Title: The Secret's In The Telling
Authoress: Sakuri
Rating: T
Summary: Draco Malfoy, pureblood and Slytherin prince, suffers the unthinkable when he is attacked and bitten by Remus Lupin. How is he supposed to live any kind of life afterwards, especially when Potter continues to stick his unwanted nose into things? DMHP, SSRL
Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one
Chapter 3: Preparations
xxx
At one end of the hospital wing, blocked to most of the students by a gathering of beds that were rarely used, was an entirely inconspicuous blank wall. Minerva approached said wall swiftly, glancing across the ward only once to see the Malfoy boy unconscious again, this time rendered so by Poppy's potions.
The Transfiguration teacher drew her wand and tapped three times on the wall. Within seconds, the solid stone began to ripple, moving fluidly and sliding away from itself until a fully operational door had formed before her. Squaring her shoulders, she twisted the handle and strode through it.
On the other side of the door was a room similar to but smaller than the main ward. And rather than beds, the main features of the room were the two massive cages set at its centre.
Inside one was the huddled form of Professor Remus Lupin.
She sighed at the state of him, her lips thinning with some severe emotion – though whether it was disapproval of his carelessness or pity for the look he currently gave her, even she wasn't sure.
"Minerva," the werewolf greeted her quietly, his voice hoarse and scratchy. "What… what happened? What did I do?"
Ignoring his question for the moment, she flicked her wand in some intricate gesture, muttering beneath her breath. In moments, the iron cage opened slowly, the aged metal shrieking in protest. The man inside moved stiffly, wincing as he stood and stepped out of his confines. He headed for the bed in the corner of the room, lowering himself onto it hesitantly, obviously trying not to aggravate the muscle cramps he'd acquired curled within the cage.
Again, his amber eyes found her and pinned her with a flat look. "Minerva, answer me. What happened last night?"
The Scotswoman only glared back, folding her arms. "That is what I'd like to know, Remus Lupin! What in Merlin's name happened that would cause you not to take the potion?"
He blanched, lowering his gaze. The grey in his hair was suddenly all the more prominent, as were the slight lines at the corners of his eyes. "I have… no excuse. I allowed the wolf to… take advantage of my grief. It overpowered me, Minerva, as it hasn't managed in many long years now. I shouldn't have let my mind wander to Sirius. It was asking for trouble, I see that now. I should have fought harder, I should have…" Trailing off, he shook his head. "Did I hurt anyone?"
She bit her lip. "Oh Remus…!" Her tone was half sad, half angry.
His head shot up then, distress evident on his face. He'd expected her immediate reassurance, that much was clear.
"Oh God, who was it? Please tell me they're not… they're not…"
She closed her eyes against the useless rage that rose up in her. Part of her wanted to yell at him mercilessly, scream that if it hadn't been for Potter a good number of the student population would be gone because of him. How could he have been so careless? Grief was to be understood, but he'd promised Albus that he had healed, that it would be safe for him to come here!
"Draco Malfoy," she answered finally, opening her eyes and staring at him expressionlessly.
What little colour was left in the man's face abruptly drained, leaving him shaking and looking as though he might be ill at any moment. "I – I… Is he…? He's not –?"
She pursed her lips. "He is not dead, no, but only through the intervention of Harry. He… You bit him, Remus."
"No!" The protest was useless, of course, but it escaped the man anyway. He stood, taking frantic steps toward her. "God, no, anything but that! He can't –! He can't be like… like me! Minerva, no…"
She shook her head. "There is nothing to be done. Severus is already working as fast as he can to double the amount of Wolfsbane and Poppy is busy trying to keep him sedated. The curse is settling itself as we speak. Even before his transformation tonight, he'll be vicious and difficult to control. And it's you that's going to start helping us deal with him."
He looked at her wordlessly, unable to form a reaction other than horror at this update.
She continued briskly, valiantly trying to act as if this was just another task. "I recommend you remain here for a while. In a few hours, we're going to move him to this room. You can help us with him up until the moon rises, at which point you are to be… supervised taking the potion."
Nodding once, she turned on her heel and left him, unable to bring herself to be the comforting shoulder. She liked Remus well enough, but she would not coddle him for this mistake, not when it had such consequences.
xxx
It hadn't taken Albus Dumbledore long to realise there was already a flaw in their plan of secrecy. He was perfectly confident that Harry wouldn't utter a word, if only for the benefit of Professor Lupin – but he wasn't so sure about the four other Slytherins who'd accompanied Draco on the disastrous wander through the castle halls.
He knew Severus had ordered them not to say anything, throwing all his weight as their Head of House behind the instruction, but he was also aware that their obedience would last only as long as fear of the Potions Master overrode the urge to gossip.
For two of the group, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, that surely wouldn't be for much longer.
And so, as soon as he found a spare moment in the day, the four were summoned to his office. As he sat behind the desk regarding them solemnly, he reminded himself of his own reasoning. It would most definitely not do for them to broadcast the news and implications of the attack throughout the school. For both Remus and Draco's sake!No, he simply couldn't allow it.
Wordless, he met each questioning gaze briefly, extending just the slightest tendril of Legilimency, just to make sure it wasn't already too late. But no, it was okay; they hadn't yet told.
"Professor Dumbledore? Are we in trouble?" Pansy asked hesitantly, looking guilty. He wondered wryly what she thought he'd discovered.
Sighing, though, he shook his head.
"I am sorry," he began, ignoring their confusion. "But for once, I really am trying to step up and protect one of my darker children, as Severus so eloquently puts it."
The four Slytherins cast unnerved glances at each other. "Uhm, sir…?"
Dumbledore didn't answer, merely raised his wand steadily and murmured, "Obliviate!"
xxx
Harry had already noted Draco Malfoy's absence several times that morning. He hadn't been eating breakfast in the Great Hall, for one. His group of Slytherin bodyguards had been there, though, looking oddly lost without the sneering presence. Ron had already commented twice about how good it was to eat breakfast without certain people being there to ruin it. Harry had stayed silent, feeling a twinge of guilt for agreeing, knowing as he did where Malfoy really was.
He'd also been conspicuously missing from Potions that morning, causing a ripple of whispers to spread across the rest of the class.
"Git's probably busy at some Death Eater meeting," the redhead muttered darkly, glaring into the depths of his cauldron.
Hermione, squinting at Professor Slughorn's instructions written across the board at the front of the room, tutted disapprovingly at that last comment. "Ron, you shouldn't say things like that when there's no proof –"
"Hermione! This is Malfoy. I'd be surprised if he wasn't hosting the bloody things…"
Harry smiled absently at his friend's indignant tone, but refrained from giving his opinion. He'd wanted to tell both his friends exactly what had happened last night, but Dumbledore's words still drifted through his head. The Headmaster was planning to keep what had happened a secret, if he could, which was surely the best thing Harry could hope for. He definitely didn't want to be the one to ruin that plan. Hermione's ethics would only get in the way, and Ron was too tactless to keep this big a secret for very long.
And so, Harry spent the day attempting to change the subject whenever Malfoy's absence became particularly obvious.
It was during fourth lesson, Defence, that his self-appointed mission became impossible. Not only was Malfoy gone, but so was Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. Meanwhile, Snape prowled the classroom in such a foul mood that the Gryffindors held their breath whenever he drew too close. The older man seemed more impatient than ever, constantly casting quiet charms to check the time.
"I knew it!" Ron hissed as loudly as he dared. "See! They're all meeting somewhere! That's why the rest of 'em aren't here! And look at Snape! What's the betting he's just dying to go join them?"
Harry cast a glance at the furious Professor, knowing exactly why he was dying to go meet up with the youngest Malfoy.
xxx
He woke up to the pain, and it was overwhelming. He couldn't breathe through it. Couldn't think! Every bone in his body was being methodically broken and shifted, put back in the wrong places. His blood was burning, choking him.
And then as swiftly as it had started, it stopped, leaving him gasping and coughing and trying desperately not to cry.
Blurrily, he could make out the figures of adults stood around him. Three of them. Severus was there, looking paler than usual, his black eyes wide in his face. Madam Pomfrey crouched nearest him, her hand clutching his. Distantly, he wanted to yank away from her, to snarl that the only person allowed to treat him like that was his mother, thank you very much. But he couldn't summon the energy to move, and could only allow her to go on cooing at him, murmuring useless comforts.
The third person finally moved into his line of sight. Remus Lupin regarded him with dull amber eyes, his shabby figure more hunched than ever, the wish to be anywhere else radiating off him.
Draco's vision abruptly sharpened, focusing solely on the werewolf. Normally, this was the point where sharp comments rose from his mind. It was his specialty; verbally destroying someone. And the guilt-ridden Lupin couldn't have been an easier target.
But this time was different. He didn't want to argue, he wanted to hurt the man. He wanted to bite and tear and rip until the Professor felt the same pain as he did. He wanted vengeance! It was his fault! Why should he be standing there, perfectly unharmed, when Draco was going through this hell?
His exhaustion forgotten, he sprang from his prone position with a snarl, hurling himself at the startled werewolf.
It was Severus who caught him around the waist. The taller man's arms wrapped solidly around him, lifting him off his feet. Furious, he fought against the restraint, kicking and twisting until he felt his godfather's hold beginning to loosen. All the while, his eyes never left Lupin.
The adults were yelling, but he was deaf to them. Pomfrey was screaming and Severus shouting his name over and over again, frantically trying to control him.
Finally, the Potions Master did the only thing he could think of. "LUPIN, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
The werewolf cast him a glance that could only be described as terrified, before turning on his heel and fleeing the miniature ward they were using. The lock clicked behind him.
No sooner had he disappeared, Draco turned on him. He shoved himself away from his godfather, his glare lethal. "No! Bring him back! Bring him BACK!"
Severus looked pointedly at Poppy, nodding once. Behind Draco, out of his sight, she flicked her wand and opened one of the cages. Draco didn't notice.
Calmly, the older man shook his head at his godson. "You will calm down this instant! Drink that potion right now and stop this undignified display."
The Slytherin bared his teeth in anger, and for a split second the features of the wolf were already beginning to show through. Front canines lengthened just slightly, and for a moment, the silvery eyes flashed arctic blue.
Severus forced himself not to give any reaction, despite the abrupt clench in his stomach. He lifted his chin, determined to remain in control of the spiralling situation. "Unless you wish to kill us all, or yourself, you will drink that potion right now!" He snatched up the goblet he'd set out earlier on the bedside table and thrust it at the glaring teenager.
Sullenly, Draco took the cup and sniffed it, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Then, without a word, he downed the contents, grimacing as he did so.
It was then that the pain swept down on him yet again, with the same swiftness as before. He cried out through gritted teeth, dropping the goblet to the stone floor with a noisy clatter, the remnants of the potion splattering his trousers.
Severus surged forward as Draco dropped, screaming, his hands clawing at himself. The Potions Master grabbed his wrists, pinning them together and snapping out a spell which bound them that way.
"Severus!" Poppy protested somewhere behind him. "Is that really –?"
He growled at her and she wisely fell silent. "Would you like to see him scratch gouges in himself as well?"
"What keeps happening?" she asked as she came to join him on the floor, crouching next to Draco as he thrashed. Together they fought to hold him still.
Severus shook his head. "I've only ever read about this. The curse is settling itself, changing his body in preparation for the transformation. That's why a werewolf's first full moon is the hardest."
"Isn't there anything we can do?" she murmured worriedly as the young man on the floor finally subsided, whimpering. Sadly, she touched his hair in a soothing gesture she used with most of her patients.
The Professor cast her a frowning look. "Really, Poppy. You're treating him like a first year Hufflepuff."
She drew back her hand with a tut.
Sighing, he sat back on his heels, regarding the near unconscious boy before them. "I think it's time he was confined. Wolfsbane or not, he's only going to get stronger, angrier and harder to control from now on."
She nodded and stepped back as Severus carefully lifted his godson. She half smiled at the sight, wondering if the snide, acid-tongued man was aware of how much of himself he was revealing in that moment. Severus Snape was not a man renowned for displays of affection, but she saw it in him now as he handled the Slytherin teen.
Shaking herself from such thoughts, she hurried to help with the cage.