Chapter 3: Remus

I was sitting in the last compartment, alone, because James, Sirius and Peter had decided to stay at Hogwarts while I went home to check on my mother, who was ill.

I was thinking about this blonde girl with icy blue eyes and how beautiful she was. Sirius told me she was his cousin, Narcissa Black. I knew that she belonged to some Pure-Blood and not to a Werewolf like me, but I couldn't stop thinking about how it would be if she chose me over some Pure-Blood, if she didn't care about what people will think and say, if she accepted me the way I was, if she liked me back.

The compartment door opened and she entered. I looked up and saw that she was hesitating. 

"You can sit, if you want," I said, opening a book because I knew she'd leave, but I was surprised when she sat down on the seat that was facing mine. 

"What are you reading?" she asked. 

"A Muggle book. They write great things, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yes. You should read it."

"My parents wouldn't let me, but I'll ask my brother-in-law to lend me some Muggle books."

"Who is your brother-in-law?"

"Edward Tonks. He's a muggle-born and my sister, Andromeda's husband."

"Okay. Your parents disowned her, right?"

"Yes. Sirius told you, I suppose?"

"Yes."

She nodded. She was beautiful. 

"What did you do for Christmas?" she asked. 

"Spent it with my parents. My mother is sick so I wanted to make sure she'd be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Oh. What does she have?"

"Cancer, a Muggle disease. The doctors say she might die."

"I hope she doesn't." 

She's so sweet and kind! "Yeah, me too. How's your family?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Fine. They want me to marry Lucius Malfoy."

"Oh. Do you want to marry him?"

"No. I'm supposed to marry him at the end of the year, but I'm trying to find another way."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"First, tell them that I love someone else. Then, that I can bear Malfoy's child, but that he won't raise him, so that I'm not disowned."

"Okay. And do you really love someone else or is it a cover?"

"I do, but I don't know if he loves me back and he's a half-blood so I might end up disowned, but I'd like to at least try."

"Okay. Who's the guy whom you like?" I asked, knowing it wasn't me. 

"I can't tell you," she said. 

"C'mon, Black! I'm your cousin's best friend!"

"That's why I won't tell you anything."

I laughed. "Okay. Wrong argument. But I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Yeah, sure!"

"Please, Narcissa?" I said, making my puppy face. I knew Lily couldn't resist it, nor could James, so why would she?

"Stop it, Lupin. Please. Don't make it hard for me."

"Hard for you for what?"

"Not telling you!"

"Okay, fine," I said, dropping the puppy eyes and pout.

I thought I saw sadness in her eyes, but a second later, it was gone.

She took a book out of her trunk and opened it to where a bookmark was and continued to read where she had apparently stopped. 

I did the same and continued my reading.

I couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious half-blood, though. Who was the lucky guy who would be the cause of her being disowned by her parents from the Black Family? 

I could feel her eyes on me, but didn't look up. 

Once we were near Hogwarts, I left the compartment and changed into my Hogwarts uniform. Then, I went back to my seat where Narcissa was facing me, already in her Slytherin robes. 

"Remus?" she asked. 

"Yes?"

"How would you tell someone that you like him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I'll never have to tell anyone."

"Even if you like them?"

"Especially if I like them. I'm dangerous, you know?"

"I don't think that werewolves are dangerous," she said and I looked up at her, shocked. 

"What makes you think that—"

"I see how you disappear at each full moon. Plus, I asked Lily and she told me that I was right and Snape wouldn't shut up about how you were a werewolf. Only when it was just the two of us, though. Never when the others were."

"So— you like Snape?"

"No. We're friends."

"Okay. So you don't believe that werewolves are dangerous?"

"I don't think that you, Remus Lupin, would hurt anyone willingly," she corrected. 

"Okay. So— we're friends?" I asked hesitatingly. 

"Yes. We're friends."

We arrived at Hogwarts and went our separate ways. 

Once in the Great Hall, I sat next to Lily and told her about the conversation I just had with Narcissa Black. 

"You two would make a cute couple," she said with a smile. 

"What? Who told you I was interested in being with her?"

"You just did, Remus Lupin. And I know for a fact that she likes you."

"Yeah, sure."

"No, really."

"Who would be crazy enough to like me?"

"Narcissa Black?"

I laughed. "No, Lily. I don't want to be the reason of her being disowned."

"Remus. You wouldn't be the reason. Her parents would."

"I don't care. She deserves better anyway, Lily."

"No, Remus. You both deserve each other."

"If you say so," I said, rolling my eyes before getting up to go to my dorm because I was tired.

The following morning, after breakfast, I went to the library because I had a free period. 

I opened my book and continued my reading when she came in and sat next to me. 

"Do you mind?" she asked. 

"No," I said with a smile. 

She looked like she wanted to say something. After a while, she said. "Do you think I should do it?"

"Do what?"

"Tell my parents and ask them if I can bear the kid without Malfoy being allowed to see him."

"As you wish, Black."

"No. I need your help. Please."

"What for?"

"I'm scared," she admitted. 

"Of what?"

"What they'll say, or think, and to bear a kid that I probably won't be able to love and whom the guy I like probably won't accept."

"Wow. Narcissa, breathe. I'm sure he'll accept the kid, okay?"

"I'm not sure, Remus."

"Why not?"

"Would you love the kid like your own if you were in that situation?"

"I guess, yes, but why are you asking me?"

"Because I like you," she mumbled. 

"What?" I asked, not sure I heard properly. 

"I like you," she said again before getting up to leave, but I grabbed her hand and got up. 

"I like you too," I whispered.

Nobody could see us because we were hidden behind the bookshelves, so I kissed her softly on the lips. Scared that I moved too fast or did it the wrong away, I pulled away, but she grabbed my face and kissed me back. 

Eventually, we broke apart and smiled at each other. 

"You really don't mind?" she asked.

"No. Of course not. Why would I?"

"Because it won't be your kid."

"I don't care, Narcissa. As long as I'm with you, I don't care."