Savings and Secrets
The ride back to Kings Cross was a long one with every hour that passed Gwen's anxiety increased ten fold. Her silence created uneasiness around the compartment among her friends. She could tell they knew something was wrong but they didn't know what and didn't want to push the idea this close to saying goodbye. They weren't even sure that they'd see each other much in the next three years. Except for Gwen and Lily who would be living together, come the first week in September.
The last leg of the journey back to King's Cross Lily finally spoke up and with deep concern in her voice she questioned Gwen,
"Gwen?"
"Mmhhmm?"
"We can tell that there's something up, something you're not telling us. We want you to know that if there's anything you need from us then all you need to know is that we're just an owl away. Like if you're parents get unbearable you can certainly come visit me for the remainder of the summer." Lily said protectively
"You can stay with me too." Sirius said grinning slyly "Albeit, that my mum and dad aren't exactly muggle lovers, but I'd be there to keep you company and away from her wrath."
"Thanks Guys, I really appreciate it but, I'm really going to be fine." Gwen said with a meek smile which was altogether unconvincing and she received pensive looks from all parties in the compartment. Gwen noticed this and reassured them again,
"I promise, I will be fine and if I run into any trouble I will get in touch with either of you."
"Hey Gwen, they aren't the only ones who want to make sure that you're going to be ok this summer." Remus said looking aggravated as though there were something else on his mind.
"Oh Remus, I know that but you know I'm fully capable of taking care of myself." Gwen said smiling her eyes glittering. He smiled back at her nodded but she could have sworn that he said,
"I'm not so sure."
But she pushed the idea from her mind. She didn't need her doubts to come creeping up on her now. They sat the last thirty minutes of the trip laughing and thinking about what their ministry experience would be like. Gwen hadn't told them that she would be working with the Department and with the minister. She had wanted to keep it secret but couldn't hold it in any longer and just exploded with the news,
"I'm going to be working directly with the minister and his assistants." She was grinning and gazed around at the looks on her friend's faces; they all appeared to be shocked and possibly a flicker of concern flashed across their faces.
"Gwen that is a really big surprise, do you know what you'll be assisting him with?" Lily asked tentatively
"I haven't got a clue, really." Gwen said drifting into a day dream until the train breaks engaged in the station and Gwen looked around to her friends who were gathering their belongings she looked at their backs and felt a pang in her heart knowing that her parents wouldn't be there to welcome her home. While all her friends rushed off the train to greet their families Gwen held herself back. She didn't want to risk being seen setting off alone into the streets of Diagon Alley. While she watched the station filter free of students and their families she let out a sigh, not wanting to be the last one on the train she set off with her trunk which she had conveniently shrunk and lightened at school before the trace on her was detectable.
This is going to be rather difficult Gwen thought solemnly. For the first time she was actually frightened at the prospect of someone discovering her secret. With a little shake she tossed the thought from her mind and threw the trunk onto her back and trudged out of the train station and into the lengthening shadows of the afternoon, without ever looking back.
The three weeks Gwen had sought shelter in an abandoned office building just around the corner from Knocturn Alley. The building was fine during the daylight hours but at night Gwen found herself holed up in a corner by a window listening to people speak of a rising change, a new regime, a better place for those of pure lineage. Gwen stayed in the building until one afternoon after spending the day looking for scraps of food she had returned to find a notice on the door.
By Order of the Minister
And
The
Department of Magical Safety The raising of this building is
scheduled for
July Second (2nd) at Promptly 1:30Pm
That's tomorrow Gwen thought in despair. It was then that she noticed the sky had gone from a brilliant blue which had matched her mood as she had been able to sweet talk the owner of the Three Broomsticks into giving her a meal in exchange for a day of dishes. But upon reading the notice on the door Gwen's mood was stormy and threatening much like the gray sky ominous with the pending storm. It was at that moment when Gwen's anger and frustrations were peaking that from the sky was issued a brilliant white hot flash and only a moment later a deafening crack from she sky above. Gwen knew she had only a matter of minutes to find shelter and hoisted her trunk onto her back again and ran as fast as she could through the streets and was still without shelter when the chilling rain came and splashed down upon her slowly and first but as she ran faster and faster the drops came in quicker intervals until it made no difference whether she was walking or running she was soaked to the bone and shivering.
She walked on and on until she was at a cross road. The left turn lead down toward the entrance of Knocturn Alley. The right brought her back toward the three broomsticks. Straight a head was packed with members of the magical community bustling around their business. She couldn't go that way for fear she'd run into someone she'd know from school. If that happened she'd be mortified. And she couldn't go to the right; she had already paid a visit to the inn she couldn't very well show up there twice in one day. Knockturn Alley was always musty and dark it gave her this weird feeling that she was always being watched from behind, although she was sure she wasn't but she couldn't force herself to go there either she was stuck. Turning around only took her to a place she had already been which was no use to her now. She was rooted to the spot with rain pouring down her face the same rain that had now saturated her formerly light pink shirt and denim shorts. She was shaking her teeth chattering she had never felt so cornered with three choices laid out before her. It was then that her worst fear had been realized she heard from a far distance,
"Gwen?" She turned to look behind her and in a moments notice realized that Remus was walking toward her. She knew then that she had to disappear she took the left and ran down the uneven stone walkway into the musty gloom that seemed ever present in Knockturn Alley but she was still being pursued. It was when she took her second look back down the alley that her foot found a missing stone and settled unsteadily into the uneven brick. Her grasp slipped from the trunk and it came crashing to the ground flinging open as Gwen landed crumpled on the ground clasping her right knee in her hands her face dripping with rainy wetness in the middle of the dark street the eerie green lanterns casting a putrid glow on the buildings and people passing. It was only a matter of moments before Remus found her again. He jogged up to her and kneeled down beside her. The look on his face was a mixture of shock, sadness, and anger. It was when he spoke to her that she knew she hadn't won into his good graces.
"You lied!" He spat his eyes flashing dangerously
"Yeah, I did." Eve croaked menacingly between deep breaths and the searing pain she was currently facing.
"Why?" the tone in his voice had changed dramatically but his eyes were still glaring at her.
"Because, what would any of you have said to me? What would you have thought of me if I told you my parents kicked me out at twelve? What would you say to me if I told you around Christmas last year the reason I left school for more than a month was because my brother was attacked by a werewolf as a reminder to my parents that times were changing and they had better rise to the occasion or face the opposition? My parents were too weak to stand up and protect their family because their beliefs were too embedded in their values and that's why I was forced out of my house. I was made homeless by my parents because we couldn't agree on basic values of right and wrong." The tears were welling in her eyes now but she refused to let him see. She looked away and blinked the wet from her eyes and stood unsteadily on her uninjured leg shaking with cold wetness in the dingy alley way. Gwen turned around so her back was toward Remus as he spoke to her she was grimacing with pain trying to put weight on her right leg as he spoke his voice calm and soothing.
"We, any of us, would have welcomed you to stay with us over the summer. Just as I'm going to do now…" he paused she turned to look at him, their eyes meeting in the dimly lit walk. Water was still dripping from Gwen's hair and down her face she didn't know what to do, her pride was fighting but the idea of a warm and safe place to sleep away from people whispering in the night sounded heavenly.
"So, would you like?" Remus asked quietly giving a half smile in her direction almost as if he was seeing the internal argument raging within her she finally sighed a little looked at him here blue eyes full of uncertainty at her decision but she finally said,
"Yes, I would like."
"Ok, it's set no more to say." Remus was grinning but Gwen wasn't paying attention her concern had switched to her knee which had been gushing blood for the last few minutes and her blood had left a bright red pool on the uneven walk which was now being washed away by the pouring rain.
"Remus, there are a few strips of white cloth in my trunk, they are set to be wrapped around wounds already can you grab two of them?" Gwen asked as she smacked her hand over the deep gouge where the corner of the sharp walkway stone had pierced her skin. Remus was quick in returning the bandages and it only took a minute for her to dress the wound she had donned in the chase.
"You're really quick at dressing wounds, where did you learn?" He was eyeing her curiously
"I did it for my brother while I was at home on the days and nights following the full moon." She said tying the scraps of fabric around her leg in a makeshift bandage. "There, good as new." She said with a small smile looking at Remus as she wiped away the blood that was running down her leg from before. It was when she stood back up that she realized that her friend was staring at her mouth rounded in surprise.
"It just donned on me." He said quietly "All that you've just confessed, I mean, about your brother and it surprises me that you're not afraid of him still."
"Remus, there aren't many things that bother me, people with a mania for pureblood lines is one of them. But my brother will be my brother now and forever. I love him for the person he is on the good days and choose to pretend the bad days don't exist."
"But they do exist." Remus said shifting his weight still staring at her as if he had really just seen her for the first time.
"Well, maybe exist isn't the proper word, ignore is probably more appropriate." Gwen corrected rocking back and forth between her left and right legs to steady them and will away the pain in her right leg.
"How do you ignore those days though." He asked cautiously
"It's easy when you've seen people at their lowest. The times they wouldn't want to be seen even if they don't realize when you're there. Alright then, I think I'm good and she limped over to her trunk closed the lid and motioned to pick it up but Remus took it from her smiling and said,
"Then this is a day we'll ignore and won't speak of again?"
Gwen grinned appreciatively and gave a small nod and they walked through the rain which had slowed and was giving way to sun again. From the moment they stepped back into Diagon Alley steam from the rain was rising into the air creating a fog around every being that was about in the square. It was then that Gwen heard a voice in the distance,
"Remus… Remus where are you?"
"I'm here mum." Remus called and waved his hand in her direction after he set down Gwen's trunk.
"You ready Remus?" she asked when she had met him in the square Gwen had suddenly become ashamed of her ragged appearances and quickly ducked behind Remus.
"Yes I am mum…but I want to introduce you to a friend of mine from school." He said casting a glance over his shoulder she was glaring at him as he stepped aside. She straightened up quickly as she was now revealed standing in torn clothes, her face smudged with rain washed dirt. She looked at her feet and shuffled them a little. A short time later she lifted her head and looked at Remus's mother. She smiled at Gwen and then looked at her son and said confused,
"Dumbledore said that there weren't any others…" her voice trailed off. Gwen looked from Remus's mother to Remus himself and noticed the daggers he was shooting at his mother through his eyes.
"There aren't any other's mother. She's been abandoned by her parents. They're er- having a difference of opinion that's not likely to remedy any time soon." He shifted his glance to Gwen who was giving him a thankful smile.
"Well in that case, she'll need a place to stay for the remainder of the summer." She smiled and continued "and I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Lorleen Lupin and I'm obviously Remus's mother." It was quite obvious that the two were related; Remus and his mother shared the same amber colored eyes, mousy brown hair, and the same kindly smile that made everything seem ok.
"It's nice to meet you ma'am." Gwen said kindly
"Please call me Lorleen. Well, I think you best come and stay with us for the summer, if you'd like I can help you get some new clothes, and fix up some of your old ones and we'll make sure that you're set for the next school year and we'll get you to Hogwarts."
"Mum-" Remus interrupted "Gwen's not going back to Hogwarts, she has an internship with James, Sirius, Lily, and I. She's the one that the ministry's asked to start early because she'll be working on the quidditch world cup next summer." He stopped talking looking from Gwen to his mother.
Mrs. Lupin looked at Gwen honorably and she said "So this is the Gwen that you've done nothing but brag about Rem." She was grinning "He talks about you all the time how smart you are, how talented, how this how that, and he never has a negative thing to say."
Gwen looked quickly at Remus who was blushing a bright scarlet but smiled at her. Gwen returned his smile with a wink.
"Well let's get a move on then, time to get home and get you washed up and we'll have dinner. We have plenty of space for you so not to worry." Mrs. Lupin said kindly
"Thank you Mrs. Lupin." Gwen said as they moved on through the square. She and Remus held back from his mother.
"Rem?" She asked tentatively knowing it was a name that his mother used and wasn't sure that it would be ok if she did. And he looked at her confused but smiled and said,
"Yeah?"
"I really appreciate all you're doing for me, I couldn't have been so lucky."
"Don't mention it, I told you on the ride home that we'd all do it for you." And Remus smiled at her fondly
A few moments later after using the floo network in Madam Malkins they arrived at the Lupin homestead. Gwen looked around, it was quiet different from her parents' house, which was always glistening with clean and was unwelcoming and cold. She could realize it now that she saw a home that was filled with warmth and love. She was welcomed by Remus's family as though she were a member herself.
The next few weeks passed with Gwen helping Mrs. Lupin fix her clothes, and repair tears in Remus's and they went into Diagon alley for a few moments to get both Remus and Gwen new school robes and a few new sweaters, and pants so with the weather change pending it would be needed. They were also to purchase Ministry Robes for their internships and Gwen's were much too big for her small thin frame and had to be altered quickly.
It was the week before Gwen was to take her post in the ministry. She couldn't help but notice the difference in Remus. It had been more than once that she had caught him stealing glances at her as she worked around his house helping his mom and dad with the simple tasks around the house. When he noticed that she knew he looked away quickly. The idea that he would look at her gave Gwen a great feeling that she had never experienced before, a feeling she couldn't define.
And finally the time came for them to say goodbye for about two weeks. Gwen shuffled her feet as she said goodbye to Remus and thanked him for being so kind to her over the summer. And just before she walked over to the man who had come to collect her and bring her to her new flat where she should be reunited with Lily, she gave him a little peck of gratitude that caused the blood to rush to his cheeks brilliantly and he mumbled
"I'll miss you Gwenny…"
She whispered in his ear, "I'll only be a floor level away, promise you'll come to visit and or stay with me a few times this year." He nodded as a man from the ministry walked over to him. And said in a deep voice,
"This is the key to your flat in Diagon Alley. You'll be staying with James Potter and Sirius Black."
Remus looked at the address and it was true that Gwen would only be a floor above him both at the Ministry but also in living. He suddenly started to frown, where would he go the nights of the full moon, he was sure the ministry didn't know otherwise they wouldn't have offered.
"Rem, what's wrong?" Gwen asked concernedly
"It's nothing; I'll just have to sort a few things out before…the term starts."
"I know there's something bothering you and you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"Gwen, Being close and being clever isn't like being true; I would never hide a thing from you." Remus said but his eyes didn't meet hers and she noticed this but didn't say anything about it and instead nodded. With that Gwen gave Remus a quick hug and went to the man to take her to her flat. And she waved to Remus as she walked away into the distance.