Chapter 3:
Remus Lupin
'You're late, Mr. Lupin.' Greeted the reproving tone of Minerva McGonagall.
Remus smiled a tired, sheepish smile and entered her office, waiting for further instructions patiently and politely.
'Take a seat.' McGonagall ordered distractedly, her eyes fixated on the parchment stretched on her desk.
Remus seated himself, not uttering a word and just observing. Professor McGonagall appeared to be tired which was natural, considering the amount of students she had counseled that day, two of them being James and Sirius. Explains the headache.
'Your performance in your OWL Examinations would make your future open to many fields, Mr. Lupin. Especially your - and your friends' - abilities in Transfiguration, which I would consider has exceeded any limitation boundaries I had set up for your marauding group.'
Her eyes glinted beneath her spectacles. 'Anything you'd like to say about that, Mr. Lupin?'
'U-Um.. thank you..?' Lupin stammered, not quite appreciating the line of conversation at the moment. McGonagall frowned at the lack of information and continued to scrutinize the Marauder in front of her.
After a vicious battle of will, McGonagall finally gave up and sighed.
'As I had said earlier, Mr. Lupin, your academic performances would leave you with a wide range of career options in the future. Your turn now - what do you think.' McGonagall enquired.
Remus bit back the, 'I think that the newly promoted Pudmore United side is truly fantastic,' and instead stammered, 'I.. I don't know.'
'Your don't know?' McGonagall snapped.
'Mr. Lupin, we both know that we're not here to have fun. Do you have a career option in mind that you'd like to pursue? Perhaps a curse breaker, an Auror?'
For the first time that afternoon, Lupin smiled.
'I have a lot of things on my mind, professor. None of which I could achieve.' He declared, soft yet firm.
McGonagall's eyes softened.
'Remus, you can achieve anything you aspire if you simply work towards it.'
Lupin's eyes flashed.
'Not here, no. We both know we're not here to have fun.' Lupin quoted, eyes losing the humor, yet a smile crinkling his features.
He looked her in the eyes.
'We both know that it's useless. The Ministry is debating on whether people like me should be privileged to opportunities as we speak. Debate is just a formal word.
We both know, professor, that nobody is going to spare a glance at my résumé. They would be more interested and disgusted at my... Monthly absence.'
McGonagall remained speechless as Lupin politely apologized, left his seat and casually walked out of her office.
'Not a curse breaker or an Auror, Remus. You'll one day become a colleague of mine.' McGonagall vowed as Peter Pettigrew scrambled in.