Crying Siren, Singign Wolf
************************************************************************
"Professor Lupin you look terrible!" Lupin graced her with a vague smile.
"Thank you Serena. You don't look so well either," he reached over to lift Serena's dark glasses off her nose; Serena took a hasty step back.
"I'm a little tired."
"Right," he obviously didn't believer her but let the matter drop anyway, "Well, shall we see to the boggart?" he opened the closet doors and took a quick peak inside, "Wow you found a good one. What did you do, summon him?" he closed the door.
"I can't summon…" she saw the look on his face and gave him a half hearted grin, "You're teasing me Professor Lupin."
"That I am Assistant Professor Snape. Seriously though, you did a good job."
"Thank you Professor."
"Are you always so formal?" he asked as they headed to class.
"Form-Oh! Well with most of the other teachers yes. With the headmaster and Deputy headmaster certainly. With Hagrid and my brother no."
"It really is alright for you to call me Remus. I don't mind."
"I mind. You're my boss."
"Not really."
"But you are. That's why you get paid more than I do."
"Well, what if I said that I'd prefer to be called Remus. Will you call me Remus then?"
"You're not giving up are you? No. All right but I won't call you that in front of students all right? Alright?" Lupin didn't have time to answer since they had reached the classroom. Inside was a class of third year Gryffindors.
"Today's will be a practical lesson. if you would please take your wands and follow us?" Serena waited until all the students had left then brought up the rear. Harry Potter gave her black jacket a tug
"What's going on? What's he mean by a practical lesson?" Serena forced a smile. Because of her depression she found it had to smile or laugh it was exceedingly hard to sing which worried her. A siren who couldn't sing was in a bad way.
"You'll see Harry, I can say this-"
The sight of Peeves the poltergeist cut her off. He apparently was harassing Professor Lupin, who was still smiling cheerfully. Serena drew level with him.
"Problem?" She asked out of the corner of her mouth.
"He stuffed the keyhole with gum, what do you think?"
"Dislodging spell?"
"Good idea," Lupin raised his voice to its normal level, "This is a useful spell. Watch. Waddiwasi!" a bright piece of bubblegum shot out of the lock and lodged itself up Peeves nose. He zipped off cursing loudly.
"Wow! Cool Sir!" exclaimed Dean Thomas. Lupin smiled
"Thank you." Serena scanned the group of first years, and saw Cameron, Lupin's nephew talking with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dan Tomas, and Harry, he looked up and saw Serena, and he smiled a little then went back to talking to his friends. That's when a thought hit Serena; she walked over to Lupin and yanked him aside,
"I don't think we should allow Harry to battle the boggart, it may very well change into Voldemort," Lupin looked surprised, not many wizards dared to utter that name, then nodded
"Good point," he said
"And I don't think Cameron should battle it either," Lupin seemed confused
"I promised him that I wouldn't treat him different from his friends, don't worry he'll be fine he can handle it." Lupin said smiling, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Its not really Cameron being able to handle it that's worrying me, what's Cameron's biggest fear? If its what I think it is we're going to have some chaos in the class" Lupin went pale,
"Well, what is it?" Serena pushed gently
"Cameron's afraid of himself," Lupin said softly now it was Serena's turn to look confused,
"Himself?" she asked Lupin nodded
"Cameron's afraid of himself as a full werewolf, er or in other words what he'd be like if he looked at the full moon" Lupin looked at Cameron who looked at him for a quick second then laughed at something Dan had said.
"Your right, Serena, perhaps it would be best if Cameron did not face the boggart, at least not now." Lupin said still watching Cameron.
"If you want I'll make sure he doesn't battle it? That way you technically wont be breaking any promises" Lupin smiled and nodded gratefully
"Thank you," he said. They had reached the staff room. Sitting inside was Snape. He caught Serena's eyes who in turn gave him a look that could kill. Lupin started to close the door when Snape suddenly got up.
"Leave the door open Lupin, I'd rather not witness this." He walked to the door, "Maybe Serena never told you that you have Neville Longbottom in your class and unless he has Miss Granger hissing instructions in his ear he seems to mess everything up," Serena clenched her fists so tightly that blood dripped through her fingers as Snape left.
"Excuse me sir," she turned to Lupin, "Can I have a word with him?" Lupin raised an eyebrow, as some students cringed. They remembered too well what had happened the last time Serena had that tone of voice, "Its bad enough that he's biased in his own class. Its unacceptable to bully Neville in front of other teachers," Lupin nodded.
************************************************************************
"I'd like a word professor," Serena told Snape when she was just behind him. She saw Snape flinch; he knew what happened when Serena got mad. But then again he didn't know that the slightness use of Siren magic could kill her. He turned around.
"That," Serena began "was un called for, it was unprofessional and childish and frankly I'm a bit surprised that even someone like you could sink that low."
"What do you mean 'someone like you'?"
"Have you ever wondered why only the students in your house like you? You're cruel, biased towards Slytherins, and extremely sarcastic. You," her voice suddenly became ice "Are a pink rascal slut," it was the worst thing you could say to someone else well if you were a siren anyways. Snape happened to know that Serena only used that phrase on a select few. Before the botched memory charm she had called Gilderoy Lockheart the same thing. She was mad, really mad. Snape caught a hold of her arm as she turned to go.
"You changed this summer," he said pulling her so their faces were a foot apart. Not that it mattered since Snape couldn't see the exhaustion-ringed eyes behind her dark sunglasses. "And I for one don't think its for the better" Serena yanked her arm away
"That's something you'll have to deal with then isn't it?" With that she turned on her heels and headed back to the lesson.
************************************************************************
A few months later found Serena wandering around Hogwarts aimlessly a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach kept her moving. You see Sirens always sing on the first night of a new moon phase and tonight was the first night of a full moon. So as Serena hadn't been singing she couldn't sit still, after much walking she decided to see if Lupin was awake. At her heels trotted Jade and Felicity. On their way they met up with or rather didn't meet up with someone, who Serena knew was wearing a Invisibility cloak. she knew who had one, but figured that whoever thought their reason for wandering around in the middle of the night was important enough then she would just tell them to get to bed. Then thought about all the times she and her friends had snuck around Hogwarts and decided to leave it alone. Serena paused at Lupin's door and gave a timid knock.
"Remus?"
"He's not in there," Felicity said "I can't smell him in there."
"Oh good that means he's up. He's probably in his office C'mon" But he didn't answer there either. Serena pressed her ear to the door and hear a shuffling sound.
"Remus?" she tried to turn the doorknob "Hey it's locked," she took out her wand and tapped the door "Alohomora!" She heard a click and opened the door. The office seemed empty; she was about to leave when, sudden inspiration hit her, she peeked behind the desk. "Hello Professor," she cocked her head, "Did you get a haircut? You look different," curled up, looking up at her mournfully was a wolf. Or at least that's what Serena would have thought if she didn't know any better. "Why haven't you attacked? Why aren't you…" suddenly it dawned on her. "That…. Potion Severus gave you. Was that a wolfsbane potion?" Lupin came out from behind the desk and nodded, "Ah. That makes sense then, um may I join with you?" Lupin cocked his head, "Well its so we can talk. It's how I understand other animals. Its just I've never been this close to a werewolf and that is a mind I've always wanted to understand better. So may I?" Lupin nodded again. Serena crept toward Lupin cautiously and placed two timid, shaking fingers between his eyes. There was a rush of air and they found themselves in a meadow dotted with wild flowers. Lupin looked down at himself, no longer a werewolf he was wearing ivory Wizarding robes. Looking over he saw Serena sitting tailor style wearing a gray slip dress that matched her glassless eyes.
"This is how you talk to animals?"
"No, well sorta," she was out of breath but hid it very well "Its hard to explain. I don't understand it but here we are. And after this when you become a werewolf we'll be able to communicate" If this doesn't kill me she thought. Lupin was looking around,
"Speaking of which" Serena continued as she tried to get up, failed and had to be helped by Lupin he held her arms at the elbows
"Speaking of which?" he prompted
"Of which what….?" Confusion crossed her face to be replaced quickly by understanding "Ah! Speaking of which why didn't you tell me you were a werewolf?" Lupin looked uncomfortable
"Well I've heard that you don't really, er, like werewolves much."
"I like Cameron."
"He's half."
"Well I never told you…Felicity'll kill me but anyway…we've met before. Umm, before I brought Cameron to you I mean."
"Um, I think I'd remember meeting a siren."
"Not if Felicity put a memory charm on you," she stared off into a fathomless distance, "I can't reverse it. It's her spell you see. Please just trust me."
"How did we meet?"
"You were 19…Oh!" her mind was giving way to the exhaustion that came from using Siren magic without a spark. She suddenly sagged in Lupin's grip and the meadow around them began fading "Close your eyes" she said "Trust me just close your eyes," Lupin did what he was told.