Trouble In The Air
20th May 1978
Remus had wanted to kiss her so badly, withher chest resting on his, he just couldn’t help himself ignoring the voice in his head telling him to stop, he leaned in first and she didn’t pull back, but despite this his father ruined it. Just like he ruined everything in Remus’ life.
He hated it when his father drank. There shouldn’t even be any alcohol in the house but Lyall was always able to charm a hiding spot and change it to keep Hope from finding his stash.
He knew Solana had seen him cry and he knew that she wouldn’t say anything about it, but she had heard his father, his words.
Remus would never truly be Remus.
He would always have his condition until the day his heart stops beating. And he couldn’t help hating himself for that even with her comforting words.
When she returned his jumper his scent had been masked with hers.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him.
And he nodded. “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” he didn’t move until the door closed behind her, he walked up to his own common room.
He slumped into his bed, a weird churning in his stomach which he blamed on the alcohol, he fell into an uneasy sleep, still wearing the jumper he had leant her.
20th May 1978
01:43 am
“Where have you been?” Antonin’s voice was dark and cold.
Solana stared at him like a deer in headlights, he was playing with something in his hand but she couldn’t see what it was.
She swallowed hard, moving backwards as he stood up.
“Did you lose your tongue, speak!” he barked, he edged closer towards her, backing her into the wall, he touched the skirt of her dress, she flinched as his fingers made contact with her skin.
“I– I–” Solana stammered, trying to come up with an excuse, her stomach churning and twisting as he watched her.
“I’ve been waiting here since eight,” Antonin said, “Waiting for you to see me, but then I find out you’re not even in your dorm, and then,” he opened his hand.
Solana could now see what he had been playing with.
“I find out you’ve taken off your engagement ring,”
“How did you–” she said, through the tears she looked over at the entrance of the girls dorm the silhouette of Alecto was watching them.
“I was told you took it off the night I went away,” he snarled.
Solana didn’t say anything, she couldn’t say anything.
“Give me your hand,” he said, grabbing it and forcing the ring back on her finger, he paused then looked at her. “This is for disobeying me.”
Solana furrowed her brows but in a flash Antonin gripped her finger twisting and bending it backwards, her scream covered the bones snapping.
Antonin put his hand on her mouth, “Quiet!”
Solana clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath as he let go of her throbbing hand, he clasped onto her neck, her throat closing as he tightened his grip.
“Get– off–” she choked but he got stronger, his snarl blurred as she began to lose vision.
“Antonin,” she begged, her feet were no longer touching the floor, “Please–”
“You don’t ever disobey me,”
That was the last thing she heard before everything went black.
☀
20th May 1978
Solana’s ring finger had a pulse of its own, when she woke up her throat was sore, she winced as she sat up, Antonin wasn’t next to her thankfully.
He was due to play Quidditch that morning, the final, Slytherin vs Gryffindor. She wasn’t going to the match.
She looked down at her hand, her finger had swelled almost triple the size and was a putrid purple colour, the engagement ring was sunken into her skin. She attempted to move at least the index finger but as she bit down on her lips she realised she would have to pay a visit to Madam Pomfrey.
She lifted the covers off of her, finding the dress she was wearing strewn on the floor, she felt a chill run down her body.
She couldn’t remember what Antonin had done to her after she passed out. She picked it up, hoping she would be able to fix it before giving it back to Marlene, she half folded it leaving it on the bedside cabinet.
She caught a glimpse of her reflection, stunned at the new bruises all around her chest, finger marks across her neck. She traced around them, closing her eyes. She hated Antonin with all her might.
She dressed herself making sure she wrapped her scarf around the bruises, she entered the empty common room, all the students had probably gone to watch the match.
“Solana?” a small voice said from behind her.
Alecto was standing by the girls dorm entrance, the same place she had been the previous night. It hurt her to move her neck looking at the person she used to consider her best friend.
“Solana I didn’t know he was going to do that to you,” Alecto said, Solana hated to admit that she saw the guilt in her eyes, but she would never be able to forgive her. Never.
“Why did you tell him?” Solana asked, her throat burned as she spoke, the raspy low voice was barely a whisper but Alecto had heard her.
She hesitated in her answer. “He– he wasn’t paying me enough attention.”
Solana didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she did nothing, she stared blankly.
“Lana, please say something?” Alecto’s voice cracked, but Solana felt nothing, she turned around ignoring the constant attempts Alecto called out her name.
She walked out of the common room slamming the door shut, causing portraits nearby to become disturbed.
Solana kept a constant speed, not slowing at all, which was easy seeing as everyone was out of the castle, she didn’t expect to see anyone else in the school until she rounded a corner and bumped into a familiar chest.
“Fuck, Lana, are you okay?”
It took a moment to register who had said it, and when she realised she put her hand behind her back.
“Yeah fine,” she said, avoiding his eyes.
“We must stop bumping into–” Remus began but he paused, looking at her. “Are you okay? You look pale?”
“I’m fine,” she repeated, she knew that Remus wasn’t going to back down until she gave him an answer. “Just hungover, those muggle drinks are a little stronger than your average Fire whiskey,”
Remus chuckled in agreement. “Yeah you’re correct,” his voice was still unsure. “Are you going to the Quidditch match?”
“Oh uh, no,” she told him, hiding a wince as a sharp pain shot through her hand.
He furrowed his brow, “What are you hiding?”
“Huh?” She asked, clenching her teeth whilst smiling at him.
“Behind your back, what are you hiding?”
“Nothing,” she shook her head.
“Show me,”
“Remus, I’m not hiding anything,”
“Yes you are, let me see.” he demanded.
“No,”
His look softened, “Let me see?”
Her eyes began to gloss over as she pulled out her hand, his eyes widened with terror.
“Why the hell didn’t you say anything!” His voice was angry, but protective.
“I-I’m going to the hospital wing now–” she told him, her heart beating fast.
“I’m taking you there myself,” he said, leading the way, making sure to look back so she was nearby to him.
As he entered Madam Pomfrey was already in the wing finishing up making one of the beds.
“Remus, Miss Black,” She smiled, taking note of Remus’ permanent frown and Solana’s tears. “What can I do for you?”
“My finger–” Solana began, slowly lifting up her hand. “It’s broken,”
Madam Pomfrey winced, “Ooh, sit down dear, I’ll get that mended in just a second,” she said, patting her apron and pulling out her wand. She carefully took Solana’s hand. “That ring must not be helping,”
Solana glanced up at Remus who was staring at her, and she shook her head. “Uh, no.”
Madam Pomfrey nodded and a moment later her finger went back to the normal size, Solana carefully flexed her hand and felt no pain.
“Better?”
She nodded, “Yes, thank you Madam Pomfrey,”
The mediwitch gave her a soft smile, then placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “Hmm, you’re still a little bit peaky,” she said, opening on of the drawers and finding a chocolate bar, “You should feel better after this,”
Solana muttered thanks, breaking a piece off and eating it. She was aware that Remus was still watching her.
Madam Pomfrey patted her shoulder, “I shouldn’t really do this but this entire wing is going to be filled with Quidditch players within the hour so I’m going to have to let you leave, you feel better don’t you?”
Solana nodded. “Much better, thank you Madam Pomfrey,”
“Good,” the mediwitch said, she walked back into her office leaving the two to leave.
“Can you stop staring at me,” Solana said to Remus, he turned his head away but didn’t move, his arms were crossed as he leant on the wall.
Solana fixed her scarf carefully so as not to show him the bruises beneath them, they were both quiet as they left the wing.
“I’m going to go back to my dorm–”
“You weren’t wearing the ring yesterday,” Remus said, looking at her.
“What?”
“That ring. You weren’t wearing it yesterday.”
Solana blinked at him. “How did you–”
“I took notice,” he told her. “And then today you’re wearing it and your finger is broken–”
“I fell–” Solana shook her head.
A short silence fell between the two.
“Did he hurt you?”
“Remus–”
“Solana, did he hurt you–”
“No,” her throat burned, she begged herself not to cry.
“You told me yesterday that you would never lie to me,” he said, his eyes looking angry but she knew he wasn’t with her. “Why are you wearing your scarf?”
“I-I-” she stammered, shaking her head still, he reached out his hand, moving her scarf. A whisper was all she could manage. “Remus,” she closed her eyes as he let out a gasp.
She didn’t flinch when he touched the bruises, his hand was warm and soft. She couldn’t read his eyes as she looked up at them.
“I’m going to fucking kill him–” his voice was a growl as he spun around.
“Remus!” Solana shouted, running after him. “Remus, please don’t–”
He stopped looking at her, his breath was deep and heavy. “Solana the man is hurting you!”
“Because–”
“Don’t you dare make up an excuse for him!” He pointed a finger at her.
“Remus–” Solana shook her head. “There is nothing you can do–”
“He is hurting you, Solana, you have bruises all over your body–”
“This is my problem–” she began to shout back, she was no longer crying, Remus couldn’t do anything even if he tried, and if he did try he would end up hurt.
“Oh because you’re dealing with the problem so well!” he shouted. “Did he break your finger?”
“No,” Solana lied.
He didn’t believe her.
“Solana I swear to god, did he break your fucking finger?”
“Why do you even care?” their voices now echoed through the corridor. “What does it even matter to you–
“Because I love you!” he shouted at her, “I fucking love you, Solana, and you won’t let me help you.”
Solana backed down, frozen as she looked at him, her heart pounded and pounded against her chest.
“No, you can’t–” she began.
“Yes I can, and I do,” he told her, he wasn’t shouting any more.
There was a silence between them, you wouldn’t have thought they were going at each other's throat just moments ago.
“You can’t love me,” she breathed.
“Why not?”
“Because–” she shook her head. “I- I can’t be loved–”
“Yet I love you,”
“Stop it,” she shook her head again.
“Solana,” he said, quietly, he walked towards her.
Her breath hitched as he touched her arm softly. “Lana, I want to help you.”
His face was inches away from hers, his caramel eyes were kind and soft, she couldn’t resist herself and pulled into him kissing his tender lips.
He pulled away from her without a word.
Her heart shattered into a million pieces, “I’m sorry–”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence before he kissed her back.
His lips weren’t as rough nor as aggressive as Antonin’s she noticed, he was slow and careful with her, they both knew to savour the moment.
“We need to leave the corridor,” she whispered between kisses.
Remus nodded, taking her hand, “Come with me,”
She had no idea where he was taking her but all she knew was that she didn’t want to let go of his hand, she didn’t want this moment to end.
They walked into a room, Solana didn’t take much notice of it besides the bed, she stopped looking at it.
He shook his head, keeping his eyes on her. “I won’t do anything you don’t want to do,”
She looked at him, her hand was still in his as she led him over to the bed, one by one she unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers traced over the permanent scars on his chest, she sat down on the bed.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, cupping her cheek.
Solana nodded, “Yes,” she moved his hands towards the buttons on her shirt, letting him open them, he knelt down staring at the fresh bruises across her chest. She lifted his chin up, shaking her head.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
He moved his head from her hand, leaning forward to kiss the bruises softly. Solana leant back on the bed, her fingers laced with his. He led his kisses up towards her neck wincing slightly as he pulled back.
“What is it?” she asked, noticing a red line on his chin.
“Your necklace,” he said. “It’s silver–”
She grabbed onto the Dolohov crest pendant letting the chain break as she threw it on the ground.
“Remus?” she asked quietly as he went back to kiss her.
He pulled away quickly. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No, no–” she shook her head, she stared up at him. “Could– could you be gentle?”
“Gentle?” he asked, brushing her hair from her face and nodded. “Of course I can.”
And so he was.