A/N: I know that last chapter was an evil cliffie...I was touched by how many of you were upset that I killed him.
Thank you RandomThought, jennylovesnick, Rubicon ("Too sodding hot to be killed"? I agree totally...), Redhawk, Fleur---@, Min_1979, Pepperjack Candy, Mortalus, Kissaki, MiniMe (A Harry/Neville fic? I'll see what I can do.), and Annclaire.
***
*blank* Oh, look, I can see all my words and coherent thoughts being shoved into a bag and carried out by masked henchmen. My mouth is open and I know it must look unseemly, so I shut it quickly. "Are you sure?" Ron asked.
"Oh, yeah," Rosemerta said. "It was all over the Daily Prophet this morning. Are you okay?" I laughed- a dark, cynical laugh.
"Harry?" Ron asked.
"What's wrong with you? Show some common decency," Rosemerta whispered. People were starting to stare. It didn't matter. I was in hysterics.
"I'm sorry. Pressure," Ron muttered to Rosemerta, seizing me under the arms and dragging me to the nearest table. "I'm going to place our order. Pull yourself together."
By the time he came back, I had calmed down somewhat. I wasn't laughing, now I was muttering to myself. It figures. It so figures. Dead. Stop the world. I'll get off at the next exit and go insane. Ron slid into the seat across from me.
"How?" I asked.
"Fire."
"Body?"
"Ashes and some splinters of bone." I nodded dumbly, trying to ignore the lump in my throat.
"I'll be goddamned. This is absolutely incredible," I replied, shaking my head. Again that dark laugh.
"Are you okay?"
"Okay how? I'm walking, talking, and living, but..." I can't breathe. I can't see. I can't think. And I can't bear to be in this place a moment longer. So I run. I run all the way to Hogwarts. I must've left my eyes in the Three Broomsticks because I run into somebody else.
"Excuse me," I mumbled quickly.
"Harry-" I looked up in surprise, startled to find myself face-to-face with Remus Lupin.
"Professor Lupin?" He smiled.
"Yes."
"But Sirius said that you were in India."
"I was."
"What are you doing back at Hogwarts?"
"I've come back to teach. But something's bothering you. What is it?"
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile.
"Liar."
"Do you remember Draco Malfoy?"
"Of course."
"His father is dead."
"And?"
"And? A man is dead and all you have to say is and?" I demanded.
"You're all better off."
"How can you say that?"
"Why are you so concerned? One less death eater is cause to celebrate." I can't think of how to reply to that without giving myself away. It's not like Remus to say those things. He sounded wistful- almost sad. And what did he mean by "you're"?
Over the next few days I noticed that Remus wasn't acting like himself. He seems normal to everyone else, but its little things that aren't right. He didn't know right away who Snuffles was and my Patronus seems to have escaped his memory completely. Something is not right. I know it. I 've been following him around as of late. He spends a lot of time with Snape. When I was a third year, Snape could not stand Lupin and now they're rather chummy. What gives?
Closets are cramped. No, that's not a random observation. I'm stuffed in a small closet in Snape's office to see if I can figure out what's wrong with Remus. There's stuff perched precariously on more stuff, which is balanced on the edge of the top shelf. Guess all that talk about class safety doesn't carry over into real life. I hear them now.
"Severus, I can't do this anymore."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're a fine teacher."
"That's not what I meant." Remus cleared his throat. Or at least it sounded like Remus. I can't actually see anything.
"Then what do you mean?"
"I'm so close."
"I miss him," I gave a start. I know that voice. That's not the voice of Remus Lupin. That's the voice of Lucius Malfoy. And that's when everything in the closet came crashing down on me.
***
Oh! ^.^ What is going on? We'll find out next chapter dears. Meanwhile, please review.
Love,
J. Silver
Thank you RandomThought, jennylovesnick, Rubicon ("Too sodding hot to be killed"? I agree totally...), Redhawk, Fleur---@, Min_1979, Pepperjack Candy, Mortalus, Kissaki, MiniMe (A Harry/Neville fic? I'll see what I can do.), and Annclaire.
***
*blank* Oh, look, I can see all my words and coherent thoughts being shoved into a bag and carried out by masked henchmen. My mouth is open and I know it must look unseemly, so I shut it quickly. "Are you sure?" Ron asked.
"Oh, yeah," Rosemerta said. "It was all over the Daily Prophet this morning. Are you okay?" I laughed- a dark, cynical laugh.
"Harry?" Ron asked.
"What's wrong with you? Show some common decency," Rosemerta whispered. People were starting to stare. It didn't matter. I was in hysterics.
"I'm sorry. Pressure," Ron muttered to Rosemerta, seizing me under the arms and dragging me to the nearest table. "I'm going to place our order. Pull yourself together."
By the time he came back, I had calmed down somewhat. I wasn't laughing, now I was muttering to myself. It figures. It so figures. Dead. Stop the world. I'll get off at the next exit and go insane. Ron slid into the seat across from me.
"How?" I asked.
"Fire."
"Body?"
"Ashes and some splinters of bone." I nodded dumbly, trying to ignore the lump in my throat.
"I'll be goddamned. This is absolutely incredible," I replied, shaking my head. Again that dark laugh.
"Are you okay?"
"Okay how? I'm walking, talking, and living, but..." I can't breathe. I can't see. I can't think. And I can't bear to be in this place a moment longer. So I run. I run all the way to Hogwarts. I must've left my eyes in the Three Broomsticks because I run into somebody else.
"Excuse me," I mumbled quickly.
"Harry-" I looked up in surprise, startled to find myself face-to-face with Remus Lupin.
"Professor Lupin?" He smiled.
"Yes."
"But Sirius said that you were in India."
"I was."
"What are you doing back at Hogwarts?"
"I've come back to teach. But something's bothering you. What is it?"
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile.
"Liar."
"Do you remember Draco Malfoy?"
"Of course."
"His father is dead."
"And?"
"And? A man is dead and all you have to say is and?" I demanded.
"You're all better off."
"How can you say that?"
"Why are you so concerned? One less death eater is cause to celebrate." I can't think of how to reply to that without giving myself away. It's not like Remus to say those things. He sounded wistful- almost sad. And what did he mean by "you're"?
Over the next few days I noticed that Remus wasn't acting like himself. He seems normal to everyone else, but its little things that aren't right. He didn't know right away who Snuffles was and my Patronus seems to have escaped his memory completely. Something is not right. I know it. I 've been following him around as of late. He spends a lot of time with Snape. When I was a third year, Snape could not stand Lupin and now they're rather chummy. What gives?
Closets are cramped. No, that's not a random observation. I'm stuffed in a small closet in Snape's office to see if I can figure out what's wrong with Remus. There's stuff perched precariously on more stuff, which is balanced on the edge of the top shelf. Guess all that talk about class safety doesn't carry over into real life. I hear them now.
"Severus, I can't do this anymore."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're a fine teacher."
"That's not what I meant." Remus cleared his throat. Or at least it sounded like Remus. I can't actually see anything.
"Then what do you mean?"
"I'm so close."
"I miss him," I gave a start. I know that voice. That's not the voice of Remus Lupin. That's the voice of Lucius Malfoy. And that's when everything in the closet came crashing down on me.
***
Oh! ^.^ What is going on? We'll find out next chapter dears. Meanwhile, please review.
Love,
J. Silver
