𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 03

CHAPTER THREE
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE TAKES IT

. . .

Pandora Rosier was a law to herself. Having been locked away for years on end, her magic, whilst not contained by the limitations of wizarding education, had turned into something so much powerful and untameable to anyone but herself.

All eyes were on her as breakfast was eaten, the girl still not touching any food but having a cup of tea poured in front of her. She was stirring it by circling her finger around the top, gaze focused on her fork, which seemed to be the odd one out from the others, the type engraved with leaves along the handle.

The screech of owls could be heard, and it didn't even break her focus. Letters and small parcels dropped into the tables below, students happy to recieve their first mail of the year. Pandora didn't get any mail - she didn't know anyone to get any from, and so the whole even didn't interest her. 

But the thing to break her trance wasn't a letter accidentally dropped her head, or a particularily loud owl screech. No, instead it was the sound of parchment cutting. Someone opened their letter just a little down the table from her, and the stirring off her tea stopped and her head snapped upwards.

Those around her were shocked by the sudden movements, a dark haired girl beside her resting a hand over her heart for a moment. It was nerve-racking enough sitting near her, even with the gap between them. But what just seemed to add to it was her lack of movement contrasting with that on her had snapping upwards.

Her eyes instantly focused on the person who had opened the letter, the daughter of one of those pureblood families. Her eyes lit up, and the scraping of the wooden bench echoed along the floor as she stood up, pushing it back. 

Stepping away from the table, her tea and fork discarded, the still completely inappropriate heels clicked against the stone as she moved around the end of the table. Hand raised, she began to count as she walked towards where the letter had been opened.

 A butterfly seemed to be produced from each fingertip, fluttering over the head of the poor students who she counted. It didn't take long, thankfully.

"Twelve.." Another butterfly settling above the student as Pandora came to a stop, stood above where the letter had been opened. "Thirteen. How.. coincedental." Pandora's eyes glittered. "Must not be your lucky day." She commented, looking down at the younger girl.

The Slytherin girl couldn't have be older than thirteen, and in comparison to the much older and more confident Pandora, she cowered in fear. "Ca..Can I help you?" She asked, looking up at her, shivering under the gaze of the girl, not exactly knowing the look that sparked in the dark eyes, but knowing that she hated it. 

"Pandora Rosier. Hm.. you're rather pretty yourself." She leant down slightly, a tremor rippling through her outstretched hand for just a moment. Pandora didn't speak another word as she smiled down at the girl, curling a lock of hair around her finger, the dark brown strands catching on the ring wrapped around it. 

"However." Pandora dropped the lock almost as quickly as she had picked it up, and with a flick of her wrist, something silver was moving from the table, landing in her palm. "This is so much prettier." 

Resting in her hand was a rather ornate letter opener. It was shaped similar to a sword, the hilt comprised of rather elaborate swirls and designs. The blade itself seemed to have similar pattern running down from where the hilt ended, coming to an end part way through. 

"You can have it if you want." The girl managed to get out, gulping. "I'll just write and ask for another one. One that isn't so pretty." 

"So sweet." Pandora smiled, eyes focused on the letter opener. In a seemingly quick movement, she had her finger placed on the tip, pressing down slightly. It almost drew blood, but suddenly there was a hand on her wrist, pulling her finger away. 

The smile on her face dropped instantly, and it was almost a direct repeat of what had happened the night before. Looking to her side, Pandora expected Sirius Black, but instead it was none other than Remus Lupin. 

"Pretty." The smile had returned instantly upon seeing him, and amusement danced in her eyes. "Did you sleep well? I hope nothing kept you up."

Remus froze for a moment - the night before he had been rather preoccupied with the thought of the extremely strange girl who had called him pretty on so many occasions. And her words, they seemed haunting, and he hadn't gotten that good of a night's sleep.

Instead of her hand, Remus focused to find that the cold silver of the letter opener was trailing along his jaw, the wonderous look still on her face.

"Miss Rosier." A voice echoed over students. It was Dumbledore, and Pandora's head tilted to the side, gaze flickering from the Lupin boy to the headmaster. "That's enough." 

"Ah, but I was having so much fun." Pandora replied, voice neither loud nor quiet, and various students found that whilst they couldn't hear her, Dumbledore could. "But alas." Pandora said a moment later, and with a crack, the letter opener split, the hilt and blade seperated.

They fell to the ground, and Pandora stared. "What a shame. It was so pretty." She murmured with a sigh, looking up and eyes widening only slightly as she saw red blooming on Remus's jaw, the boy staring down at her. A flustered sort of panic appeared in her eyes, and quickly, her hand shot upwards, a single finger placing over the tiny cut that the blade had made. 

Seconds later and she pulled her hand away. Remus replaced where the cut was, surprised to find the skin smooth. "Perfect." Pandora said. "And so pretty."

"That's it." The Lupin boy said, hand circling Pandora's forearm, dragging her forward. 

And she went willingly. But the butterflies that hung above the heads of those twelve students didn't.

They only wilted and died.

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