Chapter Twelve: Raging Remus

"Come on, Harry! Get up!"

Harry groaned and rolled over onto his back. Blearily, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. Ron stood over him, grinning broadly. Harry's stomach clenched and unclenched, but he ignored it, too tired to focus. He had stayed up all night worrying about what Tory had said.

"What're you so damn happy about?" he mumbled, rolling out of bed. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Lupin's here. He looks ready to kill someone. And he's asking about you," he chuckled. "He keeps muttering inappropriate things." Harry burst out laughing and couldn't stop for a good few minutes. "What did you do?" Rona asked suspiciously.

"I sent him a letter," Harry said innocently. "All about how you and I are warm for Tory's form." Ron raised an eyebrow.

"But I thought you—" Harry rolled his eyes.

"I am. I just wanted to get a rise out of him. I knew he was involved with Tory!" Still laughing hysterically, Harry pulled on his jeans and hurried down to the Gryffindor Common Room.

The few students who were in the common room were huddled in corners, staring fearfully at Lupin, who was livid.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU'D BETTER STAY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM TORY! IF I EVER CATCH YOU SO MUCH AS LOOKING AT HER THE WRONG WAY, I'LL PUT YOUR EYES OUT WITH A SPORK! AND AS FOR RON, TELL HIM TO START THINKING WITH HIS HEAD RATHER THAN HIS—"

"LUPIN!" Harry interrupted, not wanting to scar the first years for life with Lupin's foul language. Well, that and he didn't know what he'd do if Ron's fifth extremity was mentioned.

"Calm down. I was kidding. I had the suspicions that you and Tory were dating, and I just wanted to get a rise out of you," Harry said with a guilty grin. Lupin muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Just like your father…'

"Sorry, but it was too tempting," he apologized. "Anyway, think of it this way: Now you get to see Tory!" Lupin glared at him and stomped out of the common room, probably to go snog Tory, just to reassure himself that she wasn't going for students.

Harry turned around and saw Ron staring, openmouthed. His ears were slowly turning red, and he looked down at Harry. "Was he going to say…what I think he's going to say?" Harry nodded.

"Yeah…I kinda' told him that you were talking in your sleep…I conveyed to him that it was some inappropriate language." Ron glared.

"Great…Just great…Now I've got a crazed werewolf pissed off at me," he muttered. "Thanks, Harry." Harry chuckled.

"He'll get over it," he said. "Come on. Hermione's probably wondering where we are."

They walked down to the Great Hall together, chuckling about Lupin. Hermione was at the Gryffindor table, her nose buried in one of the books she'd purchased at Hogsmeade.

"There you are!" she exclaimed when they sat down. "Professor Lupin just stormed in here, screaming for you! What happened?" Harry smiled, guiltily. Ron rolled his eyes and launched into an explanation.

"And he started threatening me!" he finished defensively. Hermione gave Harry a reproving look.

"You shouldn't have done that, Harry," she scolded.

"C'mon, Hermione. It was a joke!" Hermione huffed and returned to her book.

"Found anything?" Ron asked, breaking the awkward silence. Hermione sighed and shut her book.

"Not yet. There are just too many love potions! You wouldn't think there'd be that many, but there are!" She made a frustrated noise. Harry reached for the book.

"Hey, I'll do the research. I'm the one who's under it, anyway," he said, consolingly. She let him have it, and began to eat the cold eggs on her plate.

"I'll help," Ron offered. Harry gave him a look. "What? I'm the one who has to deal with you!"

Harry sighed. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.