Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Sixty-Five - Truth, Lies, Blame and Shame

Author's note: First up is a big thank you and welcome to the 'team' to Nepomuk! Nep is helping out with some of the editing process to help lighten the load, as editing has been a bit soul-sucking for me lately. In addition for September as of now I will only be getting one chapter out a week, but that might change depending how things go. We'll see.

CW for child abuse, manipulation

-x-

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing, Remus John Lupin? Was this an attempt to—to blackmail us?"

"Lyall—"

"Threatening to bring that Fawley woman into whatever is going on?"

"Lyall, please."

Remus stood pressed against the door, breathing hard at the sight of his furious father. Hope had a hand on his arm, trying to keep him back, and Remus suspected if she didn't then Lyall would have slapped him by now.

"Explain yourself right now, because I don't enjoy these games. Do you have any idea how expensive Floo powder is? Do you?"

"Two sickles a scoop," Remus replied, trying not to let his voice tremble.

Lyall's nostrils flared. "Don't get smart with me, young man."

"I can't help but be smart, you helped raise a genius," he mouthed back, and regretted it immediately.

Lyall broke free from Hope and slapped Remus across the face, hard. Remus almost went down and Hope gave a cry, rushing over to grab Remus. "Remus, what has gotten into you?" she demanded, helping him back upright and touching his stinging cheek.

"The truth," he said, pulling away from his mother, putting his own hand against his cheek as the pain subsided. He hadn't meant to jump right in with everything, but then again he had been expecting a warmer welcome. Maybe some hugs, probably his mother crying with happiness at seeing him again. Not this. Which was stupid. He should have realized how furious his father would be at his letter.

"What truth?" Hope asked.

"What exactly is going on that you had to drag us clear across the country?" Lyall demanded.

Remus swallowed, glancing between them. All bravado failed now. He wanted to turn tail and run, hide somewhere, pretend it was all a mistake. It felt like a mistake. A giant glob of one of his failed potions, nothing but a disastrous mess.

"Well?" Lyall folded his arms. "You seemed intent enough in your blackmail."

"It wasn't blackmail," Hope said gently.

"He flat out told us he would get someone else involved," Lyall hissed out.

"I—no, no. Not involved, only—just to—just to see you," Remus mumbled, backing away from him. He pressed himself against the door again.

"And it couldn't wait another month until the holidays?"

He shook his head, looking down at his shoes. His frayed, worn, falling apart trainers that Lyall had complained about buying, reminding Remus that it was his fault that the Lupins were so poor. That memory stirred the wolf a bit and brought his Gryffindor courage back up.

"No, it couldn't," he said, forcing himself to meet Lyall's angry eyes. "I want you to tell me what happened the night I was bitten."

Hope gave a slight wail and Lyall threw his hands in the air. "For fuck's sake, not this again! I told you—"

"We don't talk about it," Remus said, a strange calmness settling over him.

"We don't talk about it," Lyall repeated. "And if you made us spend money on Floo to come here and—"