Hello. Welcome back. 

I passed! I got all the grades that I needed, but my bad audition had no answer yet, so you got angst again, sorry. But I liked this chapter, and it's an important one as we go forward in the story, so it would end up happening sooner or later.

I hope you all like it. As always, leave comments,please.

Pandora Rosier knew something bad was going to happen and she didn't even need to dream about it to know it. All she had to do was look at the moon becoming rounder through the days and watch her friend's face as she stressed more and more about the mock exams approaching, hanging their grades into the eyes of the Ministry soon enough.

All that because Luna Lupin had not slept through the night, waking up several times to go the bathroom, tossing and turning in her bed as silently as she could in her frustration, muffling her moans and groans of pain and irritation as her chest constricted and her scars became redder against her skin as she itched it several times in her distraction. Luna Lupin rarely asked for help without necessity, but she knew her breaking point, finding a way to help herself or get the medical attention she needed before something awful happened, like falling down the stairs or a convulsion in a very public place.

But Pandora just needed to take one look at Luna pushing herself through the day to know that she was crossing the line between independence and complete and utter foolishness, which apparently Luna had not seen yet, or was dangerously ignoring.

"You should eat more," Pandora said, worriedly.

Luna pushed her plate to the side, content with sipping her juice slowly.

"I'm not hungry this morning," she said.

"You might not be, but your body is," Pandora said.

"Pandora's right, you do look under the weather," Marta said, raising her eyebrows at Luna. "Are you sick again? It has been a while since you were this pale."

"It's winter and I stayed with my father in Wales for most of the holydays, I wouldn't be tanned, Marta," Luna quickly answered, bitterly.

Taken aback by the sudden sharpness in her colleague's tongue, Marta turned away, losing all interest in the conversation and focusing mainly on her boyfriend, who read a letter from one of his siblings in Hungary and was attempting his best not to cry.

Panda pressed her lips together in the very same way Evan did to demonstrate his disappointment in her actions when they were in mixed company, and he couldn't express opinions in the way he would like. Of course, Luna wasn't familiar with Evan enough to know what her expression was supposed to mean because Pandora had never used it on her, but she did seem slightly apologetic when she looked at her friend – she did not apologise to Marta regardless of her feelings.

Pandora really loved the full moons before meeting Luna. She had thought that the moon looked beautiful, exposed and vulnerable like a naked woman bathing in a lake in ancient legends with princesses and knights, but after meeting and knowing Luna and her family as well as she did she had gotten to the decision that the full moon was the bad knight, plotting unspeakable things against the princess, a knife hidden in his sleeve as he came – beautiful, threateningly so. It took her a long time to accept that something so beautiful could cause such suffering in people so good.

"Perhaps you'd like to stay in the dormitories, resting for the rest of the day," Pandora tried, gently.

"It's the start of the day, why the fuck would I be tired?" Luna snapped.

Rosalie turned, glaring at Luna by the corner of her eyes.

"Alright now, no need to talk like that at the breakfast table," Rosalie said.

"I'll speak however the fuck I want," Luna grumbled.

Rosalie was ready to go into a speech about good manners when she turned completely to look at Luna as she preached, but froze as she took in the image of her colleague. It was a fearful sight to behold.

Luna was pale, with dark bags under her eyes and her skin somehow looked saggy in the face, as if it was threatening to unglue itself from her bones or as if she had lost far too much weight far too quickly. She had become debilitated in just a couple of days and was pretending she was fine.

"Holy fuck..." Rosalie mumbled.

"Weren't you the one saying that my language was vulgar and –"

"Nah, mate, I think you deserve to speak however the fuck you want, indeed," Rosalie said, giving her roommate a reproachful look. "Perhaps Pandora's right, rest would do you good. Or perhaps the Hospital Wing can give you a Pepper-Up Potion?"

Luna gave a grimace in response.

Rare were the moons that took such a stab in Luna's moods, it was usually her heart and – sometimes – her brain, perhaps some annoyance about light and noises (especially when she couldn't focus on her book of choice). Her appetite and her physical endurance were the obvious symptoms. But now, that, whatever it was that was happening, seemed exaggerated out of its usual limits.

But the food tasted bitter to Luna's mouth, her head was hurting and her eyes burning as if she was under a frying light, pointed directly at her face. The annoyance she felt building up within her chest was almost an unexplainable hatred, sometimes Luna felt like her whole body was vibrating, begging her for violence. However, she barely had energy to stay awake, let alone get in a fight – so, the most honest reaction she had to the overwhelming feelings happening was simply cry.

And Luna burst out crying.

Rosalie, confused, watched Luna lower her head to the table, muffling her tears and whimpers. Marta turned, looking somewhat scared of Luna's reaction. Pandora stared, unsure of what to do. Rosalie turned to Pandora and mouthed 'what the fuck' as best as she could. Pandora looked back at Luna, not even answering Rosalie, because she – too – didn't know what was happening at all.

"Luna?" Rosalie whispered, carefully.

"My head's hurting," she whimpered. "My chest hurts."

Pandora started getting up. "I'm getting Madame Pomfrey," she announced.

Morris exchanged a look with Marta before getting up and crossing around the table, ready to help Luna to the Hospital Wing if she needed, but before he could reach the girl slowly sinking into herself, someone else stood right behind her.

Regulus Black looked worried as he put a hand on her shoulder, carefully requesting for her attention.

Morris stepped away, walking right back to his seat beside his girlfriend. He wouldn't admit out loud, but he was scared of Regulus Black. He wasn't about to get involved with the annoyed girlfriend of the boy that could beat him to a pulp without much thought or without a second of hesitation if the situation so requested. Apparently, Marta knew exactly what he was thinking, because she held back a laugh as he sat beside her once again.

"Come on, Luna, let's get you up," Regulus muttered under his breath to Luna.

Luna made a little noise, but tried raising her head before putting her forehead back to the table.

"Everything's spinning," she quavered. "My head hurts!"

Regulus frowned at the sight of tears running down her cheeks before she hid her face again.

"Keep your eyes closed. Everything will alright," he said her. He bent his knee, getting to her height. He slowly moved her to turn, watching her eyes closed tight he pulled her up. She leaned heavily against him. "Madame Pomfrey's coming, alright?"

But Luna didn't answer. She kept her eyes closed and her eyebrows frowned, but her face was slowly relaxing.

"Luna?" he called.

Pandora was standing beside them in a second, being there in the moment that Luna went limp against Regulus.

She helped him hold her up before Regulus quickly manhandled her, putting an arm around his neck and raising her from the ground, carrying her in front of his body. Quietly, he frowned at how surprisingly light she was.

"Oh, God!" Amanda yelped.

Madame Pomfrey ran to them as soon as she had gathered her things to go with them to the Hospital Wing. She whispered instruction after instruction to Pandora, who was quickly moving to follow – getting Luna's things, searching the potion she kept for emergencies (which she rarely took since it was so bitter), finding Luna's jumper to put on her once they got to the Hospital Wing to keep their body temperature up.

"Let's go," Madame Pomfrey said.

Regulus adjusted his grip on Luna at the very moment that Remus stumbled closer. He looked just as sick, but it was expected – after all, it was close enough to the full moon – and somehow still better than what Luna looked like. He didn't ask questions, he just followed Regulus, Pandora and Madame Pomfrey through the corridors towards the Hospital Wing.

As soon as they were inside, Madame Pomfrey pointed at one of the beds. Regulus carefully lied the girl down at it.

"I don't know what happened," Regulus said.

"She had a migraine last night, took a potion for it, said it was because of her period, but now I don't think so," Pandora said. "She said her head ached and that she was dizzy. Now she also complained of chest pain."

"Chest pain?" Madame Pomfrey.

"As in heart, not as breast soreness," Pandora specified.

Regulus took several steps away, sitting in a bed nearby, watching as Madame Pomfrey moved around the room, getting flasks and flasks of potions and quickly moving to the girl's bedside. She barely looked over her shoulder to where Regulus was sitting, patiently waiting for news or instructions.

"You should leave, Mister Black," she warned.

"No. I'll wait –" he started.

"I might need to –"

"Madame!" Pandora yelped.

She turned to the girl again and Regulus stood up quickly, trying to see what was happening, but continued to stand confused.

Luna was lying rigid, stiff against the thing mattress and barely breathing for some long seconds before she relaxed, breathing irregular breaths. She moved slightly, eyes fluttering and lips moving, but without sound.

"What was that?" Regulus asked, stumbling forward.

"A seizure," Pandora said.

"It's called a tonic seizure, she had them before," Madame Pomfrey said. She grumbled something else under her breath, something that Regulus couldn't understand. "Mister Black, Mister Lupin, please leave the room or stay behind the privacy curtain. Miss Rosier, help me, please."

Regulus followed the instructions, not moving to the door as Madame Pomfrey had hoped, but pulling the privacy curtain with some violence to cover the girl's bed and sitting on a bed not too distant from his girlfriend, unmoving beside Remus.

It wasn't until almost twenty minutes later that Madame Pomfrey and Pandora came to them.

"Miss Lupin's situation in under control. She's just sick, but she doesn't have a fever, which is better than usual," Madame said. "You should leave. She'll stay the day, and I'll keep her during the night so she may recover."

Regulus did leave at her first request, only to sequester himself to the library.

Madame Pince didn't rattle on him to the professors when he didn't show up to class that day and only called out to him when it was dinner time, insisting that he needed to eat and go to bed.

January 18th, 1976

Grimmauld Place, number 12, London, England.

Dear Son,

The news of Miss Lupin's unfortunate state of health has reached us quite suddenly this morning even though it has happened two days ago. You can imagine our surprise when Lady Rosier mentioned that you must have been so terribly worried because your partner has spent two days in the Hospital Wing without release, which left her daughter – Miss Rosier – to fall into the depths of despair and have an attack, being left in the dormitory just yesterday with a pass to not attend classes. You had mentioned nothing, as you usually do about your private matter until we find them out by ourselves.

While I could understand that you have been ever so preoccupied and worried with her and your mock exams approaching, I believe you should've found a few moments to write us a proper letter with an explanation of what is happening.

Son, anything that happens to the girl is now our responsibility as well, do not forget that. If Miss Lupin is in need of proper medical care, you should not hesitate to contact us so we can find a proper medic and a proper healer to deal with her condition, whatever it is. Surely, I must not be uncouth or crude for you to understand that our concern is not only for Miss Lupin but for you and your reputation as well. The consequence of reckless actions could provide proofs or your carelessness with your honour.

Now that all that I need to say is said, I ask: How is Miss Lupin? Is she in need of anything at all? Have her parents already contacted the school? With her mother being a Muggle Healer, I would expect her to already be there, taking care of her own child. Must I go?

And how are you, my son? Have you studied for your mock exams and taken your essays seriously? Remember that you must keep your Transfiguration grades up, as your promised with the assistance of Miss Lupin's tutoring.

Forever yours,

Mother.

January 19th, 1976

Highlands of Scotland, Library of Hogwarts.

Mother,

While your concern for my partner is certainly surprisingly touching, you must not come to school, for Miss Lupin is already faring better and has been allowed to go back to the Ravenclaw Tower for the time being. She is out of the woods.

Something that I have learned with all the years that I studied with Miss Lupin is that she gets terribly sometimes. Migraines are common and so is a horrifying ache in her chest; a heart condition, it has been explained to me. Miss Lupin has been dealing with whatever it is her condition since she was a small child, but sometimes if flares up to extents that she cannot deal with on her own – therefore Miss Pandora Rosier and her other roommates are equipped with first aid until Madame Pomfrey can get there; I shall learn it just the same for security's sake, of course. I have already requested some classes with Madame Pomfrey once my mock exams are over and I shall have free periods once more before the real exams come.

Madame Jensen has not appeared in the school, but she trusts Madame Pomfrey with her life blindly, so it is no surprise that she can trust her own daughter to her care as well. I believe Miss Lupin is in good hands while at school.

She has already gone back to studying to the mock exams as if nothing has happened, after all – nothing a Ravenclaw like her isn't accustomed to; that is the very proof that she is well, I'd hazard. If there's any adjective that I should use to describe dear Miss Lupin is 'resilient'. I have not written home about such situation for I believed completely that it was nothing to worry about. She is fine. She'll be even better soon enough once I find out what made it flare up this time around.

Your well cared for son,

Regulus.

And while Regulus said so about Luna and how 'unconcerned' he was, he stared at the book in front of him feeling his heart pounding in his chest as if it was hammering its way out of his chest by force.

Luna had not named her illness and when he asked, she had changed subject most suspiciously. He had been far too curious to let it slide.

In the late afternoon light, he saw the words jumbling together, confusing him far more than the mock exams that they had done just a few days before. He felt his stomach churning and turning as he forced himself to read through the medical terms that scared him more than made him feel better. It was jargon that wasn't made for him, and yet he forced himself to understand every single word in the thick, dusty old books in the furthest corner of the library, behind the Potions' section; it was a small section, barely lit at all by the one small window that allowed some sun to hit one small part of the only wooden table at that place with four places.

It was one word that punched him and made him turn still in his chair.

He tried to breathe, leaning back in his chair and locking his jaw.

"Mister Black, it is almost dinner. Everybody else has left the library," Madame Pince said from between the bookshelves. He looked up, alarmed. "Five more minutes and then you need to go, alright?"

"Y-Yes, of course, ma'am," he finally choked out.

Madame Pince narrowed her eyes, eyebrows twitching.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Her eyes ran around the small area he was in. It was clearly an area destined to students older than him and, therefore, his presence was surprising. Only the seventh years could elect to have real Healing Internships and only a few handfuls of them would get it and study enough for it to be in that area of the library.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered. "Studying."

That was the moment that realisation took over Madame Pince's face and he took a deep breath, looking around.

"If I give you ten minutes instead of five, would it help?" she asked.

Regulus slowly got up.

"No, ma'am. I think I found what I needed," he said.

She took one look at the book that he had with him and sighed dramatically. 'Blood Curses and Similar Illnesses' by M. E. Edwards, a very famous Healer that had also studied muggle medicine, naming several illnesses that the Muggles couldn't categorise and found them to be curses from several generations before.

"I don't usually allow that, but you can take the book with you if so wish, Mister Black," Madame Pince said kindly. "I have been told that you asked for especial permission to learn first aid to help Miss Lupin. I understand that you're doing research for an especial, private project. Tell this to no one, otherwise I'll take it back."

"Alright, ma'am, thank you."

Though he wasn't sure he needed the book, but he could barely look away from the word jumping from the page his hand held onto.

He didn't go to dinner that night, just read and reread the few pages of interest in front of him until Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch Jr. walked into the room, with the surprising company of Pandora.

"Hi," he said, surprised, sitting up on his bed.

"Hi!" she said, waving at him. "You didn't eat tonight."

"I wasn't hungry," he lied.

Evan sat on Regulus bed, sighing as he lied down with his head on Regulus' pillow. He looked far too comfortable, and Regulus had to force himself not to push his friend out of the bed violently. All he did was turn to Pandora and raise his eyebrows.

"And where's Luna?" he asked.

"Bed. She was tired," Pandora dismissed. Her eyes were now stuck on the medical book in his hands. "I know what you're doing. You shouldn't do that."

Evan looked down at the same book, narrowing his eyes to read it better and then turning to Regulus.

"I didn't know you liked medicine," he mused.

"I don't."

Barty bit the inside of his cheek nervously.

"This doesn't look like some common medicine book; this is a Blood Curses' book. Regulus –" he hesitated. "I... Do you think it's for the best?"

Distasteful for being carefully pried open about his worries by his friends, he glared at the ceiling before taking a deep breath and turning to the three people in the dormitory again. He swallowed down.

"She didn't name her illness. She's hiding something," he said.

"It's none of your business, Regulus. Her illness is something very personal to her," Evan said, uncomfortable. "Listen, mate, I would be curious as well, but she gets really sick when it flares up and Pandora said stress makes it worse. I'm sure that you flicking through medical books to catch her illness when she didn't want to tell you would certainly fit as 'stressful'. She just got better. Don't mess it up."

"I think I know what she has," Regulus said.

Pandora turned around, facing the window and refusing to meet his eye.

"Don't be stupid," Evan said, sitting up again.

"Regulus, if she didn't tell you, she had a reason," Barty insisted.

Regulus frowned at the book.

She didn't tell him because she was dying, he thought to himself, staring at the curse that would fit all her symptoms. The migraines, the mood swings, the chest pain, the weak heart, the fainting, the seizures. The Adiyef Curse, a neurological degenerative disease that attacks women that are born from families that had tried attacking a Roman witch several centuries before. Since Luna didn't know her family very well or where they came from originally, it wouldn't be a surprise.

The anger he felt was beyond the imaginable. The betrayal was bitter and bit the inside of his guts, making it swallow up the sadness enough for him not to feel it.

"We are connected, publicly and personally, not telling me is not only a stupid decision, but a rather rude one," Regulus said.

Barty frowned.

"Have you told her who you had a broken rib when you got here at the start of the school year because your father thinks caning is a wonderful to educate his children when he's drunk because that's how he grew up?" Barty asked, annoyed at him. "And I'm only talking about you, not about what you don't talk about your family, but we ended up finding everything out regardless."

Regulus closed the book, throwing to the side. Because Evan was lying beside him, the boy received a heavy book suddenly on his stomach, making him wheeze and hold onto the book so it wouldn't fall to the ground.

"Hey, this has nothing to do –" Regulus started.

"Yes, it does!" Barty said, cutting him off, hands already shaking in nervousness. He never liked going against his friends, especially when he didn't have many to dismiss so quickly and easily. "Look at what you're doing! You're combing through medical books because she didn't want to name her illness, Regulus."

"I want to help!"

"You can't help!" Pandora exclaimed, turning to Regulus with wide, terrified eyes. "Nobody can. It'll never go away. Finding more about against her wishes won't do her any good."

"You know it."

"She told me, it's different. She told me that I couldn't tell anybody," Pandora said, shaking her head in distress. "This that you're doing is rude and... and... deliberately breaking her privacy," she said, stuttering.

Evan, concerned already, sat up and put the book to the side, lying it on the bed and glaring at Regulus before getting up and walking to his sister, eager to calm her down as her eyes watered up. While Pandora wasn't the biggest fan of hugs, she did felt a little when Evan put a hand around her shoulders and led her to his bed so she could sit down.

Regulus laughed bitterly. Pandora's crying state only added to his distress and to his theory became more and more solid. If Pandora was crying, then certainly it meant that Luna was, indeed, slowing dying.

Barty stood near the door, shifting nervously and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I just hope I'm wrong," was all Regulus said before he got up from his bed, got the book and walked right out of the room.

Luna stared proudly at the paper in her hands.

She knew that mock-exams were not as important and that the grades barely mattered in the school grades, but she was beyond happy about the results in her hands. She had gotten all passable grades, high passable grades. Even her worst subjects had worked out well in the end, proving that all her stress had been for nothing.

She smiled at Remus as she crossed him in the corridor, but didn't stop to talk to him, James and Peter talking in the corner of the corridor. She did notice that Remus opened his mouth to say something, but since she walked away, he didn't get the change to communicate with her. He frowned as he realised why she was walking so fast through the corridor.

Regulus was standing with his friends near the front doors of the castle.

"Hey!" she called out.

Evan and Barty were the first ones to turn. Barty forced a little smile as soon as he saw her, waving at her with very little enthusiasm. Evan didn't even force a smile, just watched her for a second before looking down at his feet and taking a deep breath that made Luna insecure – she had to force her feet to keep on walking towards them and not let her body freeze midst step.

Regulus looked up from the book he was reading with eyes so cold that Luna finally stopped walking, just watching her standing in the middle of the corridor as people walked around her, some stealing curious glanced at her.

Luna looked over her shoulder where Remus and his friends were, also now watching her. They looked confused.

She swallowed, feeling like she had no control over any of her actions. Her feet stepped forward, forcing her near the group of boys.

"Hi," Barty said.

"What's happening?" she asked, eyes wide.

Barty shook his head.

"Nothing," he lied.

She eyed him suspiciously.

"I'll find my sister and walk her back from Care of Magical Creatures," Evan announced, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Come along, Barty."

Barty didn't waste a single second, just nodded and threw an apologetic look at Luna before walking away. Not that he would've fought against the idea of going outside so Evan could smoke before they would pick Pandora up from class as they did sometimes, but at that moment he had been so eager to leave Regulus and Luna alone that he had started walking towards the grass before Evan.

Luna felt her stomach drop when she was left alone with Regulus.

While she knew that she had no reason to fear him, for he would never hurt her on purpose, she knew that – much like his brother – his tongue was just as sharp as the rings he wore when he punched people. At the end, she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the one leaving that conversation bleeding would be her, not him.

She hesitated, sucking in her teeth quietly before biting the inside of her cheek and taking a deep breath.

"So? What's happening?" she asked as casually as she could.

Regulus watched her for a moment. She looked better, but still pale.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the paper in her hand.

"My mock exams' grades," she dismissed, folding the paper and putting it on the pocket of her skirt. "Why do you look like that? What's happening, Regulus?"

He closed the book with a little noise. It was a poetry book, curated by his mother especially for him – it had Byron, Poe and several other writers that he wasn't such a huge fan of, but Walburga was.

"We need to talk," he said.

The devastation on her face surprised him.

"Are you breaking things off with me?" she asked, voice wavering.

Regulus looked at her with some surprise. The idea had crossed his mind, he'd admit to himself, but he had not expected that her first reaction to something remotely pointed at the direction of singleness would be crying. Though, the memory of her crying without even realising in the library did make him cringe at the reminder that she, indeed, was capable of crying with several situations.

"We just need to talk," he insisted.

"You didn't say 'no'," she whispered.

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. He thought the answer was obvious.

"Should we go somewhere more private?" he asked.

She remembered the humiliation that she felt when Sirius broke things off with her, she remembered how he looked around, terrified that someone would stumble upon the both of them in such an... intimate moment, which they weren't used to having when they got all their clothes on. She imaged that Regulus would be even more eager for privacy seeing how closed-off he was.

"The library," she whispered her option.

He nodded, starting to walk before her and leading the way. Quietly, she followed while avoiding looking anywhere other than the ground she would step on, even ignoring how her brother frowned further and watched his sister's excitement disappear as she followed her boyfriend away from the public eye.

Concerned, Remus turned to James, who shook his head. "Leave it," he whispered to his friend. Even James knew that Luna would want privacy for whatever it was that was about to happen, and he was confident enough that Regulus wouldn't be stupid enough to hurt her.

Luna and Regulus didn't speak the whole way to the library.

Madame Pince glanced up from what she was writing when they walked in, but said nothing as they didn't greet her and walked through the shelves to the very back of the library, going to the medical portion of the bookshelves.

"Go on," Luna said in a low voice, fitting of her place. "Say it."

"How could you do this to me?" he asked.

Confused, Luna blinked at him.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Get closer to me, allow me to... get close to you, only to find out about what's happening right under my nose through books?" he asked, frowning. "I'm not as stupid as you wish me to be. I know."

Luna's pale face grew paler, her eyes widened slightly and she took a small step back.

"What are driving at?" she asked, but her voice wavered.

He scoffed.

"Lupin, you're sick," he said.

She swallowed.

"Yes, but you knew that. Everybody knows that," she said.

"You said that you lied about having a heart condition, that it was an infection that you had when you were younger and it lodged on your brain and your heart," he told her, frowning at the memory. "Blood-Curses are the only ones that Healers still have difficulties healing, and rare are the condition that attack both heart and brain."

Luna's hands were starting to shake, so she put them behind her back as she focused on listening to him and breathe through her fear.

"Regulus, I'm sorry. I only told a couple of people my whole life, and one of them pretty much guessed. I don't know how to—" she stopped herself, breathing so the tears wouldn't come to her eyes. "I didn't know you'd care," she said.

"You thought I wouldn't care?!" he exclaimed, voice louder than his usual.

Luna took another step back, now even her diaphragm was shaking. Breathing was becoming more difficult. She couldn't understand why she was so scared; Regulus wouldn't hurt her and she knew that for sure – until she realised she was terrified of losing him.

"I thought you wouldn't care. You know about my brother, and you didn't care," she said.

He frowned.

"What does your brother have to do with anything?" he asked, turning to her and raising his eyebrows when she didn't answer.

Luna seemed frozen.

"What?" she asked.

He pursued his lips. He didn't like when she said 'what' like that; the correct thing would've been 'pardon' or 'excuse me', but he didn't say anything. It was clear that she hadn't meant it with any offense.

"Your Curse, what does your brother have with it? Men can't have it," he said. "Adiyef only attacked women."

Luna shook her head before she spoke.

"I don't have Adiyef," she said.

"You don't need to lie to me. The symptoms fit, the seizures fit," he said, disappointed. "Luna, you should've told me. I deserved to know."

"You have nothing to do with my medical history!" she exclaimed, annoyed with his insistence. "I don't have Adiyef."

"You should've told me you were dying before I went and fell in love with you!" he exclaimed right back.

There was a moment of silence and Luna's hand fell to her side, leaving her back. She just stared at him in a mixture of shock and horror.

"This was not how I imagined this would happen," she whispered, tears no longer hidden as they pooled on her eyes and slowly ran down her cheeks. "I didn't think I needed to be dying for you to admit you're in love with me."

"And I didn't think I'd fall in love with someone that was so selfish to allow me to fall in love with them while knowing I would be the one hurting at the end," he said. "You know how this is going to end. Why would you not tell me? How could you do this to me? How could you do this to my friends?"

Luna just stared at him.

"I don't have Adiyef. I'm not dying," she spat towards him through her tears.

Now Regulus didn't know what to say. That refusal to admit didn't make sense now that he already knew everything, so it could only be the truth. He didn't move, he just watched her as he cleaned her own tears with the back of her sleeves with violence enough to make her cheeks red.

"What is my brother, Regulus?" she asked.

"A werewolf," he answered, voice low.

"What are the symptoms to lycanthropy?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"You said you weren't –"

"I'm not. But what are the symptoms? Aren't they the same of the ones I feel when an infected person isn't transformed?" she asked.

"It's rare enough to be considered impossible –"

"So is Adiyef nowadays!" she said, shaking her head to him. "Regulus, for the love of God, think!"

He stopped, locking his jaw in anger by the tone she took with him, but didn't answer right away, just took a deep breath.

"We were just children when he accidently attacked me. I got infected, it lodged on my heart and on brain, just like I told you," she said. "I didn't lie to you. I'm not dying. I'm not selfish. I'm just ashamed."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I'll never be the same. Because I have the most terrible of scars and whenever I feel bad about it, I'm forced to remember that my brother has many more and he goes through worse things than I do," she said. "Because no matter how much I'm suffering, I know that the pain he goes through is worse than mine and I must be comforted by the fact that no matter what happens, this isn't going to kill me."

She point at her sternum when she said 'this'.

Regulus watched her shaky hands unbutton her shirt slowly.

Though he wanted to look the other way, tell her to stop or simply turn around to give her privacy, he saw it and froze. The scar appearing just under clavicle paler than the rest of her skin, raised and deformed going towards her sternum and taking a sharp turn, disappearing under the cotton of her bra and appearing against at the tall of her stomach, disappearing at her side again, ending suddenly around her ribs opposite to her clavicle.

"All I want is to get rid of it, rid of a mistake I made when I was too young to be guilty of it," she said. "I just want to be normal."

Her bottom lip wobble and be bit into it, refusing to cry openly in front of him again. Tears still streamed down her face, but at least she wasn't sobbing.

"That's why you want to go to Alchemy," he whispered to himself, feeling the sense of horrified guilt and disgust for himself. "To find a way to get rid of your symptoms."

"I just want to help my brother. If I can help myself, it's a bonus," she corrected. "But I do want to help myself as well... perhaps I am selfish, but not in the way you think I am. I wouldn't play with your feelings if I knew they existed."

He had no courage to ask if she felt the same after he had accused her. He had no right to as much as request another explanation. All he could do was stare as she buttoned up her shirt again and took a deep, shaky breath.

He shook himself awake.

"I'm –" he hesitated. "Luna –"

"No 'Lupin'?" she asked, annoyed, finishing with the buttons.

"Luna," he insisted. "I'm sorry."

She took one look at him, sniffed, cleaned her tears and without a word turned around, walking right out of the maze of shelves, leaving him alone with the dusty books that had just ruined everything he had taken so long to build.

He wanted to tear everything apart, burning down and start anew. But he wasn't sure that Luna Lupin would ever look at him again, even if he was in bright flames.

He saw the small paper she had dropped on the ground: her grades. Luna had managed to get the requested grade to enrol in Alchemy the next year, even in Astronomy thanks to the time they had spent together. And he had ruined that.

TA-DA! I hope you all don't hate me, but we all knew this was coming sooner or later. At least those who need to know, now know, even if nobody's happy about it at the end of the day. The story is moving now, finally.

I hope you all liked it!