Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 10

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Auriga was still leaning against the wall in the alleyway when darkness fell on the London streets. She'd been here for hours, she was sure of it. Terrified that someone would find her and drag her back to the wedding. She hadn't got changed and was still in her wedding dress, when she stopped the tears from falling and decided enough was enough. She had left so she could take control of her life and she wasn't going to waste it by sitting next to a skip.

She hurried out into the street that was filled with fast-moving muggle contraptions, and girls in short skirts, and guys that had had too much to drink. She walked purposefully down Charring Cross Road, mud splattering her dress and staining the expensive satin, but she didn't care. She was probably going to throw it in a bin anyway.

"Need a rebound, beautiful?" a drunk stranger called after her. She ignored him and carried on down the road until she reached her destination, her feet feeling broken and aching in her brand new shoes.

She pushed the door to the Leaky Cauldron open and stepped inside. It was quite busy as it was a Saturday night, and she had to pick up her dress and squeeze between people to get to the bar. Many people's heads turned to look at her, before deciding she wasn't anything unusual and moving back to their conversations. The bartender was rushing around and getting people's orders, so Auriga waited patiently, wanting nothing more than to get out the dress and climb into a warm bed.

"Yes, Miss?" the bartender said, not really looking at her. But when he did, his eyes widened and then filled with sympathy, "A room or a drink?" he asked her kindly.

"A room please," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.

He nodded in understanding. "Ellie!" he called across the room over the din of people, and one of the waitresses looked up from placing plates of food down. "On the bar, please!" he ordered, placing a firm hand on Auriga's back and steering her away from the staring crowd towards a door marked, Private.

He guided her down a door-lined corridor and up some stairs into another room. It had a simple double bed and hardwood floors, an armchair by the small, grimy window, and a chest of drawers next to that. "Bathroom's through there," the bartender said, indicating a door on the right, "And I'll need you to sign in in the morning, but that can wait for now. And you don't need to pay until the end of your stay."

"Thank you," Auriga said, smiling gratefully.

"Now, I've had my fair share of runaway brides in here," he said, crossing the room to the window, "And I've found that if they talk about what happened, they usually feel better, and if they don't they keep the other guests up by crying well into the night." He offered up a kind smile and Auriga laughed a little bit and then sniffed.

"I'm Auriga," she said, offering her hand.

He took it, "Tom."

She sighed and plopped down onto the bed, her dress puffing up around her. She attempted to flatten them down while indicating to Tom to sit. "It was all arranged by our parents," she started, looking at the wall in front of her, "That's how it's always been in our families. I didn't see a problem with it, I thought my parents were doing what was best for me, and he seemed nice enough at first. My fiance, I mean," she said turning to Tom. "Ex-fiance now, I suppose," she continued, fiddling with the ring on her finger.

She pulled it off and placed it on the bedside table. Her hand felt oddly light and free. "Anyway," Auriga continued, "We got engaged just before I graduated from Hogwarts. I got a job at the Ministry as soon as I got my NEWT results. And then he turned violent, and controlling, and he told me I should quit my job." A few tears dripped down Auriga's face and Tom conjured a box of tissues, which she took gratefully.

"Thanks," she said blowing her nose. "After that, I didn't really know what to do. I wasn't looking forward to the wedding at all. But I've never had many friends - not real ones anyway. Just people from school. I asked my mother about what to do, and she said if I didn't go through with it, my father would be forced to disown me." She began to cry again and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"I told myself I'd go through with it. My family mean everything to me - they're my whole world! But then I looked at myself in the mirror earlier, and I hated everything about what I was doing. And I just...I just couldn't do it!" Tom nodded encouragingly, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I mean, if I'm lying to myself, and making myself unhappy, what's the point in even living life? I may as well leave and make a new one."

Auriga finished triumphantly and looked up into Tom's kind eyes. "It sounds like you've made the right choice," he said to her wisely, "Now, I've got to dash, but I can get one of the girls to bring you some spare robes. And then you're welcome to come and have a drink at the bar."

Auriga nodded, wanting nothing more than to take off her dress, "That would be nice," she said, "Thank you, Tom."

He turned around as he got to the doorway, "It's what I'm here for," he said, an encouraging smile flitting across his face.

*****

Auriga groaned as she sat up in bed, sunlight dancing across her face. Her head was pounding as she got up to turn the shower on. She had definitely had far too much to drink last night, but who could blame her? She was a free woman! Free to drink as much as she wanted, and talk to and dance to whoever she wanted. She didn't even care if they were a mudblood - Merlin, she hadn't even thought to ask! And it felt good. Well, aside from the hangover.

Auriga got washed and dressed into the spare robes and headed downstairs and into the bar area. It was significantly emptier than it had been the night before, save for a few families and groups of friends having brunch. She sat down in the corner of the bar and watched as people crossed into Diagon Alley. She glanced over at the clock hanging on the opposite wall - ten o'clock exactly. The perfect time to start the day.

"Morning, Auriga," Tom said as he wiped down the bar, "Breakfast?"

"Please," she said with a smile.

"Will bacon and eggs suit you?" He asked, shoving the cloth into his pocket and whipping out his notebook.

"That'd be great, Tom," she said, "And some pumpkin juice please."

"No problem," he said with a grin, "Do you mind signing in with last night's date? The book's just over there," he said, indicating a desk near the front door that she hadn't seen the night before.

Half an hour later and Auriga was stuffed full of food and heading out into Diagon Alley. First stop, Gringotts, then Madame Malkin's and then she was going to try and find some sort of estate agent. It was about time she found a place of her own.