The Secret's In The Telling by Sakuri

chapter 13

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, how very noble. But you're forgetting that you actually can't make me get… counselling. You're sworn to secrecy, remember?"

The older werewolf, oddly, looked quite unfazed. "You're right, I can't make you do anything. The… Headmaster, however…"

The Slytherin thought Lupin might as well have just hit him. He shook his head faintly, rising to stand. "You can't… He wouldn't…"

The Professor sighed. "This is the reason he's keeping me here, Draco. He won't let me quit because he knows I can help you. But if you won't let me, and refuse to listen, then I can only recommend to him a best course of action…"

"You're threatening me? You?"

"This is not a threat! This is help! This is so you don't lose you're mind to the curse!" The older werewolf broke off, putting a hand over his eyes until he could speak calmly again. "The only reason I was able to act like a normal human being throughout my school years was because I had James and… and Sirius, who helped me during those three nights. Because they accepted it, so could I. Let me do the same for you."

Draco's lip curled as he stared down at the Professor. "By running through the goddamned forest like an animal?"

"It's… well, it's the only way I know how. It worked for me."

"Comforting," Draco scoffed, throwing up his hands and half turning away. "What exactly would this… outing involve?"

Lupin opened his mouth to answer, then stopped with a frown. He shook his head. "If I tried to put it into words, it would only sound even stupider. You have to experience it to understand."

"Oh for god's sake," Draco snapped, annoyed. Scowl firmly in place, he turned his back on the older werewolf and stalked toward the door.

He was halfway gone when Lupin called out after him, "I expect you here Friday night, Mr Malfoy."

The Slytherin never acknowledged that he'd heard anything, so Remus was left to watch him storm away across the school grounds, just hoping that he'd listen.

xxx

The nerve of that man! How dare he threaten and blackmail him? Especially when he was still supposed to be moping around in his own guilt. Draco hadn't really expected that moping to end anytime soon, which was probably the real reason he was as angry as he was right now…

And as if his day couldn't get any worse – Why was he continuously thinking that lately? His life must really be in a downward spiral for it to have become a reoccurring phrase in his vocabulary – but to return to the point: as if his day couldn't get any worse, by the time he turned the corner into the hallway leading to his room, he was just in time to see Potter settling himself comfortably on the floor, of all places, his back to the wall opposite the portrait of Lilith, who was chatting away flirtatiously.

"I knew you'd come back," she was saying, to Draco's bemusement and mild horror. "After we were interrupted so rudely last time, I was so mad! I changed the password, you know. It took him ages to guess it!"

The Slytherin flushed hotly as Potter chuckled, still not having noticed his presence. That was not a memory he'd ever intended to share, especially with Boy Wonder! Honestly, reduced to standing about until some god-awful hour of the night rattling off a list of random words he thought the sorceress might have chosen. It had been excruciating, especially as the threats of curses didn't work on a painting.

"Interrupting something, am I, Potter?" he snarled as he approached, startling the Gryffindor, who got to his feet hastily.

Lilith tutted. "Oh, not again…"