Aimee
Draco awoke with a start later that night as he heard footsteps pass his door. He was a light sleeper and the servants of the Manor knew not to pass his door in the middle of the night. Furious as to whoever had broken the rule, he threw off his bedcovers and stumbled out of bed, wiping his reddened eyes with the back of his hand. Pulling over the door, he saw the swish of a cloak just as the owner turned down a hall.
Sighing, Draco shook his head and started to follow.
"Remus…" he whispered as he traced his step-father's footsteps. Fully prepared to yell at him, he threw open the door and crossed his arms, mustering the best sinister look the early hours of the morning would allow.
Before he could open his mouth to speak, he froze. Remus stood, standing in front of a blazing fire, his body racked with sobs. They were in a room Draco rarely visited – a room full of pictures, each of them now looking down upon the two.
"Remus?" Draco asked carefully, "Are you all right?"
Remus had swung around at the first sounds of Draco's voice. Shaking his head, he waved his hand and turned back towards the hearth dejectedly.
"I think I'll live." Remus sighed, "Go back to bed. I'm sorry I woke you up."
Instead of turning around and leaving, Draco stepped forward, his head spinning slightly from lack of sleep. "What's wrong?"
"You wouldn't understand." Remus said quietly, sitting down in an armchair. "And I don't want to talk about it."
"Try me." Draco said, "I'd understand a lot more than you think."
"Not this, you wouldn't." Remus sighed once more. "We're all allowed our secrets, Draco."
"This doesn't have anything to do with Lily Snape, does it?" Draco asked softly, stepping even closer. "Because I know."
Remus froze, his amber eyes meet Draco's blue ones. "How – ?"
"I was one of a blessid few that found out." Draco said, slowly taking a seat next to his step father.
"How much do you know?" Remus asked, gazing numbly into the fire once more.
"I know you slept with her." Draco started, "I know she made you. I know Castor and Pollux might be yours. I know she's a werewolf."
"So everything, then." Remus said dully. "Bloody hell, who told you?"
Draco raised his eyebrows, "I have my secrets."
"I'll say." Remus closed his eyes, his head set in the palm of his hands. "You do know she's my best friend, right?"
"Yes." Draco answered, watching the flames dance and the sparks fly. "It was quite obvious."
Remus lifted his eyes blankly from the fire, focusing on a picture of Draco's grandfather. Laughing darkly, he shook his head once more. "Well, I just had one of the worst days of my life."
"Tell me about it." Draco said, leaning back in his chair.
"Do you swear you will not tell your mother?" Remus asked.
"As long as it's not an emergency." Draco answered honestly. "There's exceptions to every rule."
"This isn't one of those times." Remus said, "So please."
"I won't." said Draco, gazing at his step father.
"She – she asked me to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron, so I did. She had me follow her up to a room so we could talk. She insisted she –" Remus sighed, "- she said she never wanted to see me again. She said we had to… it wasn't working out, and our friendship was being overpowered by something that happened two years ago."
"Is it?" Draco asked softly, slightly alarmed.
"Yes." Remus whispered, focusing his gaze into the fire once more. "Then – then she kissed me. It was one of those… I don't know how to describe it. I knew what she was feeling, what she was thinking… It was almost like –"
"Like love?" Draco supplied, his voice not much louder than Remus'.
"Yes." Remus answered once more, "Love laced with goodbye."
"The worst kind." Draco smirked bitterly.
"Yes, well…" Remus sighed, "She told me she loved me… and it was obvious, if your mother and Severus weren't involved –"
"You'd be married." Draco finished for him. "Yes, it was quite obvious."
Remus smiled sadly, "Yes, I guess so."
"So what happened then?" Draco asked carefully, not wanting to push the issue.
"She told me… it was gone. Everything." Remus sighed, "Everything… twenty-five years worth of friendship, gone because of a one night stand neither of us wanted."
Draco shook his head, wondering if he should inform Harry of all of this. "And then?"
"I was fighting her the whole time… I didn't want her to leave. I need her… our relationship, it exists beyond all boundaries. I've loved her the whole time I've known her – perhaps not the kind of love you're thinking about, but a more genuine, friendship sort of love." Remus smiled at the memory. "I could talk to her about anything and not worry about her running off and telling James."
"James?" Draco cocked his head a bit, confused.
"Harry's father." Remus answered, "James Potter."
"Ah," Draco nodded, "Ok."
"She Apparated… she said goodbye and left me there." Remus shook his head, "She was gone."
"Tell her how you feel." Draco suggested, "Maybe once she understands…"
"She knows." Remus said quietly, "She knows exactly how I feel. She knows she's my life… She knows you, Micah, Cissa, and herself… my life, my family. She knows I'd die for her… She knows the guilt I feel, she knows how badly I wish I could turn back time, she knows I'll damn near die without her."
By this time, the man was crying once more, tears dripping down his cheeks in an unceremonious manner. Draco flinched; he hated seeing grown men cry.
"Here." Draco pulled out a few tissues from his pocket, "Take these."
Remus took them thankfully, wiping his cheeks bitterly. "Do you have any idea how much I want to hate her?"
"Yes." Draco answered. "You want to hate her so much that she burns… burns into a pile of ashes. But you can't."
"Yes, I can't." Remus said, "I can't because I know it's my fault. Everything that's happened – my fault."
"No," Draco corrected, "She is equally, if not more at fault then you are."
"I bit her." Remus spat, "I slept with her."
"She came to your home on the Full Moon." Draco
fought back, "She forced you to sleep with her – she controlled you, Dad."
Remus froze. He turned towards Draco slowly, his amber eyes full of amazement. "What did you call me?"
His voice was soft; not bitter as it had been moments before.
"I said, she controlled you, Dad."
A weak smile flickered over Remus' face. Draco stood up, blocking his view from the fire.
"I don't care what you say," Draco started. "Lucius – he was a bastard. He landed himself in Azkaban… he killed so many innocents. I don't care that I've only known you for six years… I don't care that it's not biological… You've had far more of an influence over me than Lucius ever did."
Remus stood up, meeting Draco eye to eye. The almost seventeen year old boy was now two inches taller than Remus. A full smile flickered over his face as he embraced the boy.
"Besides," Draco whispered, hugging Remus back. "Blood's never really matter anyway."
Listen little child
There will come a day
When you will be able, able to say
Never mind the pain, all the aggravation
You know there's a better way
For you and me to be
Look for the rainbow in every storm
Fly like an angel heaven sent to me
Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you
here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no no
No no no no
Just a little girl, big imagination
Never letting no one take it away
Went into the world, what a revelation
She found there's a better way for you and me to be
Look for the rainbow in every storm
Find out for certain love's gonna be there for you
You'll always be someone's baby
Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you
here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no no
No no no no
(You know it's time to say goodbye)
No no no no
The times when we would play about
The way we used to scream and shout
We never dreamed you'd go your own sweet way
Look for the rainbow in every storm
Find out for certain love's gonna be there for you
You'll always be someone's baby
Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you
here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never never ever change it
No no no no
(You know it's time to say goodbye)
No no no no
(And don't forget you can rely)
No no no no
(You know it's time to say goodbye and don't forget on me
you can rely)
No no no no
(I will help, help you on your way)
No no no no
(I will be with you every day)
No no no no...*
*Spice Girls, Goodbye
(Got a better song that fits the Lily/Remus situation? I didn't
think so.)