𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 27

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
✧
-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE WAKES

. . .

It had reached the twelfth night when Remus finally decided that he should probably go and find out what Pandora was doing on the top of the Astronomy Tower. 

Not a single word had been spoken since the day of the Hogsmeade visit, and whilst Remus seemed to be watching her every moment he possible could in an attempt to get her attention, no glances came his way. 

Every meal was eaten with her back completely straight, hair and clothes perfectly arranged and movements neat. In class, even when she sat right there beside him, her chin didn't even turn towards, her quill tilted the opposite direction and ignoring both him and instructions to work with their deskmate. 

All in all, she was ignoring that he even existed. 

And Remus had done the same to her, which he now regretted, experiencing it first hand was not particularly enjoyable. 

So when the twelfth night arrived and he checked the map once more, Remus decided that he would go and see her. See what the hell she was doing on the top of the Astronomy Tower, because she stayed there all night, seemingly. 

James, Sirius, Peter and Kingsley were asleep when he finally rose from his bed, pushing the red covers off of his legs and moving off of the mattress, wincing as he heard it creaking. But there didn't seem to be anyone stiring, and with ease he made his way to James' bed, laid flat on his stomach and hesitated.

He didn't really need the invisibilty clock, he was a prefect after all. And so, he stood up, brushed the dust off of his shirt. He pulled the gold and scarlet striped jumper over his head and pocketed the matching badge before setting off. 

It took him a little while to get from the Gryffindor Common Room all the way to the Astronomy Tower, and it seemed to take even longer to climb up the many twisting staircases to the top of it. 

But the sight when he got up there wasn't what he expected. Right beside the edge of the tower, a figure sat silhouetted by the moonlight. The sky was unusually clear for that time of year and quite frankly it was utterly freezing, Remus's teeth chattering already. 

He knew it was Pandora; her labelled dot had been sat there for twelve nights straight. But even with Remus' footsteps clunking against the stairs and the wooden floor, she didn't stir. 

Carefully, Remus approached and sat beside her, trying his hardest not look down at the long drop below. How she was sat here - so clearly asleep - with no care in the world he had no idea.

He supposed her magic had something to do with it - the butterflies wouldn't let her die. 

A cloud passed over the moon, and Remus reached for his wand, Lumos already having been uttered and using the glow from it to shine over her face. To his surprise, there were tear tracks down her face. But they were new, glistening and reflecting. 

She mumbled something, trying to twist over and Remus's hand shot out before he could stop, hurrying to drag her bag from the edge. Still, she did not wake up, and when he held his wand between his teeth and tried to shake her into conciousness, the blue light highlighted something.

Butterflies. Two of them, one over each eye. Not physically sat there, but rather just a faint overlay of one, pinning her eyelids down and keeping her asleep.

A fresh tear beaded in the corner and ran over her temple and into her hair. She was trembling now, trying to move around, almost like she was trying to break free. 

"No..." She mumbled, words almost a slur. "No stop. You can't.. do that to him... stop it.."

Remus had no idea what to do, trying any spell he could think of to get rid of these butterflies, wiping her eyelids with the sleeve of his sweater as she twisted underneath him, terrified of whatever nightmare she was having.

He jumped out of his skin when she shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide open and gasping for air. Her gaze landed on him, silent tears already falling. "Why - why are you.. go away!" She pulled herself away from him, and Remus seemed to understand why.

To Pandora, this meant that she was losing control. Her emotions were the one thing she kept a hold over, and even when she laughed in the Three Broomsticks that had backfired. 

"No." Remus swallowed and moved closer, watching as she scrambled backwards until she hit the stone column in the centre of the platform. He followed her, coming to sit in front of her.

Carefully, using the sleeve that had tried to force away the butterflies, he wiped the constantly falling tears. Hesitant, but sure of his actions, Remus pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly even as she tried to pull away.

But her fists were closed around the woollen material of his shirt even as she begged him to let go; he couldn't move if he tried. 

Instead, Remus sat there with her as she cried, arms wrapped around her and holding her tightly as he could, near to his chest and her face hidden in the curve of his neck.

He had no idea what was going on, but as it turned out, the butterflies weren't as useful he thought them to be.

✧