A/N: Ahem! The inclusion of a world history essay on Roman law was a strategic move in my story – ach, who am I kidding? That mistake is going to take a while to live down.  Sorry for the mistake, and I hope you all learned something about Rome that you didn't know before. Erm, on with the real story . .

Chapter 7

A bit more that two months later, right after The Goblin's Gore had closed early for the night, a desolate Violet sat at the bar, thinking about Christmas in two days and feeling sorry for herself. Remus watched with concern, as Violet started to reach for a bottle of gin.

"What in the world are you doing?" He pushed the alcohol away. "You never drink!"

"Neither do you . ." she mumbled.

"Yeah, well, I have a health problem to consider" He retorted.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking." They stared indignantly at each other for a minute.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" Violet broke the silence.

"I'll probably go visit my mum at St. Mungo's"

"I didn't know your mum was there. . . I'm sorry"

"Don't be. She put herself there after my dad left. Alcoholism" he emphasized.

"Does that mean she's in rehab?" Violet was a little confused at the concept of going to the hospital for drinking.

"No, it means she drunk herself into a stupor and put herself into a freakin' coma!" His voice rose, showing his obvious annoyance.

"I'm so sorry, Remus. I didn't know . . . . my brain just wasn't working for a minute . . ."

"Yeah, well it wasn't. And you were probably going to say that I can't feel anything. And you were probably going to say I'm some sort of half-breed who's so inhuman that I can't-" He crushed the glass he was holding in his bare hand, cutting it badly.

Violet jumped up from the bar and backed away from this side of Remus she had never known. He had always been so collected and calm before. . . . And how could he not care about these things? His denial of his lack of feeling seemed to only emphasize its existence. Then she heard a voice in her head speaking You don't feel anymore either . . .

She pulled out her wand and muttered a quick spell which pulled the shards of glass out of his hand. As they dropped to the floor, she said another one to stop the bleeding and probable infection.

"I have no clue why you decided to lash out at me. I know I wasn't so tactful before, but not enough so to deserve that" She began, fists clenched at her sides. "But don't be so high and mighty as to assume that I don't know what you're going through! That I'm as chipper as a bird! Sure, I don't have some drunk for a mum and a runaway for a dad! But I still have lost something! Something I cry myself to sleep at night just knowing I'll have to dream about him! So for goodness sakes, pull yourself together!" She sobbed.

"Violet-" He started, but she had already left.