The Secret's In The Telling by Sakuri

chapter 13

So he stayed, and forced himself to talk and listen.

The first time he'd shown up here in the middle of the night and embarrassed himself with his emotional breakdown, Lupin had only let him leave with the promise that he'd come back at least once and hear what the other werewolf had to say. So here he was, making sure his host knew exactly how unimpressed he was.

"It's only a week until the full moon," Lupin commented at length, when the quiet began to stretch between them for probably the tenth time. He sipped his tea, carefully averting his eyes from the blond.

Draco flicked his gaze skyward in annoyance. "Really? I'd totally forgotten…" he muttered, voice dripping sarcasm.

"I'd been intending to suggest something to you, as it happened…"

"Hn."

The Professor set his cup down gently on the small table between them. He leaned forward slightly, forearms resting on his knees. "Now, hear me out before you say no –"

"Oh, this sounds promising."

"Now, really," Lupin said, frowning, his mild-mannered disapproval proving completely ineffectual on the Slytherin. "I'm trying to help."

Draco sighed through gritted teeth and fell silent.

"I… I was going to suggest that, on the first night of the full moon, you… Well, that you spend the night here."

Had Draco at any point accepted a cup of tea from the man, he imagined he would have choked right then. Instead, he gaped. "Excuse me?"

"Well, not here here," Lupin added hastily, seeing the blonde's expression. "In… in the forest, actually."

"What?" He was growing shriller, but couldn't quite help it.

The older werewolf sighed, casting around for an explanation that would justify what he was trying to say, rather than make it sound worse, which was all he was succeeding in doing. "I tried to tell you this before, but I think it's safe to say you were less than attentive at the time. If you're ever going to live with the curse, you have to… acknowledge it, I suppose. It's worse for those of us who try to hide it. I remember what it was like, back when I was at school… But the point is –"

"What in Merlin's name does this have to do with spending the night in the forest?"

Lupin flushed, as if realising exactly what his words sounded like. "I'm not saying this right," he admitted, shaking his head. "What I mean is… You're still acting like everything is normal – and that's fine, when you're in public, or around those you don't trust. But at some point, when you're on your own, or… or some other convenient time, such as the full moon, when you have no choice, you need to accept the thing inside you."

They stared at each other intently, until the Slytherin's grey eyes flashed and he arched an eyebrow, turning away. A muscle in his jaw jumped.

"I don't want to," he muttered, stubbornly.

Lupin shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he answered bluntly, surprising the other into looking back at him. "I'm giving you the easy option, asking if you want to spend those three nights experiencing something different, something you might even enjoy, rather than being locked up inside your private rooms. If you'd prefer, I could also suggest things like counselling, or meeting with others such as myself, or any number of less preferable –"

"You don't have any right –"

"No, I probably don't." Amber eyes regarded him steadily, for once unflinching in the face of outrage. "But if I'm capable of helping you, I'll do it whether you like it or not, Mr Malfoy."