𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 54

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
✧
-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH A PLAN
IS DEVISED

. . .

"You can't tell Sirius - or anyone else - under any circumstances, okay Prongs?" Remus was evidently deadly serious, eyes wide and almost wildely with the gravity of the situation. "I shouldn't even be telling you this.. but I think you know how to keep a secret... in the right circumstances. You never told anyone about me.. so that's something."

''So you trust me, Moony?" James practically bounced up and down on his heels before moving to sit next to his friend, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stand still otherwise. "Huh - I would never had guessed." Remus didn't say anything for a moment, and when James leant forward to get a glimpse of his face he rose his hands in an announcement of innocence. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up. And I'll keep your secret. And I won't tell Sirius, avoid all that drama."

"Not my secret, Pandora's secret. Although if you don't mention this to her it would be preferable." Remus replied, only a hint of a smile on his face at the Potter's antics. 

"You got it." James promised, and it was serious this time, no joking around. And with that Remus dived into the story and relayed it all back to his friend. He didn't tell him everything.. just enough to ensure that he understood.

Which included the truth of Pandora's parents; how she had watched her father kill her mother - which lead to him telling James about Dysnomia Rosier. Which was horrifying, but he had to know, he had to know about Laurie and about the brainwashing and attempts to turn Pandora into a copy of herself. How Halloween had led to Pandora and Remus meeting for the first time (which induced a rather shocked reaction from James who had no idea of this, of course). 

Remus told him about the nightmares, about seeing her mother in the water and then waking up in a field of dead butterflies with the golden butterflies they all knew and hated leading her back to find the Ministry coming for her. And he told him about his theories that the house and Dysnomia's treatment had created this.. girl who was so damaged and unlike anyone else they knew, and who was so unable of normal human communication. 

By the time Remus had finished with the majority of his tale, James didn't have any of his original humour remaining, instead sitting quietly beside him. "I can't let her go back to that house, James, not when her mum died there and-" Remus began, before being cut off.

"I don't know.. why can't she go back, Rem?" James asked. "Her mum isn't there anymore, her dad is.. wherever he is, and she lived there for over six years alone. Why can she go back?"

"Because.." Remus took a breath in, deciding that more explanations of how horrifying her former life wasn't the right way. But instead; "You wouldn't know, but she's changed since her first day. She's beginning to know how to.. talk to people correctly and not read their minds - she can do that by the way, so try not to think too hard around her - and treat people decently. And I just.. I'm scared if she goes back it'll just get bad again - or.. or.. she won't come back at all." 

There was silence. When he looked up, James was staring at him, no words even attempting to leave his lips. Remus cowered, head dropping down to his lap and fingers knitted together as he waited.

Then came a scoff, and James was running a hand through his prize-winning hair and shaking his head. "You might not of kissed her but Merlin you're in love with her.. and that might be infinitely worse. But hey - I can help." Remus froze. "What? I have infinite experiences with being love with women who doesn't love you back. I can help."

Remus only continued to stare at the floor trying to decipher through his own thoughts and James, to why he would come to that conclusion. Because he couldn't quite understand it - how had he managed to reach that? All Remus did was want to help her, and had spent so much time with since the strange beginning of the year and... well it was glaringly obvious how James had come to think that Remus was in love with Pandora. Or something like that anyway.

"I can help." James repeated, watching as Remus stared at the floor, and then at him. 

"With the fact that I apparently love her?" He asked.

"No, with the fact that she can't go back." James shook his head, as though Remus's confusion was utterly idiotic. The werewolf stared at him, and the Potter decided to explain. "She can come back to mine. It's easy."

Remus wouldn't lie and deny that it was one of the options he had come up with, and was by far the best considering that Euphemia and Fleamont often took in waifs and strays like nobody's business. But like every good plan, there were still complications. 

"I can't just leave her there with you-"

"Then you come too." James shrugged, as though it was the easiest thing he had ever had to say. 

"What about my parents?"

"They can come too." James waved his hand dismissively. "You can all come - Mum loves having a full house at Christmastime." 

It appeared that Remus had found his solution. And now he just have to convince Pandora it was a good idea. Which wouldn't be so easy as a sit down conversation with his best friends.

✧

a/n
is there an opposite
of the bechdel test? because
if so, that's this chapter