.Chapter 9.

For a long moment, Remus was silent. Finally Elena raised her eyes to meet his, her face set in a defensive mask that dared him to ask her any more questions. But the stricken guilt in his expression and the infinite sadness and compassion in his beautiful grey eyes stole away her resentment, effectively stripping her of defences and leaving her carefully concealed pain raw and exposed before his unblinking, all seeing gaze.

"I'm sorry, Elena, I - "

She shook her head and held up her hand, begging him to stop. "Don't apologise," she whispered, "It wasn't your fault. You weren't to know. Can we please … not talk about it any more?"

For a moment Remus looked as though there was something else he would have liked to say. But what ever it was, he restrained himself, and his face relaxed into a crooked half smile. She smiled back out of sheer relief that he was not going to press the subject, or continue his assault on her hard-won composure with that soul-searing gaze of his.

"Very well," he said softly, then his voice changed and took on a more conversational tone. "Perhaps you can satisfy my curiosity on this score. What is it that a Charmer actually does? I'm aware of the basic concept of course, but your type of magic is rare, and I confess I know almost nothing about the practicalities of it."

Elena was overwhelmingly grateful for the distraction he had provided her with. She threw herself behind the topic with enthusiasm born of sheer relief, but at the same time she was rather pleased to have the chance to explain her Gift, because very few people did understand Charming. She said as much, and added that in some wizarding circles the practice of Charming was actually regarded with a kind of wary mistrust, and compared with the Unforgivable curse, Imperius.

"It's not a fair comparison, though," she said emphatically, determined to make her point, "Charming is not about control, it's about … harmonising. Trust. That's why Charming is so difficult to perform with a human subject. Humans don't trust one another enough to enable the magic. So usually a Charmer works with animals. She harnesses natural magic to link with the creature's mind, and then the animal decides whether or not it will allow further … melding. If the Charmer is not accepted, there is nothing she can do but break the link. But if she is accepted, then the two minds become … combined. They complement one another. The subject is therefore aware of … influences … from the mind of the Charmer. Not co-ersion. But because the two minds are melded, they are completely aware of one another, so whatever the Charmer would like the animal to do, the animal understands it, and complies if it feels inclined. But the subject can break off the link at any time, so it's impossible to force anyone, human or animal, to do something they don't want to do, no matter how Gifted a Charmer you are. Human subjects usually break off the link instantly, often without even being consciously aware that it was ever made at all. It's instinctive. Our minds are so much more complex and private than an animal's. We have too much to hide to let anyone inside our heads. Animals are … simper. More pure. Less suspicious."

Elena broke off, realising suddenly that she had just spoken more words in five minutes than she had in all of the twelve months preceding. But Remus was still looking at her, still listening attentively.

"You love animals, then," he observed seriously. It was not a question, but she shrugged and nodded.

"Yes. More than people sometimes … most of the time. Most Charmers are the same. I know my mother was…" But she had not meant to speak of her mother. She did not want to remember. Not again. Not tonight.

Remus sensed her withdrawal, and gently turned the conversation.

"Do you have a favourite? Animal, that is?"

Elena seemed to consider the question, then her mouth quirked slightly. She turned her head and looked him dead in the eye.

"Yes," she replied firmly, "My favourite animals are wolves."

Only by a supreme exertion of will did Remus manage to conceal his shock at her words. Did she know?

His gaze flickered sharply to where Dumbledore was sitting. The old Headmaster was the only one he could think of who might have dispensed such a piece of information to a woman whom Remus scarcely knew. But as he turned his head he found Dumbledore already looking back at him. Their gazes locked, and he saw the older man give a slight shake of his head.

No. She does not know.

Relieved, but still bemused, Remus turned his attention back to Elena. He consciously tried to keep his tone casual as he asked, "Really? Why wolves?"

Again, some strange, secretive expression seemed to flit across her features as she considered her answer. "I'm not sure, exactly," she spoke slowly, her dark blue eyes focusing somewhere in empty space, "I suppose I've always felt some kind of … affinity with them. The lone wolf, especially. The wolf that can survive alone, without a pack, is the strongest of them all. It needs no one, has nothing to loose... And that kind of animal is … dangerous."

Remus watched her face carefully as she spoke, his sharp gaze taking in every tiny shift in expression. He knew for certain now that she was not thinking of him when she spoke of wolves. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "And that is that how you see yourself, then? Alone? Needing no one? Dangerous…?"

Her eyes flew to meet his, and she looked startled. "I - Yes," she replied cautiously, after a moment's hesitation, "Yes, I suppose I do."

He was too good at this game. Elena felt a little dizzy, wondering what carefully concealed remnant of her tattered psyche he was going to expose next.

Desperate to forestall his next round of incisive observations, she forced a wry smile. "Wait now, Professor Lupin, why are we still talking about me? If we carry on in this way, you will know all there is to know about me before dessert is on the table, and then we will have nothing left to say to each other for the rest of year."

Remus acknowledged her withdrawal with a slow smile, and leaned back in his chair. His steady grey eyes remained fixed upon her, and something warm flickered in their depths. Elena began to feel warm herself, and looked down only to find that she was twisting her napkin in her lap like some ridiculous schoolgirl. She forced her hands to stillness, but could not look at him.

"Miss Greenstone," he replied quietly, after a brief moment of silence, "Something tells me that it would take a lot more than one dinnertime conversation to learn all there is to know about you. A lot more."

He spoke with a smile behind his words, but Elena's expression remained serious. There was something in his tone that frightened her. "Remus – " she began urgently, then stopped, faintly shocked by her instinctive use of his first name - an unintended intimacy. Shrugging it off, she pressed on. "Remus, there's something you have to – "

But at that moment, a small explosion at the Gryffindor sixth years' table sent a billowing cloud of violet smoke into the air. Professor McGonagall leapt instantly to her feet, muttering about 'those Cursed twins', and girls began to squeal as they realised their skin and hair were rapidly turning purple. The Great Hall erupted into confusion which was swiftly subdued as the charm was reversed, and the twin boys responsible for the prank were chastised by Professor McGonagall.

But the moment was lost, and Elena never did complete her sentence.