The Marauders and the Hollow Hill

Moons and Mudbloods

"What do you think happened in there?" Remus asked, seemingly to himself as he walked down an empty corridor. Noticeably slower than normal. He was feeling tired and worn down, and his head ached with every step he took.

"I'm not sure," said a translucent figure floating a couple inches to Remus's right - Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower. The first-year Gryffindors had seen and conversed with him many times throughout the year, though Sirius had confessed that he found Nick rather annoying. Remus quite liked Nick. He was a decent fellow and always seemed to know what was going on both inside and outside the castle. Remus never was one for gossip, but Nick always seemed to make things like that interesting. Perhaps it was the way he said it.

"Poor Paige," Remus muttered as they set off down some stairs towards the main courtyard. "And to think that Nicholls was going to ask her out next Thursday."

Nick nodded, his head bobbing ominously as he did so. "The Fat Friar told me that Paige is resting comfortably in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries-"

"Is she?" asked Remus as they turned a corner. "Good. Have they figured out what made her act like... that?"

"They're clueless, although Madam Pomfrey thought she'd taken some kind of potion."

"That's impossible, there's no potion that does that... at least, none that I've ever heard of..." They reached a door; Nearly Headless Nick simply passed through it while Remus struggled with the handle for a few moments before giving up. He was so weak he couldn't even open a door, he really should take the medicine Madam Pomfrey had prescribed him, but he didn't even know what it did-!

Nich poked his nearly-decapitated head through the door again and stared at him. "Remus! Are you quite alright?"

"What? Oh, yes. I'm... I'm fine..." Remus was having trouble concentrating, and was sweating profusely. He wiped his hands on his trousers. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw Nick glancing at his hands. He wished he had worn his robes - they would've covered up his hands - but it was the weekend, and it was too hot to go wandering about in black robes. Instead Remus had put on an old T-shirt and trousers, but even now it was too hot.

Nick raised a translucent eyebrow. "Do you want me to go for Madam Pomfrey?"

"No!" Remus answered so fast he was sure Nick would suspect something. "I... er - I forgot something - back upstairs... very important, don't wait up..." And he ran back from where they had come. He would've been fast on a normal day, but with the full moon being only a night away, Remus slowed to an exhausted walk almost immediately. Running was one of the few things he prided himself on. He'd always been good at running. He'd had to run away from almost everything...

Remus reached the stairs that lead up to the second floor, and listened. He heard nothing. He supposed most of the school was away, seeing as it was the weekend and years three and up were allowed to visit the village...

The stairs. Why did they seem so endless?

Remus sighed and began to climb. It seemed like every little step required every muscle in every part of his body. He wasn't even halfway up the first staircase when his knees gave out from underneath him.

Oh God... He stumbled for a moment, leaning on the rail for support-

"Remus?" It was Peter, descending the staircase above Remus. "Remus, is that you?"

Remus didn't have the strength to answer. So he just let Peter come to him while he sat down on one of the steps, leaning his forehead up against the cool wall. It was so cold. It felt good.