BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE - REMUS LUPIN

3 - "THOSE BOYS"

CHAPTER THREE

"those boys"

Remus watched from the Gryffindor table as Hollis Rosier became a whole new person than the serious, slightly terrifying girl she was back on the train.

After all the first years had been sorted in their houses, the other years began to catch up with those they hadn't been able to on the train. The Slytherin table was particularly rambunctious, half of the first years had been sent to the green decked table. This unusual sorting left Gryfinndor with only three new members, a slight shock.

"All of the Death Eaters must have decided it was a 'swell time to have kids all at once," quipped Sirius, earning a laugh from James and Peter.

Remus smiled slightly a few seconds afterwards with delayed amusement, but was too focused on the group of fifth and sixth year Slytherins to do much else.

More specifically, the only girl in the group.

Of all people, Hollis was surrounded by Lucius Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Regulus Black, and Roldolphus Lestrange. The five of them were laughing over something she had said, obviously happy to be reunited at school and not some uptight ball.

A perfect, pureblooded group on the surface.

But Remus detected the tiny movements that tipped this friendship off balance quickly.

For one, Regulus's eyes were more on Hollis's lips than her eyes, and Lucius had a smirk etched on his face every time she glanced away from him, like he knew something she didn't as his prefect badge glistened. Roldolphus was bumping into her a little too much as they shifted slightly as a group. 

Theodore was the worst, however. His hands would repeatedly graze over the small of Hollis's back, sometimes a fraction too low for a split second too long.

Every time this happened, Hollis's smile would become forced, her charming demeanor faltering. She knew, but she didn't know how to say that she knew. Her eyes moved to the blonde and the redhead sitting side by side at the Gryffindor table. She had been about to greet them before these four boys rushed her over.

Even Narcissa seems better than this, Rosier thought, leaning forward slightly to look at the pale girl down the table, a prefect badge on her chest as well. My parents would want me to steal that badge right away.

Hollis's nose wrinkled slightly.

She can keep it-

Her thought was cut off by the rough jostle of Lucius moving over as Avery sat down, her shoulder knocked into Theodore. She turned to glare, but faltered as Nott began to speak to her.

Remus tightened his grip on his fork, a strange type of anger he had never felt before pounding through him.

Whatever that snake was saying to her, she seemed to be barely capable of restraining her anger. Lucius elbowed Hollis slightly, jokingly, directly in the stomach, as if to get her to lighten up and laugh at Nott's crude joke.

Remus watched very carefully as a stream of pain and fear washed across her face. When he blinked, it was replaced by a still smiling face. Malfoy didn't know about her cut, Remus told himself over and over.

Yet with every slight wince Hollis gave over the next few minutes, his heart pounded faster and faster. Finally, the food appeared and they were distracted away from her.

The longer and longer Remus watched, the more and more he saw her fade.

She was between Theodore and Lucius, both of whom had plenty of room on the other side of the bench to her, yet still were sitting a little too close.

Calm down, don't lose it. If you think they're bad now, just wait until they get mad, Hollis told herself. Merlin, I just want to sleep. It's been a long damn day.

She looked down at a piece of potato for longer than anyone sane should ever stare at a root vegetable, trying to get away from their preying glances for just a second.

When Hollis's dark eyes tilted back upwards, she saw Remus Lupin staring back at her from a table away.

Instead of looking down like she expected him to, he held the gaze with his dark green eyes, daring her to turn away first.

Roldolphus was watching Hollis carefully, unknown to her. His cold eyes followed her line of sight to the Gryffindor table, landing on Lupin as well. She still wasn't breaking Remus's and her eyes apart until a sudden movement came from Lestrange.

Roldolphus had "accidentally" slid his knife across the table after losing his grip, where it then ricochetted off a plate with a slight ding and finally tore against Hollis's finger.

Remus's head went light with anger as Roldolphus turned to look directly at him, grinning with a small shrug that said look away, halfblood. 

A small bead of blood blossomed from Hollis's dark skin. She cringed. Theodore instantly helped her with a dab of his napkin, like the true gentleman he was.

Remus was furious.

How had he never noticed this before?

And unknown to the Slytherin boys across the room, Hollis was aware of every single reaction Remus had just had. She also knew their exact tactics, even though they thought they were getting away with manipulating her. Hollis seemed to have every person fooled at that table, except Theodore. His dark eyes knew too much, Remus was sure of it.

"Moony, hello?"

"Is anyone there?"

"I think he died eating, just now."

Remus snapped back to his three friends, all watching him with faces trying not to laugh. James burst first, followed by Peter. Sirius was the only one to show curiosity in the form of a raised brow, but Remus shook his head.

He didn't need Sirius to have another reason to be worried about his childhood friend.

The feast continued and ended as normal. As they lay in bed that night, many thoughts drifted through the four boys heads.

Peter was thinking of when he could eat next, along with hoping that Sirius, James, or Remus would be with him next time he came across Hollis Rosier so he wouldn't have to face her alone.

Sirius was highly concerned for Remus, who seemed to have changed in a matter of hours. Lupin had said nothing almost the entire dinner, and was looking at the Slytherins with far too much hatred than the kind boy that he had known for four years. He was also thinking of how suddenly Hollis had popped back up into his life, and how his interactions with her were so frequently violence based.

James was thinking off the last of the blood he had rinsed off his hand hours earlier.

That blood had come from her body, James thought over and over. From a cut. 

Yes, it was obvious, but he had never been that badly injured. It was hard for him to process. He wondered how she was so good at hiding it, how she had gotten the practice. He was wondering where the gash had come from, why she was on the train car so early. None of it made any sense.

Remus's thoughts were the most simple. He was wondering how he could get away with murdering all those Slytherins by morning.

IMPORTANT - in this reality, regulus black is a year older than sirius rather than younger

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