It was early afternoon when the man staggered into St. Mungo's. His unkempt, sandy brown hair was streaked with grey and his torn and soiled robes hung open to reveal the ripped and bloodied dress shirt he wore beneath. The man's face was worn; there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked as though he were about to pass out.
"Sir? Sir, are you alright?" a healer asked, rushing out from behind her desk to approach him. He gave her a strained smile.
"Rough full moon," he responded tiredly. The healer took a step back, her look of concern transforming into a look of fear and hesitancy.
"Ahhhh…ummm, let me get our specialist." She said taking another step back and placing her wand to her throat.
"Sara to the welcoming desk, Sara." Lowering her wand, she motioned for him to sit. "Can I get your name for the paperwork?"
"Of course," he said good naturedly, "Remus Lupin."
Remus sat in the waiting area, too tired to move. It had been the first time in years that he'd hadn't had access to the wolfsbane potion, resulting in a rather painful full moon. He hadn't been in enough pain to send him to St. Mungo's in years.
He heard footsteps approaching, waiting for them to stop more than a safe distance away. However, they didn't stop.
"Professor?" came a shocked voice from in front of him. Looking up, his eyes fell upon a young blonde he hadn't seen in over a year.
"Miss Roberts," he greeted, standing. He held out his hand but his former student brushed it aside as she flung herself into his arms. He could feel the healer's disapproving stare from the front desk, but his hands unconsciously found their way to her waist. Finally, he forced himself to gently pull away.
"How are you Professor? Come on through to the exam room."
"So you're the specialist in lycanthropy?" he asked, chuckling, "I wonder how you came across that career choice…" She grinned.
"I learned some things when I realized you had this condition. I wanted to do something to help." She explained, "This is my way of helping."
"Well it's good to see a familiar face." Remus said as he sat down on the examination table, watching her as she got a number of potions and lotions from a shelf.
"How have you been Professor? Over all?" she asked pouring a foul smelling potion in a goblet and handing it to him. "Drink this," Gulping the liquid down and making a face, Remus shrugged.
"You know the life of a werewolf. Jobs are hard to come by. I'm working at a muggle bookstore at the moment."
She smiled, "And you love books,"
"I do," he nodded fondly. She opened a jar of lotion and turned to him.
"I need you to take your shirt off," she requested. He raised an eyebrow and her face flushed scarlet. "You're bleeding," she said, nodding at the tears and blood that was caked onto his shirt. He nodded and unbuttoned it slowly.
"This will sting a bit," she warned him, dipping her fingers into the lotion after he'd removed his shirt.
Remus winced as she applied the crème. He was used to the 'after the moon' medicines and the bad taste and stinging of werewolf potions and lotions.
"Sorry," she apologized, seeing his discomfort.
"It's fine," he assured her, giving a pained half smile.
There was a long silence while she applied the rest of the lotion, before she rubbed her hands together and took a step back. "All done," she told him, "You just need some rest and you'll be as right as rain." Remus smiled.
"Thank you," he said, "How did you manage to become such a talented healer, let alone St. Mungo's lycanthropy specialist in only a year?" the woman before him grinned.
"That is a very long and extraordinarily exhausting story." she assured him. Remus looked at her for a moment.
"Then let's catch up. Have dinner with me tonight."