Remus awoke involuntarily the next morning due to Sirius Black, one of Remus's best friends, poking him. "Remus, get up!"
"Mrf," said Remus. He removed his face slightly from the pillow and mumbled, "I'm not awake...been wide asleep the whole time...you aren't real...elephants..."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Remus, we've got classes," he reminded Remus gently.
Remus, who normally cared about his grades and was sometimes even capable of enjoying his classes, said, "Classes can die."
Sirius sighed. James Potter, another of Remus's friends, had been parented in such a way that it was impossible for him not to be observant. "Remus, that's not like you," he pointed out, sounding as though he might be slightly concerned about Remus's health.
Now mostly awake, Remus snapped, "Maybe it is like me. What makes you so certain it isn't? But don't let me keep you two from the classes you seem to like so much. Run along now, and get on with your so-called lives."
Sirius and James looked at each other meaningfully. "Fine," James said, sounding slightly hurt, yet still angry. The two of them walked from the dormitory, leaving Remus to his lack of thought.
Why did I do that? he thought bitterly. I'm an idiot... And then he remembered. The events of the previous night suddenly flooded into his brain like a swarm of angry wasps. He had little time to dwell on this, however, for at that moment, Brachiatory's voice hissed a command at him.
"Lupin...come see me..."
But I don't want to! Remus thought.
"But you have to," Brachiatory's voice replied smugly. And even as the command reached Remus, he could feel his feet carrying him involuntarily down the stairs and out the portrait hole. He sighed sadly. It was a very pathetic time indeed when one was betrayed by one's own feet.
He walked quickly out to the Shrieking Shack in the same mechanical fashion as before, being careful not to make eye contact with anyone. He barely knew where he was going until the bright light of outside dimmed, and he heard the faint sound of something bubbling.
The first thing Remus saw when he entered the Shrieking Shack was Brachiatory, looking very smug and stirring a small cauldron. Remus cleared his throat. "Sir?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
Brachiatory looked up and saw Remus. "I am potion-brewing, Lupin," he said tersely.
This struck Remus as a bit odd. "Er...right," he said. "So...why am I here?"
Brachiatory grinned. "Because I am almost finished. I'll need you here when I'm done making the potion. Now...did you sleep? Answer me truthfully."
Remus sighed. "Not well," he said quietly. "Maybe for fifteen minutes or so." Brachiatory glared at him. Remus shuffled his feet, looking guiltily at the floor. "Well, you did ask me to be truthful," he said.
"So I did," Brachiatory conceded, pouring the contents of the cauldron into an earthenware mug, which he held out to Remus.
Remus blinked. "Er...what is that stuff?"
Brachiatory sighed. "It's your only means of survival. You're not allowed to go to the Great Hall to eat, because that takes too much time. It also enables you to interact with other students, who may notice your condition. This potion, for which I am very grateful, gives the drinker enough energy and vitamins to go a day without food." He pressed the mug into Remus's hands.
"Er...right." Remus stared down at the foamy, tan mixture.
"Drink it," Brachiatory urged. "You will not need to eat-only drink this once a day, and you're done."
Remus eyed the foul-smelling liquid suspiciously, trying to resist the command. The strange potion bubbled innocently. "I-I don't know," he said skeptically.
"I won't try to poison you, Lupin; not yet, anyway," Brachiatory assured Remus. "Go on-drink. It will do you good."
Hesitantly, Remus raised the mug to his lips and drank tentatively. Remus would have expected it to taste as bad as it smelled, but instead it merely lacked flavor altogether. It was cold, though-almost like ice. He shivered slightly. Brachiatory noticed.
"Yes-you'll want to dress warmly, Lupin. I'm afraid you may become ill, in your vulnerable state, and we can't have that happening." Remus nodded. Brachiatory grinned, in something of a less intimidating manner, though intimidating all the same. "Now," he said, "go on and get to class."
Remus turned to go. As he was leaving, Brachiatory called after him, "Get some sleep tonight, Lupin!" Remus sighed, and nodded. Brachiatory turned his back to Remus, leaving him to walk, shivering, back to the castle.
"Mrf," said Remus. He removed his face slightly from the pillow and mumbled, "I'm not awake...been wide asleep the whole time...you aren't real...elephants..."
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Remus, we've got classes," he reminded Remus gently.
Remus, who normally cared about his grades and was sometimes even capable of enjoying his classes, said, "Classes can die."
Sirius sighed. James Potter, another of Remus's friends, had been parented in such a way that it was impossible for him not to be observant. "Remus, that's not like you," he pointed out, sounding as though he might be slightly concerned about Remus's health.
Now mostly awake, Remus snapped, "Maybe it is like me. What makes you so certain it isn't? But don't let me keep you two from the classes you seem to like so much. Run along now, and get on with your so-called lives."
Sirius and James looked at each other meaningfully. "Fine," James said, sounding slightly hurt, yet still angry. The two of them walked from the dormitory, leaving Remus to his lack of thought.
Why did I do that? he thought bitterly. I'm an idiot... And then he remembered. The events of the previous night suddenly flooded into his brain like a swarm of angry wasps. He had little time to dwell on this, however, for at that moment, Brachiatory's voice hissed a command at him.
"Lupin...come see me..."
But I don't want to! Remus thought.
"But you have to," Brachiatory's voice replied smugly. And even as the command reached Remus, he could feel his feet carrying him involuntarily down the stairs and out the portrait hole. He sighed sadly. It was a very pathetic time indeed when one was betrayed by one's own feet.
He walked quickly out to the Shrieking Shack in the same mechanical fashion as before, being careful not to make eye contact with anyone. He barely knew where he was going until the bright light of outside dimmed, and he heard the faint sound of something bubbling.
The first thing Remus saw when he entered the Shrieking Shack was Brachiatory, looking very smug and stirring a small cauldron. Remus cleared his throat. "Sir?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
Brachiatory looked up and saw Remus. "I am potion-brewing, Lupin," he said tersely.
This struck Remus as a bit odd. "Er...right," he said. "So...why am I here?"
Brachiatory grinned. "Because I am almost finished. I'll need you here when I'm done making the potion. Now...did you sleep? Answer me truthfully."
Remus sighed. "Not well," he said quietly. "Maybe for fifteen minutes or so." Brachiatory glared at him. Remus shuffled his feet, looking guiltily at the floor. "Well, you did ask me to be truthful," he said.
"So I did," Brachiatory conceded, pouring the contents of the cauldron into an earthenware mug, which he held out to Remus.
Remus blinked. "Er...what is that stuff?"
Brachiatory sighed. "It's your only means of survival. You're not allowed to go to the Great Hall to eat, because that takes too much time. It also enables you to interact with other students, who may notice your condition. This potion, for which I am very grateful, gives the drinker enough energy and vitamins to go a day without food." He pressed the mug into Remus's hands.
"Er...right." Remus stared down at the foamy, tan mixture.
"Drink it," Brachiatory urged. "You will not need to eat-only drink this once a day, and you're done."
Remus eyed the foul-smelling liquid suspiciously, trying to resist the command. The strange potion bubbled innocently. "I-I don't know," he said skeptically.
"I won't try to poison you, Lupin; not yet, anyway," Brachiatory assured Remus. "Go on-drink. It will do you good."
Hesitantly, Remus raised the mug to his lips and drank tentatively. Remus would have expected it to taste as bad as it smelled, but instead it merely lacked flavor altogether. It was cold, though-almost like ice. He shivered slightly. Brachiatory noticed.
"Yes-you'll want to dress warmly, Lupin. I'm afraid you may become ill, in your vulnerable state, and we can't have that happening." Remus nodded. Brachiatory grinned, in something of a less intimidating manner, though intimidating all the same. "Now," he said, "go on and get to class."
Remus turned to go. As he was leaving, Brachiatory called after him, "Get some sleep tonight, Lupin!" Remus sighed, and nodded. Brachiatory turned his back to Remus, leaving him to walk, shivering, back to the castle.