Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 82 - Grounded

Dear Selene,

I can't believe it! I'm so excited to hear about yours and Remus' engagement! This has been a long time coming, as I've been telling you for a while now! I'm sure the two of you are just thrilled! I know Arthur and I are!

Now, we've got to get on with the wedding planning. As long as we've all been waiting for this – yourself included – I'm sure we don't want to waste any time. I know what you're going to say, that I'm already planning Bill and Fleur's wedding, but you and Remus don't need to worry about me, I can manage! Just let me know what the two of you want, and I will make it happen!

I am so excited! This is truly wonderful news!

Congratulations, and I will see you soon!

Molly Weasley

Selene smiled, albeit a little exasperatedly, as she read through Molly's letter. She should've known that there was no way that the Weasley matriarch was going to let her and Remus get away with a small affair, or elopement, or whatever else they had decided on. Molly was going to make sure that it was going to be the event of the age – at least in her eyes. Selene made a mental reminder to tell Molly that there was no chance that they were going to overshadow Bill and Fleur's wedding, especially since she was sure that the French girl would kill them if such a thing happened.

No, Remus and Selene were completely content with a small affair – a cozy wedding with just their closest family and friends.

In the couple of weeks that had passed since Remus had proposed, Selene had been riding a high that she didn't think would ever go away. She was still in disbelief that Remus Lupin – the man she'd been in love with since she was fifteen-years-old – was going to be her husband.

Finally.

If she had to endure Molly's neurotic wedding planning to get to that point, she'd do so gladly.

Selene put Molly's letter aside and picked up the second one she'd received that afternoon, recognizing the neat scrawl that was printed on the outside.

To the Future Mrs. Lupin (like what I did there? I hope so, because it'll be true soon enough!):

Hello, my darling. I'm writing because Molly's just shown up at our home for the third time today, asking questions like what we'd like to have served at the wedding and what colours we've chosen and what your dress looks like. I tried telling her that I had no idea, since we only got engaged two weeks ago, but she insists that these things need to be decided right away.

Because of that, I thought I'd let you know that I'll be coming up to the castle in a few days, so that we can discuss these things and give Molly the answers she needs. I just have to do a few things for the Order first.

Anyhow, I hope that classes are going well and your students are passing their exams. I love you, Selene, my darling. I'll see you very soon.

Hopelessly and entirely yours,

Your soon-to-be husband, R.J. Lupin

P.S. You have no idea how thrilling it is to be able to call myself that. I am irrevocably the man who is to be Selene Persephone Malfoy-Black's husband. Absolutely thrilling. I love you.

Selene giggled, leaning back in her desk chair and hugging Remus' letter to her chest. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush.

There was nothing that could bring her mood down.

"Professor Black?"

Selene looked up, startled.

It was Professor McGonagall, and her expression was so intensely serious that Selene felt the need to stand up from her chair.

"I – I have some  – well," McGonagall said falteringly, and Selene's heart seized, wondering what could make McGonagall so worried. "I have some bad news."

"What?" Selene asked quickly. "What's wrong?"

McGonagall hesitated.

"Mr. Malfoy's been attacked."

"What?" Selene said, aghast. "Where – where is he? Is he all right?"

McGonagall nodded slowly. "Yes, Professor Snape was able to reverse the majority of the damage, but it was a quite serious attack."

"How did this happen?" Selene asked, wide-eyed. "Who did it?"

McGonagall, again, looked hesitant. "Well, that's – that's another issue entirely, Selene."

"Why?" Selene asked. "Why? Who attacked him?"

McGonagall pressed her lips together.

"Well... it was your son."

Okay, so maybe there was one thing that could bring her down.

Harry's POV

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry winced.

Selene had come marching into McGonagall's office, looking as furious as Harry had ever seen before.

"What the hell are you playing at?" she said, her face red in fury. "Dark magic? I would have never thought – my own son –"

"Mum, I didn't know what the spell would do!" Harry interjected quickly, as his mother clenched her jaw and glared at him.

"How did you not know?" she said angrily. "Where did you even learn a spell like that?"

"It was – it was written in my Potions book!" Harry said. "It said it was meant for enemies, and I thought –"

"That ridiculous Half-Blood Prince Potions book?" Selene interjected irritably. "Why on earth would you try out a spell that some stranger had written in an old textbook, Harry? You had no idea what that spell would do, no idea what kind of magic you were using!"

His mother groaned angrily, throwing herself down on the edge of McGonagall's desk. "Did you know that you could have killed him? Draco? That would have been on you."

She was practically trembling in anger. No, Harry was sure he'd never seen her this angry before.

"I'm sorry, Mum!" Harry said desperately. "I never would have cast the spell if I had known!"

"The hell you wouldn't have," Selene said darkly. "Harry, I am so disappointed in you. I honestly can't believe you'd be so foolish."

Harry frowned, hanging his head in shame. Maybe he hated Draco Malfoy with a passion, and maybe he thought he was up to something suspicious, but nothing was worth having his mother look at him with such disappointment and anger.

"I – I really am sorry, Mum," Harry said quietly.

His mother looked at him wordlessly. She seemed to be searching for words.

Finally she said haltingly, "You – you're getting rid of that book."

"Already done," Harry said honestly, glad he'd chucked it in the Room of Requirement and been rid of it.

"And – and you're serving detention with – with someone –"

"Snape's taken care of that," he said, a little more dully.

Selene looked up at him appraisingly.

"And you're grounded from Quidditch."

"What?" Harry said, gaping at her. All of the sudden, he was sure that his punishment was much worse than he could bear. "But – But, Mum –"

"No," his mother said sternly, "no arguments. You'll sit out the last match, Harry."

Harry tried to stammer out an excuse, but his mother was immovable, inconvincible. At last, he nodded, his eyes cast down at the floor.

At this, Selene looked somewhat satisfied, though still very unhappy. "Harry, I just –" Her words seemed to fail her again, and she shook her head. "I'll – I'll see you later," was all she managed, and she dragged herself from McGonagall's office without another word – without another look at Harry.

And somehow, Harry felt way worse than he had before.