Guilty as Sin?: Remus Lupin x Y/N (Book 2)

Things We Lost in the Fire

"Do you understand that we will never be the same again?"

-

Y/N made her way down the stairs to where she watched as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins were saying goodbye to Sirius and their mother as their trunks were loaded into a car.

"Be safe, all of you! Fred, George, I don't want any trouble from you this year! Ron, well done again for being chosen as Prefect, your father and I are so proud. Look after Pigwidgeon this year, and make sure you use him to send us lots of letters! Hermione dear, congratulations on your prefect role, have a good year! Harry, please stay safe, good luck for your exams you three! Ginny, do you have everything packed? Excellent, right, well, off you go you lot! We don't want you missing the train now do we?" She hugged each of them as she addressed them, kissing them all on her forehead before waving them out the door. 

"Bye guys! I'll see you at Christmas!" Y/N called out to them before watching as the car pulled away from the house.

"Right, Y/N. You have everything you need? Do you need a sandwich or something for the train? Do you have your potion? Oh goodness I'm so nervous. Be safe, please, please, please. Sirius! Where has that man gone? Oh, never mind. Now-"

"Mrs Weasley?" Y/N interrupted the flapping, knowing that if she didn't stop the woman now, she probably never would. "Thank you, I'm sure I have everything. No thank you I don't need anymore sandwiches, you've already given me three. I have plenty of polyjuice potion to last me until I can get to Dumbledore's office- more than enough, really. Everything will be fine. Sirius has gone to Kings Cross with the others as Padfoot. Don't give me that look, we both knew he would pull something like this. I will be safe, but I really must be going."

Molly pulled her in for one last hug, tutting and sighing. She had gotten too used to having them all under her nose where she could watch them. The sudden lack of chatter, pranks and laughter would be something she would have to grow accustomed to. Again. She had done this so many times, especially since Ginny started at the school, yet it never got any easier. She pulled away from Y/N, rubbing her arms comfortingly before taking a few steps back. Y/N pulled out a glass vial from her pocket and unstoppered it, resisting the urge to smell it before she tilted her head back and swallowed the dose in one go. She involuntarily cringed at the taste before feeling as though her body was being pulled in a thousand different directions. She felt herself shrink an inch or two, her hair shrinking and changing colour around her face, but when she opened her eyes again, everything seemed normal to her. It was like she was herself again. She looked expectantly at Mrs Weasley, who was staring back at her, nervous.

"Did it not work? You were- you were a different person and then you just, you were you again! Oh dear, this is not good. Where's Erroll, I'll have to send an urgent letter to Dumbledore. He'll know what to do. Oh, Y/N, what happened? I've never seen polyjuice do that before- you said Dumbledore brewed it? Not that I'm questioning him, but maybe he should have had Snape do it. This is-"

"Mrs Weasley!" Y/N interrupted her again. "This is a good thing- it means that you still see me. You know, behind the polyjuice potion?"

Relief struck Molly's heart, and she had to sit down on the steps behind her. She felt as though she was winded in the best way.

"You're sure?"

Y/N nodded, though she couldn't be 100% sure. Maybe 75%? But she didn't have time for doubts, she would have to go to Platform 9 3/4 and judge by the reaction of those around her. Worse case scenario, she would act as though she was trying to find the twins for something. She gave Mrs Weasley one last hug, glancing up the stairs to his door. Part of her had hoped that he would be saying goodbye to her too, even though she knew she would have ignored him or made some kind of snide comment to him. But she hadn't seen him in days, and she hadn't dared ask anyone else. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying desperately to abandon all thoughts of the man she wanted to simultaneously spend all her time with and avoid, and felt the familiarly uncomfortable sensation below her naval before feeling that strange rushing feeling, solid ground appearing under her feet again.