**Thank you sooo much for the follows/favorites! They mean so much to me! Here's chapter 11! please review, too!**
That's So You
eleven
"No, Remus. Those are my conditions. You can either agree with them, or you can sod off," Maddi locked her dainty hands on her curvy hips.
His indigo eyes narrowed at the blonde while she turned back around. Remus had walked Maddi back through the deserted corridors to her private chambers before dawn and was, now, watching her pack her books into her rucksack for the day's classes. The couple had spent the entire journey from the hospital wing to Maddi's bedroom bickering, and Remus could tell Maddi was growing tired of his persistent objections.
"I just don't see why it's such a problem. Professor Dumbledore, himself, said that you have to have an escort. Why do we have to be hidden?" Remus questioned again, earning an irritated groan from Maddi.
"You don't have to be hidden. I said that I want you to stay a good distance away from me so that nobody will suspect you're looking after me," Maddi tossed her Transfiguration textbook into her bag as she spoke.
"What good does that do? They'll still think you're alone and vulnerable. They'll still pick a fight with you," Remus shoved his fingers through his hair.
"And when they do, you lot can play your roles as valiant Gryffindors, defending the weak and defenseless," Maddi rolled her silver eyes.
"So we can only step in once you've been hit with another Unforgiveable, then?" Remus cried.
"Only if I can't handle it myself. Listen to me, Remus. I don't want any of you getting hurt. You don't understand the minds of the Slytherins. If they know I'm close with you and your friends, they'll use you all to get to me. Please, just trust me on this," Maddi pleaded, gazing up at Remus with wide doe eyes.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But if anyone so much as lifts a wand in your direction, they're mine."
"Fine," Maddi rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Now, we'd better get down to breakfast. I'll go first. Count to fifteen and follow after me."
Remus nodded reluctantly at her instructions and watched Maddi trot out of her living quarters. The five seconds it took to count to fifteen seemed to be the longest five seconds to ever tick by. He rushed out the door, faintly aware of the wood seeping back into the stone wall once it closed behind him, and walked quickly to catch up to Maddi.
Finally, he could see her slender figure moving gracefully through the crowded corridors. Her golden hair hung in loose waves passed the middle of her back, bouncing with each step she took. Her skirt flared as she sashayed away from him without incident. Before he knew it, they had arrived to the Great Hall and Maddi was, thankfully, in one piece. She flashed him a subtle smile before slipping into the last seat at the very end of her house table. Remus breathed a small sigh of relief and lowered himself into the open spot between Peter and Lily.
"I see the damsel in distress has made it to breakfast safely," Sirius noted from across the table before shoving a warm biscuit into his mouth.
"Who's taking her to her first class?" Remus asked, fidgeting anxiously in his seat.
"That would be me, Moony," James grinned at Sirius' side.
"Keep a close eye on her and be aware of who else is watching her, as well," Remus commanded.
"Aye, aye, Captain," James saluted Remus and chuckled loudly with Sirius.
"I'm not joking," Remus glared at his friends.
"Relax, Moony. Your princess will be just fine," Sirius rolled his eyes and shoveled a spoonful of eggs between his lips.
"I'll be the best bodyguard there ever was, mate," James struck a heroic pose.
"There's no need to worry, Remus. Maddi's in good hands," Lily tried to comfort him.
By the time Lily finished her sentence, James and Sirius had begun swatting at each other's hands, fighting over the last strip of bacon on the table. Before long, the boys were rolling on the floor in an intense wrestling match of flailing fists and thrashing limbs. Their loud laughter and shrill shouts caught the attention of the rest of the student body, and soon enough the entire Great Hall was chanting and clapping at the "fight."
"You were saying?" Remus asked Lily with his eyebrows raised high.
"Well…Oh, forget it! They're prats," Lily rolled her eyes and plucked the lone piece of bacon from its platter and ate it herself.
"You know the rules, Black," Maddi muttered with a harsh glare. "Keep at least twenty paces away from me, got it?"
"Sure, sure. Whatever the princess wants," Sirius rolled his eyes and leaned against the stone wall outside of the Charms classroom where he was retrieving Maddi from her final class of the day.
"Good," Maddi spun on her heel and exited the shadows.
Sirius glared at her retreating form for a moment before slipping into the lightened corridor, himself. He kept his right hand deep in his pocket with his fingers securely wrapped around the handle of his wand. He was fairly certain he was being overly cautious, considering Maddi had gone the entire day without the Slytherins do anything more than glaring her way. But Moony would throttle him if he had been any less vigilant.
Though there were countless people loitering in the corridors before dinner, Sirius kept his eyes focused on one blonde seventh year in particular. She seemed to dance while she walked away from him, and Sirius realized: there was something about Maddison Turner that made it hard to look away from her. Perhaps it was her elegance and poise, her grace and her beauty. It was easy for him to see the physical attraction his best mate felt towards the girl. With a vigorous shake of his head, Sirius picked up his pace to keep up with Maddi.
In the blink of his silver eye, Sirius watched Maddi tumble to the floor and skid across the stone on her hands and knees. Sirius scanned the corridor of students who were pointing and laughing at the fallen beauty, searching for one who would be stowing away their wand. When he found the caster of the tripping jinx, he was taken aback for two reasons: First, because it was his own brother. Second, because he was not lowering, or even bothering to hide, his wand. The sixth year Slytherin held his wand in his fist, a cold smirk plastered across his lips as he glared down at the witch.
From the floor, Maddi blindly scrambled for her own wand while her eyes searched for her attacker. In her mind, she had already ruled out Bellatrix; there was no way she would send a curse as harmless as a tripping jinx. That only left…well…the rest of Slytherin house. But then, she saw him. His storm cloud eyes narrowed at her from across the hallway, roaring like thunder while his black wand remained pointed down at her ready to cast a bolt of lightning. The wand in Maddi's hand tumbled from her fingers, landing on the floor with a deafening pitter-patter. Without uttering a word, Regulus sent a flash of blue light towards her and a burning sting hit Maddi hard. Her left forearm stung unrelentingly and she wrapped her fingers around it in the hopes that applying pressure would soothe the stinging.
"Fight back," Regulus dared, pushing his body of the wall he was so casually leaning on. "Fight back, you coward."
"Reg," Maddi pleaded in a whisper. "Please, it doesn't have to be this way."
"FIGHT BACK!" he wailed, and the entire corridor fell silent to his outburst.
He aimed his wand directly between her wide eyes. Regulus bared his teeth as he snarled down at her, his face burning bright red. A wicked smile, then, graced his lips as he backed away two steps.
"Serpensortia," he breathed, and a long black snake flew from the tip of his wand.
Its thick body coiled and hissed at Maddi, who crawled backwards quickly. She cursed herself for having abandoned her wand after being hit with the stinging hex. She found herself defenseless with a giant snake eyeing her like a tasty meal.
"Reg," Maddi breathed without taking her eyes off the black serpent.
"Oh, that's right. You're deathly afraid of snakes, aren't you, Turner?" Regulus mocked with a cold laugh. "What a pitiful excuse for a Slytherin."
"Regulus, please," Maddi felt her fingertips trembling.
"Oppugno," Regulus spat, and the snake slithered with incredible speed towards Maddi.
"Evanesco!" Maddi heard before her throat could even emit a terrified scream.
The serpent vanished into thin air. Maddi, along with every other onlooker in the corridor, followed the voice. She cringed when she saw Sirius jogging towards her. She dared a glance back at Regulus to find him staring at his brother in confusion before the gears in his head turned quickly enough to make sense of the situation. Regulus turned his gaze down towards Maddi, his silver eyes swimming with hurt and betrayal. His knuckles had gone white around his wand and she feared for a moment that the stick may snap.
"Leave her alone, Regulus," Sirius demanded when he finally reached the pair.
He knelt down beside Maddi and wrapped a strong arm around her waist, hoisting her back to her wobbly feet. By then, Maddi's shameful eyes had fallen to the floor, focused intently on her scuffed up shoes, unable to withstand Regulus' pained expression any longer.
"Him?" Regulus breathed, his voice thick with hurt. "Of all people, you chose him?"
"It's not like that, Reg," Maddi denied, shaking her head vigorously. "We're not together."
"And yet he comes to your aid like some kind of hero," Regulus spat. "I should have known. You two are exactly alike. Rebelling, spitting on your family's values, abandoning your siblings. You're perfect for each other."
"Reg," Maddi finally got the courage to look up into his scorned face. "I…It's not…I'm…"
"Forget it. Have a nice life," he glared at the both of them one last time before turning and striding down the silent corridor.
A thousand eyes burned holes in the top of Maddi's bowed head. Sirius' arm around her shoulder felt heavy, and Maddi struggled to hold herself up beneath the weight of it. She knew in the time it took her and Sirius to reach the Great Hall for dinner, the rumors would be flying. The entire school would believe that she and Sirius were dating, and that he was the reason she rebelled from her family and the Dark Lord, making him- and in turn, his friends- a shiny new target.
"Let's go," she muttered.
"Right," Sirius dropped his arm from her shoulder and waited for her to start walking away.
"What are you doing?" she glanced over her shoulder at where Sirius stood rooted to the spot.
"Giving you twenty paces?" he shrugged his shoulders.
"There's no point in that now, is there?" she grumbled with a frown.
"I guess not," Sirius agreed and fell into step beside the blonde.
The pair walked in silence down the steps towards the Great Hall, ignoring the whispers that had seemed to follow them. Maddi focused on her breathing to distract herself from the tears that longed to burst forth. She repeatedly sighed heavily to herself and blinked her eyes rapidly as she rubbed her aching forearm.
"He's in love with you, you know," Sirius stated suddenly.
"What?" Maddi asked, glancing over at him.
"Regulus…he's in love with you," Sirius repeated.
"It was never like that with us," Maddi shook her head.
"Maybe not for you. But he's wanted you for a long time," Sirius said confidently. "I remember he used to sit at the window waiting for your owl to show up."
"That's ridiculous. I hardly ever wrote," Maddi rolled her eyes.
"I know. But he always hoped you would," Sirius gave her a sad smile.
"Why are you telling me this? You do realize I'm dating one of your best friends, don't you?" Maddi asked, coming to a stop just outside the dining hall.
"Yes, and I'm definitely not telling you to leave Remus for Regulus. I'm only saying that he has feelings for you; a weakness. Maybe you could get him to turncoat for us, too," Sirius stopped walking, as well.
"I've tried. He won't leave them. He thinks he's in too deep to get out, now," Maddi frowned.
"But now that you've run, maybe he'll realize he can, too," Sirius encouraged with a plea glistening in his eyes.
"It's not like I can just go up to him and beg him to run away with us, Sirius. He wants me to suffer for betraying him, even more so now that he thinks you and I are together," Maddi shook her head. "It's no use."
"Just try once more, Maddi. Please. He's my brother," Sirius begged, and it visibly pained him to do so.
"Fine, I'll try one more time. See you," Maddi waved and walked passed him.
"Where are you going?" Sirius asked, following behind her.
"To my table to eat?" she said slowly.
"You may as well sit with us now," Sirius glanced around her at the glaring group of snakes. "Doesn't look like they're too keen on you joining them for mealtime anymore."
"Right…" Maddi grimaced and followed Sirius towards the Gryffindor table.
He pushed his dark hair out of his eyes as he plopped into the seat between James and Peter and began piling food on his platter. Maddi, however, stood immobilized and stared down at the Gryffindors who, in turn, stared back at her. Feeling a presence behind her, Lily swiveled around in her seat. Her emerald eyes widened and she tugged on the thick sleeve of Remus' school robes. He, too, turned around to face Maddi. His navy eyes crinkled in question.
"Maddi? Everything okay?" he asked apprehensively.
"Yes, I was just…I was wondering if it'd be alright if I sit with you lot," Maddi twisted her fingers in front of her.
"Of course, sit down," Remus scooted away from Lily, leaving a gap for Maddi to occupy.
"What happened to your 'conditions,' Maddi?" Lily asked, handing Maddi a clean plate.
"Did something happen today?" Remus asked, glancing at each of his friends.
"On the way down here, my darling brother thought it'd be fun to attack her," Sirius grumbled from across the table.
"He didn't use an Unforgivable again, did he?" Remus' eyes widened.
"Again?" Sirius' fork stopped halfway to his lips. "He used one on you before?"
"I deserved it, I was fine," Maddi waved Sirius off. "And no, he didn't use one this time. He just tripped me, stung my arm a bit, and sent a snake after me. I'm fine!"
"Is that why your arm's blistering?" Lily asked, pointing a manicured finger at Maddi's left arm.
The soft skin on her inner arm was a bright pink and flaming red in some places. Maddi winced as Remus' gentle fingers clutched her wrist to get a better look. The sting was, in fact, blistering. The inflamed area was slightly raised and painfully hot.
"Bloody hell! If you look at it really closely, it kind of looks like the-"
Peter stopped talking abruptly, his beady eyes trained on the mark. James and Sirius leaned over the table to see better. Lily held a hand to her lips as her green eyes doubled in size. Realization swept over Remus' face and he turned in her seat to throw a violent glare at the youngest Black brother.
"The Dark Mark," Maddi breathed. "I hadn't even noticed."
"It's not really the Dark Mark, though…is it?" Peter asked nervously eyeing the wound.
"Of course not," Maddi shook her head. "Only the Dark Lord himself can imprint that mark. I don't know how Reg managed to make the stinging hex take the shape of the mark, though."
"It will heal, won't it?" James asked, glaring across the hall, as well.
"Probably," Maddi shrugged and tucked her arm beneath the table.
"Maybe you should ask him when you go and talk to him," Sirius suggested.
"What?" Remus spat and he whipped his head back around to stare at Maddi.
"You're not going to talk to him!" Lily cried. "That's completely mental!"
"I just need to try one more time to get him to come around," Maddi tried to reason with her friends. "I can't just leave without asking him to come with me."
"Maddi, I admire your caring and loving nature, but really…that's absolutely insane. Look at what he's done to you," Lily shook her head, swinging her vibrant red curls back and forth.
"Agreed. You can't be serious, Maddi," Remus frowned.
"I am. I need to try one last time before I leave him for good," Maddi said firmly.
"You're not going alone," Remus said with conviction.
"I can't very well bring you with me, now can I?" Maddi rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Regulus won't hurt me."
"He won't hurt you?" Remus cried loudly. "He already has twice! You're not going alone, Maddison."
"I have to! You don't know him like I do. He won't hurt me if I can get him alone. Trust me," Maddi pleaded with a sad smile.
"She's right, Remus. He…doesn't want to hurt Maddi," Sirius caught himself just short of telling Remus that his brother was in love with his girl.
"Exactly. I'll be fine," Maddi vowed.
"I've heard that before," Remus grumbled.
"I'll meet you back in my room by eight," Maddi whispered in his ear.
She pressed her lips to his cheek and laced their fingers together beneath the table. Remus sighed heavily, knowing he would only lose in a fight against his stubborn girlfriend. With a permanent frown stamped over his lips, he filled her plate with an assortment of food. Maddi smiled up at him gratefully, but only took three bites before silently pushing the remains around on her plate. She lifted her pensive gaze from her dish just in time to see Regulus leaving the dining hall by himself.
"Now's my chance," Maddi announced, rising to her feet. "I'll see you lot later."
"Be careful, okay?" Lily said with a frown.
"If you're not back by eight o'clock, I'll be turning the castle upside down to find you," Remus swore.
"Yes, yes, alright," Maddi rolled her eyes and rushed from the Great Hall.
Maddi followed Regulus down several winding corridors riddled with classmates. When they finally descended the stairs to the dungeons, Maddi found herself completely alone with him. With a deep breath, she increased her speed until she was right beside him. Before he could glance down at his new company, Maddi wrapped her fingers tightly around his wrist and dragged him into the nearest classroom despite his protest.
"Get your filthy hands off me, you pathetic little witch," he snarled, ripping his arm out of Maddi's grasp.
She closed the door behind her and locked it silently before pressing her back against the wood. The Potions classroom looked much different at night time. The candles that usually cast a haunting golden glow throughout the cold room were extinguished, leaving the pair without much light. The white half-moon outside the window cast a bright light through the glass, bouncing off Regulus' furious, and mildly confused, face.
"What do you think you're doing? Who do you think you are, dragging me in here?" Regulus sneered down at Maddi.
"Regulus, please, I just wanted to talk to you," Maddi pleaded, knotting her fingers in front of her churning stomach.
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say," Regulus growled.
"Please, Reg. Hear me out, and then I'll leave you alone. I swear," Maddi watched his dark eyes consider her for a moment.
He locked his arms over his chest, and Maddi took that as a sign he was listening. She took a deep breath and struggled to put all of the words she needed to say into a coherent sentence. Try as she might, the words all jumbled together and she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly with no sound leaving her lips.
"It- it's not enough to say 'I'm sorry.' I know that," Maddi began quietly. "But you can still leave! We can run together. It doesn't have to be this way, Reg."
"It's a shame, but it does. There is no other way. Bloody hell, maybe I'm to blame," Regulus pushed his fingers through his dark locks and turned away from Maddi.
"Or maybe we're the same," Maddi offered gently.
"Either way, I can't breathe! Either way I can't win!" Regulus shouted, whirling around to face her.
Maddi's body jumped without her approval and she stepped backwards unknowingly. Her back collided with the door once more, and she gasped painfully. Her silver eyes were wide as saucers while she watched him press his fist to his lips.
"Neither of us wanted that life, Reg. I've chosen to leave it all behind me, and you can too," Maddi struggled to keep the tremors from her voice.
"How can you stand there and expect me to trust you?" Regulus asked with a humorless laugh. "Everything we've been through, and everything about you, seems to be a lie! A guiltless, twisted lie. And you know what? It made me learn to hate you, or hate myself for letting it pass by."
"Regulus, please," Maddi sighed and shook her head. "There's more to it than you even know. Everything isn't only what it seems."
"Don't! I don't need you to tell me there's more about you that I don't know! Just continue to hold in all those words that you never told me!" Regulus seethed, glaring down at her with as much hatred as he could muster.
"I promise you, I will explain everything should you agree to run away with me. We can both go, Reg. I will protect you from whatever comes our way. You just have to say the word, and I will take you with me. Please, Reg, I promise. Come away with me," Maddi pleaded, reaching forward and boldly taking his hands with hers.
"You had been lying to me all this time. I trusted you with everything. I let you in without question, without a single doubt, and this is how you repay me. How long have you been planning to deceive the others, Maddison? And when did you decide that I was a part of that category?"
"It wasn't like that," Maddi felt her lip quivering as she spoke. "I wasn't trying to hurt you, or go behind your back. I had to do what was best for me, and if I lived through it, I would come back for you! That was always my plan, Regulus. You were always supposed to be with me in the end."
"Then why are you there while I'm over here?" Regulus frowned, and Maddi could see the tears glistening in his eyes.
"You can be over here, too," Maddi offered with a sad smile.
"Not with this filth on my arm, I can't," Regulus grumbled and shook his head. "It has to be this way, Maddi. We're better off this way."
"There's nothing I can say to change your mind, is there?" Maddi asked, releasing her hold on his hands once he shook his head no. "Then, all I have to say is…Goodbye, Reg."
Without warning, Regulus stepped forward until his body pressed against hers, pinning Maddi against the door. Both of his hands knotted in her yellow hair behind her head while her palms pushed weakly against his chest. Regulus' lips crashed down hungrily on Maddi's while she stood stone still, her open eyes watching the desperation flood his entire face while he kissed her passionately. When he finally pulled away, Regulus rested his forehead against hers, his eyes remaining shut as though he couldn't bear to see her response- or lack thereof. But then, he opened them and was watching her with an intensity that made her feel much too hot. His eyes were searching her face for an answer; some unsaid truth that she was hiding. But he found nothing.
"Tell me I was wrong," Regulus pleaded while he gazed deep into her eyes, his fingertips unraveling from her golden hair to caress the hot, soft skin of her cheeks. "Tell me you didn't lie to me, and that you haven't really left our side. Tell me I was wrong."
"I can't do that, Reg," Maddi breathed, frowning deeply. "I'm sorry. This is goodbye, Reg."
He didn't say anything in return, and Maddi figured he wouldn't have anything to say anytime soon. She unlocked the door and slipped out into the abandoned corridor to run all the way back to her bedroom on the seventh floor.
"Maddi! I was just about to come looking for you," Remus leapt back from the door as it swung open.
His little blonde witch threw herself into his chest and locked her arms around his waist. Without breathing a word, Remus shut the door behind her and snaked his arms around her back, holding her tightly to him. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and listened to her sniffles until she was ready to speak. He silently and carefully ushered her to the sitting area and helped her fall into the cushions of the sofa. Once she her tears subsided into soft hiccups, Remus held her away from his chest to look over her red, blotchy face.
"I assume it did not go well, then," Remus' lips quirked into a smile when Maddi gave a snort of laughter.
"He won't come with me," Maddi shook her head and frowned. "He also kissed me…"
Maddi peeked up from beneath her watery lashes to gauge Remus' response. His indigo eyes were surprised before he slipped a stony, impassive mask over his entire face. His body tensed beside her on the couch, and Maddi laid a delicate hand over his stiff forearm.
"I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't stop him either," Maddi admitted. "I wanted to let him have whatever closure he needed, I suppose. You're angry."
"No, I'm not angry," Remus shook his head, consciously softening his features. "I'll admit I'm not pleased, but I understand. You're a good person, Maddi."
"So good I left one of the only people who stuck by me through everything to go through Hell alone," Maddi shook her head shamefully. "I'm sorry. I reckon you must be sick of listening to me cry and whine while you try to pick up the pieces."
"Don't apologize," Remus pulled her into his chest and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're having a hard time right now; I don't want you to go through it alone. I'm more than happy to be the one you come to for comfort."
"You really are something special, you know that?" Maddi smiled up at him.
"Don't be silly, darling," Remus pecked her nose again before growing somber, himself. "The full moon is next week."
"I know," Maddi intentionally snuggled closer to him.
"You do? Are you keeping track, now?" Remus teased, tightening his hold around her back.
"Did you think I wouldn't?" Maddi asked with a smile.
"I didn't expect you to, no," Remus confessed.
"Well when I have a deadline to meet, I usually keep a close eye on time," Maddi spoke before she could stop herself.
"A deadline? What's that supposed to mean?" Remus stared down at her with one eyebrow raised to his hairline.
"I only meant that I am aware of when our time is limited, love," Maddi lied smoothly.
He looked at her calculatingly for a moment more before sighing and resting his head back against the couch. Maddi sighed quietly in relief and mentally slapped herself for her slip up. She, then, made a mental note to meet up with Sirius the following morning to hopefully conclude their lessons.
A/N: I know there hasn't been a lot of Remus action in this story so far. But now that all this death eater/maddi/regulus drama is out of the way, the story will be much much much more marauder based., meaning MUCH more Remus. Thanks for sticking with me! Review!
