Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 112

A little bit of Voldy being a dick :)

Auriga was faintly aware of a gasp from behind her, saw a flick of someone's robes as they sat next to her on the cold floor. She did not want to reach out to Tonks, terrified that she'd find what she knew to be true. Find her hand, cold and unresponsive.

Lee Jordan leaned forward from where he sat, and with a shaking hand, closed her eyes so that they no longer stared at the stars of the night that looked down on them. "I'm sorry, Auriga," said Lee, his face looking horrified. "She was your best friend."

"I didn't think so," said Auriga, her voice worn and dry. "I always said my first and only friend was a boy named Thomas Smith. We were Head Boy and Girl. But I was wrong. It was Tonks. It was always Tonks."

They sat, staring at the girl whom both of them had loved and who had returned it unconditionally. "How did you meet?" Lee asked eventually.

Auriga couldn't help but smile at the memory, smile in spite of the pain she felt, in spite of the dread of another battle. Another death. "She came to me on my first day and introduced herself as my cousin. Of course, I'd never heard of her and had to write to my mother and ask. And no matter how many times I called her a...a blood traitor, or how many times I spat on the name of her parents, she persisted, and always smiled, too. It was like she knew...like she knew I could change. And she never gave up on me, not once. She was always there."

A single tear rolled down Lee's cheek, and he nodded in agreement. "You should go to Fred," croaked Auriga. "She'd want you to be there." Lee nodded and smiled her way, before getting up and walking away.

Auriga didn't know how long she sat at Tonks's side, longing to tell her how grateful she was, how much she'd be missed. Once Lee had gone, the world had stopped spinning once more.

"They're coming." The whisper echoed through the hall, people jumping to their feet, drawing their wands, crying, clutching their loved ones close. Auriga was caught up in the sea of bodies that pulled to the courtyard and watched, watched as the great conflagration of Death Eaters made their way towards the castle once more.

She joined the crowds, feeling hidden behind students and Order members. But she could see the oncoming army well enough. She could see them fanning out, see the body of Harry Potter in Hagrid's arms. The Hogwartians cried out, yelling abuse at the Death Eaters.

She met her mother's eyes. Auriga had never seen her so thin, so disheveled. She was still beautiful, her eyes holding a ferocity that she'd often seen there. She'd seen it when her father had been forced to disown her. She felt a pain in her chest as her throat constricted at the thought of him. Auriga felt alone. Very alone in a sea of warriors.

Voldemort silenced them. "Now is the time to join us." No one moved. Auriga could feel the repulsion radiating off them. She looked again at her mother, but she'd averted her gaze, looking elsewhere. There was a shuffle as someone broke from the crowd, a blond head moving towards the offending army.

Auriga did not know what came over her. All she knew was that this was it. Her very last chance to save her brother. She'd never thought she'd have one, and yet, here it was. Shoving people aside, she ran forward, ran as though no one were watching when she knew everyone was. She grabbed her brother's arm and turned him round, taking his face in her hands and looking up at it. There were tear tracks through the soot and dirt and blood. She felt sick to see him in such a state.

"Draco," she whispered, not allowing herself to cry. "No, no...it's alright..."

"Miss Malfoy." So caught up in her brother, she had forgotten where she was. In the middle of the courtyard. Exposed. Voldemort was looking at them with piercing interest.

Acting once again without thought, she placed herself between him and her brother, acting as a shield as she drew her shaking wand and pointed it at the monster before her. The crowd of Death Eaters jeered and laughed. Auriga took a breath, ensuring her occlumency shields were up. Avada Kedavra. The green light shot from her wand, and one or two people gasped. He blocked it with ease and Auriga jumped. She had never seen anyone block a killing curse before.

Evidently her confusion played in her eyes, because Voldemort's face displayed a sick sort of smile. He swiped his wand through the air and her own fell to a clatter a few metres away. Her breaths quickened as he approached and she steadied herself once more, not once letting Draco go, holding onto him as she held onto the last seconds of her life.

Voldemort waisted his wand, the tip a few centimetres from her throat. She was going to die. She leaned forward, pushing her neck into it. "Do it," she hissed, so that only he and Draco could hear. "Spill some pure blood in front of your army. See how they like it." Something stirred in his red eyes and he turned, looking into the crowd of Hogwartians.

"Remus Lupin," he said, his voice a heart-wrenching whisper. Auriga followed her gaze and saw Remus, his brows furrowed, his eyes pitiful, biting his lip. The people around him followed their eye-line to look at him.

"No," said Auriga quickly. The people at the front of the groups heard and shuffled. "No!" Her voice was hoarse. She released her brother.

She launched herself forward, wandless and ready to die. She was going to kill him with her bare hands. She was thrown backwards, backwards to the ground. Voldemort raised his wand, the green forming at its tip, and Auriga readied herself for death.

A blonde-haired person threw themselves forward, falling lifelessly to the floor moments later as the spell hit.

Auriga's eyes widened and she screamed, screamed for her mother. "NO!" She climbed to her feet once more, and a pair of immensely strong arms wrapped around her as her tears began to fall. She tried to fight them off but they dragged her back, back into the crowd. Her eyes never left her mother's body, lying twisted and splayed on the dirt, her blonde hair like a beacon, calling out to her. For a moment she thought her mother moved, but knew that it could not be the case. It was just the wind.

Draco. Where was Draco? She twisted around, looking for him, but he was gone. Where had he gone? "It's alright," whispered Remus into her hair as he held her tightly, tightly as though his arms were made of iron. "Arthur took him." Auriga nodded. Remus smelled of sweat and blood, but the thin, permanent layer of chocolate was still there. Her mother was dead. But Draco would not leave the only family he had left.