(A/N) Hello! I'm writing like a freak at the moment. The 'How Voldemort' is getting really long as well. I have an obsession with fairy tales- that is why there are these scenes in my stories that seem well, kinda too beautiful. Y'know the ones I mean. I just thought id explain that. Anyway, thanx so much to my reviewers, keep reviewing and I'll keep writing. Love Wildmoonflower.

............................................................................................................

CHAPTER FIVE: Problems Are Plenty But Solutions Are Few

James pushed Sirius into the wall, not hard enough to seriously injure him but hard enough, he hoped, to knock some damn sense into him. Sirius needed to calm down, Remus needed to talk to them. Why was everything going so wrong?

"James." Sirius grunted in slight pain and James let him go. Stepping back he shook his head at the black haired boy.

"What were you thinking?" he asked.

Sirius had the decency to look ashamed before answering. "I saw him in the corridor James, and I remembered that it was he that had told you about Remus and Lucius and so I asked him. I swear I just asked him quietly at first but then he went all Snape and told me it was none of my business and I dunno, something inside me just snapped. I'm sorry, I am, I am, I really am."

James's eyes softened and he nodded, "I know, I know you are but Sirius, beating up Snape won't help us reach Remus. You know that right?"

Sirius nodded "I know it."

Satisfied James pulled his friend away from the wall. "Come on, let's go to class. We'll see Remus there anyway."

Sirius made a rather disbelieving noise but followed his friend anyway. He had only tried to talk to Remus that morning. It was Remus who had begun the fight. Remus had told him that he could 'never understand what he was going through, not now, not ever'. Sirius had felt his anger beginning to spark. He had 'understood' when Remus had told him he was a Werewolf hadn't he? Heck, he had been so understanding that he had even become an anamigus for him. Hadn't he been understanding? He had, so why was Remus acting this way and why was Sirius letting him? Shaking his head Sirius padded slowly down the hallway behind James. He felt rather sick at the way he had treated Snape that morning, however, he would not apologise. He felt sure that James had done that already.

"Do you want to cut class?" Remus asked, the words spilling out of his mouth before he even knew what he was saying.

"What?" Lucius asked, taken by surprise.

"You heard me." Remus said, looking at him earnestly. "Come on." He said, grabbing the Slytherin's arm and pulling him out of the room. Ignoring the questioning looks of other Slytherins they walked out of the common room and out of the school. Remus felt exhilarated, Lucius didn't care! He felt he could sing, Sirius had been wrong and Lucius didn't hate him!

Behind him Lucius followed feeling rather bewildered. "Where are we going?" he asked. Remus just smiled at him and Lucius couldn't help but smile back. He couldn't help but think that maybe today things could change.

They walked over the well kept grounds towards the lake. The morning air was cool and refreshing against their skin and the sun shone lightly over everything in sight. They walked past the glittering waters until they reached a willow tree at the far end. Remus liked this tree; unlike the Whomping willow it had not been placed there to protect others from himself. Parting the thick branches like curtains Remus pulled Lucius inside. They were safe inside, safe behind the curtains of emerald leaves which sang softly in the light breeze. The sun shone through the gaps, dappling them both in golden light. Near to them the water of the lake shooshed gently to its own rhythm.

They sat down and Lucius ran his slim fingers through the blades of grass, they were damp, the early morning dew still resting on them. Uncertainly he looked over at Remus who smiled. "If you will listen to me," Remus said softly. "I will listen to you."

Lucius rather felt that this was all a dream but he nodded and Remus lay back on the wet grass. Lucius pulled a soft green blade from the earth and played with it, inhaling its clean, wet scent.

"I don't know, Lucius." Remus began, rather slowly as he felt quite nervous. It was not his way to open up to someone, especially one who was still, really, a stranger. But then, he supposed, it was not Lucius's way either. "I feel sometimes like no one understands me and I hate them for it, and then later I feel so guilty. I know I'm a werewolf and I'm not really scared of that fact, it's just that I can't let anyone get close to me in case they find out. So people hate me for ignoring them, they think I'm stuck up or something, but they would hate me even more if they found out the truth. The night, the moon, they are more bars on my prison and I can't escape them. Sometimes, when the sun comes up I can pretend but I...." he paused, turning his face away from the older boy. "It's not just that, lately I've felt so helpless, like I want to escape, not just the wolf but everything. I feel so angry all the time and I hate my friends sometimes, I hate them so much and I know I shouldn't. I don't understand what I feel, I want to kill, I want to be killed, I want something....I want it all to go away."

Lucius looked down at the upset boy; slowly he lay down on his front in the grass beside him. Remus turned his head slowly to meet the silver eyes, he didn't know what he expected to see but the similar pain that was being reflected was not it.

"I...I met Voldemort." Lucius said, the words, his voice sounded strange to his ears. He had never told anybody anything before; he had never trusted any one person enough to do so. But there was something different now; he could feel it in the air. "My father introduced us last summer. He says that by the end of this year I will be ready. You must understand that I do not hate my family, nor do I hate Voldemort. I hate the way people immediately assume things when they hear my name even though; deep inside I am what they assume. I would have to kill muggles if I become a Death Eater, I would maybe have to kill people I know as well. That is a terrible thing and a part of me feels that, however, the other part of me would be quite happy to torture a few muggles and blast apart wizards who get in my way."

Remus was silent, his amber eyes watching the blonde Slytherin without judgement. Who would he be to judge anyone anyway?

"I feel like I'm standing on the barrier between darkness and light. All I need is some reason and I will walk into the sun, but when I have no reason the darkness seems more and more appealing and I think, maybe, I'll end up there whether I want to or not." Lucius smiled rather sadly, his fingers picking at the damp grass. He glanced at Remus and their eyes met; silver on amber. Slowly Remus sat up; taking the other boy's hand he pulled him up as well. They sat on the damp grass, legs crossed, facing each other.

"I think we're both a little messed up." Lucius said with a smirk. Remus smiled back, he felt that if nothing got in their way then they could heal each other. The sun shone a little brighter through the leaves and it felt like heaven was smiling down on them.

James was worried, the school day was finished, classes were long over and Remus had not yet returned to Gryffindor tower. Sirius had long ago gone up to bed although he probably wasn't asleep. He was probably lying awake, worrying, like James, about the little werewolf. James was angry with Remus, he was angry at the boy for treating them like they were nothing but he still loved his friend. He still wanted to help if he could.

Across from James, on an oversize red chair sat the small figure of Peter Pettigrew. Peter was quiet, lost in thought. He understood nothing of what was happening; all he knew was that it seemed to be Remus's fault somehow. He hoped that James and Sirius would fall out with Remus. It would be so much safer without the werewolf around, not to mention he would have Sirius and James all to himself.

Upstairs, in his bed Sirius glared at the darkness, through the crack in the red hangings he glared at the moon. His thoughts of anger toward Remus had turned into anger toward Lucius Malfoy. He would get him, Sirius thought; he would show Lucius Malfoy what happened when you messed around with a friend of Sirius Black!

Severus Snape washed his bruised face in the warm water. A couple of other Slytherins sniggered at him as they left the bathroom. The water felt so nice on his wounded face, Severus felt tears threatening again and he angrily slammed his fist against the white tiled wall. He was the centre of every joke; he was the punch bag of every Gryffindor and yet Severus still did nothing. Why not? He did not know the answer himself. He supposed it was because of the night that Lucius Malfoy had taken the time to speak to him. Severus had been sitting in the corner of the Library trying to ignore the laughter of James Potter and Sirius Black which he was sure was directed at him when Lucius Malfoy had sat down beside him. Severus had been shocked, to say the very least when the Malfoy heir had then begun to speak to him.

"Ignore them," Lucius had said. "They only pick on you because they have nothing better to do, it's sad."

Severus had dared to look at him then and Lucius had smiled. "My mother once told me," Lucius continued. "You must never be ashamed of who you are or let others make you feel ashamed."

Since then they had a strange sort of friendship. Severus didn't call himself Lucius's friend because he knew that Lucius didn't have friends, but Lucius talked to him every now and then and told him things that allowed Severus to glimpse little snatches of the older boy's life, although he could never tell quite what was the truth and what was a lie. Severus smiled, he was grateful for Lucius Malfoy even though he knew that, inevitably, Lucius would end up a Death Eater. It had been written in his stars since the moment he had been born. And as for Severus, he would quite happily follow Lucius into hell if he asked him to.

When he had finished washing Severus slipped on his nightclothes and left the large bathroom, his tanned feet padding gently on the cold floor. Having nothing better to do he decided to see if Lucius was in. He knocked tentatively on the Head Boy's door. No answer came and Severus pushed the door open. The room was empty apart from a white owl perched on the desk beside the window. As Severus approached it he realised that it was the Malfoy family owl. "Hey there." He said in what he hoped was a gentle voice. The owl hooted softly and dropped a letter in the dark haired boy's hands. Against his better judgement Severus opened the letter and began to read.

Dear son,

You have impressed both Voldemort and myself over the last few years. We have decided that it is your time now; it is your time to join us. On Halloween night at twelve o'clock be in this room, a portkey will be waiting to take you to our manor. There you will receive the Dark Mark and begin your life as a servant to the Great Lord. He will lead us into a new era where he will reward those who have been faithful to him. I know you shall be pleased to get the gift so soon.

Yours sincerely,
J. Z Malfoy

Lucius and Remus stood by the lake, both peering down into the dark, eerie water. They could hear the high singing of the mer-people down below, and sometimes they caught glimpses of their lights as they swam near the surface. The white blossom from the trees around them blew gently past them, glinting silver in the bright moonlight. "Scream." Lucius said suddenly, addressing the boy beside him. "Scream." he repeated.

Remus smiled slightly, a little confused.

"No one can hear," Lucius reminded him. "Scream, let it all out, all your frustration, everything."

Remus closed his eyes and opened his mouth, taking a deep breath he let out an ear-splitting scream that could be heard all over the castle grounds. When he finished Remus smiled and twirled around slightly, he felt, better. He wanted to hug Lucius but something prevented him, he wasn't sure the slim, proper Slytherin would appreciate being hugged. "Your turn." Remus said with a smile.

Lucius smiled back, he felt giddy. It seemed that Remus's happiness made him happy too. Taking a breath he poured out his anger and hatred at himself in one long scream. Just as he was finishing thunder and lightning cracked overhead and rain began to pour down on them.

Remus laughed and held his hands up to the falling water. Grabbing Lucius's hands he spun them both around. As they spun the wind picked up and blew the blossom wildly around them, a few stray leaves taking flight as well. They were soaked and cold but they were, for the first time in a long time, happy.

Finally they both sat down on the wet ground opposite each other. Lucius tucked a strand of his dripping wet hair behind his ear and couldn't help the smile that stole across his face. He hadn't smiled so much in ages, hell he didn't think he had ever smiled so much. He could hardly see for the rain dripping down from his eyelashes but that didn't seem to matter, reaching a pale hand out he touched Remus's flushed face. Their eyes met and Lucius, forgetting all reasons that could make it wrong, kissed the Gryffindor softly.

Remus smiled and kissed him back. Then they just sat and studied each other carefully, they had so many problems, if those who had none could do nothing, then they, who had, surely, could help each other. The rain fell heavier and the blossom petals blew around them, keeping them safe in a ring of silver. A time for healing had begun.

Severus held the letter in slightly shaking hands. Lucius's time had come, he wondered if Lucius would be happy. This was his destiny, suddenly it hit Severus, this was all that the silver eyed boy could be- a servant to darkness. That was no life at all he realised, yet still Severus vowed to follow Lucius wherever he would go.

............................................................................................................

(A/N) In case any of you are wondering Lucius has his own room because I feel that as head boy he would be granted this privilege. Anyhow I hope that's cleared that up for you. Thanx for reading reviewing. Love love love