Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

Twenty-Three

He got hit by a bludger.

"The last thing I saw was a Slytherin beater, hitting my teammate with a bludger! They didn't even book the field!" James defended as Marlene scoffed.

"I didn't hit you with a bludger!" She yelled back.

"I'm not accusing you!" James fired back.

Those two had been at it for ten minutes going back and forth about who hit my brother with a bludger and broke his arm

"It's starting to get annoying." Peter admitted, him and Remus were sitting on the bed while Aries was looking through medicines for another patient.

"Miss McKinnon! Mr. Potter! That is quite enough!" Madame Pomfrey yelled as she began pushing the two out towards the doors.

"Now leave and argue somewhere else!" She said cutting off there "but Poppy's" and shutting the doors in their faces.

Aries gripped the tray edges as she felt him begin to wiggle into her head again. Only three days left of October and this week was going to be the worst.

The last week before Occlumency training was over was always the hardest. He would look into dreams, night terrors, feelings, anything touchy and sometimes even making Aries cry.

The memory he was trying to get into this time was when she was first asked out by Fabian, it was based off a dare, but slowly morphed into more.

"I already know it's true, Fabian. Don't even bother trying to lie to me."

"Mere, yeah, it was a dare at first...but I really do like you, I want this."

"How can I even trust that! I like you, but what happens when you suddenly decide this isn't what you want. I'm a Slytherin...you're a Gryffindor. We don't match anyway."

"You're right. You're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor, that's exactly why we would be good together. It was a stupid dare but aren't you glad that this happened. If it weren't for Gideon, we wouldn't be together right now."

Aries shook herself out of it, she fought against Dumbledore, and she fought hard. This time a flashback occurred, and it wasn't hers.

"I just need to make sure my cousins will be alright. Aries in particular. She's smart, she'll find a way out of my aunts home. I want you to bring her to me. Before it's too late"

"Miss Black, I cannot promise the safety of your cousins, I cannot promise they will remain unharmed throughout their childhood."

"Then promise me you'll keep them safe here. Sirius and Regulus, they'll be alright on their own, they know things. But Aries will need help. She'll need your guidance. You're one of the only who can help her when she figures out the truth."

"I'll do the best I can, Miss Black."

"Do better than your best, Dumbledore. I know you can do more. They're just kids, they don't know how cruel this world can be yet, wizards versus muggles."

"I'll teach Aries, I'll teach her well. As for Sirius and Regulus...Minerva will do a fine job with them."

"Thank you, Dumbledore."

"Of course Miss Black."

"Oh and, Dumbledore."

"Yes?"

"It's Tonks now, Andromeda Tonks."

Aries eyes widened as she took in what he showed her. She wasn't sure if it was by accident or purpose but she saw it either way.

Aries was filled with questions already. Why would her cousin try to help her? What was Andy so afraid of? Why did Andromeda ask Dumbledore specifically to help her? Did Andy know she was a legilimen? What truth?

"Meredith?" Remus broke her from her intense gaze on the tray. She glanced at him, seeing the slight worry in his eyes. "You alright? You'll break you hand."

Aries didn't say anything as Remus put his hand on hers, gently unfolding her white knuckles from the tray. She hadn't realized how heavily she was breathing until she began to calm down.

"Sorry, yeah. I'm fine." She said as she glance at her hand, he was still holding it. She liked how warm it was, how much it calmed her.

She wanted to know what it felt like to be in his arms for a moment, to feel comfort in his grasp. Though she shook the thoughts from her head.

"No need to be sorry, you look pale. When was the last time you ate? Drank water? Gotten sleep?" He asked.

Aries looked down at her shoes. She hadn't had a full meal since she left for the wedding two days ago. She had to admit, she was dehydrated and sleep deprived.

The last time she had a full night of good rest, made her think back years. She couldn't even remember the last time she didn't wake up panicking from a night terror.

She felt the back of his hand touch her forehead, the slight flinch was only hoped to go unnoticed.

Remus definitely noticed, but his worry for her well being only got stronger when he saw the faint red dots around her neck.

"You're burning up." Remus said looking back to Sirius who was looking back to his sister with furrowed eyebrows.

"You told me you helped a patient with the measles yesterday." Sirius said, sitting up a little.

"I'm fine." Aries shook her head starting to back away, but Remus had already wrapped an arm around her backside, keeping her with him.

She would've enjoyed the affectionate touch if she weren't already feeling a bit squeamish. "You're not fine, let's get you to a bed." Remus glanced away from her and found a bed across from Sirius'.

"I haven't had a lot of water lately I'm just...dehydrated...I..." Aries slowly felt herself become weaker, she felt her head begin to spin as she held onto whatever she could to keep herself stable which happened to be Remus' shirt.

The ground started moving under her feet making a squeamish sensation begin the grow in her. It was as if someone had left a window open, it had gotten so cold in the room.

"She's gonna faint, Peter, come....rest her head...." Aries began to swing from conscious to unconscious as Peter held her against him. Remus picked her up bridal style after getting himself to the other side of her.

"Be careful." Sirius worried as Remus brought her over to one of the beds and placed her down gently.

Aries was completely out.

"She has red spots on her neck." Remus said, gently untying her tie and pulling the collar of her already slightly unbuttoned shirt to the side a bit.

He was right, red spots were covering her neck, Peter lifted up one of her sleeves. "Down here too, she must've started scratching at them too. She has a few scars." Peter announced.

Sirius knew those scars weren't from scratching though, he knew what they were really from...and who they were from.

Remus went to glance at what Peter had found, but Peter had already begun covering her wrists with her sleeves.

"Someone get Madame Pomfrey." Sirius said as he began to try and get up from the bed he was laying in, only hissing at the pain in his arm.

Peter quickly made his way over to Sirius, keeping him on the bed while Remus left Aries on her bed and went for Pomfrey.

Remus quickly got back from Pomfreys office with the woman herself rushing to her side.

"Oh, my dear girl. She's lucky she's not infected with worse." She unbuttoned a few more of the top buttons, seeing more red blotches sitting against her skin.

Remus quickly looked away, swallowing roughly from catching a glimpse of her rather lacy undergarments.

"Will she be alright?" Sirius asked as he tried his best to look over to his twin.

"She'll be fine, but I am going to need you two to leave. Visiting hours are over, boys." Pomfrey said before closing the curtains around Aries bed.