Chapter Four
Liana flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and sighed. She hadn't meant to be rude to Remus, but he was pressing too far into her business. Then again, she thought, it's his business too. He was, after all, the whole reason she sneaked out at night three times a month. But still...the quiet fifth-year didn't like hurting people's feelings. It just seemed to happen.
Sighing heavily, Liana pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. She'd long since finished it, but she'd told Remus that she still had to work, and she wanted to keep up that pretense. Glancing at him briefly, she saw with mild surprise that he was staring at her over his scroll, gray eyes confused and hurt. Liana looked away quickly, blinking back tears. The last person she wanted to hurt was Remus Lupin.
Before long, the bell signaling the end of class rang loudly in their ears. Liana gratefully shoved her things in her book bag and exited the room. Her next class was across the school and upstairs, and she didn't feel like being late today. But before she'd gone three feet, Remus tapped her lightly on the shoulder and matched her pace. They shared all the same classes, but he usually walked to Charms with Sirius, James, and Peter. Liana couldn't help but smile that he'd chosen to walk with her, even though she knew he only did it because she was looking down.
"You left these in the common room," Remus said casually, handing her a flimsy paper box with her Muggle cards in it. She thanked him quietly and shoved the cards in her bag. The paper box ripped with the rough handling, and Remus glanced at her surreptitiously. He knew better than to ask what was up again, but his curiosity was almost too much to bear. He opened his mouth a few times, searching for a thread of conversation, but didn't speak. Soon enough, they were entering the Charms classroom.
Professor Flitwick was a tiny little man, and looked older than he actually was. Some of the students joked that he'd been hit with an age charm, but whatever the reason for his wrinkles, it didn't affect his teaching. The little man knew what he was doing, and was excellent at telling his students exactly how he wanted them to wave their arms or enunciate their vowels. Exactness was imperative in Charms; the slightest mistake could lead to a disaster.
The class flew by faster than Liana's pillows, which she and the other students were to send zooming around the classroom. It was an old spell, and the professor merely wanted to review, so most of the students' pillows flew exceptionally well. Professor Flitwick was so proud he looked like he was about to cry, but was knocked over by a stray pillow before he could do so.
* * *
Lunch that day was excellent as usual. Remus ate with the Marauders and Lily, inhaling food so fast his friends were sure he wasn't tasting a bit of it. After three sandwiches and two goblets of pumpkin juice, the werewolf slowed down and started to pay attention to the conversation.
He found it hard to listen to his friends discuss such trivial things as how strict McGonagall was when Liana seemed to be in so much pain. He stared along the Gryffindor table, watching her eat quietly. She was alone, so utterly alone.none of the other students even bothered to spare her a hello.
"Hey, Remus," James said quietly at his elbow. "What's up with Liana?" Remus glanced at him in surprise. He and Lily had befriended the girl long ago, but Remus hadn't known James knew her, as well.
"She won't say," he shrugged. "I've asked her a few times, but she always gets away from me." Remus was tempted to stop here, thinking it wasn't James' business-nor did he have the right to tell someone else's secrets- but he only knew as much as was visible upon closer inspection, and James was a respectful, considerate person. He wouldn't go blabbing it to anyone else, and he probably wouldn't treat Liana any differently no matter what happened. He understood tolerance of other people's differences. Before he could continue, however, James spoke up softly.
"She looks like she's in pain," he said carefully, concern darkening his brow. James didn't like to see others suffering-one reason he rarely discussed Remus' condition with him. "Do you think she's been roughed up by some Slytherins?" Remus shrugged. He'd been thinking the same thing.
"Slytherins?" Sirius hissed from across the table. "What are they up to now?" Remus glanced at him sharply.
"Nothing," he said dully. "We don't have any proof, so they're innocent for now." Sirius didn't get along well with Liana; she was too quiet for his tastes, and he too loud for hers. They didn't speak much, which didn't make much of a difference to Liana, but Remus didn't feel like telling someone she barely knew things that were her business alone. Besides, he didn't have much to tell; she wouldn't even speak to him, and he considered them to be close.
"Damn those creeps," Sirius was grumbling in between bites. James looked rather amused and went back to his food, but Remus saw him glance in Liana's direction every once in a while. The girl finished her lunch long before the rest of the school and gathered her books to leave. Remus, who'd eaten so much in the first few minutes that he was feeling satisfied, stood to join her.
"I'll try to talk to her," he mumbled to James, picking up his bag and following Liana out of the room.
The girl was fast, and Remus didn't catch up with her until she disappeared into the girls' bathroom. He leaned against the wall and waited impatiently for her to emerge, but she didn't. Five minutes later, he heard a muffled sob and made up his mind. He tugged at the door, but it was locked.
"Alohomora," he whispered. The door clicked, but the sobbing didn't waver. Remus pushed it open quietly and peeked inside. Liana was sitting on the counter, a wet paper towel in one hand, the other holding her robes off to one side. He nearly cried out when he saw what she was gingerly patting with the towel. A long, bloody gash was cut into her left side; the paper towel came away stained with red.
"Liana!" he said quietly, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him. She looked up, terror and surprise plain on her face, and dropped her robes back into place. But Remus knew what he'd seen, and the bloody towel was still clutched in her right hand. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and her eyes were a bit puffy, but Remus didn't seem to notice.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "It's the girls' bathroom!"
"Come on, you're coming with me," he said sternly, ignoring her. She protested angrily, tearing her hand out of his grip, but he was stronger than she, and she didn't dare move too suddenly because of the wound on her side. Remus quickly overpowered her and literally dragged her to the door.
"No, you can't!" she mumbled into his sleeve, thrashing wildly to get out of his grip. "I'm fine, you can't tell anyone!" Remus barked a laugh and tightened his grip on her.
"You and I have a very different definition of 'fine,'" he said tersely. "And you might as well stop struggling-I'm not letting you go, and you'll only attract more attention this way."
"No one notices me anyway," she said quietly, but calmed down just the same. Remus led her to the Hospital Wing, gripping her arm firmly and ignoring her brief struggles to get away. Liana would have tried harder, perhaps even stupefied him, but she knew that wouldn't do anything but get her in more trouble-and more pain.
Madame Pomfrey was vaguely surprised to see Remus enter the infirmary, leading a small black-haired girl along by the arm. She wiped her hands on a damp cloth and bustled over to see what was wrong.
"Why aren't you two in class?" she asked strictly. Remus led Liana to the nearest bed and gestured for her to lift her robes. She did so hesitantly, never taking her angry eyes from his face. This is going to hurt you, too, she thought silently, anger burning in her thoughts. Madame Pomfrey gasped when she saw the bloody wound, which had begun bleeding again during lunch.
"Where-" she began in a hushed voice.
"I tripped and slammed into a suit of armor," Liana interrupted testily. Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips, but said no more. Forcing her patient onto the bed and peeling her clothes back so she could see better, the nurse let out an exasperated sigh.
"Why, praytell, didn't you come to me immediately?" she grumbled. "Mister Lupin, thank you for bringing her to me, but now you must go to class. Tell your teacher it's alright you're late if he gets mad." Remus nodded, avoiding Liana's gaze, and left quickly.
"What's up?" James whispered to Remus as the latter slipped into Herbology five minutes late. Remus looked around cautiously, but the rest of the students were concentrating on their plants or having covert discussions of their own. Glancing back at James, he said:
"Liana's hurt really bad. I don't know what happened, but she's got a huge gash in her side, and it's bleeding some." James' eyes were wide, but he didn't interrupt. "Madame Pomfrey made me leave, but she was pissed about Liana not coming in right away."
"Why wouldn't she want to go to Madame Pomfrey?" James asked incredulously. "Everyone knows she can fix about anything."
"I know," Remus replied quietly, still glancing around for listeners. "When I saw Liana looking at it during lunch, I tried to take her to the Hospital Wing right away, but she wouldn't have it. I almost had to stupefy her, but I think she figured out she couldn't overpower me and gave up." He paused and grabbed a handful of soil. "I think she doesn't want anyone to know where she got hurt."
"But why?" James was still disbelieving. "I mean, I'd much rather get in a spot of trouble than suffer."
"I know," Remus said, nodding. "You saw how white she looked today. I just wonder what she could possibly have been doing to get such a cut." The boys fell into an uneasy silence, wondering what would happen to Liana, and whether they'd ever know what had happened to her.
Towards the end of class, Professor Kettleburn approached Remus.
"Mister Lupin, Madame Pomfrey wants you in the Hospital Wing, please," he said quietly, glaring at James, who was staring at them curiously. "It's urgent."
Glancing worriedly at James, Remus picked up his things and left the greenhouse, heading across the grounds and back into the school.
The infirmary was just as bright as usual, but Madame Pomfrey's face was not. Remus walked in hesitantly, not knowing quite what to expect. He passed Liana, who was dozing peacefully under influence of a sleeping potion. Madame Pomfrey was wringing her hands nearby. When she saw Remus, she ran to meet him where they could talk without disturbing her patient.
"Mister Lupin, do you remember what happened this morning when you woke up?" He nodded uncertainly. Of course he remembered the struggle with the nurse when he'd realized he'd bitten someone. Madame Pomfrey looked even more distressed than usual. "It turns out you attacked two people last night. That third-year who came away unscathed, and Liana Lassek." Remus' book bag fell to the floor with a thud.
Liana flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and sighed. She hadn't meant to be rude to Remus, but he was pressing too far into her business. Then again, she thought, it's his business too. He was, after all, the whole reason she sneaked out at night three times a month. But still...the quiet fifth-year didn't like hurting people's feelings. It just seemed to happen.
Sighing heavily, Liana pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. She'd long since finished it, but she'd told Remus that she still had to work, and she wanted to keep up that pretense. Glancing at him briefly, she saw with mild surprise that he was staring at her over his scroll, gray eyes confused and hurt. Liana looked away quickly, blinking back tears. The last person she wanted to hurt was Remus Lupin.
Before long, the bell signaling the end of class rang loudly in their ears. Liana gratefully shoved her things in her book bag and exited the room. Her next class was across the school and upstairs, and she didn't feel like being late today. But before she'd gone three feet, Remus tapped her lightly on the shoulder and matched her pace. They shared all the same classes, but he usually walked to Charms with Sirius, James, and Peter. Liana couldn't help but smile that he'd chosen to walk with her, even though she knew he only did it because she was looking down.
"You left these in the common room," Remus said casually, handing her a flimsy paper box with her Muggle cards in it. She thanked him quietly and shoved the cards in her bag. The paper box ripped with the rough handling, and Remus glanced at her surreptitiously. He knew better than to ask what was up again, but his curiosity was almost too much to bear. He opened his mouth a few times, searching for a thread of conversation, but didn't speak. Soon enough, they were entering the Charms classroom.
Professor Flitwick was a tiny little man, and looked older than he actually was. Some of the students joked that he'd been hit with an age charm, but whatever the reason for his wrinkles, it didn't affect his teaching. The little man knew what he was doing, and was excellent at telling his students exactly how he wanted them to wave their arms or enunciate their vowels. Exactness was imperative in Charms; the slightest mistake could lead to a disaster.
The class flew by faster than Liana's pillows, which she and the other students were to send zooming around the classroom. It was an old spell, and the professor merely wanted to review, so most of the students' pillows flew exceptionally well. Professor Flitwick was so proud he looked like he was about to cry, but was knocked over by a stray pillow before he could do so.
* * *
Lunch that day was excellent as usual. Remus ate with the Marauders and Lily, inhaling food so fast his friends were sure he wasn't tasting a bit of it. After three sandwiches and two goblets of pumpkin juice, the werewolf slowed down and started to pay attention to the conversation.
He found it hard to listen to his friends discuss such trivial things as how strict McGonagall was when Liana seemed to be in so much pain. He stared along the Gryffindor table, watching her eat quietly. She was alone, so utterly alone.none of the other students even bothered to spare her a hello.
"Hey, Remus," James said quietly at his elbow. "What's up with Liana?" Remus glanced at him in surprise. He and Lily had befriended the girl long ago, but Remus hadn't known James knew her, as well.
"She won't say," he shrugged. "I've asked her a few times, but she always gets away from me." Remus was tempted to stop here, thinking it wasn't James' business-nor did he have the right to tell someone else's secrets- but he only knew as much as was visible upon closer inspection, and James was a respectful, considerate person. He wouldn't go blabbing it to anyone else, and he probably wouldn't treat Liana any differently no matter what happened. He understood tolerance of other people's differences. Before he could continue, however, James spoke up softly.
"She looks like she's in pain," he said carefully, concern darkening his brow. James didn't like to see others suffering-one reason he rarely discussed Remus' condition with him. "Do you think she's been roughed up by some Slytherins?" Remus shrugged. He'd been thinking the same thing.
"Slytherins?" Sirius hissed from across the table. "What are they up to now?" Remus glanced at him sharply.
"Nothing," he said dully. "We don't have any proof, so they're innocent for now." Sirius didn't get along well with Liana; she was too quiet for his tastes, and he too loud for hers. They didn't speak much, which didn't make much of a difference to Liana, but Remus didn't feel like telling someone she barely knew things that were her business alone. Besides, he didn't have much to tell; she wouldn't even speak to him, and he considered them to be close.
"Damn those creeps," Sirius was grumbling in between bites. James looked rather amused and went back to his food, but Remus saw him glance in Liana's direction every once in a while. The girl finished her lunch long before the rest of the school and gathered her books to leave. Remus, who'd eaten so much in the first few minutes that he was feeling satisfied, stood to join her.
"I'll try to talk to her," he mumbled to James, picking up his bag and following Liana out of the room.
The girl was fast, and Remus didn't catch up with her until she disappeared into the girls' bathroom. He leaned against the wall and waited impatiently for her to emerge, but she didn't. Five minutes later, he heard a muffled sob and made up his mind. He tugged at the door, but it was locked.
"Alohomora," he whispered. The door clicked, but the sobbing didn't waver. Remus pushed it open quietly and peeked inside. Liana was sitting on the counter, a wet paper towel in one hand, the other holding her robes off to one side. He nearly cried out when he saw what she was gingerly patting with the towel. A long, bloody gash was cut into her left side; the paper towel came away stained with red.
"Liana!" he said quietly, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him. She looked up, terror and surprise plain on her face, and dropped her robes back into place. But Remus knew what he'd seen, and the bloody towel was still clutched in her right hand. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, and her eyes were a bit puffy, but Remus didn't seem to notice.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "It's the girls' bathroom!"
"Come on, you're coming with me," he said sternly, ignoring her. She protested angrily, tearing her hand out of his grip, but he was stronger than she, and she didn't dare move too suddenly because of the wound on her side. Remus quickly overpowered her and literally dragged her to the door.
"No, you can't!" she mumbled into his sleeve, thrashing wildly to get out of his grip. "I'm fine, you can't tell anyone!" Remus barked a laugh and tightened his grip on her.
"You and I have a very different definition of 'fine,'" he said tersely. "And you might as well stop struggling-I'm not letting you go, and you'll only attract more attention this way."
"No one notices me anyway," she said quietly, but calmed down just the same. Remus led her to the Hospital Wing, gripping her arm firmly and ignoring her brief struggles to get away. Liana would have tried harder, perhaps even stupefied him, but she knew that wouldn't do anything but get her in more trouble-and more pain.
Madame Pomfrey was vaguely surprised to see Remus enter the infirmary, leading a small black-haired girl along by the arm. She wiped her hands on a damp cloth and bustled over to see what was wrong.
"Why aren't you two in class?" she asked strictly. Remus led Liana to the nearest bed and gestured for her to lift her robes. She did so hesitantly, never taking her angry eyes from his face. This is going to hurt you, too, she thought silently, anger burning in her thoughts. Madame Pomfrey gasped when she saw the bloody wound, which had begun bleeding again during lunch.
"Where-" she began in a hushed voice.
"I tripped and slammed into a suit of armor," Liana interrupted testily. Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips, but said no more. Forcing her patient onto the bed and peeling her clothes back so she could see better, the nurse let out an exasperated sigh.
"Why, praytell, didn't you come to me immediately?" she grumbled. "Mister Lupin, thank you for bringing her to me, but now you must go to class. Tell your teacher it's alright you're late if he gets mad." Remus nodded, avoiding Liana's gaze, and left quickly.
"What's up?" James whispered to Remus as the latter slipped into Herbology five minutes late. Remus looked around cautiously, but the rest of the students were concentrating on their plants or having covert discussions of their own. Glancing back at James, he said:
"Liana's hurt really bad. I don't know what happened, but she's got a huge gash in her side, and it's bleeding some." James' eyes were wide, but he didn't interrupt. "Madame Pomfrey made me leave, but she was pissed about Liana not coming in right away."
"Why wouldn't she want to go to Madame Pomfrey?" James asked incredulously. "Everyone knows she can fix about anything."
"I know," Remus replied quietly, still glancing around for listeners. "When I saw Liana looking at it during lunch, I tried to take her to the Hospital Wing right away, but she wouldn't have it. I almost had to stupefy her, but I think she figured out she couldn't overpower me and gave up." He paused and grabbed a handful of soil. "I think she doesn't want anyone to know where she got hurt."
"But why?" James was still disbelieving. "I mean, I'd much rather get in a spot of trouble than suffer."
"I know," Remus said, nodding. "You saw how white she looked today. I just wonder what she could possibly have been doing to get such a cut." The boys fell into an uneasy silence, wondering what would happen to Liana, and whether they'd ever know what had happened to her.
Towards the end of class, Professor Kettleburn approached Remus.
"Mister Lupin, Madame Pomfrey wants you in the Hospital Wing, please," he said quietly, glaring at James, who was staring at them curiously. "It's urgent."
Glancing worriedly at James, Remus picked up his things and left the greenhouse, heading across the grounds and back into the school.
The infirmary was just as bright as usual, but Madame Pomfrey's face was not. Remus walked in hesitantly, not knowing quite what to expect. He passed Liana, who was dozing peacefully under influence of a sleeping potion. Madame Pomfrey was wringing her hands nearby. When she saw Remus, she ran to meet him where they could talk without disturbing her patient.
"Mister Lupin, do you remember what happened this morning when you woke up?" He nodded uncertainly. Of course he remembered the struggle with the nurse when he'd realized he'd bitten someone. Madame Pomfrey looked even more distressed than usual. "It turns out you attacked two people last night. That third-year who came away unscathed, and Liana Lassek." Remus' book bag fell to the floor with a thud.