Remus Lupin was staring, and he didn't much care. Harry Potter was looking absolutely dreadful, and he couldn't fathom why. Albus had Order members watching him constantly outside of school. There was no reason for him to look like... like... well, he looked like he'd been foraging for food in the Forbidden Forest. And he wasn't eating much now, either.
Surely Sirius' death hadn't...
Harry barely knew Sirius, thought Remus, sadly. If he'd even had a little more time, then maybe... but... He shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea. It must be something else.
Someone needs to talk to him. We can't have him wasting away. Remus glanced at the headmaster, who was animatedly chatting with Minerva. At the next staff meeting.
He looked back at Harry, just in time to catch the boy taking a covert glance at Severus. And what's that about? He'll be taking potions again this year, of course, Merlin knows Severus complained enough at the meetings for anyone with half a mind to know he's not happy with that. Another thing someone will have to talk to him about.
Remus sighed slightly, looking at the end of the Gryffindor table where they'd always used to sit. That talk should have been Sirius' task. Escapee from Azkaban or not, he'd had Harry's best interests in mind. And he'd left without so much as a word... Of course, it was no use to blame the dead for their passing. Especially when the living still needed you with so much passionate intensity.
That didn't make things any easier though.
Remus stood up, deciding to make the rounds of the tables, make sure no one was up to any magical mischief. He walked first to the Slytherin table, not expecting any trouble. They usually only did things out of retribution. Besides, Severus hadn't taken his eyes off the table once this evening. The Slytherins were too smart to get caught by their own head of house.
Next was to the Ravenclaws. Here was some serious magical mischief. Of course, none of it was anything other than perfectly performed, and all of it was covered by charms in an instant as he walked towards them. Remus smiled a little. A Evidentiary charm of some sort? Hadn't James tried one of those in fourth year and ended up eliminating the food from the entire Griffindor table? Well, at least the Ravenclaws could use them properly, and Remus just didn't have the heart to reprimand the students for such a well preformed bit of magic.
He slowed down at the Hufflepuff table. They weren't usually much trouble either. Hufflepuffs were happy to be making friends, pulling small tricks at each other, all good natured humor. No, the Hufflepuffs were generally angelic in comparison to the other houses, and this year was no exception.
The group most likely to make mischief was the house he had not so long ago graduated from. Although, it was a long time. Many long, long years as the last of the marauders. He looked at Harry for a moment. The boy was so like his father, and yet, so dissimilar. James had always sought the spotlight as much as Severus had run from it. Harry never seemed to understand when his actions were bringing attention towards him, and his attempts to run, like Severus', only seemed to bring more people to stare at him.
James would have consciously taken advantage of being the boy who lived. Harry never tried to,though it happened all the same. It was only natural that a young man would... Remus blamed the muggles for it. Harry should have been spoiled silly, losing both his parents... The same could be said for a number of children from his year and the seventh years.
And those same dark times, come again...
Remus shook his head and walked to Harry, who still hadn't eaten anything more. His friends were talking animatedly around him, but it seemed strained. He walked to Harry, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry?"
Author's notes
Blue Crow, DarkNevilKitty: I'll be trying for one a day!
Princess-Perfect: Yeah... well, always reasons for everything, right?