merlinsbeard (merlinsbeard) wrote in notanother,
@ 2012-11-20 02:52:00

Merlin was still suspicious of Remus J. Lupin. His next door neighbour. He frowned to himself and then at the door separating their rooms. He tapped his fingers against the book he was reading, then pushed himself up from the bed. He had to check on the other man. Just in case.

He knocked on the door once and then pushed it open, walking into Remus's room.

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 06:13 am UTC (link)
	Merlin frowned at the assumption. "Are you the one who is going to be asking the questions?" He asked and then Merlin was falling to his knees and screaming in agony as the mark on his arm began to burn. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "S-Sorry." Merlin told him and tried to regain himself. "My father is angry about something." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 06:18 am UTC (link)

Remus didn't care if Merlin was Tom Riddle's son. He was out of his chair and kneeling beside the boy when he screamed. "Don't apologise," he said, squeezing Merlin's shoulder and giving him a concerned look. "Can you tell why he's angry? I've never seen anyone else react like this."

He touched the place on Merlin's arm where he knew the mark would be, because it was where Sirius had his, and murmured a cooling charm. Having to hide his magic had made him adept at a lot of simple wandless spells. "I'm a werewolf. I understand pain."

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merlinsbeard
2012-11-20 06:21 am UTC (link)

It was odd, having a werewolf at his knees in order to help him. He looked down at the hand on his arm as he felt a cooling charm and then gave Remus Lupin a curious glance. How was he doing that?

"I-" Merlin caught himself glancing at Remus's lips, but then there was a throbbing pain in his head and he was screaming again. This time he knew it was directly his fault. He grabbed at his head. "Fuck. I think he found out about Winter." He started to cry.

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mycardigan
2012-11-20 06:37 am UTC (link)

Remus had no idea what winter had to do with anything, but he knew he really hated the Dark Lord. Who did this to their own child? To any teenager?

"Shh," Remus said, sliding his hands under Merlin's and cradling the boy's head in his lap. He leaned down, murmuring another cooling charm because it was all he could think of to do that might help. "I know you know occlumency, Marlin," he said, leaning closer to him and keeping his voice soft. "Clear your mind. Focus on my voice. He's in your head now, but you can fight him. You can dull the pain. Focus on my voice, and then focus on building a wall." And then, because he really couldn't think of anything else to do, because he wanted to give Merlin something else to think about in case he was taking in the information about focusing and building a wall, Remus started singing a lullaby for him.

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merlinsbeard
2012-11-20 06:48 am UTC (link)

Merlin wasn't sure what was going on. He felt so confused. How was this wolf able to help him so much? How was he so calming? He closed his eyes, and listened to the sound of Remus's voice.

And then the man was singing to him. He opened one eye and looked up at him, but then started to focus on his voice and building the wall as the pain ebbed away. "How do you do this?"

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mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:00 am UTC (link)

Remus stopped singing, brushing hair off Merlin's face. "I have a feeling you're not used to kindness," he said. He picked Merlin up and put him on the bed, then went to his desk, digging out one of the bars of chocolate he'd brought and breaking off a piece. He held it out to Merlin. "This will help steady you."

Remus sat on the edge of the bed, giving Merlin a concerned look. "Are you all right?" Remus asked. "What's winter?"

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 07:04 am UTC (link)
	Kindness. Merlin tried to think of the last time someone was kind to him. "Draco used to be kind to me." He gave a sad look and shook his head. "But, he's changed. He's been different for a long time." Merlin's eyes locked onto Remus's for a brief moment. "Who is Winter." He told him and shook his head. "She's my daughter." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:08 am UTC (link)

"Your daughter?" Remus repeated, surprised. He'd been under the impression that Merlin was gay. He was engaged to another boy. He frowned, thinking of how cruel the Dark Lord could be. "Are Winter and her mother going to be okay?" he asked. "Now that your father knows about them?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Eat the chocolate. Who taught you occlumency and focus? They did a terrible job of it."

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merlinsbeard
2012-11-20 07:12 am UTC (link)

"They were fine when he thought Sirius Black was her father." Merlin replied quietly and shook his head. "My father would never hurt Narcissa. Ever. She's part of his own family and he'd looked Abraxas if he even tried."

Merlin popped the chocolate into his mouth and let it dissolve for a moment, moving it around on his tongue. "My father. It's hard to learn it when he's trying to read your mind and casting Cruciatus at the same time. He said I had to be prepared to be tortured and have someone trying to get information from me at he same time."

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mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:19 am UTC (link)

Remus did his best not the laugh at the thought of Sirius and Narcissa. Sirius liked his cousin, but there were limits and Remus had years of first-hand knowledge of how gay Sirius was. "Good," he said. "At least your daughter is safe."

He studied Merlin for a moment. Teaching him to protect himself could go either way. Either Merlin would become a more adept successor to Riddle, if Riddle ever died or stepped down, or it might help nudge Merlin towards the light. It was worth the risk. "I'm sure someone in your position does have to be prepared for something like that, but you don't learn calculus before you learn addition." Remus broke off another piece of chocolate for Merlin and then ate a chunk himself. "I could help you."

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 07:21 am UTC (link)
	Merlin took the chocolate, only half hearing what Remus was suggesting. It wasn't until the chocolate was in his mouth and he was tasting the sweetness of it that it really sank in. He gave Remus a confused look. "How are you going to help me?" Merlin asked, arching a brow. "You're a werewolf. And you have no magic." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:27 am UTC (link)

Here was the risk. Remus hoped he wasn't immediately shipped off somewhere. He shrugged. "I don't have much magic," he agreed. "But I know how to teach people and I know what you need to do if you don't want your father torturing you like that every time he gets angry."

He shrugged, sitting back in his chair. "You felt my cooling charm. I'm a werewolf, not a vampire. My hand isn't naturally that cold."

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merlinsbeard
2012-11-20 07:30 am UTC (link)

"You-" Merlin wanted to fight with the man. Tell him that he wasn't worthy of having any magical ability. To put him down. But, it honestly wasn't in him. The only thing he had against Remus Lupin was what had happened to Draco and him all those years ago. And his Draco was gone.

"Why?" Merlin asked quietly, keeping his eyes on Remus's. "Why would you want to help me?"

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mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:41 am UTC (link)

"Why wouldn't I?" Remus asked, frowning a little. "I want to help you because I don't believe that anyone should be tortured the way your father tortures you. I don't believe anyone should hurt like that."

He shook his head. "I've seen people who've lost their minds to Cruciatus. If I can do anything to prevent someone from having that happen to them, then I should. I want to help because it's the right thing to do."

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 07:44 am UTC (link)
	"You told the son of Tom Riddle that you can do magic. And you are basically saying bad things about him in the process." Merlin pointed out, not feeling as strong and witty as he usually did. He reached up and brushed his fingers gently through Remus's hair. It was soft. "Don't you think that's dangerous?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 07:57 am UTC (link)

"Yes," Remus said. "I know it is. Dangerous and possibly foolish, but it's a calculated risk. Like I said, offering to help you is the right thing to do."

He looked Merlin over. He really didn't seem like he was planning on running through the halls denouncing Remus as a traitor. "Besides, when I was eleven Greyback tried to have me enrolled in Hogwarts. Not a very likely request, asking to have a werewolf attend a magic school, but Greyback has always been very fond of me. So it's on record that I have some magical ability."

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 09:25 pm UTC (link)
	Merlin wasn't sure of what was going on. How Remus even knew how to use his abilities. He bit at his bottom lip for a moment, concentrating on his thoughts to try and clear his head. To calm down. "I could teach you." Merlin told him quietly. "I could teach you how to use your magic and you could teach me how to block out my father." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 09:33 pm UTC (link)

Remus gave Merlin a surprised look when he offered to help teach him how to use his magic. Remus knew a lot more than he was letting on. Alastor had tutored him, and Sirius had kept helping him learn after Alastor's death. He still had a lot to learn, though.

"All right," he agreed, holding his hand out to Merlin. "You teach me to use my magic and I'll teach you how to keep your father out." It was a good deal. If Merlin taught a werewolf to use magic, he couldn't go around telling Remus's secrets to everyone. He'd be at risk himself.

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 09:40 pm UTC (link)
	Merlin still had a headache, but it was slowly going away. He thought that the chocolate may have been helping with that. He rubbed at his temple for a moment, then sat back. "Would you like dinner?" Merlin asked as he snapped his fingers. "I can get you anything you'd want. The elves can fetch it. Even if you want something from the Hogshead." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

mycardigan
2012-11-20 09:45 pm UTC (link)

"Dinner would be nice," Remus said, nodding. Chocolate was a cure for almost everything. Of course it was helping with Merlin's headache. "Especially if you stay where you are and don't move around too much. You need to rest."

He smiled. "I'm a werewolf. We're not known for being picky about what we eat. I'm fine with whatever you'd like. You're the one who's recovering for torture." Merlin was nothing like Sirius and Regulus, but they were Remus's only real experience with normal people. "Fish and chips, maybe? Grease is good comfort food."

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	merlinsbeard 2012-11-20 09:50 pm UTC (link)
	"I've never had fish and chips." Merlin admitted as he looked back at Remus. He frowned to himself for a moment and then nodded, ordering them both some beer and fish and chips. Laying back against Remus's pillows, Merlin looked at Remus. "Will you hold me?" (Reply to this)(Parent)

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