NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Thirty Four: The Right Thing-

And here's what you missed at: Hogwarts

Remus briefly wondered if he should interrupt, or stop listening. He turned away to leave, but Helia's final words followed him out.

"I'll see you in June, Mr Greyback."

The plate fell out of Remus's hands and shattered against the floor.

............

I'll see you in June, Mr Greyback.

The words kept floating around in Remus's head, slamming into his skull and hovering mockingly behind his eyelids whenever he blinked. He was trying to come up with some kind of excuse for Helia to say that name. It wasn't common, certainly not in the wizarding world. It wasn't like Helia knew who Greyback was to Remus, what he had done to him, but that hardly excused it. Right?

There was a shuffling behind the Ravenclaw door, and Remus hurried to scoop up the two perfect halves of the plate, along with the sandwiches, ducking into the Slytherin door before Helia could re-emerge, breathing heavily.

He had never been in this room before, and he felt himself struggling not to drop anything again. It was an explosion of nerd-dom, what he imagined a child genius's Oxford University room looked like. Whiteboards were on every wall and propped up against the large, oak table in the middle, one that was overflowing with notes and print outs. Board markers in navy blue, green and red had criss-crossed over every surface: words and arrows and diagrams covering the space with Helia's untidy scrawl.

Severus Snape + Lilly Evans - past. Keep an eye out.

James Potter- invisibility cloak, magic stalker sat nav, communication mirrors. He stands no chance.

A particularly familiar name caught his eye, one with more lines of text than any others.

Remus Lupin- Werewolf_ Attack, young. Smart. Gryffindor- not Ravenclaw_ interesting. Likes: long walks on the beach and howling at the full moon while slowly devouring a helpless dear carcass. Dislikes: Jokes about lycanthropy. Too nice. DON'T BE AN IDIOT.

But it was a small arrow leading off from that which really caught his eye.

Greyback victim.

Well, so much for that theory.

....................

A sense of numbness stole its way inside of Remus as he made his way back to Gryffindor Tower that night. He was still trying to wrap his head around he idea that Helia had been using him, and using him to get to Fenrir Greyback as well. He honestly couldn't think of any other reason for the older werewolf's name to be linked to his, especially now. And those words: I have something you want... I assure you that it will be very worth your while.

Remus shivered. He didn't think it would be possible to forget the sensation of his own flesh ripping open, torn apart by tools made to tear and slice and cut him down. But he had at least thought that he would be able to move on, leave his past behind, face a new world of possibilities. Apparently not.

He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Helia had always seemed like she was playing for herself and her secret agenda more than anyone else.

Don't trust me. Don't ever trust me. Trust in my unrivalled selfishness. Don't trust in me.

That particular line of her's made a lot more sense now.

Muffled voices drifted from around the corner. Remus recognised Bella's voice, now strangled in tears: