Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 73

It's update time! :)

Auriga walked into the kitchen after work to see Sirius glaring at her. Again. Merlin's beard he was getting irritating. Draco pushed past her and sat down at the table with his book. "Why don't you go and check everything, Draco?" Auriga suggested. "You've got to leave early tomorrow."

"I already did," he said calmly, not looking up.

"Then check again," said Auriga, trying to sound nicer than she was.

Draco looked over his shoulder and frowned at her. "OK," he said, throwing his hands up. "I'm going."

"Thank you," said Auriga, shutting the door behind him. "How are you today, Sirius?" she asked sitting down opposite him as he maintained his glare. Molly bustled around behind him, apparently unaware that something was going down. But apart from
that they were alone.

"Oh, I'm perfect," said Sirius, sounding very much like he wasn't. "Really, spectacular."

"Good," said Auriga, her voice bitterly sweet. "Then it will make you feel even more fantastic that I'm apologising to you. For what I said on Halloween. I do appreciate your help. Really. Thank you."

Sirius's eyes narrowed slightly and he nodded. "Apology accepted."

"Wonderful," said Auriga, before standing up to leave. Her hand was right at the door when he finally broke.

"Why did you have to do that to him?" Sirius demanded, sounding angry and disappointed. Auriga allowed herself a small smile before turning around. Stupid Gryffindors.

"Do what?" Auriga asked with a frown, taking her seat again.

"You broke up with him," said Sirius. "Not just that but you bloody broke him."

"If I recall correctly," said Auriga. "He left me."

"No he didn't, Auriga!" exclaimed Sirius, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "His heart was still with you! He still loves you!"

"No!" said Auriga suddenly, cutting him off. "No, he doesn't, don't even try that with me! He wouldn't have left if he did!"

"He didn't have a choice!"

"There's always a choice!" she shouted.

The portrait down the corridor began to wail, and Molly bustled out to quiet it. As she opened the door there were hisses of ,"Go!" and "Someone's coming!"

"Surely your parents told you that?" Auriga continued, quieter now.

"The unofficial Slytherin motto," said Sirius, sounding bitter. "He does love you, Auriga. He'd die for you...kill for you. He'd do anything."

"And he couldn't tell me this himself?" challenged Auriga. "Or better yet, prove it for once?"

"He doesn't know it yet," said Sirius. "But I do. I can tell. I've seen it before."

Auriga sighed. She hated this. Hated every second of it because she felt so guilty for tricking Remus into this. But now she had to end it. For herself, more than anything. She needed to survive through it, and she couldn't do that if she was going to be abandoned again.

"How could he ever love me?" asked Auriga, forcing tears into her eyes. "I'm everything that pushed against him. I'm the epitome of every prejudice he's ever met. He should hate me. So how could he look past that - past everything I was brought up to be - and love me?"

*****

"Auriga!" called a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Augustus jogging towards her through the atrium. "I've just had the most brilliant idea-"

"That's great, Augustus, but I need to get to my shift at Hogwarts," said Auriga with what she hoped was a kind smile.

"It'll only take a moment," he promised, looking excited.

Auriga checked her watch. She had set off five minutes early. "You've got two minutes," she decided.

"Why don't we go to Hogwarts and talk to the kids there?" he suggested, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Think about it - there's no guarantee that they even read the Prophet, let alone believe it. So what's the point in putting all our propaganda in there? We need to speak to them and tell them about the importance of fighting."

Auriga frowned in thought. "That's...not actually a bad idea," she said, nodding. "And I reckon I could pull a few strings with Dumbledore." She nodded again, the cogs in her head whirring.

"I tell you what," she decided. "We'll go for dinner tonight and sort out the details. And the. I can set up a meeting with Robards - and maybe Scrimgeour too - and we'll pitch the whole thing to them."

"Fantastic!" said Augustus, smiling brightly. "Shall I pick you up from yours?"

"I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron," said Auriga. "The food there's great. Seven o'clock, don't be late."

*****

"...so, if we can win Dumbledore over - which I'm confident we can - a few workshops for the older students might be exactly what we need." Auriga finished her presentation to the two wizards and looked at Augustus for reassurance. He smiled at her. It had gone well.

"It's certainly a well thought out plan," commented Scrimgeour. "And you're sure it'll work?"

"It's one thing to read about someone talking about something," said Auriga. "Quite another to actually see them talking. It's more powerful in person. Especially coming from the two of us."

"And you're both up to doing it?" asked Scrimgeour. They both nodded. "And you can spare an Auror, Robards?"

"It sounds like a worthy investment to me," said Robards. "I suggest you write an owl to Hogwarts right away."

"Thank you, Sir," said Auriga with a smile. "Minister." The pair of them left the room, grinning.

"We've got to celebrate!" said Augustus, practically dancing around the office until Auriga shushed him.

"I've got to get home," she said. "But we can celebrate another time, I'm sure."

"Oh, come on," said Augustus playfully. "Just one drink. And I promise there won't be any ambushes, and I know you know the landlord at the Leaky Cauldron so we can go there if you like?"

Auriga smiled at him while she thought. "Just one drink?"

"Just one," he promised. "I need to get home too."

"OK then," she said. "Let me send this owl first."