part one.
Remus was quickly learning that though he enjoyed watching Quidditch from time to time he was not much of a spectator. Every time he was forced to witness Adrianna with that dolt Zalphin it was like a long and painful electrocution - the kind he had learned about in Muggle Studies. And he was forced to watch them more and more as the only time she wasn't in the library she was with him. Well, maybe not forced to watch them, but when the only kind of contact you get from the one woman you've ever loved is watching her from afar it's something you try and hold on to.
Adriana was even alienating herself from her closest friends. Lily and Circe had barely spoken to her in three and a half weeks and this worried Remus greatly. She was never around anymore - never in the Common Room, never outside on the grounds. She'd even stopped attending Quidditch matches which hurt Circe greatly as she was already being scouted by some of Britain's top junior teams. Every time anyone tried to talk to her she was always locked away inside her head at the library studying for a project that no one knew existed. Remus had it on good authority (he was on good terms with the librarian) that she had checked out every single Potions book at least twice, and had read all the dark arts books too. She even had the Librarian order more in for her from other schools, a favour she had to go to Dumbledore to ask. Now, he knew she had high ambitions to be an Auror but this was becoming a bit much.
Seventh year was supposed to have been spectacular for all of them. Everything was finally as it should be – Lily and James, Sirius and Circe. Even Peter had found someone from Hufflepuff. All that was left was Remus and Adriana, but he'd lost hope weeks ago that things would ever be the same between them. He had hurt her and scared her and it was inexcusable. There was no way after what he'd done he'd be allowed back in her good graces, and this shamed him beyond belief. He knew it was his fault. He knew it should never have happened. What he didn't know was why she'd been in the dark forest.
What had been so important to her that she had snuck out in the dead of night – on the night of a full moon when she knew that there was at least one resident werewolf – to go get?
Why had she refused to tell him when he'd asked her? They'd told each other everything since Second Year and she'd chosen now to hide things from him.
Remus' curiosity was more than just piqued. It was all he could thing about. Somewhere in the back of his head Remus was convinced that if he could find out these answers he'd be able to make things right between them. He knew these thoughts were groundless and that they'd probably never get back together, but he had to hold on. He loved her too much to just let her walk out of his life after graduation.
It was with all this in mind that made Remus seek Adriana out in the library one sunny afternoon. He had wanted to speak to her before but had to wait for a nice day – a day he knew Zalphin would be out on his broom with the other Slytherin Quidditch players.
He found her near the restricted section, five or more worn out potions books strewn across the desk. She was writing furiously in her notebook, the only accessory that had not left her side in months. Remus walked quietly towards her, trying not to startle her, but he needn't have worried. Adriana was far too engrossed in her work to even notice him. He and James could've played an entire game of exploding snap and she wouldn't have noticed.
When he finally stood close enough to she what she was writing he stopped as a word caught his eye. Aconite. It tickled his memory but for the life of him he couldn't remember what its significance was.
Remus, feeling guilty for spying decided to break the silence. "Hey," he said it softly, his voice unsure.
Adriana looked up and the second she noticed who it was she closed her notebook. She quirked an eyebrow. "Lupin."
The use of his last name hurt but Remus knew exactly what she was doing. Adriana wanted to be left alone and she was trying to upset him so he'd leave. It was a tactic she'd used a hundred times since they'd known each other and one that rarely worked. In fact, the only times it had ever worked was when he'd known she needed alone time and indulged her.
But not this time. This time they needed to talk.
"I know you don't want me around, you don't seem to want anyone around anymore. But this will only take a few minutes if you cooperate. Come on Ri," he didn't wait for her reply and sat down at her table, peering at her over her wall of books.
She tried another tactic. "Marcus won't like it if he sees you here." This one hurt like a bludger in the gut but he ignored it and pressed on.
"We're all worried about you," she rolled her eyes. "Especially Lily and Circe. All you ever do is sit in here working on your private project-"
"I'm studying!" she interrupted, showing annoyance at his prying.
"Studying for what? I know you and Zalphin finished all those Potions projects. There aren't any other big things for you to do other then NEWTs and I know that's not it. If it was you'd be studying a subject you didn't know, not reading'Burberries 17th Edition Mystical Herbs and Legendary Plants' for the hundredth time. If you don't want to talk to me you should at least talk to Lily and Circe. Or Prongs even! He'd listen to you. Just talk to someone; let us know what's going on."
"Nothing is going on. And everything is fine between me and everyone but you." She looked away and began to open a book, dismissing him.
"If you really believe that then you must not have heard Circe crying last night." It was a low blow, but one he knew would finally make her pay attention. She looked up.
"Why was she crying? I swear if Black did something –"
"Padfoot didn't do anything. She was crying because of you. You promised you'd go watch her play yesterday – a scout from the Chudley Cannons came! You never showed and it hurt her. She has always been there for you anytime you've ever needed her and you didn't even have the decency to show up and watch her play." He watched the hurt cross her face but didn't stop. She needed to hear this and though it broke his heart to hurt her again she needed it to help her smarten up.
"I was busy," Adriana mumbled. "I forgot, but I'm sure she'll understand."
"Busy doing what?"
"Something important."
"How important? Important enough to loose the two best friends you ever had? Important enough to jeopardize everything that used to be important to you? What are you doing Ri, what is this project that you've nearly killed yourself over?"
"I don't need to nearly kill myself over anything Lupin you've done that for me." Her words stopped him dead in his tracks and his face lost all colour.
It took him a minute to reply and though she didn't move a muscle he could see in here eyes that she regretted what she said. Her now violet eyes, eyes that she'd changed, just like she'd changed everything else about herself, everything he'd loved.
Remus stood up smiling sadly at her as he began to walk away. "Zalphin really has rubbed off on you. You know this better be important to you. He better be important to you because you've changed Ri, and pretty soon you're going to have no one left." With that said he walked away, refusing to turn back though he knew she would be crying.
He didn't stop walking until he'd left the library, trying desperately to get away from her before he lost it and cried. He walked away so fast, running from the ringing in his ears that he didn't hear her whisper.
"It is important to me – more than you can imagine. And it's important to you too you just don't know it yet."
part two.
Lost in his own thoughts and pain from the way Adriana had talked to him Remus didn't hear the shouts that would've warned him what he was about to walk into. So upset was he that he didn't notice the brightness that came around the corridor caused by angry spells. All he could notice was that things definitely were over between him and Ri.
It wasn't until he turned the corner, heading towards the Gryffindor common room that he finally noticed something was amiss. It was there he saw something he never would've expected to see in the Halls of Hogwarts in a million years. A full blown attack on four Muggle born students.
Remus paused for a second to wrap his head around what was going on and to get his wand out. They still hadn't noticed him. There were several students wearing black cloaks and hoods masking there faces, wands out and ready. He couldn't tell how many they were as they just kept moving, trying and succeeding in creating a wall around the four terrified students. Three of them, two of which he recognized as Ravenclaw students from the fourth year were huddled on the floor, crying as the spells whipped them around, slashing their faces and making their limbs jerk in pain. The fourth was lying unconscious on the floor blood pooling around his side. Remus was taken aback when he recognized him – Jeremy Bright, a prefect from Hufflepuff.
If he'd been a different man he would've run for help. If he'd been a different man he would've known he couldn't take on that many students all by himself. It he'd been a different man he wouldn't have been sorted into Gryffindor.
Remus whipped up his wand and cast two spells before they'd even noticed him standing there – his adeptness in Dark Arts finally paying off. Both attackers hit the ground, paralyzed from his hits. Three more turned on him, their laughter hesitating for just a moment until they noticed Remus was alone.
One stepped forward. "Get lost Lupin before we kill you too." Kill him too? Was Jeremy Bright dead then? He didn't recognize the voice, whoever said it must have cast a spell to disguise their voice before the attack. In response Remus cast another spell, this one hitting the speaker square in the chest, knocking him to the ground, stunned.
A spell hit him back, slicing open his cheek but it didn't affect Remus. He'd been through far too much pain in his life from his lycanthropy to let a little scratch stop him. He charged forward, taking another attacker down with a physical attack, his senses heightened and his blood lust awakened in anger. He was out to hurt.
Another spell lifted him in the air and threw him against a nearby wall. He noticed now there were five of them staring at him, seven hooded demons in total (one of the first ones he had hit had gotten up). Remus stood his ground, ignoring the pain in his head as he tried to cast a spell, getting his wand knocked out of his hand by magic from one of the attackers. With all their attention on him the three students on the ground had gotten up, one ran for help but was knocked angrily to the ground while the other two tried to cast spells, spells that hit the black figures pitifully, earning their wrath once more. Remus was left alone with three guards.
"You should've walked away," a different voice this time. "But I suppose you Gryffindor's are far too stupid to know what's good for you."
Remus made not attempt to speak back, only glared. His brain was working overtime trying to figure out how to get himself out of this mess.
One of the cloaked figures stepped forward, wand held steady and dripping with malice. "I'm going to hurt you Lupin, just as I've wanted to for months." Remus jerked his head back, recognition dawning on him. He knew that voice. It was one he heard far more often then he liked a voice that caused his gut to twist in pain. Marcus Zalphin.
Before he could shout back he was hit again with two spells, each one coming from a different source, and neither one from Zalphin. His head hit the wall behind him and he spat blood. The next spell jerked him sideways as he heard one of the Ravenclaw boys scream, restrained and made to watch the torture. Blood poured from his nose as his face hit the wall, he grunted in pain.
Just as Remus slumped down, the pain becoming too much for him to stand up to he heard five more shouts. He saw three of the attackers get hit with spells and he opened up his eyes to see who'd come to his rescue. Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail, Circe and Lily.
His eyes were clouding over with pain and he squeezed them shut as the fight got fought without him. He knew without watching that Prongs and Padfoot were malicious in their revenge, striking out hard and fast at those who'd hurt their friend. He knew that Circe and Lily, sensible but talented, were standing a bit back, dealing justice to their hooded foes with glares like ice. He also knew where Wormtail would be, dear Peter who should've been sorted into a different house, one not known for the brave. Wormtail was standing back, his wand out but no spells flying forth, too frightened to try, and satisfied in knowing that his friends would take care of everything for him. Peter always liked having powerful friends.
The fight was over almost immediately after their arrival. He wasn't watching when it happened, but he felt the cloud of smoke covering his face and was told later by James that one of the Slytherins – and they were convinced that's who they were – had gotten away from them and cast a smoke bomb so that his friends could escape too. He did, however, hear the angry shout coming from the attacker who had been smart enough to disguise his voice.
"Just you wait! Lord Voldemort is coming! He is coming and the blood will spill! Not even Dumbledore will be able to stop us then!"
James rushed to Remus' side while the other four looked after the original victims.
"What happened Mooney? Are you ok?" James asked after conjuring up some bandages and water for Remus.
"I'm not sure. I was just coming around the corner, leaving the library, when I came across this. They had them in – wait! Jeremy Bright! Bright was badly hurt, what happened to him? Is he ok? Did they kill him?"
James looked over his shoulder and both boys saw Lily as she helped Jeremy up from the ground, his arm around her shoulder for support. "He looks ok. Hurt, but ok." James answered. "What else happened? Do you know how this got started?"
Remus just shook his head. "I don't know. I jumped in as soon as I saw, foolish of me, I know." Sirius, who'd come to stand by his two best friends, laughed.
"It wasn't foolish. If you hadn't come in who knows what might have happened." Sirius said, patting Remus on the shoulder and causing him to wince in pain.
"Yeah, it must be that animal instinct in you." Remus smiled at James' attempt at humor. "I'm serious Mooney; three of those guys were seriously hurting when we got here. You must've been quite the vigilante."
Circe headed towards them. "Everyone seems to be ok, but we're going to take these guys to the Hospital Wing," Circe spoke, her eyes on Sirius. "Lupin? Are you coming?"
James answered for him. "Yup, we'll be behind you guys in one minute." Circe nodded and left to help Lily carry Jeremy to the Hospital Wing with Peter and the other three injured students.
"Mooney, did you recognize any of them?" James asked, quietly.
Remus began to shake his head in a negative when he remembered what he'd heard. His eyes lit up in anger and both Sirius and James could feel the raw fury that radiated from him. "I recognized the only one not smart enough to disguise his voice. Marcus Zalphin was there."
Sirius' eyebrows shot up. "Zalphin? Finn's Zalphin? Are you sure?"
Remus nodded. "I know it was him."
Everyone was silent while James and Sirius helped their wounded friend from the ground. He may be a werewolf with increased strength, but taking a beating like the one he'd just had was enough to render anyone incapable of walking on their own.
It wasn't until they were halfway down the hall that Sirius finally spoke. "Well, as long as you know it was him all that means is we have to prove it."
And even after the words were said all three boys knew that was going to be their biggest challenge.
part three.
"Jealousy is not a becoming trait Remus Lupin!" Adriana spat darkly, bristling with anger and surrounded by Remus, James, Sirius, Circe, and Lily. She chose to ignore the others around her and saved her death glare for Remus.
"I know what I heard Ri," Remus didn't yell back, just leaned back calmly in his chair and looked her in the eyes. If she knew him at all she would know he was telling the truth.
After their meeting with Dumbledore (whom they'd informed of the mysterious mention of Voldemort, a name he'd been shocked to hear) and after being assured that everything was ok with the injured students the five friends had ambushed Adriana in the library – still sitting in the exact spot he had left her in earlier. Remus had already convinced his friends that he had indeed heard Zalphin's voice and they had all agreed to tell Adriana together lest she ignore Remus. It hadn't taken them long to prove this theory, in there minds if not in fact. After all, Marcus Zalphin had supposedly been practicing Quidditch with six other Slytherin students – all of which had miraculously disappeared from the Quidditch pitch around the time of the attack.
There had been seven attackers in the hall that day, and seven Quidditch players who were all MIA. It didn't take a huge leap of faith to determine what had happened. Dumbledore was already informed and had begun questioning the students.
"Finn, I know you're not stupid. Listen to the logic here! Zalphin has never been a nice guy! Why are you finding it so hard to believe that he would be apart of this attack? Especially when Lupin, who has never lied to you a day in his life, tells you he heard him!" Circe asked the question, trying hard to disguise the edge of annoyance in her voice.
Remus stiffened a bit when he heard Circe speak. Adriana knew that he had lied to her and to all of them, legitimately of course and only to protect his secret, but Remus knew Adriana would remember that well. Adriana remembered everything.
"At least consider the possibility Adriana," it was Lily's turn to try reasoning with their stubborn friend. "Seven Slytherin Quidditch players, all pure blood fanatics, all missing from the Quidditch pitch as this attack happened? It's much too much to be a coincidence."
Remus watched Adriana's eyes narrow and grew apprehensive. He knew that look all to well. Adriana was up to something, her thoughts racing faster than a Golden Snitch. He noticed the twitch of her left eye, a sign he'd learned to see as a warning. Adriana was about to lie.
"It's not possible. Marcus was here with me."
Remus cast a quick glance around at his friends and was happy to note that not one of them showed any sign that they believed her.
"I guess I must've missed him when I sat down?" Remus quipped.
"He came in right after you left. You must've just passed him." Adriana glared at him, challenging him to call her a liar.
He didn't get the chance.
"Bullocks!" James exploded, throwing his hands up in the air. "You're lying Finn, and you're doing it to protect someone cruel enough to inflict that much pain? Maybe we should take you down to the medical wing so you can see what your boyfriend is capable of?"
"Don't you dare talk to me about pain Potter! I know what certain people are capable of," Adriana cast a quick glance at Remus before continuing. "I've seen you and Black having your 'fun' with Snape."
Sirius interjected. "That's different-"
"Different how? I don't see how it's any different."
"They were defenseless! Finn, those boys had no hope in hell of defending themselves and they're lucky Mooney showed up when he did or they might have died! Don't you understand what's happening?" James' impatience was boiling beneath the surface.
"Right. And of course Lupin was the only one there who heard Zalphin's voice. Or are any of you willing to back him up?
Not a soul spoke. Nobody else had heard Marcus Zalphin speak and Remus knew how it looked. His friends believed him. Dumbledore was looking into it. But of course Adriana would try and turn this on Remus, implying that he would make it up.
"I may not have heard Zalphin speak but I back Lupin up whole heartedly." Lily crossed her arms and leaned against James.
"You'd take his word against mine?" Adriana was pushing it, eyeing both Circe and Lily for help. Circe and Lily, two girls who had been with her since day one of Hogwarts. Her best friends in the whole world, people who should always take her side no matter what.
"With the way you've been acting lately I would take his word against yours any day. You've changed Adriana and it has not been for the better." Lily cast her eyes down as she spoke, not wanting to see the look of hurt that stained Adriana's face but saying something that needed to be said.
Adriana turned to look at Circe wanting someone to believe in her though they all knew she was lying.
Circe spoke, looking Adriana in the eye with cold eyes. "Would you still be lying to protect him if I'd been attacked? After all, I'm just another mudblood like those poor kids. Or is it only ok when your boyfriend attacks those to weak to defend themselves?"
"Stop it!" Adriana shouted shutting her eyes tight as a few errant tears fell down her cheek.
"You need to rethink your priorities Ri before you lose everything that used to matter to you. We'll be in the common room if you change your mind." Circe didn't wait to see if anyone followed her as she turned around and walked away. Lily followed almost immediately.
Sirius and James began to walk away with Sirius speaking over his shoulder. "Someday you'll remember who your real friends are Finn."
Adriana still had her eyes shut as the tears began to fall freely now. Only Remus was left and he made no move to get up until she finally looked at him, the violet washed from her eyes by the salty tears.
"Haven't you said everything you came here to say? Or are you going to tell me what an awful person I am too?" Adriana didn't look at him while she spoke.
Remus didn't answer right away. He loved her so much and it hurt, watching her lose her friends, watching her switch her loyalties. She had changed so much in the last few months that she was becoming unrecognizable and it broke his heart.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then what do you want? I have work to do," she sniffed and wiped her eyes, trying to regain her composure.
"You know I'm telling the truth Ri and we both know you're lying. Why Ri? Why lie to protect someone we all know is guilty?"
She hesitated so long he was sure she wouldn't answer and when she did her words shook him to the core. "If I told you the truth you'd never understand Remus. Just know that I need him."
"Need him for what?" Remus leaned forward on the table and lowered his voice, trying to encourage her to confide in him again.
"Isn't it enough to know that I need him?" When Remus shook his head she continued. "He knows things I need, he's helping me Remus! I can't tell you how, but I also can't let him be expelled! This is too important to me to be ripped away!" She started to cry again and her cryptic words frightened him. "I've lost too much already," she whispered.
"Is this more important to you than justice for those who were hurt? Is it more important than protecting those who could be attacked in the future?" He saw her tiny nod and dread filled his stomach.
Adriana had her mind set and Remus knew instantly that Marcus Zalphin was not going to be expelled.
He was, for the first time, disgusted at his dear Adriana Finn. Remus got up to leave but stopped when he got to the shelves of books. Marcus Zalphin must have something to do with this project of hers, this obsession. He ran his hand along some dusty tomes and couldn't look at her when he spoke.
"I hope it really is as important as you say it is Ri. You're hurting people that I never thought you capable of hurting, and all for a silly project. All for Marcus Zalphin."
He heard her stand, imploring and begging him to understand. "This isn't about him Remus! This is about you and I need his help!"
Remus spun around just in time to see her slap her hand over her mouth.
About him? That was impossible.
"What do you mean Adriana?" it took him a few long strides to get to her and to grab her shoulders with his hands, forcing her to look at him. "What is all this about?" He was angry at her and all her secrets.
She shook her head, her eyes wide.
Remus opened his mouth to ask her again when another voice stopped him cold and dead in his tracks.
"Get your hands off my girlfriend before I remove them myself." Marcus Zalphin walked over towards the table death in his eyes.
Remus let go of Adriana and turned to look at Marcus. There were bruises on his face and a long gash on his wand hand. Remus' eyes narrowed in disgust.
"I hope I don't have to tell you again to stay away from her," Marcus slid his arm around Adriana and Remus saw her cringe a bit. There was something going on here, something that neither him or his friends had noticed before. Hers was not the face of someone so in love they were willing to lie. Hers was not the face of happiness.
Remus chose to ignore Marcus; something he knew would grate on the boy's nerves.
"Remember what Circe said. We'll be there for you if you need us." Remus began to walk away, stiffening at the Slytherin's taunts but not rising to the bait.
"Need you for what? Didn't Adriana dump you Lupin? Are you so desperate that you need to crawl back to her and make up lies about me?"
Remus was gone before he could hear Adriana ask Marcus to stop, something that earned her a rough shake and a hard stare.
"Adriana, don't you ever let me catch you talking to him again or you'll be sorry." She nodded her head, eyes narrowing so slightly in anger that he didn't notice. "I told old Dumbledore that I was with you this afternoon. I'm sure you heard what happened and I need your help with this one."
"Were you involved?" Adriana asked with a frown.
Marcus smiled eerily, his dark eyes telling her the opposite of what his mouth said. "Of course not. You know me Adriana. Now, can you please tell Dumbledore I was with you?"
Adriana nodded, hating herself for it but knowing she would never be able to help Remus without him. She just hoped that one day he would understand what she was putting herself through for him. All of this was for him.
Adriana Finn would never stop loving Remus Lupin.
A/N Have you ever written a story and gotten scared near the end? Dreading what will happen if your beloved readers aren't satisfied with how you've decided to end it all? I think that is what has happened to me. I have been dreaming up these two stories for so long, worked so hard on them, that I have just become afraid of the end. I think that is what has kept me away from FanFiction for so long. That is what has kept me from my pen. Well, that, a blooming social life and immersion into the real world of adult hood.
But now I am here, after becoming one of those Author's I loathe so much. One of those Author's who starts a story and just walks away, leaving everyone who reads it to wonder where the story goes from there. I am back to finish what I started, following the map I laid out so long ago. There are only a few chapters left, most of them already finished and I will do my best to get them up here before the New Year (I say before the New Year because I am moving to another province in 3 weeks and make no guarantees.
Just know I have good intentions and I will see this story through to the end, even if it has been a long wait. I hope you haven't lost interest.
Please, read and review.
Let me know that I haven't driven you away with my long leave of absence.
Sincerely, Professor-Fidget