Dirty Little Game ♠ Professor Lupin

Twenty nine: Side by Side

What took place in the Shrieking Shack was the oddest thing that had ever happened to me. I didn't completely grasp the rest of the group's reasoning, given the fact that I was not there throughout the first half of the talk. I was certain of a few things though.

Peter Pettigrew was a rat. I mean, not a rat, but an Animagus. Just like Black, whom I met recently in the form of a black dog. I outright cried into his fur! I hated that this guy knew so much about me.

Black was Potter's godfather and didn't kill his parents at all. The rat did it, that is Pettigrew. When I listened to everything Black had to say and saw what the hell Pettigrew was doing, trying to weasel his way out of what he had done, I wanted to strangle him on the spot. As I spoke my thoughts out loud, Black almost gave me a high five, not understanding why not get rid of the problem right away. The Holy Trinity - it turned out Ron Weasley was also there - strongly opposed it.

So we took him with us, tied, with a wand pointed at his back. We also brought Snape, despite my wish for him to remain where he was, but Hermione argued we couldn't leave him behind.

We moved through the tunnel, lighting our way with our wands. First was Weasley and Black holding the rat in check, then Harry and Hermione followed and the two of us were last. Snape levitated somewhere in between.

"How are you holding up?" Remus asked softly.

I looked up at him. I really wanted to talk to him, but I didn't feel up to it for some reason. Perhaps it was because I was just at the Shrieking Shack and we all know what happened in the Shrieking Shack. Or maybe it was because I had to go through all of this to get Remus to stop avoiding me.

"Me?" I didn't understand why he was worried about me. First, he shouldn't, secondly, nothing happened to me.

"Yes, you. This must be a big shock for you."

"A little, yeah" I admitted. "But I'm relieved Black is innocent and that we now have the real monster. There is some justice in the world after all."

Remus didn't say anything to that and I assumed that was the end of our conversation but he surprised me by breaking the pause. "It's nice of you that you don't want to mention the other thing, but I'm afraid we need to talk about it."

I was completely oblivious to what he was talking about. Pettigrew's betrayal was at the centre of the whole event. What was he trying to say?

He noticed my hesitation. He appeared as though what he was about to say was going to humiliate him. "Now you know I'm a werewolf."

I let out a long sigh. I had been living with the knowledge for so long that it had become completely normal to me. I was blind to the fact that, while sharing his life story, Remus also revealed his secret. Which was hardly a secret to me.

"I was aware that werewolves don't have it easy, but I had no idea what it's really like. Your scars..." I unintentionally reached out to him and he backed away.

He gazed at me as if it was the first time he'd ever seen me. "What are you doing?"

I scattered right there and then. "Sorry, I- I don't know what I was thinking... Old habit." I blurted out.

He shook his head in disbelief. I thought he was making fun of me, but "How can you pretend as if it have no bearing on you?"

I waited for him to turn his head towards me so I could look him in the eyes. "I've known you're a werewolf for quite some time, Remus Lupin."

He blinked. "What?"

"Yeah." I laughed softly. "I should've figured it out sooner, though."

"So, how long have you been aware of this?"