Come Back to Me (Don't Save Me Book 3)

Chapter 58: Friends

I had sworn I wouldn't come back here without Severus, even going so far as planning to write to Arthur telling him we could meet somewhere else, but unfortunately life had different plans. I stepped through the gate, walking up the small path to the front of the door. I knocked, feeling uncomfortable just walking in when there wasn't a meeting going on. Remus answered the door, a warm smile spreading on his face.

"Y/n!" he exclaimed before noticing the duffel bag in my hands and the tears that were still running down my face.

"Rem... C-can I stay here for a bit?" I asked, my voice cracking as I spoke, adjusting the duffle bag on my shoulder.

"Oh, love," he whispered, quickly ushering me inside. "What happened?" He took the duffel bag from my hands. Sirius appeared in the hallway, taking in my tear-stained cheeks and the duffel bag in Remus's hands.

"Y/n! What happened?" he asked, scooping me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, allowing a comforting, safe feeling to wash over me.

"My father found out where I was staying... I had to leave our home. I had to leave him," I sobbed.

"Oh, Y/n," Remus whispered, placing a hand on my back as Sirius held me.

"It's going to be okay, pup," Sirius soothed. I felt Remus's hand gently rubbing my back and I turned to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I began to feel guilty being so close to Sirius.

"Of course you can stay here, Y/n. Pads, can you take her bag upstairs?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded, grabbing the duffel bag and disappearing somewhere upstairs.

"How did your father find out where you were staying?" Remus asked softly, looking down at me.

"L-Lucius... He told him I was staying with Severus. He showed up there this morning trying to apologize for what happened in the graveyard and... he let it slip that he'd told my father where to find me... so Severus helped me pack a bag quickly and I left."

"Why would Lucius do that?" Remus asked, anger lacing his voice as he tried to keep himself calm.

"He said he wanted me to have my father in my life... he said there are things I couldn't know yet."

Remus looked confused as I continued.

"I told him I'd never be one of them... and he said 'not yet.'"

Remus's eyes looked down at me as I said this, pulling away slightly to look at my face.

"They're planning something... something to get you to join them," he said. I nodded softly, having thought the same thing earlier when I'd heard Lucius say there were things I couldn't know.

Sirius came down the stairs just as Molly emerged from the kitchen, Arthur at her side.

"Remus , who was at the-," Arthur began but immediately stopped as he saw Remus holding me. "Ah, Y/n, you're early. Molly was just cooking some lunch. We can talk in the kitchen if you'd like."

"Arthur..." Remus began, though he didn't need to say anything else as I turned around. Arthur took in my puffy eyes, tear-stained face, and his face immediately fell.

"Y/n! What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Arthur, where are the kids?" I asked, not wanting them to see me like this.

"They're upstairs, I believe. I can go get th-."

"No," I interrupted. "Thank you, Arthur, but I think it's best if they don't see me like this. They'll only worry," I chuckled, wiping away any leftover tears and pulling my hair out of my face, tying it in a ponytail. "Besides," I continued, turning to Arthur. "We have things to discuss." With a wave of my hand my makeup was fixed and the puffiness in my eyes had disappeared.