Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 36

Me: I don't like Draco. Don't be stupid. He's a bully.

Also me:

Auriga was still in the kitchen, and Lupin was still stood right behind her, and Draco was still looking very confused, and everyone was still looking at her. Finally, Sirius spoke again. "Why don't you go and unpack?" he said to Draco. "There should be room to share with Ron-"

"No," said Draco bluntly.

"That is quite possibly the worst idea you've ever had, Black," said Auriga, "Including breaking out of Azkaban."

"I thought that was a good idea, actually," said Sirius.

"Both of them were terrible," Auriga told him.

"Ron wouldn't be happy with that arrangement anyway," said Arthur. Auriga pretended not to hear.

"There's an empty room next to Fred and George's," said Sirius. "It was going to be Auriga's, but I suppose we'll have to put her somewhere else."

"It's the second door on the second floor," said Mrs Weasley coolly.

"I want to know what's going on!" demanded Draco. "And why I have to stay in a place full of Weasels and werewolves." Auriga and Snape both bit their lips to stop from laughing while the rest of the room looked downright disgusted.

"I'm not happy about it either," said Auriga, jutting her chin out. "But right now we both have more urgent matters to attend to."

"What matters-" Draco began.

"Mother and Father have joined the Dark Lord," Auriga told him, "And we have not."

There was complete silence in the house while Draco processed this. A bang echoed from upstairs. "So..." Draco said, "we're...blood traitors?" The very thought looked like it sickened him.

"No," began Auriga.

"But we tolerate blood traitors?" said Draco. "And werewolves, and fugitives, and mudbloods?"

"You ought to watch your tongue young man!" said Mrs Weasley suddenly. A few of the Order members nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't say those words in my house," said Sirius with a scowl.

"I suppose," said Auriga as she and her brother ignored everyone else. That, after all, was the Malfoy way. "But the point is we aren't Death Eaters."

"But what if I wanted to be a Death Eater?" demanded Draco angrily. There were more mutters of disapproval.

"Then you'd get yourself killed," said Auriga, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And you wouldn't see me again."

"Oh," said Draco.

"Go upstairs now, Mr Malfoy," said Snape. "We will speak with you later. At the moment you are interrupting a very important meeting." Draco flushed a pale pink and nodded at his Professor, before taking his trunk and leaving the room.

"He can't send any owls or anything, can he?" Auriga asked Sirius, taking a seat next to Snape. "Or leave?" Sirius shook his head as Lupin sat down next to him.

"Now," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "Onto business. Auriga, have you heard anything of importance from the Ministry?"

*****

"Me and Charlie were going to head out for a drink," said Tonks as the meeting packed up and everyone put their cloaks on. "Do you want to come?" Mrs Weasley looked very disapproving as she observed Tonks's invitation.

"It's Charlie and I," Auriga corrected. "And I would, Nymphadora, but I'm afraid I need to attend to my brother. Another time though? Thomas and Freya could come too?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Charlie, "I'll send you an owl when I'm next visiting." Auriga offered them a small smile as they left, attempting to ignore the glares she was getting from the other Weasleys present.

She headed upstairs to the second floor and knocked on Draco's door. There was no answer. "Draco?" she called. Still no answer. Eventually she unlocked the door herself and stepped inside, dodging the curse that was thrown her way. "As the person currently responsible for you, I will confiscate your wand," she told him.

"You're not my mother," said Draco from where he was sat in an armchair. "My mother wouldn't do this to me."

"Do what to you?" asked Auriga, perching on the end of his bed.

"Drag me to live in this slum," said Draco, attempting his best sneer.

"Well, Mother didn't care much for your personal safety the last time I spoke to her," Auriga informed him. "And I refuse to stand by and watch you get dragged into a war."

"There isn't a war!" Draco protested. "Don't you read the Prophet?"

"I'm the one who has to write the articles for the bloody Prophet!" Auriga told him. "I'm the one attending all of those meetings! And I can tell you for a fact that everything in there is completely falsified."

Draco was very quiet. "I want to go home," he said eventually.

"No," said Auriga.

"What are you going to do?" asked Draco, standing up. "Hold me prisoner?"

"If we have to," said Auriga calmly.

"I don't want to live with a werewolf, or a murderer," said Draco, "How is that caring for my safety?"

"Sirius Black isn't a murderer," Auriga said, maintaining her composure, "If you ask him, he'll be happy to explain. And as for Professor Lupin, he's assured everyone that he'll go away during the days around the full moon."

Draco thought again. "I don't really have a choice here, do I?" he eventually concluded.

"Not really," said Auriga. "But you can choose whether or not to cooperate." She knew he would. After all, he'd been taught for a young age to work to his own benefit.

"Fine," said Draco, eventually.

"Excellent," said Auriga. "We need you to write a letter to Mother and Father explaining that you'll be staying with me for the summer," she told him, standing up, "Otherwise they'll report you missing."

"Fine," said Draco again, rummaging in his bag for some parchment and a quill.

Auriga watched fondly as he began scribbling away. "And dinner's going to be half an hour," she said. "Love you." Just before she closed the door, she heard a muffled, 'love you too'.