Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 99 - The Redheaded Runaway

Remus' POV

The next time Remus saw Draco, it was nearly a month later, and the boy looked, if possible, even more grim and grey. They met in the same clearing in the woods outside of the small village in Ottery St. Catchpole, and Draco's appearance made Remus very glad that he hadn't brought Selene along with him.

Draco did exactly what he said he would do; he'd divulged to Remus any information pertaining to Voldemort or the Death Eaters that he could, whether it was new information or old. None of it could be of much use to the Order, but some of it Remus couldn't deny was very interesting.

"He's angry, you say?"

Draco nodded, running a hand through his blonde hair. Remus noticed vaguely that the boy was left-handed, like Selene. "Something's going on, he won't tell us what, but whatever it is, it must be pretty bad – like he's hit a setback or – or something. His anger makes him more dangerous than usual. Everyone's having to tiptoe around in order to avoid setting him off, and it's especially dangerous for me and my family – he's staying at the Manor, you see – so I've seen his anger firsthand."

Remus raised his eyebrows. A glimmer of hope fluttered through his chest. Could this setback be related to Harry's Horcrux hunt? Could Harry be making some headway? Could they actually make it through this, and – and kill him? Kill Voldemort?

"If he's that angry, though, he may be careless," Remus said, daring to hold on to this feeling of hope. "If the Order could take this opportunity – if you could just give us a little more, something that we could really use –"

Draco rubbed his face frustratedly. "I know, I'm trying, but they really don't tell me much. I'll admit, a sixteen-year-old Death Eater doesn't sit very high in Voldemort's ranks, so any information I get is just from stuff I overhear behind closed doors. I'm afraid that if I started asking too many questions, they'd start getting suspicious."

Remus exhaled a long sigh and nodded. "I suppose that's true. Still, though, if you could think of any way to procure something bigger, or – or if you hear of anything –"

"I'll come to you straight away," Draco finished quickly. "I swear. Anything to end this horror show once and for all. I – I want him out of my house, I want Aunt Selene safe – I want this over, Lupin."

"That's something we can both agree on, certainly," Remus said. "I feel as though half my life I've lived in wartime... I'm to the point that I'd do just about anything for some peace."

Draco shifted his stance uncomfortably, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked hesitant, unsure. Then, he asked an unexpected question.

"How's Aunt Selene?"

Remus blinked. "Oh, er... She's doing great. The baby seems fine, and she's really excited – we're really excited, honestly. She's been thinking up names as of late, though we've agreed we want to leave the gender a surprise. We – er – we don't really care if the baby is a boy or a girl, as long as – well, as long as the baby's healthy."

Draco nodded. "Right..." He still looked uncomfortable, though now it was as if he was teetering on the edge of saying something else.

Remus knew from what Selene had told him about her nephew that Draco was typically a quick-witted boy with a harsh tongue and a darkly sarcastic sense of humour. He did remember a little of this from when he'd taught third-year Draco, but now, at sixteen-years-old, Draco Malfoy no longer resembled a sharp-tongued young boy raised in prejudice. Instead, a grim-faced young man filled with regret and fear stood before Remus, transformed by bad choices and bad influences and war.