Chapter 6: In Which Remus Has Emotional Dilemmas and an Internal Monologue That Fade Almost Cornily
A/N: Hello! Yes, 'tis been a while since I've updated, yes? I'm extremely sorry for that, but with…nevermind. I will not go on a long rant for you to pity me by. Anyway, I apologize, but I may be going on another long hiatus from in order to write the (insert drumroll here) novel I have started. And no, you're not getting any previews. Anyhoodles, this may be the last update I do in a while (meaning a couple months; I'm not going to leave you guys hanging that long). Remember this.
IMPORTANT: There is some… I guess you would call it hinting at the hinting of slash (think Eponine vs. Marius, for the Les-Mis oriented, Laurie vs. Jo for the Little Women oriented, etc.). I am saying nothing of the sort that will be a major plotline in the story, but if you don't even like someone thinking about how they thought they romantically loved someone of the same gender, and/or you're some kind of homophobe, then just click the back button in the upper left-hand corner and we'll pretend this never happened. You flame me, and I "flame" you right back. It's called bad karma, my friend. Get used to it.
Thirdly, some things are in italics, meaning they're people's thoughts. Some things are in italics and aren't people's thoughts, but I hope you're smart enough to distinguish what's a thought and what isn't.
On with the show!
During dinner in the Great Hall, hardly anything was silent. The Slytherins were gossiping foolishly about "that new mudblood girl I heard crying in her bed last night." Things led to another, as things often did in the Slytherin house, and soon there were rumors of her being a "filthy, wicked muggle spy" and "a vicious werewolf with tusks up to here, and she has a lover in Hogwarts, too." As Slytherins words were made to be twisted, even if said words twisted weren't even there to begin with.
At the Griffindor table (as well as the other two tables), the students attempted not to listen to the rumors and lies being created by the select few, though some did "overhear" a few key "facts." Also, there was Alanna and Sara, who were still on the brink of tears at the thought of their best, kindest friend being "one of them." Their attempts at comforting the other caught some students' attentions as well.
Yes, during dinner in the Great Hall, hardly anything was silent, hardly being the key word. That was caused by the presence of two Griffindors: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius, excitedly nervous about meeting Lily, could barely contain himself: both his excitedness and his nervousness and depression from the fact that Lily was absent from dinner, after proving the fact by inconspicuously looking over his shoulder constantly. Remus, on the other hand, was nervous because of the fact that he was to find this elusive Lily Evans. After a while, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Sirius?" he asked.
Sirius looked up to his friend, now standing, from his lovelorn daze. "Hmm?"
Remus leaned in to him and whispered, "I'm going now. Make sure no one looks up to see me leave. If anyone asks, tell them I wasn't able to finish my Potions homework or something. They'll probably believe you. If they don't… Well, if they don't, we'll figure something else out."
Sirius flashed a smile. "Don't worry, mate: You've done this before. Stop worrying. Remember that I'm the one that actually has to meet this girl."
"Thanks, "Remus replied, somewhat relaxed. He couldn't figure out whether or not he was being consciously or subconsciously sarcastic and probably would never figure out, so he pushed the thought back into the recesses of his mind. He returned a kind smile to Sirius and left the large double doors to the hallway.
Remus has gone over the plan in his mind several times. If it's important to Si, I have no problem doing it.
The werewolf found himself back in the dormitory: Step One. He rummaged through James' trunk, where he found just what he was searching for: the all-purpose Invisibility Cloak. Of course Remus had asked permission from James before using the cloak; he just didn't tell his friend why he needed to use it.
Remus wrapped the cloak around himself, just barely seeing himself disappear into the background that was the wallpaper and wooden floor. He stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him. Initiate Step Two.
Leaving the Griffindor Common Room and entering the vast hallways of Hogwarts, Remus found himself completely alone with meters of emptiness around him.
Perfect.
He took out the Marauders' Map (again, something he "borrowed" from James) and spoke the password as he opened the piece of crumpled parchment. Remus saw a little dot labeled "Lily Evans" hiding in the left-hand side dormitory of the Slytherin Common Room. He memorized his position in relation to hers, closed the map with the password, put it back into his pants pocket and continued on.
Wow, it is really empty in these halls during dinner. I guess no one in their right mind would want to skip the only time they're not being badgered by professors. Except me. Because Sirius asked me to, and I won't refuse to help one of my best friends.
Is Sirius really my friend? Of course he is. He's helped me when I was in trouble. He let me copy his notes from History of magic when I accidentally fell asleep; hell, he comforted me from the second I told them all I was a werewolf and didn't want to lose their friendship. Is he my friend? Hell yes. This is why I have to help him.
But is he my friend? Yes, of course he is; why do I need to ask myself this over and over? I guess just to make sure I know. He is my friend. Do I love him? Yes, brotherly. Romantically? Of course not! Then again… No, that was a mistake. An idiotic infatuation. I thought I loved him like…that, but I was clearly mistaking forms of love. May be that's what Sirius is doing with this Lily girl: mistaking romantic love with simple infatuation. I doubt it, though; besides, Si knows this stuff better than I do. I might as well not argue, especially with myself.
Remus turned a corner, a few meters away from the Slytherin "door."
Ok, Remus. You know what to do: go up to the rock wall, tap the rock with the big grey splotch on it twice, then the one two down and five to the left of the first once, then the one three above the second thrice. Then you have to whisper, "Deportment Purebreed." Remus did everything in order, and the wall separated to show the Slytherin Common Room, a dark and dismal room that looked more like a somewhat nicely furnished dungeon than a common room.
Let's see, now I have to climb that rope ladder to the second level. Then, I turn to the left and the fifth door is the right dormitory. Check. Remus climbed the rope ladder, all the while thinking, Just remember: This is for Sirius, this is for Sirius, this is for Sirius…
Remus quietly jumped from the rope ladder to the platform leading to the dormitories. He turned left, but stopped. I've smelled that smell before. It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember what it is. What is it? He continued to the left until he came to the door labeled in silver, Slytherin Girls: Fifth Year. Remus cringed at the aura of the silver but silently knocked the door open a crack away from the silver plaque and doorknob and on the wooden door panel.
The werewolf, whose eyes were still closed in perplexity, sniffed the air once more. What on Earth is that smell? I've smelled it a million times, but I can't- He stopped. It had hit him like a ton of bricks. Remus opened his eyes.
O God.
A/N: CLIFFHANGER!
Sirius Orion Black II
