Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 10 - The Shrieking Shack: Part One

The next fifteen minutes had been a blur.

After hurriedly throwing on shoes and grabbing their wands, they left Remus' office, hurrying off to the Whomping Willow.

"This is not possible," Selene muttered to herself.

"That's the fifth time you've said that," Remus said distractedly. He was magicking a tree branch to press the small knot at the base of the tree, the knot they both knew would cause the Willow to cease all movement.

She stared at him. "Surely you understand my confusion!"

"Now is not the time, Sel," Remus said. The tree in front of them had frozen in place, and Remus gripped her hand tightly, ready to lead her down into the passage that led to the Shrieking Shack.

Selene allowed him to lead her down into the dark hole, recognizing the inside of the Shrieking Shack only vaguely. She hadn't made many trips down to it, unlike the Marauders, who had spent every full moon here for two years. Remus had never allowed it.

They had only just made it onto the landing when Selene stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in apprehension.

"Remus," she whispered hesitantly.

He turned to look at her, his face white and his eyes wide, mirroring her own fear. "Yeah?"

"You know... you know what this could mean?" she asked him. "Don't you?"

Remus stared at her for another second but nodded his head once.

"Remus, I'm terrified," she said shakily.

"I am too," he said. "This... this could change everything."

They stared at each other for another moment. There was so much more to say, but not enough time to say it.

Thus, instead, Selene merely pointed her finger to a door ahead of them, behind which they could faintly hear voices.

"They must be in there," she whispered shakily.

Remus nodded quickly, and together, the two burst into the room.

The scene before them was quite an interesting one. Ron Weasley was laying on the floor, his leg bloody and mangled. Hermione Granger was by the doorway, fearful and pale, holding two wands. Harry was standing over Sirius, his wand pointed in Sirius' face. Sirius himself was bloody and bruised, as if he had been in a fight.

"Expelliarmus!" Remus cried, and the two wands Hermione was holding, as well as Harry's own, flew into his outstretched hand.

He and Selene moved further into the room. Remus spoke again, "Where is he, Sirius?"

They watched Sirius stare at them in amazement, before slowly pointing a finger towards Ron, towards a struggling lump in his shirt pocket.

"But then..." Remus muttered, staring with wide eyes. "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless—" He and Selene exchanged a glance of recognition. "Unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling us?"

Sirius never broke eye contact with the two. He nodded slowly.

Selene's hard gaze on Sirius softened. "You never said anything..."

"Professors," Harry interrupted, "what's going on—?"

Selene and Remus didn't wait for Harry to finish his question. They moved over Sirius – Remus pulling him up to his feet – and they all embraced tightly. Selene cried softly into both men's shoulders.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed, and the adults broke apart quickly. "You— you—"

"Hermione—"