(A/N) Okay, wow! I've reached a sixth chapter!!!!! I'm so happy!! Well actually I'm not. I'm kind of in a bad mood at the moment so I'm unsure how this chapter will turn out. Well, I'll try not to make it too depressing or anything. As always please leave your review on the way out!! Thank you, come again!

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CHAPTER SIX: You Can't Find Love When There's Nothing Inside

Lucius woke up feeling rather wet; his hands were curled around something soft and damp and he sat up to get a better look. Laced through his fingers were several strands of honey coloured hair. Letting the strands slip softly away from his fingers Lucius looked at the sleeping boy gently.

They were under the willow tree which was where they had finally collapsed the night before, both falling fast into a dreamless sleep. It had stopped raining, and the sun's early morning rays filtered in through the leaves. Lucius could smell the fresh scent of rain on the grass and he smiled, nothing could be more perfect. Yes he was wet and rather muddy, but he was also happy. At the sound of Remus waking up Lucius smiled at him. Remus smiled back and sat up slowly. "Hello." Remus said quietly.

"Hello." Lucius answered.

"We're rather wet." Remus said with a small smile. Lucius nodded and they stepped out from under the willow tree. Outside the sun shone a little brighter down on them and the birds sang loudly on from the treetops. Lucius tilted his head up to the sun and smiled as if in greeting. The cool morning breeze blew softly past them and they kept close together as they walked up to the castle.

It was rather early so there was no one about yet apart from Mrs Norris who sat in a dark corner of the entrance hall, her red eyes fixed on a rather brave little mouse. Lucius and Remus, not quite sure what to say smiled briefly at each other before turning to head in different directions. Suddenly, acting on impulse, not something he did often; Lucius ran back and turned the amber eyed boy around. Gracing him with a small kiss he smiled brightly and then walked off again.

Remus stood still for a moment and then, with a small smile tugging at his lips he made his way back to Gryffindor tower.



James jerked awake, hitting his head on the back of the chair as he heard the portrait swing open. Remus entered looking rather dazed and happy. He walked passed James, without even acknowledging he was there, and continued up to the dormitory. James was out of his chair before you could say 'Hogwarts: a History' and up the stairs after the smaller boy. He had to get there before Sirius woke up.

Remus entered the dormitory and crossed the red carpet to his bed. There he sat feeling rather silly with the smile on his face that just wouldn't leave. Just then James entered the room startling Remus from his thoughts. "Remus," James said quietly. "Where have you been?"

"Nowhere." Came Remus's answer. James sighed, just why was Remus lying to him?

"I know where you were Moony." James said seriously.

A look of panic flitted over Remus pale face, "Where?" he asked, glaring at James as if daring him to continue.

James hesitated for a moment and then continued, "With Malfoy."

Immediately Remus stood up from the bed and looked defensively at James. "So what if I was?" he asked.

"Remy, Malfoy is...."

"He's what?" Remus asked, when no answer came from the messy haired boy Remus tried again. "HE'S BLOODY WHAT, JAMES?"

James looked at him rather desperately as if trying to will the boy to understand. Just then Sirius climbed out of his bed looking rather grumpy and tired. Running a large hand through his black hair Sirius yawned and said, "What's going on Prongs? I was trying to sleep." James jerked his head toward Remus and Sirius's eyes suddenly cleared. Immediately an angry look stole across his face.

"Been with Malfoy have you?" he asked with an uncharacteristic sneer.

Remus said nothing, and this seemed to anger Sirius more. "One day, you'll see what he really is," he warned. "A piece of stinking shit that's what, and then what will you do?" He asked roughly, prodding Remus angrily in the chest. James ran over to pull Sirius away from the smaller boy but Sirius was having none of it. Blindly he pushed James back. "No Prongs, It's him that's in the wrong. Aren't we good enough for you any more Moony? Aren't we good enough now that you've got Lucius-fucking-Malfoy?"

At that Remus put his hands over his ears, he didn't need this. He couldn't cope with this. He felt too hot, even though his clothes were wet and cold, his head was pounding as if his mind was trying to break out of its prison of bone. With a small moan Remus pressed his hands harder against his ears.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Sirius cried, "Why don't you listen to me anymore?"

Remus whimpered again, he couldn't even hear Sirius anymore. All he could hear was the steady thumping of his head; his eyes were screwed shut so tightly that he could see stars in the darkness. How could he go from being so happy one moment to being so upset and angry the next? Suddenly he felt a pair of strong hands shaking him. It was Sirius.

Sirius tore his friend's hands away from his ears and Remus opened his eyes. He looked as if he were in pain and Sirius stalled, caught by the love he felt for the amber eyed boy. Then Remus lunged, he flew at Sirius, his pale hands reaching out and scratching at the taller boy's face. "You think you could help me?" he hissed, sounding almost insane. "YOU CAN NEVER HELP ME!" he cried.

Panicking James pulled Remus away from Sirius. Remus struggled against him, kicking and scratching whatever he could reach. By this time Peter had woken up and was peering through the gap in his curtains, his eyes wide with horror. "You're mad." He whispered, his comment directed at the struggling werewolf. "Mad." He repeated.

Finally, using all of his strength Remus broke free of James's grip and whirled around to face him, his eyes wild and angry. James stared back; he had never seen Remus like this before. He had always been so calm. "You're right." James said quietly. "We can't help you, but only because you keep us locked out. If you talked to us we could understand."

"No." Remus hissed from deep in his throat.

"YES!" Sirius yelled angrily. "We understood before didn't we? We became anamigai for you didn't we?"

"You didn't understand." Remus said, the words falling bitterly from his lips. "You have never understood."

"AND MALFOY DOES?" Sirius roared, taking a step towards the werewolf.

"YES!" Remus shouted back, "YES HE DOES, he understands me."

Sirius wanted to cry, he wanted to scream. He wanted to shake Remus until he saw sense again. He half wanted to kill Remus at that moment.

"Moony," James said softly, reaching out for his friend. Remus hissed and pulled away.

"Leave me alone." He whispered, "Leave me alone, you're killing me!"

James reached out again and Remus slapped his hand away, his amber eyes had taken on a wild feral look reminiscent of the wolf inside him. Remus was beyond thought at that moment. All he could feel was anger and a wild urge to escape. "I HATE YOU!" he cried. For a moment everything was silent and then James's fist connected with his face. Remus staggered back and looked up at the angry brown eyes of his friend.

James was paused, ready to punch again when he saw the look in Remus's eyes. The anger had cleared and all James saw there was pain, lots of it, and the beginning of tears. "Remus," he said, softening instantly. He started toward the fallen boy but Remus scrambled up, fear glazing over the pain. Before James could do or say anything more Remus was gone, his feet tearing out of the tower as fast as they could go.

"James?" Sirius said in a sort of half gasp. The two boys looked at each other, brown eyes meeting blue, and they both sighed. "What have we done?"

"Mad." Peter said fearfully. "He's insane."



Lucius opened the door of his room to find Severus Snape sitting on his bed, a letter clasped in the boy's bony fingers. Immediately his smile faded, he knew what that letter was. Somewhere deep inside he knew. Silently he walked over to the bed, and Severus handed the paper to him. Lucius read, and as he did he felt all light leave his body, driven away by the darkness inside him.

Wordlessly he looked at the black haired Slytherin and Severus looked back, their eyes each as serious as the other.

"Will you?" Severus asked tentatively.

Lucius shook his head. "I don't know. Why did it have to happen now? The sun was just beginning to shine, and now I must be forever torn from it."

Although Severus was not exactly sure what the blond haired boy was talking about he tried to comfort him anyway. "You don't have to be." He said.

Lucius smiled sadly and laughed. "I was wrong. You can't change black to white. You can't make evil good. You can't fix what's been broken since it was made."

Severus stared at him silently, "You aren't broken." He whispered, "And you aren't evil."

A thin smile tore at Lucius's mouth, "No," he said. "I'm not evil, I'm empty. Devoid of feeling myself, I will be what others want me to be. I will feel what they want me to feel."

Lucius closed his eyes slowly; his hands dropped softly, the pure white parchment drifting gently to meet the dark stone floor.



Remus lay under the willow tree, his teeth clenched over the soft material of his Gryffindor robes. His head had long ceased to pound and now he was just in pain, both emotionally and physically. He cried into his sleeve, the tears burning his eyes like fire, he wanted to scream but couldn't. The left side of his face stung where James had hit it and this only added to Remus's tears. He shivered in his wet robes and his hands clutched at the grass beneath him, tearing it as he shook. Why couldn't he escape the pain inside of him?



Lucius walked slowly down the corridor to the potions classroom. He was sure that someone was following him. Quickly he slipped into an empty classroom and waited by the door for whoever it was. Finally the figure reached the door and Lucius reached out. Grabbing the person's black robe, he pulled them through the door and flung them against the wall.

Lucius narrowed his silver eyes as he was greeted by the taller figure of Sirius Black. "Why are you following me Black?" he demanded.

Sirius sneered at him, "I know what you're up to Malfoy." He said. "You'd better leave Remus alone or I'll...."

"Or you'll what?" Lucius asked, sneering right back.

Sirius was going to answer but his hand seemed to swing up of its own accord. Lucius groaned as he was knocked to the floor. "You bastard." He spat.

Something snapped inside Sirius and he lunged at the Slytherin, raining punches down on the older boy until he swore he could hear him crying. As Sirius moved away Lucius's booted foot moved up and kicked him where is would hurt the most. Hissing Sirius punched the blond in the nose, and again in the jaw. Lucius struggled to sit up, he spat on the stone floor creating a small puddle of blood. "This won't help you with Remus." He croaked.

"IT'S LUPIN TO YOU!" Sirius roared, aiming another punch. This time his fist connected with the Slytherin's stomach and Lucius groaned, doubling over on the floor. Standing up Sirius kicked the boy again and headed out the door, pausing he said. "I know it won't, but I wanted to hurt you anyway."

"One day," Lucius croaked, spitting out more blood. "One day you'll end up in Azkaban where you belong, you mark my words."

"So will you," Sirius said. "So will you."



Lucius walked down toward the lake, his shoulders hunched and head bent low. Although the sun shone brightly overhead and the lake glittered beneath, Lucius could not smile. One reason for this was because his face was in so much pain after his fight with Sirius, and the other was because he felt in his heart that he had lost all reason to. Soon it would be Halloween, and he would receive the dark mark, that is, if he chose to. Lucius walked toward the willow tree hoping that Remus would be there, hoping that he would find some reason, however small in size, to refuse the mark, to step into the light and away from the dark.

As he drew nearer Lucius heard muffled sobs coming from behind the shining green curtain of leaves. Reaching out he pushed them out of his way and went inside. Remus lay on the ground, crying dryly into his sleeve. At the sound of Lucius entering he sat up, his amber eyes wide in shock at the state the silver-eyed boy was in.

"What happened?" he asked tentatively touching the bruised face as Lucius sat down beside him.

With a small, bitter smile Lucius replied, "Sirius."

Remus nodded and dropped his hand. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"No." Lucius said, grabbing his hand. "It's not your fault."

Remus looked up into the serious silver eyes and he saw a new sadness that had not been there before. "What is it?" he asked, half dreading an answer.

Lucius's pale had shook a little in his, and he closed his eyes before answering, "I am receiving the dark mark on Halloween night. That is, unless...unless I have a reason not to."

Remus stared at him, his amber eyes giving away nothing. Inside Lucius burned a little flame of hope that had not yet been put out; he desperately wanted a reason, desperately. "I..." Remus whispered. He was torn, how could he save this boy and make him happy when he, himself was not so. With a small sob Remus realised that two people as dark and full of pain as they were could not change, all they would end up with, in the end, would be more pain. "I...I cannot." He finished; his voice cracking as he spoke.

At that moment the flame of hope inside Lucius was extinguished forever. Lucius could almost feel the black rivers of darkness running through his blood and he felt, he felt so cold. Stiffly he stood up; it was as if the whole world had changed about him. Where there should have been sun and blue skies Lucius saw grey and black. Every colour was fading, except those belonging to Remus. He still saw the small Gryffindor clearly, his image staining his eyelids. He knew why Remus had said no, love could never be found if those who sought it were both devoid of it. Slowly, hardly aware of what he was doing, Lucius lifted the honey haired head up and kissed the pale forehead gently. Then, tearing himself away, he walked out from under the weeping willow tree and into the harsh glare of a sun that was no longer golden.

Back under the emerald branches Remus bit his lip in an effort not to cry out after the blond boy. "I love you," he whispered. "I don't know how I do, but I do."



(A/N) Don't worry it's not the end! I wouldn't end it like this, no the ending will be far more depressing Mwah hahahahahaha!! Anyway, review and tell me what you thought! Lots of love,
Wildmoonflower