lux in teberius

I need him to know I trust him. Ron be damned. If our friendship ends over this – he was never a friend at all.

~

The floor was white with snow as he passes by his trio on the way back up to the castle, Harry thinks for a moment that he should’ve gone back the way he came but he’s glad he didn’t when he see’s Malfoy and 2 friends Harry had never seen before. It looked from and outsiders point of view that they were just walking by the shrieking shack. No words were exchanged by the sliver trio, just their heads held high as they swept through the snowy path with great elegance.

One Harry took notice of was tall. Taller then Malfoy and stood with ego rather than pride. One girl much like his own group however she stood with her posture perfect apart from one hand on her hip and her eyes never meeting another person’s. Malfoy was stood with refinement. Never too perfect – always catching Harrys eyes, even now with his cloak on.

Ron starts it, though if someone were to tell a professor? Harry knew by the look on the Slytherins faces that they knew what would happen, and that Draco would get the blame.

“Come to show off then Malfoy?” He stomps toward the boy and watches as the raven haired girl steps in front of him, the tallest by her side.

“Come off it Weasley, we were just passing through.” She rolls her eyes as the furry passes over Ronalds face. She looks over to were Hermione is standing, eyes wide as she thinks of what to do. “Granger!” She walks away from the group just as Ron starts to berate the two in front of him.

Hermione visibly relaxes and Harry’s intrigued. It looks like they know each other as the raven haired girl looks around before quickly handing her a roll of parchment. “Don’t be late to ancient runes next time and I won’t have to do this again.”

Hermione thanks her as the other turns and walks away, dragging the tallest boy with her. Before Draco could follow suit however, The ginger boy grabs his jacket, looking to start a fight he won’t get blamed for. Harry thinks quick on his feet and grabs a snowball. He lobs it towards the group and watch as the snow goes right between the two’s heads and Ron jumps back in surprise. Malfoy turns his head curiously to where the snowball came from as Ron starts freaking out and running toward the castle. He grabs another pile of snow and packs it tightly and throws it again as an extra measure. He watches as Hermione looks in his direction with a knowing smirk and as Malfoys face contorts in confusion.

The Slytherin looks back in his direction one last time before facing Hermione. He says nothing but nods before following after his friends.

Hermione starts laughing out loud as her hair begins to float. “Harry!”

Harry’s laughing too now and he takes off the cloak. “Sorry Mione’, I just couldn’t watch him do that, they didn’t even do anything this time” He looks to where Malfoy had walked away in and back to Hermione.

“No I’m glad you did something, I wanted too but I also know how they feel about getting help from someone like me…” She looked sad for a moment before coming too and smiling, “Besides I needed to get away from Ronald at least for a bit! All his yelling started to get on my nerves-“ She laughs along with Harry as she says that and they start walking back into the town, Harry with his hood up but cloak in his bag once more.

They walked side by side as they got closer to the main centre. There, however, they found a carriage with some of the Harry’s most trusted adults around it and the minister sat inside. It all happened so fast what came next and Harry had a hard time processing it. One moment Hermione was talking about how pretty madam Rosmerta is, the next they’re standing outside an open window shock on both their faces. Harry knew all this information (Minus Peter Pettigrew) but what right did they have airing out his business like this in public?! He was furious and that much was obvious by the smashing sound that came next. The light hanging inside the room burst and Hermione knew it was time to leave. She grabbed Harry and his bag off the floor, she put his cloak over him and they legged it back to the castle.

She lost Harry, she didn’t realise till she called out for him and he didn’t call back. She decided the safest thing to do was take his bag up to their dorms and wait for him to calm down, as far as she knows, he just found out he has a god father that killed his parents.

Harry however had taken off the cloak that was restricting his breathing, somewhere along the forest edge as he once again ran head first into our tall Slytherin. He stood up, one hand on his hip but he was alone. One eyebrow raised as he studies Harrys expression.

“Potter..” He looks him up and down crouching down next to the boy who fell down to the woodland floor below. “You look a wreck,” He hesitates before adding, “What happened?”

Harry looks up, he’s not crying but he’s close. He knew this information but he’s pissed. How dare they?! So they won’t tell him but they’ll talk about it in a busy pub where anyone could hear?!

His expression must startle Draco because he wobbles a tad before he takes his cloak and lays it on the ground, sitting in front of the boy before casting a protective ward around them both. “So no one can hear or see us.” He says, monotone but protective and strong. “Now Pottah, Spill what happened to the one person who’s looked out for you this year.”

Cocky bastard, But Harry’s smiling now as he rubs the tears that are yet to fall almost out of habit. He recalls the story to the boy in front of him, finding it way to easy to spill his guts and trust him after what they’d told each other in the past.

“I’m not hurt because I didn’t know, I did know- You told me! But it shouldn’t have had to be you to tell me, you know? Why are the people that are meant to look after me, and everyone else, constantly withholding the truth?! Thank you for telling me, really. I just wish for once an adult would step up and actually care.” He’s looking at the sky as he finishes his rant to a young Malfoy who’s sat watching him – his mouth agape.

“They just said that.. out loud in the middle of a pub?!” He’s outraged really, how do they keep getting away with treating their students this way?

“Mhm. And the worst thing is, they probably will never tell me, not until he becomes a threat close enough to Hogwarts that they’ll call for me to protect it, again.” He rolls his eyes as the few memories he has of first and second year pile through his brain.

“Maybe you should try asking someone the right questions. Both Professor Snape and Professor Lupin were here at the same time as your parents you know?” That caught Harrys attention.

“You’re right.. Of course! Why didn’t I put the pieces together?”

“Never the sharpest claw on the raven were you Potter?” He’s smirking as Harry stands up and glares softly before he’s running out of Malfoys protective charm.

 ~

“Professor?” Harry has never run so fast, not away from Voldemort, not away from the basilisk. He needed answers.

He’s met with the kind eyes of a tired professor, Professor Lupin. He smiles the moment his eyes land on the boy and opens the door for him. “Harry! What can I help you with?” He shuts the door behind Harry and walks to sit down in front of the fireplace situated in the professors room.

Harry quickly realised he had no idea how to start this conversation but decided maybe that was a good thing. Maybe if he looked as pathetic as he felt, the man in front of him would spare some sympathy. “W.. Well Professor.” He was stuttering, This sucks. Emotions suck. “I was, um, curious… about s- something..”

Remus turned to face him, his face holding concern as the fire reflected on his face and in their eyes. “hm?” He keeps his voice low, like he was approaching an animal in the wild and didn’t want to frighten it. Harry felt conflicted, should he be offended? If yes then why oh why was it so pathetically comforting?

“I wanted to ask… if it’s not too much trouble… about Sirius black..?” He looks in the eyes of the professor, watching as his pupils shrink and his face pales. He rushes out context before the man yells at him. (He wouldn’t, but Harry doesn’t know that.) “It’s just that everyone keeps talking about him but no one will tell m-me what he’s done or who he is – I mean everyone knows I didn’t grow up in the wizarding world so I have no idea who he is! Yet for some reason people want to shield me from him and I’m just really confused-“ His tears start forming again, he forces them down, avoiding eye contact. “So… uhm.. if you don’t mind- of course you don’t have to-“

“Harry..” Lupin cuts him off gently, he’s not smiling – but he’s not pale anymore. He’s been so concerned for the boy over the years but he thought someone would’ve told him by now. “You don’t know who Sirius Black is..?” He hesitates on the name, like saying it burnt him.

“mh mh..” He looks up teary eyed as he shakes his head and Remus’ heart shatters.

“Oh Harry.. Of course I’ll tell you.” He smiles slightly as he faces the fireplace, missing how Harry’s eyes widen. “Sirius Black was your fathers greatest friend. And my own. Along with another boy, Peter Pettigrew.”

Remus doesn’t go into too much detail about their friendship growing up, just about what had been told to the public, matching the story that Harry had overheard from the others.

The raven haired boy had never felt so much relief. Professor Lupin had told him the truth.