"Who is that?" He whispered.
They turned to look at the girl in front of them, clutching her chest with a panicked look on her face.
"Does it really matter?" She gasped and squeezed her eyes as another spike of pain ran through her body, "just get m...
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*~*~*
"So, what's your name?" Remus asked the girl.
She glanced up at him.
"Do you promise not to tell anyone?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Of course. Do you really take me as the type to tell people secrets?"
"It's Hailey. Hailey Crystal Vance."
He smiled. It was a very pretty name, for a very pretty girl.
Hailey snorted.
"I'm not pretty, Rem. I'm," she paused and flipped her hair, "fabulous."
Remus choked on his laughter, hitting himself in the chest multiple times to calm himself.
"How did you know I thought that? And why can't I tell anyone your name?"
Hailey bit her lip and glanced away.
"You said it out loud," she said, ending that subject abruptly, "and you can't tell anyone, because, well, ugh- I have people, dangerous people, after me. If word gets out that I'm here, then I have no idea what could happen."
Just thinking about it made tears slowly start dripping down her face.
"Hey," Remus said softly, reaching out and wiping her tears away with his thumb, "It's okay, Hails. I won't tell anyone."
She gave him a watery- but grateful -smile. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"Thanks, Rem," she mumbled.
He nodded and pulled away with a smile.
"Remus Lupin!"
He froze suddenly, looking sheepishly up at Madam Pomfrey.
"I can't help it, Madam Pomfrey! She's going to die from the wound and I just wanted to visit her before she's gone and get to know her," he sighed.
Hailey froze at the mention of her death.
Remus glanced at her with an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, I thought you knew."
She nodded.
"I did."
She winced in pain and her hand went up to her heart as a reflex. For some reason, none of the magic they taught worked on her and the bullet was lodged too deep in her for it to be surgically removed without killing her.
So she was given all the time she had.
Of course, they were shocked how she had even managed to survive this long. The wound should've killed her hours ago, yet here she was, sitting like nothing was wrong except a few bits of pain. Madam Pomfrey didn't know what to think.
