Drarry || One Shots

The One Time Remus Lupin Lost It

He looked over the child with so much fondness in his eyes that Petunia found herself wondering just how could anyone care so much for that kid. But Remus's face darkened considerably as he took in Harry's appearance. Merely three weeks had passed since he'd been brought to his aunt's, but he was sickly thin, his back was crooked as if he'd been spending long hours in very tight spaces and his clothes were ancient and so thin he could just as well not be wearing any.

Anger was seeping through all his pores and had he not been holding Harry, the woman glaring at him would have been hexed unconscious by now. When he looked up, Petunia almost fainted at the intensity and raging fire of his look. She felt cold to the bone and painful shivers ran down her spine at the murderous energy radiating off the man in front of her house. She suddenly seemed to realize that that man, with scars on his face and a look so deadly you could mistake him for a Dementor, was indeed, one of their kind and that he had just realised how ill treated this child whom he cared for so much really was.

She hastily put Dudley down, despite his protests and quickly, very brutally snatched Harry from Remus's grasp and shut the door before he had the chance to do or say anything. Remus could hear Harry crying and screaming from behind the door and suddenly, all he could see was black.

In a rush of venomous anger he took his wand out and pointed it at the now locked door. He would blow up the entire fucking town if it meant he would get Harry. There was no way in hell he would let the boy stay in that house for another damned second.

But before he could do so, his wand flew out of his hand. He turned around, now even angrier, to face the old man standing in front of him.

"How?" he growled, shooting daggers at Dumbledore. "How the fuck can you, in good conscience, let Harry live with these people? Have you gone mental? They're starving him! They're fucking starving him, you old, delusional bastard!" he yelled from the bottom of his lungs.

But Dumbledore just regarded him with a stern look, waiting for him to calm down.

It was so unlike Remus to lose his temper like that, but when he did, on very rare occasions, there was no reasoning with him. And you don't just cool an erupting volcano down, do you now?

"Out of all the places to send him, you leave him in the hands of the worst fucking people the world has ever seen!"

And with that, he turned around and lifted his leg to kick the door down, mind set to get into that house if it was the last thing he did.

But before his foot could make contact with the door, he felt a hand suddenly grasp his wrist and then, with a loud crack, he found himself in in a dingy, old room that he recognised as the upper floor of The Hog's Head, unable to move from the chair he was forcibly seated in.

"Listen to me, Remus", Dumbledore began calmly, eyes soft and understanding.

"I don't want to hear a single word from you! Let me go so I can get him out of that nightmare of a house!" Remus yelled still.

Dubledore heaved a deep sigh before casting a silencing charm on him.

"Don't think any of us fancies leaving Harry in a house like that", he spoke softly. "But he is safe there! Safer than anywhere else in the wizarding world."

Remus frowned but stopped struggling.

"Even if Voldemort really is gone, which I highly doubt, do you honestly think the Death Eaters will be happy that he lost his powers just like that? To a one year old child, no less!" He now released the charms silencing and binding Remus to the chair, but the man did not move, nor speak. "They will hunt him down", Dumbledore said sternly. "But they won't be able to touch him there. He won't be having it easy, but at least he'll be safe."

"What about here, then?" Remus quickly asked, anger still evident in his slightly trembling voice. "There isn't supposed to be a safer place than Hogwarts! And Voldemort was only ever scared of you!"

"That's because, while evil, Voldemort was brilliant. He was calculating, thought things ahead and only ever acted with extreme caution. The Death Eaters are not like that. They only followed orders and now, that the leader is gone, they are like a pack of hungry, mad dogs. They are reckless and stupid, but also very powerful. Had they all joined hands to get into Hogwarts, I could not guarantee everyone's safety, least of all Harry's."

Remus unclenched his now white fingers from the chair and sat back a little.

"Can I at least go visit him once in a while?" he asked, voice trembling and void of any trace of hope whatsoever. He knew what the answer would be.

"You know just as well as I do that will not be possible. You would only lead them to him."

Remus's heart sank all the way to the pit of his stomach in millions of pieces. And just like that, he was all alone.

He shakily nodded and stood, silently heading for the door. He turned around then, hand on the handle, and looked as though he wanted to say something, but ended up shaking his head and going out the door, without another word.

And that was the last Dumbledore saw of Remus John Lupin for the following twelve years.