By the Light of the Moon

Narcissa sighed and looked at her watch again, the third time in five minutes. What had happened to Remus? He was supposed to meet her fifteen minutes earlier. Perhaps he had gotten caught up in conversation with his friends? It was doubtful; Remus was almost never late.

The Three Broomsticks was crowded and noisy when she arrived there. She waved at a few Slytherin girls. "Care to join us, Narcissa?" Andrew Baddock, one of the biggest jerks in Slytherin, asked her. He and his gang of friends were leering at her. Narcissa shook her head and walked past them. He yelled something back at her that she didn't pay attention to. She had spotted Sirius, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. Remus was not with them. Her heart dropped.

Narcissa walked over to their table, which was completely surrounded by other tables of Gryffindors. A few of them glared at her. "Sirius." She came up behind him. "Where's Remus?"

All three boys looked at her, confused. "We thought he was with you," Sirius told her.

"He never showed up to meet us," James said. Narcissa looked at him, shocked for a moment.

"Maybe he got sidetracked," Peter suggested.

"I suppose it's possible," she said skeptically. "I'm going to look for him."

She walked away quickly. "We'll help you!" she heard one of the boys say behind her.

They split up outside and began looking in various shops.

Narcissa began at Madam Puddifoot's, where she had and Remus had parted, and worked her way down the road. He was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank when she met back up with the boys and Remus was not with him.

"You didn't see him?" she asked frantically. They shook their heads. She glared at Sirius. "If this is your idea of a mean joke--"

"Don't be stupid," he said to her sharply. "You know I wouldn't do something like that to you!"

"You certainly would." Her voice was just as harsh as his.

"But Remus wouldn't." He sighed.

Narcissa looked down and nodded slowly. "Perhaps he returned to Hogwarts," she said with a far away look on her face, unconvinced. She couldn't help feeling that something was very wrong.

"We can go back through the Shrieking Shack," Peter said. "It's much quicker."

"Good thinking," James told him. "We can find him on the Marauder's Map when we get there."

Narcissa shuddered, thinking of the last time she had been there. She hated that place.

The four of them rushed to the Shrieking Shack. Narcissa trailed behind the other three, taking a deep breath before entering. She nearly missed seeing the figure on the ground.

Narcissa gasped. "Remus!" He didn't move. She bent down next to him. "Remus?" Tears formed in her eyes as she brushed his cheek. His skin was so hot it nearly burned her. "Remus!" she sobbed.

His eyes fluttered open. "N-Narcissa?" he said hoarsely. She let out a cry of relief.

"We need to get you to the Hospital Wing. Can you walk?" she asked him. Remus nodded. Sirius, Peter, and James appeared behind her and began to help Remus up. He stumbled and would have fallen if not for the help from his friends.

"Maybe not," he said right before he fainted.

"Mobilicorpus," Sirius said, pointing his wand at Remus.

Narcissa took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It wouldn't do to lose it in front of the three Gryffindors. At least Remus was alive. That was the most important thing.

Nobody spoke during the long walk to the Hospital Wing. Narcissa was certain that they were all wondering the same thing--what had happened to Remus? He felt feverish, but it seemed like more than just a fever.

And why had he been in the Shrieking Shack? There had to be an explanation behind that, one that she had a feeling would not be to her liking.

The Hospital Wing was empty, except for Madam Pomfrey, who was reading a large and ancient book. She looked up in surprise at Remus's body. "Oh, dear. What happened here?"

The mediwitch began examining Remus as the four of them began telling her everything they knew--which wasn't much.

"Will two of you please go and fetch the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall?" Madam Pomfrey asked a few minutes later.

"What's wrong with him?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

Madam Pomfrey paused. "He's been hit with the Cruciatus Curse," she said with a grave expression. Narcissa felt ill and lightheaded.

"How severe is--"

Madam Pomfrey put up a hand to silence Sirius. "I cannot tell yet, but I need all of you to leave. And don't forget to bring Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. Quickly, now."

James and Peter rushed off to get the two professors as Narcissa and Sirius sat down in the corridor.

She began crying uncontrollably. Sirius awkwardly pulled her into his arms and let her sob into his chest. "Don't worry, 'Cissa. He'll be fine."

"It's all my fault," she whispered through her tears.

"Why do you think that? You didn't do this to him!"

Narcissa silently pulled away from him. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were hurrying down the corridor, followed by James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. The two professors disappeared into the door next to them as James and Peter sat. For once, the three boys were silent.

The minutes ticked by slowly. After about two hours, Madam Pomfrey came out.

"He's awake and seems to be doing fine. However, it's too soon to tell if there will be any lasting effects."

"Can we see him?" James asked.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "But not for long. He needs his rest."

The four of them approached his bed slowly. Narcissa took his hand in hers. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"Much better now that you're here." He grinned weakly at her.

"Who did this to you?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head and closed his eyes. The next thing they knew, he was asleep.

"It's time for the four of you to return to your Houses," McGonagall said from the corner where she sat with Dumbledore.

"I'd like to stay here for the night in case he wakes up," Narcissa told them.

"If she gets to stay, we should be able to also," James said. Peter and Sirius nodded in agreement.

Madam Pomfrey glared at them. "None of you will be staying here for the night; it will disturb him."

"I'm not leaving him," Narcissa told her stubbornly.

Dumbledore finally spoke. "It's nearly time for supper; all of you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Narcissa realized that she sounded like a spoilt child but she didn't care.

"Your persistence is admirable, Miss Black. However," Madam Pomfrey continued, "the best thing for Mr. Lupin at the moment is peace and quiet so that he can sleep. I will contact you if he awakens and is up to receiving visitors."

Narcissa turned around, displeased with the response. She immediately began plotting in her mind how she would sneak out of her dormitory tonight.

*****************

Remus's slumber was riddled with nightmares. All of them seemed to involve the Cruciatus Curse--being used on him, his friends, or Narcissa. In the last of these, Cepheus Black used the Cruciatus Curse repeatedly on Narcissa while Remus looked on, paralyzed.

He awoke breathing heavily and trembling in the darkness. Where was he? At Hogwarts? Hopefully not still in the Shrieking Shack.

Warm arms surrounded him. "It's okay, Remus. I'm here for you," Narcissa said softly. He moved closer to her and put his arms around her. His breathing steadied as he closed his eyes. Remus slept peacefully for the remainder of the night.

The next time Remus woke, daylight was streaming into the room. She was gone; he could no longer feel her presence. Remus used his elbows to push himself into a sitting position. It was a slight struggle to do so. White walls, empty beds, and a miscellany of medical equipment surrounded him. The Hospital Wing.

"Oh! I'm happy to see you up, dear," Madam Pomfrey said in a cheerful voice. "How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?"

Remus nodded. At least he had slept well in the second part of the night.

"Would you like something to eat?"

He shrugged. "I want to see Narcissa." He tried to speak loudly and clearly, but his voice came out in a whisper.

"I'm sorry, dear, but Miss Black has classes at the moment. She was up here early in the morning asking about you." Remus frowned. Hadn't she been there in the middle of the night?

"If you'd like, I can send her an owl telling her to come visit you after classes. And also to your friends. They too came by wanting to know how you were faring."

He nodded at her. "Am I going to be all right?" he asked hesitantly.

"You will, as long as you take it easy for the next few days. You're lucky that this didn't happen to you right after the full moon when your body was in an already weakened state. Your body may have a slight tremor, especially in the next few weeks, but that's mild compared the way that Cruciatus affects some."

Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the room and Remus let out the breath he had been holding. He was lucky, at least in a physical sense. His mental state was another story. What would he tell Narcissa? She believed that her father was incapable of harming others and was blind to his faults. It would hurt her deeply to learn the truth.

However, she deserved to know her father's true character. He was no better than any of the other evil and biased pureblooded wizard. Keeping that a secret from Narcissa would be unfair to her.

The only problem now was how he was going to tell her.

The Headmaster walked into the room. After exchanging greetings with Remus, he got straight to the point. "Mr. Lupin, if you don't mind, I'd like you to tell me everything that happened yesterday. Do you know who did this to you?"

The room was silent. Remus did not want to answer.

"Mr. Lupin, I realize that you have been through a terrible ordeal and may not be ready to speak of it yet." Dumbledore's voice was patient and understanding. "I would not even dream of asking you questions so soon after it if not for the severity of the situation. It is quite possible that this is not an isolated incident and that other students will be targeted as you were. Any ideas of who might be behind this will be most helpful."

With a sigh, Remus found himself revealing more than he had planned. "I know exactly who did this and for what reason. Cepheus Black. He believes that a poor halfblood werewolf is unworthy of his daughter," Remus said in a voice beset with bitterness. He looked downward. "Maybe I don't deserve her, but I love her more than Lucius Malfoy or any other man can even imagine."

Dumbledore's facial expression didn't change, but his silence suggested that he was deep in thought. After a few moments, he spoke. "Well, Remus, I believe that you deserve her just as much as she does you. I thank you for telling me about Mr. Black."

One thing was certain--there was no way now for him to avoid telling Narcissa. He spent the next half hour staring at the same place on the wall. He needed rest--that was for sure--but his mind was worrying too much to allow it. He vaguely could hear Madam Pomfrey remarking about something or another. Only when Narcissa entered the room did he change his field of view.

A smile graced her face, making her look even more stunning than usual. "Remus, I'm so happy you're awake. Madam Pomfrey told me that you were doing well." She kissed him quickly on the lips then took his hand and sat in the chair next to him.

"Were you here last night or was that just a good dream?" he asked, avoiding the subject that had been plaguing him.

She nodded. "I came after I was certain Madam Pomfrey had left for the night and left early in the morning."

He noticed that she looked tired. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Enough. I was worried about you." She stroked his cheek, her delicate fingers smooth and warm against his skin. Remus closed his eyes, savoring the sensation for a few moments.

He softly placed his hand over hers, then kissed her palm. "Narcissa, I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Remus?" She asked curiously.

He looked into her eyes and looked away immediately. He couldn't do it. It would cause so much grief and pain for her, when all he wanted to do was to make her happy.

Remus took a deep breath. "Narcissa, the man who did this to me..." Her eyes widened. "...is your father."

Her hand immediately went limp in his and her face turned ashen. She tried to control her voice as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Remus, but I think that you're mistaken. My father is not like that. You must have him confused with somebody else."

He looked her straight in the eye and shook his head. "I know how painful this is for you, Narcissa. I would not have said anything if there was any doubt that it was him."

His heart nearly broke when tears formed in her eyes. "It's not possible!" she cried. Remus tried to reach for her, but she moved away from him.

"Narcissa..."

She rushed out of the room, leaving Remus alone with his despair.

***************

Her breathing came in gasps as she walked down the corridor. She was uncertain of her destination, only wishing to be as far from the truth as possible. Narcissa ducked into a room as she heard a group of Ravenclaws walking in her direction. She was certain that they would love to see her in one of her weak moments and spread rumors that the Slytherin prefect was going mad.

She took a few deep breaths and looked around the room she had ended up in. An office that hadn't been used in decades from the looks of it. There was a large desk with several chairs, in addition to a small sofa. In addition, it had the only two things she needed at the moment: a fireplace and Floo powder. Perfect. It never ceased to amaze her how easy it was to leave Hogwarts via the Floo Network.

Narcissa stepped over the hearth and threw a handful of the Floo powder vigorously. "Black Manor!"

She stepped out of the fireplace into one of the large, richly furnished sitting rooms. It was, like everything else in the house, immaculate. For the first time, Narcissa noticed the utter perfection of the furnishings--chairs that were too fancy to sit upon, tables that were only meant to hold decorations, footrests that had never held a single pair of feet. Narcissa fought the urge to break something, to spoil the flawlessness of the room in front of her.

Instead, she stepped out into the hallway, practically grabbing the first House Elf she saw.

"Where is my father?!"

The poor thing nearly fainted from fear, but managed to tell her that he was in his study, and was to be disturbed under no circumstances. Narcissa ignored the warning and went straight to the study, throwing open the double doors.

Her father looked up from his desk. "Narcissa, now this is a surprise. I was just getting ready to contact you with excellent news. Lucius Malfoy has made an offer for your hand in marriage!" She glared, briefly wondering how arrogant Malfoy must be to think that she would actually marry him. Her father's good mood faded immediately with the expression on her face. "Why are you not at school?"

"Father, I need to speak to you," she growled.

Cepheus Black stood. "I did not raise you to act like a heathen--barging into rooms, and screaming at people while being rude and disrespectful to your elders. I demand that you return to school immediately. I am a very busy man and have no time to deal with the problems of silly little girls."

She didn't pay attention to him. "Is it true?" she cried. "Did you use the Cruciatus Curse on Remus?"

"How dare you come into my home and make accusations of me? Where have your manners gone? I suppose that your vulgar attitude comes from that halfblooded werewolf too."

Narcissa's hand reached for a small sculpture next to her--a bust of her father--and threw it as hard as she could at the wall behind him. It made a loud noise, but did not break, much to her disappointment. "TELL ME THE TRUTH! You did that to him didn't you?!"

"Does it matter if I did? That creature is a halfblood, unworthy of even being in the same room as you. You're a Black, of the noblest pureblooded family in the entire Wizarding World. That filth that you associate with is undeserving of your affections."

"So it is the truth. I thought that you were incapable of harming others, that you would never resort to violence unless absolutely necessary," she fired back at him.

"It was necessary. I only did it because I love you and want to protect you. One day you will be grateful for my actions."

She looked downward, hot tears beginning to run down her cheeks. How could this be the man she had respected so much?

"Narcissa," her father said to her. "I want you to break off your relationship with this young man immediately."

"No! I refuse to."

"If you do not break up with him, I cannot promise that the incident with the Cruciatus Curse will not repeat itself."

Narcissa was horrified. How could he talk about using an Unforgivable Curse so nonchalantly? "I can have you thrown in Azkaban for it," she threatened.

He snorted. "Who would arrest me? One day you'll learn the advantages of being wealthy. Because of my money and power, the law does not apply to me." A gleam formed in his eye. "One day it will be the same way for you, as long as you put this silly love affair behind you. You will be the most powerful witch in the Wizarding World someday if you listen to me. All you have to do is accept Lucius Malfoy's proposal."

"Absolutely not." She turned to leave.

He called after her. "Think about what I said, my dear. Your boyfriend came out of this unscathed, but he may not be so lucky the next time. And don't think of running away with him; it will only be a waste of time."

Narcissa fled from the room, unwilling to spend another moment there. It wasn't until she arrived back at Hogwarts, in the room she had left from, that she stopped.

Sobbing uncontrollably, she sank to the stone covered floor and put her head on her knees. Narcissa, unable to face the rest of the world, spent the remainder of the day in that position, only leaving several hours after supper was over.

The next morning, she skipped her first class to see her father again. He stood when she arrived in his office. She didn't waste time with idle chatter. "Very well, Father. I'll accept Malfoy's proposal on the condition that you and your cohorts never go near Remus again."

Her father gave her a sinister smile. "I knew you would come to your senses, my dear."

****************

She didn't come back for the rest of the day. Or the next day, or the one after that. In fact, when he left the Hospital Wing ten days later, he hadn't seen her at all. Every one of his notes to her went unanswered. His friends told him that she was going to classes, but that she snapped at anybody who attempted to talk to her.

Not seeing her had made the recovery process slower. There were a few times when he came close to forgetting the pain that he felt, usually during the brief visits from his three best friends; however, they were still unable to lift his spirits.

He knew that she was avoiding him and it made him absolutely miserable.

Narcissa was not at supper that evening. Remus spent the entire night ignoring the conversation around him and glancing at the Slytherin table forlornly. Finally, he left early, muttering something about studying. He walked slowly toward his dormitory.

"Remus." Narcissa was waiting at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He knew what was coming the moment he saw the look on her face. She appeared to be trying to act calm and composed, but was failing at it. "I'm sorry, Remus. I've been wrong about my feelings this entire time. I'm not really in love with you." Her voice choked and tears were forming in her eyes. Hearing her say those words was as painful as enduring the Cruciatus Curse. They were a lie--at least he hoped--but they still hurt. He wanted to say something, anything to get her to stop this from happening.

Then he came to the realization that next time, he might not be the only one Cepheus Black attacked. Would he be cruel enough to harm his own daughter? Remus didn't want to find out. He remained silent.

"Remus, I think that I should tell you before anybody else does... I'm planning to marry Lucius Malfoy."