Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell belongs to J.K Rowling

Chapter 12: Stay

Aiza surged through the dorm and stopped at her trunk, the mad urge to strip away every reminder of Garrick overtook her, and she was ready to tear away the dress, the bun, suffocate herself with perfume till his stink was off her.

And then she'll go to Hogsmeade. She'll find Remus, tell him how she feels, how she always felt…

These past two weeks were unbearable. She had been avoiding him out of embarrassment… it was almost as if Garrick had been growing bored off her and her asking him for help had rekindled his interest and she couldn't look Remus in the eye after the things Garrick had made her do…

Somehow these past ten months being Garrick's play toy had desensitised her to the world, yet in contrast it was like a sensory overload when she was around Remus.

They split her in two, one part that bent to the whims of Garrick and one that looked at Remus Lupin like he was her whole world.

But that was a lie, a beautiful one but a lie, nevertheless.

She couldn't be with Remus and cater to Garrick simultaneously.

It was truly one or the other.

She started as she heard the sound of footsteps and turned, catching the dark gaze of Judalia Devon who had entered the room, a thick tome in her hand. She must have taken advantage of the practically empty castle and visited the library.

She didn't seem fazed by Aiza's appearance and made her way to the bed. The short girl winced slightly as she was lying down and that reminded Aiza of the cream that she received yesterday. She had written to her mother asking for the scar treatment that she knew her mother used on her stretch marks, and she figured she'd get some for Devon to help with the slight scar that remained from her attack.

It's the least she could do considering they hadn't found out who had attacked the girl.

"Here." She handed the ointment to the slight girl; Aiza had been waiting for a moment alone with the her. She knew doing this in front of Lily would be intolerable considering the big deal she would make out of this small, inconsequential act.

The redhead had been trying her hardest to make Devon feel more comfortable in their company, but it was evident that the girl wanted to be left alone and Aiza was happy to oblige. "You need to apply it twice a day and it will disappear in a week."

Aiza sighed, tired of waiting for the girl to take the jar and leaving it on her empty night stand. She didn't have time to waste on Devon anyway, she turned to the trunk again and stilled.

She bit her lip, a small voice gaining momentum in her head.

She glanced back at the girl and saw her for what she truly was.

An impenetrable vault for her secrets.

A human sounding board almost.

"Do you believe in second chances?"

Aiza didn't expect a response and continued, "Do you believe that if someone truly cared for you that there'd forgive you anything… or do you think that somethings are just unforgivable."

She lowered onto the end of the bed, and stared at the wall, feeling silly, almost as if she was talking to herself but now that she started, she couldn't stop, "I remember the first time I realized I was in love with Remus Lupin…"

Godric, she said it out loud. She'd never done that before…

"For the first few years he was just some boy in my periphery. You see he never looked at me… never noticed me… and one day… I can't tell you when… he looked at me… and he saw all of me and it was this depth… I can't explain but that look makes me feel like… pure white innocence…"

She shook her head and glanced at the ceiling, "And I'm not… I'm not innocent and he'll find out…they'll all find out and then…" She lowered her gaze and stared out the window, "He'll never look at me like that again…. Oh Godric."

She scrambled to her feet, "What did I think!" Her voice hitched as she turned to the girl who stared at her blankly, "That I would tell him how I feel and that he'd leave O'Byrne… just to have Garrick tell everyone the truth! And then he'll hate me and he… won't even have O'Byrne… all for a few hours of ignorant bliss with me… if he even wants me! By Godric Garrick is right… I am selfish!"

She glanced back at the black eyes which didn't seem to take in a word, but somehow that unnerved her all the more… "I have to stop him."

-x-x-x-

The afternoon was quickly coming to a close, with threatening dark clouds cloaking what little sunlight seeped into the small village.

Aiza hurried along the back street, staying clear of the busy High Street which was littered with Hogwarts students.

She'd just find Garrick before he retaliated to her earlier defiance. She'd take back all that she said, grovel if she had to and she knew exactly where he would be and thankfully it was accessible through the inconspicuous back roads.

"Aiza." She stilled, instantly recognising the voice and had the sudden urge to duck behind the troll leg shaped trashcan that sat in the alleyway to her right.

She sighed when she heard footsteps, knowing that it was indeed too late and turned to the boy, who was quickly cutting across the narrow alleyway towards her.

"Remus." His eyes were an indiscernible hue in the poorly lit back street as they swept the deserted area with a frown.

"Why are you taking the back streets? You know it's not safe, especially at this time of day. Where is… your… er…" He swallowed thickly as if uttering Garrick's name was some ugly swear and her uneasiness calmed down a bit, she knew his dislike for the boy was not due to jealousy, but rather an innate dislike for all things Slytherin but she still couldn't help the feeling of self-satisfaction.

"I was on my way back to the Castle when I realized I had forgotten something, so I thought I'll just pop back and fetch it. No reason to keep you from your…date." She couldn't help the hint of distaste that belied her unconcerned expression and his lips quirked slightly.

Great, now he thoughtshewas jealous.

"Evelyn's with her friends in Madam Pudifoots." He gestured towards the left in the direction of the tea shop.

"Half price on cakes?" She couldn't help the quip and smiled at the narrowing of his eyes, was it normal to find irritation this attractive?

"If you must know, Evelyn had already made plans with her friends considering I had given her such late notice, so being the considerate individual she is, she didn't cancel their plans, merely postponed it so we both could join them for a cup of tea."

"I'll write the Order of Merlin to send her award." Aiza whipped around, annoyed at the note of pride in his voice at the stupid girl's selfless act.

She hastened her steps when she heard his soft chuckles, "Will you slow down, I can hardly escort you to…where are you going?"

"I don't need an escort."

"And I wasn't asking." He easily fell into step with her, and a shiver ran up her spine at the uncharacteristic steel in his voice, she knew he was a stickler when it came to chivalry just as she knew there was no way she could get rid of him.

"Honeydukes." She murmured the first shop that came to mind, "I forgot to stop there and then I remembered on my way to the Castle, so I thought I'll just turn back-"

"Say no more. No need to justify the importance of keeping the snack stack fully loaded." He smiled down at her in understanding…Oh Godric he was making this impossible, wasn't he?

Why did he have to be so…

He gestured into an alleyway which hinted at their apparent destination on the other side and somehow stepping onto that narrow strip of cobblestone was like jumping into a vat of lust potion.

The hair all over her body stood on end at his proximity which seemed to superimpose on her very skin in the dark, deserted alleyway, which taunted her with its many advantages that she was passing up with every step that echoed in the silence.

She squinted at him to find his eyes clamped on her but before she could grab the opportunity, the light spilled around them and they were crossing the High Street over to Honeydukes, the chance lost, much like her sanity if she didn't get away from him.

Aiza rubbed her sweaty palms across her white dress as Remus shrugged off his jacket and pulled at his collar in discomfort and then opened the door for her.

The shop was minutes from closing, and students were running about making the most of their eleventh-hour shopping like only teenagers could.

Aiza's feet had automatically led her to the rack of her favourite chocolate as she pondered how she was going to get to Garrick. She glanced at the shelf, which was empty and pouted, forgetting that this was just a cover story, "They're all out of Best."

"Excuse me, do you have any Best left?" She wanted to stop him from taking the trouble to ask, but there was something so comforting about the concern in his voice at something as insignificant as getting her a bar of chocolate that she didn't truly want.

The lanky ginger assistant laughed, "It's a scheduled school visit today, Best was sold out by the morning. Tough luck mate." The boy strutted away with the box he was carrying.

Aiza shrugged, hastening to leave, "Well, I guess I'll just-"

"Hey!" Aiza stiffened in shock as Remus approached a rather round boy that looked to be around thirteen. He glanced lazily as Remus reached him, a floating basket of treats behind him as well as a bunch of already purchased treats in Honeydukes bags in his hand. Somebody came for seconds. "Do you have Best in there?"

"Remus really-"

The boy scoffed haughtily, "Course I do, bought half a shelf in the morning." He glanced superiorly at the students behind them as they moaned at the empty shelf, "Amateurs."

"I'll give you five galleons for whatever's in the bag."

"Remus!" Aiza gasped, grabbing his elbow, five galleons for chocolates! Chocolates she didn't even want, it was plain madness.

"Done!" The kid laughed, giving the bag to Remus as he handed over the coins to the boy, "I've got two bags back in the dorm anyway!"

Aiza finally flinched out of the shock that Remus actually did this for her and plunged her hand into her bag, fishing out some coins.

She knew Remus was not rich, far from able to spend a whole five galleons just on chocolate! Her fingers stilled as warmth crept over her wrist.

"Please. Don't." He whispered and she fought back any protest at the sincerity in his tone and she removed her hand from her purse.

"At least let me buy you a drink then." Her face heated at the suggestion, "A butterbeer?"

"I'll allow it." He smirked and held the door open for her, she ducked out of it, wondering if she'd ever get bored of Remus opening doors and escorting her places.

They crossed the road and entered Three in a haze for Aiza, night was slowly creeping in, and many students were making their way back before the seven 'o clock curfew.

Her haze broke at the raucous sounds of laughter within, and they quickly found the source and hurried towards it, "Peter!" Aiza gasped, the boy was red faced as people snickered at him as he was soaked with butterbeer, "What happened!"

He looked near tears, "Daisy dumped a flagon of butterbeer on my head."

"Why!" Remus choked out, siphoning the liquid from his friend with his wand and tossing threatening glances about and the chuckling died considerably.

"Well, she was tired of waiting for Padfoot and she got up, and then all I did was ask her if she wanted me to give him a message, because I didn't want him to think she left because I wasn't keeping her proper company and then she said she would like to give him a message, and dumped the flagon on my head."

"That little bitch." Aiza snapped and Peter's face flushed at that, "Just because Black stood her up doesn't mean she gets to take it out on you! I hope Mary gave her an earful." Aiza glanced about; she'd forgotten to ask Remus where Mary was, but she assumed she was with Peter.

"She's in the toilet. I mean, the Ladies." He corrected as Remus gave him a glance as a reminder to be polite.

Aiza shook her head at the two and crossed the room to the restroom, as if she hadn't heard the term toilet before. "I'll fetch her."

The rest room was small and only had two stalls which were unoccupied, the only occupants a group of third year Slytherin's who were pruning themselves in front of the mirror.

Aiza frowned and walked out, "She isn't in there? You sure she didn't leave?"

Peter was finally dry, and the room's attention was off him, "Well that's where she said she was going. Maybe she did, she was in there a while. She left for it when you left for tea with Evette."

Remus took a calming breath and Aiza smirked as she watched him refrain from correcting his friend, "Peter, that was almost two hours ago!"

Whatever happiness swelled in her slowly began seeping out as Peter recoiled defensively, "I don't know how long girls spend in the toilet. I mean Ladies."

"Nobody spends two hours in the toilet!" Remus snapped.

"Speak for yourself Moony." Black chuckled, having just entered, "You've obviously never had a chilli-"

"Oh, Godric do not even complete that sentence Black!" Aiza squirmed, glancing about the room, suddenly extremely uncomfortable, "Maybe she's with Lily or Marlene."

"Who's with us?" Aiza turned to find her friends filing in behind Black and her stomach dropped in discomfort. Mary's closest friends were in this vicinity, and she wouldn't dare walk back to the Castle alone and most definitely not in the dark, Mary was the epitome of being afraid of one's own shadow. "Where's Mary?"

Aiza swallowed her panic and twirled and ran back into the restroom, maybe she didn't see right. Mary was so short she could have been behind those Slytherins, and she wouldn't have even noticed.

It was surreal as just as she thought of the girls they exited the rest room, the blonde one stopping her with a random shout of 'hey.'

"I think you dropped this."

She handed the thick silver hand chain to Aiza and the metal chilled her as she took it.

She knew that hand chain.

"I'd never dare hurtyouprincess."

"Aiza!" She dashed for the door, easily passing her stunned friends.

"Mary's in trouble." She spat, "Get help."

Remus grabbed for her hand, but she dodged with the help of a throng of exiting students and she sprinted down the street, not caring what any of the students would think of her, Remus' voice growing faint behind her.

She reached the Hog's Head Inn in impressive time and barged through, finding the group of boys easily as the source of raucous, drunken laughter.

She knew that they weren't served the alcohol here, but rather downed a bottle of Ogden's in the clearing at the back and she had to regain control of herself, knowing that she wouldn't get anything from him if she acted like a Gryffindor.

"Garrick." He turned away from Wilkes and Avery who were arguing nonsensically with each other, his amused grin widening when it landed on her, "May I have a word?"

Not waiting for his response, she pushed past Rosier and exited the filthy shop, taking calming breaths so as to not hex him and walked to the back clearing which was close to the Hogsmeade Mountain range.

"I knew you'll come to your senses. Fuck… you're so hot." She pushed his hand away and pushed him against the wall, a feat she only accomplished because he was intoxicated.

"Where is Mary!"

"Mary who?" He giggled, his fingers finding the sleeve of her cotton dress.

"Garrick! Do not play games with me!"

"I recall you liked the games we played." She pushed him off her again and held her wand to his neck.

"Tell me where Mary is!"

"And what do I get in return?"

She bit her lip, so he did know where she was.

He wouldn't though… he wouldn't have done anything to her…

What was she thinking?

Of course he would.

"Anything." She whispered, this was after all why she had come to Hogsmeade, to make things right with him.

He licked his lips and leaned forward, his breath becoming hers at his closeness, "That's a big word princess."

"I'm a big girl."

"That you are." He grabbed her around the waist and this time she didn't fight him, she could feel all of him against her as he sniffed her hair.

"Where is Mary?" She bit out again.

"Shhh." He pressed a long finger to her lips and traced a kiss up her neck, but she squirmed out of it.

"Mary!"

"Shhhh!" He repeated, clasping his hand about her lips and she made to push him off, "Listennnnn."

And without wanting to she did.

And she heard the shrieks, and her blood ran cold.

His smirk was like a knife, and he let go of her and she turned to the source.

"You know that's the first time that name made any sense. Shrieking shack." He laughed as she walked slowly to sound.

Could it be Mary?

She rushed forward, the shrieking getting louder and his laughter getting quieter and her steps got faster and the ground got slippery and it got cold, so cold as she heard her friend's scream again, and before she knew it she was climbing over the wooden fence and sprinting across the lawn, closer than anybody dared go to the cursed grounds. She searched for the door which she never found, it was just an endless wall of wood and then she saw it.

A broken hole, big enough to crawl through and she scampered towards it only to be pulled back forcefully.

"No! No, you can't go in there!" Remus' arms clamped about her waist and his voice bled with desperation and she wriggled from his hold.

"Mary-"

"I know, I'll get her, you stay here." He let her feet touch the floor and rushed forward, but she ran after him and then he turned, his eyes bright as the sudden rain traced torturous lines down his cheeks, "Please! Please. I need you to stay here Aiza, please!"

She stilled, she never saw Remus so desperate, as if her entering that place would be the worst thing imaginable and she nodded mutely, stepping back as she watched him crawl through the hole.

The rain pelted harder, and she could hear shouts in the distance. Lily must have had a search party out for Mary and she vaguely registered that the shrieks had disappeared. He can't have hurt her…

When she heard the sound of footsteps, she ran to the hole just as Remus crawled through, pulling Mary out behind him.

Her face was red from screaming and streaked with tears and her brown eyes were distraught as she clutched at Remus, "Monster! There's a monster-"

"Shhh. Mary it was a boggart! Just a boggart!"

"Scratches all over the walls!" She screeched, "There's a monster! My parents! They're dead! MY PARENTS!"

Remus shook her and pulled her to him by the shoulders and held her gaze, "It was a boggart, Mary! Your parents are fine! You are fine!"

She shuddered and with a whimper she fell onto him, and Remus quickly pulled her into his arms.

"Is she-"

"Fainted. There was a boggart in there and she couldn't get past it."

"And the monster?" Aiza muttered, staring at the shack in trepidation. How could she let him go in there alone?

Remus' lips shook from the cold, and he looked away from her, "There's no monster in there."

-x-x-x-

"Garrick Mulciber." Aiza stated firmly to her Head of House. They had just left Mary in the Hospital Wing and was in McGonagall's office.

"Are you positive Miss Shafiq? An expulsion might be on the line, definitely a suspension in the least."

If only McGonagall knew just what was on the line, "I am positive. I am not sure, but Avery, Rosier and Wilkes might have helped."

"I will contact Professor Slughorn and look into it, for now, get into some dry clothes. I thank you for your help, Miss Shafiq."

Aiza nodded and turned to walk out the door.

She could sacrifice herself to Garrick. But not Mary. She didn't care if he ruined her; but attacking Mary was something else completely.

Her friends were all she truly had.

Even if they will soon want nothing to do with her.

"Aiza."

She stilled at the end of the corridor, Remus walked towards her, still soaking wet, "Are you okay?"

She felt his hand twitch as if he wanted to touch her and then he stopped himself.

And that did it.

All they did was restrict themselves.

Fight it.

Soon there'll be nothing to fight for.

She pushed at him, and he backed into the wall and before he could get a word out she latched her lips about his, and she conveyed to him every flutter of her tummy, flush of her face, shiver up her spine of the past year in that one kiss.

"Aiza...Aiza…" He panted as if in pain as he lifted his head, "Aiza…I'm no good…. I can't-"

He pushed her off him gently and ducked his head as he made to walk away and she stopped him with the whispered repetition of his words from earlier,

"Please. Please Remus. I need you to stay. Please."

She barely got the last word out when he flung around and pulled her to him as if he knew that this was their last chance.

As if he knew that tomorrow he'll wake to find out what a monster she was.

And he fidgeted with a spot behind her head and the wall behind her slid open and she tumbled back in shock, but she never fell as he pulled her to him and she clung to him, his hands pulling her hair out of the bun and her legs gripped his waist and she let go.

And fell completely into him.

Feedback as always is appreciated - hope you enjoyed that ending!

Kalina