Love Makes One Do Stupid Things

Ch #4: Determination and Desperation

By: Miyamashi

Author's Note: Just to clear up some things in the last Chapter, Remus asked Harry why he wasn't revolted and Harry told him. The declaration of love was so short because Remus was too furious to be eloquent. Also, something that I noticed was that I mentioned a Weasley twin (which means that both are at the house) when they're supposed to be running the joke shop. Let's just say they're visiting! -.- The rest was my fault. Like I said, that chapter was not my best.

About the Barnum thing mentioned by Polkat. (To my DeviantART readers, Polkat is one of the people who reviewed my fic on Fanfiction.net.) I feel stupid now. I should have known that bit of info, seeing as I'm both American AND a theatre geek! (In fact, I'm going to major in Musical Theatre…) ACK!!! I just didn't see how he related in any way to the title. Now I do! Thank you for clearing that up! (Sorry about the likeness to the song title, but I really can't think of anything better!)

I would also like to thank Huan the Wolfhound and godzilla, (also from Fanfiction.net) along with Mirime from DeviantART for giving me such great reviews.

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It was a horrible feeling, knowing that you've hurt your friends, but a worse one knowing that you could have, and might have, killed them. Remus J. Lupin knew that this was how it was.

Even more terrible was knowing that there was no way to contain or tame a poltergeist. If something wasn't done by the next full moon, people were going to die. There was nowhere he could run. The wolf wanted blood. It wanted to kill, and no walls or cages or potions could stop it.

Remus sunk into a pitiful heap on the floor and cried.

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As he dripped a stinging potion that was much like an equivalent of Muggle antiseptic onto a cut on his forearm, Severus Snape was disgusted. He was disgusted at Dumbledore, at that Potter boy and his friends, and, most of all, at the blasted, worthless ghost.

Nobody ever listened to Severus. Nobody listened when he told them not to trust the werewolf. Tame werewolf his butt. Nobody listened to him when he had told everybody to exorcise the prat when he'd become a ghost.

Stupid Lupin. Everybody loved Lupin. Why couldn't they just get over it and have a dementor come and eat him or something? He was sure that a dementor could take care of the problem. It'd just administer the kiss without any troublesome body to get in the way.

Of course, when he'd suggested this to Albus, the headmaster had just about had his head on a plate.

Nope, nobody gave a bloody damn about Severus.

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It was then, as he wiped the last of the stubborn, glistening tears from his eyes, that Remus decided to stop sulking and do something about the situation. First, he would go and visit the people that he'd injured. Then, he'd help the others think up a plan. After all, the only way for the situation to improve was for him to be brought back to life or to be killed again.

That would be achieving the impossible, and if they were going to do so, they would need his help.

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As the ghost floated through the halls of St. Mungo's, many people looked on with distaste. The dead were not normally permitted as visitors due to their slightly chilling effect on the living, and were usually shooed out of the door. (Or the wall, as the case may be.)

This ghost would not be deterred.

"I will not leave until I speak to Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, and Mundungus Fletcher, whether I'm permitted or not," stated Remus firmly to the healer that was running along beside him.

"Sir, ghosts are not permitted inside this building. It's against Ministry regulations!"

"Well, the Ministry can sod off," and with that, he floated through the wall, which thoroughly ended the conversation.

The hospital was a very large place, and, seeing as nobody was very keen to violate Ministry rules and give him directions, the spirit had to search for quite a while until he found what he was looking for. Luckily, the three patients were in the same ward, being treated for similar wounds.

The three greeted Remus fairly warmly, all of them relieved to see that he was back to being practically his old self again. The healers had already mended the broken bones, and Hermione was perfectly conscious. They were free to go.

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That night, all of the inhabitants of Number Twelve once again gathered together around a warm fire. It was then that they began to come up with a plan to save themselves and Remus.

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Author's Note: See, I told you that the situation would start getting better. I should be able to wrap this up in a chapter or two. Then I'll be making a "Remastered Edition", in which I generally clean up the story and add a few extra scenes. Well, until Chapter 5...(hopefully, that one won't take as long to write as this one did, but I can make no guarantees!)