Lupin Cottage
1 Day to Full Moon
The cheery cacophony of chirping birds woke Remus at the crack of dawn, eliciting a long string of curse words from the irritated man as he jammed one of the sofa cushions over his head in an effort to muffle their insufferable morning call
But to no avail.
So the young werewolf spent the lazy hours after dawn staring up at the specks of dust which danced playfully in and out of the shining rays of warm sunlight, his eyes slowly staying open for longer and longer. They were tired and puffy - a sobering reminder of the tears he had shed the night before - and he rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from them before yawning hugely.
He couldn't explain it, but he felt different - as though pouring over the dusty photos of friends and buried memories had somehow filled the gnawing void deep within him. He no longer felt empty; his heart was full and heavy with love and sadness.
It still hurt to think of them, and would for a while, but all in all he felt okay .
And that was a start.
Yawning again, Remus stretched out the kinks in his back as he got up with a groan and a strange sense of purpose - the first time in years he hadn't been dreading a day full of loneliness ahead.
The old pictures lay strewn at the foot of the couch, the nearly empty flask of Ogden's Olde tipped carelessly on its side with the last few sips of Firewhisky collected in a shallow pool near the bottle's long neck.
He stooped over to pick up the photos, trying not to stare too long at the bright, smiling faces of James and Sirius as they peeked up at him - each man pointing excitedly to Prongs' brand new wedding ring.
Carefully placing the stack of memories back into the glory box, Lupin left the chest as it was on his mantle. The amethysts glittering in the daylight - a gentle reminder of the bright, beautiful lost souls.
And he no longer needed to hide it.
Nodding to himself in encouragement he stood staring aimlessly for a minute before re-adjusting his lads. A handful of his trousers made him realize that he'd fallen asleep in his work clothes.
Gingerly sniffing under his arms to assess the damage, he wrinkled his nose at the offending odour before slipping out of the garment and tossing it lazily on the back of the sofa.
The warm rays of sunshine that filtered through the windows felt like a soft embrace on his bare skin and Remus sighed, taking a few minutes to close his eyes and enjoy the sensation.
Most days this was as close to physical affection as he could get.
It was tough, being alone for so long. And sometimes he went so far as to walk around shirtless for an hour, just so that when he slipped back into a warm sweater, he could pretend it was a hug from someone he loved.
A loud caw brought him back to reality and he reluctantly relinquished the asylum of darkness behind his closed lids before checking the time on his wristwatch.
9:31
As if on cue, pangs of hunger began to assail his insides - much stronger today than usual - as if the steaks had reminded him of a proper meal and his stomach was now exacting revenge. He patted his thin, scarred belly in an apologetic manner before he remembered the last slice of pie.
Nearly hollering with joy, Lupin ducked to grab the silver tin which had been placed on the floor, set to devour the pastry when he stopped himself. The few bags of earl grey he had left in the cupboard suddenly calling out to him
Tea and pie for breakfast? You're spoiling yourself.
The tall, lanky wizard dared to smile and set off to the kitchen to boil some water.
Today is going to be a good day.
~~~~~O~~~~~
Two hours later, Remus was meandering through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley, freshly groomed and showered, with clean clothes, a wallet full of money, and a towering scoop of double chocolate ice cream from Florean Fortescue's.
He mentally thanked Terrance and his thick cheque book as he took a bite from the cold, creamy cone and savoured the decadent mixture of slightly bitter dark cocoa and sweet chunks of brownie.
The man was literally on a high and he couldn't tell if it was the shining sun, the fact he was employed, or that for the first time in years his day actually had a purpose. Whatever it was, even the general aches and violent mood swings that accompanied the day before the full moon couldn't put a damper on his spirits.
He was smiling like an idiot at no one in particular, when his olive green eyes inadvertently fell onto a young girl with bright pink hair and her disapproving mother, who instantly corralled them away muttering something about "perverted old men."
Remus sniggered and took another bite of his ice cream, on his way to Whitehall with a slight spring in his step.
But up high on the unevenly shingled rooftops, an unusual bird with shining grey plumage sat, coldly watching the retreating Werewolf with hungry, black eyes.
Great Scotland Yard
11:50 AM
After finding the old, vandalized phone box at the corner of Great Scotland Yard, Remus quickly ducked into the tiny booth amidst the tumultuous noise that drowned St. James's District.
The overwhelming stench of stale urine hit him like a brick wall and nearly gagged the scent sensitive lycanthrope as soon as he stepped foot inside. The warm, midday sun was not helping things either.
Holding his breath, the young man quickly dialed MAGIC and waited impatiently, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet before there was a sudden jerk of movement and the crammed compartment began to disappear underground.
Just when he thought he'd have to cast a Bubble Head charm on himself, the gleaming wooden floors of the Atrium came into view.
Lupin burst out of the phone box as if it were about to explode, stumbling over his own feet in his haste to breathe fresh air.
A few people passing by gave him strange looks; some stares lingering on his scars.
Remus did his best to ignore them as he ran a hand through his hair and headed into the teeming crowd.
The Atrium was bustling with the usual mix of Ministry workers and general public, all hurriedly shuffling past one another amidst an orchestra of noise - voices yelling the latest headlines of the Daily Prophet, the methodical swoosh of the Floo as emerald flames spit forth employee after employee from the rows of glistening fireplaces which lined the powder blue walls. And loudest of all were the streams of water which poured endlessly from the Fountain of Magical Brethren.
The Werewolf despised the monument and did his best not to look up at their sneering smiles as he bustled past a mob of old men dressed in judges robes, jogging slightly as he reached the ever changing Job Board.
There was a small group of people dressed in street clothes gathered around the large black wall, staring at the glittering gold letters which appeared as if being written by an invisible hand.
Of the twenty positions, Remus had already applied for fifteen of them at some point in time. The others were either too ambitious for him (Deputy Minister for Magic) or made him feel ill (Werewolf Capture Unit).
Sighing hopelessly, he was about to turn away when his eye caught a small square of text at the bottom left corner.
Participants needed for new study.
Monetary compensation for only a few moments of your time.
PJ Hodgkins
1st Floor
Lupin scratched the slight stubble which had resurfaced on his chin as he contemplated the offer.
Perhaps he'd stop by on his way out. But for now, he was going to surprise his father with a lunch date as recompense for the awkward end to their night.
His cheery mood somewhat deflated, the sandy haired youth trudged towards the small Security Desk to have his wand weighed by the sullenly wizard dressed in robes of peacock blue. The bored look on his face nearly made Remus feel sorry for him, until he remembered that this was a cushy job with great pay and predictable work hours - something the ostracized Lycanthrope would kill to have.
Lupin's turn came and went without incident, and he pocketed his wand as he walked away from "Eric Munch," the seemingly comatose security warlock.
A series of golden gates flanked the walls and a small cluster of people were slowly filing into a corridor further down the hall.
Remus made his way towards the lift entrance and managed to squeeze into the first open compartment along with four ministry employees, the stoic visaged lift attendant and about twelve interoffice memos, which hung suspended in midair above their heads.
The doors closed and before he knew it, they were reopening to let him out on the seventh floor.
"Department of Magical Games and Sports," a disembodied voice announced as a few of the pale violet interoffice memos flitted out ahead of Remus before scattering in several different directions.
The towering wizard looked around unsurely, having only ever visited his father at work once years ago.
The sight of Lyall, once a respected intellectual, hunched over as nothing more than a paper jockey who spent the entire day filing through incoming mail was painful to witness and Remus couldn't help but blame himself for the turn his father's career had taken.
After Remus had been bitten, Lyall went on a year long sabbatical - claiming the stress of the job was beginning to affect his judgement - and spent every waking moment trying to find a cure for lycanthropy. Of course he hadn't come close, and finally under his wife's gentle suggestion of acceptance, he had given up the last shred of hope in saving his son.
Lyall returned to his work a changed man; uneasy and nervous, flinching every time anyone brought up Werewolves, and after becoming physically ill at the mention of Greyback, he had decided to transfer departments altogether.
The Department of Magical Games and Sports had the reputation of being the most laid back floor to work on - evident by the casual clothes on most of the people who were milling about, as well as the relaxed gait of the employees. Nothing like the hurried power walk of other ministry officials who threatened to mow you down if you got in their way.
"Oi! Steady on!" An enormous man covered in tattoos growled at Lupin as the two inadvertently bumped into one another just in front of the Irish Quidditch team headquarters.
Remus felt a pang of irritation shoot through him and did his best to ignore the oaf, pushing around the stranger as he came to a fork in the corridor, trying to recall which way the mailing desks were stationed.
"I said watch it!" The giant, red haired Scotsman challenged, advancing towards him menacingly. "You deaf?"
"From birth," replied Remus flippantly, not even caring to spare a glance at the suddenly confused man before heading down the left corridor.
He passed a series of brightly coloured Quidditch posters which had been tacked to the walls and jogged past the Ludicrous Patents Office until he finally reached the small back room where a row of desks sat in the yellow light, nearly buried in paper.
A small, rather disheveled looking man with a large pair of ears perked up at the sound of Lupin's arrival.
Remus gave him a tight smile, olive brown eyes scanning the dreary workplace in hopes of finding his father.
"Is Lyall off for lunch?" He asked rather dejectedly, as the other tall man with sandy hair was nowhere to be found.
The big eared wizard set down the letter he was reading and shook his unruly mop of blonde hair.
"Didn't come in today."
Remus was slightly taken off guard by the answer. His father never missed work.
"Did he say why?" Lyall's son asked, scowling slightly. A small part of him was beginning to panic while another was telling him to get a grip.
The former voice in his head winning over as the satellite eared bloke shook his head again.
"Haven't heard from him all day - no owl, no fire call - nothing."
The tall, ungainly wizard rubbed his chin while trying to keep from jumping to conclusions. His father was a fully grown adult who didn't have to explain his actions - but it was very unlike him to miss work with no notice. And he seemed perfectly fine just last night.
The small bubble of anxiety within his chest grew bigger, triggering a pre-lunar migraine - one of the most annoying symptoms which plagued his approaching transformation.
Remus could feel his temples starting to throb and tried to ignore tightening sensation behind his eyes as he screwed them shut, pinching the bridge of his long, straight nose.
Calm down - he's probably hungover from the Firewhisky. Most likely having a lovely lie in.
A long, shaky breath escaped his lips as he reopened his eyes and immediately dug into his coat pocket, withdrawing a thin phial full of bright red pills.
Hastily emptying a pair of the painkillers into his palm, he cupped them into his mouth and swallowed them with whatever saliva he had.
Pain relief potion was much more effective at easing his symptoms but cost nearly ten times more than it's Muggle counterpart. So as always, Lupin settled for the cheapest option.
Satellite ears stared at him in confusion.
"Uhh, I can let you know if he comes in later today- which department do you work in?"
"Not a problem, I'll just be off," Remus waved half heartedly as he turned to head back out, but stopped after a few steps. "Just let him know that Remus stopped by, would you?"
The other wizard's eyes brightened at the sound of his name. "You're Remus?" He squeaked. "Lyall's told us all about you!"
Lupin groaned internally as Satellite Ears gave an awkward wave, clearly debating on whether or not to close in for a handshake.
"Er...Nice to meet you too," Remus said quickly, offering a half hearted wave as he turned on his heel, hoping he hadn't come off as too much of an arse.
His day, which had started off full of promise, was now splitting apart at the seams.
He shoved his hands into his pockets in a show of indignation, and started when his fingers came into contact with the slick surface of Miriam Matthew's business card. Gingerly pulling out the glossy piece of paper, the young wizard turned it over in his hands, deciding to stop by the third floor to say thank you to the kind witch whose efforts had been ultimately fruitless.
Besides, he didn't quite feel like returning to an empty house just yet.
Seven minutes later, Remus stepped through the large doors of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and into the spacious office. There were stacks and stacks of parchment piled in neat columns along the lilac walls and the room felt considerably dry- as though the tremendous amount of paper had absorbed the moisture straight out of the air. A few potted plants were littered about the lobby and a series of brightly coloured paintings lined the corridor. There was a steady murmur of hushed whispers behind closed doors which made the wizard look around furtively, suddenly feeling extremely foolish for paying a visit to the one department he should've been avoiding altogether after his incident.
Ready to exit, he made a grab for the door handle.
"Can I help you?"
Remus flinched at the woman's voice, still contemplating an escape, but decided against it and reluctantly turned to address the speaker.
A rather petit witch in her early twenties with pin straight hair so black it nearly looked blue in the bright office lights stood staring at him curiously. She had an angular face with a pointed nose and cheekbones that looked like they could cut paper.
Remus smiled to himself; Sirius would have been mesmerized.
A sharp pang ripped through his heart at the thought of his old friend who now sat rotting in a prison cell by himself in Azkaban and he quickly buried the memory of Black.
He instead focused on her bright pink lipstick which matched her high heeled pumps and glistening fingernails as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, still waiting for a reply.
She was very pretty, but he wasn't affected in the least.
His tastes were softer.
A sudden, vivid image of Neoma bent over at the waist sprang before his eyes and he felt his ears grow hot as he quickly tried to quash the uneasy churning deep within his stomach.
"Uh, I'm Looking for Miriam Matthews," Lupin explained, trying his best to regain focus as he brandished the white business card at the woman.
Her dark blue eyes flashed to the pearly cardstock before giving him a quick scan, lingering on his sandy hair.
"Are you Remus?" She asked unsurely, raising a thin eyebrow at him as he smiled slightly in return. For someone who couldn't land a job here to save his life, it was funny how many people seemed to know his name.
"I am," he replied, ducking his head in a quick show of courtesy.
Her cautious gaze disappeared and was replaced with a huge smile, exposing a brilliant set of perfect, white teeth.
She clipped over to him, her hand extended.
"Miriam,"—she confirmed, gripping his hand with more force than he thought necessary—"It's lovely to meet you."
"And you," Remus agreed, retrieving his clammy appendage. "I just wanted to drop by and thank you for the referral."
"You came all the way down here just to say thanks?" She asked, looking rather shocked at the notion."That's so sweet!"
Lupin gave her another tight lipped smile, neither declining nor confirming her conclusions, but simply omitting the lunch he had planned with his father.
"Did you find anything interesting on the job board?"
"Er...not exactly. But I'll come back in a few weeks to look again."
"Well, we have an opening here that hasn't been posted yet!" Miriam chirped excitedly. "It's probably way below your pay grade, mind you."
The man nearly burst out laughing but managed to keep his composure by covering his mouth with his hand.
"It's for a Junior Secretary, so plenty of opportunity to move up in the ranks. I can even help you fill out the application - If you're not busy or anything."
"Oh, er...now?"
Miriam nodded.
"You don't have to do that." Lupin said furrowing his brow slightly, genuinely taken aback at her offer.
"No, really! I know exactly what the department head is looking for - you'll be guaranteed a job!"
Her naivety was endearing, but Remus shrugged in a non committal manner. "I wouldn't want to impose and-"
"Nonsense! I was just heading out for a Chip Butty anyway. I'll grab my bag and be right out."
Matthews gracefully slipped into the first open door and the sound of shuffling papers began to fill the air.
Slightly flabbergasted at the unintentional engagement, the young wizard quickly whipped out his scuffed wallet and recounted the galleons and pounds he'd withdrawn this morning. He knew he had planned to buy Lyall lunch, but it was one thing to fall a few sickles short in front of his father versus a pretty stranger.
Satisfied with the amount of both currencies in his possession, Lupin stuffed the leather wallet back into his pocket just as Miriam reappeared.
"Ready?" She asked, smiling brightly as she swung a thin charcoal purse strap over her shoulder.
Remus nodded and they both stepped towards the door.
"Mitzy, you wouldn't fancy grabbing a bi—" a deep voice called out around the corner as a tall, very handsome man in an expensive grey suit appeared, suddenly breaking off in mid sentence when his electric blue eyes settled on Remus and Miriam.
"Mitzy,"—the name sounded like an accusation as he eyed the other man with blatant distaste—"who's this?"
Remus was about to introduce himself when the girl cut him off.
"A friend of mine. We were just heading out to lunch - can I bring you anything?"
The other man looked less than placated by the explanation as he fiddled with his sleeve, still eyeing the Werewolf with disapproval. "Uh no. That's quite alright, but do try and hurry back — lot's to do!" He said, motioning towards the stacks of paperwork.
"I'll be about an hour, Ermine - just like always," Miriam sighed, a hint of irritation blatant in her voice as she turned, yanking on the door handle before disappearing from view without as much as a second glance at the two men behind her.
Lupin quickly followed after, not enjoying the daggers Ermine was boring into the back of his head.
If Remus didn't find Miriam to suit his tastes, it was certainly clear that else someone did.