ATHENE {remus lupin}

TWELVE

Remus Lupin hovered outside the door of Athene Malfoy's bedroom in 12 Grimmauld Place. She hadn't bothered to cast a silencing charm, or perhaps she couldn't do one without a wand, so Remus could hear her cursing and muttering to herself. He couldn't deny that the overwhelming feeling passing through him was guilt. He wished that he didn't feel bad for the young woman, but the humanity in him meant that that was impossible. He knew what it was like to have a difficult upbringing, not because of his family, but because of his 'condition,' but to grow up in a loveless household as she had, surely that was the making of an evil person? But of course, he could disprove his own theory by looking at two of the people closest to him, Harry and Sirius. Both had grown up in loveless households and they were still two of the bravest, and kindest men he knew. Remus sighed to himself, perhaps Athene Malfoy was simply a bad person.

His thoughts were disrupted abruptly. 

"Could you not just hover outside of my fucking door?" Came the sharp voice of Athene. Remus sighed and pushed open the door a little. Athene was sat on the windowsill, staring directly at him. She didn't look as upset as he had expected, more angry though.

"I need to ask you about Adrian Pucey, Celine Nott, and Marcus Flint."

"Merlin Lupin, can't a girl have a minute to recover from reliving the most terrifying thing that's happened to her?" She drawled back.

"You've had a minute. Several of them. It's time for answers now."

She rolled her eyes. "I liked you more when you were a do-good professor, desperate to save me."

"I liked you more when you could be saved."

Athene narrowed her eyes at him. She really did hate this man. "Why agree to help me if I'm beyond saving?"

Lupin looked back at her blankly, "pity."

"Fuck you," she muttered. 

He smirked at that. "Adrian Pucey. Details."

Athene rolled her eyes. "He had brown hair, was so tall, dreamy eyes too-"

"I'm not here to play games, Miss Malfoy."

"Neither am I, Professor." 

"So tell me about Adrian."

"Merlin, did it ever occur to you that I may be a little too fragile to recall my murderous ex-boyfriend?"

"I don't care. Tell me."

"Fine. Adrian was a halfblood, I think. He wasn't part of the twenty eight anyway."

Remus narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "What?" She said, with an exasperated sigh.

"You dated a halfblood?" He said, in shock.

"Yes. And?"

"What did Lucius have to say about that?" He was almost laughing. The Lucius Malfoy he knew would have rather died than been anywhere near a halfblood.

"He didn't know, actually." She began, "you know, with him being a complete psychopath I thought it may be better to not mention it."

"So you don't share the same views as your father?"

"Evidently not, Lupin." Athene said sarcastically. "I think he joined the Dark Lord due to pressure. He'd die if he didn't. There's no pity for muggle blood in the death eaters, so Adrian was quick to pledge allegiance."

"He never expressed any affiliation with You-Know-Who's views whilst at Hogwarts?"

"Never. Flint and Celine, well, they did. But never Adrian, in fact, he stayed completely out of wizarding politics until we left school."