Visitors Bearing Gifts

Chapter Three: Visitors Bearing Gifts

After a few days of bed-rest, the privacy screens around the hospital beds were partially removed, and a beaming, bustling Madam Pomfrey smiled broadly at Nagini and Remus. ''I'm happy to announce this morning you'll both be receiving the best medicine there is – visitors!''

Almost imperceptibly, Nagini and Remus' eyes met, and oddly enough, it seemed they were thinking the same thing, "Who in the hell would be visiting us?" True, it was still the holidays, but Christmas was technically over, and the second term would soon begin. Hogwarts remained empty, except for a few staff members and house-elves; Pomfrey had stayed out of professional obligations and dedication, of course, particularly because of the peculiar circumstances and special patient care needed.

Neither Nagini nor Remus were feeling quite up to seeing anybody else; they had renewed strength enough to do the basics of sitting up, eating and washing. Also, both of them shared murky family backgrounds and had rarely ever had visitors or received any sort of correspondence.

"Madam Pomfrey, who is coming to visit?" asked Remus, slightly concerned.

"Well, your visitors, you'll be happy to know, Mr Lupin, are already here – some of your housemates. I've almost had to cast a Shield Charm to hold them back!"

As she was saying this, four figures appeared in the entranceway of the Hospital Wing, and a polite voice rose above the jostling laughter, asking, "Madam Pomfrey, may we?"

"Yes, come on, come! He's ready for you. But mind you, no aggravating the patients – either of them!"

"Us? Aggravating invalids?" enquired Sirius Black.

The sound of Sirius' voice made Nagini cringe, and her strength depleted upon seeing the traipsing foursome clambering down the hospital aisle towards Lupin's bed: Alice Dearborn, Lily Evans, James Potter and Sirius Black.

His eyes dancing with mirth, a joyful Remus asked, ''Where's Peter?''

"Still at home, being disgustingly mollycoddled and spoiled, and loving every minute of it, the pampered git," said James, grinning. "He sends his greetings."

Lily was giving Remus a big affectionate hug, while Alice placed some wrapped Christmas presents on his side table. James and Sirius were jostling each other, each competing to show off the most.

In between dodging James' pushes and arsing around, Sirius said, "Let's have a look at you, mate." Giving James a final shove back, signalling the end of their mutual horse-playing, Sirius gave Remus a sober look, taking in the angry cuts and clawed-at raw scratches that he knew hadn't been from the duelling class incident, and sauntered closer to the bedside. "Blimey, Mooney! What an improvement – much better than before," Sirius wisecracked.

"Thank you, Padfoot," responded Remus, amused. "You seem to be back in shape, at any rate."

"Oh yeah, mended all up! Ready for action, again! Snivellus didn't even leave a mark," grinned Sirius, mischievously, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe next time? Can't wait." Hoping his flippant lie was glossed over, Sirius bit his inner cheek to maintain his façade as a dark flash crossed his eyes; Severus Snape's hexes had left deep, irremovable scars on his chest, and Sirius was burning with revenge.

While the friends were gregariously reuniting with each other and gushing with holiday stories, Nagini was sitting on the edge of her bed, making to stand up, and she called out, "Madam Pomfrey could you please... the privacy screen?" Impatiently judging that Pomfrey wasn't around, Nagini attempted to stand up and do it herself.

Sirius spotted her and swaggered over to in front of Nagini's bed. "Cripes! What have we here?"

Nagini and Sirius glared at each other.

"Need some help, Lestrange?" offered Sirius to Nagini, but there was a calculating, challenging look in his eyes.

"From you? Never!" She spat out.

Sirius grinned nastily, his dark eyes flashing over her, relishing Nagini's anger and apparent weakened state.

Pomfrey suddenly reappeared and replaced the privacy screen halfway. "Now, Mr Black, I've thoroughly explained the conditions of visiting. You swore to be on your best behaviour, and if this is your best, I'll have to ask you to leave. No unsettling the other patient!"

"Is there a problem, Madam Pomfrey?" came a stern, crisp enquiry.

Everyone turned to look at who was asking the question and found themselves staring at Lucius Malfoy.

The rowdy group of Lupin's visitors hushed themselves upon seeing the unexpected figure.

Lucius strode loftily down the aisle towards them. "Hmmn... let us see," he said, glancing over the group. "Potter, Black and," Lucius paused seeming thoroughly delighted. "Miss Dearborn! Alice, isn't it? Betrothed to Longbottom? Lovely. So nice to see you again." Then, Lucius deliberately eyed Remus and Lily up and down, but didn't acknowledge them by name. Just a forced, curled smile froze on his face, and then, Lucius abruptly turned around to Pomfrey and enquired, "Where is Miss Lestrange?"

"She's over here, Mr Malfoy," said Madam Pomfrey, indicating behind the opposite screen. "Congratulations on your recent appointment as a new govenor of Hogwarts. Such an honour!"

Turning his back on the distasteful group, Lucius ostentatiously crossed around the partial privacy screen to where Nagini was lying down. He paused to turn back to Madam Pomfrey and replied, "Thank you." Lucius glanced at Sirius Black and James Potter. "Yes, well, as a new govenor," he projected loudly, making sure Black and company heard his announcement clearly, "I've taken it upon myself to introduce some new reforms for more effective quality control here in Hogwarts. I have some issues to discuss with the Headmaster, particularly new proposals for enrollment criteria." Lucius smiled smugly. "Also, my brother-in-law asked me to visit our dear Miss Lestrange here."

Sirius muttered something under his breath.

In a flash, Lucius whirled around to him, and enquired, "Yes, Mr Black? You wish to say something?"

They simultaneously glanced towards Pomfrey and back again at each other; both were barely covering their vexed states of being. Lily reached out and touched Sirius' arm. At her touch, Sirius turned halfway back to his friends.

"I thought not," added Lucius curtly and turned again towards Nagini, dismissive to all the others.

"We've met before, although it has been a few years. You've quite changed since the last time I saw you. You're a young woman now."

Nagini cast her eyes downward, unable to hold his gaze. She felt uncomfortable. It was enough being in a hospital bed, but Lucius Malfoy's presence renewed some distant memories of her past: vague events and shadows connected to her childhood. Most of them unpleasant.

"Madam Pomfrey, may I beg your leniency and allow me to put a Silencing Charm around Nagini and myself? I have some private family matters to discuss with her on behalf of the Lestrange family, that, um, outside ears should not be privy to," Lucius informed the Matron.

"But of course, Mr Malfoy. Here, let me put the privacy screen fully into place." And with a wave of her wand, she shifted it to entirely block the view from the others and walked away.

Lucius slowly pulled out his wand. Then, with a quick flick, he placed the Silencing Charm around them.

Nagini struggled to push herself up against her pillow to sit a little higher, feeling she needed to be on guard for something. Again, the ominous feeling reared up. "I'm a little indisposed, Mr Malfoy."

"Naturally. Please, Miss Lestrange, as you were. I understand you've been through a rather complicated recovery period. Just relax." Lucius looked intently at her. "I'll be brief. I'm here on behalf of your relative, Rodolphus. He is ...unavailable presently and couldn't make a visit." Lucius walked closer to the edge of the bed, within an arm's length of Nagini. "Being in-laws of sorts, besides being a close friend to Rodolphus long before our mutual marriages with the Black sisters, he and I are the closest confidants of one other. Therefore, you and I can be, in turn, as comfortable as family with one another as well."

He tried to assure her with a smile, but it didn't reach his cold steely eyes, which were keenly set upon her.

If you're so close to Rodolphus, then you know that he's all but disowned me, thought Nagini, remaining silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I've brought a present for you," announced Lucius.

Before she could think twice, she blurted out, "Why?" After seeing Lucius' askance expression, Nagini felt compelled to confess, "I've never gotten a present – I mean, since I was a child, it's just..." A sudden flash of bitterness scorched within her. Since her parent's death, Rodolphus hadn't once shown any nicety towards her, let alone given her a gift. Immediately, she was all the more sullenly suspicious and wary of Lucius.

Instinctively smooth, Lucius replied, "A beautiful young witch such as yourself should be inundated incessantly with presents."

He seemed to be alluding to something else; Nagini felt her face glow warm from blushing and looked away from him again. Lucius stood, unmoving; he had the unnerving demeanour of expecting a reaction from her.

"You're very..." Nagini couldn't think of what to say – the correct thing to say; but she knew out of etiquette, Lucius expected some response. He was a school govenor, after all; she had to say something. Searchingly, she finally replied, "You're very...kind, Mr Malfoy. I'm not beautiful. I know I must look a horrible fright."

"You are nevertheless enticing, Miss Lestrange." he softly whispered. Enjoying her blushing, her embarrassment by his compliment, Lucius continued, "I can be generous, my dear girl, very generous, but very few people would ever call me kind."

They looked at each other in an intensifying silence. Then, Lucius spoke first. "You'll find I have quite an eye for rare and precious objects, Miss Lestrange. Flaws and marks do not deter me from recognising and fully appreciating uniqueness and the true, pure genuine original. On the contrary, marks such as bruises and scars can enhance the original's worth. Take people, for example; scars are an outward sign of irreversible passion; the beloved item is marked with the highest regard, enhancing its value."

Nagini could say nothing to this; indeed, what was Lucius expecting her to say? Her own body still ebbed with muscular aches, the swelling and burning from the disastrous hexing at Remus' hands. She reflected on what she knew and remembered about Lucius Malfoy. She recalled Lucius' delicate, pristine wife, Narcissa, but this only served to muddle Nagini's thoughts further. Narcissa was the archetype of the manic pureblood taste in witches, which Nagini knew Lucius trophied. Her youngest uncle, Rodolphus, had married Narcissa's older sister, Bellatrix. Together, the two couples set a new precedent for all future acceptable marriages and pairings in the clandestine world of the new Dark Lord's followers. Purebloods, and only purebloods, would be allowed to engender from these selected couplings.

Nagini shuddered from the remembrance of fanatical rantings and ravings that resounded in her memories from her times at the Lestrange Manor or number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Memories of the vivid descriptions and images of graphic, violent details of torture done to Muggles, Mudbloods, and even various half-bloods and fallen purebloods, caused acidic bile to rise in her throat. Lucius Malfoy had been a part of all that. She just wanted Malfoy to leave. Immediately. She winced as a shot of pain seared through her back muscles, causing her to slowly undulate in agony.

Noting her discomfort with a cryptic smile, Lucius took one step nearer towards the head of the bed.

"Speaking of objects, I have here the gift for you." Catching Nagini's concerned expression, Lucius clarified, "Not from me, but from Rodolphus. It was your birthday quite recently ... just last week, wasn't it? It's not every day a young witch comes of age." He took out a small, silver-wrapped parcel from inside his cloak. He smiled beguilingly, saying, "And this, I'm to understand, is a special family heirloom, my dear, left by your dearly departed parents to be given to you when you turned seventeen."

Nagini was transfixed. She looked at him with eyes wide, and whispered, "How - how can this be? No one has ever mentioned it before..."

"Then, I'm satisfied that it will indeed be a real surprise for you," he smugly reassured her. Lucius handed it to her delicately, letting his hand catch and linger on hers for a second longer than necessary.

Ignoring his continuing touch, and slowly pulling her hand away to unwrap the gift, Nagini saw a small antique wooden box. It looked slightly charred on one side and had been indented on the other. She made to flip it open, but it was sealed shut. In an instant, Nagini understood. Surely Rodolphus had tried to pry it open by all means. Unresponsive to both magical and non-magical forces, the little octangular box had remained locked.

Lucius saw that she understood the real reason of his visit. Smoothly glossing over Nagini's comprehension of the situation, he said, "Rodolphus asked me to witness your opening of the gift ... to be certain of your delight."

"And the contents," she bitterly added.

"Yes," he softly hissed.

Nagini's anger wavered through, feeling her chest pulsate. Ever since her parents', Rolph and Portentia Lestrange, violent, public deaths when she was eleven, she had been left in the guardianship hands of Rodolphus, the youngest of the three Lestrange brothers. Having freshly wedded Bellatrix Black at the time, Rodolphus was judged by the Wizengamot as the most stable and 'settled down' of the Lestranges. Thereafter, Nagini had been scrutinised, every item in the family's vault itemised and spoken for. Every Galleon and Knut's worth had been counted, noted and then appropriated by Rodolphus.

As a child, Nagini hadn't minded. Indeed, monetary concerns had been beyond her concern or comprehension. The need to be safe had been, predominantly, her main awareness and worry. She had been grateful for the daily necessities provided to her by Hogwarts, and again during summer holidays at Orion and Walburga Black's home at number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

During the year following her parents' deaths, a legal battle was fought behind Nagini's back, between the Lestranges and her mother's family – the Belbys. The Wizengamot eventually ruled in favour of the Lestranges, despite pleas by Marcus and Damocles Belby that their older sister had been relentlessly abused and violently coerced by 'that insane Lestrange' (as they derogatorily referred to her husband, Rolph). Portentia had surely reacted out of self-defence, but, to no avail. Hard evidence and further conjecture of irreparable harm pointed the finger of guilt towards her, forcing the jury to hand over Nagini, solely, to Rodolphus.

The dubious circumstances and bitter accusations which presumably led to the final deadly conflict between Rolph and Portentia were disregarded and overuled; Portentia was guilty of using the Unforgivable Killing Curse on her husband, Rolph.

When Portentia took her own life, she succeeded in escaping arrest, prosecution and the ultimate punishment of the Dementor's kiss. The scandal had resounded for years throughout the Wizarding community.

Years later, Nagini's tragic childhood had been all but forgotten by the Wizarding masses. Public attention now focused on a political climate which bubbled with rumours; a New Order was emerging, led by a clandestine Dark Lord beginning to covertly attract followers from the echelons of pureblood circles and all corners of the Ministry.

Of course, Nagini had known from the time of her parents' deaths (a grey, blurred and volatile period for her) that she was strictly forbidden to make any contact with her mother's relatives, the Belbys. She inured herself to stop asking after them until, years ago, she ceased to acknowledge their existence. This act was fully reciprocated by the Belbys.

Due to Nagini's pedigree of pureblood status, Walburga Black had ostentatiously stepped in to offer help in correcting Nagini's assumed dysfunctional upbringing, relieving Rodolphus and Bellatrix to be free in their new important roles in the New Order being brought about by the revered Lord Voldemort. The Lestrange and Black families being closely tied, as well as having two sons of the same age, Sirius and Regulus, Walburga Black was eager to participate in a manner befitting her generation and abilities. So she proposed Nagini to be sent to her during the summer months for moulding and Walburga's very own special mentoring. "Even though she has been precariously brought up, she is a pureblood, nonetheless. And still reclaimable. There are so precious few of us; we must save as many as we can, instruct them in the old ways, as well as the new. She's not to be blamed for the wayward atrociousness of Portentia Belby." Walburga could never bring herself to refer to Portentia as a Black; it gave her an immense sense of wicked pleasure that she would now be given full reign to shape Portentia's offspring in her image.

As Nagini brooded about Rodolphus Lestrange and his greed, beyond avarice, and how it forever surrounded her, she pondered,The greedy bastard, can't he at least let me have one private thing for myself? And his lackey here, Malfoy, is to report back to him the value of the gift? It's disgusting!

She glanced at Lucius, who stood patiently and seemed to be comfortable enough to wait indefinitely for any response.

Well, the sooner I open it, the sooner the creep leaves. He can slither back to Rodolphus, and both of them can sod off forever.

Aware that Lucius was taking in her comprehension of the situation, as well as her growing enmity to his presence, Nagini looked at the little box again and rubbed the centre nub sticking out at the front side. A design appeared on the wooden box, timeworn and faded. Nagini could scarcely make out the ancient ornate pattern, so she focused intently upon the delicate swirls and serpentine heads.

Intuitively, she lovingly hissed, "Open for me." The seal was dispelled, and the lid popped open.

Lucius' eyes grew wide, astonished, for Nagini's request had been in Parseltongue.

Lucius watched in silence as Nagini opened the top and exclaimed an appreciative, 'Oh!'. She turned the box halfway so that he could see the proof. "It's a ring... A Slytherin design – an emblem of sorts."

"How very nice. Let's see how it looks on that lovely hand of yours."

Nagini hesitated; she didn't want to wear the ring straight away. "It's a personal gift," she thought, wanting to savour the moment in privacy. She knew Rodolphus would have suspected the contents of the box to have hidden magical powers or another significance. If that were the case, it seemed all the more meant for her, and her alone.

Impatiently, Lucius prompted, "Well, put it on!"

"No."

Lucius blinked and took a second to think about her stubborn, disagreeable nature. After a few seconds, he said, slowly, "Miss Lestrange, let me propose something, hypothetically, to you." Then smiling, amused by something known only to him, he continued, "Either you can be a good girl, and put it on yourself; or," Lucius dropped his façade and hardened his tone, "you can be forced to do it." Lucius paused a second to let what he was saying sink in. "And after that happens, curiously enough, you'll have no recollections whatsoever that you were ever even forced, which would be a pity. It might be a pleasurable experience you'd care to remember." He resumed his cool stare at her.

Nagini mouth dropped open, shocked; she couldn't believe that he, a governor of the school, would dare threaten to Imperio and Obliviate her so blatantly. She was horrified by his detached, cold manner. But, by the look he was giving her, his wand ready in hand, she knew Lucius would do it.

Regardless, a wave of indignation flushed through her. Her righteous stubbornness prevailed; she couldn't give in. Wouldn't do it. "How dare you?" she thought, giving him a challenging look.

Irked by her silent refusal, "Someone needs to be put in her place. Someone needs to be taught a little lesson," thought Lucius, as he flashed his wand upward, flicked it in the blink of an eye, and before Nagini knew what had happened, she felt her throat constricting, and she started gagging, gasping for breath. Her hands reached up grasping at her throat as if doing so would allow oxygen in. Then, just as quickly, her hands dropped against her will, and slowly a grotesque, forced power manoeuvred one hand to open, and the other hand to pull out the ring from the box and slowly place it on her other middle finger.

With the deed done, Nagini fell back onto her pillows, her chest rising and falling, breathing deeply for air.

"Good girl," commented Lucius. He bent and grabbed her wrist, assessing the heirloom on her hand, and waiting as if anticipating something to magically happen. "Nothing," he said to himself quietly. Then, dropping her hand and looking hard at Nagini, he informed her, "How very disappointing."

Nagini didn't look at him. Couldn't look at him. She was still trying to formulate what had just happened. She felt nauseous with the overwhelming realisation that the bastard had actually Imperioed her. Her heart was racing, now terrified that Lucius would further strip any memory of his filthy, underhanded actions from her mind. No, leave me that, leave me my memory, you shit!, she thought anxiously to herself.

As if reading her thoughts, or perhaps from his plethora of past experiences, she heard Lucius whispering, "No, my dear. This time, I want you to remember. I want you to think about the possible consequences of your being 'naughty', and the next time, make a different choice."

She felt him move away from her bed and then heard Lucius say, "I'm going to leave you now, so you can think about what you've done wrong. And yes, there will be a next time. I have a feeling, very soon."

She heard Lucius make a rustling movement and then his footsteps walking further away.

The hub of sounds from Remus' friends and Lucius' parting words to Pomfrey were registering distantly, but Nagini was lost in her thoughts, trying to think rationally through the humiliation and shame which was magnifying her nerves. Slowly, she began to sob; then, uncontrollably, feeling violated and helpless, she turned on her side, squeezing the mattress and burrowing her face in her pillow, as the tears poured silently out.

"Hello, Nagini? Remus asked us to bring this over; he wants to share this with you ... " Lily's sweet voice stopped abruptly in surprise, as she caught sight of Nagini muffling her sobs.

Startled by the unexpectedness presence of someone, Nagini looked up and snapped abruptly, "What?" Looking at the two Gryffindor witches, Lily and Alice, standing and staring at her, she lashed out, "Just leave me alone!"

Alice and Lily knew something unpleasant had happened. They had a general aversion to Slytherins, but the big-hearted Gryffindors couldn't control themselves to offer help when needed. Undeterred by Nagini's rudeness, Lily asked, "Are you all right?"

Nagini refused to acknowledge either of them, more out of shame than dislike.

"Perhaps, we should just leave her," whispered Alice, trying to nudge Lily back.

Determined, Lily approached Nagini's bed slowly, and said, "Here. Remus wants you to have this. I'll just put it on your table."

Nagini couldn't even respond to her. She just wanted to be left alone. Ignoring Lily, she rolled over, turning her back to them.

She heard Lily place the little packet down and both of the girls shuffle quietly away.

Then Madam Pomfrey announced visiting time was over and kindly but firmly shooed the Gryffindors away.

Nagini was deep in thought, replaying what had happened, while gently tracing her fingers over the elegant Slytherin design of her ring, A family heirloom... I wonder if it was my mother's, or grandmother's; if so, which one? She lightly caressed the ring, which seemed to have a calming effect on her. An overwhelming melancholic yearning took over her to know more about the history of the heirloom, and the witch behind it.

But Nagini's bittersweet brooding was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey moving the privacy screens, having brought lunch in. "Now that you've both had a bit of company to sociably warm you up, you're ready to have lunch together. You two should keep your strength up, and tomorrow you'll progress to having lunch in the main hall, as well as be able to be back in your own common rooms by evening. I'll have you both in shipshape condition by the term's beginning; nothing less will do!"

Madam Pomfrey chipperly placed their meal trays beside their beds and left the two of them to have lunch.

Nagini slowly picked at her food, still feeling slightly queasy, while Remus dug into his meal, eating with a rapacious appetite.

Stealing glances, Nagini watched Remus from under her eyelashes. She was suddenly touched by how he was relishing his lunch, as if he'd never eaten anything so good as hospital food. There was also a carefree air about him that brought a faint, sad smile to Nagini's lips. She couldn't help feel that there was something strangely heartening about Remus, while at the same time pensively sad. A wistful melancholic aura. "Looking at him, you'd never think he was capable of doing any Dark Arts," she thought to herself, "let alone be brilliant in it." She reflected on their duelling challenge. "He must have needed to know, to be so skilled, to defend himself, protect himself for some reason..."

"I'm sorry," she heard herself blurt out loudly.

Remus stopped shovelling food in his mouth and looked up at her. "What?" he asked, swallowing down the remainder of what he had chewed.

"I'm sorry," Nagini repeated. She started panicking. What am I saying? Why am I saying this? But feeling an unburdening, a release, she spilled out, "I'm sorry I did this to you."

"Did what?"

"Your condition!" Then, she started babbling, "You see, I can't remember what I did after I ... I know I blacked out; I mean, I can't remember further – what I did to you. How I hexed you – cutting you up like that." Being in an unusually maudlin state, Nagini burst into tears and shoved the food tray table to the side. Throwing herself back down, laying on one side, she grabbed her pillow again and started squeezing it. That damn slimey Malfoy unnerving me, she couldn't get the image of Lucius' smug, satisfied look out of her mind. And now, this uncontrollable wave of guilt about Remus was welling up, consuming her.

"Self-inflicted," a voice said near her.

She jumped, startled, and looked up. It was Remus. He had crossed over, standing beside her bed.

"Please, calm yourself. Don't cry. Don't cry for me." There was a detectable harshness to Remus' low steady voice. "You're not to blame... well, not directly. I'm used to my condition."

"Your condition?" Nagini was confused. What was he talking about? Were all the snide rumours and remarks her Slytherin classmates had made about Lupin really true? Especially what Severus had shared with her?

"I'm not sure I'm ready to hear this, from Lupin himself of all people," she thought, as she looked at him, her eyes falling quickly over his body, catching the barely healed scars traced over his face and other visible skin not covered by his pyjamas and robe. Remus' closeness to her allowed her to distinguish other scratched and barely healed marks that seemed older than others. Nagini could also sharply detect Lupin's soft, musky scent. Pleasing and calming. She sighed heavily, momentarily confused and embarrassed by her awareness of and attraction to Remus' close, physical proximity to her, but was determined to explain, "Look, Lupin, it's just that things got out of hand when we duelled, and I'm sorry... I've never duelled someone like that before. In that way. You're highly skilled and I... I have a problem with my anger... I just see red sometimes..." And yes, I've sometimes believed what Severus has implied about you; so much that I lost control and reacted as if I were fighting a wild, magical beast, not a highly accomplished young wizard, she wanted to add, but didn't.

"It's all right, Nagini. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you." At the sound of her first name being used in such a soft, kind way, Nagini looked Remus directly in the eye. His warm brown orbs gave out an encompassing glow. She noticed that they were large, dilated. Remus smiled and said, "If you haven't noticed, you're in the hospital ward, as well. And, if you can remember, I hexed you first. I didn't go soft on you. I thought about it, you being, you know, a girl and all." His eyes were slightly dancing, his smile broadening into a charming grin. Nagini couldn't help herself; his teasing and good-naturedness was infectious. She felt her facial muscles hurting from a smile that had spontaneously crossed her face in response to Remus.

"A girl? You mean a witch? You're full of surprises aren't you, Lupin? I thought you'd be beyond being a chauvinistic wizard.'' They both started softly laughing.

Suddenly, Remus gave a pained yell; it seemed his legs gave out underneath him; he went into spasm and collapsed to the floor.

Nagini instinctively jumped out of bed, forgetting her own weakness and aches, and crouched down beside him, trying to brace and support his head and upper torso against her. "Lupin! Lupin, what is it?" she cried.

"Severe muscle cramps – charley horses, spasms..." he sporadically eked out.

"Charley horses?" She asked, confused. Losing her kneeling position balance, she plopped down on her arse, but maintained supporting Remus upwards against her chest.

"It's a Muggle expression – severe muscle spasms," he gasped out, strained. Then, he stopped, grimaced, inhaling his breath sharply, seized by some other excruciating pain.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Nagini screamed out, her clasped arms tightening around Remus protectively. "Madam Pomfrey!"

What seemed liked minutes went by; Remus taking sharp, shallow breaths, his eyes clenched together; his face in a frozen moue of pain. Nagini held him in her arms, watching him, only aware of both of their laboured breathing. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Slowly, Remus' face started to relax. It seemed that the seizure was ebbing away.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey's voice was heard, "Goodness gracious, what have we here?" As she ran over to the two figures on the floor, a sharp, dangerous look crossed Pomfrey's face. Greatly vexed, Pomfrey fiercely accused, "What did you do to him, Lestrange?!"

"Nothing." Nagini's voice faltered, shocked by Pomfrey's tone, as well as being truly bewildered. "Nothing. I... He... Remus crossed over to my bed, and then, he had an attack – muscle spasms - 'charley horses'..."

"Charley horses? What are you babbling about, Lestrange?" enquired Madam Pomfrey, tersely. Getting no immediate answer from the young witch, Pomfrey huffily levitated Remus back to his bed. She then went back to Nagini, who was still confused by what had just happened, and told her, "Here, let me help you up."

As Pomfrey professionally assisted her to stand up, Nagini urged, "The 'charley horses', they're something Muggle-related, a Muggle condition." Nagini thought this would help clarify everything.

"A Muggle condition?" snorted Pomfrey. "Get yourself back into bed, Lestrange. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're slightly delirious. We'll get to the bottom of this, later." Pomfrey snapped Lupin's privacy screen back in front of his bed and then disappeared behind it.

Nagini slowly sat on the edge of her bed, thinking about what had just happened. Again her eyes filled with tears, which didn't upset her as much as the odd feeling that burned and ebbed inside her chest. She saw Remus' face, contorted in pain, scarred by multiple scratches and cuts; his body convulsed in a petrified seizure. Nagini felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest.

She glanced over at the little wrapped package Lily Evans had left on her table from Remus. Timidly, she reached out and placed it in her lap, untying the little string and unwrapping it. There was a small basket of what looked like assorted wrapped and packaged delicacies inside it. Nagini took one out and peered at it closer.

The pentagonal cardboard box was intriguing; she opened the top part ever so slowly. She first pulled out a collectible card inside with the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's name on it and informative tidbits of his past deeds; but his picture was momentarily blank. That's odd, she thought, turning it over and then back again. She placed it on the side-table, and then eagerly took out the sweet. It was a Chocolate Frog. How strange, she observed, looking at it curiously. Nagini had never eaten one before, never been allowed to go to the 'infamous' Honeydukes in Hogsmeade that all the other students always raved about. A single tear fell down her cheek and reached her lips. But her lips, this time, were gently smiling.

Thanks to Remus, it would be her first – her first time to taste a delectable Chocolate Frog from the reputable sweetshop. Holding onto the little animated chocolate frog, Nagini took a slow, sensuous bite of it, savouring the creamy exquisite sweetness. Relishing this sensation, Nagini thought of Remus Lupin.

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Author's note: Greatest thanks to my dearest betas: potionmistress23, and to Agnus Castus for her generous, magnificent tweaking, rearranging and sense of humour regarding 'aggravating invalids' - deepest thanks for everything!