CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟.

"You assumed right, wolfboy."

And for Remus in turn, he had been longing to hear Hollis call him that name for months. It was a sign for both of them that things were getting back to normal with the balance of getting over and not simply forgetting the past still in the equation.

"Now, tell me what you figured out for the full moons."

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

Even though it had only been a few days since the Gryffindors last visited, Hollis heard a knock not familiar as Millie's or one of the healers sent to check up on her sound on her door. Hesitant to answer, Hollis took in a deep breath and reminded herself that no one could hurt her here.

When she twisted the knob, Narcissa Black was looking back at her.

Hollis's initial reaction was to shut the door again and never look back. Narcissa was the personification of the past for her, and the last thing Hollis wanted to do was uproot all of the work she and Remus had made with the help of the other Gryffindors to make her cope and get over what had happened to her.

But another, more fair voice in the back of her head that sounded oddly like McGonagall's told her to give Narcissa a chance.

So, silently cursing herself, Hollis opened the door all the way and gestured for Narcissa to come in.

The Black paced around the room for a few seconds, both stalling and looking at the piles of books and knowledge Hollis had accumulated over the weeks she had been there. Hollis was still just standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, suspicious of why she was here.

"When do you get back?" Narcissa asked, having the nerve to break the silence first under Hollis's cold stare. "To Hogwarts, that is."

"I'll be back by my birthday," Hollis replied tersely. "So just another week here."

There was a tense pause as the other Slytherin didn't know how to reply and get to the point.

"What do you want?" prompted Hollis, doing it for her.

Fidgeting with her pale fingers for a few moments, Narcissa looked back up at her with tears shining in her grey eyes.

"I want a friend."

Hollis hated the way she felt sympathy for her in this scenario, but she wasn't going to let it show through quite yet.

"You do have friends, Black," Hollis said firmly. "And I'm sorry I can't be one of them."

These words went through Narcissa like a physical blow, but she had to keep trying.

"They're cruel, Hol," she said to Hollis, eyes still watering.

Hollis frowned at her nickname coming out of Narcissa's mouth.

"Yea, well I hate to break it to you, Cissa," Hollis snapped back. "But so are you."

When Narcissa didn't reply, Hollis uncrossed her arms and made vague gestures to go along with her words.

"And, not once, did you ever think that something might be wrong?" she pressed. "That there had to be some reason for me to turn on my real friends out of nowhere?"

If Narcissa was honest, she had many times, and now she felt guilty for not acting on it when McGonagall told her Hollis had been cursed. But it felt too good to have a friend for her to actually try and do what was best for someone besides herself.

"Or were you too blinded by weakness to lose something and act on it?"

Hollis had no idea how painfully accurate her words were.

Or, Narcissa thought as she looked up from her hands and back at Hollis's stone cold face, she did, and that was why she was saying it.

"Being selfish is the largest of your many problems, Narcissa Black," Hollis spat. "And I don't want to be friends with that."

The tears in Narcissa's grey froze over with ice as she stood up from where she had been sitting on the edge of Hollis's white sheets.

"You know what, Rosier?" she asked, her voice full of venom. "Listen to me."

Crossing her arms back over her chest nonchalantly, Hollis rolled her eyes at Narcissa.

"You have my full attention," she drawled sarcastically.

Taking one step closer to Hollis from the opposite sides of the room they had placed themselves on, Narcissa narrowed her eyes.

"I'm starting to get glad I gave them that map of yours on Halloween."

A rush of memories came back to Hollis as Narcissa said this, none of them good.

Pick the winning side for once, Black.

You parents would be proud.

Wash out your mouth.

Reducto!

Please get Remus.

"That was you?" Hollis asked, slowly starting to walk towards her with a clenched fist. "You're the one who gave those snakes our Map?"

Narcissa was starting to regret saying this at how terrifying Hollis looked.

"You are such a damn coward!" Hollis exclaimed angrily. "Just something that's direct for once, Merlin-"

And with that, Narcissa whipped out her wand and held it at Hollis's throat, a freezing expression over her face that made it look like it was sculpted from a glacier.

It was a direct response to Hollis and she knew good and well that the Rosier wouldn't be able to fight back because she wasn't seventeen yet. Narcissa knew it was unfair, but she didn't care.

"Put your wand down, Black," Hollis said without a trace of fear at being on the targeted end of a threatening wand.

She was used to it by now.

"I honestly don't want to hurt you," she finished. "Just put your wand down."

Narcissa was unwavering, and Hollis let out a tiny sigh.

Then, with a sudden movement, Hollis grabbed Narcissa's wrist and yanked it downwards with a hooked elbow, making the blonde yelp in both shock and pain as her wand hit the floor. From there, Hollis gave her a good shove backwards to make sure she wasn't going to hurt her any further.

From her vulnerable position on the ground, Narcissa looked up at Hollis with both anger and agony of how the mental pain of how alone and lost she felt.

"Don't you ever threaten me again," Hollis said with so much fire that Narcissa cringed. "Ever."
She let her words sink in before pointing her finger towards the door.

"Now get out."

Narcissa's eyes started watering again at how the girl standing above her was speaking as if she was a stranger she had never seen before.

"Please, Hol-" she stammered before cutting herself off with blubbering tears.

Hollis looked down at Narcissa with pure disgust. There were very few things she despised more than weakness.

"I said leave, Black," she repeated. "And I don't ever want to talk to you again."

And with that, the door slammed shut with finality.

Hollis didn't feel any regret.

don't be mad at me that friendship would NOT have worked

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