"HOW COULD YOU RISK YOU LIFE OVER SOMETHING SO STUPID AS MISSING THE SCHOOL TRAIN?" Remus screamed, his face reddening from the anger- one fueled by love and worry, and Harry knew this. But still, it was very, very rare that Remus was ever cross enough to raise his voice at all. The boy dared not raise his eyes to face the wizard pacing before him. In the next room he could hear Mrs. Weasley screaming equally hard at Ron, if not worse.
"I just thought-" Harry started to explain.
"You thought?" Remus gave a fake laugh. "There was thought involved in this mad scheme of yours?"
"Uncle Remus, I'm sorry!" Harry said defensively, his voice a bit squeaky as he held back his own emotion.
"Harry James, Sorry is not going to cut it. Your parents gave their lives for yours, and so far you've put it on the line twice doing reckless acts, and it is a very poor way to repay them. Now, I expect you will behave yourself for the rest of the year. I expect that you will no get a single detention, otherwise you will be in serious, serious trouble. We're talking homeschooling trouble. Understood?" Harry dared not argue any longer. This tone was quieter, but given the disappointment Harry could hear in his uncle's voice, he thought maybe would rather have the yelling.
"Yes, sir." Harry said quietly. The door on the far side of the room opened, and Ron was ushered in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and finally the Headmaster.
"I trust that you boys now understand the seriousness of what you have done?" Dumbledore ask calmly. Both young wizards nodded. "Good!" He clapped his hands together and turned to Professor McGonagall. "Shall we send them to dinner? I myself am ready to get back. There were some lemon tarts that looked divine." McGonagall pursed her lips and thought for a moment, and nodded.
"Very well, but know you will both be receiving a month of separate detentions in addition to whatever your families see fit. Now go." Harry and Ron both nodded and ran out of the office, leaving the office to the adults.
"Molly, Arthur, Remus, I can assure you that those two will sorely regret their decision." McGonagall said with a amused sort of smile; a smile mostly directed at Remus, who was less than amused himself.
"I believe you are very capable of handling it, Minerva." Arthur said kindly. "Well let you two get back to the feast." He gestured for the door, taking his wife's hand. "They'll be alright, Remus." He said, putting a hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. Remus nodded, and followed the couple out of the castle, but could not shake the sinking feeling in his chest.
Mandrakes, Harry decided, needed to be added to the garden Remus kept. They were ugly, loud, and hard to handle; but also very useful and valuable. Harry found he liked the challenge that sentient plants gave, and would have to remember to check his uncle's study for a book about more of them. Remus always kept a very vast and successful garden of potion level plants, which he usually sold to a few shops in England and Wales. Harry had zoned out when the bell rang loudly from the tower, signaling the change of classes. "Are you coming?" Hermione tugged at his robes. "We have Defense next, remember?" She said, turning Ron and leading both young men toward the castle.
"What's the hurry?" Ron huffed and the witch. Hermione shrugged but looked away.
"Nothing, nothing." She said, still rushing them along. "You know I'm just excited to learn." The trio moved on upward toward the castle. Once they settled into class, the boys took a seat behind Hermione, who sat next to Amelia Bones. It soon became apparent why Hermione had wanted to get to class so badly. Harry and Ron had missed the introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"Hello, children." Gilderoy Lockhart beamed down from the stairs that led to the Defense Teacher's quarters. "Welcome to Defense class." The man walked past several portraits of himself and came to the desk. Ron looked over at Harry, who shrugged. Both boys were wondering what Dumbledore had been thinking when hiring him. After all, they had heard the ranting Remus had done when seeing books by the wizard on Harry's list. "I trust you've all done your reading?" Most of the class stared blankly at the man, save a few of the girls, Hermione included, who were swooning. "Excellent!" He replied to no one in particular. "Open your copies of Gadding with Ghouls to chapter four..."
After Defense, which neither Ron nor Harry could remember any of, having tuned the Professor's voice out, as all he was doing was bragging on himself, Harry, Ron and Hermione had lunch with Seamus, Lavender, Pavarti and Neville. "Can you believe him?" Ron ask, mouthful of turkey sandwich. Hermione wrinkled her nose at Ron's speaking through his food.
"He has all those accreditations, he's very qualified. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone..." Hermione tried to defend, but Neville spoke up.
"He did hire a teacher with 'You-Know-Who' on his head, 'Mione." Neville reminded her.
"And this'n seems ta be worse!" Seamus piped in. "If you'kn imagine it!"
"I say we give him a chance!" Lavender added, fluttering her eyes dreamily. "I think he's brilliant." Upon Lavender joining the conversation, Hermione seemed to get annoyed and started to rummage through her bag, finally finding what she as looking for and handing Ron a small box.
"It's 'Spell'o'Tape', Ron" she explained. "For your wand. You'll need it for Transfiguration next."
Remus still couldn't sleep well, even though Harry had been at school a week. Something was wrong, and after Harry's first year encounter, the house elf, and the the barrier shutting him out, he was beginning to question if sending him to school was the right thing to do. Of course he knew that Harry was a special case, and that raising the boy who defeated Voldemort had its unique challenges, but something about the entire air around the school seemed off to him, and as much as he tried to reject his senses gained from his lycanthropy, he knew they were onto something. He groaned and looked over at the clock. Only seven past ten o'clock. Still early by all accounts. He sat forward and rubbed his face roughly. A drink, that is what he needed.
Though it was rare for Remus to drink at all, he never did so while Harry was near. It was only when he was at school, or before that when he stayed at the Borrow that he indulged. He also always did so at muggle bars, as to not be recognized, as being Harry's guardian had made him a bit more well known than he'd like. He dressed in a simple button down shirt and jeans in order to blend in and headed out, walking to the edge of his wards, disapperating to hidden alley he knew in muggle London.
The pub he chose, one he frequented once in a while, was dimly lit a thus his his scars better. It wasn't too crowded on this evening, and he was thankful. He took a seat at the end of the bar and ordered a int, drawing the first swig in slowly as he watched the people around him. There was a few sparse couples, including a few people on the small dance floor, a few loners like himself and a group of young women, who all seemed to be celebrating the one in the middle- who Remus couldn't help but notice stood out from her friends. He took it all in but kept looking, ever watchful as he drank his beer. Normally he drank in silence, only once in a while having to turn down advances from women.
He started to feel the alcohol relax him as he started into his second pint, and he turned to watch the people around him better. However, as he turned to prop back on the bar, he saw the young woman that had been the center of her friend's attentions trip as she approached the tender, and his lycan reflexes once more paid off as he stuck an arm out to catch her. She stood back upright with his help and brushed her long purple ringlets from her face. "Thank you, mate." The young woman grinned as she straightened her dress back out. Remus couldn't help but give her a once over, noticing she was quite lovely, but he shook his head.
"No problem." He smiled politely. She sat on the stool next to him, and he stiffened a bit. Magic, he could feel it on her, and he was a bit nervous by her presence.
"No, really, you saved my face. Let me refill that pint?" She waved to the bartender who slid two more down the bar to them. Remus gave another half smile. "I'm Tonks." She stuck out her hand, and hesitating, Remus took it.
"That's... unique." He said, wincing inwardly at how offensive the comment could potentially be. The woman laughed however, and Remus tilted his head, confused.
"It's my last name, my given name would give you nightmares, and I can't do that to such a handsome bloke, especially after he's saved me." Remus' face burned red. "Do you have a name?" She blinked at him, propping her head on her hand and elbow on the bar.
"Ah, Er- Remus." He replied. She smiled and looked at him as if she knew something, but didn't say wither way. Then, without any warning, she leaned in and placed a large, wet kiss on his cheek before walking off back toward her friends. "Thanks for saving me, Remus!" she called over her shoulder. Remus felt confused, but turned back toward the bar and bottomed out the last of his beer before heading home, as he was hoping to get a letter from Harry in the morning.
Oh, man it has been a while huh!? I'm sorry, I was just a bit uninspired for a while, but now I think I'll be back on track for this story. I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter and will be sure to leave lots of nice comments that say how much you love it! Either way, thank you all for reading!