Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! If I did, well, the books wouldn't be near as good, and Harry/Cho wouldn't even be a thing.
Author's Note: Written for the IWSC competition. I understand that it is very different but I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review.
THANKS SO MUCH TO SOPHIE (3CHEERSFORIDIOTS) FOR BETA-ING! IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME!
IWSC Competition:
School and Year: Mahoutokoro, Year 2
Theme: Amortentia
Main Prompt: Drizzling
Additional Prompts: Pointy nose and Muffliato.
Word count: 2,439
x_
Remus Lupin strode down the lane, hand-in-hand with his longtime crush, Dorcas Meadowes. They were on their way to Hogsmeade and, though the sky was growing dark with gray clouds, they were both smiling, having been attracted to one another for a long time. Dorcas was a very pretty girl, with strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pointy noise. She was rather quiet herself, like Remus, and books were her constant companions. She wasn't what you would call a bookworm, but she sometimes enjoyed the quiet world of words more than the loud and exciting world of Hogwarts.
Ever since their fourth year, Remus had wanted to ask her out but had never had the courage. Dorcas had also wanted to ask Remus out, but she didn't want to seem pushy. Finally, during his sixth year, Remus had struck up the courage to ask her to accompany him on the next Hogsmeade visit. She had accepted happily, and though it made them both nervous, it also made them excited.
As they wandered down towards Hogsmeade together, they felt a few drops of rain fall upon their heads. Remus looked up into the sky, and the gray clouds were soon drizzling water upon their cloaks. Remus and Dorcas exchanged glances and quickened their pace.
"Well, finally," Dorcas said wearily as they entered the Three Broomsticks. She pulled her cloak off her damp hair and looked at Remus, a few stray drops of water dripping off her pointy nose.
"It's getting wet out there," Remus stated. "I suppose we ought to stay here until it stops raining. Is that alright?" he added.
"Of course," she replied with a small smile. "I'm going to go and find a table. Why don't you get us some drinks until then?"
"Alright," Remus said. "Butterbeer?"
"Yes, please," Dorcas replied.
Dorcas walked further inside and chose a small table in the far corner, Remus walked up to the bar.
"Hello, Remus," greeted the pretty landlady, Madam Rosmerta. She had had a soft spot for Remus and his friends ever since their first trip into Hogsmeade.
"How are you today?" Rosmerta was also one of the few people who knew Remus's secret. "I know full moon is next week."
"I'm good," Remus replied, grinning and nodding towards Dorcas. "I'm great, actually. I'm trying not to think about that right now."
"Well, good for you, Remus," she said, after glancing down the counter at Dorcas. "So, two Butterbeers, is it?"
"Yes, thank you." As Rosmerta turned to fill two glasses with the foamy drink, she began speaking again.
"So, where are James and Sirius today? It's not like them to miss an opportunity to get out of school and wreak some havoc." She turned back and slid the drinks towards him.
"Well, they set Professor Binns's desk on fire when they were playing with some Filibuster's Fireworks in class, so they got detention." He shrugged, pulling a couple silver Sickles out of his pocket to pay for the drinks. "You know those two; they'll probably sneak up here later to see you and go to Zonko's."
Rosmerta chuckled as Remus grabbed the drinks and set off towards Dorcas. "Good luck," she said.
"Thanks, Ros," replied Remus over his shoulder.
As he approached the table where Dorcas sat, she looked up from her book and smiled.
"Thanks, Remus. I've been waiting for one of these for ages!" She took her Butterbeer and they sipped their drinks in silence for a minute, then Remus spoke again, hoping he was about to start an interesting conversation.
"So, how have your classes been? I know that you've been taking Ancient Runes. Is it any good?"
"Oh yes, it's one of my favorite classes," replied Dorcas. "What about you? You take Care of Magical Creatures, don't you?" she asked Remus.
"Yes, it's really interesting." Remus smiled. "I might end up going into that field, I think. I've always been interested in creatures and helping them - er - lead better lives."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful. I've always thought that there were too many creatures that are mistreated because they're different or unusual." Remus nodded in agreement, thinking about whether or not to tell her something. Should I? he wondered. Should I tell her what I am? What would she think? Would she be afraid, or would she accept me?
"Dorcas?" Remus began, making up his mind.
"Yeah?" She looked curiously at him, sensing the hesitancy in his voice.
"Um, can I tell you something?"
"Sure," Dorcas replied, still with that same curiosity.
"Okay, but you have to promise me that you'll never tell anybody."
"Okay," said Dorcas a bit warily. Remus looked at her, then pulled out his wand, and waved it slightly.
"Muffliato," Remus said.
"What was that?" Dorcas asked.
"Just a little spell. It makes people's ears fill with this weird buzzing sound so that we can't be overheard."
"Oh, that's cool," said Dorcas. "So, what is it that you need to tell me? And why do we have to worry about being overheard?" Remus sighed deeply, the sounds of distant thunder drowning it.
"Have you noticed how, about once a month, I go away for a few days?"
"Well, yeah, everybody has, but I thought it was because your dad's really sick and you have to go home sometimes to take care of him."
"Well," Remus sighed again. "That's not true." He was relieved when Dorcas didn't ask any questions and let him continue.
"See, I - uh - I am a - uh," he sputtered anxiously. Dorcas, sensing his discomfort, reached over and covered his hands with her own.
"Remus," she began, "take a deep breath, okay?" When Remus had done so, she nodded for him to continue, and he did, focusing his eyes on her slender face. As he looked at her pretty blue eyes, bright pink lips, and slender nose, he felt his Gryffindor courage seep through him.
"I'm a werewolf," Remus said slowly, not letting his eyes leave her face.
"What?" Dorcas exclaimed. She didn't seem angry or frightened, but she did seem perplexed. "Are - are you really a - a werewolf?"
"Yes. I was bitten when I was little, by Fenrir Greyback." Dorcas gasped at the name. "My parents had offended him, so in retaliation, Greyback came after us and bit me."
"Oh my goodness. Remus, I - I'm so sorry," Dorcas said. "I can't imagine what that must be like, having to transform every month. I - I've heard that it's really painful. How do you deal with it? Where do you go?" She looked sympathetic, and her eyes were full of sadness.
"I actually don't leave; not the grounds, at least. I go through a secret passage to the Shrieking Shack and stay there for a few days, until I'm well enough to return."
"Oh." Dorcas looked down at her hands, still covering his, the soft raindrops falling upon the roof, mirroring the tears falling from her eyes.
"But I wanted to tell you that, because I think you're the type of person who should know the truth," Remus said quietly, withdrawing one of his hands and placing a finger under her chin and lifting it to see her reddening eyes.
"I appreciate that, Remus." Dorcas smiled and Remus could see that it wasn't forced in any way. "Who else knows?" she asked.
"Well, James, Sirius, and Peter know." Remus smiled at the thought of his friends. "They help me and nurse me back to health when it's really bad. Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey know, and Madam Rosmerta knows."
"How did Madam Rosmerta find out?" Dorcas asked, intrigued.
"Well, she was out for a stroll one night, and it just so happened that it was a couple of days after the full moon. I was returning from the Shrieking Shack and she saw me. I couldn't hide the fact that my robes were torn and I was bleeding from where I had bit myself. I'm always a bit dazed and disoriented after I transform, so usually, James, Sirius, and Peter are waiting for me to help me back to the castle, but apparently, they had gotten detention again, so they weren't able to wait for me. Rosmerta saw me and took me back here, so I had no choice but to tell her the truth. She wasn't scared or disgusted by me. She helped me. Ever since then, she's always helped me when James and Sirius weren't able to make it." Remus looked at the bar and saw Rosmerta waving her wand at recently cleaned glasses, placing them in the cupboard.
"Remus, how old were you when Greyback bit you?" Dorcas asked nervously.
"Almost 5," Remus replied simply. A look of horror flitted across Dorcas's face.
"That - that must've been terrible. For your parents, also." She looked down, not realizing until now that she had begun stroking his hands in a comforting way.
"It was. It still is, to be honest, but they're strong, and they're really proud of me for staying here at Hogwarts even though it's tough sometimes." Remus smiled and Dorcas returned it.
"It's still drizzling, isn't it?" remarked Dorcas, peering around Remus to look out the window. A thin mist still dripped from the sky, making the lane look eerie and uninviting.
"Oh, here." Remus pulled his wand out again, and muttered, "Amplifio," replacing the hearing of everybody else in the room.
"So, where did you learn that spell?" asked Dorcas. "I've never heard about it or read about it before."
"Well, James and Sirius nicked this old Potions book from Snape and he had written a ton of spells in it. We think he made them up because we'd never heard of them either."
"What other kind of spells are in there?" asked Dorcas.
"I'm not sure, to be honest. James and Sirius were only able to keep the book for an hour, 'cause then, Lily took it and shoved it back under Snape's crooked nose." Dorcas chuckled at this, and Remus did too, glad that he had made her smile.
"Hello, my dears." Madam Rosmerta had walked over to check on them.
"Hi, Rosmerta," Remus said, his face lighting up.
"Hi, Madam Rosmerta," Dorcas said. "How are you today?"
"I'm good. Been quite busy, what with the weather and all." Rosmerta replied. She looked questioningly at Remus.
"Oh," began Remus, realizing what she was silently asking. "I told Dorcas about my lycanthropy."
Rosmerta smiled. "I'm proud of you, Remus. Telling someone, that takes some definite courage."
"Thanks, Ros," Remus replied.
"So, do you need anything?" Rosmerta asked, turning to look at Dorcas.
"I'll have another Butterbeer," Dorcas said.
"Me too," added Remus, pulling out his money bag again.
"No need for that, Remus," Rosmerta said with a shake of the head. "These are on the house." She smiled and wandered back behind the counter, filling two new glasses with the foaming drink.
"You guys must be really close after that night, huh?" Dorcas said to Remus, a soft smile playing across her face.
"Yeah, we've been close ever since," Remus said. "I always feel like I can talk to her too. I mean, I've got James and Sirius and Peter, but it's different with her."
"Here you are, dears." Madam Rosmerta had returned. She placed the drinks on the table, then turned to return to the bar, but Dorcas spoke up.
"Wait, Madam Rosmerta!"
"Yes, dear?" Rosmerta said, turning back to look at her.
"I just wanted to thank you," Dorcas said.
"For what, dear? The drinks? Oh, that's nothing."
"No, not the drinks, but thank you for them. I meant, um, just thanks for being so good to Remus."
"Of course, dear." Rosmerta looked at Remus in a motherly sort of way. "Always."
After finishing their Butterbeers, Remus and Dorcas turned to look out the window together. The thin mist had ebbed away and patches of blue sky had appeared.
"Would you like to go to any of the shops?" Remus asked, gesturing at the brightening lane outside the window.
"Actually, no," Dorcas replied. "I'm just fine sitting here with you."
Suddenly, a crash of thunder shook the table. Remus looked to Dorcas with surprise on his face, but was more even surprised when he saw that Dorcas wasn't there.
Remus woke up with a start, as if someone had just drenched him in cold water. He looked around for Dorcas, but saw nothing except the sleeping forms of his fellow sixth year boys. He stood up hastily, throwing the sheets and blankets onto the floor. The dream. Was it a dream? It had seemed so realistic. It had been so vivid. He took a few deep, calming breaths, and sat back down on his bed. It seemed that the rain had followed Remus into his waking life, for rain was pounding against the windows of the dormitory, and a crack of thunder could be heard echoing across the grounds. He turned and picked up his watch from the bedside table. It was five in the morning. Breakfast wouldn't be ready for another two hours, and so Remus sat there in bed, thinking about Dorcas and his dream. At that moment, he desperately wished he could see Rosmerta and tell her about the dream and ask her about Dorcas. What would happen if I actually told her the truth? Remus thought. Would she accept me? Would she go out with me if I asked?
During the entire day, Remus was preoccupied with what would happen if his dream came true. His friends asked him why he was so quiet and solemn, but he merely told them that he hadn't gotten enough sleep.
Finally, during Defense Against the Dark Arts class, he came to a decision. Normally, Remus would have been paying attention, but as Professor Eyemoore droned on and on about nonverbal spells, his mind drifted back to Dorcas and the dream.
Perhaps, it would be better to be left unspoken, Remus decided silently. If we did get together, there's always the chance that it could be dangerous for her. Especially when I transform. And what if - what if we got - got married? Remus thought at breakneck speed. Then, if we ever had - had kids. They might be werewolves too. No. No, she deserves better than me, he thought. She deserves someone whole and normal. Someone she'd be safe with. Not me. Not a werewolf.
And so, Remus left the confession unspoken. He eventually told Rosmerta of the dream and how he wished he could be normal.
"But then," Rosmerta told him, "you wouldn't be you, Remus."