BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE - REMUS LUPIN

𝑜𝑛𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡.

Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius Black were thoroughly overwhelmed at the sheer size of Rosier Manor. The place was a maze of black marble, iron gates, and draped windows that would take a map to navigate for anyone who didn't know their way around it. 

Making matters even worse, from their angle behind a huge, rough granite rock, the Gryffindors were all fully confident that they were missing a huge chunk of the manor. Hollis's window could be virtually anywhere, even facing the inside of some courtyard that they couldn't see. If she even had a window, that is. And, it would take them hours to walk the entire perimeter taking the necessary precautions.

The snow also proposed an unpreventable threat. Its white layer around the black marble was completely untouched, making their footprints highly noticeable. The thick coating also made it ten times harder to walk, slowing down their already cautious pace.

"So, we're here," James whispered from behind his two friends, trying to find a bright side as he looked up at one of the towering levels. "That's progress."

Sirius dramatically turned his neck around to look at James with slight annoyance. 

"Way to state the obvious, Prongs," Sirius muttered cynically as he turned back around. "Now we just have to find out where the bloody hell Hollis is."

The three boys shifted position to behind a spiky, iced over hedge just by one of the iron gates. They had moved closer to the eerily precise garden in hopes of getting a closer look into any windows, but to no avail.

Unfortunately, all of them seemed to forget that windows worked both ways.

Remus was looking at the handle of the gate with narrowed eyes. It would be hard to get open the entrance without the sound of cracked ice echoing through the alarmingly silent courtyard, but that was just a risk he was going to have to take if he wanted to see Hollis. 

Taking a step forward in the dense snow, Remus started extending his arm towards the frigid steel. Right as he did this, Sirius grabbed the auburn haired boy's wrist to stop him from moving any more.

"Are you mad?" Sirius whispered in panic. "We can't just waltz in there like it's bloody Honeydukes! We have to be more careful."

Remus's eyes narrowed. 

"Yes, because tiptoeing around the grounds getting absolutely nowhere for the past few hours had just been going brilliantly, hasn't it, Sirius?" he drawled sarcastically raising an auburn eyebrow with annoyance. "So unless you have a better idea on what to do instead of just telling me what not to do, just don't say anything."

This was the aggressively determined side of Remus that only came out when he was either defending or trying to help Hollis, and it was genuinely intimidating to the unfortunate receiver of his pointed, witty sarcasm. 

James felt the tension build as his two friends glared at each other, but right as he was about to try and break it, an extremely loud crack that sounded like a firework did the job for him.

All three boys jumped back in the snow, startled and not expecting anyone to apparate right in between the three of them.

Especially not a house elf with large, glassy grey eyes who seemed terrified to be standing between the tall boys in front of her.

The Gryffindor's initial reaction was just oh shit, especially Sirius after growing up around Kreacher. If the house elf exposed them, then there was no way they were going to get out of this unharmed. However, Remus noticed how the short little creature didn't seem mad at all. Instead, she seemed nervous but eager.

James's mouth was open in disbelief at their luck, and he looked at Sirius with panic. Neither of them had noticed what Remus had.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice that you three were discussing Mistress Appoline," the house elf whispered nervously. "I am Monty."

None of them knew how to reply to this, they were still in quite a bit of shock.

"Pleasure," Remus muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Thank you, sir," Monty said with a glimmer of appreciation. "Master Mulstone would be very angry if he were to know that Monty was here, but I think that Mistress Appoline needs you very badly." 

Remus felt a shot of nervousness go through his stomach with the sadness Monty said that Hollis needed them. 

"So Monty is here to help," the house elf said with a tremble in her voice. "I would advise you get in through her window."

A small flutter of hope arose in all three of them.

"So she's here, then?" Sirius asked with surprise that so many things were working out for them. "We can see her?"

Monty nodded, adjusting her filthy pillowcase with anxiousness.

"Yes, sir, Mistress Appoline has been locked in her room for many, many days now," Monty revealed forlornly. "The last I saw of her was when Mistress Vindia was mad with her a week ago, and Monty can imagine that some not so kind things happened."

These two statements of Hollis being both imprisoned and hit, or worse, made Remus so angry that he felt like he could kick down the gate if he wanted to. She didn't deserve any of this bullshit.

Hollis deserved the world.

"Where is she?" asked Remus with a low tone. "How can we get to her?"

Monty pointed around one of the huge walls behind James with a bony, shriveled finger.

"If you go around that corner, you will see a statue of a dragon. It should be easy to climb, and from there you will go on the second story windowsill," Monty instructed firmly. "Mistress Appoline's chamber is on the fourth of six floors, so you might have to do quite a bit of careful climbing. The window locks are on the outside of her room so that she can't get out, but you will be able to unlock them this way. Once inside, be sure to have a plan if someone sees you or is coming that way."

There were so many details, but Remus remembered every one of them. His mind sharpened when it came to helping Hollis, his determination skyrocketing.

James and Sirius both thanked Monty, but Remus paused. Noticing this, the other two boys did as well. Looking at Monty with slight suspicion, Remus's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you helping us?" Remus asked the house elf curiously. "This is only a risk for you, you get nothing out of it."

Monty's large eyes became less glassy.

"Because Mistress Appoline has only ever been kind and caring to Monty, and it was a risk for her as well that she got nothing out of," Monty replied with a vaguely happy tone at the memories of Hollis's compassion. "It is only fair that Monty does the same for her."

Remus's heart softened, while simultaneously becoming angrier at Hollis's treatment.

"Let's do this, boys."

oop - cliffhanger

stan monty for clear skin

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