A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I spent about two weeks completing and editing chapter seven, then read it over, and realized it was a piece of junk. So all its 3,302 words are deleted and I now have nothing but a blank page. I figured I'd at least put chapter five up...not that anyone really cares. Urgh.
Chapter Five
Remus awoke one Saturday morning to a very special surprise outside. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but there, yes, it was snowing! Thick, heavy snowflakes littered from heaven's grey clouds, clinging like cotton to the sill of the dorm windows. Looking around the room, he saw that James, Sirius, Peter and Frank were still all sound asleep. His attention turned to the fire had been kindled in the fireplace, and the crackling flames filled him with a sense of simple joy and security. He loved moments like these, when he was completely alone yet warm and safe.
Winter had been Remus' favorite season for as long as he could remember back. He loved the snow, he loved the hot chocolate, and most of all, he loved the spirit of the upcoming holidays. Though most people delighted in blossoming roses in the spring, Remus always felt a twinge of sadness, knowing that glorious winter would not be for another nine months. So the first snowfall was always an especially pleasant event for Remus.
Recently, though, it seemed to Remus like every time he winked, another day flew by. His days were filled with nothing but schoolwork. The teachers were forcing essays upon essays. Even Remus, who could usually finish his homework by six in the evening, had to pull a few all-nighters. James Potter was in a frenzy, often seen trying to memorize spells by muttering incantations while looping around 100 feet off the ground, squinting for the golden Snitch. Poor Peter was suffering from the work overload and had shrunk to a miserable state of being, always panicking or staring wildly at some textbook. Even Sirius didn't spend half an hour on his hair in the morning anymore - those precious minutes were used for practicing his Charms spells.
But today, today was going to be a perfect day for Remus. He'd miraculously managed to complete the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Arithmancy and Transfiguration homework last night, and there was nothing burdening him anymore. He had a whole free day.
'And what better way to start than to settle in a good book?' He smiled to himself as he brushed his shaggy hair aside and picked up the novel on his nightstand. The room became quiet save for the popping of the fire's flames and the occasional turn of pages.
:::
At breakfast, Remus indulged himself in a large mug of hazelnut-flavored hot chocolate. He inhaled the sweet aroma, wrapping his slender fingers around the cup, feeling its warmth spread to his body.
Sirius, who wasn't a morning person in the least, was grumbling under his breath.
"It's snowing like hell froze over and I have to finish those goddamn assignments all day...ugh...honestly, Remus, don't you think it's too early for chocolate? You're getting high off that stuff."
"I certainly am not. And it's never too early for chocolate, Padfoot," Remus grinned. "It's like those Dr. Seuss books, Green Eggs and Ham...only with chocolate. I can have it any day, any place."
"Dr. Seuss?" James snickered at the unusual name.
"Don't tell me you guys didn't read Dr. Seuss when you were young," Remus looked around at his friends in mock disbelief.
"Nope. Too busy pounding Regulus' face to read," Sirius yawned, accidentally dumping half a bottle of ketchup on his eggs.
Remus clucked his tongue in disapproval and sipped some more hot chocolate.
"Ahem," a soft, deep voice made Remus jump. He turned around, but Sirius was faster.
"What are you doing here?" Padfoot sneered venomously. Remus groaned. Sirius saved that tone of voice for one person alone...
Severus Snape's pale, stony face contorted angrily. "I have a right to be wherever I want without being interrogated," he spat back just as nastily.
"Our bacon has enough grease without you being here," James shot to defend Sirius.
Severus' eyes were flashing dangerously, his fingers white from clutching his wand so tightly. The whole Gryffindor table had gone quiet. All eyes were glued upon the little quartet - Remus, Severus, Sirius and James. Remus was at a loss of what to do. Obviously, Severus was here to talk to him. He groaned again. Couldn't Severus have picked a better time, when Remus wasn't surrounded by James and Sirius?
Lily's sharp voice pierced the tight silence.
"James, Sirius, honestly, just leave him alone! Why do you have to be so hung up about this all the time?" she demanded angrily. "We're all 17, for goodness sakes. You act like a bunch of uncivil idiots."
"There's nothing civilized about Snivellus," James roared. He stood up suddenly, causing a few cups to spill over. "He doesn't even know what the word shampoo means, even though it's been around for a century."
Sirius laughed loudly, derisively. Remus felt himself getting hot with anger. His fingers were shaking slightly.
"Excuse me," Remus said rather loudly, setting down his mug. This silenced everybody again - Remus Lupin never, ever raised his voice. Everyone's eyes were suddenly fixed on him.
"I think Severus and I should have this conversation in private." Remus stood up calmly, gathered his bag, and walked briskly away from the breakfast table. Severus trailed him, his footsteps ringing behind loudly. Behind them, Remus could feel hundreds of eyes on their backs. He felt himself flushing carmine.
Suddenly, a flash of light, a single cry followed by a huge roar and the stopping of Severus' footsteps made Remus whip around. His heart immediately sank to his stomach. There was Sirius, his long wand raised and still pointed at Severus, who was suspended five feet in midair and writhing like mad, forced to do some sick dance. The Gryffindor table was stentorian with laughter.
"Serpensortia!" Severus roared from above, legs still in motion. From his wand shot a bright green light - it landed at Sirius' feet and coiled into a fanged emerald cobra, teeth bared and ready to strike. Frank Longbottom stared at the snake and promptly fainted onto Peter's lap.
The snake hissed dangerously, its eyes fixed on Sirius, whose face had turned paper-white. It began to slither rapidly toward Sirius.
"Whoa," Remus heard James mutter. "Sirius, don't-"
But Sirius' wand was already raised, his eyes set on Severus. He had an untamable expression on his face.
"No!" Remus yelled, but it was too late.
"Stupify!" Sirius roared, to the horror of everybody. When aimed correctly, the stunning spell could stop the victim's heart. Sirius had never had the audacity to try a spell as serious as this. A few people gasped and turned their eyes.
Luckily, Remus' reflexes were quick.
"Expelliarmus!" he yelled just a fraction of a second later.
What happened next was extremely odd. Sirius' jet-blue stunning streak, which had been directly at Severus' chest, clashed midway with Severus' wand and bounced off onto the green snake, which immediately coiled itself and faded away in a faint orange cloud. Severus and Sirius' wands then promptly flew to Remus, who caught both of them in his left hand. Immediately, Severus crashed down onto the ground floor. Remus rushed over to help him up.
A round of applause suddenly reached Remus' ears - he realized the whole table was cheering for him!
But the whistling and clapping stopped as suddenly as it had come. All eyes were on Remus. Or, rather, on whom was behind him.
"Mr. Lupin, is there anything you'd like to explain to me?" McGonagall's shrill voice sent shivers down Remus' spine. Before he even fully turned around, two voices clashed clumsily in the silence.
"Professor, it wasn't his fault," Sirius and Severus said simultaneously. Remus looked at both of them in disbelief.
There was Sirius - beautiful, insane Sirius, whom Remus had known and loved for seven years now. He was panting, out of breath - a strand of that black hair hung in his eyes, which were focused intently on McGonagall - Sirius wasn't going to let Remus take the blame for anything, he was too protective. Remus could almost hear him growling under his breath...
But perhaps Sirius would have to fight a battle, for Severus looked just as stubborn. He was glaring dangerously from under that veil of dark hair, still brushing the dust off his robes. His gaunt face, pallid skin and stormy eyes made him frightening to look upon.
Remus shivered involuntarily. Severus and Sirius were not good people to come across when they were both angry. At each other.
"The three of you, follow me," was all McGonagall said before turning around sharply. Silently, Remus followed her out of the hallway, still clutching all three wands. Severus and Sirius trailed along, both careful stay distant from each other. Murmuring broke out behind them from the tables. Within seconds, the whole of Hogwarts would know what had happened.
The quartet walked in silence down the stony corridors. With every step, Remus felt the pit in his stomach sink lower. Severus and Sirius weren't the best of friends, but they'd never hexed each other like that...Sirius' stunning curse could've led to expulsion! If Sirius was expelled from Hogwarts, Remus knew that he would be unbearably miserable. What would Dumbledore say when he found out? Remus knew McGonagall was part of the Order, but she probably didn't know yet of his joining - would he be kicked out for getting in trouble with her? Would he lose his job? Would he be assigned another instructor?
They entered McGonagall's office.
"Sit," she ordered.
They sat in the front row - Remus between Severus and Sirius.
"Explain."
Stony silence.
"Well? Shall I dock a hundred points from each House to ease the silence?" McGonagall glared.
"Professor, I-"
"He tried to-"
"It's his fault-"
"Silence!" McGonagall hissed angrily. "Obviously, I can't even have three 17-year olds in the same room without all of them shouting at once! Remus, I want you to explain what happened."
So Remus told the whole event truthfully from an unbiased point of view. McGonagall's frown deepened with every sentence. She inhaled sharply when Remus admitted that Sirius had tried to stun Severus. By the end, Remus was almost down to a whisper. He had the desire to gulp some of his invisible potion and sneak away.
There was a long and suffering silence.
"So," McGonagall finally broke the tension, drumming her long crimson fingernails on her wooden desk. Remus did not like the tone she used for that word. "So. Mr. Snape and Mr. Black just thought they could have the right to hex one another, right in front of First years. In front of family and friends. Curses that could've been deadly. That could have hurt other students. Merlin's beard, what were you two THINKING?"
Sirius muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Severus remained deathly silent, arms crossed.
McGonagall glared at both of them. A few moments later, as she saw that neither student was going to speak any more, she sniffed impatiently.
"Who knows how far this would've continued to? Serious injury? Expulsion? Death? Well. I have never seen such inappropriate behavior in my life, boys, and you two ought to feel real ashamed for what you did. One hundred points from Slytherin. I would take one hundred from Gryffindor, for your stupidity, Mr. Black, but I feel that your friend Remus has earned half of that back. Fifty points off Gryffindor."
"Thank you, Professor," Remus said softly.
"Sirius Black, wipe that devilish smile off your face, your punishment is not over yet. Both you and Severus Snape will be receiving detention for two weeks."
'That's not so bad,' Remus thought to himself.
"With who, ma'am?" Sirius asked. His face looked half-hopeful, half-fearful. Severus was still impassive and silent in his chair.
McGonagall smiled sweetly. Posionously.
"I think Argus Filch could use some help lately with the toilet scrubbing, don't you?"
Remus would never forget the look on Sirius' face at her words.
:::
After a quick lunch full of people asking him what'd happened in McGonagall's office, Remus decided to give himself some alone time. At first, he thought of going to the library, but then decided against it - there were going to be too many people studying, too many distractions for him to have a nice and quiet time.
So he headed outside instead. Garbed in a warm coat, baggy jeans and a pair of sturdy (but worn-in) boots, he stepped out to the fields. It was still snowing furiously, and the flakes were accumulating. Remus strolled past the gamekeeper's cabin, ducked just in time when Dirk Thomas threw a snowball at him, and stopped to watch ice-skaters glide gracefully across the frozen lake.
It felt so good to be outside, to have the cold nipping at his fingers, to feel the snowflakes melt like chocolate upon his tongue. Remus had almost forgotten the crunch of snow beneath his feet, the way the sky looked like a never-ending grey sheet above his head.
He strolled along an empty pathway, bearing close to the Hogwarts castle. He certainly did not expect to meet anybody in such a desolate place. But when he rounded a corner, there was a slender figure robed in black, leaning against the castle wall. Her white-gold hair almost blended in with the snow.
It was Narcissa Black. Sirius' cousin, the infamous lover of Lucius Malfoy, who'd graduated just last year. Maybe the most feared and powerful 7th year in the Slytherin House. Narcissa had a reputation of belittling whomever she crossed upon - she could break hearts and snap consciences without a blink of her mascara-coated lashes. At the moment, she was bent over, inspecting her flawlessly colored fingernails.
Remus suddenly wished he'd never decided to come outside. To him, meeting Narcissa was as pleasant as turning into a werewolf. She was probably the female epitome of a Slytherin - cunning, beautiful and rich beyond all dreams. Definitely not tolerant of somebody like him, somebody dressed in shabby robes and in dire need of a haircut. But he couldn't turn away, not now.
Remus was sensible and knew when to back out of things, but he wasn't a coward either. And he was definitely not about to be rude to a girl. He forced himself to keep walking.
"Good day, Narcissa," he said politely upon passing where she was standing. She didn't look up from her nail examining.
Taking a closer look, Remus' breath was swept away by her beauty. Narcissa was stunning as she was cruel. She had Sirius' eyes - the infinite blue, the white and green specks - that could charm even Filch into infatuation. She had a finely structured face - delicate cheekbones, thin seducing lips, perfectly arched eyebrows. Her tall and slender figure was adorned by an immaculate black peacoat, stylish business pants and carefully polished leather boots. A diamond necklace sparkled glamorously from around her elegant neck. A gift from Lucius, Remus assumed.
Remus had almost reached a bend in the road when her chilly voice stopped him on his tracks.
"Your Order won't undo Voldemort," her words stilled the air.
He stopped and turned around slowly, trying to silence the pounding in his heart.
"What did you say?" he asked, his voice as calm as the falling snow.
"Your little Order. Dumbledore's secret weapon." Narcissa laughed thinly. Her voice was like frozen little drops of ice that fell upon Remus. "You think a bunch of Mudbloods and rejects of wizardry are going to stop the Dark Wizard? You think your little group can save the world?"
"I know nothing of what you speak of," Remus insisted, turning to go again.
"Of course," Narcissa smiled, revealing a set of pearl-white teeth. Her eyes were alight, mocking him. "Of course you'd deny it, you Gryffindors are so damned noble. But it's no use trying to trick a Slytherin, as we're the masters of deception ourselves. You're afraid, and you have a good to be. Your Order shall fall, and Voldemort will arise. You shall flee before him like cowards, and he will punish those that oppose him. Through death."
"You lie," Remus said between clenched teeth. "Voldemort's slaughtering of innocent wizards will get him nowhere. And even if he does rise, what shall he do? Play chess with his Death Eaters after taking over the world?"
Narcissa sneered, twisting her delicate features into a gruesome, ugly expression. Remus was reminded of Severus. Another beautiful face wrenched into ugliness through malevolence.
"Your friends, they're all doomed," she said suddenly, out of topic change. "Every last one, especially that fat boy."
"One of my friends happens to be your cousin," Remus retorted, furious.
"Sirius?" Her tone grew extremely chilly, her eyes hardened. "I know of no cousin by that name."
"First off, I never mentioned a name. And second, now that you bring it up, that's very unfortunate, Narcissa," Remus said. "Sirius might be the only member of your family with enough sense to stay away from Voldemort."
"Don't insult the Black family!" Narcissa spat furiously. Her pale cheeks flushed in her anger. Remus had hit her weak spot, and they both knew it. "Sirius is a disgrace, he's a bastard, along with all of you! You're a pile of scum, you know that! Look at your clothes, your hair, you can't even afford gloves, and you dare talk about the greatest wizarding lineage in history? You're nothing but a filthy, ratty piece of shit not worth being stepped upon. How dare you greet me as if you have the right to do so? How dare you come close to me? Get out of my sight, you filthy snarling monster!"
She turned on her heel and stormed toward the Hogwarts castle, her cloak whipping behind madly.
"Hey, Narcissa," Remus called out, not even bothering to conceal his grin. "You don't know the half of it."
:::