Lionhearted: The Moon Ascendant
Chapter 18
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The title comes from the fact that I was listening to Family Man by Fleetwood Mac when I wrote this scene with Orion. I think that's how this chapter came with such 'Family' theme.
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"Mummy, I'm heading out," Lily called from the front door as she wound her scarf tightly around her neck and put on her mittens.
On the couch in the living room, sitting in the warmth of the wood stove and opposite their small neatly decorated tree, Petunia who had been reading and resolutely ignoring her all day glared up at her before going back to her magazine. She was cross because mum and dad had given Lily a brand new winter coat for Christmas, and now she wanted one too.
Lily had outgrown her old one and couldn't wear her cloak around town because they thought it stood out too much with the Statue of Secrecy McGonagall had warned them about, and her parents thought she would like it because it was red, 'to match her hair'. Petunia meanwhile had been given a new school satchel which was yellow with a little white bow that Lily thought was also very nice, but Petunia seemed to think that if she wasn't being given exactly the same thing as her sister, it was an injustice.
Lily stuck her tongue out at her. Petunia didn't even like red!
Mrs Evans looked up from washing potatoes in the sink on the other side of the pony wall that separated the lounge from the kitchen, smiling, and Lily fixed her face while she wiped her hands on the apron on her waist. She was a thin woman with a similar horse-shaped face and blonde hair as Petunia, but the same green eyes as Lily.
"Don't stay out too long. Dinner will be ready in a few hours. And we don't want you sick when it's time to go back to that school of yours," she said, teasing. She and her father were still so excited over Lily being a witch that they brought it up almost every chance they got. Lily suspected that they were mostly just relieved that all the strange things Lily could do as a child weren't as strange as they'd thought and that there was a whole population of people who could do the same thing.
Petunia on the other hand fumed as she always did whenever their parents talked about her school or magic, rolling her magazine so tight it might tear, and flouncing to go stomp up the stairs to her room where Lily heard the door slam. Her mother called up for Petunia to stop slamming doors, and Lily took the chance to duck outside. Sometimes Lily truly regretted not dousing her with that Yuletide potion when she had the opportunity.
Shaking her head she set off past the little garden patch out front where the flower bush had turned brown for winter, and onto their street, Primrose Hill. There was a chilly mist in the air as she passed through the rows of identical brick terrace houses, and in the distance, the immense chimney of the old mill in the centre of the town jutted up to pierce through the slightly cloudy sky.
The snow had stopped the day after Christmas and now lay in dirty piles and icy puddles along the rows of cobbled streets and under her gumboots. She passed by the embankment that went down to the little playground where she, Petunia, and Severus used to play, the swingset and turnabout abandoned in the cold. Further ahead she could see the old river that cut past their town of Cokeworth further away from her destination; the lower row of houses, called Spinner's End. The Snapes were the very last of the street, and she looked determined as she approached and came to the peeling black-painted door.
Its bricked walls were stained with smog, the old tiled roof showing signs of wear, and the windows dull and blind in darkness. The lack of light however was a good sign that Severus' parents weren't home, but she still drew herself up bravely as she knocked on the front door. She was here to check in on Severus and was not to be deterred even if his folks were home.
She waited a moment, listening out for some sign of life, when there was a thump and click of the lock, and with a creak, the door opened. A black eye shadowed by a curtain of hair peered out the crack in the door as to her relief Severus peeked out at her cautiously before realizing it was Lily and his alert expression lifted into a small smile.
"Lily? What are you doing here?" he asked, looking surprised but delighted.
"Happy Christmas!" she said cheerfully, "I came to check up on you, and see if you enjoyed your present!"
He moved to let Lily through, looking around peevishly behind her.
"Petunia didn't come," Lily said with a roll of her eyes, loosening her scarf and Snape looked once more relieved as he shut the door. She kept her coat on; The room was cold enough that Snape was wearing his school winter cloak even inside.
"You could have just sent a letter," Snape mumbled, but he looked pleased all the same, and Lily smiled before glancing around, noting the lack of decorations or any signs of Christmas sadly.
The door entered directly into a small spartan sitting room. The dark wallpaper was dingy and peeling in the corners, there was a green threadbare carpet under an old fraying sofa, an armchair, a broken table, a dusty, wrought-iron candle lamp hanging overhead, and the small spindly lamp in the corner had cracks in the porcelain stand, as if it'd been smashed and repaired several times. With the bars on the windows, meant to protect from vandals, framed between dark greying curtains, it felt like stepping into an old prison cell.
The wood stove lay in the corner empty of firewood and with none nearby, which explained the cold, and there was a quiet air to the house, which coupled with the fact that Snape had answered the door meant that no one else was home.
"Where're your parents? Did they leave you alone again?" she asked in concern. Severus waved a dismissive hand, a look crossing his face that Lily couldn't decipher.
"They're gone for now. And good riddance," he said. "The Yuletide worked like a charm. They were in such good spirits that they left for a few nights away," he explained, then, "Don't give me that look. I'm glad they're gone," defiantly at the alarmed frown on Lily's face.
Lily bit her lip, "But will you be alright by yourself?"
"Of course! I've got everything I need here. I don't need either of them," he said, crossing his arms stubbornly. But Snape looked very small in the backdrop of his dark solitary home.
She glanced towards the kitchen where Snape had just moved to turn off the kettle, an old beaten K1 model. She wondered if he had enough food to last him until his parents came back, whenever it was that they would fancy returning.
Mr Snape was a scary, irritable man, and Lily was quite glad he wasn't there and that Severus would be shot of him for a while, but his mum being gone was more worrying. Severus' parents had a sort of cycle; they'd get along for a little while and leave Severus to fend for himself, only for something to set Snape's father off and then they'd be fighting again, with Severus caught in the middle. Or sometimes they would be too preoccupied with arguing with each other to care what he was doing, and the neglect would continue. Sometimes Mr Snape would get violent. Sometimes he would leave for a period of time. During times like those Severus and his mum would get along, just the two of them. But then Mr Snape would come back, and the cycle would start again.
"Did you at least take some for yourself?" Lily asked, hoping that he'd had at least some cheer over the holiday. Snape hesitated at the look on her face, then nodded, his expression better.
"Yeah. When I first arrived," he mumbled, rubbing at his arm. Lily followed the movement carefully, her expression dropping, but when Snape noticed her looking his hands spasmed and he moved to shove them in his pockets with an expression of… Lily wasn't sure if it was annoyance or fear, which confused her. What would Severus have to fear from her?
"Well, at least that's something," she said, looking thoughtful before her expression brightened. "Ah, I know! Mum's making dinner. You're welcome to come over!" Her mum clearly pitied Severus, and never minded him joining them.
She saw Snape begin to hesitate as if not sure he was really welcomed before she pressed further; "Please? You'd also be much better company than just Petunia. She's being a right old wretch."
Snape made a face to show just what he thought of Petunia, and although Lily used to spend hours of her time defending her sister, she found that with Petunia being so horrible to her lately, she couldn't even bother to care.
"You mean more than usual?" Snape said before looking around at his cold empty house. His room wasn't so bad; he had blankets and books, and plenty of school work and interesting spells he'd found to entertain him. But the prospect of hot food and the warmth of the Evans household was too tempting to pass up.
"Alright. But only if I don't have to talk to her," Severus grumbled and Lily laughed while Severus grabbed his old tattered scarf from the hook near the door, and followed Lily out to lock it behind him. They walked in companionable silence as they left Spinner's End, Lily throwing a last glance toward Snape's dark and shabby house with a shudder. She was happy to at least be able to get Severus out of there for a while. He stared ahead but Lily suspected it wasn't at the oppressive sight of the many rows of houses and the mill chimney under the grey sky. There was a crease in his face, and his hand was in his pocket where Lily just knew his wand would be. Lily scrambled to think of something to distract him, and as they were passing by the playground pointed it out to him.
"Hey, remember when we used to play there?"
Snape grunted vaguely with a look towards the swings. Lily wouldn't know it; of all the times he used to watch her and her sister playing, after the first time glimpsing her using magic and realizing that she was a witch like his mum. Lily continued.
"And do you remember when we first met here? I thought you were a weird little boy, the way you called me a witch and tried to tell me about magic. I almost didn't believe you."
"Yes, I remember. You hunted me down yourself afterwards then demanded me to prove it by displaying magic myself," Snape said, a grin breaking through his face despite his mood. Lily sniffed.
"I did not hunt you down. It was just that I didn't have a lot of time to lose Petunia, and she would have told if she saw me using magic."
"Right. It took me a while to come up with something. Not everyone has the same amount of control as you," Snape grumbled, looking unhappy at that. Lily smiled proudly, and then her expression turned gentle.
"I'm really glad I wasn't the only one though. Everyone used to think I was strange."
Snape hummed in agreement, and in the following silence, he went back to looking thoughtful again. Lily just knew he was thinking about his parents. She grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze.
"Do you think coming back was a good thing after all?" she asked gently, and Snape shook his head.
"I'm not even sure why I bothered," Snape said glumly.
"How was your mum when you got back?"
Snape's brow twitched in annoyance, and the question seemed to have opened up the well of emotions that Severus had been holding back.
"Whatever happens, on her head be it. Don't know why I even bothered," he muttered, getting louder, "All these years and she's had so many chances to set him straight, and instead she just- She's got magic hasn't she?! Why doesn't she ever just, stun or hex him? She's a witch!"
Snape was ranting to himself now, and Lily's eyebrows rose up her forehead, "All these years and she could have sent him away! He's up and left so many times, and she acts devastated, but then she promises it'll be the last time, only she never keeps that promise, does she? Every time he comes back she just takes him right back again! Why doesn't he just stay gone? We would both be much better off," he squeezed the wand in his pocket, and an angry spark of green came out, and Lily jumped back both warily, watching Snape in concern.
"I thought maybe she just needed a push; something to make her realize we don't need him, but instead she gets a bit of Yuletide and she just forgets all that he's done to us and goes galavanting off somewhere with him! She left me this time, Lily," Snape said, and the shock of it must have hit him because that look he turned to Lily was such a mix of hurt and confusion, "She left me, to go off with that- that-" he swallowed whatever he'd been about to say, and then breathed a very long breath, and Lily approached him again, taking his cold hand as Snape composed himself, running a sleeve along his eyes with a small sniff. "I've decided. I don't care what happens to her anymore. She's chosen her way, and I've chosen mine."
"You don't mean that," Lily said softly, because she knew that he didn't, not really, and she thought that some part of him wanted to hear it since he couldn't admit it to himself. He was hurt and angry at the betrayal, yes. But he still loved his mum. Had always looked up to her for being a witch. And he'd still want to protect her even if she wouldn't or couldn't protect herself.
Snape grimaced, but the fact that he didn't put up an argument was a good sign.
"Well, what else am I supposed to do? Just suck it up and forgive him because she's happy with him now? Well, I won't! I know what will happen the next time. He'll get mad about something else, and turn on her again."
He said this calmly, his hand clutched in Lily's and she gave it a little squeeze.
"I"m sorry," she said, and the feeling of helplessness, of seeing her best friend hurting and having nothing that she could do to fix it brought tears pricking at her eyes.
Snape wiped his face with his sleeve again, and the two stood on the road of the playground, looking hand in hand towards the grey sky sadly. It was sad really; all that magic at their disposal, and there was nothing either of them could do. Lily shook her head, and then with a determined look, she started walking forward before breaking into a run, dragging Snape along with her, his hand still squeezed in hers. There was none of their type of magic that could help with the situation, but she did know of a magic that could at least temporarily make him feel better: the magic of a mum's freshly cooked meal. Maybe Severus couldn't get that from his own mum right now, but her own mum should work just fine.
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"Master Regulus!"
Regulus looked up as with a crack Kreacher appeared in his bedroom, wringing his hands and darting his eyes around nervously. Immediately the boy closed the book he was reading at the foot of his bed, a detailed history of the Pureblood families he was borrowing from his mother, rolling off to scramble to his feet.
"What is it Kreacher?"
"Master Black is summoning you young Master, oh yes," Kreacher said in his low bullfrog voice, looking worried, "Kreacher is hoping you aren't in trouble; he's in the library, but he isn't alone, oh no, Masters Arcturus and Pollux are with him! Oh, what could they want with Kreacher's poor little Master? You haven't been up to anything, not like bad old Master Sirius!"
Regulus gulped and gripped at the folds of his robe while Kreacher whimpered about not knowing what he could have possibly done, before popping away with his message delivered, and shakily Regulus crossed over to his bedroom door and went towards the stairs.
It was nighttime, and the pale waxing moon was sending cascades of light into the halls as he climbed down, giving shadows to the centuries-old vases and busts, and illuminating the paintings of old family members whose eyes followed him as he went.
The drawing room door was opened, the light of the fireplace casting vignettes over the walls. The house was awfully quiet with his mum not around, and Regulus wished he could have gone with her on her visit to his aunt and uncle's to see Narcissa since in only a few more days she would be going back to school for the new term.
Since coming back for the break, Narcissa had taken an increased interest in Regulus, and it was nice having one of his cousins focusing their attention on him for once. He loved Andy and Bella, but Andy was always more concerned about Sirius since he was often the one in trouble, and Bella had always been so preoccupied with playing with the other children her age or fighting with Sirius that she didn't really think about him too much.
But Narcissa was always nicer and more willing to entertain him than to Sirius, and she seemed genuinely interested, not the way his other relatives were. She didn't bring up his brother; instead, she asked about the things he liked to do, or what he was looking forward to at school.
Other family members just seemed interested in how he felt about Sirius being gone. He wasn't used to so much attention, but he also thought it was nice, to be recognized for himself. He tiptoed down to the last step of the second floor landing down the hall from the library, and sat nervously on the carpeted wood, his knees curling to his chest as he leaned forward to peer around the bannister at the library door.
There was light glowing in the undercut, presumably from the fireplace, and the sound of low, deep voices, which Regulus recognized to be from his grandfathers Arcturus and Pollux. A shadow was passing back and forth, the evidence of someone pacing.
His father had also started meeting with them more often, just as his mother was meeting with his aunt more often. He wondered what they were discussing with him not in the room, and ignoring the elf heads mounted above he craned to overhear them but couldn't make out any particulars of their conversation. Instead, he slowly approached the door to press his ear towards the frame.
"-And I am telling you, I know my daughter; she isn't going to like being undermined when she has her own ideas on how to raise them-," Pollux exclaimed.
Grandfather Artucrus cut him off, "And yet we can't go on the way we've been now. We've already lost Sirius to Gryffindor! We cannot risk losing Regulus as well!"
"Who's to say there's a risk at all? Regulus has always been more reasonable than his brother. Surely he won't be as easily swayed as that-"
Regulus' father finally spoke up. "We already had one chance to sit back and watch if the boys would go the way they were supposed to on their own. It is through my negligence, my refusal to see the road where Sirius was heading that caused this. I won't make that mistake once more. Walburga had her chance to influence them the way that she saw fit, and while I do not blame her, Sirius is a child who needs an exceptionally firm hand, I have decided that with Regulus, he will need a more proactive approach."
"Well fine, if that is what you've decided, then you will move as you see fit," Grandfather Pollux said, "But Walburga is not going to be happy. And I don't want her to come crying to me about it either. Her or her nerves," he grumbled.
"Not to worry, I will deal with Walburga when the time comes," Orion said with something of amusement in his voice, "I thank you both for your counsel. It has been a trying last few months." He sighed, "I am just glad that with the engagement of my niece, we were able to avoid prolonging this scandal. Cygnus and Druella did very well for themselves, as willful as Bellatrix is. I wonder how you did it."
"Ha! I'm a Black after all! It's simple really, putting together engagements. Half the time the parties are just leaping for a chance to ally themselves through marriage," Pollux said sounding proud.
"Oh here we go," Artcurus said mockingly, "He'll go on all evening like this."
"Harumph, Not likely! I plan to enjoy my evening in the comfort of my home. Which is why, gentlemen, if we're done here then I think I'll go ahead and take my leave."
Regulus heard the scuffle of a couch moving and his grandfather approaching the fireplace.
"And I'll be right behind. Make sure to greet young Regulus for me. Although I dare say he will probably have heard it all himself," Grandfather said in a raised voice, and Regulus scrambled back, realizing he'd been caught when the door swung open. Grandfather Pollux was before the fire, his hand over the jar of floo powder on the mantle and giving him a peevish look. Grandfather Arcturus was eyeing him with detached amusement, and with a gulp Regulus looked to his father who was sitting on one of the high-backed chairs, leg crossed over the other and leaning on his fist, his expression unreadable. There was a window towards the right with a table of reading instruments, and beside it was a family portrait of his and Sirius' great, great grandfather which was kept behind a pair of short black curtains that were slightly ajar.
"I, um, I was just,-"
Grandfather Artcurus waved him off, "No need for excuses, boy. So you've been caught? A word of advice; you never lose face in front of your opponent. You just might be able to bluff your way out," Arturus advised him before turning to his son. "But he's a real Slytherin alright, already keeping his ear out for information, especially before going into an unknown situation. Very smart lad."
Orion gave a small tilt of his head in thanks, and Regulus' worry of being in trouble faded. He gave his grandfather a grateful smile before remembering what he'd just been told and schooling his expression to look up at him haughtily, and Artcurus laughed.
"And quick learning too. Yes, I think taking him under your wing will do him some good. But first, teach him how to spy correctly. I'm sure you remember how; all the trouble you caused for your sister Lucretia."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Orion replied imperiously, and Artcurus smirked once more before going over to the floo himself. Grandfather Pollux tilted his head in both greeting and goodbye before shouting the address to Black Manor, where he stayed with the rest of the family, and then Arcturus left as well, leaving Regulus and Orion to the silence of the library.
Nervously Regulus glanced at his father, but with a sigh, Orion simply gestured for him to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace where his grandfathers had been; their tea cups were sitting cold on the coffee table in front of him and after a quick summon of Kreacher who gave Regulus a worried look as he worked to clear it away, they were once more left in the silence. Orion regarded his youngest son for a moment before addressing him.
"Well, I hope since you've taken to listening at doors that you were at least able to catch what I summoned you here for," he said, and Regulus squirmed in his seat anxiously.
"I'm sorry," he started to say, but just like his grandfather, he waved it away.
"First lesson; Blacks do not apologize. Apologies are an acknowledgement of failure, and failure is for the weak. Blacks do not fail. We find other avenues to get what we want."
"Yes, Father," Regulus said, looking gloomy at being reprimanded. Orion studied his face before continuing.
"Your grandfather is correct, however. You also never go straight into a situation without any information in hand. For all you know, it can be a trap awaiting you. And it is good to keep your ears open. You never know when something you've overheard can become useful later. We'll certainly need to teach you the art of moving around undetected, but considering you are yet untrained… For that, well done."
Regulus almost broke his blank expression to smile at the praise. Displays of approval were not the custom of his parents, especially not his father. But he forced himself to look haughty instead, before frowning to remember the question. "You said you wanted to take a 'Proactive approach', to something. Grandfather said taking me under your wing. What does it all mean?" he asked looking up.
"It means that from now on I will personally be seeing to your education and development as you get closer to your time to start Hogwarts." Orion stood to begin pacing again, and he talked quietly as Regulus followed his words.
"In just half a year you will be turning eleven," his father said, "This is a very important time for you. More than just preparing you Hogwarts, you need to be prepared for beyond. While in the past your mother and I have done our best to shelter you from knowing the worst of what is going on, we are now moving into more dangerous times," He strode over towards the moonlit window where he stopped to look out over the townhouses. "And I cannot leave your fate up to chance."
"What do you know of the war we are currently facing?" he asked suddenly.
Regulus shook his head, "Not very much. Only that mother says that there is one. But I-I haven't seen any announcements in the Prophet so..."
Orion paused to watch the dark clouds rolling in to block the moon— the beginnings of an upcoming storm— before turning to regard him.
"Yes, it is true that there is no one from the Ministry or the Prophet who would come out to say we're at war. This bloated ministry believes itself powerful enough to quell the fires of revolution. Nonetheless, you will have seen examples of it. There have been talks of uprisings and violence in response to the growing voice of lower creatures and halfbreeds daring to claim that they want to be equal to wizards. Of growing- they will call it 'Dark'- activity. This is the war of which we speak. It has already begun.
And because it has already begun, that makes your impending school career that much more dire. You need to be prepared. To understand the dangers of fraternizing with blood traitors and mudbloods. You will be taught what it means to be a Black, and also what it is we are fighting for. I will teach you how to navigate the tempestuous waters that are finding your place amongst the other purebloods and Slytherins. You are used to being underestimated. Both as the younger son and also as a child. But now is the time to start your journey into adulthood, and it will be your turn to display the power that our name carries." Orion turned his back on the window and the growing darkness, and crossed the room, past his chair and towards the bookshelf.
"The first step will be to teach you why we do it all. It was foolish of me not to make sure that you both had been properly taught the ways of the world, and not to take seriously how easy it was for your brother to be led astray with all his silly ideas about the innocence of muggles, and the harmlessness of mudbloods. You have that journal I've given you, yes?"
Regulus nodded, and his father pulled a large tome off the shelf and brought it back to hand it to him; The Muggle Conspiracy by Sinistra Lowe. Regulus eyed the cover curiously.
"Good. You will first read this book, and bring to me any questions you have-yes, I know," he said to the look of shock Regulus gave him, "Over the years your mother and I tried to discourage you and your brother from asking too much, but clearly that was not the right way to go about it. You two are intelligent boys, as expected of any sons of ours. We should be cultivating that intelligence, it will be your most dangerous weapon."
"When you have finished with that, I will teach you how to be selective about with whom and with what information you should share and not. For example, as you have surely surmised, your mother is not one who will agree with my methods. Therefore it would be… unwise to go to her with every detail of what I say to you. You will have to learn how to respond should she confront you. You already have talent in that area," and at Regulus' confused expression, "The many times I've seen you outwit your brother are proof enough of that. Which also leads me to the next part of what I am expecting of you."
"It is our hope that the damage made to your brother is not irreparable. Your mother and I will do what we can to get him back onto our side, and this summer we will be dedicating considerable time and resources to his rehabilitation," Orion turned an eye to his youngest son,
"And you will have a part to play in this as well. Not just for his sake, but also for yours.
When you go to school, you will be expected to create your own following. You cannot get through this world without considerable clout, and the best way to gain any standing is to make those around you your footstool. We will test your ability to endear others to your cause, by how well you are able to convince your brother to follow you. For all of his many faults, he is loyal and he listens to you. That will be your biggest asset. Make your brother your follower, and you, the younger may just become the superior."
Regulus tightened his grip on the book in his arms in shock. He, Regulus, superior to Sirius? There was a cold feeling in his stomach at the thought, but also pride and excitement. Hadn't he had enough of constantly being in his brother's shadow? Of being the spare son whose only worth was in comparison to Sirius? Yes, he felt guilty for it, for the resentment that he'd been holding and growing for so many years. But now he was being given a chance. A chance to prove himself.
His father would be giving him lessons. After years of being ignored, his father was finally paying attention to him. The glow of happiness won out over his lingering sense of guilt. He told himself that he just wanted to be equal to his brother. But the echo of his father's words was in his head as he nodded, his delight perceptible even behind the calm, proud look he turned to Orion.
"Yes Father, thank you!"
Orion studied his younger son's face before with a smirk he gestured for him to go. He sat back down in his seat as Regulus scrambled away, smiling as he closed the library door, and he only had a few moments to bask in his triumph before there was a snide little cough from behind him.
"Pitting brother against brother. I must say I am very proud," Phineas Nigellus' portrait looked down on his great-grandson shrewdly. The black curtains used to keep the former headmaster from spying had loosened and Orion scowled, drawing the curtains closed with a flick of his wand. Not out of worry of Phineas going to speak of what he overheard, but annoyance.
"Oh, shut up," Orion said before sitting back in his chair, calling Kreacher to bring him a glass of brandy irritably. The house elf complied with a bow, but also a worried look that earned him a glare and left the old elf scrambling back away. He knocked back a gulp. It was a nasty business, having to manipulate his own children. But Orion hadn't gotten as far as he had in life by letting compunction hold him back from what he needed to do.
He held up the glass to regard it against the orange glow of the fire. His own parents had raised him with the constant reminder that it was up to him whether he'd come out on top of his siblings. And sure enough, once he'd taken that to heart he discovered how true it was. After all, who ever thought of his sister when talking about the Blacks? Nobody! He thought with a disdainful snort. This was something he had to do. For all their sakes.
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Remus rolled over his cot to look feverishly up at the stone ceiling of the hospital wing. He was miserable, the usual aching of his bones conjoined with a fever that left him shivering as if he would never get warm again even under the pile of blankets Madam Pomfrey had so kindly heaped over him. She'd given him a potion earlier that morning when he'd been practically dragged to the hospital wing by an incredibly worried Sirius, but supposedly it'd worn off by now. Most potions did within the hours of his transformation, which was part of what made it so hard to treat.
He and Sirius had since Christmas been entertaining themselves with various games in the snow and in the halls, and he blamed himself for not staying warm enough, even though he'd known the full moon was coming. When he was younger he'd been more susceptible to colds and fevers around this time, and his mother used to ponder about the consequences of a magical condition like his on the human immune system.
Now that he was older it was much less frequent however so perhaps he'd been lulled into a false sense of security. That and he hadn't wanted to feel left out. Tonight was New Year's, and it was the last day before everyone else would come back to school from the break. He missed James and Peter and was looking forward to seeing them, but he'd also been enjoying Hogwarts without the usual crowd of students and the feeling of having to watch his back. With just he and Sirius it'd been like their own little world.
But from now on he committed to being better about his health after seeing Sirius so worried. They'd been playing gobstones on the floor of their dorm room when Remus leaned back against his bed with the thought of only shutting his eyes for a minute, but then he immediately fell asleep. At first, Sirius thought it was funny, planning to draw on his face if the brush and ink in his hands were of any indication, before he happened to reach over and realized he was feverish. After that he dragged Remus down early, complaining that his brother often did the same thing, letting themselves go on sick. He felt a spike of guilt at the thought that was only dulled by the swimming feeling in his head.
With a miserable moan that he couldn't hold in, he rolled back over and tried to lift himself up, but his shaking limbs couldn't carry his weight and he fell right back down with a flump, just as Madam Pomfrey came striding down towards him looking stern.
"Good to see you're up Mr. Lupin," she said coming over to help the boy sit up and began bundling him up in his cloak, "Although I have to say I am not impressed with you not coming straight to see me if you had a fever."
Remus mumbled deliriously about not wanting to be a bother, and the matron's face softened, before tutting and bundling him up in a large quilt and supporting him in trying to stand. Remus managed a few feet, feeling foolishly like a baby fawn before Madam Pomfrey frowned and had him sit down a moment while she went to her cupboard and came back with a Strengthening Solution.
"That should at least last you till we get to the Whomping Willow," she told him. After a few minutes of it taking effect, the two started on their way again, heading down the corridors and entrance hall and out onto the grounds. Remus pulled the quilt ever closer while Madam Pomfrey cast a heating spell against the cold. Their footsteps crunched over the icy snow as they approached the tree, and Madam Pomfrey gave him dubious looks once the knot had been prodded and Remus gathered himself up to make the trek through the tunnel.
"Are you absolutely sure you can make it? I need to be sure that you're situated."
" 'S'alright," he mumbled pyretic, "It's getting too close, 'Don't want it to smell other humans nearby," he explained, and tried to ignore the paling of her face as the usually stern matron permitted him to go alone, but still stood by the entrance of the tunnel to watch him as he left.
Using the dirt walls as a crutch he made his way to the shack and after dragging himself up the steps found the nearest undamaged bed he could, where he stripped his clothes and wand, hiding them inside the wardrobe, and then promptly collapsed under the warm quilt. He had just enough time to hope that he didn't damage it too badly, although he thought the kindly nurse had probably given it to him even with his penchant for destruction in mind before he fell back to sleep.
The next morning as light streamed in through the boarded-up windows, Remus was relieved to find himself curled up on top of the quilt and bed with the only remnants of the night before being scratches and bite marks along his arms. The room was still in one piece, and he suspected that his fever, which had broken but left Remus with the sniffles, had tempered the werewolf's mood. With a shiver, he scrambled up from the bed to go throw on his clothes and cloak. He examined the quilt, ignoring the squirm of discomfort at finding wolf fur stuck to the fabric and shook it out before folding it over his arm carefully.
He travelled through the tunnel, prodding the knot as he left the base of the willow, and paused as he stood up to see the castle glistening in the morning sunlight over the hills of frosty snow. It was a beautiful sight, despite the circumstances. He could see the figure of Madam Pomfrey crossing over the crest of the hill and stepping forward to go and meet her when a noise from behind stopped him in his tracks.
He turned quickly to the sound of a branch snapping and leaves rustling. He was close to the Forbidden Forest, close enough that he thought he could see something within the shadows of the trees. He squinted to peer closer at the thing; he could see its outline behind the bush that it was hiding behind. His eyes were still keener than usual from last night, and there was also a strange buzzing in his spine that came whenever he thought something was sneaking up on him, which was fairly often with roommates like his.
Cautiously his hand went to his wand, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He stared towards the mass even as he heard the sounds of Madam Pomfrey's footsteps coming closer.
"Mr Lupin, I must say I'm pleased but surprised to see you already up after last night's— what's wrong?" she asked sharply as the matron got closer and noticed Remus' tense stance and the way he was staring into the forest.
"I think I see something hiding there…" Remus said worriedly, and Madam Pomfrey tried to look at whatever it was he was seeing, but her eyesight wasn't nearly as good. She supposed it could be anything in there, but the most dangerous things in her opinion were the centaurs, and they tended to avoid getting this close to the castle. She looked back towards the castle, conscious of the cold air, and when nothing of danger came forward she decided he might still be suffering from his fever. Gently she placed a hand on his shoulder and began to guide him away.
"I'm sure it's nothing that will pose a threat to you or the other students," she said kindly, "Come, let's get you inside and see if we can't get you a pepper-up potion; you're still looking so pale."
Remus reluctantly let the matron guide him, his wand still in hand, and he threw a glance back towards the forest hoping he'd catch whatever it was off guard, but the area near the bush that he'd been watching was now empty. Frowning he wondered if he really had imagined it, but as he looked down to his shaking hand around his wand, he doubted that this reaction could only be from his imagination. He gave back one final glance as he and Madam Pomfrey arrived at the entrance hall, but by now all he could see was the treetops over the snow-capped hills, and he followed her back into the school.
A pair of large silver eyes followed the young boy-human from a place behind a large bush, freezing in its tracks as the human turned its magical stick and pointed it in its direction. It was wary of humans and their magic; had seen the things they could do with it, and smartly it stayed in place until the small human and the bigger human who'd come to meet him turned to walk back away from its home of the forest, taking the opportunity to back up further into the trees.
It broke into a run, weaving in and out between trunks and shrubs, digging its claws into the dirt and flattening its ears back. It'd been drawn to the edge of the forest by what it'd thought was the scent of another of its kind, but it must have been mistaken. With every cycle of the moon for several cycles now had come the scent of a new wolf nearby, and this had been the most curious it'd gotten, to come so close to the human's domain. Now it was wary; The smell hadn't been coming from one of its kind at all, but from that small human instead.
Perhaps it was a human trick to try and lure it out. It hoped that more of them wouldn't be coming to do the same. Perhaps it would have to start sending scouts to watch the humans more closely and try to determine if they were becoming a threat. With a little whining noise in its throat, it disappeared into another group of bushes with a little white flash of its tufted tail.
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Author's Notes:
Hi all! I hope you are enjoying the fic so far! I've finally gotten a bit to Petunia, Lily and Snape! For those interested, the research for how the town, Cokeworth, looks along with what the houses and streets looked like is based on this amazingly informative article here: ( ~cj_whitehound/Fanfic/Location_Location/Spinners_ )
I based the Evan's house on the sketch of "Typical Belfast 2up2down with "return" at the back".
I used this reference for the interior of this type of house, as well as the name because it's almost perfect for what information we have on the Evanses: Flower naming convention? Sounding more 'upscale'? I think it fits.
( for-sale/details/51436169#bqZUqRVWvkwC6zSc.97 )
Also, fun fact! January used to be called Wolf-Monath (Month). Thought that would be a nice bit of trivia. ;)
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