In the Present

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: I haven't finished To the Future and already I'm starting its second companion story. AGH! However, J.K. Rowling's characters are in good hands by now, so I hope everyone enjoys this Rena story. But to reach the present, one must glance at the past, where our story begins… READ & REVIEW!!!

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The Fourth Wax

Remus yawned the next morning, and felt his bed beside him. Oh, that's right. I'm at Hogwarts… Then he wasn't as surprised that his side wasn't warm, since Tonks wasn't there. He got up, shaved, and dressed. One final look in the mirror and- He stopped. Maybe it was just the sunlight this morning, but…his scars… The scars that marred his haggard face seemed pinker on his pale face today. They didn't hurt anymore, but they were a constant reminder of what he became once every month, under the light of the full moon.

Which reminds me of my original problem…, he observed as he headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Again, the questions troubled him: Would the child be okay? Would Tonks be okay? Would the child be a werewolf? Would either Tonks or the child survive?

He pushed the quandaries out of the forefront of his mind and took his seat near Sirius as Dumbledore entered the hall near the staff table. The other teachers got settled when the Great Hall went dead silent, like the Weasley household last night. Of course, the hall was quiet for the same reason, too –Ginny had just entered the Great Hall. She quickly strode to her Gryffindor table and sat alone, as her housemates pulled away from her.

Disrupting the alienation, the headmaster rose and lectured the students about some behavior from the previous day. For once, his words were brief, and he soon sat down, causing the morning meal to appear.

Remus spoke with Sirius. "Where's Charlie? I thought he was our new Creatures teacher."

Sirius shook his head. "I dunno. I thought he was going to join us at the table like the other professors. Although," he added, "Dumbledore is one for…'style'."

"Hmm."

And sure enough, as breakfast died down, the headmaster walked to his podium again. He cleared his throat, and the hubbub of the students quieted. "This year," he began, "many changes to staff have happened. Seeing that Professor Hagrid has retired and Professor Grubbley-Plank is now at Beauxbatons, we have hired someone else to fill the role of teacher for Care for Magical Creatures. With experience especially firsthand from the Dragon Plains, please welcome Professor Charles Weasley."

Only then did Charlie enter the Great Hall, using the staff entrance. With his long hair, tattoos, and Weasley blue eyes, Remus knew Ginny was staring at her brother. And he also knew that Charlie was not the only one in trouble.

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The meal ended too fast, and Remus could not get away fast enough.

"HOLD IT, YOU FOUR!!!" Ginny hollered behind them. She had just exited the Great Hall, and Remus could feel her eyes on him, Sirius, Neville, and Charlie.

The four professors halted. Remus heard Ginny stomp right up to them, but none of the men turned around. What could they say? Ginny was scary.

"All of you, face me –NOW!" she huffed.

At once, the four turned and faced her together. Their faces were respectively the same shade of off-white.

Ginny glowered at each of them in turn. "Someone better start talking," she growled venomously in a low voice.

"I was trying to tell you last night-" Sirius began, but she held her hand up to his face.

"From anyone but you."

"I tried telling you that Remus and Sirius were here this morning, but McGonagall had only just told me about your brother, honestly!" Neville whimpered.

Remus wanted to roll his eyes. He had to admit, Neville could be a real chicken-shit sometimes. Instead, the were half-smiled. "It slipped my mind to mention anything?" he supplied, shrugging.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She faced her brother. "And what excuse do you have? It better be good, because we thought you might've been dead."

Charlie cleared his throat as the students went out around them to their classes. "Look, all I'll say now is that I finished recovering only a few days ago when Dumbledore contacted me. No one but he knew I was coming."

The girl closed her eyes. "We haven't heard from you in over a year," she rasped. "Bill and Fleur had died a few feet from you. Percy died defending Ron and me while looking for you. Ron died-" Her voice caught. Remus understood that she couldn't finish that sentence when Sirius, whom she believed was the cause of Ron's death, was standing right there. "He's gone and that's that," she finished.

Charlie reached forward to place a comforting arm around her, but she slapped his hand away.

"You know," Ginny mumbled, hiding her face behind her hair, "you look just like Bill with your hair tied back like that." She turned from them and ran, leaving at the corner at the end of the corridor.

"It's not like I'm trying to fill Bill's shoes," Charlie thought aloud, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

Quite the spectacle, Remus thought. "Maybe you ought to owl your parents, Charlie," he suggested. "I'll see you all later. I'll need all the energy I can get before teaching those young ones." He started walking, and then stopped. "Neville," he called over his shoulder, "don't you have a class to teach now?"

Neville jolted slightly and nodded. He said bye to Charlie and Sirius, and joined Remus. "That was scary," the Herbology professor stated once they were at a safe distance.

"Well, women are like that." He paused. "I doubt you have that experience, since Luna… Has she ever exploded?"

"I've never seen it," Neville answered. "The only emotions I've seen from her have been happy, indifferent, and loving," he said with a small, heartfelt smile.

Something in Remus didn't want to hear that. Ugh, enough with love, he thought. He parted with Neville and headed to his own classroom to prepare for Defense Against the Dark Arts with the first years. As he set up the Cornish pixies, Remus saddened. I understand how Ginny feels, though. I'm sick of people lying to me, too. Which makes me sick of love.

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Ooh, the boys are lucky they're alive! Okay, well, let's review this chappie and onto chappie five!!!

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-mew-tsubaki