Lena's P.O.V
When I'd woken later in the day, I found that Fred, George and Angelina sat beside me, the twins each held one of my hands and Angelina sat beside me on the bed, tears streaking her face. I sat and regretted it immediately, curling in pain, "MADAME POMFREY QUICK!" I shushed Angelina, "I'm fine, just sore." The Matron ignored by efforts and gave me another pain tonic and I felt much better as I rested back against my pillows. "They're taking you home?" I nodded, it had been mentioned briefly last night and I was almost glad I hadn't had to tell Angelina myself, but seeing the pain on her face I continued quickly, "I'll be back though, promise. You don't really think I'd leave you with these two did you." I smiled weakly but no one laughed. "He's evil Lena, we should have killed him when we had the chance." I shook my head squeezing Fred's hand tightly. "They've got him now, that's all that matters."
I looked up, realising Dad was watching us quietly. Angelina didn't looked shocked or the smallest bit surprised and I realised they must have been introduced while I slept. "Are you ready love?" I nodded quietly and Dad came to take my hand. He lifted me gently from the bed and as pain hit me like a fist pummelling my ribs, George came to the rescue, supporting my weight till Dad had me tight. I needed to see Severus, I'd thought of nothing but him since I'd fallen asleep and I needed to divert Dad's attention. As Dad walked me over to Madame Pomfrey's office, I was glad to see Harry's eager little head pop through the door. I pulled him away from Dad a little, "I need to see Severus, can you distract Dad? I heard Pomfrey say he was along at the staff room, it wouldn't take me long." I chose this moment to shake with pain as my stomach clenched nastily, bile rising in my throat. "You can't go alone, hold on,' Harry held my arm tightly and tapped Dad on the shoulder, "Can I take Lena to get some fresh air? We'll stay in this corridor." Dad looked a little surprised and he nodded gently.
Harry pushed the door open and guided me silently along the corridor, towards the staff room. It was still very early and we walked unnoticed, the corridors empty. Harry knocked gently on the staff room door and I stood with my back to the wall beside it. It was so quiet and a cold breeze twisted its way through the open windows. The door clicked open and someone inside grunted unhappily at Harry, "What now Potter? I'm busy." Hearing this, I pushed myself away from the wall and began my way back to the hospital wing, limping painfully as my stomach muscles clenched and convulsed. "No, Lena, Wait," Severus had spotted me and pushed Harry aside hurrying down to take my arm and support me as a twist of pain shook my body and I moaned quietly. "Lena you should be in bed. Come on let's get you back to Poppy." His voice was full of concern and I twisted in his grip, "they're taking me home Sev," He stopped and took both my arms in his hands, his nails biting my skin causing me to shift under his touch, and he, noticing this, dropped his hands quickly. I took his hand in mine gently but couldn't look him in the eye. "Lena," his hand brushed my cheek and I flinched at his gentle touch. "just, just promise you'll wait for me." My voice broke as I spoke and he he sighed, "forever Lena, I'm yours remember, just promise you'll come back to me," Harry made a sickly noise behind us and I smiled weakly at him, "I promise, write me?" He nodded and placed a gentle kiss upon my cheek, and this time, I didn't flinch, instead turning my head and pressing my lips ever so gently against his. He returned my kiss tenderly and Harry coughed loudly. Severus rested his head against mine and breathed softly in my ear, "I love you Lena," I nodded and dropped his hands gently, taking Harry's as he led me away from Severus and back to the hospital wing.
Grimmauld Place was cold. Really cold. Dad was carrying me in his arms, I was struggling to hold my own weight and Madame Pomfrey had told Dad that I should do nothing but rest for the next few days. Dad carried me through into the kitchen, Remus flicking his wand to convert my favourite armchair into a small sofa. Dad rested me on it gently and Remus handed me a large mug of steaming tea, which I drank slowly. They both stood over me, watching as if I might break any second. "Will you both stop worrying? I'm here aren't I?" Dad smiled weakly and came to rest on the floor beside me, his hand taking mine.
"Are you sure you're okay? Poppy gave us some pain tonics if you need them." I shook my head and curled up on the sofa, my stomach twisting unhappily. I was asleep within minutes and when I awoke several hours later it was to find that Kreacher sat on the floor beside, stoking the fire. "Mistress is awake. Kreacher will make you tea." I smiled weakly, "thanks Kreach, where's Dad?" He busied himself placing a copper kettle over the fire and pouring milk into a teacup, "Master is with that feathered horse and the wolf is in the drawing room." He passed me the small cup and I pulled myself up, grabbing my stomach as it clench uncomfortably. "Mistress is in pain, Kreacher will get Master." He made to move and I shouted at him quickly, "No Kreacher, leave it, I'm fine, it just hurts to move. Please, leave it." He looked torn, but his house elf self took a hold of him and shaking his head, he returned to his place beside the fire. "Mistress is hurt. Kreacher will look after her." I smiled at him a little happier, silly elf. "What's for supper Kreach?" He looked up at me, his eyes full of love, something that I'd come to get used to seeing when he looked at me, and something that I didn't see when he looked at any other member of the order, especially Dad. "Kreacher is making mistress soup, her favourite." I patted his shoulder gently and he flinched at the contact, so unused to it as he was. "Thanks Kreacher."
I spoke quietly to him as he prepared supper and I told him how the elves at Hogwarts made every meal and cleaned the place top to bottom and happily, he looked pleased with his own circumstance. "Lena, You're awake." Remus stood in the doorway, a large leather-bound book held under his arm and an empty tea cup in his hand. He looked twice at me and rested the book on the dining table, "How much pain are you in Lena?" I shook my head but Kreacher betrayed me and looked pointedly up at Remus. "How much pain is she in Kreacher?" The old house elf glanced unhappily between Remus and I, and catching the looking in my eye he shook his head, "Kreacher knows not of any pain." Glad of the house elfs obedience I sat up on the seat, gritting my teeth and holding my side, the bruises there stinging angrily as they rested against the arm of the chair. "Lena, let me take a look. Your dressings might need changing." I shook my head but Remus's face showed no change and slowly, I pulled the hem of my t-shirt up, revealing the long purple bruises across my ribs and several large dressings that spread down my ribs, across my hip. "Lena," Remus came to sit beside me and his fingers were cold, but gentle over my skin. His fingers traced the largest bruise; it ran from under my rib and spread across my stomach. Remus shook his head, standing and taking several clean dressings from the brown paper that Pomfrey had given us. Remus removed thee dressings slowly and I couldn't help but flinch as I caught sight of the scratch that ran deeply down my side. Remus looked up at me, his face guilty, "Stop looking at me like that Remus, it's not like you do it." I shook my head and Kreacher muttered away to himself in the corner.
"He's standing infront of the Wizenmegot today. Snape and Dumbledore are standing witness." At the news I flinched and gasped, Remus's fingers gently applying healing balm to the long wound, Severus would have to talk about it, I, as if I was nothing more than a student to him, guilt caused my stomach to plummet. He shouldn't have to do it. "Are you sure you don't want any pain potion?" I shook my head, my face betraying me so that he passed me a large glass of the blue solution. He watched as I drank and I gave him the empty glass unhappily. "Molly wondered if you wanted her to come over. See how you were." I bit my lip, it felt weird being in this house, surrounded by men and I couldn't help it, I needed Molly. "Tell her I said yes," He nodded and took a seat at the table, flipping through the pages of the large book.
I watched him as I read, Kreacher handing me another cup of tea. He looked older than he had at summer, his face ever more scarred and his eyes more tired. He rested his head on his hand as he read, and I lay back down, my head against the loveseat arm as I watched him read slowly. Underneath it all, the scars and worry, Remus would have been beautiful, his skin almost translucent and his eyes pale amber eye's shining and excited. His fingers ran though his hair as he turned the page and he noticed me watching him. I smiled and he shrugged, mouthing, "What?" I smiled and shook my head, noticing a small pinkness on his cheeks. I turned from him and seeing Kreacher walk from the pantry carrying three heavy bowls I shot up from the seat and took the bowls from him. "Mistress should not carry things; Kreacher's job is to care for Mistress," and consequently he began to hit his small bony head on the side of the dining table, I pulled him back quickly, "Kreacher no! You don't hurt yourself!" He hung is head ashamedly and moved the dishes around the table. "He's right Lena, you shouldn't be lifting anything." I tutted and shook my head, Remus pushing his book aside. "Lena, you've been through hell, at-least let us look after you." I nodded, taking the seat beside him and flinching as my side brushed his arm, "Are you okay?" "Fine," you could hear the lie in my voice and as Kreacher stomped out of the kitchen and we both flinched as the drawing room slammed shut. I pulled the book he'd just pushed aside towards me, as I opened it he sighed, and looking at him questioningly I flicked to the title page.
Lycan theory and the search for a cure
I smiled at him weakly but he didn't smile back. I flicked roughly through the pages, noticing only some small word and phrases. It mentioned the wolfsbane potion and went through the stages of transformation. There was a page dedicated to a large watercolour picture of a transforming wolf and I traced it slowly. I glanced up at him, but there was no emotion on his face. "It hurts." He nodded and I couldn't have taken my eyes from his if I'd tried. They glowed hungrily in the firelight and I couldn't help myself from reaching out and tracing the long jagged scar across his cheek. He took my hand and made to pull it from his face, "Lena," the hunger wasn't only in his eyes and I found myself struggling to catch my breath, the pain in my stomach nothing compared to that in my heart as I felt myself being ripped from everything I felt for Severus, the feel of his skin on mine nothing but a distant hazy memory.
"Remus," his face was only inches from mine, "Please Remus," I pulled away and his hands dropped from my face.
"Lena, you're awake," Dad bustled through the door happily and I shifted myself a little further from Remus. Dad bent down and kissed me gently on the forehead, "How are you feeling love?" I shrugged and worry passed over his face. "Where's that damn elf? KREACHER!" The elf appeared with a crack and bowed so low that I was sure his nose brushed the ground. The elf poured soup into the three dishes and we ate in silence, Dad not noticing the awkward tension between Remus and I and instead continued to look at me as if I'd smash into a million tiny pieces. As soon as my dish was clear I made to leave and steadied myself as both men came to my side, "OFF!" my voice was a little harsher than I'd meant it to be and both men flinched away from me. Too tired to say anything, I left silently climbing the staircases slowly, the stabbing pain in my stomach stopping me completely on the second landing, I couldn't call Dad or Remus now, and my voice was weak as I called out, "Kreacher!" nothing happened and I rested myself against the bannister, my grip weak, causing me to slide ceremoniously to the floor. "Kreacher!" my voice was more of a sob now and it was answered by a much louder crack. "Mistress, Kreacher will call for Master!" The small elf flitted around nervously, I took his hand and he slowed, "Kreacher please! Don't! Just help me up," He did so obligingly, although I could see it in his little face that he wanted nothing more than to call Dad and I knew that this would result in himself beating himself later.
When we got to my room, I pushed the door open gently and Kreacher helped me over to my bed where I collapsed painfully into a ball in between the sheets. "Does Mistress require anything more of Kreacher?" I shook my head, "Thanks Kreach, and no beating yourself tonight." He cracked and was gone quickly. I lay back on the pillows and looked up at the new canopy of my bed. Dad had been busy and had replaced my old drapes with new cream linen and I flicked my wand, the drapes sliding shut around me.