𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 08

CHAPTER EIGHT
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE REVEALS HELP

. . .

"I heard you were talking about me." The voice floated around Remus's head before he even saw anyone around him, and the boy sat up from his book, looking around. He recognised it instantly, the unhesitantly playful and so so dangerous tone unique to one person. 

"Where are you?" He asked, voice low. Remus had come to the library, needing to escape the chaos of his dorm room to get some homework done - James and Sirius were trying to set up their next prank, and Peter was running around in his usual lapdog fashion.

The Lupin boy had some Charms homework he desperately needed to do - James and Sirius had been pestering him about it all week, and it was getting far too close to the full moon for him to be dealling with pestering. So he had to get the homework done, and the boys could do whatever they needed to do with it. 

"No friends today? I'm guessing they don't tend to frequent the library." The voice turned less playful, more questioning. Silence hung, Remus's eyes still darting around the library. "Well? Are they here or not."

"They're not." Remus confirmed, glancing around to see if anyone else could here. "..How are you doing this? Why is your voice in my head?"

"Answers will come, don't you worry. But if you want to know where I am, and how I'm doing this.. well, you have played hide and seek before?" Pandora's voice played so clearly in his mind, and Remus worried he was hallucinating it. "Oh don't worry, I'm here alright. No hallucinations, nothing at all like that. Come on - if you really want to know."

His quill hovered over the parchment, far too distracted to notice the droplet of ink forming on the nibb, falling to meet it's fate on the parchment. His hand shook, dislodging the droplet and it fell, blooming in a wonderful spiderweb of darkness.

"Come on, I know you're not just pretty, one of the smarter Gryffindors, am I correct?" It was so different from how she had spoken to him before, far more teasing and playful that Remus could ever imagine her doing. 

"And.. what if I don't want to play?" Remus murmured to himself, careful to keep his voice low so that he didn't seem entirely crazy. He waited with baited breath, unable to stop his eyes jerking around the room, checking just in case there was something that could fall like the statue. 

"Then you're a spoil sport. No fun at all. All I wanted was a little fun - I don't always look for danger, Lupin. But perhaps your answer lets me know for future reference." She sounded thoughtful, and Remus let out a sigh of relief. He had expected some sort of fight.

"Are you.... planning on remembering it for in the future?" Remus asked, once again so hesitant as he asked, worried for her answer.

"No, not at all." The voice wasn't in his head anymore, but instead by his ear. And if he focused, he could feel warm breath echoing there. Wondering if he was imagining that as well, he twisted in his seat, and jumped when he met her somewhat familiar eyes. "Hello, Moony." 

Remus's breath caught in his throat, taken aback by the use of his nickname. "How do you know about that?" He asked, voice far less harsh than he had aimed for.

"I told you, I heard that you and your friends had been speaking of me. That ginger girl - Evans - she's pretty. I like her." Pandora slipped into the spare chair opposite him, placing her elbows on the table. "Remus, why have you been avoiding me?" 

She looked so innocent, eyes so wide and full of some indistinguishable emotion. For a moment, the Lupin boy wondered if she was being sincere, and genuinely didn't know why he had been trying to stay away from her.

"Is it because I'm dangerous?" Her change in wording and tone made it obvious that she wasn't at all sincere. "Because I already have eyes and ears all over the castle. You should've seen your face - and your thoughts were so interesting." Remus stared at her.

"How do you know what I'm thinking? How did you get in my head - how do you know what we were saying in the Common Room?" He asked, confusion written plainly across his features.

"Ah, so many questions. And only one, simple answer." Pandora leaned towards him, and Remus watched transfixed as she moved her hand from it's resting spot, a finger dancing along his jaw, thumb brushing along his lips. 

He hardly even dared to breathe as the little brushing of her fingertips moved along, hand flattening to cup his jaw bone. Despite the resting position, he could still feel the tickling feeling, fingers twisting curls of his hair. Gently tugging elicited a form of reaction in him, nerves gathering in his stomach and forcing him to repress a sound that was far too inappropriate for the setting.

Remus had no idea why he was letting her do this, why he was letting her cold eyes bore deep into his own. He could easily shrug her off, pull her hand away - but he couldn't. 

"I suppose you could guess, if you really thought about it." Her voice was more of a sing-song tone, leaning closer to him, fingers still intertwined with his hair, palm still resting against his jaw. "It must be truly obvious when you find out."

The warmth of her hand was suddenly withdrawn, and eyes wide as he watched the gold dance across her fingertips. It was a butterfly - of course it was. "Dratted creatures, aren't they?" Pandora's head tilted as she looked across at him, having returned to her seat.

"But so, so useful."

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