Lost Love Found

Chapter 12: The Naked Truth

It was a grey, chilly morning. It seemed like the clouds were about to burst when the Gryffindor team marched out onto the Quidditch field accompanied by a roar of applauses. But not even the heaviest rain could have dampened the team's spirit. The players were ready to give their best and win the match, which had to be won by at least 400 points if they wanted to win the Quidditch cup.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game began. Both teams were playing very well but the Gryffindor team was determined to win. After only a few minutes the score was 150 to 60 in favor of Gryffindor.

"Two hundred more points and then it'll be time to find the snitch," thought Harry who in the meantime was enjoying himself by tricking Cho (who as usual was just following him) into thinking he had found the snitch. He would pretend to be very concentrated in a certain spot and then he would zoom towards the spot with Cho at his heels just to dive upwards again.

Adrian was doing his best to guard the three hoops with the splitting headache he had. Actually he had general body aches. "Damn! I must be getting a cold," he thought wincing as a shiver ran along his back. By now Gryffindor was still on the lead and the score was 320 to 240 but it was getting harder and harder for Adrian to focus with the headache that was hammering his head.

Harry decided that it was time to really find the snitch. He was looking hard all around the field when, suddenly, he saw the snitch glimmering like a spark of fire near the Ravenclaw goal post and Cho going after it. He leaned forward on his firebolt and whooshed towards the snitch. For a second he hesitated. Should he be a gentleman and let Cho get the snitch, after all she had seen it first? His mind was made up just with a look around the field. Everyone was holding their breath waiting to see who was going to catch the snitch. The whole Gryffindor team had their fingers crossed and cheered him on.

"This cup is ours. Sorry, Cho," he said before he leaned flat on his broom and zoomed past Cho to catch the snitch with his outstretched arm. As soon as he had wrapped his fingers around the winged ball the field exploded with cheers and Harry found himself unable to move. All the members of the team were hugging him. Well, not all the members of the team. Adrian was still suspended in midair in front of the goal posts.

It took Adrian a little while to realize that they had won. The headache was getting worse and his sight was blurring. Soon all he could see were streaks of color splashed all over the grayish field, which was getting darker by the second. His legs felt numb and heavy and his hands too sweaty to hold on to the broom so he let go. He knew he was falling but somehow his body wasn't trying to break the fall. Maybe it was because he felt like he was in a dream. Surely he was going to wake up soon, or not? His answer came with a thump; the sound of several "somethings" cracking and the excruciating pain that braced him right after his body had hit the ground. Then he fell into dark unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~

When Remus skidded into the field he found everyone looking horror-struck at the group of scarlet-clad people that was gathered around something lying on the grass. He ran over to them and his fears all came true. Adrian, pale as a ghost, was sprawled unconscious on the ground; his right arm sticking out at a very odd angle and a thick thread of blood oozing from the wound on his head.

"He fell off his broom," said Angelina in between sobs to Lupin then she turned to Fred, who had just finished checking Adrian's pulse, "is he d-dead?"

"Move over, move over," said Madam Pomfrey as she elbowed her way to Adrian. "Oh my God!" She examined Adrian quickly and then gave her diagnostic, "four of his ribs and his right arm are broken. He has a pretty bad concussion on his temple and oh my! He feels very cold and he is barely breathing. It's dangerous to move him like this so I'll have to mend the broken bones right here and then I'll take him to-"

"Madam Pomfrey, I'm sure that he was bitten by a Runespoor! He must've fainted and that's why he fell off the broom," came Remus' anxious voice from behind her.

"What? Goodness! We have to get the venom out of his system but by the looks of it... it seems that it might be too late," she said sadly touching Adrian's forehead, which now was taking a bluish color and was covered in cold sweat.

By now all the teachers were congregated around Adrian and everybody else was ordered to stay away.

"Severus, you got to have an antidote somewhere in your office," pleaded Remus.

"In fact I do. Accio antidote!" commanded Snape and soon a small vial came flying out of one of the windows of the castle into Snape's hand. He kneeled next to Adrian, lifted the boy's head and forced the antidote into his already whitish lips. "We must wait a few hours for him to regain consciousness. If it wasn't too late when I administered the remedy, that is."

"Then I can't mend his bones yet so we have to risk moving him like this," said Madam Pomfrey, who then proceeded to carefully suspend Adrian in the air with her wand. In that manner she took him to the hospital wing at the same time that she shooed all the Gryffindors away. "He is in pretty bad shape. He does not need any disturbances. Now out of the way!"

Dumbledore, Snape and Remus were the only ones allowed to follow and once Adrian was laying on a bed of the hospital wing Remus perched himself next to him. "I just found out that he's my son," he said to Dumbledore who squeezed his shoulder sympathetically. "And now I'm going to lose him... again."

"Don't say that. We have to wait a while to see how he reacts to the antidote, but the fact that he is still breathing is a good indicator, don't you think?" said Dumbledore soothingly.

Remus nodded slowly and then looked up at Dumbledore. "You knew it," he said calmly.

"I strongly suspected it. Now I must go and let his mother know what happened," he said giving Remus a meaningful look through his half moon spectacles before he walked out of the room.

Snape was about to do the same when Remus spoke, "Severus, thank you. Thank you very much for giving Adrian the antidote."

"As a precautious potion's master I always have antidotes in my office, especially with you and Hagrid bringing dangerous creatures into the school grounds," he said eyeing Remus reproachfully. "Besides, what did you think? That I was going to let him die just because he is your son? Is true that I don't like him much but I'm not a murderer."

"You knew too, didn't you? It seems that everybody but me knew that he is my son. I'm an idiot."

"I'm not going to disagree with you in that matter. How couldn't have we guessed that he was your son? The poor boy has your face," he drawled walking towards the door. "I am sure that the boy will be alright. You know that all my potions work wonders and besides, bad weeds are hard to get rid of."

Remus remained by his son's side for a little longer until Madam Pomfrey came into the room to check on Adrian. McGonagall, who had come with her, whispered softly to Remus, "he is looking better already but he needs to rest. And it seems that a cup of tea will make you feel better. Come on, you need to calm down too."

Remus hesitated for a moment and then nodded with a sigh. There wasn't much he could do right now so he left Adrian's side striding alongside McGonagall.

Minutes later Clara came bursting into the hospital wing almost knocking down Madam Pomfrey. "I am sorry," she apologized, her eyes glistening with tears. "How is my son? Where is he?"

"Calm down, sweetie. He is still unconscious but he is doing better. The antidote Professor Snape administered him is working and as soon as he regains consciousness I'll be able to mend his broken bones. Come with me," said Madam Pomfrey guiding Clara by the shoulders to Adrian's bed.

Tears streamed down Clara's cheeks at the sight of her son's bruised and bloodstained body. He was still very pale and his hand felt cold. The only sign that he was still alive was his chest rising slightly every time he drew in breath. "Adrian," she whispered stroking his hair.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly with a smile before she disappeared behind her office door.

Clara was still stroking Adrian's hair when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Assuming it was Madam Pomfrey she didn't turn. The footsteps stopped very close to where she was and then a painfully familiar voice came from behind her, "Why?"

She felt her blood freeze as if she had just been soaked in icy cold water. She stood up slowly as she feared that her trembling legs would give up on her. Breathing hastily she drew the curtains around Adrian's bed as to protect him from the newcomer. She finally turned and faced Remus who was now standing in front of her.

"Why?" he asked again. Not in a reproachful tone, rather a sad one, like that of a child who has been punished for something he didn't do.

Clara didn't reply at once mainly because she was so shocked that she couldn't find her voice. She had expected to see on Remus' face the same cruel mocking expression he had been wearing the last time she had seen him, but to her surprise he had the calm sweet expression of the man she had fell in love with years before. Glaring at him, she finally spoke in a quivering voice, "what are you talking about?"

"You know... about Adrian, our son," he said piercing Clara with his hazel eyes. She looked more mature of course but still as pretty as the day he'd met her. The only difference was the sadness that now shadowed her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"And you ask me?" she asked through gritted teeth. Anger was creeping up to her head now that she had shoved away the impulse of running into his arms. "Have you already forgotten how you kicked me out of your life? Why would you care if you had a son? All you cared about was landing a good post at the Ministry!"

"Clara, that wasn't true," he said.

"What?! Are you calling me a liar?" she snarled. "Don't tell me you got amnesia and forgot how you used me to get a job and how you said it to my face exactly on the day that I was going to give you the happy news! Get out of here NOW!"

"Clara, listen to me, please. All I said that day was a lie."

Clara's hand was dangerously wrapping around her wand as she glared at Remus. "Of course! Now that my father is back at the Ministry I can be of use to you again. I am not a burden anymore, huh?"

"I did it because I love you. I did it to protect you from Voldemort. I didn't want you to end up like the Longbottoms."

"Oh really? How come you didn't just tell me that then?"

"Because you would've never left, would've you? You would've never left me or your friends to fight alone, just to protect your life."

Clara was silently looking at the floor. He had a point, she would've never run away and left her friends alone just to save her skin.

"I had to make you leave by any means possible. You were in mortal danger. Voldemort was already after us, Sirius, Lily and James," he paused for a while and then continued, "my plan was to look for you after the danger was over... if I survived."

Clara's expression was softening but she still didn't believe him completely. "Why didn't you do it? Why didn't you look for me after Harry defeated You-Know-Who?"

"I did," he said in a small voice. "But you didn't want to talk to me."

She frowned. What he had just said was true. Remus had been to her father's house but she had absolutely refused to talk to him or even look at him. Perhaps he was telling the truth... "Why didn't you insist if you say you loved me so much? Why did you just give up after the first try?"

Remus' expression grew grimmer. "Because I thought that being back in your father's house, among the riches and luxuries you were accustomed to, you would never want to go back to the modest living I could give you. I didn't want to drag you back into poverty and the shame of being married to a werewolf."

"You know I didn't give a damn if you were a werewolf and I didn't care either for money or luxuries. All I wanted was to be your wife, to have a family and spend the rest of my life with you," she said trying to read his gaze to see if he was telling the truth.

Remus sighed heavily. "Seeing all that luxury made me feel worthless," he said looking down. Then he walked the couple of steps that separated him from Clara and held her by the shoulders. "There wasn't a single day that I didn't think about you," he whispered holding her gaze. "I've always loved you and I always will."

"Remus," she said in between sobs burying her head in his chest. "You idiot! You made me suffer all these years just because of an inferiority complex."

"I'm sorry," he said wrapping his arms around her. "Could you ever forgive me?"

She looked up from his chest smiling and he gently wiped a couple of tears off her face. "I should hex you, but I guess I owe you an apology too. Could you forgive me for not telling you about Adrian?"

"How couldn't I forgive the love of my life? I suppose we are even now," smiled Remus taking her face in his hands. Then he did what he had been dying to do for almost sixteen years; he kissed her. Both of them felt like they haven't been apart a single day, their hearts pounding just as excitedly as they had the night Remus had confessed his love for Clara. But the magic spell broke with the swishing sound of curtains being opened and then the screeching of the springs of a mattress.

They turned to find Adrian standing at the edge of his bed clutching his aching ribs with his left hand while his broken arm hung oddly at his side. He was wheezing. It was obviously hard for him to stand after he had fallen from a height of 20 feet and on top of that his system had just been purged from the Runespoor's venom.

Clara beamed at the sight of her son standing up again. "Adrian, thank goodness! I was so worried," she cried with a smile, which suddenly turned to an apprehensive frown when she realized that he must've heard part of her conversation with Remus. "D-did you hear..."

"Everything. So you are my real father," whizzed Adrian looking at Remus with a blank expression on his sallow face.

"Yes, I am. It must be quite a disappointment for you," he answered looking down at his shoes.

"Are you kidding? I couldn't have a cooler dad," smiled Adrian looking proudly at his father.

Remus' face lit up. "Are you serious?"

Adrian nodded. "You know? Ever since we began having those tutoring sessions and I got to know you I always wished that if my father were alive he would be just like you. I hope the disappointment isn't yours."

"Of course not. I have the coolest son," he laughed.

Adrian only let out a small laugh, which was all he was able to manage without feeling his insides rip. "Um... can you help me get back on the bed? I feel like I got ran over by a hippogriff. What the hell happened to me? I remember feeling really weird like I was getting a cold and then everything blurred and I fell. Bet that stupid Malfoy jinxed me."

"I'm afraid Malfoy wasn't the culprit." Remus then helped Adrian back up onto the bed while he explained everything about the Runespoor.

Only when Adrian was safely on the bed Clara approached to him slowly, wearing an apprehensive expression on her face and in a trembling voice she asked, "Adrian, could you ever forgive me for not telling you the truth?"

"Mmm I don't know. Maybe if you get me a couple of presents," said Adrian with a playful look to which Clara let out a sigh of relief. She knew he was just pulling her leg. "I couldn't stay mad at you, mom. Especially not now that I'm finally going to have a family... because you two are going to get together again, aren't you?"

Remus and Clara looked at each other smiling. "I guess we are," said Remus wrapping his arms around Clara's waist.

Right then Madam Pomfrey, wiping a couple of tears off her face with a flowery hanky, came out of her office from where she had witnessed the whole thing. "Now, now I bet the two of you want to be alone. Besides, I have to mend this young man's broken bones so go, go," she said smiling.

The happy couple waved and exited the room leaving behind an anxious looking Adrian. "This isn't going to hurt, right?"

"Not more than what it hurts now."

"Oh," gulped Adrian not really reassured by Madam Pomfrey's reply.

A few minutes later she was done and Adrian felt so much better that he was ready to go back to Gryffindor Tower. He couldn't wait to tell the others that Remus was his father. He was walking towards the door when he felt someone grabbing the back of his Quidditch robes.

"Where do you think you are going Mr. Franco? You are not leaving the hospital wing tonight so don't even try to convince me. Now change those dirty robes," ordered Madam Pomfrey handing Adrian a set of white hospital robes.

Adrian groaned and did as he was told but to his delight minutes later the whole Quidditch team and Ron turned up to see him. They brought over the silver Quidditch cup with them so that Adrian could see it.

"How are you doing?" asked Harry.

"I'm fine but you know what? I think I'm going to start wearing a helmet to the Quidditch matches. I mean last time it was my nose now my head, my ribs, and my arm," said Adrian and after a few seconds of consideration he added, "perhaps I should wear full body armor. Don't you think?"

The others laughed and then they had a little celebration (tiny compared to the pandemonium that reigned the common room later when the guys came back with the good news that Adrian wasn't going to die).

Madam Pomfrey only let them stay for half an hour. Ron and Harry begged for a couple more minutes since Adrian had something to tell them. She agreed grudgingly and Adrian told them everything that had just happened with his parents.

"So Lupin is you dad? Wow," said Ron in awe. "Who would've known?"

"That's why you reminded me of someone. Come to think about it Lupin and you look so much alike," said Harry in turn before he and Ron were escorted to the door by Madam Pomfrey.

"He needs rest. I expect he'll be out of here by midday tomorrow so go away."

"Bye, Adrian."

Meanwhile Hermione was hurrying up and down corridors towards the hospital wing determined to get past Madam Pomfrey and see Adrian (she had tried earlier but she had been shooed away with the rest of the Quidditch team). For the last hour she had been crying her eyes out in the girls dormitory, so she hadn't seen the guys who had gone and came back after seeing Adrian. She still thought that Adrian was in mortal danger.

When she arrived to the hospital wing she approached Madam Pomfrey and with tears rolling down her cheeks she begged, "can I see Adrian, please. It'll be only a minute. I promise."

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes but she let Hermione in. "Don't disturb him and remember you can only stay for a few minutes." Hermione nodded and Madam Pomfrey entered her office murmuring, "puberty."

Hermione stood next to Adrian's bed surveying him. When her eyes landed on the bloodstained bandage on Adrian's temple she clapped her hand to her mouth. He looked so pale and quiet. "Looks like he's dead," she thought sitting down slowly on the bed next to him.

Adrian felt the bed sink so he half opened one eye and seeing Hermione sitting next to him he decided to play a little trick on her. He was going to pretend that he was fast asleep and then when she least expected it he was going to tickle her... But he didn't expect Hermione to start crying disconsolately.

"Adrian, I'm so sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean it. I didn't wish for you to fall off the broom. Please don't die," she sobbed and the next minute she almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Adrian's voice.

"Aww you really care about me," he said with a grin.

A wide smile spread across Hermione's face. "You are alright," she squealed hugging Adrian.

"OUCH! I'm still sore, you know."

Hermione, blushing, released him immediately. "I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm ok but a little kiss will make me feel even better..."

Hermione smiled, leaned over Adrian and kissed him. The room seemed rather dark and gloomy so Hermione went up to the window and drew the curtains open. The scarlet gleam of the setting sun filled the room. She stayed a little longer to contemplate the view and from where she stood she could discern the silhouette of a couple outlined against the reddish light of the fading sun. They were huddled together in front of the lake amid a cluster of trees, which were the silent witnesses of a love that had survived time and pain, witnesses of a lost love found...

Author's note: Well that was the end. I know it was amazingly cheesy but I like happy endings! Hope you liked it too! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for reading my fic, which by the way is the first one I've ever finished (yup I got a few unfinished ones laying around). Anyways, I promise I'll be back mwahahahahahaha with more fics. THANKS again and DO NOT forget to review PLEAAAASEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!