Don't own anything recognisable from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books
Chapter 10
A Christmas Rose
'What are they doing now?' Lunar thought dejectedly. She had drunk the most disgusting stuff, and watched the stupidest spectacles of magic. None of it had worked.
She watched as Albus took a funnel out of his bag while Severus stood next to him holding a scarlet red potion in a container.
'Not another one.'
She looked at her brother and Pat. They were stood in one corner of the room holding hands and looking at her nervously.
The bed dipped beside her and Lunar saw Remus. He held her hand, and she felt the same shock that she did the first time he had held her hand.
Despairingly she tried to squeeze Remus' hand back, but the same helplessness overcame her as nothing happened.
She felt him tip her head gently back, and put the funnel in her mouth.
"Are you sure?" She heard Albus say to Sirius.
"Okay. Carry on."
She felt the red mixture glug down her throat, if she could control her muscles she would have gagged at the sour taste.
'If you are going to pour anymore stuff down my throat it had better be sweetened!' She thought angrily.
"Well? Has it worked?" Severus asked.
~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~
Remus glanced angrily at Severus, who shrugged and moved away from them.
"Lunar?" Sirius said gently.
Nothing. She didn't say anything.
Remus looked at her hand, where he was holding her. "Come on Lunar. Come back to me." He whispered tenderly.
Then it happened.
Remus frowned, and turned to look at the others in the room.
"Did you see that?" He said in awe.
"What?" Severus said sourly.
Remus turned back to Lunar. "She moved her finger."
Sirius rushed over to the other side of the bed, sat down and gripped her other hand. "Lunar?" He asked.
Then shook his head. "No. Maybe you imagined it."
Remus looked over to him. "I didn't."
He looked back at Lunar in desperation.
~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~
'Remus?' Lunar gasped. She had felt her finger move slightly against Remus' hand.
She tried to move her finger again. 'Did that work? Did you feel that?' She asked desperately.
Sirius turned to Remus and shrugged. "I haven't felt anything."
'Come on! I did it! I'm sure I did it!'
She saw Remus turn to her, a strange look of anguish in his eyes. "Please Lunar. I know you moved."
Lunar summoned up all the strength she had left and tried to move her hand.
Sirius gasped. "Her finger moved!"
'Great!' Lunar thought sarcastically. 'I used up every last bit of my energy, and my finger moved!?!" Realising what she had thought, she mentally shook herself in disgust. 'I'm getting better and all I can do is complain!'
Remus looked searchingly into her eyes for what seemed like minutes, and then nodded.
Sirius watched him, a look of complete astonishment crossing his face.
"I was wrong, wasn't I? You don't want Lunar to stay here because you view her like a sister. You like her!" He said stunned, he shook his head. "No more than that. You love her!"
Remus sighed. He just kept looking at Lunar.
'No he doesn't.' Lunar thought dejectedly.
Sirius kept on going. "How long? How long have you… you've known this since her sorting haven't you?" He grabbed Remus' arm and held it tightly. "Haven't you?"
Remus sighed mournfully. "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. Look at her! She doesn't want a werew…" He glanced at Lunar. "A person like me."
Sirius dropped Remus' arm and looked at Lunar. "Is she the reason why you hardly dated at Hogwarts?"
Remus frowned at Sirius. "Drop it."
"Why…?"
"Drop it." This was more of a growl, and there was a dangerous glint in Remus' eyes.
"But…" Sirius protested.
"Sirius…!"
"No! I will not drop it!" He looked at Pat, who came over to him and gripped
his hand. Sirius sighed. "I have probably known since the sorting that you …
had feelings for Lunar. Since then all I have been doing is "dropping it". I
want to know. Do you love Lunar or not?"
Remus looked longingly into Lunar's eyes. "I think I have always loved Lunar."
Lunar gasped, and felt the gasp escaping her body.
"Lunar?" Sirius asked, while Remus retreated to a far corner of the room.
'Remus!' She shouted, but to no avail. All that escaped her throat was a long strangled moan.
Albus approached her from the side that Remus had left. "Interesting." He muttered, and started to do a series of reaction tests.
Lunar found she was able to blink by herself easily. The other movements took a lot of time and effort.
"Where are you going Remus?" Pat asked the retreating figure.
Lunar waited impatiently, and mournfully for the reply.
"Out."
~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~
Remus' shoulders slumped as he walked along the path. He kicked aimlessly at a can that someone had dropped, and missed.
"Typical! I even miss a can." He muttered.
He stopped walking and stood still, his head was tipped back on his shoulders and he looked at the dark clouds passing by. It was nearing sunset, and for once n his life Remus was glad of his affliction.
"I could do with a bit of madness right now."
He breathed the air in deeply; a thunderstorm was coming. His wolf side told him that.
A woman smiled at him as she jogged past, but stopped suddenly when the dog at the end of her lead stood still and growled menacingly at him.
"I'm dreadfully sorry." She said, trying to get the dog to go with her. "She's usually good with people."
Remus nodded understandingly, and moved on. "Dogs don't like me." He said to the lady. It was one of the side effects of being a werewolf.
He couldn't stop torturing himself with the image of Lunar gasping when he had declared his love. She had obviously heard him, and couldn't bear the thought.
"Who would?" He cried at the sky. Huge droplets of rain started pelting him from the sky, but he didn't run. In fact he didn't move.
He just stood there, getting soaked to the bone, until Severus came along. He had cast a water-repelling spell on himself, so every drop of rain that hit him just bounced off. He looked strange, an incredibly dry person in the midst of a thunderstorm.
"You shouldn't be out here." Severus sneered, but nicely. "What would happen if you turned?"
Remus shrugged, but turned around and headed back towards his house and the forest near it.
~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~
The wolf glanced at the bright lights of the muggle bar, and edged closer to the shadows. This was all he needed. He thought in frustration. A crowded bar full of muggles, and this is where the scent had stopped.
He had changed in the forest and, putting his hurt feelings aside, he had concentrated on tracking Avery down. It would be a great pleasure when he eventually found him.
He prowled in the shadows and headed towards the rear of the building. And growled in anger as the scent picked up again. He hadn't stayed in the bar, only walked through the front door and out the back.
Looking at the moon he moaned in frustration. He hadn't much time left, and this was the last night he would be a werewolf for this month. Sniffing the air again, he decided not to waste time, and resumed the pursuit.
A/N
Hurrah!!! At last they've cured her! Having a few problems with writer's block at the moment, which is why my posting can be described as sporadic at best!!!! So thanks to every one who has continued reading the story, and bear with me!!!!
Thanks to Ingenious, Zelda-lotr and Annoriel for reviewing, and anyone else who reads my work!
