Lady Lion [Sirius Black] [DISCONTINUED]

XXI

"Where is Remus?" Callie huffed allowed as she scurried all over the common room. "I allowed him to borrow my Transfiguration notes, and then he just disappears! I don't mind letting him use them, but I need to study too!"

Sirius shrugged as he sat on the couch, fiddling with his wand. "I had been looking for him all day yesterday, but I hadn't seen him." It was only a mere two weeks into the school year, and Remus had already vanished.

"Poof- he disappears." James chimed in, his hands making exploding motions.

"You know Callie, you can borrow my notes!" Mercia piped in, her usual smile lighting up her face. "They're a little messy, but if you need notes I would be happy to help!"

Callie gave her friend a slight smile in response. "I really appreciate it Mercia, but your notes contain more drawings than actual notes."

"My mom told me I'm more of a visual learner." Mercia told Callie without skipping a beat.

"So, Remus is holding your transfiguration notes hostage? He did the same with my History of Magic notes." Peter mentioned.

"Maybe the kid should take his own notes for once." Sirius said.

Lily scoffed at this words, "Oh please, when have you taken notes?"

"Never, but I'm not asking you for yours, am I?" He countered.

Callie sighed, sitting down on the chair nearest to where her friends sat. Her head fell in her hands. "I'm really worried." She admitted.

"I think we have a bigger problem here if you're so distraught over not being able to study one day." James said with a laugh.

This earned him a glare from Callie. "I'm not worried about the notes, you idiot. Every time Remus is gone, he comes back with even more scars than before, and he always looks so sickly."

"And he always says he's visiting his mother as an excuse." Peter added sadly. "You don't think-"

"Think what?" Mercia asked impatiently, nearly on the edge of her seat.

"I mean, I don't know." Callie answered Peter, her head hanging low. "I certainly would hope not."

"I doubt it, our little Rem is always sending letters back and forth with his mum and dad. I doubt they'd have a bad relationship but still constantly talk." Sirius added, but his face looked somber. Callie remembered how Sirius never once got a letter from his parents- none that she knew about. It seemed each day that she learned a little more about about the relationship in the Black family, and it only saddened her to see that situation be put on such a close friend of hers.

"So, what could it be?" Lily asked. It seemed everyone was now completely invested in the conversation now that it dealt with the well-being of a member of The Gang.

"Well, we know that Remus leaves every so often to 'visit his mum at home', and comes back with scars and cuts- we just need to figure out how they're linked together now." James said, restating the evidence.

"How often does he disappear again?" Peter asked.

Callie stood up, an idea dawning on her. "Once every month." she answered. The confused looks she earned from the rest of the group at her standing up were ignored as she made her way towards the door. "I'll be right back!"

The Hospital Wing was nearly empty, and Callie almost turned to leave before she spotted a curtain drawn in the far corner of the room. She soon approached a very wounded Remus, who rested on the bed, barely conscious. He looked much, much worse than the previous times after he disappeared: there were nearly double the cuts as usual, including several large ones on his arms that formed quite obvious scars. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was drained of almost all color. Callie felt choked up even at the sight of her wounded friend.

"Remus?" She said, nearly whispering. "It's Callie."

The corners of his mouth twitched as if he was going to smile, but instead he mumbled out "How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't know for sure, but I figured you were hurt, and this is where hurt people end up. It was a lucky guess." She answered him. His lack of response made Callie feel the need to talk again, but she was scared to bring up her next topic. "Look, Rem, I came here to talk to you about something."

"I went home for my mother, if that is what you're going to ask me." Remus said. His words were monotonous, as if he didn't even want to stand behind his excuse.

"I-I know that it's a lie." Callie said, catching the attention of Remus, who now was wide-eyed and sitting up despite the pain. "Look, I think I figured out what is going on..." she said, beating around the bush as much as possible. She looked down at her fingers fiddling in her lap- a nervous habit- but as she looked up again she saw tears in Remus' eyes.

"W-What do you know?" He asked, his voice breaking. He was trying not to break down in front of Callie, but Merlin, it was hard. He had spent nearly his whole life trying to avoid who he really was, but now he was potentially being confronted with it by someone who he desperately didn't want to know.

"My uncle Amedeus lived with my family for a while, and while he was with us I learned a lot about, well, werewolves." Callie said, witnessing Remus' whole body tense up. He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. "I watched him leave us once a month and come back with devastating cuts and scars. This story matches yours, Remus, but just a few basic facts didn't tell me this. I distinctly remember the look on his face every month- it was a look of pure horror and fear, and I had not seen that level of paranoia in someone else's eyes until I met you."

His emotional vulnerability now matches his physical weakness, finally giving in and beginning to sob. "P-Please don't hate me, Calista. Please."

Callie too felt herself becoming emotional as she watched her friend so destroyed over something he couldn't control, and she wrapped her arms around him. "I could never hate you Remus, never."

"Callie, I'm-I'm a monster." Remus said, defeated.

Callie's heart was racing, but she knew what she had to do. She backed away from Remus slightly, making sure she could look her friend in the eye. "Remus, you aren't the only one who is hiding who they are from friends." This triggered a confused look from Remus, as he never suspected anything peculiar of Callie. "I'm a metamorphmagus."