JULIET {remus lupin}

FIFTY FOUR

Since seeing the photograph of Esmerelda Romilly with Colin Jones' mother, Juliet's attitudes and priorities had changed completely. She had sent it to Colin with no note attached, and had watched him open it in the Great Hall at breakfast one morning, a few weeks before they were due home for Easter. Although she had not spoken to the Gryffindor, it was as if they had come to a mutual, silent decision, as Damien had started to speak to her again and had once again asked for her protection.

The young muggle-born Slytherin was scared, and the witch couldn't blame him. Every week a Slytherin would vanish and come back more confident than ever, Regulus had told her that they were attending constant training sessions. Her fiance was also constantly updating her on his 'mission'. The Dark Lord had asked him to spy on the Gryffindors, a suspected army was forming within Hogwarts, one which Dumbledore was supposedly the head of. Regulus watched the marauders like a hawk, Juliet didn't think that he had found anything yet, but she wanted to warn them.

With going home for Easter fast approaching, she had days left to warn Remus and the others about Regulus, and in the few months that had passed since receiving the photo of her mother, Slytherins and Gryffindors had not mixed, so she had also not had a chance to discuss it at all.

"Cissa," Juliet called after the older witch following a potions class.

"Yes?"

"Can I take your patrol tonight?"

"Who's it with?" Narcissa asked in confusion, pulling her timetable out of her pocket. When she read Remus Lupin next to her own name she raised an eyebrow, and looked disapprovingly at the girl beside her. "Really, Juliet?"

"Please."

"Why?"

"Cissa-"

"I don't want to be involved."

"You aren't," she pleaded.

"If I do this, I am."

"Hardly, I'll say Quidditch clashes. No one's going to notice."

"Fine," she groaned. "I need to go to the library, anyway."

"Thank you," Juliet replied, turning back as Narcissa clutched her wrist desperately. 

"Lucius murdered someone last night," the woman whispered into her friend's ear.

"What-" 

"You need to leave Regulus."

"Ciss-"

"I'm going to get dragged into this life. Get out while you can and tell Persephone she needs to leave too."

Juliet glanced around the empty hallway before dragging her sleeve up a little to reveal her dark mark. "I'm just as in this life as you are. Maybe more so."

"If you marry him you're giving up everything."

"You can get out too- Andromeda-"

The woman shook her head, "I'm not endangering my niece. I'll be okay, I love Lucius and he loves me."

"Does he?"

"He does," she replied sadly. "But he loves him more."

"Don't they all," Juliet scoffed.

"As should we," Narcissa reminded the girl gently.

"I don't-"

"I don't want to hear it, Juliet. I can't be complicit."