Lunar Realizations

Summary: What if someone found out that Remus was a werewolf before Hermione? Yes, conversations with Luna are always interesting, as Remus quickly learns.

Pairings: None.

Warnings: Luna being, well, Luna.

Remus Lupin was tired.

The full moon was only three days away, and all he wanted to do was collapse on his bed and sleep. But, he thought with a mental groan, he couldn't do that because he needed to talk to one of his students, Luna Lovegood, about her essay.

The small Second Year stared up at him with unfocused silvery-grey eyes. She was an odd child, with scraggly blonde hair and frequently bare feet. Remus noticed that the other students avoided her. She was a mild-mannered girl, if a little strange, whose essays tended to ramble into quite confusing territories. Normally, Remus could at least keep up with what she was saying, but for this essay, he was completely lost.

He sat down at his desk and tried not to sigh too noticeably. His whole body was aching and there was a pounding behind his eyes.

"Miss Lovegood, could you please clarify what you meant in this passage?"

"Oh, exactly what I wrote," she said dreamily.

"I've never heard about Nargles before," he said, staring down at the essay.

"I'm not surprised. Not many people know about them, which is why they're so effective."

"Alright, but what exactly is it that they do, Miss Lovegood?"

She tilted her head and regarded him. "Did your parents name you?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes," he said. "Though I don't see what that has to do with – "

"Ah, I thought so. Most parents do. I'm not going to do that when I have children." She paused. "If I have children. I'm not too sure about that part actually. If I have a child then there's always the possibility that I'll die and leave them alone, which wouldn't be much fun for them, I imagine. On the other hand, I do need to pass on my knowledge about the Rotfang Conspiracy."

Remus stared at her, at a loss, as she started to go on about gum disease. "Miss Lovegood, what connection does my name have with um, Nargles?"

"Oh, none whatsoever."

He felt a twitch beginning to develop in his right eye. "Then why did you ask?"

"I was just curious."

Remus could think of nothing to say but, "Ah."

"It's ironic, isn't it?"

At this point, Remus was almost afraid to answer her. "What is?"

"Your name. I mean, bad enough to have a last name like 'Lupin' – which can't be helped, I suppose – but to be named 'Remus...'" she trailed off. Remus was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

"You wouldn't happen to have a brother named Romulus, would you?"

He shook his head mutely as his headache escalated.

"I didn't think so." She seemed to be talking to herself. "That would be too coincidental, wouldn't it?" she continued, as Remus just sat behind his desk wondering when the conversation had spiraled so out of control.

It looked like she had forgotten that he was there. Just as he was wondering if he could somehow shoo her out of the room without her noticing, she spoke.

"I've got a charm that wards them off, Professor. I can let you borrow it if you like."

"Wards what off?"

"The Nargles, of course."

"Thank you, but I don't need one," he said as he massaged his temples.

"But you do," she said earnestly. "You can't see them, but there are Nargles all around you."

"Why would they be around me?"

"They seem to prefer werewolves for some reason."

He froze as icy dread exploded in his chest. He was only half-aware that he had stood up. His mouth opened and closed a few times. His mind seemed to have deserted him, save for one thought.

Only my first month of teaching, and a Second Year has already figured it out.

His second thought was: Well, she is in Ravenclaw.

A small hand gripped his arm. "Professor? Professor Lupin, are you okay?"

He looked down into large silvery-grey eyes. So much like the moon.

"I think a Wrackspurt just flew through your brain." Why was she still here? Shouldn't she have gone running for a teacher by now? "You need to be more careful about protecting your ears. Here. I've got just the thing."

She started rummaging around in a dirty, slightly worn satchel. How could she stand to be so near him, knowing what he was?

"There they are. Here you go, Professor." She handed him a pair of bright orange earmuffs with little silver bells on them. Closer examination showed that pieces of cheese were attached to the bells, some growing moldy.

"I recommend changing cheese about once a month. I've found that to be the most effective method."

He started at her florescent, slightly smelly present and tried to speak. Finally it registered that she was walking to the door and he managed to croak out her name. "Luna."

"Yes, Professor?" She turned protuberant eyes toward him. She seemed to be looking at him, yet at the same time, through him.

"Uh, about my, being a…werewolf…"

Her eyes cleared and she nodded. "Don't worry. I won't say anything."

"You…don't care?"

Her tone was oddly gentle. "Why would I?"

And then she was gone. For a long moment, Remus stared at the door, before sighing and easing himself back into his chair. It was quite comfortable. Absently, he waved his wand at the door to close it. His eyes were drawn to the gaudy earmuffs in his hands.

An absurd thought struck him. Could there really be Wrackspurts around him? And Nargles?

Glancing around furtively, he put the earmuffs on his head.

This was ridiculous, he thought. At any time, another teacher could come in and see him like this. That was what he told himself, but he couldn't find it in himself to move. His eyelids were remarkably heavy. He'd get up in a minute…

For the first time in many years, Remus Lupin had a restful sleep.

When he woke up, he felt refreshed and optimistic. He stretched and smiled. His stomach grumbled and he cast a quick 'Tempus.' Dinner had just started. With a spring in his step, he headed down the hallway.

When he arrived in the Great Hall, he realized two things. One, he still didn't know what a Nargle was. And two, he was still wearing the earmuffs.