Young Writers Society

There was a shocked silence as he entered the room and grinned at everyone.

“ Why’s it snowing? Inside?” He asked. Then his eyes fell on Christina. He was at her side in a trice and had lifted her up and carried her out of the drawing room and up the stairs into one of the many bedrooms of Grimmauld Place. The door of the bedroom opened and Harry walked in.

“ Is this a dream?”

“ No it isn’t Harry. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about this later on. Right now I want you to get me a bowl of water, a cloth, some bread, butter, two glasses and some firewhisky.” Harry nodded and left the room to return moments later with everything that he had been asked to bring. He laid it all on a table next to the chair that the man had drew up next to the bed. He took the cloth and put it in the bowl of water then wrung it out so it was only damp and then he started nursing Christina’s unconscious form.

“ Can you pour me some of the firewhisky Harry.” Harry did as he was asked to and handed one of the glasses with the firewhisky over. The glass was drained in seconds and Harry was asked to pour some of the firewhisky into the other glass, which he did. He handed the glass to the man who gently and slowly poured the liquid down Christina’s throat. Her eyes opened and she sat up straight away.

“ry what happened? Where am I?” As Christina’s eyes fell on the man sitting on the chair beside her she opened her mouth in shock.

“ No. It can’t be. But you’re here. What?”

“ That’s what I want to know too Sirius.” Sirius Black sighed before answering.

“ It’s very nice too meet you too Christina. As I have said to Harry I will tell you and everyone else the why and how later on. Right now all that matters is you and also why Moony is holding a girl who, as far as I know, is very good looking.” Harry couldn’t help but laugh and the same applied to Christina. She reached her hand out suddenly and grabbed the bottle of firewhisky. She put the bottle to her lips and tipped the liquid down her throat. She drank half the bottle as Harry and Sirius watched on in amazement. She put the bottle back down on the table and hiccupped.

“ Are you ok Christina?” Asked Harry.

“ I’m fine Mr Potter. No need to worry about me. I just want to see how Mariana’s doing. You know. What with her being a vampire and all she doesn’t really get out much. Except to help me kick ass.” Harry was shocked at how Christina was acting but Sirius was grinning mischievously. He took the bottle of firewhisky and downed the rest of it. When the bottle was empty he flung it across the side of the room and Harry watched it smash before turning back to Christina and Sirius. Sirius had just taken Christina’s hand and helped her walk over to the door. Harry followed them both all the way down to the drawing room. Christina kicked the door open with her right foot which Harry noticed was in a knee high boot with sharp, cruel heels. People had obviously been talking about Sirius but they stopped when he and Christina entered. When they saw the sight of Christina hanging on to Sirius’s arm and giggling they figured out that she was drunk. Then they noticed that Sirius was obviously drunk too. Mariana and Remus both looked at there friends.

“ Oh dear.” They said together before rushing over to there friends. Mariana managed to prise Christina away from Sirius and Remus managed to successfully pull Sirius away from Christina.

“ Chrissie. Your drunk.”

“ No I am not. I am simply. I cannot think of a word just now but I assure you I am not drunk Mira.”

“ Yes you are. You’ve had how much firewhisky?”

“ Half a bottle.”

“ HALF A BOTTLE!” Roared Mariana and Remus who had had the exact same conversation as each other. All heads turned to Harry.

“ I tried to stop them.” He said feebly.

“ Mr Potter. It may be fine for everyone else in this room to get drunk but for Christina it is not. You know what people are like when they are drunk. With the power she has it won’t be a very pretty sight. There are so many things she could do. I mean, last time she got drunk she…” Mariana broke off just as Christina slapped her across the face and lifted her from the ground by her throat.

“ Mariana Windershaw you will not breathe a word about what happened then! You will not hint about what happened then! You will take the secret of what happened then to your grave! Or I swear to everything sacred and holy I will put you in the ground myself!” Mariana nodded her head and was flung across the side of the room. Her head smacked off the wall and she dropped to the floor. Remus let go of Sirius immediately and shot over to her side. He lifted her up carefully and hugged her.

“ My head hurts. And so does my back. How far did she throw me?”

“ Opposite side of the room.”

“ That’s quite a distance.”

“ Mariana. Why did you not tell me you were a Windershaw?”

“ I didn’t want to. There are a lot of things I don’t want to tell you. It’s too difficult.”

“ If I asked you something would you tell me the truth?”

“ Depends upon the question.” Remus smiled.

“ If I asked you any question would you tell the truth?”

“ For you yes.”

“ Who broke your heart?” Mariana shut her eyes and gulped.

“ Do I have to tell you?”

“ You don’t have too. But I would like to know.”

“ Promise you’ll still think the same of me after this? Promise me you won’t pity me, or be angry towards me. Promise me you won’t treat me any more different than you are now because of this. Promise me.”

“ I promise. Who broke your heart sweet Mariana?”

“ Fenrir Greyback.” Remus looked at her steadily for a few moments then hugged her again.

“ Can you stand?”

“Yeah. I think so.” Remus put Mariana down so she was standing on her feet. He let go of her completely and stepped back to give her some room. She swayed on the spot for a moment then grinned at Remus.

“ I’m fine.” She nodded her head and then put her hand behind her head and found the spot where her head had hit the wall. She felt a warm liquid on her fingers and she looked worryingly over at Remus.

“ I’m bleeding.” She said in a panicky voice. Remus was back at her side and was holding onto her hand so as to stop her putting her fingers in her mouth. He knew what would happen if she tasted blood right now.

“ Can someone please get me a bandage?” Harry ran out the door and seconds later he had a bandage in his hands. He ran over to Remus and handed the bandage to him.

“ Hermione can you put this on for her?” Hermione was there in a second and had started to wrap the bandage round Mariana’s head. Remus was still holding onto Mariana’s hand in a fierce grip to stop the blood from reaching her mouth.

“ You’re hurting me.” Remus relaxed his grip slightly as Mariana spoke.

“ There.” Hermione said triumphantly. Remus thanked her. Mariana was starting to shake a little and everyone was looking at her worriedly. She was whimpering and staring down at her hand. She could see and smell the blood on her hand and Remus knew immediately that she would have to have her hand washed clean of the blood and disinfected straight away.

“ Hermione can you get some disinfectant and bring it to the bathroom with a small cloth?” Hermione nodded. Remus walked with Mariana across the room and into a bathroom just opposite. He turned the tap on and put Mariana’s hand underneath the tap and let the water wash away the blood.

“ Hold on for a bit longer.” Remus said softly.

“ I need it. I want it.” Moaned Mariana. Hermione walked into the bathroom with a cloth in one hand and disinfectant in the other. Remus took the cloth from her and made sure that al the blood on Mariana’s hands was gone before pouring some of the disinfectant onto the cloth and then rubbing it all over Mariana’s hand so the smell of the blood disappeared. She topped shaking and opened her eyes once Remus hand finished.

“ Did I?” She asked.

“ No. We got it off before you could taste it or run loose.”

“ You make me sound like some animal.”

“ You are Mariana.” Mariana looked down at her lap. Remus lifted Marian’s head up so that she was looking at him.

“ But so am I.” He smiled and she smiled back. They walked out of the bathroom and back into the drawing room.

“ A lot of excitement today then. I wonder if Harry will let us stay here?”

“ Why would you want to stay here?”

“ I cannot apparate. I do not know any magic. Christina is drunk and in no fit shape to be going anywhere really and I will not let anyone take us back. It is not time yet for any of you to see where we reside. Not yet. In time but not yet and not now.” Remus nodded in understanding.

“ I do believe that I don’t’ actually know your name”

“ You don’t actually. It’s Remus. Remus Lupin.”

“ Do you not get called Moony anymore then?” Remus was very surprised that Mariana knew his nickname.

“ How do you know that was my name at school?”

“ I don’t know. I must have overheard it somewhere. I hear a lot of things so that’s where I’ll have heard it. Yes, I think.” Mariana became lost in her thoughts and after a few minutes she shook her head and spoke again.

“Sorry. Just thinking. My thoughts otherwise I would have discussed it with you Remus.”

“ Yes. Are you ok now?”

“ Yes. I’m fine. Honestly, I have never had anyone fuss over me so much as you are now. Never.”

“ You were flung across a room and landed by hitting your head against the wall. Then you could very easily have lost yourself to the vampire inside of you. There is cause for concern.”

“ Yes. But not fussing. May I ask, seeing as you asked me a very personal question, who it was you lost?”

“ Her name was Nymphadora Tonks.”

“ Tonks! When did she die?”

“ A few months ago. Did you know her?”

“ Not all that well but I had met her a few times. Chatted with her on occasions. She was awfully nice to me. So happy and smiling all the while.”

“ That was Nymph.”

“ I clearly remember her spiky pink hair and her hate of being called Nymphadora. Made everyone call her Tonks.”

“ That was most defiantly Nymph.” Laughed Remus remembering how much Tonks had hated her first name and remembering that she didn’t mind Remus calling her Nymph but if anyone else did she had that scowl on her face that made her look adorable and cute.

“ I miss her so much.” Sighed Remus.

“ The one’s we have loved may have died but they still live on in our hearts.”

“ What do you mean we?”

“ You and I.” Mariana said tenderly.

“ You?” Scoffed Remus.

“ Yes.”

“ The one you loved isn’t dead. Just incase you haven’t noticed he’s still walking around, still breathing. He’s not dead. So you can’t talk.”

“ He is dead to me! The Fenrir I knew and loved withered away and died twelve years ago! The Fenrir Greyback everyone else knows is not my Fenrir! He’s not the one I feel in love with and the one I still love to this day! HE’S NOT FENRIR GREYBACK!” Screamed Mariana. Everyone stared at Mariana who fell to the floor sobbing. Remus knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder gently.

“ GET AWAY FROM ME!” She screeched. Remus stayed where he was and slowly reached his hand out to touch the side of her face, his expression soft and loving. Mariana looked into his eyes and flung her arms over his shoulders and howled. All of her pain and sorrow was coming out through her cries and her tears. There was a shocked silence and so no one noticed Christina and Sirius slip out of the drawing room.

“ I’m sorry Mariana. Can you forgive me?” Asked Remus softly as Mariana stopped crying and howling.

“ You just don’t understand. He may still be alive but the Fenrir Greyback I knew and fell in love with, the real Fenrir Greyback is dead. He died all those years ago. As you said he’s still walking around and breathing. Killing and biting but that’s not Fenrir. That’s not the real Fenrir. If you only knew who he was. Inside. But that man is long dead.”

“ I think I do understand Mariana. It must have been so difficult for you to watch the man you loved slipping away, disappearing to be replaced by a monster. He walked liked the man you loved, he had the physical appearance of the man you loved, he spoke in the same voice as the man you loved but he wasn’t. It was easier for me. Tonks is dead. Everything that was her is dead and gone. My pain will eventually fade but for you every time you see Fenrir Greyback you will be reminded of the man who was destroyed by the monster. I think I do understand. Tonks is at rest and at peace but the Fenrir you loved isn’t. He’s still there but he is trapped and tortured every day. He is being destroyed by that monster and his soul will never be at rest and at peace.” Mariana nodded.

“ You do understand. And your pain has been lessened. You’ve discovered where Tonks is and what she’s doing. She’s happier than she’s ever been and she is waiting for you to complete her happiness. She’s waiting for you to come to her and make her happiness bliss.” Mariana whispered to Remus. He smiled at her and that was when Tonks voice sounded in his head and he could feel her next to him.

She needs you more than I do. She has space in her heart for one more as do you. Remember I still love you and always will no matter what.



“ Oh. That’s so sweet.” Hermione and Ginny said together as they watched Remus and Mariana kissing along with Harry and Ron.

“ I don’t think it’s sweet.” Said Harry. Ginny looked at Harry and muttered ‘boys’ as did Hermione when she caught sight of the disgusted look on Ron’s face.

“ Hey. Has anyone seen Sirius?” Harry and Ron looked around the room but could see no Sirius.

“ Ah well. Probably gone to get some sleep mate.” Ron said.

“ Ron. Christina’s not here either.” Harry and Ron looked at each other than dashed out of the room and thundered up the stairs. They kicked open the entire bedroom doors until they walked into the eighth bedroom. There they found Sirius and Christina staring up at the ceiling. They had obviously been playing Exploding Snap but had got bored of it. Sirius had his arm wrapped round Christina and she was cuddled into him. Neither of them were speaking.

“ Sirius. What are you and Christina doing? And what have you been doing?” Harry asked.

“ Well. We were playing Exploding Snap. Then Rock, paper, scissors but we got bored with that so we are now staring up at the ceiling.”

“ Which is very boring. I want to go on a broomstick. I want to fly across the heavens. Feel the wind and cold of the night air on my skin, feel the wind rushing through my hair and see the land at night beneath me and the stars and moon in the background behind me.”

“ Harry have you still got the Firebolt I sent you in third year?” Asked Sirius.

“ Yes.”

“ Have you got it with you now?”

“ Yes.”

“ Could Christina and I borrow it?”

“ Yes.”

“ Good.” Sirius jumped up from the bed and pulled Christina up with him.

“ You can have Harry’s Firebolt. I’m going to call my sweet.”

“ Who’s your sweet?” Asked Sirius sharply.

“ My broomstick. I made it myself. From the twigs to the engraving on the shiny polished handle. All mine and all made by myself.” Christina whistled and a second later there was a howl of wind and a broomstick appeared out of thin air in front of Christina. The broomstick glittered and shone brightly. It was the most beautiful broomstick Harry had ever seen in his life. The twigs were perfect shaped and none were bent in any way at all. The wood looked strong and was thick enough to support a rider but was relatively thin for a broomstick. The name of the broomstick was engraved in the wood in silver writing. Harry couldn’t make out the silver writing for a few minutes but then he saw the initials that were the brooms name. Sweet TMR love CMR. Harry nudged Ron and pointed to the brooms name. Ron’s mouth fell open as he read.

“ She doesn’t mean, does she?” Ron whispered so only Harry could hear him.

“ I think she does.”

“ But. She’s been fighting against him for years!”

“ So she says. I’m not sure she has told us everything when it comes to her and Voldemort.”

“ Harry! Have you got your Firebolt yet?” Asked Sirius.

“Accio Firebolt.” Harry shouted. The door of the bedroom opened and Harry’s Firebolt skidded to a halt in front of him, floating inches above the ground waiting for its rider. Sirius mounted the Firebolt and ruffled Harry’s hair as he and Christina shot out of the bedroom on the two broomsticks. Harry and Ron ran after them and watched as they flew through the front door that Christina had just opened. Harry and Ron reached the front door and watched as Sirius shot up into the sky after Christina who had a large lead ahead of him. There was no way Sirius could catch up with her. The Firebolt was fast but compared to Christina’s broom it was as fast as a Shooting Star.

“ I think we need to speak to Christina’s friend, Mariana.” Ron nodded his head and shut the front door of Grimmauld Place and followed Harry up the stairs and into the drawing room.