𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 62

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH HE EXPLAINS

. . .

He found her sat in a stone alcove, closed in on each other with long, dark hair shielding the moonlight-like skin from sight. The dark red of her dress wrapped around her crossed legs, her hands lay resting on her knees fidgeting restlessly. It was an odd sight. Pandora was not one to fiddle. 

"Hi." Remus announced as he came to a stop at the end of the corridor. It didn't feel appropriate to ambush her by just sitting down next to her. Deers were skittish creatures, and as of that moment, with long legs and wide eyes as she glanced out from behind a curtain of sleek darkness with wide eyes, he found himself comparing Pandora to one. Although he supposed most of the time she was anything but skittish. Tonight was different, though, he knew that for sure.

Pandora didn't reply, but her mere acknowledgement was enough to invite Remus to come and sit down next to her. There was a small gap between them, but it was close enough to appear more friendly than fatal. He hoped that was conveyed anyway. Nothing was said for a moment, before his eyes dropped from her hidden face, waiting for something, anything to emerge from her lips and instead landed on her bare shoulder. A ripple of goosebumps had appeared there and a sharp breathe drew in. 

"It's cold." Remus stated, knowing it must be obvious enough. "You must be freezing - here." He knew it was unlikely for her to accept it, but he began shrugging off his jacket to give her. He had far more layers on than she did. She didn't deny it not accept it, and Remus didn't hesitate to wrap it around her shoulders, and once he hand her gloved fingers appeared around the lapels and drew it closer around her, hoping to warm herself. 

"Most of what Sirius said isn't true." His voice echoed in the empty hallway. "I won't... I can't lie to you and say that Dumbledore didn't ask me to take advantage of your interest to try and ensure your position on certain sides of things. But the rest of it isn't. You're not a nutcase, or insane, or whatever he tried to call you. And.. and you are welcome. You are welcome here, and it isn't Sirius's position to decide whether you are or aren't welcome at the Potters - which you are, by the way. James hasn't stopped me from inviting you and offered to ask his parents, to which they replied with yes. You are welcome, you're where you're supposed to be."

"And because of this you believe my home isn't where I should be?" Pandora's voice didn't waver, despite it being the first time she spoke in a while. "Where my mother and father raised me, where I lived alone for years... that shouldn't be where I go when allowed?"

"I don't think your home is automatically where your parents raised. In your case... I don't think somewhere that has trapped your and plagued you with nightmares should be considered your place of comfort." Pandora didn't say anything at his words, be acknowledged them through her shifting on the cold stone. "You don't have to think that." Remus shrugged. "I just thought it worth mentioning before I moved on to what else Sirius said."

"What else did he say?" Pandora glanced towards him for only a moment.

"Don't do that." Remus shook his head. "I'm only going to tell you it anyway, and tell you why he was wrong so please - please - don't try and stop me from what you need to know. You're not fucking up my life, Pandora. And although, essentially, I don't belong to anyone - I am yours, Pandora. I am yours in every sense of the word. I haven't been nice to you because I have no backbone, I haven't been nice to you because that's who I am. I've been nice to you because I wanted to be nice to you. Because I always wanted to be friends with you and I never forced myself to do anything. And I do like you, by the way, if none of that clarified that to you."

He drew a deep breath in. She didn't say anything and he let out a sigh, digging his hands in his pockets trying to keep them a little warmer. The silence hung for a moment, before a sharp intake of air and her head turned to him, eyes piercing and sharp.

"Do you know why I asked you to be my date? Because you're the only person here who I actually like. And you're my friend. My very first friend. My only friend. I didn't care whether or not you wanted to be my friend, I only cared whether I had one. Then, I found myself glad that I had one, and..." She trailed off and her eyes darted elsewhere. Remus tried to follow her gaze with no success; it appeared that whatever she was about to say, she deemed it too private and didn't continue. 

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked, suddenly. "Not about what you were going to say - if you don't want to say it you shouldn't, but..."

"Go on." 

With her agreement, he did just that. "Why didn't you say anything about me being a Werewolf?" He had been listening quietly from across a table, heard the incriminating words leave Regulus's  mouth. "If you knew... which you probably did from the very moment you met me, why didn't you say anything?"

"Why should I?" She asked.

Remus frowned. "Because... I'm disgusting, and I have a disease and-"

"Did you give yourself it?"

"Well... no."

"Then how can I find you digusting?" Pandora blinked. "You're just a human being." 

That hadn't been what he was expecting. Remus assumed that she would have taken on that same sneering tone as Regulus did considering they did share the same upbringing, which no doubt portrayed anything other than Purebloods as the scum of the earth. But Pandora hadn't. He thought that perhaps she had seen him and deemed that he wasn't able to hurt anyone, or decided that this was a little interesting for her. But... it was nothing like that. 

"Come tomorrow." Remus didn't know what he was saying, or why there was so much desperation to his words, or why he had changed the subject without a second thought. "Please. You'll enjoy it more than going to the Castle. Please, Pandora. Come tomorrow. Come to the Potters with me." 

She swallowed harshly, gloves twitching as her hands moved around the coat. Instead of answering, she stood up. "I'm going back to my door. Goodnight, Remus." Without a second thought she took off down the corridor, red spilling out behind her figure. 

He copied her actions, but didn't move to follow her. "Just think about it, Pandora." Remus called after her. He could only pray that it was enough to convince her.

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