A/N: thistlerose over at LJ challenged her friendslist to inspire her to love Remus again. All her fault!
Remus Lupin character study
soberloki
Remus Jericho Lupin is a quiet man who gets honey in his mustaches because he likes to lick the spoon instead of stirring it into his tea. And he likes blueberry scones over any other kind, because the little bursts of sweet on his tongue are like kissing Sirius, he thinks, though he never allowed himself to find out.
He listens to Muggle music - the best kind, all of the Muggles' confusion and intensity laid bare and pretty on the air. It feels like he does, when the moon is swelling and his bones creak and there is no solution but to let it happen, because Severus hates him and the Ministry never liked him and even Dumbledore won't find him again.
When he feels healthy, he walks for miles and miles, smelling things on the air. His wolfy senses are dulled, but present. Winter is the best time for this, when the only scents are the new ones, carried on sharp air without the accompanying notes of soil and plant, which are summer smells and often intrusive.
When he went to Mexico, he was afraid of the night: it wasn't his, it smelled so different and was full of too-exotic creatures. Germany was difficult, only because there were so many other werewolves, and none of them welcome either. Eventually, he stopped travelling outside of the UK, because there was enough that was alien in him to make him a stranger everywhere, and he'd rather be close to familiar places, even if they wouldn't welcome him.
He dry-washes his hands when he's nervous, and sometimes picks at his cuticles until they bleed. It bothers him that he can't stop doing damage to himself, even in little ways.
It bothers him more that he likes it.