The Pensieve
I am dreadfully sorry for keeping you waiting FOREVER. Thank you for still reading!!!
The swirling silver liquid engulfed Hermione and she gripped Remus's arm tightly as they fell into the Pensieve. She looked around unsurely, trying to assess her surroundings. They were at Hogwarts, she could see that much. On the Gryffindor Tower landing.
"This way," Remus, a warm hand on her shoulder, turned her gently and led her to the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. He looked to a clock on the opposite wall and then back to the entrance.
Hermione watched intently. Then, sure enough, whoever Remus had been expecting began to emerge from the behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Hermione let loose a sigh: it was a much younger Remus Lupin. His hair was the same mousy brown, but with much less gray, and he was tall and muscular. She began to try and work out his age.
"Sixteen," he said, as if reading her mind.
***
Remus could see something in Hermione's eyes. He recognised the feeling well. It was the expression of confusion she always wore when she was working things out. It was only natural to assume she was working out his age. Something jerked in his stomach, a sort of proud pleasure that he knew her so well.
***
She nodded and followed as he began to closely follow the younger version of himself down the corridor and towards the stairs. They began to descend the stairs in the bright afternoon light. Young Remus was dressed casually, as if it were a weekend, and there weren't many students indoors, indicating that it was probably near end-of-term and the students were all outside.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as they reached the Defence Against The Dark Arts level.
"If my memory serves me correctly, the Slytherin Dungeons," Remus replied.
"Why on Earth are we going there?" Hermione asked, wondering what all this had to do with their relationship.
***
"That's what Dumbledore wants me to remember... I'm not really sure what went on down here..." Remus thought hard as they came to the entrance hall of Hogwarts and crossed it, heading for a stone archway and a set of dark, stone stairs. He needed to remember why he couldn't have a relationship with Hermione. There was something about this day that was important and Dumbledore knew Remus needed reminding.
It was true, Remus had forgotten a lot about Cara and their Hogwarts days. The pain of her death was so unbearable: he had gotten rid of as much memory as he could without giving himself permanent amnesia.
***
Hermione went first down the stone staircase, following Young Remus down a short, torchlit corridor. At the end of the corridor was a tall, burly, guard-like Slytherin next to which was a giant silver snake that could only be the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.
"What do you want?" The guard asked in a very Goyle-like voice.
"Is Cara in there?" Young Remus asked.
Hermione felt a shiver inside. Why would Cara, Remus's previous wife, have been in the Slytherin Common Room?
"Was Cara a Slytherin?" She asked Remus uneasily. Surely he wouldn't have fallen for a Slytherin?
"No." He replied. She sighed inwardly at this. "But most of her friends were... besides the Marauders and Lily, of course."
The burly guard looked at Young Remus edgily. "Why do you need to know?" He asked, sounding more like Goyle with every word.
"I'm her boyfriend, actually," Young Remus replied as though trying to sound important enough to get to see her.
Hermione watched Remus carefully. Though she could see a tear welling in the corner of his eye, he was watching the scene with great interest. Watching carefully for whatever Dumbledore was trying to remind him of.
The guard acknowledged with a kind of grunt. "Go on then," he said, "Cruciatus." The snake moved aside gracefully and the Slytherin Common Room came into vision beyond it. Hermione followed excitedly. She had never seen the inside of the Slytherin Common Room, and probably never would, this was her chance to see exactly what it was like.
***
Remus walked slowly into the Slytherin Common Room. Even as a memory the place haunted him. It was the scene of something terrible. And that soemthing had hurt him a lot. He remembered that much...
But what else was there?
Sorry to leave it there! I've decided on the ending now, it won't come for quite a few chapters, but I know roughly where the story will end. Thanks to all the reviewers so far. Keep your comments coming and take a wild guess at the ending if you like!
Any questions are very welcome too!
Coming Next Chapter: Continued Memories and Revealed Despair...
I am dreadfully sorry for keeping you waiting FOREVER. Thank you for still reading!!!
The swirling silver liquid engulfed Hermione and she gripped Remus's arm tightly as they fell into the Pensieve. She looked around unsurely, trying to assess her surroundings. They were at Hogwarts, she could see that much. On the Gryffindor Tower landing.
"This way," Remus, a warm hand on her shoulder, turned her gently and led her to the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. He looked to a clock on the opposite wall and then back to the entrance.
Hermione watched intently. Then, sure enough, whoever Remus had been expecting began to emerge from the behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Hermione let loose a sigh: it was a much younger Remus Lupin. His hair was the same mousy brown, but with much less gray, and he was tall and muscular. She began to try and work out his age.
"Sixteen," he said, as if reading her mind.
***
Remus could see something in Hermione's eyes. He recognised the feeling well. It was the expression of confusion she always wore when she was working things out. It was only natural to assume she was working out his age. Something jerked in his stomach, a sort of proud pleasure that he knew her so well.
***
She nodded and followed as he began to closely follow the younger version of himself down the corridor and towards the stairs. They began to descend the stairs in the bright afternoon light. Young Remus was dressed casually, as if it were a weekend, and there weren't many students indoors, indicating that it was probably near end-of-term and the students were all outside.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as they reached the Defence Against The Dark Arts level.
"If my memory serves me correctly, the Slytherin Dungeons," Remus replied.
"Why on Earth are we going there?" Hermione asked, wondering what all this had to do with their relationship.
***
"That's what Dumbledore wants me to remember... I'm not really sure what went on down here..." Remus thought hard as they came to the entrance hall of Hogwarts and crossed it, heading for a stone archway and a set of dark, stone stairs. He needed to remember why he couldn't have a relationship with Hermione. There was something about this day that was important and Dumbledore knew Remus needed reminding.
It was true, Remus had forgotten a lot about Cara and their Hogwarts days. The pain of her death was so unbearable: he had gotten rid of as much memory as he could without giving himself permanent amnesia.
***
Hermione went first down the stone staircase, following Young Remus down a short, torchlit corridor. At the end of the corridor was a tall, burly, guard-like Slytherin next to which was a giant silver snake that could only be the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.
"What do you want?" The guard asked in a very Goyle-like voice.
"Is Cara in there?" Young Remus asked.
Hermione felt a shiver inside. Why would Cara, Remus's previous wife, have been in the Slytherin Common Room?
"Was Cara a Slytherin?" She asked Remus uneasily. Surely he wouldn't have fallen for a Slytherin?
"No." He replied. She sighed inwardly at this. "But most of her friends were... besides the Marauders and Lily, of course."
The burly guard looked at Young Remus edgily. "Why do you need to know?" He asked, sounding more like Goyle with every word.
"I'm her boyfriend, actually," Young Remus replied as though trying to sound important enough to get to see her.
Hermione watched Remus carefully. Though she could see a tear welling in the corner of his eye, he was watching the scene with great interest. Watching carefully for whatever Dumbledore was trying to remind him of.
The guard acknowledged with a kind of grunt. "Go on then," he said, "Cruciatus." The snake moved aside gracefully and the Slytherin Common Room came into vision beyond it. Hermione followed excitedly. She had never seen the inside of the Slytherin Common Room, and probably never would, this was her chance to see exactly what it was like.
***
Remus walked slowly into the Slytherin Common Room. Even as a memory the place haunted him. It was the scene of something terrible. And that soemthing had hurt him a lot. He remembered that much...
But what else was there?
Sorry to leave it there! I've decided on the ending now, it won't come for quite a few chapters, but I know roughly where the story will end. Thanks to all the reviewers so far. Keep your comments coming and take a wild guess at the ending if you like!
Any questions are very welcome too!
Coming Next Chapter: Continued Memories and Revealed Despair...