Monday, 6 December 1976
Remus Lupin was in a foul mood. The weather was bloody awful, his professors were bothering, and his friends were getting on his nerves. But to be fair to the weather, his professors, and his friends, Remus Lupin was always in a foul mood the day of the full moon. In the days leading up to the full moon, Remus would become aggressive, possessive and easily irritated. Anything could set him off.
He didn't want to see anyone so he remained alone in his dorm room as friends did Merlin knows what. He laid on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head as he scowled at the ceiling. He was about to doze off when he heard a knock on the door. Remus groaned and ignored it. He assumed the person who knocked on the door would just walk away. He assumed wrong.
The person at the door knocked again.
Remus shot up and growled, "Come in."
The door flung open and Remus hid his scowl and hoped whatever anger that was on his face would fade away after he saw Lena standing in the doorway. Remus wasn't angry with Lena and he hated the thought of her thinking he did. She was trying to hide her smile by biting her lower lip as she entered the room.
"Guess what," she said as she approached him. She stopped biting lip and graced him with her beaming smile.
"What?" he replied in a calmer, lighter tone than he thought he was going to be able to muster.
She sat cross-legged behind him on the bed and moved her right arm in front of him and shook a piece of parchment in front of him. "Look! I got an A on the Binns quiz you helped me study for!"
She kissed him on his left cheek out of excitement. Whatever anger he was feeling all day dissipated. Her kiss sent him soaring. Yes, Lena had kissed him before but only ever as a hello or goodbye or as a source of comfort, like how a parent would kiss their child's scrapes and bruises. She had never kissed him out of pure happiness before. Remus knew it was silly to get so overjoyed about a kiss from a girl who only saw him as a friend, but still he was happy.
Remus turned around on the bed to face Lena who was rambling. "—And I know it's just an A, which is barely passing, and most people get higher than As, but I am so pleased right now."
Remus let out a laugh and hugged. "An A is nothing to scoff about, Lena. And I'm so happy for you. You should be really proud of yourself."
Lena blushed as Remus pulled away from her. "I'm just— thank you so much for helping me when you didn't even have to. I could not have done this without you."
"Yes, you could have. And I wanted to help."
Lena grinned. "Where's everyone else? I want to tell Peter that I got an A."
Remus did not want to tell Lena that had been angry and aggressive all day due to the full moon. He did not want Lena to see the angry side of him, his werewolf side. So he lied.
"They left so I could get some rest before tonight. I don't really get any rest during the full moon."
Lena's widened in realization that it was the full moon. "Oh, I forgot it was tonight. I'll leave so you can rest."
Remsus grew slightly possessive. He did not want her to leave. "No, stay for a while."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Alright," Lena paused and patted the bed. "At least lie down."
Remus turned around and put his back to her. He laid down and the back of his head fell into Lena's lap. He looked up at her and she looked down at him, her hair forming a curtain around her face. He smiled up at her and she smiled back. She combed his light brown hair against his forehead with her fingers. Her touch put him at ease.
Lena was still stroking his hair when Remus heard her whisper his name.
"Yeah?" he responded.
"What's it like?"
"What's what like?"
"The transformation. What's it like? How does it make you feel?"
"Why do you want to know? They cover this in Defense."
"Well, I'm pretty sure all the passages written about werewolf transformations aren't written by actual werewolves… and I want to know what you feel."
Remus closed his eyes and opened them. "Have you ever broken a bone?"
"My arm."
"Do you remember how painful it felt?"
"Yes."
"Well, the transformation…it's like all your bones are breaking and then mending again. It's absolute agony for a few minutes…and then it's not."
Remus paused to clear his throat. "The pain's not the bad part. I can deal with the pain. It's the lack of control that bothers me. I don't want to hurt anyone but when I'm like that, it's all I want to do. I'm so destructive I hurt my friends, your brother…myself." His voice grew distant. "I hate that there's a side of me that's not me at all."
Even though he was laying in her lap, Remus felt miles away from Lena.
Remus woke up to the slamming of the door. He opened and his and was disappointed to find that Lena's face was no longer above him. In fact, she wasn't in the room at all. Remus turned onto his stomach and looked at the spot that Lena occupied. A ripped up piece of parchment had replaced her.
Remus picked it up and read it.
REMUS,
I DIDN'T WONT TO WAKE YOU UP. YOU LOOKT SO PEACEFUL. I'M SORRY FOUR MAKING YOU UNCUMFRTBLE EARLYER. THAT WASN'T MY INTENTION. I JUST WONTD TO NOW YOU BETTR. FOUR WAT IT'S WORTH, I KNOW YOU DON'T WONT TO HURT ANYONE. YOUR ONE OF TEH KINDEST PEPL I KNOW. BEST OF LUC TONITE.
LENA
Remus smiled at the note riddled with errors and heart she drew next to her name. Taking the note, Remus got up from his bed and went to the drawer where he placed all the birthday and holiday cards he got from his family during the year. He opened the drawer and placed Lena's note inside.
"Sorry for waking you. How was your nap?" Frank asked as he went to lay on his bed.
"It's alright. I feel well-rested," Remus said, much happier than he was earlier. He was still happy from spending time with Lena and the note she had left.
James, Frank, Peter, and Sirius all looked at each other, with looks of confusion. Remus was rarely in a decent mood right before the full moon, especially when he was disturbed.
"Oh, Lena stopped by," Remus said casually, or at least he hoped he did.
"She did? How come?" Peter asked.
Frank, Sirius, and James shared another look with each other and Sirius began to smile smugly.
"She wanted to tell you that she got an A on her Binns quiz," Remus told Peter.
"That's great," Peter said as he entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
James and Sirius rushed over to him, James sitting on his right and Sirius sitting on his left.
"So, Lena's why you're in a good mood," James said with a smirk.
"Shut up," Remus growled.
Tuesday, 7 December 1976
"You look so tired," Maggie observed as Lena ate her omelette.
Lena swallowed. "I had trouble sleeping last night."
"How come?" Ava asked in between sips of her tea.
"I dunno."
However, Lena did in fact know. All night, she laid awake thinking about Remus and the physical and emotional pain he was experiencing. All she wanted to do was take away his pain and help him.
Lena looked up from her plate to scan the Great Hall for Remus but instead found herself looking at Maggie, who had worry written all over her face.
"What's wrong, Mags?" she asked.
"Nothing, it's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not. And even if it is, it doesn't matter. You can tell us," Ava encouraged.
"It's just, things are weird between Alex and I. Not bad, just different. We don't do the same stuff anymore."
"Well, that's normal. You're just out of the honeymoon stage," Ava assured her.
"It's not just that. I'm not… I'm not as interested in him as I was before. Shit!" Maggie cried guiltily as she looked down and placed her hand on her forehead.
"Maggie, you shouldn't feel bad. It's okay to change your mind," Lena said kindly.
"But I don't want to change my mind! And I feel like Alex isn't as interested in me. I know I've been staring at other guys and I'm pretty sure he's looking at other girls," Maggie continued.
"Mags, you can't help how you feel," Ava said.
"Maybe you should talk to Alex about how you're feeling," Lena suggested.
"If I do that though, everything might end."
Lena looked at Maggie with wisdom in her eyes. "It's okay for the thing to end."
"Hey, how are you guys doing?" Lena asked James and Sirius as she wedged herself in between them.
"Good. What's up with you Lee?" James asked.
"Nothing really. I was just wondering how Remus is doing."
Sirius smiled at Lena's question as James responded. "As good as he can be considering the circumstances."
Lena nodded. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you two something."
"You already asked us something," Sirius pointed out.
"Well, I've got another question."
"Ask away," Sirius said.
"Great," Lena beamed. "Will you help me become an Animagus?"
All the air was knocked out of Sirius' lungs.
"No, no, no, no, no," James protested.
"Why not?" Lena pouted. "You don't think I can do it?"
"No, I'm sure you can do it. I just don't want Peter to kill us," James said.
"Well, Peter's not the boss of me or you," Lena said.
"Then, why don't you ask Peter?" Sirius suggested.
"Because he'll say no…," Lena drifted off.
"But we said no," Sirius said.
"You owe me one, though."
"No I don't," Sirius disagrees.
"Oh yes you do."
"And what, pray tell, do I owe you for?" Sirius asked as he folded his arms.
"You tried to Obliviate me."
Sirius sucked in his cheeks and looked at the ground.
"She's got you there, Padfoot."
"And you encouraged him!"
"That's, that's… that's true," James sputtered.
"Merlin, how long are you gonna keep bringing that up?" Sirius asked.
"How long are you going to feel guilty about it?" Lena replied.
"I dunno. Maybe for three more months."
"Then, for three more months."
James and Sirius groaned.
"Why do you even want to become an Animagus?" James asked.
"Because I want to help Remus," Lena said.
Sirius spoke up in a flat tone. "Oh, because you're in love with him."
Never had the family resemblance between Regulus and Sirius been so apparent to Lena until now.
"I am not in love with Remus. I only see him as a friend," Lena lied.
"Really? Because you blush whenever you're around him," James said.
"Of course I'm always blushing! I'm always embarrassed!"
Sirius hummed. "Whatever you say, Lena."
"So, are you gonna help me?"
James sighed. "Lessons start next week."