The Secret's In The Telling ENG DRARRY

Chapter 6: Lupin's Losin' It

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The days began to even out as life, in that insufferable habit it has, returned to a slower pace.

In the weekend after the full moon, Draco was to be found at any hour of the day inside the Slytherin common room, revelling in the fact that he could safely stay the night if he so wished. He did just that, of course, claiming that by the time Pansy slyly pointed out the existence of his own room, it was far too late for him to return to it. She hadn't been fooled, he knew, but then, he hadn't been trying particularly hard to fool her. And so, he'd spent the two lazy days doing nothing but flirting with the blond girl and listening to Blaise's tactless jokes, all the while trying his hardest to convince himself he could still be a proper part of all this, if he wanted to be. As for his... problem, the undercurrent of denial had resumed its course, and Draco was determined only to confront it again next month.

Meanwhile, Harry went through phases of happily throwing himself into his friends' activities, and then countering it all with the hours in which he purposely separated himself from them, frantically trying to put distance between himself and other people. He didn't know why the longing sometimes came over him, but it had been happening for so long now that the need didn't seem unusual anymore. Those hours were always either spent in the Room of Requirement, continuing his study, or standing at the edge of the lake. In those times, he would stare listlessly out at the vast stretch of blank water, trying not to remember.

Hermione, as always, fretted over the strange habits of her best friend. If possible, this new, almost... bipolar version of Harry worried her more than the constantly depressed one of a week ago. She could understand him being depressed, in the wake of Sirius's death, but this... One minute he was acting like nothing was wrong, and the next it was like he couldn't stand to spend another moment around them. Not only did it hurt, it... It was unhealthy, surely! For a while, she'd thought that Harry had been called to Dumbledore's office to discuss his behaviour, but when asked, Harry had said it was to do with Order business, and that the Headmaster had sworn him to secrecy. And so, she came up with an idea she hoped would snap him out of it for good...

Ron worried, as well, but perhaps his concerns were less in-depth that Hermione's. The redhead only saw Harry stepping in to stop him thrashing Malfoy – something Ron was sure Harry would have enjoyed any other time. He'd heard that people sometimes became passive when they were depressed, and decided that he'd just have to keep an extra eye out for his best friend, make sure certain blond prats didn't take advantage of the situation. Ron also worried that Harry's performance in the upcoming Quiddich match might suffer, though he'd never voice such things aloud. As far as he knew, Harry had never before allowed his personal life to interfere with his game – but then, things had never really been this bad before...

But despite these miniature melodramas, life was, in general, returning to normal – or as near to it as Hogwarts could ever be.

So it came as a true shock to Severus Snape when he was woken in the wee hours of Monday morning by urgent pounding on the door to his rooms. Possibilities flying through his head – something to do with Draco, surely; no, it would be Dumbledore, with some new, urgent mission for him; or maybe Potter, into yet more trouble – he scrambled out of bed, throwing on a dark blue dressing robe as he went, and hurried to answer the caller, who had yet to cease the incessant banging.

Throwing open the door which guarded his private rooms, both his irritation and alarm showing on his face, the Potions Master was greeted with the astounding sight of one very dishevelled Remus Lupin.

The man was dressed in bland blue and white striped pyjamas. He'd also thrown on a threadbare dark red robe, but hadn't quite managed to tie it properly, and the shoulders were wet through with rain from his walk up to the castle, since he was now occupying Hagrid's hut along with his teaching position.