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Chapter Four: By the Fire
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A/N: Two chapters in one day! Go me! LOL. You know, I LOVE Lupin, he is just such a cutie (*grins*) that I just HAD to get him a girl. And before anyone can ask, no, I have NOT decided to make Lupin a pedophile. (Ew . . . icky. I don't write that kind of stuff, okay?!) Reed is in her twenties, I'm not sure exactly how old yet. And Lupin isn't really that old (if anyone knows his exact age, please let me know) so it's not a major age difference here. Again, if you like this at all, please tell me so I'll know whether or not to continue it.
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Lupin carried the still-sobbing Reed into one of Hogwarts' guest rooms. He gently deposited her in a large, comfortable couch facing a fireplace, using a simple spell to light the fire. He then quickly checked to make sure that the room was fit for visitors.
It had everything she would need to keep her comfortable, but somehow, Lupin was reluctant to leave while she was so distraught.
She sensed him watching her and forced herself to stop crying.
"What? Are you here to mock me? I'm sure all you people here are prejudiced towards werewolves. I can't help it, you know. I'm a cold-blooded killer, but not by choice," she growled, her deep voice sounding surprisingly wolf-like in her anger.
Lupin walked over to the girl and knelt down by her. He gazed into her huge brown eyes for several moments before softly admitting, "I know you can't help it. I know, better than you could imagine."
He sighed. "I'm a werewolf too."
Reed's mouth dropped open. "You are?" she whispered, her eyes registering shock.
Lupin nodded sadly. "I was bitten when I was a little boy. So I know what you've gone through."
"I'm not sure that's possible," she murmured. "Did you willingly murder your own mother and were responsible for the death of your beloved baby sister?"
Lupin sat next to her, her obvious pain tearing a hole in his own heart. He wanted so much to help her . . . "That was not your fault."
"And how do you know that? You weren't there. You didn't see how crazed I became."
"You were a little girl," he said softly. "I probably would have done the same thing if I'd been in your place. That was not your fault."
"I can't help but think that it was," she managed, then burst into tears.
Lupin couldn't stand seeing her so upset. He wished that he could somehow stop her pain, but he knew there was nothing he could say to ease the weight of all she had been through.
So instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
Reed buried her face in the crook of his shoulder and wept.
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Lupin held Reed until she finally stilled in her trembling sobs.
She was suddenly quiet, and her body stopped shaking. Lupin realized she was asleep. He gently picked her up and carried her over to the guest bed in the other corner of the room.
She stirred in her sleep, but did not wake.
Lupin carefully laid her down on the bed, and covered her with a quilt that had been neatly folded at the end of the bed.
Before he left the room, he stopped to gaze down at her.
The young woman was certainly beautiful, but her beauty was overshadowed by the haunted look in her eyes.
She'd been through so much, Lupin knew. He knew, because he had been through many of the same things himself.
It hurt him to see someone in almost the exact same position as himself. It hurt, because he knew how painful it was, and yet despite this knowledge, there was nothing he could do to help her.
Sighing, he knelt beside the young woman and brushed some stray hairs away from her face. "I'm sorry," he whispered, almost inaudibly. "I'm so sorry."
He began to stand, intending to leave, but before he did, Lupin leaned down, and, acting on impulse, kissed Reed softly on the forehead.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, then left.
Chapter Four: By the Fire
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A/N: Two chapters in one day! Go me! LOL. You know, I LOVE Lupin, he is just such a cutie (*grins*) that I just HAD to get him a girl. And before anyone can ask, no, I have NOT decided to make Lupin a pedophile. (Ew . . . icky. I don't write that kind of stuff, okay?!) Reed is in her twenties, I'm not sure exactly how old yet. And Lupin isn't really that old (if anyone knows his exact age, please let me know) so it's not a major age difference here. Again, if you like this at all, please tell me so I'll know whether or not to continue it.
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Lupin carried the still-sobbing Reed into one of Hogwarts' guest rooms. He gently deposited her in a large, comfortable couch facing a fireplace, using a simple spell to light the fire. He then quickly checked to make sure that the room was fit for visitors.
It had everything she would need to keep her comfortable, but somehow, Lupin was reluctant to leave while she was so distraught.
She sensed him watching her and forced herself to stop crying.
"What? Are you here to mock me? I'm sure all you people here are prejudiced towards werewolves. I can't help it, you know. I'm a cold-blooded killer, but not by choice," she growled, her deep voice sounding surprisingly wolf-like in her anger.
Lupin walked over to the girl and knelt down by her. He gazed into her huge brown eyes for several moments before softly admitting, "I know you can't help it. I know, better than you could imagine."
He sighed. "I'm a werewolf too."
Reed's mouth dropped open. "You are?" she whispered, her eyes registering shock.
Lupin nodded sadly. "I was bitten when I was a little boy. So I know what you've gone through."
"I'm not sure that's possible," she murmured. "Did you willingly murder your own mother and were responsible for the death of your beloved baby sister?"
Lupin sat next to her, her obvious pain tearing a hole in his own heart. He wanted so much to help her . . . "That was not your fault."
"And how do you know that? You weren't there. You didn't see how crazed I became."
"You were a little girl," he said softly. "I probably would have done the same thing if I'd been in your place. That was not your fault."
"I can't help but think that it was," she managed, then burst into tears.
Lupin couldn't stand seeing her so upset. He wished that he could somehow stop her pain, but he knew there was nothing he could say to ease the weight of all she had been through.
So instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
Reed buried her face in the crook of his shoulder and wept.
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Lupin held Reed until she finally stilled in her trembling sobs.
She was suddenly quiet, and her body stopped shaking. Lupin realized she was asleep. He gently picked her up and carried her over to the guest bed in the other corner of the room.
She stirred in her sleep, but did not wake.
Lupin carefully laid her down on the bed, and covered her with a quilt that had been neatly folded at the end of the bed.
Before he left the room, he stopped to gaze down at her.
The young woman was certainly beautiful, but her beauty was overshadowed by the haunted look in her eyes.
She'd been through so much, Lupin knew. He knew, because he had been through many of the same things himself.
It hurt him to see someone in almost the exact same position as himself. It hurt, because he knew how painful it was, and yet despite this knowledge, there was nothing he could do to help her.
Sighing, he knelt beside the young woman and brushed some stray hairs away from her face. "I'm sorry," he whispered, almost inaudibly. "I'm so sorry."
He began to stand, intending to leave, but before he did, Lupin leaned down, and, acting on impulse, kissed Reed softly on the forehead.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, then left.