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Chapter 16

Remus woke with an ache in his head so intense it took him a full minute to realize he was on the floor. He sat up gingerly as he tried to remember what he had been doing the night before. Glancing around the house, he was looking for anything out of the ordinary but found nothing except an open window.

He pulled himself off the floor and made his way to the kitchen for some coffee. He had the oddest feeling that he had forgotten to do something but could think of nothing pressing.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. Opening it, he found Sirius on the other side.

"Hey Padfoot! Would you like a cup of coffee?" Remus said.

"Padfoot? You haven't called me that in years. Where did that come from?" Sirius said.

"I haven't?" Remus asked, apparently taken aback by this news. "Are you sure?"

Sirius looked at him like he had suddenly sprouted a second head as he glanced around the room. He took in his friends ragged appearance and slightly dazed expression before speaking.

"Are you alright Remus?" He asked with concern.

"Of course. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Remus inquired.

"You're just being... peculiar today." Sirius answered.

"Probably just tired. I can't imagine I slept very well last night." Remus said.

"Why do you say that?" Sirius asked curiously.

"I woke up on the floor." He said.

"What were you doing on the floor?" Sirius probed.

"I don't remember." Remus said.

"Remus where's Lika?" Sirius asked in alarm.

"Who?" Remus inquired with confusion.

"Lika....Gypsy. You're girlfriend." Sirius said in exasperation.

Remus looked at Sirius while he laughed heartily. "Really Padfoot old friend. What kind of name is Lika Gypsy? Can't you make up something a little more believable? Absolutely ludicrous!"

"Remus. I didn't make her up! She's your girlfriend. What is your deal? Why can't you remember anything?" Sirius asked in distress.

"My head hurts Sirius. I need to sit for a minute." Remus said as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

Sirius followed Remus to the couch and sat down next to him, watching him carefully. He was trying to add the signs up in his head. Something was definitely not right with his friend. Suddenly he noticed there were two wands on the floor. One he recognized as Remus' and the other he hadn't seen before. He leaned forward and picked them both up. He handed Remus his and ran his fingertips over the extra.

"Thanks." Remus said.

"Why do you have two wands?" Sirius asked interstedly.

Remus appeared to be thinking hard but had no idea whose the second one was.

"I don't know." Remus answered, he was beginning to get a little worried. He felt a void in himself, like something or some part of him was missing.

"Remus, I think we need to go see Dumbledore." Sirius said forcefully as the signs began to make sense.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no need to go see Dumbledore." Remus said insistently.

"Remus, I think you're memory has been tampered with and only Dumbledore will be able to fix you up. You're going, even if I have to drag you there. Now get up, we're going to Hogwarts." Sirius said as he stood and stared him down, daring him to refuse.

"Sirius....now really." Remus said as he rose.

Sirius took his wand from his pocket and said "Stupefy!" He caught Remus as the spell knocked him out. "Sorry about this. It's for your own good." He flipped Remus over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and with a crack Sirius Disapparated.

Lika woke that morning surprisingly refreshed but it was very short lived as the previous nights events came rushing back to her. She really was in trouble now. After Malfoy's memory charm, Remus would no longer remember her. Her already shattered heart died a little more at the thought. No one else would notice she was missing until it was too late. Since they were on Christmas break the staff wouldn't catch she was gone and she hadn't made any friends outside of school.

She looked around the room, taking in what she missed last night. The room was almost as big as her whole house. It had a sofa and chair with a bookcase full of books set off in the corner, the bed itself, and a huge dresser. Off to the other side she saw another door. She got up to investigate and saw it was a bathroom. A very lavish bathroom at that. She marveled at the sheer size of the bath tub. That thing could be a swimming pool, she thought in amazement.

A jostling noise behind her caught her attention and she started at the form coming toward her. She gave a small noise of surprise and backed up before realizing it was a house-elf.

"Beggin' your pardon miss, Winnie didn't mean to startle you." Squeaked the elf.

"Oh no, you didn't. I mean yes you did but...never mind." Lika said.

"Is you wantin' a bath miss? Winnie can draw you up a bath." said the elf but not waiting for a reply, began fussing over the tub.

"Umm...sure." Lika answered. A bath might be quite nice actually, she thought.

When the elf was done Lika was presented with perhaps the most glorious bath she'd ever seen. Bubbles were almost pouring out of the tub and they smelled so good, Winnie had also added rose petals to the water and had lit all the candles in the room before she had bowed lowly and left her alone.

Lika removed her clothes and stepped into the huge tub. Sinking into the water she rested her head on the back wall as she thought with distaste about having to put on her dirty clothes again, or maybe not.

"Miss? Winnie's going to take your clothes and clean them." the elf said as she stuck her head back in the room.

"Thank you Winnie. I would appreciate it." Lika said with a small sigh of relief.

"You is welcome miss. Master is here to talk to you." Winnie said before she disappeared again.

"Master?" Lika questioned the empty room.

"I am the master of the house, my dear." Came Lucius' cold voice.

"How dare you come in! Get out of here." Lika cried indignantly.

"Oh, do not be so dramatic. I cannot see anything." He said shrewdly. "Although I do have a good memory."

Lika blushed hotly at his admission, realizing he must have seen her and Remus in some very intense situations. She cursed him for spying on them.

"I must say you two really do go at it anywhere." He added.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She said through her embarrassment and anger.

"Have you come to a decision yet?" Malfoy said contemptuously.

"I refuse to help you. The sooner you realize that, the better we'll be." She said stubbornly.

"You are too tenacious for your own good, my dear. Very well. You have four remaining days. I suggest you use them wisely. If not, it could be....detrimental. The elf is going to be bringing you some more clothes today." He said as he rose to leave.

"Malfoy." She said just as he reached the door. He turned to look at her.

"Why don't you just use Veritaserum on me?"

"Now, where would the challenge be in that?" He said smiling malevolently as he turned to leave again.

"Merlin, I hate you." She said to no one. She wanted nothing more to than to cry but she was all tapped out. She had no tears left in her.