crushed - remus lupin

-twenty-three-

"Celeste Malfoy. I thought I smelled traitor in the air." Bellatrix spit the words like venom.

Celeste grinned, though it was far from happy, so it looked more like a grimace. "Bellatrix Black. Actually, I hear it's different now. Who is it you married again? Lestrange? Mulciber? Dawlish? Dolohov? Sorry, I just can't seem to keep all of the douchebags straight."

Bellatrix's face contorted into a sneer and it was at this moment that Celeste decided to take a look at everyone else in the room.

Big fucking mistake.

Celeste's storm grey eyes met a pair that were shockingly similar.

"Lucius." She breathed, not wanting to believe it.

For a split second, a bit of remorse was prominent on Lucius's stone cold expression, but it was gone as fast as it came, so Celeste had to conclude that it had only been in her imagination.

"Sister." His icy tone made her flinch.

In that moment, Celeste swore she saw her father standing in front of her, not Lucius.

And goddamn that was terrifying.

He had promised her, years ago when she was only a small child, that he would never be like their dad, and when he had kids he would never treat them the way their father did.

But right here, Celeste could see that promise crumbling to bits and she had no doubts he would come to be exactly like Abraxas Malfoy.

Bellatrix, all the while observing this interaction, seemed to think it was nothing but hilarious.

"What a nice family reunion!" She cackled, clapping her hands together like she was watching a hilarious show unfold in front of her.

Celeste and Lucius shot matching glares in her direction, and for a moment it felt like nothing had changed, like everything was okay.

That is, until Celeste remembered that they were standing in a dark room where her friend was being tortured, and her brother was partially responsible.

She realized she had let her guard down, and at the worst time possible, because when she looked up, her friends were being held by the self-proclaimed 'Death Eaters'.

They were now fully conscious and wands were being pointed at their throats. Peter looked weak and something else that looked like... guilt?

James, who was usually bursting with laughter looked so somber and tired.

Sirius's hair was matted and blood was dripping down his arm. His usual smirk was nowhere to be found.

Then it was Remus.

Oh Merlin, Remus.

Celeste couldn't look him in the eyes without feeling tears creep in the back of her eyes. There were three large gashes on his face, one of which was right above his eye and had to be messing up his vision. He had more bruises than she could count, and despite his painful looking marks, he tried to smile to Celeste to reassure her that he was okay, though he really wasn't.

Bellatrix was the one holding Remus and instead of a wand at his throat, she had exchanged it for her signature knife with an ivory handle.

Seeing all of her friends looking so in pain, Celeste couldn't take it.

"I love you, Celeste." Remus's voice broke halfway through the sentence, and Celeste's heart with it.

"I love you too, Remus."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and Remus struggled against Bellatrix's arms, all because he wished he could wipe her tears and make this all go away.