- CHAPTER SIXTEEN -

Bad Blood

"Well, well, well," sneered Malfoy, his cold grey eyes glittering nastily. He was surrounded by at least four Slytherins, including - Sirius realised with a jolt - Narcissa Black.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" snapped Sirius, his hands balling into fists.

Malfoy only laughed, but it was a humourless laugh that was no less malevolent than his sneer. "Oh, I was just hoping that we would run into you. Particularly-" his eyes slid over Remus "-your little friend, Mr Lupin here."

Beside Remus, James and Sirius both stiffened. True, they had expected Malfoy to try to attack them, but they weren't going to take it lying down.

"If you touch him, Malfoy, you're going to pay," snarled Sirius, pulling out his wand.

Lucius Malfoy laughed again. "I wouldn't threaten people if I were you, Black. Need I remind you that I am a prefect?" He tapped the green-and-silver badge on his chest, smirking smugly.

Sirius snorted. "No, you don't need to remind us, thanks. You boast about it so much - I think the whole universe knows."

Lucius flushed and his gaze slid over to Narcissa, who also wore a prefect badge.

Sirius glanced at her too. "Oh, hello, cousin Cissy," he said, as though he'd only just noticed her. "Are you stalking your loser of a boyfriend?" He indicated Malfoy with his thumb and Narcissa glared at him.

"Don't you dare talk about Lucius like that!" she snapped, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears. Two pink, angry spots had appeared on her cheeks, although she fought to retain a superior expression.

"Oh, sorry," said Sirius, not sorry at all. "I forgot: it's 'darling Lucius', isn't it? He's your darling future husband, matched to you from birth-" The other Slytherins were all cracking their knuckles and drawing their wands, but Sirius ignored them. He only had an interest in Lucius and Narcissa, both whom were staring down their noses at him.

"So," said Lucius quietly, pointing his wand at each of the four boys in turn, then letting it rest on Remus. Remus didn't flinch. "Nice though it is to see a family reunion," he said, glancing at Sirius and Narcissa, "I'm afraid I'm here to deal with only one of you. I think I need to teach Mr Lupin a lesson - although, of course, if any of you get in my way, I'd be happy to hex you too."

James stepped forwards in front of Remus. "Well, you're going to have to hex all of us because we're not moving."

"Exactly," said Sirius, also moving forwards. His wand did not leave Malfoy's face.

Malfoy, however, seemed unperturbed. "How very touching," he sneered, turning to Peter. "And what about you? Are you going to stand in front of your friend like a little hero too? Or do you have some common sense?"

Peter cowered away, looking terrified. James and Sirius raised their wands higher.

"Leave him alone," began James menacingly. "Or we'll-"

"I asked you a question," said Malfoy, ignoring James and still addressing Peter. His voice was deadly quiet. "Are you going to defend your friend? Are you a true Gryffindor, in short, or are you going to run away from me?"

Peter squeaked out an answer that no one could hear.

"Pardon?" said Lucius, cupping one hand around his ear. "I didn't quite catch that. Say it again, loser."

"Don't call him that!" snapped Remus suddenly. He turned to Peter. "Peter, don't answer him. He's not worth your time and he's just trying to make you feel bad."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I am, am I?"

Remus snorted. "Like you don't know! Of course you are! What else would you be doing?"

"Enough of this chatter!" said Narcissa, pulling her wand out too and pointing it at Remus. "Lucius, darling, just hex the Lupin boy and go. Then we can get out of-"

BANG!

For the second time that year, Lucius Malfoy was covered in chicken droppings and feathers.

Remus coolly tucked his wand away. "Oh, dear, Lucius. Looks like you weren't quick enough." He turned to James, Sirius and Peter who looked slightly bewildered. "Come on. Let's leave this lot to their own business."

Then, trying to conceal their laughter in coughs, the four boys ran past the Slytherins up to Gryffindor Tower.

"That was brilliant, Remus!" cried James, once the four of them had occupied the good armchairs by the fire.

Sirius grinned and propped his feet up in Remus' lap. "Yeah, who knew Remus Lupin could be such a rebel? That's twice you've hexed a prefect now!"

Remus went pink and stared at Sirius' feet. "I'm not a rebel," he said quietly. "And I don't think I'd want to be one, either."

"There's nothing wrong with being a rebel," Sirius pointed out. "In fact, it's actually quite cool."

"I know. I just don't think 'cool' is really my thing." Remus smiled at Sirius. "It suits you, though. You're definitely the rebel around here."

"Yeah," said James, nodding. "You got sorted into Gryffindor, you've sassed Malfoy at least twice and you only do your homework at the last minute-"

"Sometimes he doesn't do his homework at all," said Peter darkly, and James and Sirius laughed. "What did you say to Professor Flitwick last lesson? Wasn't it that you dropped your homework in the lake?"

Sirius grinned and stuck his arms behind his head, crossing his feet in Remus' lap. "Yep."

Remus rolled his eyes.

"What?" said Sirius, catching sight of this. "At least my excuses are original."

"I don't think they're helping your case, though," said Peter. "Flitwick still gave you detention."

"And McGonagall gave you detention too, the day after," added James. "Mind you, she gave me one, as well, because I flicked ink at Snivellus." Professor McGonagall had not been impressed when she'd been forced to stop the lesson and vanish the ink from Snape's robes. Lily hadn't been very impressed either.

"Why are you even friends with them?" Lily had asked Remus as they walked to Herbology together after the incident. James and Sirius had stayed behind to sort out their detention times, while Peter was tying his shoelaces on the stairs.

Remus pushed his brown hair out of his eyes and sighed. "Who?" he started to say, but Lily interrupted him.

"You know perfectly well who I'm talking about. I mean Potter and Black."

"What about Peter?" asked Remus, keen to avoid answering the question for as long as possible.

Lily stopped in her tracks by the front doors and tapped her foot impatiently. "Well, him too, if you like. But he's not as bad as the others."

Remus sighed again and led the way outside, glancing over his shoulder at the knight as he did so. There was, however, no need to worry about being chased; the enchanted suit of armour was busy eyeing up Peter, who had finished tying his shoelaces and was straightening up. "They're all right, really. They just do things for a laugh-"

Lily opened her mouth to make an angry retort, but Remus - catching her eye - intervened.

"Look, I know it's not always funny. But they're never going to understand that and I'm not going to be the ones to tell them. They're the first friends I've ever had and-" He suddenly broke off, his heart racing. He'd never mentioned this to anyone apart from Sirius, James and Peter.

Lily's green eyes went wide. "What do you mean, 'they're the first friends you've ever had'? You only met them this year, didn't you?"

Remus hesitated but knew she was trustworthy. "My parents originally wanted to homeschool me," he said quietly. "So, of course, I didn't have many friends before I came to Hogwarts. James, Sirius and Peter were the first people my own age to befriend me. In fact, they're the only people to ever befriend me."

The green in Lily's eyes was stark against her pale face. "Do you consider me to be a friend?" she asked softly, recovering from her surprise at this piece of information.

He hesitated again. "If you'll accept me."

"Accept you?" Lily was frowning now. "Remus, why on Earth wouldn't I accept you?"

"Oh, no reason," said Remus hastily. "I was just checking." But he arrived in Herbology looking slightly more cheerful than usual. And that was saying something, as the full-moon was next week.

When Sirius, Peter and James woke up next Monday to find Remus' bed empty and his clothing gone, all three of them began to panic. They made so much commotion that Frank, who'd been asleep in the bed by the door until now, woke up and glared at them.

"Oi! Some of us are trying to sleep here, you know!"

The other three boys ignored him.

"Remus wouldn't have left without telling us first," said James, checking the bathroom to find no sign of his friend. "He'd have mentioned it if he was going somewhere."

"Maybe he's ill?" suggested Peter anxiously, hovering in the middle of the floor. He didn't really know what to do. "He could've gone to the Hospital Wing-"

"What's going on?" asked Frank, rubbing grit out of his eyes and sitting up in bed. He looked around at the madness of the dormitory. "Who's ill? Who's in the Hospital Wing? And why are you all up so early?"

"It's Remus!" cried Sirius, frantically tugging on his clothes so he could join the search party. "He's gone!"

"Gone?" echoed Frank, looking perplexed. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"I mean that he's not here!" said Sirus. He threw on his robes and began to stuff his feet into his socks. "He vanished in the middle of the night and we don't know where he is!"

Frank hesitated. "Maybe a lethifold got him?" he said and James glared at him.

"Why would a lethifold attack Remus and not any of us?" he demanded, glancing over at Remus' empty bed. But a tiny part of him had begun to panic. What if a lethifold had got slipped in and attacked Remus during the night? It's not as though they'd be able to tell.

"Yeah," said Peter, trying not to be terrified at the thought of a cloak-like creature smothering Remus and eating him. "Remus' bed isn't the one nearest to the door." He nodded at Frank. "Yours is."

Frank shrugged but got out of bed to help. "I don't know, do I? It was just a joke. I know a lethifold wouldn't really have eaten him; his bed's been made, his clothes are gone and there's no sign of a struggle. Maybe Remus is in the bathroom?"

"I've already checked," said James. "We were wondering whether he's in the Hospital Wing."

Frank rubbed his tousled hair and yawned widely. "Well, we might as well check before we make a big fuss," he said reasonably. "C'mon. Let's go."

"But why would Remus be in the Hospital Wing?" asked Sirius, shoving on his other sock and standing up. "I hope he's not seriously ill."

"He can't be," said James firmly, refusing to believe that his friend wasn't fine. "He'll just have a cold or something. He was looking a bit peaky yesterday. But let's go and see Madam Pomfrey. Frank's right: we should check that he's not in the Hospital Wing before we do anything else."

Peter scurried after the others, wringing his hands, still in his striped pyjamas. "What if he's not there?" he gasped, trying and failing to catch up. James and Sirus had broken into a run and Frank, after a moment's hesitation, had copied them.

"Then we'll go to McGonagall," panted James, thundering down the stairs. "Or Dumbledore. Or Hagrid, or someone."

"He could be sleepwalking," said Frank, slowing down slightly as they approached the Hospital Wing. "One of my neighbours does that back home. Once, my parents and I found her wandering around our garden, picking peonies..." But he trailed off as he realised that none of them were listening.

James pounded hard on the Hospital Wing door. Voices could be heard from within.

"-I'd suggest taking another dose of painkiller before moonrise. I'm not sure it'll help, but it's worth a try... Oh, dear. Hang on- there's someone at the door... I'll just pull these curtains around you, dear..."

There came the sound of running footsteps, then Madam Pomfrey's face peered through a crack in the door. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked worriedly, taking in Peter's pyjamas and Sirius' inside-out, mismatched socks.

The four boys looked at her.

"Do you know where Remus is?" asked James, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It's just- We woke up this morning and he'd gone. We don't know if he's here, or if he's okay, or... or what," he finished lamely.

Madam Pomfrey fiddled with the hem of her apron. "There's no need to worry, boys," she said kindly. "Mr Lupin is quite safe. He's merely gone home to visit his mother again."

Frank looked confused. "What do you-?" he began, but Sirius shushed him.

"Is it that time already?" he asked the matron. "Is his mother all right? Why didn't he tell us where he was going?"

Behind Sirius, Frank made another questioning noise, keen for an explanation.

Madam Pomfrey glanced over her shoulder and smiled grimly. "His mother should be fine. But she was taken ill yesterday and so Mr Lupin went home at quite short notice. He'll be back tomorrow, I think."

"Why was his mother ill? What's wrong with her?" pressed Sirius.

"I don't know," said Madam Pomfrey, now looking worried. "I don't know, boys, and I couldn't tell you even if I did. It's all strictly confidential."

"But-" began Sirius, still keen for answers.

But Madam Pomfrey had already closed the Hospital Wing door.

"Well, at least we know Remus is safe," said Frank, as they sat in Potions later that morning. "He isn't dying or anything and he'll be back soon. By the way," he added suddenly, glancing around to check that no one was listening; Alice was chatting to Lily and Snape over a bubbling cauldron nearby. "What was all that about earlier? Why does Remus have to visit his mother?"

"She's ill," explained James. "She has a horrible muggle illness. It's so bad that Remus almost couldn't come to Hogwarts and he was only allowed to come because Dumbledore said he could visit her. He goes once a month."

"Oh," said Frank, who looked thoughtful. "Poor him." Then he made to say more, but couldn't; Slughorn had swooped on them, his huge stomach heaving.

"Now, m'dears. Let's see the start you've made on your potions."

While Slughorn grimaced at Peter's potion and prodded the fire beneath James', Alice Fortescue slipped over to them. "Hello," she said in a whisper, glancing back over at Lily and Snape as she talked. "I've just escaped."

Frank looked at her questioningly.

"I was talking to Snape," she explained and tucked her dark brown hair behind her ear.

James checked that Slughorn was still preoccupied before whispering an answer. "What did you want to talk to him for?" he asked incredulously.

Alice ducked down so that she was hidden behind Frank. "I wanted to see what he was like," she explained. "You know, because you guys are always saying he's horrible. So I went to investigate and-" She pulled a face and glanced back at Snape. Then she lowered her voice. "He's hideous," she hissed. "He's honestly the most awful wart I've ever met. I don't know why Lily likes him."

Sirius snorted. "Has it honestly taken you this long to work that out?" he asked, glaring over at Snape too. The greasy-haired Slytherin boy seemed to be completely immersed in his cauldron, although every now and again he glanced at Lily.

Alice shrugged. "I didn't want to judge him straight away," she said. "I wanted to give him a chance, you know... But I was talking to him just now and the first thing he asked me was about my blood-status. I mean, how pathetic is that?"

James suddenly realised that he didn't know very much about Alice. "Erm, just out of interest, what is your blood-status? Not that it matters!" he added swiftly, as Alice opened her mouth to snap at him. "I just wondered what your childhood was like."

Alice visibly relaxed. "I'm pureblood," she said. "But I didn't tell Snape that. I just told him to mind his own business."

Frank clapped his best friend on the back. "Good for you!" he said approvingly and James turned to him.

"What about you, Frank?"

Frank shrugged. "The same. Both my parents are magical. But my mum's a bit stern. She's nice, though, she's just..." he winced. "You know."

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "My dad's strict," he told Frank. "He can be quite scary when he's angry. You don't want to cross him, he's-"

But, at this point, Professor Slughorn turned around and spotted Alice. "Miss Fortescue?" he said, frowning slightly. "Why aren't you at your table? You should be stirring your potion, while it thickens."

Alice glanced over at Snape and Lily. Her cauldron was smoking ominously. "I've finished, professor," she lied. As a matter of fact, she'd just refused to go near Snape again and had abandoned her potion in favour of talking to Frank.

Slughorn smiled beneath his moustache. "Have you now?" he boomed, the buttons on his waistcoat straining. "Well, well. Let's have a look, shall we?"

Glancing reluctantly back over her shoulder at the boys, Alice followed Slughorn back to her table, where the professor examined her potion. Sirius heard Slughorn chuckling and tutting loudly. Alice's potion had apparently not been finished after all and she was hanging her head meekly.

Eventually, however, Slughorn turned to Lily. "Now, Miss Evans. Let's see your potion. And I hope for your sake that it is better than Miss Fortescue's..." Still chuckling to himself, Slughorn bent over Lily's cauldron and gave an exclamation of delight. "Merlin's beard, m'dear! You get better every time I see you! Am I right in supposing that you are a pureblood?"

James saw Lily blush and cast a half-glance at Snape. "No, sir. I'm muggleborn, actually."

Snape gave a funny little twitch beside her and Slughorn looked amazed.

"Muggleborn? With brains like yours?"

As Lily nodded, James gritted his teeth. "Prejudiced little git," he muttered so that no one but Sirius could hear.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad Sluggy's not head of our house. Who says muggleborns can't make good witches?"

Fortunately, however, Slughorn was too busy fawning over Lily and Snape to notice that his students were whispering about him. "Well, you must come along to one of my dinner parties, some time," he boomed, beaming down at Lily. "I asked Severus to come, you know, and I'm sure he'd like some company. Why not come along? And I was meaning to ask Mr Black to come too." He turned around to beam at Sirius, who looked instantly horrified, frozen over his cauldron.

The rest of the class stared at him too. James tried and failed to smother his laughter.

A/N:

Thank you for all your suggestions about Remus' eye colour! They were really helpful :) I had no idea that so many people were still reading this story, so thank you so much! Your reviews showed me exactly how wrong I was.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter - I'm posting a double update today because I really don't post enough.

See you,

~ Lacy