-Remus-
Sirius invited me to come to the Potter's over the last few days of summer. I wanted to see him, I had a question to ask him that I didn't ask him at the World Cup. I didn't ask it as soon as I got there, even though I was burning to know. I asked it when we had lunch, and I had to tiptoe, because asking Sirius about his family is always a touchy subject.
I kept my voice as casual as I could as I asked, "So, Sirius, I just can't help but wonder if you left home and your parents disowned you, why did they want you to talk to the Minister and say hello to your cousin?"
He huffed, and I knew he just didn't want to talk about it right now. "They had only disowned me personally, not publicly. As long as everyone else was considered we were still a big, happy family."
I nod understanding, "Ellie was certainly shocked to hear that they tourtured you the night that you left."
"Yeah, thanks for not telling her, by the way. She just gets so worried about me. I didn't need her to be upset about that, too."
"Yeah, I just have a feeling she's going to want to know if I knew. I don't want to lie to her, but she might get upset if I do tell her that I knew."
"Well," said Sirius, "if she does come asking if you want to tell her the truth then do it, if you want to ask clueless then do it. I will back you up."
"Thanks," I said, but I didn't feel any better.
I hoped that Ellie just wouldn't bring it up, but I was wrong. It almost happened on the Hogwarts Express. James and Lily were made Head Boy and Head Girl together this year, which meant James had to sit in on the Prefect's Meeting. We patrolled the corridors first for about an hour, and then we went to find our friends. We all crammed into a compartment together, all 10 of us in one compartment. We were packed but we made it work.
When James, Lily and I entered the compartment. Sirius cheered loudly for James and Lily as I sat down, Ellie sat on my lap instantly, and I rested my head on her and rested my eyes. Everything seemed to be going good. We were all catching up on our summers. Mary had started talking to Ellie's older brother Archie after the Quidditch World Cup. She thanked Ellie for introducing them, and she said it was her pleasure, that she couldn't resist after she asked.
I was nervous that what happened with Sirius could be brought up on the train, but it didn't. It did get brought up at dinner though. I was just sitting there at the Gryffindor House table, eating my dinner, Ellie on my right, Sirius on my left, when Ellie said, "You look happy, Sirius."
"I am," he assures her. He even smiled at her.
"Good, that makes me happy to hear," she said, her tone pleased, smiling back at him. Her tone was quiet then, so only I could hear her, and she said, "I still can't believe that he didn’t tell any of us what happened when he left."
"Yeah," I say, gulping. I tried to make my tone convincing. "I can't believe it either."
I hoped she would buy it. I hated pretending with her, but I panicked and went with it. I was sadly mistaken. She didn't believe me. She scrunched up her nose in anger. The look in her eyes was similar to the fire in her mum's when she told off the Black's at the World Cup.
"You knew," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"He asked us not to tell anyone," I said quickly, trying to save my own ass.
Her face no longer looked angry, but just sad and disappointed. That was somehow worse than her being angry. I felt like someone just punched me in the stomach. "Since when am I just anyone to you two?"
"You're not, darling," I assured her.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her tone still sounding hurt. "You know what? Just save it. I don't care anymore."
But she did care, because she stood up and began to walk out of the Great Hall. She was so upset, and this was what I was scared about. I stood up and seized Sirius by the scruff of the neck. He didn't like that very much.
"Ouch mate, what are you doing?" He asked as I pulled him up.
"Time for you to have my back like you said you would," I told him as I started walking, dragging him with me.
I picked up the pace a bit to catch up with Ellie. Sirius suddenly understood. "You told her." He said, "You told her at dinner?"
"I tried to lie," I explained, "but she didn't believe me."
"And now she's mad," Sirius inquired.
"She's upset that neither of us told her," I explained, "She feels unimportant now that we kept it from her."
"Shit," Sirius breathed, he now felt as bad as I did. "Ellie!" Sirius shouted and he ran up to her, passing me. "Ellie!" He called again and then he added, "Don't ignore me!"
She whipped around, and said something that I couldn't hear very quickly. Anger was obviously coursing through her. She was so tiny but at this moment, her anger was 11 feet tall. She was absolutely terrifying. She whipped around again and started walking. Sirius followed her. I picked up my pace to reach them.
When I did reach them, I heard Sirius saying, "You can't ignore me forever, Eloise."
"I don't want to talk to you right now," she hissed, not looking at us. We were in the Entrance Hall.
Sirius grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop, "I was embarrassed, Ellie. I didn't want to talk about it that night."
"But you told everyone else but me," she said, quickly. "I hate that I am making this about myself right now but am I really that unimportant to both of you? I could have been there for you, like you were for me when my dad died."
"I'm sorry, Ellie. I just didn't want you to look at me like I was helpless. I wasn't, and I am still not. I didn't want you to feel bad for me."
"You were tortured by your parents, and you told all of your closest mates and made my boyfriend keep it from me. Do you have any idea how I am feeling right now? I thought that we were closer than that."
Sirius spoke very matter-of-fact and quickly. "I know, I just didn't want to upset you."
"I'm sorry for making this about me," she repeated, "I just can't help it. How could you keep this from me for so long?"
"I should have told you," he says quickly, his tone was suddenly soft. "You're one of my best mates. It wasn't right for me to ask Remus not to tell you. Please don't be mad at him."
Her round brown eyes were on me for a second before she looked back at Sirius and crossed her arms over her chest. She was still upset and angry, that was for sure. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Bunny." I say, speaking up finally. "I should have. You're right."
"I'm sorry for making this about me," she says for a third time.
"No," says Sirius, "it happened so long ago it doesn't matter. You can be as mad as you want that we didn't tell you."
"I love you," I remind her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "And Sirius does, too. Don't forget that."
"You guys are so stupid," she breathes, but she was smiling. She was coming around.
Sirius looks at me, and we exchange a smile and I say, "I will take that as an I Love You Guys, Too."
Sirius nods in agreement, "Me too."
Sirius hugged her, and I watched as Ellie hugged him back. It was cute. They hugged for a moment and then they let go and it was my turn to hug her. I sweetened the deal by giving her a kiss on the lips before I really hugged her.
"From now on," said Sirius, "You no longer count when I tell Remus not to tell anyone anything." She laughed at that, and I could tell she felt better now. I took her hand in mine and we headed back into the Great Hall to continue dinner.
School went how it usually did. The first Month was spent getting into a routine. James got the Quidditch team going about two weeks in. I was starting to get ready to take my N.E.W.T. Exams at the end of the year. It's what I have spent all last year and this year preparing for. I would like to become an auror like James and Sirius are, but the Ministry will never hire a werewolf for any job. So, I will just do as good as I can on my exams and then figure out my options later.
During the very first Quidditch game of the season, Archie came to visit and watch his little sister play in the game. Mary was very excited to see him. They hugged tight, and he said he was happy to see her. She was as suddenly as giddy as a first year. It was kind of cute. I remember feeling that way about Ellie when I first started liking her.
With him, to my dismay, was Matt Mckinnon. Sirius greeted him happily. I put on a happy face, but I was not happy to see him. I know as soon as the game was over and he saw Ellie, he'd be eyeing her like a piece of meat like he always does.
Peter, Lily, and Dorcas were saving us seats, so we headed to the Pitch to get our seats. Archie's was holding Mary's hand the entire game. They looked happy together. When the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams entered the pitch from the locker rooms everyone cheered.
Regulus Black was on Ellie's tail the entire game, which isn't uncommon for Seekers to do to each other. But then he started bumping into her on purpose. Harder and harder every time he bumped her broom. Until finally she fell off her broom. She fell down about 50 feet. James and Marlene both bolted towards her, but they were too late. She landed in the dead center of the Pitch.
Archie and I both started running. I didn't stop until I was next to her. I hadn't even noticed that Matt had followed us. Of course he did. The Gryffindor team was around us now. Ellie was unconscious, her body was limp. Archie helped me hold her up. A stretcher was conjured up and we laid her onto it and took her to the Hospital Wing. I saw Sirius was having an animated, heated conversation with his little brother, but I figured I'd let the others take care of that one. My girlfriend needed me right now.
When we arrived at the Hospital Wing, we got Ellie onto a bed and then Madam Pomfrey began to tend to her, examining her for wounds. She said Ellie's elbow was shattered from the fall. Archie and I both sat next to her in chairs. When Madam Pomfrey walked off to get some Skele Gro I took her hand in mine.
Archie and I were in too much shock to speak to each other. Mary, Dorcas, and Lily entered the Hospital Wing a little bit later. Mary stood next to Archie, her hand on his shoulder. He let out a heavy sigh and then said, "Mum is going to flip when she finds out."
Peter, Sirius, and Matt all came barreling in the room then. As they approached, Matt asked, "Is she awake?"
"Not yet," Archie answered.
Out of all of them, Matt looked the most worried. Which made me advert my attention to Ellie off of them. I wished he'd just let it go. She was with me, and she was happy with me. Even before we were together she couldn't stand him.
Ellie started wrestling around then. She was walking up. When her eyes were open she looked around. We were all looking at her. "Hi darling," I say, my voice soft, and I move some of her hair out of her face.
"Remus?" She asks, sounding groggy and confused, "Where am I?"
"You're in the Hospital Wing, Bunny. You were knocked off your broom during the game."
"By my low life brother," Sirius added.
"Your elbow is broken," I tell her, keeping my voice soft, "Madam Pomfrey is going to fix you up."
She looked down and saw her broken arm in the sling. Then she tried to sit up. I immediately tried to help her, but Ellie being Ellie, she refused my help saying she had it, and she lifted herself up on her good arm and looked around at all of us.
"How are you feeling, Ellie?" Matt asked.
"Tired," she says, and then looks at Sirius. "I will deck your brother in the face the next time that I see him."
Sirius wore a proud smirk, "I already did that for you. James and Matt had to pull me back from him or I would have pummeled him into the ground."
"Thanks," she says, a little smile on her lips.
That was when Marlene and James entered. They were happy to see Ellie was awake. Marlene grabbed Sirius's hand, James took Lily's in his, and then he said, "I told the rest of the team that I would give them an update. How are you doing?"
"Broken elbow, but otherwise fine," she says, shrugging.
"Good," said James, nodding. "Glad you're okay. Madam Pomfrey will have you healed up by the end of the weekend."
Truth be told this wasn't the first time Ellie had been in Madam Pomfrey's care. I remember when I attacked her on Christmas our Fifth year, and she spent the day here. No one knew about that except for the guys. I still feel so bad for that.
Archie rubbed his eyes, "Mum is not going to be happy when she hears this. She didn't want us playing Quidditch as it was."
"Ellie is resilient," said Matt, "She'll be just fine. Remember her fourth year, when she flew right into the goal posts and hit her head. She got right back up and rode again no problem."
Ellie chuckled at the memory, I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach. I leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I am so glad you're okay, Bunny. That fall was so scary."
I saw Matt run a hand through his wavy, dark blonde hair. It was longer now than it was when he was in school. It made him look like an idiot if you ask me, like a hippy, but he wasn't dirty. I looked away from him, and the doors to the Hospital Wing opened, and the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall entered. Professor Slughorn behind them.
"How is she?" Professor McGonagall asked, her tone was urgent.
"She's okay," Matt assured them.
"Oh good," said McGonagall, sounding very relieved.
"I assure you there will be repercussions for Mr. Black's actions," said Slughorn. He was the Potions Master of the school, and also Head of Slytherin House. "He will not be in the next game, and if he tries that move again, then he will be off the team."
"Thank you," Ellie said, nodding.
Slughorn smiled at Ellie happily, "Good day to you, I wish you a speedy recovery," he looked at Lily then. "I will see you at dinner on Tuesday, Miss Evans."
"Looking forward to it, Professor," said Lily, who smiled at him and then he left the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore left not long after that.
"It's my fault," said Sirius. We all looked at him curiously. "I went to your house the night I left home, and your mother told the Minister what my parents did to me that night. He came after you because I left."
Ellie scoffed, "So what, Sirius? He should still play a fair game. That has nothing to do with you. Regulus is a child."
Madam Pomfrey came back then, before Sirius could retort anything. She told us some of us had to leave, that Ellie shouldn't be crowded right now. Archie volunteered to leave, saying he should go visit their mum and assure that Ellie was okay. He kissed his sister's head, and hugged her goodbye. Mary left with Archie and they held hands out the door.
Dorcas left next, and she also hugged Ellie before she left, Lily, James, and Peter went with her. Marlene sat where Archie had sat. Her blue eyes were full of worry. She had been very quiet this entire time she had been here. She must have been really shaken about Ellie falling.
"I thought for sure you were dead," Marlene said, her voice shaking. "You were just lying there, all limp. I could have sworn you were a goner."
"I'm okay," Ellie assured her. They hugged for a moment, and Marlene left after that. Sirius followed her after saying goodbye. Matt was the only one left then. He sat on her bed, facing Ellie, and he hugged her. She hugged him back reluctantly.
"I'm glad you're okay," he told her as they hugged.
"Thanks Matt," she said, and then he let her go and stood up and left.
Man, I really don't like him.
______________________
Here's part 19!
Remus getting jealous and possessive whenever Matt is around is so cute to me. He's just in love.
-Emily Winchester.
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A Love Without Time (Remus Lupin)
Fanfiction*From 1975-1998* *Switching POV Story* From 1975-1998, follow the love story of Eloise Greene and Remus Lupin. From their last few years at Hogwarts into adulthood. During both Wizarding Wars, break ups, make ups, children, and jealous Quidditch Cap...
