Remus Lupin and Lily Evans had met in school. He was two years her senior and they hadn't exactly been the best of friends back then. Well, you couldn't call them the best of friends even now. They were both in the order, though Lily didn't quite know all the details of what Remus did for them. He lived in the building opposite hers, to the right. He came over for whiskey and cigarettes or just a rant or two sometimes. You could say Remus was her drink-your-feelings-away person now. She supposed she would still be drinking if he wasn't around but it was nice not to have to buy her own cigarettes sometimes.
"I don't want to talk about it, so don't ask," said Lily, as she took out another glass from the cabinet and poured him a large. Remus didn't question the choice of beverage, which clearly wasn't ideal for mornings. It was 5 o'clock somewhere, right?
"That suits me just fine." Remus picked his glass and settled on the window's ledge, after cracking it open as far as it would go. There were no curtains, Lily had never gotten around to putting any up, except in the bedroom. He lit a cigarette, and continued, "I actually needed a favour."
"Shoot," said Lily while taking a cigarette from his box and letting Remus light it with his wand. She picked up a planter from the floor, a house-warming gift from an old friend that was used as an ashtray instead, and settled it on the ledge next to Remus. She leaned back on the wall next to the glass door, which led to a tiny balcony and overlooked the neighbourhood market. She could see an old lady in a pale pink dress arranging flowers in front of the grocery store, two kids cycling past her as they laughed over something. Just a regular morning.
"There are some rumours of a potion," he said. "It's not ministry approved and I have no idea who came up with it. Definitely not safe, since it hasn't been studied at all. It won't get any funding either, given the circumstances." He shrugged and turned to look at her now, "They're saying it could help werewolves."
"Remus, you know what happened last year," I said, looking him in the eyes, hating to be the person that had to give him a reality check. "There's no point."
A year ago, a well-known potioneer had supposedly put up posters that claimed of a cure in magical villages. In the following month, seven werewolves disappeared and twelve were found dead - and those were just the official numbers. When Aurors raided the potioneer's manor, they found his rotting corpse in the dungeon, along with his wife's. He was half-blood, his wife a muggle-born. He had first become famous for his invention of a potion which helped fade "permanent" brands from the skin of magical creatures. His inventions had become more complex as he gained more experience and, last anyone heard, he had been making great strides in the development of a vaccine for dragon pox.
"You don't have to remind me. This is different, I'm sure of it," insisted Remus. He stubbed his cigarette and added, "Look, just ask Slughorn if you can. He must have heard something and he has a soft spot for you."
Lily thought of the last letter she had received from her former Potions professor and then glanced up to see the calendar hanging in the place where typically a refrigerator was supposed to go.
"You owe me big time for this," she said, looking back at Remus's tired face. She stubbed the cigarette, finished her drink in a big gulp and pushed off the wall. "Now get out so I can get some sleep."