Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Sixty-Five- The Fifth Victim

TWs: Mentions of Abuse, Details of Pain 

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After a day in the hospital wing, Remus was ready to leave. Both because he had to study for exams, and because he wanted to get over facing his friends again.

"Madam Pomfrey, please," he pleaded. Still, the Matron made him open his mouth and take another tonic.

"I said you can study here. None of this nonsense. Especially after what you pulled with the migraine! I have half a mind to keep you for a week."

Remus wanted to complain, but bringing up the migraine made him feel guilty. He hung his head in defeat.

"If you're doing ok tomorrow morning I might, might let you go home before the end of the day."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," he replied with a relieved smile. She tsked at him, but smiled fondly before getting ready to wrap up the hospital wing for the night.

Remus snuggled himself down into his blankets more, sore all over, and listened to the click of her shoes as the Matron went into her office which led to her bedroom. He closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep. Just as he was about to, he heard the doors to the hospital wing open. Expecting for someone to call for the Matron which would send her running, he frowned when no call came.

This made him on edge and he sat up straighter. Remus wrapped the blankets around himself, ready for his roommates to barge in and demand answers. Instead, when the door creaked open there weren't three people, but rather one whose silhouette he could sort of see. Her hair fell past her shoulders as she stood there shyly.

"Lily?" He was surprised she would come here out of everyone. The recovering boy's surprise turned to concern as he heard her crying. The werewolf knew there was a good reason the Matron kept him in bed all day, but he forced himself out of the bed, blanket held tight around him, and stumbled his way over to her.

"Lily, what's wrong?" the immediately worried boy asked.

"Oh, Remus!" she cried softly. The sniffling girl rushed over to him before he could get much more than a few steps from his bed. She gently wrapped her arms around him as if she knew he was injured and buried her face in his shoulder, crying. He was shocked for a moment before he hugged her back.

"Lily, what is it?" he asked in a choked voice. A hundred terrible scenarios flashed through his mind. "It's not....it's not your parents, right?" he asked, suddenly horrified that they had been the latest victims of Voldemort. She shook her head, her arms still gently wrapped around his neck. He tried to get her to speak a few more times before giving up. He used what was left of his dwindling energy to calm her down.

Patiently, he rubbed her back and assured her whatever it was it would be ok and that he was there for her, always thinking of his mum as the familiar phrases came to his mind. For some reason, this made her cry harder. For a long time they remained like this, holding onto one another in the pitch-black room.

"I'm sorry, Remus. I just.....had to make sure you were ok," she sniffed, finally releasing him. The lack of her arms around him made him feel cold and uncertain. How had she known where to find him?

The self-conscious werewolf felt a stab of fear, wondering if Lily knew something. But he assured himself if she did she certainly wouldn't be coming to him for support and comfort.

"Can...can we sit down?" she asked in a small whisper, sounding close to tears again.

"Of course," he immediately said. "Should I turn on the light?"