Summary: Lucius is a good prefect, but a certain little werewolf is making him wish he wasn't... (Lucius & Remus friendship-ish)

I'm not kind

Lucius ground his teeth together as he patrolled the seventh floor corridor.

You're a prefect, Lucius. Keep calm, he'll go away in a minute, Lucius idly thought to himself.

"You have to let me thank you somehow. It was really kind of you to stop Severus having a go. You didn't have to do that. Especially with me being a Gryffindor. I was told Slytherins hate Gryffindors. I don't understand why. We're all learning magic."

Lucius spun on his heel to go back the way he came. The small figure didn't miss a step as they followed him. They were small now, but their lanky limbs suggested they would be tall one day. And clearly could breathe through their nose already with the rate they could talk at.

"Do go away, will you?" Lucius asked quietly over his shoulder. In fact, it was more of a whisper, but the immediate response told him that not a word was missed.

"Oh, I will, I know I'm annoying, but I'd really like to know how to thank you. Please let me thank you."

Lucius spotted a door and opened it without thinking about what room he was walking in to. Remus Lupin slipped in with him before the door clicked close. They both stood at the entrance in silence, staring at the odd room. Half of it was filled with cupboards; Lucius had just been thinking about hiding in a cupboard. How odd.

The other half was filled with chocolate bars and chocolate trays wrapped as gifts.

Was this the room he'd heard others talk about? Always filled with whatever you happened to be thinking about at the time?

Lucius looked down at the sandy-haired first-year. "Chocolate?"

His pale cheeks went red. "Erm… I just thought you might like a gift of chocolate, but I didn't do this."

Lucius turned to the door to find a solid brick wall in it's place.

"I didn't do that," Remus said quickly, patting at the brick.

"I'm sure you didn't," Lucius replied gently. It was taking all his energy to be patient with him now. He should've let Severus test that damn curse on him. He was just too nice.

Lucius silently laughed, the only sign was a small smirk at the corner of his lips. He almost believed that himself.

Remus turned to look around at the room. "You were trying to hide from me?"

The boy noticed things. Interesting.

"As a matter of fact… yes. You were annoying me. Are you always this talkative?"

The pink in Remus' cheeks turn a bright red. He dropped his head a little as he shuffled over to the chocolates. "People aren't always nice to me. Not even in my house – well, except for Sirius, James and Peter… You didn't have to be nice."

Lucius stopped a sigh from escaping him. "Oh enough with the self-pity, boy. You get back what you put out."

Remus sighed before ripping open a chocolate bar. "So I asked to be a werewolf?"

Interesting. The rumours were true. "Greyback?"

Remus looked to him with wide eyes. "How did you know?"

Lucius couldn't help the sneer he felt himself doing, his nose wrinkling. "He has form."

As Lucius thought about sitting, a chair appeared by one of the cupboards. Lucius took a seat and invited Remus to come sit by him on the other chair appearing. Remus grabbed another bar of chocolate and handed it to Lucius before taking a seat. Lucius looked at the bar for a moment, ignoring Remus' simpering look. He really hoped it was nothing more than adulation and not a crush. He didn't have time for someone's puppy love.

"Remus – it is Remus?" The boy nodded. Lucius nodded in return. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's the way of the world. It's how you pick yourself up and continue that matters, you understand?"

"That's what my mother says too."

Lucius clasped a hand on his shoulder, making sure the grip was a little tight so that he didn't misunderstand it. "Now when someone does a good deed, you say thank you and move on."

"But my mother always says thank yous should be with gifts. Especially to those who don't have to be kind." Remus fiddled with the ended of the wrapper of his half-eaten chocolate bar. "I know you're not a kind person, Lucius. That's why I wanted you to accept my thanks. I don't like owing anyone something."

Lucius kept his hand in place, admiring the boy for not flinching as the fingers went in a little more. "It's always the quiet ones that are so astute," he commented. He spotted the small smile playing on his lips. "Enough of that. Like you said, I'm not a nice person. It will do you well to remember that."

Remus lifted his head and smiled brightly at him. "Okay, Lucius."

"I mean it, Remus. Outside of Hogwarts, the world is not a kind place and I am one of the monsters that goes bump in the night." Lucius finally let go as the grip was doing nothing. "Once we've worked out how to leave this room, what I have done goes no further and you do not cross my path again. Do you understand?"

"Okay," he said happily.

Lucius sighed. He knew then he was going to have his remaining four months with this boy under his feet.

Word Count: 903

Written for:

Seasonal Challenge

- Days of the Year - 17th February - Write about someone doing something kind for someone else with no expectations

- National Bird Day - 12. Blackbird - (Setting) School

- Play God Day - 52. Loner

- Locations - 6. Room of Requirement

Yearly

- Insane House Challenge - 608 - (restriction) No female characters

Quarterly

- Madeira Cake - (setting) Room of Requirement (4)