Don't own anything recognisable from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books
Chapter 2
Discovery.
Remus Lupin was sat at his desk when his fireplace suddenly lit up. "Incoming Call for Remus Lupin from St Mungo's Hospital. Will you take the call?"
'I'm not expecting a call…' He thought, and then shrugged.
"Yes. I'll take the call."
A tall thin man stepped through the fireplace. He dusted off his white coat and turned to face Remus.
"Remus Lupin?" At Remus' nod he continued. "I am Doctor Crosby. I am here to inform you that we have a Lunar Black at our hospital. We have been unable to reach her brother…" He looked at the clipboard he had. "Sirius Black, and her sister Andromeda Black has been called away on important Ministry business. After that you are her next of kin."
Remus had jumped from his chair at the name Lunar, his usually pale face going even paler.
"Lunar?" He rasped. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry sir I am unable to tell you that here. I would appreciate it if you could get your affairs in order and come to the hospital as soon as possible. She is in the White Eagle ward."
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Remus had packed a small suitcase, told Albus that he would need some time off, and headed for St Mungo's all in the space of half an hour. When he reached the ward Doctor Crosby met him.
"Come to my office." He said gravely.
"I want to see Lunar." Remus said, his gravelly voice had a sharp edge to it.
The doctor nodded. "You will. First I need to tell you about her condition. She has suffered some substantial injuries. I don't want you to go in there not prepared."
They walked to his office, Remus' body was rigid with tension. "Well? What happened?"
"It appears she was set upon by a group of Death Eaters." The doctor waited until Remus was sat down in his chair before continuing, but he noted the murderous look in his eyes and the fact that he had gripped his hands so tightly that he had drawn blood.
"She came to us unconscious having several blows to the head and torso. We have mended the bones that were broken; most of her physical scars have been healed. She still has some swelling and bruising around her facial area, however in cases like this the majority of the problem will be psychological…" The doctor paused. "We have performed some tests on her, and unfortunately they all come up with the same result. She has had a curse put on her. It is a mind control curse, commonly known as the cage curse."
"The cage curse?" Remus' voice had taken on a dangerous note. "Are you sure?"
"Yes sir. We have performed every test available to us and they all say the same. We are quite willing if you want a second opinion."
"No. Have.." Remus cleared the frog from his throat and started again. "Have the Death Eaters been caught?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that sir." Deciding that he would let Remus see Lunar before he killed someone, he quickly interrupted the questions being rapidly fired at him. "Lets go and see her now, okay?"
Remus had to stop himself from going too near Lunar when he reached her bedside. He knew that if he did that he would sweep her up into his arms and take her far away from this place, far away from her troubles. He looked at her face swollen and covered in nasty purple bruises. Her hair hung limply by her face. Remus looked at the doctor. "When can I take her home?"
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'Remus!' Lunar sobbed softly as she awoke. She looked up at the ceiling, expecting the white swirling patterns of the hospital, instead she was confronted by a cream colour turning into a soft pink wall. She looked around her surroundings confused. It appeared that she was partially sitting up in a four-poster double bed in a dusty pink room. The cream coloured curtains were drawn, only hinting at the brightness of the sun outside. 'Where..?' Her voice rasped. Every muscle in her body ached.
When she was in the hospital she had regained lucid consciousness a couple of times to realise where she was. For the past few nights however, she had only dozed on and off slipping from dreams to a trance-like state. She looked around her again. The pine four poster bed took up most of the space in the room, but there was a pine blanket box, and a rocking chair and…
'Water! She gasped looking at the crystal cut bottle and glass on the bedside table. She tried to reach out to the glass that was half full of water with a straw coming from it but her arm wouldn't move. She tried to move any part of her body, but nothing happened.
'Help!' She called.
A creaking noise came from outside the door and Lunar whimpered in fear, she was alone in a strange house.
The door opened gently, no noise came from it. "Lunar?" A soft voice whispered.
"Lunar? Are you okay?" The floorboards creaked as the man approached the bed.
She could sense the man coming closer to her. She tried to shut her eyes as he approached.
'Don't hurt me!' She whimpered.
"Shhh… Don't worry Lunar, its Remus." Remus put the sheet over her shoulders and stood at the side of the bed uncertainly.
'Remus?' Lunar croaked.
Remus smiled at her gently. He picked up a glass from the tray on the table and poured her some more water. "Here." He said. He reached to help her sit up. Remus looked into her eyes and froze, his smile glued to his face. "I won't hurt you. Please trust me."
Lunar's eyes filled with tears. 'I don't know what's happening to me.' She confided.
Remus stood over her and helped her sip at the water he was holding. She appeared to be able to drink and eat with a little help.
'Where am I?' She asked, trying to avert Remus' attention from her helplessness.
"You've not been to my house have you?" He asked softly.
'Your… your house?' She asked. 'This is your house? When did you get it?'
He looked into her blue eyes intently. There was a strange light in Remus' eyes Lunar had never seen before but, before she could look closer, it was gone.
"Here.." He offered her the water again. When she had drunk her fill he topped up the glass with the water from the bottle.
She took this time to study Remus again. He had light brown hair flecked with grey, which was surprising considering his age. She remembered when his hair had no grey in it at all. She flushed slightly, that was when she had that ridiculous childhood crush on him. She recalled the way she had treated him, not knowing what her feeling had meant she had made a show of ignoring him and flirting with every other boy in the school.
She came out of her daze when she realised that she had been staring at Remus in silence. He was looking at her.
'Remus. Why am I here?' She asked tentatively. 'And why can't I move?'
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'What was she thinking?' He thought to himself as he watched her.
He saw a slight flush in her cheeks so he removed the heavy blanket covering her and replaced it with a sheet he floated from a blanket box.
"Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat? Is there anything you fancy?" He asked her to fill the silence.
She seemed to think about that for a while.
He stood up from the bed, and shook his head. He gazed at his hands helplessly.
"Stupid, stupid! She's not going to talk to you."
He looked at her intently again. Sitting down next to her on the bed he pushed a strand of blonde hair away from her cheek. "You have no idea what's happened do you?"
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'What do you mean "what's happened"?' She asked cautiously. 'Has something happened to Sirius? Not Pat? Or Andromeda?' She tried to sit up but again her defiant muscles wouldn't move. She looked at him and saw that his usual deep brown eyes were mournful. 'Not death?'
She wanted to strangle him, but she made do with yelling at him. 'What's happened?'
He sighed. "I'm glad you won't remember the group of Death Eaters that attacked you."
She frowned, or she would have frowned if her forehead would work. 'I remember them. What have they got to do with Sirius?'
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "They say you won't even know that you've been put under the cage curse…"
'Wait! Remus, No! I haven't been put under the curse. See? I'm still here!' She protested, but he kept on talking, he couldn't hear her.
'I've been put under the curse?' She thought to herself.
"…I'm trying to do all I can." He looked dejectedly at her for a second, but tried to cheer both himself, and the empty shell of Lunar up. "Everyone is finding out ways to help you. Severus is looking for potions, Albus and Moody are looking for curses… We're also attempting to find Sirius and Pat. We'll fix this." He seemed to have the same expression from when they were students at Hogwarts, serious, with an air of sadness about him. He sighed and rose from the bed.
"I'll be back in half an hour to check on you." He smiled distractedly. "I've chosen yellow goop for dinner, I hope you don't mind."
After gazing at her one final time he left the room. His shoulders hunched over in grief.
'No! No! Stay with me Remus! You've got to help me! You've got to do something! Please!'
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A/N Thanks to Vix, Iluvlegolas, Kekelina, and Annoriel for reviewing the first chapter!!!
