide in shock, and Malika could see he had been crying. Now she felt even more guilty.

While Malika had been talking, Remus couldn't bring himself to look at her, he didn't want her to see him like this, but when she had said those last words he was too shocked to think about it. It had never occurred to him that other people might notice how he felt and more important, tell Malika. He didn't want her to find out, but now that she knew, he found himself unable to lie to her. Malika looked back at him with a gentle, inquiring look on her face. She looked so beautiful at the moment, and all he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her in his arms and never let her go, but he couldn't do that. Instead, he nervously licked his lips before whispering, "I am, I love you."

They stared into each others eyes for a few moments, and for a second, Remus seriously considered kissing her, but then she turned her head away and gazed at her hands resting on her knees.

An awkward silence fell between them, while both were trying to sort out their thoughts.

Malika was the first to speak again.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Remus. I care a lot about you. But I just broke up with Sirius a few weeks ago. I'm still sorting out my feelings, which are completely mixed up at the moment. I'm definitely not ready for a relationship right now. I hope you can understand I need time to think about all of this."

For the second time that evening, Remus was completely shocked by her words. He had expected her to tell him she saw him only as a friend, that he didn't stand any chance. Instead, she had sounded like she was actually considering a relationship with him. He knew she didn't want to give him too much hope, but he couldn't help it. Her words had given him more hope than he had ever dared to have before.

Malika was looking worriedly at Remus, taking in his shocked face, and afraid she had hurt him again. She had never meant to hurt him, and she hated herself for doing so.

Finally, he stammered, "I understand."

Malika bit her lip. "I don't want to hurt you, I never meant to hurt you."

Remus smiled slightly. "It's alright."

Malika smiled too. "Thanks, I don't think I could bear to lose your friendship."

Remus felt warmth spread all through him, she still wanted to be his friend, and who knows, maybe even more. He was disappointed when she stood up.

"Let's get back to the castle now, before anyone starts to ask questions."

Remus got up too, he was surprised when she pulled him in a hug and gladly returned it, revelling in the feeling of holding her in his arms, if only for a moment, and deeply breathing in her scent. They stood like that for a moment, before letting go of each other and returning to the castle in a comfortable silence.

It never occurred to Remus that Malika did never ask any question about the place where she had found him that night.

000

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