Wolf and Wings - Remus and Narcissa

Chapter 6

James Potter threw both his arms over his secret new wife's shoulders, around her neck as he rushed up behind her in the dungeon corridor to the potions lab. He didn't say a word before burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent like it was oxygen he'd been deprived of for too long.

She laughed and turned to kiss his cheek. "Hello, my darling. How was Creatures class?"

"Deranged," he said. "There was a Veela there charming people into snogging each other. Making me miss you even worse than I normally would have."

Lily frowned. "Veelas can only do that when they're in love themselves. Do you mean to tell me Grubbly-Plank brought a romantically active Veela to school?"

"No, Remus did."

"Remus? James, what are you talking about?"

He gave a low laugh against her throat. "It's hard to explain. We'd better skip potions and go upstairs and sort it out."

She scoffed. "I am not falling for that. And I'm not skipping potions. It would break Slughorn's heart."

James moved to hold her from the side instead of from behind. "Who cares?"

"I do," she said, arranging his arm around her shoulders the way she liked it best. "Especially after we couldn't invite him to the - you know. The poor dear."

He nibbled at her ear. "You do like deer."

"James Potter," she said, "do you have news on Remus and a Veela or not?"

He hushed her and whispered the developments between Remus and Narcissa Black into her ear. Like everyone, she was most concerned about the arranged fiance, that dangerous Malfoy.

"She's got to leave Remus alone or break up with Malfoy at once. She simply cannot have them both," Lily said. "And I'll be happy to explain that to her if she doesn't understand it."

"She doesn't want both," James assured her. "At least, that's what Remus says. She's looking into throwing Malfoy over."

"Looking into it," Lily scoffed. "She's going to force the two of them into a duel."

James shrugged. "As long as they duel during a full moon, I think Remus's chances are spectacular."

"It's not funny," she said. "Remus is clever, and good, and self-disciplined. I can't imagine why he's going along with it."

"Don't be too disappointed in him," James said, pushing the classroom door open in front of them. "He and Narcissa will both be in potions with us. Maybe you'll get a sense of her influence, what the poor bloke is up against."

Remus and Narcissa were already in the classroom when the Potters arrived, sitting at opposite corners of the room. As always, Severus was Narcissa's partner, but they lacked their usual close, conniving posture. In fact, she looked tense and angry with him. So did Remus.

Sirius bumped against James and Lily as they stopped in the doorway. "Great stars, the drama in here," he said, pushing past, making for their usual table. Peter had quit potions in fifth year so it was just the three lads for this hour. Sirius sat next to Remus, sniffing at the air.

"What are we cooking in here today, love?" James said, his chin on Lily's shoulder as she opened her textbook.

"Generic Skele-gro," she said. "See, aren't you glad we aren't skiving? A family that plays so much quidditch needs to know how to make their own Skele-gro."

James still wasn't convinced they wouldn't be making better use of their time upstairs alone in their tower room, but he said, "I'll head to the supply cupboard."