Chapter 5: The Haunters.

Today.

"Shouldn't you guys go to bed?" Tonks raised her eyebrows and looked at her watch. It was almost two o'clock and they were heading to Hogwarts tomorrow.

"No…we want to hear more." Hermione exclaimed. "What happened to Rose?"

"Obviously she was quite alright the morning after." Remus smiled. "Tonks is right, you should go to sleep, I'll tell you more in time."

The young wizards sighed with surrender and rose to their feet. "Good night." Harry said and Remus and Tonks smiled at him.

"Night, will we see you guys tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going with you guys on the train." Remus nodded.

"Are you by any chance…" Harry raised his eyebrows with anticipation and Hermione held her breath.

"Yeah, I'm the new DADA professor." Remus nodded, smiling.

"Yes!" Hermione and Harry shouted. "This is great!" Harry said.

"Finally, someone who can teach…" Hermione smiled and Remus flushed.

"Really, I'm sure the other teachers weren't that bad…" He mumbled and Harry snorted.

"You should know…you studied with a member of the Umbridge family…"

Remus smiled and Harry and Hermione left the room and headed upstairs. Tonks grinned at Remus and then just kept staring at him until he talked. "What?"

"I remember your wife." She said softly with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"You never saw her." he raised his eyebrows and tried to search his memories.

"I saw you guys snogging in Sirius's kitchen." Remus's mouth opened with shock. "You looked real cute. You never noticed that I was even there." She smirked and Remus remembered and smiled as well.

"This was the first time we ever kissed." He said and Tonks snorted.

"You looked quite professional to me." She laughed. "So, tell me…who was she? There must be something about her…"

"What makes you say that?"

"I've read about werewolves…"

"Oh…if I had a galleon for every time I heard that line…"

"Shut up…werewolves mate for life, right?" Remus nodded and she continued. "And, knowing you as a person, I know that you are a very special man." Remus flushed again. "So, what was it about her?"

"When we took the soul bonding charm I was stunned from what I saw. I wasn't entirely ready for what was about to come and this was the first time I realized what she did. Not for me…for her own sake." Tonks stared at him for a moment and he continued. "I suppose that in that way she was a lot like…" He stopped for a moment and sighed, finding trouble in expressing the name. "Like Sirius…"

Then.

Music could be heard from the great hall where a band of witches played a slow dance. It was nearly midnight and the ball was supposed to be over soon. The air was freezing and Remus wrapped himself even more inside his cloak. He sat on the stairs next to the great hall, leaning against the wall and completely hidden from view by an armor suit that occasionally burst out singing a Christmas song with hoarse voice.

The large oak doors were closed but Remus was still cold. It was snowing all day long and the green lands around the castle turned white and amazingly festive within a matter of hours. Everyone was happy inside the ball but Remus didn't feel like dancing tonight. He looked at his hand that only two days ago was covered with a black burn that might have killed him. Umbridge used a simple trick, Remus realized now, the quill cut his flesh and wrote with his blood but it was also covered with silver ink…that went straight into his blood system.

Remus had the misfortune to be extremely allergic to silver, perhaps even more then other werewolves. It didn't matter now, he thought bitterly, what did matter was that Rose healed him and knew he was a werewolf…and she was avoiding him. She walked away from him every time he tried to talk to her and barely acknowledged him when they passed each other on the halls.

And Lily Evans knew too. Remus smiled to himself, at least his little experience with death brought Lily and James together. Last time he looked they were dancing pretty close to each other. Sirius also caught himself a pretty looking Ravenclaw girl who nearly got a heart attack when he asked her to dance with him.

He could hear footsteps and turned his head to look at the stairs. Rose walked down dressed with a muggle skirt and high boots. Above that she wore a black cloak. Her hair was spread around her shoulders and she looked sad and upset. Remus gapped at her. 'Close your mouth…close your mouth…too late…'

She stopped the moment she saw him. Her eyes were bright and red but she smiled shakily at him. He managed to close his mouth and smiled softly, motioning her to sit down with him. She sat down and he could see her legs when her skirt rose a little. A familiar jolt of desire shot through him and he closed his eyes briefly. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about it and she wanted him, right? After all, why did she save him? He shook his head and silenced the voice that was inside of him, the wolf.

"Rose." He said somewhat breathlessly.

"Hi, Remus, why aren't you inside?"

"I didn't feel like dancing." He shrugged. "I came for the food. Why aren't you there?"

"No one asked me." She shrugged.

'I would have asked you.' He wanted to say but instead he just stared at her again. "Hey, you want to go outside for a while?" he asked.

"It's freezing!" she laughed.

"So?"

"Alright." She smiled and they headed outside.

It was indeed, freezing and Remus reached out and held her hand inside his own, warming her just with that slight touch. They stopped next to a bench and sat down close to each other. Rose hugged her knees with her arms and snuggled closer to Remus who instinctively wrapped his arm around her. After a few moments he spoke.

"Thank you." He said, his breathing creating a fog around his face.

"For what?"

"For healing me." His eyes searched hers and he held their gaze. Her eyes were so sad it broke his heart. "You didn't have to do this for me."

"Of course I did!" she exclaimed. "It was my fault. If it wasn't me you wouldn't be in this mess."

"What are you talking about?" he gazed her again and she backed away from him.

His eyes were so deep and she felt her heart beating even faster. He would hate her; there was no doubt in her heart. How could he not hate her for what she was? Everything was her fault, Umbridge hates part humans but if it weren't for her he would never have done something like that to a student. Everything was her fault. She felt tears forming in her eyes and she shook her head violently.

Remus reached out and caressed her cheek, experiencing once again the familiar feeling of lust and need inside of him. But he didn't want to stop now. He couldn't stop. There was something about her that made the wolf inside of him stronger, wilder…their faces were inches apart and he could feel her scent…apples and…unmistaken desire.

Rose closed her eyes. He would hate her, yes, but still…she was drawing so close to him. It was impossible not to feel his presence and not to react. His body radiated heat and she wanted to snuggle deep inside that heat that would keep her safe…safe…

"That's enough!" A cold voice disturbed them and they broke apart, staring at professor Umbridge who stared back at them fuming with anger. He grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her to her feet violently. She gave a cry of pain and Remus was on his feet within a second, ready to hex him.

"Leave her alone!" he cried.

"There is someone here to see you, Miss Haunter…you should bring the werewolf as well. That way we could see the filth you're hanging with."

Remus's eyes widened and he felt his blood boil. How dare he? Rose released herself from his grasp and headed towards the castle. Umbridge followed her and Remus grabbed her hand the moment Umbridge tried to take it. "Don't touch her." Remus sneered and for the first time ever, Umbridge backed away. "Rose? What's going on?" he asked but she didn't reply. She just shook her head as her tears fell down her cheeks.

When they got to the castle, Rose headed directly towards Umbridge office and walked inside. Remus followed her and Umbridge walked after them and locked the door behind him. Remus found that once again the room was dark only this time a tall man stood next to the window. He heard Rose breathing hard before she spoke.

"Hello, father."

"My child…" The tall man turned around and shot Remus a look that could kill. Remus felt like he was hit with a shower of ice water. The man's eyes held nothing but hatred and he fought the urge to back away from the intense gaze.

"What did I do to deserve the honor of your visit?" Rose asked with a voice that matched her father's gaze.

"I've heard rumors…that you are making friends with a werewolf."

Remus's back stiffened…what the…

Rose smiled. "A werewolf? Well, I've never seen him in his werewolf form. I believe he is a very beautiful wolf, don't you think?"

"What is wrong with you?" the man moved so fast that both Remus and Rose missed his movement. He grabbed her forearms and shook her violently. "Have you forgotten what the werewolves did to your mother? Have you forgotten how they stole our land? Where is your silver knife? Where is it?"

Rose shook her head. "Leave me alone!"

"No!" he slapped her and she fell to the ground. Remus hurried to help her but the man stopped him when he aimed a silver knife to his chest. Remus backed away and Rose got up and tried to stop her father. He was moving too close to Remus and he was aiming the knife too close to his neck.

Remus backed away until his back hit the wall. He watched with wide eyes at the silver object that was about to cut his neck.

Umbridge smiled.

Rose made a move, trying to grasp her father's arm.

"That's enough!" a roaring voice stopped the movements in the room and they all turned to the shadows next to the window where Albus Dumbledore stood. Remus sighed with relief and Rose's father dropped the knife. Rose pushed him away and stood between them.

"When Rose talked to me this morning I refused to believe but now…" Dumbledore was talking calmly but his eyes reflected the anger he felt. "Mr. Haunter, I expected a more mature behavior from you. And…Umbridge…consider yourself relieved from your duties."

"But…headmas…"

"Silence…Rose, Remus…you may leave."

Remus nodded weakly but Rose still looked at her father.

"Rose…if you walk out don't ever bother to come back…" Mr. Haunter sneered.

Remus's eyes widened and Rose smiled softly and approached her father.

"I pity you…" she said."Yes…we fight with the werewolves on territory but only because your family stole it from them. And we never bother to talk to them because you know that male werewolves don't get along together when they're in their human forms. But you never bothered to talk with just one of them, did you? And about mother…" she paused for a moment and then continued. "A werewolf killed her, that's right, but only after you slaughtered his mate. An eye for an eye…" she then turned to Umbridge and smiled sweetly at the old man.

"And you? You call yourself a friend of my father, right?" Umbridge nodded franticly. "There is an old saying…you shouldn't lust for your friends family, right? And you…definitely lusted for me…" a small smile appeared on her lips when her father turned and stared at who once was his friend.

She gazed at them for a moment and left the room. Remus followed her, still completely shocked. When they got to Gryffindor common room he found his voice again. "Rose…"

"Remus…I'm sorry. I never told you who I was because I was afraid you'd hate me. I'm sorry." Her eyes were filled with tears and she refused to meet his eyes. "He could have killed you tonight…he would have…" a sob escaped from her throat and Remus moved to hold her but she backed away from him. "No…I don't deserve this…I'm sorry…" and with those words she ran upstairs, leaving him alone in the common room.