Chapter 21
Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter
The end of first term 1974 is an uncomfortable time. It's been three months since the Black/Lupin split, and a month since the McKinnon/Black began. Remus has thrown himself into his work, frustrated because his friends keep disappearing and are quite clearly hiding something from him, his transformations are worse than they ever have been, and tensions between Lily and James are skyrocketing once again. The library has become a second home to Remus, feeling far more comforting and relaxed than his own dormitory.
Even so he is not looking forward to returning home, yet despite that he turned down the offer to stay at James' place. There is at least one person back home he really wanted to see. The train ride is surprisingly not awkward, but Remus is still glad when it's over. They all agree to go to the Potter's on Christmas day, along with their parents.
"Remus where do you think you're going? You just got home." Remus continues walking to his front door.
"Well then it'll be easier to deal with me leaving for a few hours. I'll be back by ten."
"REMUS!" He ignores his Mother and leaves.
"Sparky! There's me favourite posh swot." Remus rolls his eyes at his friend, Derek can never just say hello like a normal person, not that I'm any bloody expert on normal myself.
"Oi, mate, anyfins be'er than looking like your ugly mug." There's a moment of silence before both blokes laugh and clap each other on the back.
"Right Mate, your just in time. We got a gig comin up, you in?" Remus thinks about it, he remembers rule number four, don't do anything stupid or rash out of anger or depression. He doesn't feel angry, and yeah maybe he's still upset, but he'd hardly call it depressed. So clearly, his friends have no leg to stand on in judging him.
"Yeah 'right, let's have it," He replies, Derek goes and gets in a truck with the usual crew (Stan, Ed, Clive, and Reginald), Remus hesitates a moment more.
"What ya waitin for Bruv, an invitation?" Remus rolls his eyes, getting in the car beside him, shoving him over another seat.
"Well come on, budge up Mate. Right then you proper tosser, time to go innit?"
An hour later finds the crew drunk and throwing random things they've set on fire into a nearby river, Remus and Derek making out on the hood of the truck.
"Oi, can ya cock knockers keep it down over there, we're tryina have a different kinda fun over 'ere!" Clive yells at them as he ditches a flaming bottle into the water, the others laugh. Derek glares over his shoulder as he yells back,
"Shut the fuck up Clive."
"A'right a'right, ya fruitcake."
"Least he's actual getting some, eh Clivey?" Remus calls out, Stan, Ed, Reginald, and Derek all find this far more amusing than Clive does, but Remus is fairly certain he's re-proven the point that his 'poncey boarding school' doesn't make him some soft posh boy.
"Right then 'Arry hoofter, back to your knob jockey." Remus and Derek share an amused look as they hear the others teasing Clive, they start making out again.
"Yo, Rem."
"Yeah Mate?" Remus asks, looking up at Ed when he gets close some indeterminate amount of time later.
"We need a proper light show, you up for it?" Remus grins madly at him, grabbing the fuel he holds out.
"In my job description innit?" The six of 'em stand back, Remus throwing the fuel over the truck before he chucks a light at it and watches it go up in flames.
"Anyone think about how we're all supposed to get home now?" Remus asks a few minutes later, the others exchange looks, "Didn't think so."
It's one am before Remus gets back, his Mother takes one look at him to ensure he's alive before she goes to bed without a word. Lyall didn't wait up.
"They're worried about you." Remus walks over to the bottom of the stairs, finding Phia sitting five steps up.
"Dunno why, m'fine." Phia rolls her eyes.
"You're an idiot." He scoffs.
"You'd know."
"You're the one avoiding me."
"Disagree."
"Rem…"
"Don't even fucking start with me Sophia. You really wanna talk we can do it in the morning, I'm not in the bloody mood right now." He tries to stomp past her but she stands and grabs his arm to stop him.
"Well too bad, you aren't my brother when it suits you!"
"Oh you're havin a laugh, coz anyfin else and you're a blind self-absorbed idiot. Like you haven't only ever been my sister when it suits you. I got a lot of shit going on right now Phia, and I ain't taking back what I've said coz not a word was anyfin but true. So decide, are you gunna get over it and be my fucking sister, or are you gonna keep being a selfish bitch?" She glares at him for a moment before she releases his arm.
"Maybe we should talk about this when you're sober." Remus chuckles.
"A rare treat that is." He goes to his room without looking back.
By the time Christmas Day has rolled around, nothing has gotten better. In fact, one could truthfully say, things are much, much, worse.
"Moony!" The Marauders call simultaneously as he steps out of the floo, they stop short when they see him.
"What the hell happened to you?" Sirius asks looking concerned, Remus just glares until he holds his hands up, placatingly.
"Nofin."
"Yeah, Nothing he says. Because one often just wakes up to find a black eye, split lip, and subconjunctival haemorrhaging," Phia drawls as she hears the conversation, he doesn't even acknowledge she's spoken.
"Euphemia, Fleamont, how wonderful to see you both again," Hope greets, ignoring both her children's words, Lyall gives them a warning look to which they both roll their eyes.
"It's wonderful to see you as well. Regulus, Andromeda, Ted, and the Pettigrews are here already, please, come through," Euphemia replies cheerfully.
Half an hour later finds the group, parents, and siblings, seated across two tables set up in the living room, mostly chatting happily. The group was certainly happy to catch up with Reg and Severus again, seeing as they don't see much of each other in school anymore.
"You two are together?" Severus asks in confusion, gesturing between Marlene and Sirius, both of whom nod, raising their clasped hands, "Are you mental?" He jokingly asks Marlene, they all laugh.
"So that's Ted, huh?" James asks Sirius who nods, the group very unsubtly looks him over, drawing conclusions until Andromeda clears her throat, glaring at them all, they all smile innocently at her.
"Well, Drom has told me a lot about all of you, it's nice to finally put faces to the stories," Ted tells them, they all look him over warily before Petunia rolls her eyes.
"Hi, Petunia Evans, that's my sister Lily, then there's James Potter, Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Marlene McKinnon, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Mary MacDonald, Peter Pettigrew, and Phia Lupin, Remy's sister. I assume you've met Sirius and Regulus anyway." Ted nods.
"Very briefly, it's nice to see you both again."
"Mhm," Sirius acknowledges as he and Regulus continue looking at Ted warily.
"Remus, will you please do something?" Andromeda requests, Remus sighs.
"I have some news," He declares, the group pays attention to him marginally, but are mostly still watching Ted, especially the Blacks, "I'm seeing someone." That gets everyone's attention.
"Holy crap!" James exclaims.
"James Fleamont Potter, what did you just say?!" Euphemia demands from down the table, James gulps as Sirius tries not to laugh at him.
"Holy cow?" Euphemia still doesn't look happy, James sighs, "Sorry Mum."
"What were you saying Dear?" Euphemia asks Remus who notices he now has the attention of the entire two tables, he clears his throat slightly.
"I'm seeing someone."
"Wow, I uh, I really thought we were gonna have to spend months badgering you until you actually started dating someone new," Lily admits, Remus chuckles.
"Honestly so did I, and I wouldn't really call it dating yet."
"Sooooo, who is she?" Marlene asks from beside him, he sighs.
"Oh you have got to be joking!" Phia suddenly exclaims as she stands up, Remus buries his face in his hands for a moment before he looks back up at her.
"Can you not make a scene please?"
"Can you not make the stupidest decision of your life please?"
"This is not even on the top twenty list of stupid decisions!"
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?!" Sirius interjects, the twins take a deep breath, Phia goes straight to the floo and goes home.
"Derek. I'm seeing Derek." The whole room goes quiet.
"As in…romantically…?" Peter asks hesitantly, Remus nods, Severus hits him upside the head.
"This is so unbelievably wrong Remus, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Remus rolls his eyes, the muggles outside of the group worry this is going in a very different direction, but those worries are assuaged by his next words, "Derek is a douchenozzle!"
"A douchenozzle?"
"Yes!"
"Well I like him, douchenozzle or no." Severus sighs, sitting back in his chair.
"Fine. But when he hurts you, I will hurt him." Remus smiles slightly.
"I know what I'm doing." After a few moments awkward silence, Ted clears his throat.
"So where did you and he meet?" Sirius looks Ted over again, only this time he nods once before looking back to Remus, Andromeda smiles.
"Erm…a police station, actually."
"Remus…" Monty begins, Remus shakes his head.
"It's not what it sounds like. We were eight, he had gotten lost and picked up by an officer. He was waiting for his parents to come and he looked afraid so I struck up a conversation."
"What were you doing in the station?" Petunia asks him suspiciously, he scratches his forehead quickly.
"That was the first time I burnt down the school gym."
"First time?!" Laura asks, concern plain on her face, he chuckles awkwardly.
"It was an accident, I swear. Anyway, Mum, Dad, and I waited with him until his parents arrived and we've been friends ever since, except a brief period when we were eleven but that's another story."
"I'm glad you're happy Remy, you deserve it," Andromeda tells him. Somehow, that coming from her was the closure he apparently needed, he felt lighter than he has in months.
"Thank you."
"Anyone seen Remus?" James asks, looking around the train platform and failing to spot their friend, they hear a few crashes and some choice words, suddenly an owl is flying free overhead.
"Found him?" Lily offers, a few minutes later every is righted, and Remus Lupin comes out of the crowd and over to them, "Everything all right?"
"Yeah, sick."
"Um, you aren't feeling well?" James asks, Lily, Mary, Petunia, and Severus all laugh at him, he huffs, "Muggle thing then?"
"It means amazing, best thing ever sort of thing," Lily explains, "And not all muggles speak like that. No offence Remy."
"None taken, spendin too much time round them sorts I spose." Lily glares at him.
"You're doing it on purpose now."
"Proper annoying innit?" Mary and Marlene laugh, Petunia looks rather disgusted, but Remus thinks she's been looking at him like that since he arrived.
"Where are your parents?" Monty asks suddenly, Remus shrugs.
"Chipped off didn't they."
"I swear to every god anyone has even remotely questioned the existence of, I will kill you if you keep this up, very slowly, and very painfully."
"C'mon Mates, let's get on the train and bomb it."
"That's it!" Remus runs onto the train as Lily chases after him.
"Welp, bye Mum, Dad, various other parents and siblings and such, we should go make sure they don't kill each other."
When they find the two in the usual cabin, it isn't to the tableau they expected. Instead, Remus is sitting in a chair panting slightly and holding his shirt up while Lily prods at his blue/purple/yellow ribcage.
"What in the ever living fuck?!" Sirius asks as they all enter, being sure to leave room around the two.
"Idiot practically collapsed after running because he's apparently bruised his ribs. None of them feel broken but that doesn't mean they aren't cracked or something. You need to go see Madam Pomfrey," Lily tells him sternly, he scoffs.
"I'm fine Lils."
"No, you aren't." They stare each other down for a moment before Remus backs down.
"Fine." Lily nods, satisfied. She pulls his shirt down and takes her seat, noticing they are down to only one person having to sit on another's lap, and it's Marlene on Sirius'.
"What happened to you?" James asks looking horrified, Remus shifts uncomfortably, wincing at the flare of pain the movement causes.
"Nothing, just had a little disagreement with someone."
"That is not a little disagreement!"
"It is with these blokes, relax okay? I can take care of myself." Everyone goes quiet, wondering how to get more out of him when Pete speaks up.
"These blokes. As in Derek and his friends?" Everyone looks to Remus who looks at his hands in his lap.
"Moony, did Derek do this to you?"
"No! Okay, no, it doesn't matter, all right? Just fucking leave it." Everyone wisely backs off.
Half an hour later Lily turns back to Remus.
"So, I am assuming you've brought some kind of alcohol with you or have plans to …acquire some?" Remus sighs, leaning his head against the window.
"It's in my trunk, I'll hand it over when we get back after dinner." Lily rests a hand on his knee, squeezing lightly as she rests her head on his shoulder, he sinks slightly into the comfort she offers.
A month later, Remus climbs back up into Gryffindor Tower two days after a particularly rotten full moon. He's seriously looking forward to just collapsing into his own bed and preferably not moving for the next fifty years, only when he finally reaches the dormitory, he finds the other three Marauders sitting on his bed.
"Whatever it is, it's going to have to wait until tomorrow." The others shake their heads.
"Nope, come on, trust us. We need to show you something, now," James tells him, he mopes and whinges, but they don't give in.
"We'll let you get smashed on Friday if you come with us?" Remus considers this, looks from his now standing friends to his bed and back again.
"Fine, but Lily's going to kill you when she finds out you bargained with me using that."
"I consider it a worthy sacrifice," James declares, the other two nod. He sighs and gestures for them to lead the way.
They make it down two flights of stairs before Remus starts complaining again, by the time they reach the doors to the castle, he's focusing on moving and breathing too much to bother. When they start going down the hill, he questions whether or not it is even close to worth it for one night of peace. Yes, worth it.
"Okay here." James stops walking, the other two looking around before they turn to him, he raises an eyebrow expectantly, all of a sudden his friends are shrinking and growing and changing shape, and then they aren't there anymore. In their place is a stag, a large black dog, and a rat.
"Um…" Remus blinks a couple times, trying to work out if he's hallucinating due to his exhaustion, the stag changes back into James, Remus' eyes widen as he finally catches on, "You're animagi," He says, more of a breath than actual voice.
"Yeah…Moony's a bit too rambunctious for people, so we thought, what if we weren't people? Werewolves don't attack animals."
"He says we, it was him, and he's been looking into this since first year," Peter tells him, Remus didn't even notice him returning to human form, Remus feels tears prick his eyes as he rushes forwards and hugs James, James chuckles, hugging him back. Remus feels a nudge at his leg and looks down to see Sirius, or rather, the dog he's turned into.
"Hi there," He whispers in awe as he kneels down, the dog licks his face, "Eww, Sirius, come on Man, you know I hate dogs doing that!" The dog spins in an excited circle, lets out a bark, and then sits back in front of him, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he pants. Remus gently puts a hand on his head, gently stroking down, "You make a cute dog." James and Peter snicker behind him, Sirius looks around Remus and growls at them.
"C'mon Mutt, we should get back inside before Moony passes out." The dog morphs back into Sirius, Remus blinks back tears as he hugs him too, Sirius holds him back tightly. When he helps Remus up, Remus hugs Peter too who returns it happily. He leans heavily on James and Sirius as the four go back to the common room, he passes out as soon as he hits the bed. In fact, he thinks he may have fallen a sleep while walking and the others just carried him the rest of the way.
The next morning they go to DADA, Remus is more than a little surprised to see a completely different teacher than the one they'd had last week.
"Good morning everyone, I am Professor Eleenie Randona, I'm your new defence teacher," The young woman before them greets, Severus raises a hand, "A question, I do love those. You are?"
"Severus Snape, Professor."
"Well, all questions are welcome in my classroom, go right ahead."
"What happened to Professor Timmal?" Professor Randona sighs.
"His Mother had an unfortunate accident and he's had to return home to look after her I'm afraid. He's told me all about the class though, so I know a bit about all of you. Some more than others. In any case, please, call me Eleenie, Professor Randona was my father," She tells them, the class all exchange looks, this was definitely not the average Hogwarts teacher, "Now, this term you're to be learning about Dark Creatures, though I tend to dislike that term. It's so…negative and assuming. So how about we just call them Magical Creatures and go from there, yes?" Everyone just awkwardly sort of nods, "Brilliant, now, everyone has a sheet of paper in front of them. If you would all write your favourite magical creature on it, along with your name, and hand it in to the box that's floating around, we'll see what we're dealing with here."
Remus stares at his page for a moment, biting his lip as he thinks. Do Animagi count as a magical creature? Really being an Animagus is a skill more than a species, which would make the creature…he grins, writing his answer and handing it up.
"All right, let's have a look. Now this box will automatically group together answer duplicates, I generally like to start by looking at the biggest pile, then the smallest, and then the ones in the middle. So, the magical creature most liked within this classroom is…" She reaches into the box and pulls out a small bit of paper, she blinks at it for a moment, surprised, then a grin spreads across her face, "Well, I've never had that one before. Werewolves."
The class all look around, none really surprised by the answer given the dramas they've had in History of Magic focusing around Lycanthropy.
"The smallest pile here has only one entry, let's have a look." Eleenie looks oddly proud but also exasperated at the piece of paper in her hand, she turns back to the class, "Remus Lupin?" Remus raises a hand slightly and looks at her innocently, the others are surprised, everyone assumed he'd put Werewolf. His friends hadn't, but they have no clue at all as to what he wrote, "I like you."
"Thank you Pro…um, Eleenie."
"Of course, the reason I had you all do this is because the work we'll be doing for the next month is going to be set for each person around the creature they've written, so I do hope the work I receive is as interesting as your answer here was."
"Oh I can almost guarantee my work will not bore you." She grins at him, they go through the other answers before she begins talking about the work they will be doing.
"Now, over the next month, you will be given various tasks to complete that at times, may seem random. By the end though, you'll be set a paper about the creature you have chosen, and you'll find you have plenty more to say than you would have had now. Most of this work will be done outside of class, so during lessons we'll have a look at these creatures more generally speaking and talk about why they are considered 'dark', that sort of thing. However, I will make it very clear right now, I'll have no bigotry within my classroom or within my earshot at all. I consider such things to be of the greatest offence, so I hear a word against another being, living or otherwise, dark or not, pureblood or not, anything or not, and I will respond to it with the most severe yet creative punishment I can think of. Are there any questions about anything I've said?" Lily raises her hand, Sirius high fives it, the class rolls their eyes.
"Why does it bother you so much?" Eleenie looks at her in consideration.
"Does it not bother you?"
"Well, of course it does, it's cruel. It's just that most adults don't really try to stop it all that much. It's just the way things are," Lily replies, the teacher smiles at her sadly.
"Those are the words of people who have lost hope that there is good in the world, and that it can overcome the cruelty. You see, people can talk about it being the way it is, but it only is that way because people allow it to be. My husband says to make change you have to win people over, and maybe on a grander scale that's true. But as far as I am concerned, these things stop when you stop allowing them to continue." Lily smiles at the teacher, tears in her eyes as she nods, "Now then, your first task…" Remus should probably pay more attention to what his teacher is saying, but instead he's just paying attention to her. Something about her is important, it's niggling the back of his mind and he can't quite put his finger on it. Is it her eyes? The round, amber, orbs that seem more green the longer you look at them. Her mouth? Covered in a deep purple lipstick, lines around showing how jovial and happy the person before him is. Maybe it's the faint scars going from right cheek down to her collar bone, or perhaps it's the way the light shines on her chocolate brown hair, pulled into two French braids and long enough to lay in her lap where she sits cross-legged on top of her desk. But no, it isn't any of that, it's the smell. She smells like home and family and freedom and everything he's never smelt before, it doesn't make sense, what does it mean? Who is she?
Remus feels as though he's in a daze for the next lesson, not taking anything in or even recognising which lesson he had. Only once they head outside during break and he sees Eleenie walking towards them does his brain truly switch back on.
"Remus, would you mind coming with me for a moment?" Remus nods immediately.
"Of course, I'll uh, meet you guys at the tree?" The others nod, vaguely amused at his behaviour as the two walk away.
Remus and Eleenie walk in silence for a while, it's not until they stand on the bridge, looking out at the view, that she turns to him again.
"I saw the look on your face during my lesson and realised two things. One, it was your first time smelling another, and two, you had absolutely no idea what was happening." Remus looks at his teacher in confusion and wariness as he debates how to answer.
"What do you mean, smelling another?" Eleenie smiles warmly at him as she shrugs her shoulder out of her shirt and reveals a large scar of a bite mark…her bite mark, "You're a Werewolf," He breathes in a mix of surprise and happiness, she grins and nods, "but you're, you're…"
"Happy? Successful? Alive?" He nods, "Yeah, I am." Smiling, she lays a hand on his shoulder and looks him in the eyes, "You can be too."
For the first time in his life, he actually believes it too.
"M-my friends, th-they know about me. They'll figure you out too," He warns, she shrugs.
"I don't mind, I sort of assumed someone would work it out eventually anyway. I don't exactly advertise my species but I don't try to hide it either. It's easier for me though, marginally anyway, because my husband is an expert on Lycanthropy, so generally people are more accepting of me, thinking he's taming me somehow. Which, honestly, is a disgusting thought, and ridiculous, but that's not the point." Remus chuckles a bit at her ranting, she laughs too.
"Do…" Remus takes a deep breath before he continues, "Do you like being a Lycanthrope?" Eleenie looks at him seriously for a moment.
"I have always been a big believer in accepting who I am instead of running from it. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I was bitten, so I was all ready very much throwing myself out in people's faces and giving them no choice but to accept who I am or suffer the consequences. I drew in on myself for a while, but then I met my husband and realised that nothing had really changed. I'm not entirely human anymore, but I'm still me. If I can be confident about everything else, why not this too? So I don't like nor dislike it, but I've accepted it as a part of who I am, and I'm constantly learning to love myself more and more. Which, I'm getting to the point of that not necessarily being a good thing but, well that's hardly relevant." The two laugh again as they begin walking back towards his friends.
"So…we could wait around bored as my friends slowly start to work everything out, or…" Remus begins saying, unsure exactly where his sudden fondness for this teacher has come from, or fondness for himself. He supposes it always helps to know you aren't alone, and while he'd always known there were others out there, seeing it is very different.
"Or…?" He snaps back to reality as he looks mischievously at her.
"Or we can place bets on how long it takes them?" She laughs and nods.
"Your on, okay, I'm thinking that that Severus fellow will work it out first, and…it'll be right after the next moon." Remus nods, considering.
"That's a pretty good guess actually, but I'm thinking it'll be Sirius, and that he works it out before then." Eleenie raises an eyebrow.
"How could he work it out before then?" Remus shrugs.
"He's got a nose for this stuff." He nearly loses it at his own pun, but manages to keep it together.
"Your friends all know about you then?" He chuckles and nods, "I suppose that explains a lot of the answers in class then, though I must say, it's your answer that gave that away the most."
"Oh?" She smiles at him.
"Not many people argue the fact that we are all magical creatures simply so that they can write that their friends are their favourite." Remus shrugs.
"Not many people appreciate their friends like I do." She nods.
"Too true."
That night someone climbs into Remus' bunk with him, he opens his eyes and sees Peter looking at him questioningly.
"Erm…Pete?"
"She's a Werewolf, isn't she?" His eyes widen in surprise.
"How…"
"I saw the claw marks on the side of her neck, they look like the ones you have." Remus huffs out a quiet laugh as he nods.
"You know, I think we have all seriously underestimated you, my friend." The most devilish smile Remus has ever seen comes over Peter's face as he responds,
"Most people do." The two laugh about it quietly.
"Who do you think is gonna work it out next?" Peter shrugs.
"Severus or Evans probably."
"I'm still thinking Sirius will." Peter snorts.
"Nah, he's too preoccupied."
"With what?" Remus asks with a frown, Peter gulps, Remus sighs, "Don't worry about it Wormtail."
"Wormtail?"
"Rats have worm-like tails, I don't know it's been stuck in my head since you all transformed." Peter chuckles.
"I like it."
The next DADA lesson is in the middle of the day on Wednesday. It also happens to be right after History of Magic.
"…just keep your mouth shut we might actually manage to win the house cup! Or at least not be in the negatives."
"We were not in the negatives, Alice."
"Everything okay…?" Eleenie asks the class as they all take their seats, Severus smirks.
"Oh, better than all right, Remy just secured Slytherin's win of the house cup."
"That is such an exaggeration, we weren't even in the running."
"Wonder why that is," Marlene drawls, Remus rolls his eyes.
"Have you met your boyfriend?"
"Oh please, the Marauders haven't pranked anyone in ages," Lily tells him, James looks at her in complete offence, Sirius frowns.
"Damn she's right."
"Marauders' Lair after class Lads, we have a returning to plan," James declares, Severus frowns at Lily.
"What have you done." She sighs, shaking her head.
"Peter, got any ideas? You're pretty good at putting things together with surprising speed," Remus says, looking at Eleenie briefly before turning back to Peter who looks between them looking smug, Eleenie catches on, her eyebrows raised.
"Perhaps you should wait for you lair to discuss this, now I'm afraid I don't know all your names yet, Peter…?"
"Pettigrew."
"A pleasure to meet you young Sir." Remus snickers as everyone in the class just seems confused by the interaction, "While on the subject of names, who exactly are the Marauders?" James grins, standing up and leaning over his desk, holding out a hand.
"James Potter, Ma'am, pleased to meet you."
"I assume you're…lead Marauder?" Sirius scoffs, Peter frowns, Remus looks thoughtful.
"I think you've broken them Eleenie. To answer your question, the Marauders are a group of upstart young wizards who have taken it upon themselves to make everyone's lives much more difficult than they needed to be in childish and immature ways they find funny," Lily explains, it feeling odd to call her Professor such, Eleenie looks intrigued as James looks at her, aghast.
"That we find funny? How is Dumbledore being a pink goat not funny to you?" Eleenie laughs in surprise, "Oh, Professor, what's your favourite colour?" Eleenie smirks.
"Silvery grey, like the moon." Remus and Peter struggle to not laugh.
"Those four buffoons are the Marauders," Severus tells her when they don't continue themselves, "Pete Pettigrew, James Potter, Remy Lupin, and Sirius Black."
"Oh, this is Sirius, you are not what I expected." Sirius raises an eyebrow.
"And what is it you were expecting?" The class tenses slightly, James gearing up to defend his friend if necessary, but Eleenie smirks.
"Well I had been told that you were good looking, for one."
"Oooooooooh," The class says as they all laugh, Sirius laughing most of all.
"I think I like you, can't be said for many Professors."
"Oh but I hear you and Minerva have a special connection."
"Talk about me, does she?"
"Not in particular, but your group comes up in the teachers' lounge frequently." They exchange looks, Sirius shrugs.
"At least they think of us."
"Let's get on with the lesson."
"Oh I'm an idiot!" Mary suddenly exclaims as she smacks herself in the forehead, the class turns to her in shock.
"Erm, are you all right…" Eleenie asks her in concern, Mary grins as she looks at her teacher.
"Mary, Mary MacDonald." She turns to Peter and points at him, "You may have gotten it first, but let's not forget how quick on the uptake you usually are." Peter just smirks at her as Remus laughs, Eleenie looking amused. Mary smiles and nods at her, earning a pleased smile in return before she actually begins the lesson.
"I feel like an idiot," Mary complains at lunch, Peter puts a hand between her shoulder blades, rubbing soothingly.
"You aren't an idiot, not everyone can have my genius." They all look at him like he's an idiot, he sighs, "Oh come on, I never figure anything out first, let me have this!" Mary and Remus laugh while the others grow frustrated.
"WHAT THE DEVIL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" James suddenly screams at the top of his voice, the hall goes silent as everyone looks at him, he blushes, "Sorry, carry on." The hall goes back to eating, everyone looking exasperated or annoyed.
"Relax Potter, you'll work it out." He glares at Mary.
"Who bit you?" Eleenie looks up from marking papers to see Remus standing in her office doorway nervously, she frowns.
"Fenrir Greyback."
"You're a tad old to be one of Greyback's."
"He was going for my little brother, I tackled tried to tackle Benarin out of the way, Mr Greyback got me instead. Then he bit Benny anyway." Remus nods thoughtfully as he leans on the doorway.
"I have a sister, a twin. I've often wondered why he left her alone, my family think it's because my Dad came in."
"But not you?" He shakes his head.
"He was there a while before he actually bit me, setting things up and such. If he wanted to, she'd be dead or bitten. He left her and he left…he left my brother alone and there is a reason for it." Eleenie leans back in her chair, intrigued.
"What?"
"I don't know. But one of Dad's children is a Werewolf, another is dead, and the third hates wizards and resents Dad for being the one to pass magic on to her, all because of how this world deals with our people. The worst possible outcome for Dad as a person came to be, that can't be a coincidence."
"What's your point?"
"My point, is that of the three options there to him, how is it that the one named Werewolf McWerewolf gets turned into a Werewolf?" Eleenie laughs a big and surprised laugh, he smiles and shakes his head as he laughs too, "I laugh but this really bugs me, did he know? Was it on purpose? What are the odds that the man's enemy had a child with my name?" She wipes tears from her eyes as the tension in the room disappears.
"I suppose the universe has decided to make you one big cosmic joke." He grins as he finally walks into the room, sitting across from her.
"Well, Dad's name means wolf, and Mum's last name is Howell, and there was a blood moon three days after I was born, which at first you're like eh it's close but it's not right. Except that's the day Phia, Mum, and I came home from the hospital. So the first time I was ever out and under the moon, it was a total lunar eclipse." Eleenie laughs with him again.
"Well, I don't have anything like that, but I was obsessed with fairy tales when I was younger. I read Little Red Riding Hood to my brother and it terrified the crap out of him because we lived beside a forest. So I ended up having to sleep in his bed with him that night, reassuring him that no big bad wolf was going to get passed me." Remus smiles sadly at her.
"My twin, Phia, used to read Dad's work books, he works with the ministry, I'm not entirely sure doing what, he gets quiet about it whenever I'm around. I scared easy, so they had a rule she could look through them so long as she didn't tell me about it because I'd have nightmares. She did, of course, frequently. This particular night she'd told me about Werewolves, I told my Dad there was something under my bed. Dad told Phia off for telling me stuff again, and told me there was nothing there."
"I suppose there are somethings we all regret saying. My promise, your Dad's reassurance, and then there are things we'll regret hearing. I imagine your Dad's words to you are yours." Remus shakes his head.
"No, I regret that he didn't know, and that Phia told me anything to begin with."
"When bad stuff happens, sometimes we can't help but blame others for it even if we know it's illogical. Your sister's hatred of the wizarding world for instance. Not everyone here will treat you badly, but she blames the world for existing because without it none of this would have happened, much like her resentment for your father passing on magic. My brother, though he tries not to, will always blame me in some way for allowing it to happen despite my promising it wouldn't, I was supposed to protect him and I failed. Do you think that it might be possible, you feel this way towards your sister? As though perhaps, had she not told you and had your Father believed you, he'd have checked and none of this would have happened?" Remus frowns.
"I…suppose. I think I am angry at her for a lot of little things that shouldn't make me so angry at her. Perhaps that's why."
"Something to think about at least."
"Do you blame something for what happened?" Eleenie looks sad.
"I blame myself, Benny's right, I should have protected him. I know logically that I couldn't have but…"
"Logic doesn't really factor in to the mind of a traumatised kid." Eleenie smiles and nods.
"You know I used to love the idea of Werewolves. I don't really know why, but I thought it was so cool. I'd go out at night and howl at the moon. It took me a while, but I got that back, only now when I howl at the moon it's a little more wolf-like. Tell me Remy, what did your Lycanthropy take from you? And how are you going to get it back?" Remus' face brightens significantly after a few moments of thought.
"Excuse me Professor, but I have a plan to make," He calls as he rushes out of the room. She touches the locket around her neck, given to her by her brother on her 16th birthday, a week before the attack, she smiles.
"Good luck."