SABAISM | H. POTTER

FIFTEEN. | WOLF IS OUT OF THE BAG

"I'M LOSING MY DAMN MIND," GEMINI SWORE; THWARTING HER HEADREST IN VEXATION, "SERIOUSLY, HARRY! HOW HAS THE JADEDNESS NOT YET SQUANDER YOU?" - Madam Pomfrey had insisted on keeping the dyad magnets for peril tucked away in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. As a consequence, the pair of freewheeling Gryffindor's had ended up conducting themselves in divergent ways from the confinement. Harry, plainly making the choice to sulk, didn't quibble nor grumble about...but he wouldn't authorize the medic to throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. - To be fair; He'd commonly accepted that he was acting absurd, knowing that the Nimbus was beyond restoration, but he couldn't help it. He felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends. - Gemini, however, undoubtedly exercised her choice in dramatics.

"Darling," he started; kneading his forehead, "It's Saturday. We only have to handle this for one more day. - Besides, we've had an abundance of visitors to keep us company!" The lioness forcefully breathed out; then stressed, "Love. Don't get the signals crossed here. Hagrid's bunch of earwiggy flourish he delivered that resemble tawny cabbages, a blushing Ginny Weasley that gifted us with homemade get-well cards, Wood giving us the play by play for the next match, Ron munching on my numerous sweets that i've received, and Hermione lulling us to sleep by reading novels...I appreciate it all! Hell, I'm even thankful for my dad stopping by this daybreak to shout at me for my 'startling amount of lunacy." His words, not mine. Because at least all of that was somewhat riveting. But, I am sick and tired of just laying here! Are you telling me you aren't restless?" Harry, in rejoinder, glimpsed back down to his wrecked broomstick. "Oi! Put an end to that," the young woman upbraided, "I already told you that you'll be using my Nimbus!"

Well, this went from trying to guilt trip the boy into partaking in something mischievous to having to console him real fast. "Merlin, Harry Potter," she puffed, "I apologize for jumping down your throat. You know how I am when spiritless. But, not to stroke my own ego, shouldn't you be thrilled at this moment?" Disbelieving malachite eyes met her own apace. "What the bloody hell are you on about?," he questioned; repudiation clear. "What I'm on about, doltish, is that you're semi-alone with me. I am the most marvelous human being! I mean, if I was restrained in a room with another individual...I'd want it to be me." That emanated a clamorous laugh. "You're full of yourself, aren't you?," he chuckled. She awarded him with such a radiant expression that any lingering melancholy completely slipped him. "What?," he softly inquired; longing for her to always examine him in this fashion. Ripping open a sugar quill; Gemini retaliated, "Just now ciphering that. Are you, Love?" Then polished off the candied treat within the shortest interval of time. "You know, you popping artificial sweets left and right is presumptively why you have a great amount of energy," he jested; launching his own emptied wrappers at her amusing persona. "Hey," she gleefully laughed; occluding the soaring plastic, "When Pom-Pom finds fault with the rubbish sowed about; know i'm placing the responsibility of this all on you!" His head titled back in immoderate laughter; making the reprisal through chortles, "Of course you would!"

After three winks of consuming laughter the duo ceased their hysterics; having to wipe the tears that'd poured from their lacrimal glands. A comfortable renitence passed before Harry murmured, "Gemini?" The girl hummed in muffled acknowledgment. "If I reveal something to you, an incident that I haven't divulged to anyone else, do you promise you won't tell anyone else? Like, genuinely promise no one else will know besides us?" The devouring of confection cut short as she shot him a meaningful look. "Obviously, Harry. I promise." He nodded, refusing to receive her interestedness, and cleared his pharynx; professing, "The other day, at the match, former to me losing full awareness...I-I saw the Grim. In the stands. I apprehend how mentally strange that comes across, but I give my word that I did." Gemini perceived his small demeanor; how he neglected to match her eyes, and consoled, "Love, first off, I want you to be conversant in the fact that I'd never think you crazy. Alright? You could come to me seeking assistance in hiding a body and I'd readily offer my support. Second off, I would never discredit how you feel. Third off, I am certain that I'm familiar with what you're bringing up. I think you're talking about Snuffles. I could've sworn that I examined him myself sitting at the top of the stands. The shower prevented me from completely believing it or not, though. Anyways, he's this stray that's been wandering Hogwarts grounds as of late. Very Grim-ish visually, if you ask me."

It was, so to speak, as if relief had washed over him then and there. She observed and attested it from how his shoulders released tension, and from the undersized smile that had painted his features. "You're probably right; as always," he breathed, "You still promise to not tell anyone though, right?" She rapidly gestured her head to restore confidence to his entrustment of her. "Of course, Harry," she assured. Taking his certainty of her into account, she scrutinized the boy in a plenary new light. He respected her so highly. - Continually there for her, looking out for her in circumstances she hadn't even fought against herself, and backing her up completely in everything she decided. It was then she'd made the decision. -

"Harry," she fixed; so intently that the boy looked her in the eye at last. "Yeah?," he queried. "Well," she begun; still hammering away at if she should indeed carry this out, "This is a two way street, correct? The trust, I mean. Because; if I was to unload something, a circumstance so severely taciturn, to you alone...would it be thrown back in my face by someone on the outside?" The Boy-Who-Lived responded automatically, as he always had done for Gemini Lupin-Black, and confirmed, "Without a doubt it'd stay in the middle of us. I assure you!" She heavily scrutinized him. "You are able to comprehend that if you ever share this with anyone that I'll hex you so bad that even Pom-Pom won't be able to reverse whatever I do," she forewarned. "I would expect nothing less out of you," he warmly divulged; expiation heedfulness solely for the lioness.

"Don't interrupt me," she warned; clandestinely casting a wandless Muffliato, "You have this urge to be conversant in my whereabouts; where I go once a month. It's touching, truly. But, I was continually tied up in making sure Hermione accepted my explanations without fail...that I overlooked you figuring out my numerous misrepresents not adding up. I, um, I have lied. Yes. I give the nod to that. - Here is the verity, Harry. My dad, Remus John Lupin, has a disease. One that isn't inborn, and one he unquestionably didn't seek out. You see, when he was four-years-old...an atrocious man broke into his family home and condemned him to a callous life. Well, not entirely lousy. He has me as a kid after all. But, that's besides the point. My dad...he's been damned to an existence of dissecting himself negatively because of the stigma around this affliction, damned to feel malice about himself all because he procreated and passed down certain traits, damned to people looking down on him if they learn about his biggest insecurity, and damned to an exposure of unimaginable pain once a month...that's, uh, many moons. That was a funny joke...and you'll soon know why. Ha, Lycanthropy. Lycanthropy, Harry. A werewolf bit my dad at four-years-old and infected him. That's the reasoning behind me being an unregistered Animagus, and that is also the reasoning behind where I vanish off to once a month. I keep him company. A werewolf is not threatened by animals...I honestly don't know why, but it's actually quite a fun experience. Well, sometimes. It makes the experience for him less painful, and that's all I'll ever care about. I will fight for that man, everlasting. I'll fight for him to feel loved, to feel supported, to feel fleeting moments of not identifying as a monster, and to feel as though he has someone in his corner. Most importantly, I will have an altercation with anyone that talks lowly in regards to him. Even you. I am notifying you about this because I...I trust you. I trust you, a lot. And, perhaps this will get you off of my back. Who knows. Yet, if you say one injurious comment about my father or treat him differently...I will obliviate you. I know how." Reprieve additionally submersed the female; capitulating to sharing this was amazing.

"Gemini," Harry started, "Look at me." Under protest, she did as such. At any rate, expecting an arbitrary glower, she instead met a nonchalant Harry Potter. "You're not going to have to obliviate me," he cinched; emeralds burning into her, "Your dad is a prodigious man; someone I believe many should take seriously. I refuse to harbor any fear for the gentleman who raised you. Because, you are the most genuine person I've ever met and that had to be learned from somewhere. I mean; you threw yourself off of your broom in a rainstorm to fall with me so I wouldn't be alone, and you spend once a month with your dad in that form so he doesn't feel alone. I've seen evil, Gem, and he isn't it. I promise to take this to my grave, but just let me know if I could ever help. Okay?" An aqueous chuckle escaped her gob, "You, Harry Potter, are all you're cracked up to be." Then, suddenly, the boy exclaimed, "Wait a second! Is that why Snape...and the paper?!"