𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 | 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

Horrible and Beautiful

PSA: my book is atyd compliant, because mskingbean89 is a literal genius. i suggest you go to ao3 right now and read her masterpiece, if you haven't already.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

May 16, 1994

"She's officially an idiot."

"Ah, please, she was always an idiot."

"She just ran straight at him?"

"Yep. Like I said, she's an idiot."

Elodie rolled over in her hospital bed, her body feeling like it had just gone through a meat grater.
"Talking about me, boys?"

She opened her eyes a crack. Fred and George were sitting beside her in the hospital wing, and Ron was asleep in the cot next to her's.

"She's alive." George grinned. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

"What happened?" Elodie croaked. "Sirius and Lupin, are they okay? Did Peter get the dementors kiss? Where are Harry and Hermione?" She rambled nervously.

Fred and George shared a glance.

"Pettigrew got away." Fred told her. "They had Sirius about ready to be kissed, but he escaped."

Elodie breathed out. "He's still on the run, then."

"Yeah."

"And Lupin? He got on alright without the wolfsbane?"

Fred bit his lip. "No one blames you, love,"

"Really, Lupin said it was best for everyone, actually." George added.

"Snape was furious when he woke up and you'd been attacked, and he, well..."

"He let slip Lupin's wolf status to a couple people."

"What?!" Elodie sat up. She regretted it immediately. Her hand hurt, worse than anything: there were trails of clawmarks running the length of her right arm, and her hand was wrapped in a thick bandage that suggested it was in even worse condition underneath.

"He's leaving at the end of the year." Fred concluded.

"No!" Elodie exclaimed. "They can't do that, not because of me!"

Fred looked at the floor. "Well... he attacked you, Els."

Elodie glared at both of them, angered at the side they were taking in this argument. "Not on purpose! He was in wolf form, if I had just gotten the potion to him a little bit sooner-"

George shook his head. "Stop it, Els. Don't blame yourself. Lupin was never going to last."

George was probably right. When it came to serious matters, George was usually right. Elodie exhaled.

"I want to see him."

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

Elodie had been told by several different people that she was too weak to walk, and by several more people that Lupin didn't want to see her. She ignored all of them.

Elodie stumbled to his classroom, her body feeling a little weaker with every step. She clung to the railing with her good hand until she got to his office. Elodie leaned against the door, slightly out of breath.

Lupin was at his desk, holding his scarred face in his hands. This looked like possibly the most broken man Elodie had ever seen. She decided not to pity him, however. Elodie knew if she was in his place, the last thing she would want was pity.