Masks: a Remus/Lucius essay
Summary: A Remus/Lucius essay written for ship_manifesto
Masks
Introduction
I’ve been thinking about this relationship for a while and trying to understand why it appeals to me. Because it does appeal, no doubt about it. It had never occurred to me as a possible combination until I read kennahijja’s stunning Night Over Azkaban (NC-17) (which bizarrely enough, doesn’t feature the pairing at all). In kennahijja’s story, Lucius and Harry are trapped by Dementors and must harness an… unusual… source of energy to survive. An NC-17 source of energy. At the end, help arrives in the form of Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus, and there is a moment where we see Remus through Lucius’ eyes:
Lupin looks at Potter, then the wards, and his face closes off completely, not betraying the slightest flicker of emotion. To spare Potter embarrassment, certainly, but probably just as much to stop his best friend from flying into a killing rage should he discover the truth. Oh, yes, this one is quite steeped in the Dark Arts, by virtue of nature as much as inclination.
I watched Lucius watch Remus and something took fire in my brain. A year later and it’s still burning.
So - what is it about these two?
On the surface, it would be hard to find two men who are more completely opposite to each other than Remus Lupin and Lucius Malfoy. Remus is a half-blood, Lucius a Pureblood. Remus is a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Lucius is a high-ranking Death Eater. Remus was in Gryffindor. Lucius was almost certainly in Slytherin, if we believe Draco’s comments to Harry in PS
'I know I’ll be in Slytherin, all our family have been' (PS p60)
On closer inspection, however, they have a good deal in common. Both are skilled at living double lives and holding up a mask to society: Remus by virtue of his lycanthropy and Lucius because of his covert support for Voldemort. Both have suffered - and survived - exposure. Both men were around at the time of Voldemort’s first fall, albeit on opposite sides, and fought for what they believed in. I actually think that Lucius’ motives in supporting Voldemort are unclear, but I will come back to that later. Finally - and most important - both men have superb self-control, although we have seen it slip in each case at least once:
Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Harry.
‘You’ve lost me my servant, boy!’ (CoS p 248)
and
‘When they get near me - ’ Harry stared at Lupin’s desk, his throat tight, ‘I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum.’
Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though he had made to grip Harry’s shoulder but thought better of it. (PoA p 140; a little later in the same scene Lupin drops his briefcase.)
Lucius
There’s not a great deal of information on either man in canon. Lucius is a wealthy and respected Pureblood from an ancient family, who has the ear of the Minister of Magic, due in part to his generous donations to St. Mungo’s. He successfully avoided conviction as a Death Eater after the Dark Lord’s defeat in 1981 by claiming that he was acting under the Imperius curse; having resumed his Death Eater activities, he has taken care not to be discovered and the first time we meet Lucius he is disposing of a selection of dark artefacts at Borgin and Burkes in case his home in Wiltshire is raided by the Ministry. Married to Narcissa, he has one son, Draco, to whom his attitude is indulgent, if a little distant, although we learn later that Lucius considered sending Draco to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts:
‘…Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defence rubbish we do…’ (GoF p 147)
Lucius is clearly not a stupid man; he has a nice line in put-downs, which we see in his very first scene. Not only do these demonstrate his quick intelligence, they also point up his keen awareness of the social structure of the wizarding world:
‘Ah, the Hand of Glory!’ said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy’s list and scurrying over to Draco. ‘Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder. Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir.’
‘I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, Borgin’ said Mr. Malfoy coldly (CoS, p44)
and
‘It’s not my fault,’ retorted Draco. ‘The teachers all have favourites, that Hermione Granger - ’
‘I would have thought you’d be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam’
His motives for supporting Voldemort are complex. On the three occasions when we see Lucius in action, he is picking a fight with someone whom he clearly does not regard as his equal, and who is unlikely to be able to fight back effectively. In CoS, he picks on an eleven year old girl; in GoF he is part of a group which torments Muggles and in OotP he brings eleven other Death Eaters to the Department of Mysteries to trap a fifteen year old boy. In CoS and OotP we see that he is quite prepared to kill children:
‘… and don’t forget , be gentle with Potter until we’ve got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary - ’ (OotP, p695)
However, he also fled in panic when Barty Crouch Jr. sent up the Dark Mark during the Quidditch World Cup and even Voldemort, who seems to subscribe to the method acting approach to megalomaniac evil overlords, knows that Lucius is not entirely to be trusted:
‘…Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius… your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay… but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?’
‘My Lord, I was constantly on the alert…’
‘And yet you ran from my Mark when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?’ said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. (GoF, p564)
We don’t see Lucius’ reaction in OotP to the news that Voldemort is a half-blood; he is too busy dealing with an enraged Bellatrix who, justifiably, has Harry’s complete attention at the time. It’s a shame, because I think that reaction would have been interesting. My personal view of Lucius is that he’s more devoted to the Pureblood cause in general than he is to the Dark Lord in particular; Voldemort is no more than an effective device to bring about the societal changes that Lucius desires. It’ll be interesting to see how Lucius develops in the last two books.
Remus
Unlike Lucius, who appears to have no strong bonds outside his family, Remus is almost entirely defined in terms of his friendships. Friendship is so important to him, in fact, that he lets it cloud his objectivity and betrays the trust Dumbledore has placed in him by making him a prefect.
But Lupin shook his head. ‘Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?’ he said. ‘Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?’ (OotP, p591)
This is not the worst of the questionable activities he accepts as part of the price of ‘friendship’; in PoA it’s evident that Sirius feels no remorse for having almost caused Remus, in werewolf form, to kill Snape, and Remus makes no criticism of his friend’s actions here or at any other time in the books. (PoA, p261).
After the complete destruction of his social circle in late 1981, Remus disappears and we hear nothing of him for twelve years. I find it surprising that he made no attempt to contact, or even watch over, Harry, and I hope that we will be given a reason for this in book 6 or 7. It’s possible that Lupin worked as a teacher for some or all of this period: the letters Professor R. J. Lupin on his battered case are described as ‘peeling’ (PoA, p60).
In the autumn of 1993, Remus returns to Hogwarts to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Again he betrays Dumbledore’s trust, this time by not informing the Headmaster of Sirius’ Animagus form, which greatly facilitates Sirius’ entry to the school. It’s worth noting that, if Remus had been wrong about Sirius’ loyalties, Harry would probably have been killed in book 3.
Remus has many redeeming qualities, however. He is a talented and popular teacher, who brings out the best in his pupils:
‘When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape,’ said Lupin. ‘And you will raise your wand - thus - …If all goes well, Professor Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag.’ (PoA, pp102-3)
but is also protective of them:
‘Why didn’t you let me fight it?’ said Harry abruptly.
Lupin raised his eyebrows. ‘I should have thought that was obvious, Harry,’ he said sounding slightly surprised… ‘I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.’ (PoA, p117)
He is quick to form a bond with Harry, rescuing him from wandering the corridors when Hermione and Ron have gone to Hogsmeade (PoA, p116) and providing extra tuition when Harry requests it (PoA, p141). Although he provides a much-needed link between Harry and his dead parents, Remus is loath to answer questions on the subject.
‘Why - you didn’t know my dad, did you?’
‘I - I did, as a matter of fact,’ said Lupin. ‘We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry - perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced…’ (PoA, p178)
He is quick to understand people, and use this understanding to devastating effect. After rescuing Harry and the Map from Snape, Remus confiscates the Map from Harry and reprimands him in a way which is guaranteed to ensure that Harry will not take foolish risks with his own safety:
‘Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them - gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.’
He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape’s office. (PoA, p213)
In OotP, it is evident that Remus is trusted and respected by other adults, as well as by his pupils. It is he who defuses the argument between Sirius and Molly at the dinner table:
‘Personally,’ said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Mrs. Weasley turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally she was about to get an ally, ‘I think it better than Harry gets the facts - not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture - from us, rather than a garbled version from others.’
…
‘Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,’ said Lupin sharply. ‘Sirius, sit down.’
Mrs. Weasley’s lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white. (OotP, pp85-6)
He is not entirely on Harry’s side in this discussion, however. When Harry asks to join the Order, Remus’ words on the subject are unequivocal and final:
‘The Order is comprised only of overage wizards,’ he said. ‘Wizards who have left school…’
…Sirius half-shrugged but did not argue. Mrs Weasley beckoned imperiously to her sons and Hermione. One by one they stood up and Harry, recognising defeat, followed suit. (OotP, p91)
Later, he takes Molly into his arms and comforts her after she is upset by a Boggart:
Lupin looked from Mrs. Weasley to the dead Harry on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his own wand, he said,, very firmly and clearly:
‘Riddikulus!’
Harry’s body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.
‘Oh - oh - oh!’ gulped Mrs. Weasley, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.
‘Molly,’ said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her. ‘Molly, don’t...’
Next second she was sobbing her heart out on Lupin’s shoulder. (OotP, p160)
His deep friendship with Sirius is clearly shown in this book: on almost every occasion where Harry speaks to Sirius at Grimmauld Place, Remus is with him, and takes an equal part with Sirius in reassuring Harry after Harry has glimpsed his father’s behaviour in Snape’s Pensieve (OotP, pp590-2).
Remus displays both courage and intelligence in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. He seems to stay near Harry at all time, adopting a protective role, first when Harry is threatened by Lucius Malfoy:
Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry and Neville again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Lupin had jumped between them.
‘Harry, round up the others and GO!’ (OotP, p709)
After Sirius falls through the veil, Remus is the first to realise the implications for Harry, and acts immediately to save him:
He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry would pull him back out…
But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back. (OotP, p711)
This is exceptionally quick thinking, given that Remus himself has just seen his best friend die:
Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. (OotP, p713)
I found it interesting, on re-reading the battle in the Department of Mysteries, to note that Remus is not described as taking any offensive action at all. Of the original five members of the Order who pour in through the door, each one is given a cameo appearance in combat - with the exception of Moody who is knocked out very quickly by Dolohov. Remus may well have decided to stay near Harry and protect him, but this puts a considerable burden on his colleagues, who are severely outnumbered, and places the lives of the other children at risk. Given that Harry is the most important person in the room, it’s a valid strategy, if a somewhat brutal one. I would also like to know why, when Remus jumps in front of Harry to protect him from Lucius Malfoy, he is not seen to attack Malfoy, nor vice versa.
An interesting man, then, clever and brave, and able to form deep bonds of friendship, but also to be compromised by those bonds. JKR said it best during an interview at the Royal Albert Hall:
‘… although he is a wonderful teacher… and a wonderful man, he does like to be liked and that's where he slips up. He's been disliked so often that he's always so pleased to have friends, so he cuts them an awful lot of slack.’ (JKR at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 June 2003; full text here)
Lucius/Remus
So they’re both fascinating men. So what? The books are full of fascinating men, each of whom can be paired off in endless ways. So why this pairing? Why these two men?
There are several answers to that, as far as I’m concerned, at least. Firstly, both men are intelligent. When written well, they are a joy to read. It’s even better when those two intelligences bounce off or oppose each other, and this brings me to my next reason: the two are ostensibly on opposite sides. There are real possibilities for conflict in this relationship, and the fact that each one may genuinely be trying to kill the other makes for fascinating reading. A lot of Lucius slash is non-con, and Lucius/Remus is no exception. There is also the possibility of dubious or forced consent, where one man (usually Lucius) is able to blackmail the other (usually Remus) into sex. The power issues at the heart of these stories, and the way those power issues are played out, has the potential for some sublime storytelling. The situations become even more interesting if possibility is posed that, actually, these men are not, on opposite sides. In each case, their motivations can be questioned: Lucius may place blood above loyalty to Voldemort, and Remus has certainly placed friendship above loyalty to Dumbledore in the past.
Each man is also bound by darkness in some way, Lucius by inclination and Remus by nature. This is another way of bringing them together, in that each recognises the darkness in the other and is attracted to it, willingly or unwillingly. Fanon!Lucius is frequently drawn as a sexual predator, and it’s not hard to imagine him being intrigued by the struggle Remus has with his lycanthropy. Which leads naturally to the last reason: control. Each man wears a mask in public, and in each case we have seen that mask slip to reveal passion, whether it be grief or fury, love or hate. What more might we not see from these men if they were forced to surrender their masks?
So how do we get them together? It’s not as difficult as it appears, actually, and watching writers deal with it is one of the things that gives this pairing much of its richness. You cannot simply put Lucius and Remus in a room and expect them to get together: their public faces are too intractably opposed for that, and the intelligent reader will not accept it. So a backstory of some kind is important, even in a PWP. Some of the devices used by writers are as follows:
· Incognito: Remus is on a mission to obtain information for the Order. He encounters Lucius, and must do as he is told. It may not be clear whether or not Lucius knows who Remus is. I haven’t seen any stories like this which involve Lucius on a mission, but then he’s pretty recognisable. On the other hand, there’s always Polyjuice… An example of this type of fic is the theladyfeylene’s His Master’s Voice (NC-17)
· Captured! Either Lucius or Remus is captured by the either side. Non-con ensues. For example, anjenue’s The Madness Within (NC-17) or eumenides1’s Offerings (NC-17, chan; although the first time I read it I took Remus to be a young adult, e.g. sixteen plus, and it worked just as well.)
· Deal with the devil. One has something the other wants. But there is a price. Dubious consent. The only example of this I’ve found so far is my own: With a Long Spoon (NC-17)
· Love across enemy lines: even with all the emotional, and situational, baggage, it’s possible to write a story where these two simply fall for one another. In this short piece, riibu examines how that might play out: A Werewolf’s Kiss (PG-13)
· Love is blind: sometimes things are not what they seem and one betrays the other: eumenides1’s A Draught of Life (NC-17) and its sequel Betrayal (NC-17)
· Before it all went wrong: it’s possible to write an excellent story set during their Hogwarts era, as captainjames demonstrates in Farewell (No rating, but probably PG-13)
· For readers interested in Moony/Lucius (i.e. stories where Remus is in werewolf form), leni_jess has two excellent stories archived at skyehawke: Running Around in the Dark" (NC-17) and its sequel A Werewolf's Company (NC-17).
Other Places To Look
This is a small but growing ship. You have to look carefully to find stories but when you do they are well worth the effort!
Fiction Alley discussion thread:
S.S. Twilight (Lucius/Remus) and its cookie jar here
LJ Communities:
Both of the communities below have featured Lucius/Remus stories.
luciusmarauders
blond_azkaban
Websites:
Malfoy Slash Archive contains some excellent Lucius/Remus stories (edit: 9 August 2007: site not found).
Gramarye’s fic archive has a good Lucius/Remus section here.
If you find anything else, please let me know. Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoy the stories I’ve listed.
And finally…?
And, finally, however unlikely it may seem, it’s always possible that, on some rose-tinted dawn after all the fighting is over, Remus will turn to Lucius, take his hand, and say:
‘You know, Lucius, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.’
Thanks for reading!
Masks
Introduction
I’ve been thinking about this relationship for a while and trying to understand why it appeals to me. Because it does appeal, no doubt about it. It had never occurred to me as a possible combination until I read kennahijja’s stunning Night Over Azkaban (NC-17) (which bizarrely enough, doesn’t feature the pairing at all). In kennahijja’s story, Lucius and Harry are trapped by Dementors and must harness an… unusual… source of energy to survive. An NC-17 source of energy. At the end, help arrives in the form of Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus, and there is a moment where we see Remus through Lucius’ eyes:
Lupin looks at Potter, then the wards, and his face closes off completely, not betraying the slightest flicker of emotion. To spare Potter embarrassment, certainly, but probably just as much to stop his best friend from flying into a killing rage should he discover the truth. Oh, yes, this one is quite steeped in the Dark Arts, by virtue of nature as much as inclination.
I watched Lucius watch Remus and something took fire in my brain. A year later and it’s still burning.
So - what is it about these two?
On the surface, it would be hard to find two men who are more completely opposite to each other than Remus Lupin and Lucius Malfoy. Remus is a half-blood, Lucius a Pureblood. Remus is a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Lucius is a high-ranking Death Eater. Remus was in Gryffindor. Lucius was almost certainly in Slytherin, if we believe Draco’s comments to Harry in PS
'I know I’ll be in Slytherin, all our family have been' (PS p60)
On closer inspection, however, they have a good deal in common. Both are skilled at living double lives and holding up a mask to society: Remus by virtue of his lycanthropy and Lucius because of his covert support for Voldemort. Both have suffered - and survived - exposure. Both men were around at the time of Voldemort’s first fall, albeit on opposite sides, and fought for what they believed in. I actually think that Lucius’ motives in supporting Voldemort are unclear, but I will come back to that later. Finally - and most important - both men have superb self-control, although we have seen it slip in each case at least once:
Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Harry.
‘You’ve lost me my servant, boy!’ (CoS p 248)
and
‘When they get near me - ’ Harry stared at Lupin’s desk, his throat tight, ‘I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum.’
Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though he had made to grip Harry’s shoulder but thought better of it. (PoA p 140; a little later in the same scene Lupin drops his briefcase.)
Lucius
There’s not a great deal of information on either man in canon. Lucius is a wealthy and respected Pureblood from an ancient family, who has the ear of the Minister of Magic, due in part to his generous donations to St. Mungo’s. He successfully avoided conviction as a Death Eater after the Dark Lord’s defeat in 1981 by claiming that he was acting under the Imperius curse; having resumed his Death Eater activities, he has taken care not to be discovered and the first time we meet Lucius he is disposing of a selection of dark artefacts at Borgin and Burkes in case his home in Wiltshire is raided by the Ministry. Married to Narcissa, he has one son, Draco, to whom his attitude is indulgent, if a little distant, although we learn later that Lucius considered sending Draco to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts:
‘…Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defence rubbish we do…’ (GoF p 147)
Lucius is clearly not a stupid man; he has a nice line in put-downs, which we see in his very first scene. Not only do these demonstrate his quick intelligence, they also point up his keen awareness of the social structure of the wizarding world:
‘Ah, the Hand of Glory!’ said Mr. Borgin, abandoning Mr. Malfoy’s list and scurrying over to Draco. ‘Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder. Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir.’
‘I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, Borgin’ said Mr. Malfoy coldly (CoS, p44)
and
‘It’s not my fault,’ retorted Draco. ‘The teachers all have favourites, that Hermione Granger - ’
‘I would have thought you’d be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam’
His motives for supporting Voldemort are complex. On the three occasions when we see Lucius in action, he is picking a fight with someone whom he clearly does not regard as his equal, and who is unlikely to be able to fight back effectively. In CoS, he picks on an eleven year old girl; in GoF he is part of a group which torments Muggles and in OotP he brings eleven other Death Eaters to the Department of Mysteries to trap a fifteen year old boy. In CoS and OotP we see that he is quite prepared to kill children:
‘… and don’t forget , be gentle with Potter until we’ve got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary - ’ (OotP, p695)
However, he also fled in panic when Barty Crouch Jr. sent up the Dark Mark during the Quidditch World Cup and even Voldemort, who seems to subscribe to the method acting approach to megalomaniac evil overlords, knows that Lucius is not entirely to be trusted:
‘…Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius… your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay… but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?’
‘My Lord, I was constantly on the alert…’
‘And yet you ran from my Mark when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?’ said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. (GoF, p564)
We don’t see Lucius’ reaction in OotP to the news that Voldemort is a half-blood; he is too busy dealing with an enraged Bellatrix who, justifiably, has Harry’s complete attention at the time. It’s a shame, because I think that reaction would have been interesting. My personal view of Lucius is that he’s more devoted to the Pureblood cause in general than he is to the Dark Lord in particular; Voldemort is no more than an effective device to bring about the societal changes that Lucius desires. It’ll be interesting to see how Lucius develops in the last two books.
Remus
Unlike Lucius, who appears to have no strong bonds outside his family, Remus is almost entirely defined in terms of his friendships. Friendship is so important to him, in fact, that he lets it cloud his objectivity and betrays the trust Dumbledore has placed in him by making him a prefect.
But Lupin shook his head. ‘Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?’ he said. ‘Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?’ (OotP, p591)
This is not the worst of the questionable activities he accepts as part of the price of ‘friendship’; in PoA it’s evident that Sirius feels no remorse for having almost caused Remus, in werewolf form, to kill Snape, and Remus makes no criticism of his friend’s actions here or at any other time in the books. (PoA, p261).
After the complete destruction of his social circle in late 1981, Remus disappears and we hear nothing of him for twelve years. I find it surprising that he made no attempt to contact, or even watch over, Harry, and I hope that we will be given a reason for this in book 6 or 7. It’s possible that Lupin worked as a teacher for some or all of this period: the letters Professor R. J. Lupin on his battered case are described as ‘peeling’ (PoA, p60).
In the autumn of 1993, Remus returns to Hogwarts to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Again he betrays Dumbledore’s trust, this time by not informing the Headmaster of Sirius’ Animagus form, which greatly facilitates Sirius’ entry to the school. It’s worth noting that, if Remus had been wrong about Sirius’ loyalties, Harry would probably have been killed in book 3.
Remus has many redeeming qualities, however. He is a talented and popular teacher, who brings out the best in his pupils:
‘When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape,’ said Lupin. ‘And you will raise your wand - thus - …If all goes well, Professor Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag.’ (PoA, pp102-3)
but is also protective of them:
‘Why didn’t you let me fight it?’ said Harry abruptly.
Lupin raised his eyebrows. ‘I should have thought that was obvious, Harry,’ he said sounding slightly surprised… ‘I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.’ (PoA, p117)
He is quick to form a bond with Harry, rescuing him from wandering the corridors when Hermione and Ron have gone to Hogsmeade (PoA, p116) and providing extra tuition when Harry requests it (PoA, p141). Although he provides a much-needed link between Harry and his dead parents, Remus is loath to answer questions on the subject.
‘Why - you didn’t know my dad, did you?’
‘I - I did, as a matter of fact,’ said Lupin. ‘We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry - perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced…’ (PoA, p178)
He is quick to understand people, and use this understanding to devastating effect. After rescuing Harry and the Map from Snape, Remus confiscates the Map from Harry and reprimands him in a way which is guaranteed to ensure that Harry will not take foolish risks with his own safety:
‘Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them - gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.’
He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape’s office. (PoA, p213)
In OotP, it is evident that Remus is trusted and respected by other adults, as well as by his pupils. It is he who defuses the argument between Sirius and Molly at the dinner table:
‘Personally,’ said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Mrs. Weasley turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally she was about to get an ally, ‘I think it better than Harry gets the facts - not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture - from us, rather than a garbled version from others.’
…
‘Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,’ said Lupin sharply. ‘Sirius, sit down.’
Mrs. Weasley’s lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white. (OotP, pp85-6)
He is not entirely on Harry’s side in this discussion, however. When Harry asks to join the Order, Remus’ words on the subject are unequivocal and final:
‘The Order is comprised only of overage wizards,’ he said. ‘Wizards who have left school…’
…Sirius half-shrugged but did not argue. Mrs Weasley beckoned imperiously to her sons and Hermione. One by one they stood up and Harry, recognising defeat, followed suit. (OotP, p91)
Later, he takes Molly into his arms and comforts her after she is upset by a Boggart:
Lupin looked from Mrs. Weasley to the dead Harry on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his own wand, he said,, very firmly and clearly:
‘Riddikulus!’
Harry’s body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.
‘Oh - oh - oh!’ gulped Mrs. Weasley, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.
‘Molly,’ said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her. ‘Molly, don’t...’
Next second she was sobbing her heart out on Lupin’s shoulder. (OotP, p160)
His deep friendship with Sirius is clearly shown in this book: on almost every occasion where Harry speaks to Sirius at Grimmauld Place, Remus is with him, and takes an equal part with Sirius in reassuring Harry after Harry has glimpsed his father’s behaviour in Snape’s Pensieve (OotP, pp590-2).
Remus displays both courage and intelligence in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. He seems to stay near Harry at all time, adopting a protective role, first when Harry is threatened by Lucius Malfoy:
Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry and Neville again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Lupin had jumped between them.
‘Harry, round up the others and GO!’ (OotP, p709)
After Sirius falls through the veil, Remus is the first to realise the implications for Harry, and acts immediately to save him:
He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry would pull him back out…
But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back. (OotP, p711)
This is exceptionally quick thinking, given that Remus himself has just seen his best friend die:
Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. (OotP, p713)
I found it interesting, on re-reading the battle in the Department of Mysteries, to note that Remus is not described as taking any offensive action at all. Of the original five members of the Order who pour in through the door, each one is given a cameo appearance in combat - with the exception of Moody who is knocked out very quickly by Dolohov. Remus may well have decided to stay near Harry and protect him, but this puts a considerable burden on his colleagues, who are severely outnumbered, and places the lives of the other children at risk. Given that Harry is the most important person in the room, it’s a valid strategy, if a somewhat brutal one. I would also like to know why, when Remus jumps in front of Harry to protect him from Lucius Malfoy, he is not seen to attack Malfoy, nor vice versa.
An interesting man, then, clever and brave, and able to form deep bonds of friendship, but also to be compromised by those bonds. JKR said it best during an interview at the Royal Albert Hall:
‘… although he is a wonderful teacher… and a wonderful man, he does like to be liked and that's where he slips up. He's been disliked so often that he's always so pleased to have friends, so he cuts them an awful lot of slack.’ (JKR at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 June 2003; full text here)
Lucius/Remus
So they’re both fascinating men. So what? The books are full of fascinating men, each of whom can be paired off in endless ways. So why this pairing? Why these two men?
There are several answers to that, as far as I’m concerned, at least. Firstly, both men are intelligent. When written well, they are a joy to read. It’s even better when those two intelligences bounce off or oppose each other, and this brings me to my next reason: the two are ostensibly on opposite sides. There are real possibilities for conflict in this relationship, and the fact that each one may genuinely be trying to kill the other makes for fascinating reading. A lot of Lucius slash is non-con, and Lucius/Remus is no exception. There is also the possibility of dubious or forced consent, where one man (usually Lucius) is able to blackmail the other (usually Remus) into sex. The power issues at the heart of these stories, and the way those power issues are played out, has the potential for some sublime storytelling. The situations become even more interesting if possibility is posed that, actually, these men are not, on opposite sides. In each case, their motivations can be questioned: Lucius may place blood above loyalty to Voldemort, and Remus has certainly placed friendship above loyalty to Dumbledore in the past.
Each man is also bound by darkness in some way, Lucius by inclination and Remus by nature. This is another way of bringing them together, in that each recognises the darkness in the other and is attracted to it, willingly or unwillingly. Fanon!Lucius is frequently drawn as a sexual predator, and it’s not hard to imagine him being intrigued by the struggle Remus has with his lycanthropy. Which leads naturally to the last reason: control. Each man wears a mask in public, and in each case we have seen that mask slip to reveal passion, whether it be grief or fury, love or hate. What more might we not see from these men if they were forced to surrender their masks?
So how do we get them together? It’s not as difficult as it appears, actually, and watching writers deal with it is one of the things that gives this pairing much of its richness. You cannot simply put Lucius and Remus in a room and expect them to get together: their public faces are too intractably opposed for that, and the intelligent reader will not accept it. So a backstory of some kind is important, even in a PWP. Some of the devices used by writers are as follows:
· Incognito: Remus is on a mission to obtain information for the Order. He encounters Lucius, and must do as he is told. It may not be clear whether or not Lucius knows who Remus is. I haven’t seen any stories like this which involve Lucius on a mission, but then he’s pretty recognisable. On the other hand, there’s always Polyjuice… An example of this type of fic is the theladyfeylene’s His Master’s Voice (NC-17)
· Captured! Either Lucius or Remus is captured by the either side. Non-con ensues. For example, anjenue’s The Madness Within (NC-17) or eumenides1’s Offerings (NC-17, chan; although the first time I read it I took Remus to be a young adult, e.g. sixteen plus, and it worked just as well.)
· Deal with the devil. One has something the other wants. But there is a price. Dubious consent. The only example of this I’ve found so far is my own: With a Long Spoon (NC-17)
· Love across enemy lines: even with all the emotional, and situational, baggage, it’s possible to write a story where these two simply fall for one another. In this short piece, riibu examines how that might play out: A Werewolf’s Kiss (PG-13)
· Love is blind: sometimes things are not what they seem and one betrays the other: eumenides1’s A Draught of Life (NC-17) and its sequel Betrayal (NC-17)
· Before it all went wrong: it’s possible to write an excellent story set during their Hogwarts era, as captainjames demonstrates in Farewell (No rating, but probably PG-13)
· For readers interested in Moony/Lucius (i.e. stories where Remus is in werewolf form), leni_jess has two excellent stories archived at skyehawke: Running Around in the Dark" (NC-17) and its sequel A Werewolf's Company (NC-17).
Other Places To Look
This is a small but growing ship. You have to look carefully to find stories but when you do they are well worth the effort!
Fiction Alley discussion thread:
S.S. Twilight (Lucius/Remus) and its cookie jar here
LJ Communities:
Both of the communities below have featured Lucius/Remus stories.
luciusmarauders
blond_azkaban
Websites:
Malfoy Slash Archive contains some excellent Lucius/Remus stories (edit: 9 August 2007: site not found).
Gramarye’s fic archive has a good Lucius/Remus section here.
If you find anything else, please let me know. Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoy the stories I’ve listed.
And finally…?
And, finally, however unlikely it may seem, it’s always possible that, on some rose-tinted dawn after all the fighting is over, Remus will turn to Lucius, take his hand, and say:
‘You know, Lucius, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.’
Thanks for reading!