NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Forty: Plus One-

Remus didn't know what to say.

They had been sat in silence now for almost an hour. Helia had finished telling her story and leaned her head, once more, against the brick. Her eyes were closed, and Remus had to wonder if she was sleeping.

Remus had only found the strength to ask one question after she had finished.

"The Death Eaters that attacked you... What happened to them?"

And Helia had looked up at him, and Remus could see the great yawning chasm that the loss of her brother had left in her. All those years when he had thought she was empty, or frozen, when in reality she was this: carved away.

"Greyback and one other guy got away. The other three died in the fire. Martin Flint's dad was one of them." Helia's eyebrows pulled together and she tilted her head slightly. "You know what's bad about that? I'm not sorry."

Remus pulled his knees up to his chest and locked his fingers on top of them. He wanted to pull Helia into his arms and tell her it was okay, but she would likely punch him. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how. He wanted to offer some form of help, but he didn't even know if she wanted it.

He didn't need to ask why they had done it. She was a muggleborn and that was all the excuse the Snatchers had needed. And Fenrir Greyback, he knew from experience, would simply relish the rush of the hunt, and the pain and the kill. There was no mercy.

Eventually, the tug of sleep overwhelmed him and he ended up leaning his head against Helia's shoulder without even thinking, without even processing anything at all. It had just seemed so natural. From the way her breath hitched he could tell that she was awake, but he was too far gone to do anything except mumble a small, "M'sorry."

She didn't try to move him.

He slept better than he would have thought.

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

"Gryffindor. Gryffindor, wake up."

Someone was shaking him roughly. But he was comfortable, and his pillow was so warm. He wrapped an arm around it and nuzzled deeper.

"Okay." The voice had a little break in the middle of the word. "If I wanted to get felt up in my front garden I would have invited Will Walker over."

Remus opened his eyes, coming to the sudden realisation that his face was now pressed against Helia Blacksmith's neck, his arms wrapped around her waist. He pulled back slightly and looked up at her face. She had her eyebrows raised in that deadly way that could only mean Helia. He retracted himself quickly, coughing to try and cover his sudden blush.

"Sorry." He muttered, cringing inwardly as he refused to meet Helia's eyes. "I didn't realise what I was..."

"Yeah, no kidding." Helia straightened out her uniform and stood up, extending a hand to help Remus to his feet. He took it. "I have to go somewhere." she announced. "You can stay, if you want. I don't know how much better you are after yesterday."

The idea of waiting in Helia's house that was quite obviously missing two of it's inhabitants in body and all four in spirit was not appealing to Remus.

"I'll come with you." He offered, trying not to sound too desperate.

"Ah, Moon Boy." It sent a little shock through him when she called him that. Remus almost allowed himself the hope that things could go back to the way they were before. "I would expect nothing less."