Euphoria ; Harry Potter [4] (DISCONTINUED)

Eighteen

Christmas had arrived to which Robyn was grateful for. She needed something to brighten her mood through the dark days, and being surrounded by her family and friends was the kind of remedy she needed.

Currently, Robyn's family were sat down with the Weasley's and some of the Order members for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, Hermione couldn't make it and had her own family ordeals to deal with.

Robyn was sat next to Harry and felt the comfort of his hand on her knee under the table. This was nice. This was what Robyn wanted. Something normal in her life. Some time to escape the inevitable war brewing. Something to allow her to become ignorant to the higher number of suspicious deaths recently in the Dailey Prophet that told everyone that Voldemort was rising and that no one was safe anymore. It was nice for Robyn to escape all that and just spend time with the ones she loved.

Mrs. Weasley was turning up the wireless radio she had and beamed happily around the room. "Oh, one of my favorites! We danced to this when we were eighteen, remember, Arthur?"

Arthur smiled and nodded. Robyn couldn't help but notice Fleur turn to Bill and make a face, putting her hands over her ears, resulting in a laugh from Bill and even Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley looked put off, so Robyn decided to step in, feeling bad for the woman.

"I bet it was a night to remember." Robyn said with a kind smile.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her gratefully and beamed again, her eyes glossing over in memory. "Oh, it was!"

Ebony couldn't help but gush and Robyn grinned at her mom. "Oh, please tell me all the details!"

Richard chuckled while Alex pretended to gag. Robyn threw her napkin at him; muttering "idiot" under her breath.

Before anymore could be said, Ginny came into the picture, coming up behind Harry, earning the boys attention. "Harry, Professor Lupin's here!"

Robyn's eyes drifted to the doorway where she expected her favourite Professor to enter. Ginny noticed this and elaborated. "In the kitchen. Mum invited him. She invited Tonks too but she couldn't come. I'm wondering if Mum invited Tonks to see if Bill will fall for her instead of Miss Full-of-herself over there."

Harry laughed at Ginny but Robyn couldn't help but scoff. "One day you're going to end up liking her and all of this will be for nothing."

Ginny grinned lazily at Robyn. "You know if I wanted the third degree, I could just set off one of Fred and George's pranks."

Robyn opened her mouth to reply but  couldn't when she felt Harry's hand tugging her into the hallway.

Harry grinned at her; the kind of grin you know someone is up to something they shouldn't be. It was full of mischief. He looked up and down the corridor to make sure it was empty before pressing her against the wall and kissing her gently.

All reason of why they shouldn't do this left Robyn's head as she felt Harry's lips and touch. The thought that they could get caught slipped away into oblivion and the only thing playing on her mind was how her skin burned from Harry's touch and that she truly believed she could kiss him forever.

Once Harry pulled away, Robyn couldn't help but grin. A big, goofy one. "That was daring, even for you, Potter."

Harry smiled. "Oh yeah-?"

Laughter from the dining room made the pair of them remember where they were and they snapped out of it almost instantly, making sure to put some space between the two of them.

"C'mon," said Harry. "Let's go to the kitchen. Lupin's probably waiting."

Harry and Robyn entered the kitchen a moment later and saw Remus Lupin leaning against the kitchen counter, a cup of what was either tea or coffee in his hand. He looked thin and tired but smiled nonetheless at the sight of the two teenagers. The smile didn't look right, not with his hollow cheeks and pale skin. Robyn wished he would go back to being healthy. Like he was in their third year when he actually got to eat decent meals. "Harry, Robyn, good to see you both."

Robyn smiled back at him albeit a bit sad. "Good to see you too."

"You, too. You look--I mean--" Harry stumbled, his voice edged with sadness. Why did good people always meet sticky ends?

Remus didn't seem phased by the teens sad voices. "I don't look my best, do I? That's all right. I've been on Order business."

"Can I know what?" Harry asked.

Remus regarded the two of them for a moment before smiling again. Trust was glimering in his eyes. "Yes, I don't see why not. I've been sent to infiltrate the werewolves who are on Voldemort's side. Fenrir Greyback is their leader. Very bad sort. Scorns wizards. Acts like a wolf even in human form, when it's not the full moon."

Robyn felt a shiver run down her spine. "That sounds horrible."

Remus laughed though nothing was very funny. "Yes, I quite agree."

"Can he turn someone to a werewolf when it's not the full moon?" Harry wondered, watching Remus take a sip of his hot bereage.

"No, but his human bite still carries some degree of the curse. Greyback was the wolf who turned me, in fact." A emptiness filled Remus' words as he spoke. As if he was tired of feeling remorse over this revelation.

Robyn gasped and went to speak but no words came out.

Luckily after a moment of silence, Harry was able to find his own words. "That's awful. How do you do it--pretend you're on his side?"

Remus smiled again at Harry and Robyn. It was the sort of smile that held courage and sadness and knowing and a mess of other emotions Remus masked away from showing in his tired eyes. "I do it because I must. For the greater good. So that those who have sacrificed so much more won't have done it in vain."

Silence fell yet again and Robyn didn't have to read minds to know who Remus was talking about; to know who Harry was thinking about. It was as if the silence was screaming Sirius' missing presence and it suddenly made the room very hard to breathe in.

Robyn intertwined her fingers with Harry; feeling he needed the comfort. It seemed it gave him the courage to speak again for he said; "I miss Sirius. A lot. He offered me a home, and now, that's--"

Remus nodded and Robyn could see his eyes shine over but he refused to let any tears fall. "That's why I do it. Why we all do what we have to."

Another moment of silence passed. Not an uncomfortable one but a thoughtful one.

"I wanted to ask you about him. Or...well, I don't know if it's just about him. It might be about you. Or even my father. Have you ever heard about someone who called himself 'the Half-Blood Prince?'"

Remus leaned back, the stifling room still filled with the ache of Sirius and all the other people who have been lost to the war but now it held something else too. "Can't say that I have. There are no Wizarding princes. Why, is this a title you're thinking of adopting? I would have thought 'The Boy Who Lived' was quite enough."

Robyn grinned and she saw a flicker of a child-like spark cross Remus' eyes. It was obvious the Werewolf was just messing with the boy but Harry was oblivious to the teasing tone.

"No! It's someone who used to go to Hogwarts; I've got his old Potions book and he wrote all over it. Potions, spells that he invented. There was one called Levicorpus--" Harry was quick to explain himself.

"Oh, I remember that one. It was rather in vogue when I was in school. There were a few months in my fifth year when you couldn't move for being hoisted into the air by your ankle."

"I saw my father use something like it. In a memory. He used it on Snape. I thought maybe one of you invented it." Harry said.

The air in the room shifted again. "No telling where it came from. It wasn't I. And your father and Sirius were both purebloods, and neither of them ever asked us to call him 'Prince.'"

Harry looked disappointed as Remus took another sip of his drink.

Robyn, quick to defuse the tension, stupidly said; "horrible weather today, isn't it?" And all of them couldn't help but grin, the tension in the room immediately lifting.

(I quite like this chapter. I think it's the best I've done in a while anyway. Hope you enjoy, until next time...)