The Pureblood Princess | Sirius Black

|5| Big Scary Sock Ironing Monster

"You're telling me that Remus, Remus Lupin— the boy who irons his socks— is a big scary werewolf?" chucked James in disbelief.

"Yes," Adelaide and Sirius said together.

"A-Are you sure?" asked Peter.

"I mean we're pretty positive—" said Sirius.

"—But, we can't be sure until we've talked to him about it," Adelaide finished.

James shrugged as he headed out of the boy's dormitories. "Alright then, let's get this over with..." 

It was breakfast time when the group of four made the hike over to the hospital wing. Once again, Adelaide knocked on the door and once again they were greeted by a flustered Madam Pomfrey.

"G'morning, Poppy! Long time no see!" Sirius said turning on the charm, giving the woman a little wave.

"Mr. Black, Miss Fawley—as I told you earlier, Mr. Lupin is not in a fit state for visitors today."

"Um— excuse me Popp—Madam Pomfrey," said James, "but I was just wondering if you could tell us what exactly he's ill with?"

"Yeah... and if it's contagious..." Peter added hesitantly, twiddling his thumbs in anxiety.

Madam Pomfrey looked rather touched by their concern and tried to quell their obvious worry. "Oh, he's just feeling a bit under the weather is all, but he needs rest and quiet."

"We can be quiet!" James said loudly. Everyone shot him a look.

Adelaide rolled her eyes and fought the urge to smack him. "We understand Madam Pomfrey, we'll just come back tomorrow." She said politely just before the woman shut the doors in their faces for the second time that morning. The moment they were closed, Adelaide whacked James upside the head. "You idiot!" she hissed.

***

The next morning, before heading off to breakfast, the four trotted back up to the hospital wing once again. They knocked on the door and were once again greeted by Mandam Pomfrey.

"He's at breakfast," she said in a tired voice as the precocious group of first years began to opened their mouths.

"Oh. Thanks Poppy!" Sirius said running off down the corridor with the others.

They soon found their illusive friend eating his breakfast of eggs and bacon in the Great Hall with an auburn haired girl named Lily Evans who slept in Adelaide's dorm— acting as if it were any other day.

"Remmy! How are you feeling?!" exclaimed James, patting him on the back, blissfully unaware of the slight scowl the redheaded girl was giving him.

"Oh, uh I'm fine now, thanks," Remus muttered awkwardly, looking visibly uncomfortable, not making eye contact. The others shared a look amongst them at his odd behavior, but didn't press the matter further... not yet anyway.

That evening, while lounging in the boys dormitory, Adelaide pulled Remus aside while he other boys played a very boisterous game of exploding snap.

"What's up, Ads?" he asked with a soft smile.

Adelaide took a steadying breath. Ever since she saw him so hurt, she wanted nothing more than to just run up and hug him and tell him that she was there for him... but she couldn't do that until she confronted him about his secrecy first. "Remmy..." she began softly. "I-I think I know why you were in the hospital wing."

Remus's face drained of all color. "W-w-what are you talking about?" he asked, avoiding eye contact, faking a casual smile.

Adelaide put her hand on his arm, noticing the newly formed scar on his jaw. "Remmy. I know."

"I-I don't know what you're taking about," he said breathing quicker, amber eyes darting around the room.

"I—I know you're a werewolf," she said in almost a whisper.

Remus ran out of the dormitory.

"What the hell?!" yelped Sirius as his friend sprinted out the door. "Addy! What happened?!"

"I-I told him I knew. And h-he just ran," she said in guilty bewilderment.

She thought— well she didn't really think— but she felt like confronting him was the right thing to do... She felt like letting him know that they were there for him was important... She didn't anticipate him fleeing.

The group didn't waste any time and quickly ran off in the direction of their lycanthropic best friend. He was quick, and they lost sight of him a few times, but eventually, they found him in the hidden room behind a painting of some wizards having a birthday party. "Remmy!" Sirius exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath, hands on his knees as Peter closed the painting door behind them. "There you are!"

"D-do they all know?" Remus asked Adelaide, tears pooling in his eyes.

She nodded.

"I-I-I understand," Remus stuttered in a small voice. "I understand you don't want to be my friend anymore." The group looked very confused. "B-But please d-d-don't tell anyone." he pleaded.

"Why on Earth would we not want to be your friend anymore?!" James asked incredulously.

Now Remus looked confused. Perhaps they didn't understand. "Because I-I-I'm a-a monster." he said as silent tears tumbled down his cheeks.

Their reactions were mixed. Sirius snorted indignantly, as if the very idea was preposterous. Peter's face looked oddly contemplative, like he was trying to make sense of this announcement. Adelaide's heart broke and she was once again struck with the overwhelming desire to hug him. And then there was James... who was laughing in hysterics— as if this was the best joke he'd ever heard.

"Bahaha! A-Are you kidding me?!" he managed between laughs. "You? Remus Lupin? A Monster?!"

Remus was taken aback by his reaction. "James, I'm a werewolf," he said in an irritated tone, as if this proved his point.

"Yeah we know, but you're also the boy who irons his socks, enjoys knitting—"

"—Crocheting James. It's different," interrupted Adelaide. 

James waved her off dismissively and continued. "And who is the voice of reason amongst our band of marauding idiocy. You're a lot of things Rem, but you are not a monster," he said firmly, as if this absolutely settled the matter. "You just have a-a... furry little problem," he finished with a smile, proud of his ability to coin a phrase. 

The others nodded their heads vehemently in agreement.

Remus looked to them in disbelief. "Y-you don't think I'm a monster? You're not—you're not afraid of me?"

"No!" they responded unanimously.

"You're still our friend Remus... Whether you like it or not," Sirius said with a smirk.

"R-really?" Remus asked checking their faces for any sign of a lie. There was none. Not even in the usually fearful Peter. This didn't make any sense... 

"Really," Adelaide said softly, with a small reassuring smile. 

Remus wiped his tear stained cheeks with the sleeve of his jumper and felt himself smile— it was a watery smile that probably looked more like a grimace— but it was definitely a smile. Never in a million years did he think that he would have friends after his secret was exposed. He hoped, of course, but it was the same kind of hope he had when he was reading a really good book or comic, wishing that in some alternate universe he could live in Narnia or be a superhero. He never actually believed it would happen. And yet, here he stood, surrounded by four friends who knew the most horrible part of him and loved and accepted him anyway. He had never felt happier or more grateful in all his 11.8 years of life.

"Now, that that's settled, can we please get back to the dorm so I can finish beating James in exploding snap?" Sirius asked smirking and earning a playful whack from both James and Adelaide.