Chapter Forty-Six: Sneaky Sassy Slytherins

They continued talking, homework forgotten until it was time for lunch. After lunch, Remus convinced them he had to focus on his homework, a tense silence for a moment as his three friends thought they realized what a significance this held. They let him, with much complaining, go to the library to study with Lily. Only Remus didn't really want to see anyone so he went to the owlery, an almost guaranteed place to be alone at this time and day, to think and respond to his uncle.

But once he got up there he realized with a pang that the owlry wasn't empty, Lucius Malfoy was just finishing tying a letter to an owl's leg. He whipped around sharply as if expecting to get in trouble for what he was doing then narrowed his cold grey eyes at Remus.

"Well well well if it isn't a filthy little half breed, come to jump out of another window." Lucius drawled in an almost bored tone. Remus took a step back feeling very uneasy with the older Slytherin and bumped into Severus who looked worried for a second then his eyes hardened.

"There you are, Severus," Lucius responded with more warmth than Remus had ever heard in his voice.

"Should I escort Mr. Lupin back downstairs sir?" Severus asked with an almost reverence to his voice.

"Yes I believe that would be best, wouldn't want him sticking his large nose where it doesn't belong." Lucius sneered then Severus was dragging him back down the steps before Remus could, perhaps unwisely, point out anyone could use the owlery. He was quite done dealing with Slytherins today and frustrated by the turn of events. Events that didn't at all make sense to him because it had looked like Lucius was done sending his letter. How many letters could he possibly have to send?

"What are you thinking?" Severus hissed angrily nearly throwing Remus down the last step. "Stay away from Lucius or you'll wind up hurt." Remus was surprised to hear a hint of worry and perhaps guilt in Severus' voice besides annoyance.

"Severus, why do you hang out with him? Lily would be really worried about you if she knew." Remus dared to respond in a quiet whisper. He felt the need to point this out as everyone knew Lucius' views on blood status, especially on muggle borns like Lily. The sixth-year certainly made it very well known his views on any sort of "blood impurities" in the magic community.

It didn't make sense the friendship he had heard between the two, or perhaps a better word for it would be more like an apprentice and a master. But what on earth did Lucius have to teach Snape? Nothing good he was sure.

The older boys' expression grew very dark, all concern gone from his eyes now. He sneered at Remus in a Lucius like fashion that he felt very hurt by. He thought he had patched things up with Severus.

"You don't know anything Lupin if you knew what was to come….." Severus looked him up and down looking disgusted, "not that you'd be allowed to take part in the greatness, but you'd be wise to keep your head down. You're smart ...for a muggle-born." Remus almost pointed out he was half-blood but Severus' comment made him feel sick for another reason altogether.

"What about Lily?" He asked and felt relieved when Severus' eyes softened, looking gentle and even regretful at once.

"She's ...different. Look ...don't tell her about this. It's not…..you don't understand." He hurriedly explained true worry in his voice. For a second Remus wondered if he really should tell Lily but Severus looked so nervous that he knew couldn't bring himself too, not after causing the last fight between the two of them.

"I won't I just ...I'm worried about you Severus." For a second it looked like Severus was going to say something, he had a peculiar look in his eyes of surprise and sadness, but then Lucius shouted down to him and his eyes hardened once more.

"I'll talk to you later." Remus nodded stunned by the two sides of Severus he was beginning to understand existed. There was the side with Lily, the almost vulnerable boy who would do anything for her friendship, and then there was the side he seemed to have more often, the side that lied to impress his fellow Slytherins. At least Remus hoped it was lies. He didn't want to think about what it would mean if Severus was actually lying to Lily if his views on blood status truly began to turn into the same as his fellow Slytherins. No Remus didn't want to think about that at all.

…..

Sirius watched Remus closely throughout the day when he wasn't with Lily that was. But as far as he could tell the boy seemed to be telling the truth. There were occasional awkward moments now when grades or Sirius' family was brought up, but for the most part, it was ok. Things went back to normal, sort of. They tried to convince Remus to let them throw a party for him but he declined the offer. They basically had to shove the presents they got him down his throat and there was a hesitance about him, not quite as bad as him denying their friendship, but just a slight...off-ness about him that stressed Sirius out.

But they still went to their secret passages, or the kitchens, though they were all starting to itch to find another one. Sirius was delighted when he realized Remus was keeping a slight sketch of where the passages were, trying to determine if getting a whole layout of the school would somehow help them find others.

James and Peter both seemed interested in the idea and they were all given a part of the school to map before they realized that only Peter was actually good enough at drawing to really make it worth their while. This led to a bit of an argument as James wasn't used to being bad at things he tried to be good at, especially not to be beaten by Peter out of everyone. So they all dropped the matter, though it lingered in their minds.

They had James' party to plan anyways which Peter was very excited about. Sirius could sometimes force Remus to partake in preparing for the party, though he seemed to become more and more withdrawn as the month went on. It was like his friend was preparing himself for something bad and Sirius didn't like it one bit. He tried to corner Remus alone a few times to figure out if the boy had been lying about the whole grade thing. But Remus kept evading him, leaving Sirius to ponder on his friend's words that one night when he let slip "he thinks I'm someone else."

That didn't sound like it had anything to do with grades and when Sirius brought it up to James since there didn't seem to be any need to keep what he discovered about Remus secret anymore, he pointed out it probably did have to do with grades. That "someone else" referred to someone who didn't try at school, and while this seemed plausible it didn't seem right to Sirius.

"Come on Sirius now you're just torturing yourself over nothing." James pointed out causing Sirius to crumble up the piece of paper he'd been scrawling "someone else" over and over like it would make sense.

"Oi piss off Potter!" He grumbled feeling even more stressed as spring break loomed ever closer.

"You know Remus isn't the only one acting a little off Sirius." James pointed out, a slight edge to his voice. They hadn't talked about the night both Sirius and Remus confessed to their families being shit, but he knew that James was hurt Remus found out before him. He could glimpse the jealousy in James' eyes every time it was Sirius' turn to help Remus with potions. As if James thought the two of them were whispering more secrets to each other.

"I'm just stressed…"

"Because of Remus, we know we know you've mentioned it a hundred times." Grumbled James whacking Sirius gently on the back of the head.

"You've got to let it go, mate. Remus explained his situation and it makes sense, so there's no need to rack your brain for information we've already been given." Sirius huffed in defeat knowing James was right.

"Yeah I guess ...it just doesn't feel right. I mean...if he comes back after the break all banged up I'm gonna be pissed."

"If you come back banged up I'm also going to be bloody cross as hell." James pointed out with a look Sirius didn't like at all. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"I already told you we don't have to worry about me until summer. It's Remus that's the bloody problem. Do you really think he's telling the truth?" Sirius demanded not wanting to talk about himself, no matter how many times James tried to subtly bring it up.

"I already told you it makes sense."

"James that's not what I asked. Do you believe him?" He pleaded and decided if James said he did he really would drop it.

"...no...I guess not really." James admitted looking away from Sirius looking uncomfortable. "But I'm not sure I believe you either. I wrote my parents and…."

"YOU TOLD!" Roared Sirius nearly leaping at James who knew him well enough to retreat back to his bed quickly, plenty of space between them now.

"Calm down will you! Not names! But my mum and dad want me to tell someone." James was looking at him now pleadingly. "They say the adults can do something about it Sirius, that they can help you and Remus!" Sirius was torn between screaming and crying, then saw the tears in James' eyes and started doing the later.

"I told you that it won't do any good. Just drop it."

"Then promise me you'll come over to my place for the summer. My parents already said any of my friends can stay as long as they want." James gave Sirius a sheepish grin wiping his eyes.
"We certainly have a lot of money to go around."

"...I'll ask over break...I'll be really good and maybe they'll let me." He promised though he didn't leave out much hope for this. Going to the Potter's sounded like a dream come true but he couldn't in a million years imagine his mother letting him even visit the house of a "blood-traitor" let alone stay the whole summer there.

"Can I stay?" Peter chimed in having been watching the whole thing nervously from his bed. Peter seemed unsure how to talk to Sirius and Remus anymore and it really pissed him off.

"Maybe Peter but won't you miss your family." James pointed out with a grin. "Besides I want to come to visit your house."

"But if Remus and Sirius are both there then I'll be all left out," Peter whined looking at James imploringly with his little beady eyes.

"Well, Remus might not even be there so shut your twitchy little mouth!" Sirius snapped regretting his outburst immediately, he knew it wasn't Peter's fault. He wouldn't want to be left out either if Remus and Peter were at James' place all summer, but it annoyed him to no end that he was missing the point about all of this.

"I was just saying…" Peter mumbled looking sullen.

"Sirius didn't mean it Peter he's just stressed about the spring break," James assured the sniveling boy kindly, giving Sirius an exasperated look.

"Why do you have to take it out on your mates though? You know we're all trying to help you." Sirius nodded still feeling particularly moody, considering Remus still hadn't returned to the dorm and it was almost curfew.

"But why is he so stressed if he said his family is going to ok during it?" Peter asked awkwardly, once more demonstrating his notion at not getting it at all! Sirius wanted to scream at Peter again but then the door opened and all his attention went to the ill-looking boy who walked into the dorm. He looked up at them as if he wasn't really seeing them, his amber eyes dull, but he gave them a weak smile that hurt Sirius' heart.

"Am I interrupting something important?"

"No mate we were just complaining about Professor Binns' essay on the oppression witches faced in medieval times." James covered easily and Remus must really not of been feeling good because that essay wasn't due for another week and he should know how little his friends cared about it.

"You look dreadful Remus you should get some sleep," Peter added glancing from Remus to Sirius and James looking at them questioningly.

"Yeah we've got a full day of classes tomorrow and astronomy class which will probably just be us staring at the stars or the moon or something." Sirius noticed Remus flinched but he chalked it up to the fact that the news about his coma was delivered while they were on the astronomy tower.

"It's the planets. Year two is the moon and year three is the stars." He explained quietly already shuffling along to his bed, looking like he might fall asleep where he stood. Sirius forced himself to scoff despite wondering why Remus sounded so upset about this, did he have something against astronomy?

"Of course you know what our syllabus will be for the next two years you swat."

"Course I do... it changes everything." He mumbled collapsing onto his bed. But before Sirius could ask what the bloody hell that meant he had already curled up, sounding like he was fast asleep.

"He didn't even take his trainers off," Peter whispered and Sirius got off his bed and tugged them off Remus' feet who really was already fast asleep. He chucked them over Remus' bedpost tying them up there because he knew it would annoy the boy in the morning. He stepped away from Remus' bed after drawing the curtains around them and looked at James and Peter, gesturing to their sleeping friend.

"As I said, the immediate issue right now is Remus. Can we at least agree on that?" Peter nodded and James sighed then nodded as well.

"You think we ought to consult Lily?" He asked and if Sirius didn't see his mouth move he wouldn't have believed the words actually came from him.

"What?"

"Bloody hell he's lost his bloody mind he has."

"Shut up you tossers. I just...well she spends a lot of time with Remus...perhaps she'd have an idea is all." Sirius rolled his eyes to show James what he thought of his "brilliant" idea and James shrugged letting it go.

They all sat on their respective beds in silence for a while longer before deciding to go to bed. But Sirius laid in the dark on his bed for a long while just listening to the soft breathing of Remus Lupin, reassuring himself over and over again that his friend would be ok.