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 Sixth Wax
"Oh, boy."
"You said it."
Remus shook his head. "I wonder how long it will be before Hogwarts is blown up. There's no doubt in my mind that Ginny got one, too."
Sirius shook the wedding invite in the air. "Harry really got over her quick, didn't he?"
"And now he's marrying Hermione?" The werewolf leaned with his elbows on the table. "Does true love happen that fast?"
"I dunno." Padfoot put his invite back in its envelope and stuffed it in his jacket. "I've gotta go. I still have a multitude of papers and assignments to correct." He stood and pushed his chair back. "I'll see you later, Mooney."
Remus put away his own invitation. "Watch your back, Sirius. I think she will be on the hunt for your head now."
Sirius waved over his shoulder and left the Great Hall.
His best mate didn't finish his breakfast either. It was the beginning of October now, and the weekend, and little excitement had happened. Remus had been able to keep a quiet life at the school for witchcraft and wizardry, with just two letters from Tonks so far about how she was growing. Other than that, things had been calm. Until now.
It really did puzzle Remus about how Harry could suddenly be married Hermione. The two had been together for a little over two years, yes, but Harry had switched from Ginny to Hermione so fast that most of their friends thought it would be a long while before marriage entered the picture.
Of course, if they fall into this too fast, it'll be over all too quickly, the D.A.D.A. teacher thought. Just like Dora and me.
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"The Diricawl is today's subject. Can anyone tell me where it came from?" Remus asked the following Tuesday.
A female Slytherin raised her hand, and Remus pointed to her. "It originated in Mauritius."
"Good. It did indeed come from Mauritius, an island nation east of Madagascar. With blue-gray feathers, a hooked black bill with a red sheath, and yellow legs, the Diricawl has no way of disguising itself. Its wings are also too small to carry the Diricawl in flight."
A male Ravenclaw raised his hand. "That's because the Diricawl poofs from one place to another when in danger."
"Correct," Remus answered. "An ability that the phoenix shares. It also has another name. Turn to page seventy-three and start reading about the history of this magical bird." He turned away from the second years then and flipped through his grade book, scanning to see if there were any missing projects.
There was a knock at his door. His students stopped and looked up at the same time he did, and the door cracked open a bit. Luna popped her head in.
"Uh, keep reading until you hit page eighty-five," the teacher stated. "I'll be right back." He stood and left the classroom, closing the door behind him.
Luna smiled. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Oh, it's fine. I was just giving them some bookwork anyway." Remus scratched his head. "Um, if you don't mind my asking…"
"Why am I here?" she finished for him. "For my research, of course."
"And that includes werewolves?"
She clasped her hands behind her back and walked a bit away from him. "…Maybe." She glanced back at him and smiled.
Remus caught with up the witch. "So another visit to Neville, too. You two have something good."
Luna slightly nodded. "But I'm mainly here for my research. I plan on observing a kappa family near the Black Lake. There's a river that runs as an offshoot –I saw it back in my sixth year –and it leads to a scattering of ponds. I'm sure they're-"
"Luna, stop. Kappa are demons. They feed on human blood. They have a quadruple X Ministry of Magic classification, and for good reason. They're dangerous!"
"Not if you carve your name in a cucumber and toss it to them," she retorted.
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "That doesn't work all the time."
"I'll be fine," she stated. "You heard it from Neville." She leaned in. "I'm fearless."
The wizard sighed. And bloody stupid! But he didn't say that. "Luna, you should really-"
"Oh, I've got to go," she cut off, glancing at her watch. "And you have a class. See you soon, Remus."
He grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave. Remus blinked, for his body had acted of its own accord. He released her. "Uh, never mind. Be careful."
She nodded and smiled that dreamland smile of hers. "Of course." And then she left down the corridor.
The werewolf shook his head, feeling like he had a knot in his stomach. He returned to his classroom, a room full of eyes on him. He went back to his desk, and when they still stared at him, he lifted his head. "I gave an assignment," he said very loudly. Their heads all bowed at once, and he went back to his grade book. Unfortunately, he couldn't concentrate.
He stood and walked around the classroom, checking the students' work, but he paused at the window. Outside, it was getting colder, and his eyes drifted to the forest. He hoped she could handle herself.
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At supper, he caught up with Neville. The Herbology teacher sported a brand-new busted lip and dark bags under his eyes. Remus fought his urge to laugh at the sorry sight. "What happened to you?"
Neville shook his head. "I was watching the mooncalves as they were migrating last night, since tonight's the full moon." He eyes darted to Remus.
"I know, Neville, I can feel it. And no, you don't have to be jumpy about the moon and me. Snape's wolfsbane potion is keeping me in line, but I can already feel my bones itching to shift."
"Right…"
"By the way…," Remus started, wary of broaching the subject, "did you know that Luna's going into the forest in search of kappa?"
The younger wizard nodded. "I know. But like I've said before, she's fine on her own."
Remus hid his frown as they joined the other staff at their table. She's not fine on her own, he thought, but she'd be better with- He caught himself before he finished that thought. No. It's not my place to say anything.
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The following week Remus found himself growing weary from the same old routine. He hated how every day felt like meal, blather, meal, blather, scolding, blather, blather, meal. Things are…too monotonous, he admitted to himself.
But of course that rhythm was broken.
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A knock on Remus's classroom door disturbed his class that Wednesday. He stopped what he was doing and left the third years with a slideshow on the demiguise. Remus tucked his wand in his belt and checked to see who was visiting him.
Though he had a feeling, Luna faced him, her familiar smile on her face. "Thought you might want to check and see for yourself." She rolled up her sleeves. "See? I am still in one piece."
He held his head in his hand. "You took me out of class –yet again –for that?"
"Well, you seemed intent that I was going to be the kappa's next feast." Luna looked at him with a blank face. "I'd say you were almost worried."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Is that what we're calling it these days?"
She smiled in response. "I'm sad to say that I'm almost done with them. They're very cute little fellows, you see."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think of something that typically seeks out human blood as its favorite drink as cute." His ears pricked up and he glared at the door. "I think I better get back in there."
Luna touched her fingertip to her chin. "Humans: Scarier than beasts?"
"Not quite," Remus answered, "but some come close. See you, Luna."
"Yes, see you," he heard as he closed the door behind him. And he saw her again very soon.
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The next day, Remus was giving his first years a quiz. They were on their fairy unit, and he was having them separate the fairies from firefaeries as well as pixies. Twenty minutes in, it was obvious that there was still a lot of learning to be done.
"Um, the pixie's the one with the all-black eyes that are big, about a third of its head," a Gryffindor boy stated.
"Good," the haggard professor complimented. "What about the firefaerie?"
"Um, the one on the left?"
Remus just about screamed. How many times had he told them that firefaerie wings were forked and not tapered like a normal fairy? And that firefaeries partially scorched where they stood or sat?!
Someone please save me from this hell! he internally pleaded. He had the kids continue anyway, because he needed to know where they were strongest. As Fate would have it, his wish was granted, and he exited the room before Luna's knuckles hit the door on their third rap.
The werewolf sighed and started walking away from his class. He paused a few meters away and looked over his shoulder at Luna. "Are you coming or not?"
Luna blinked, and then caught up with him. "You're more stressed out than usual."
"Does it show?" He stopped, and she nearly bumped into his back. Remus turned and heaved another sigh. "I don't mean to whine. I just-" He hung his head and closed his eyes for a second. He opened them when Luna ducked under and rested his forehead on the top of her head. "What are you-?"
"Shh," she said, and she pressed a finger to his lips. "Rest."
Remus closed his eyes again and calmed down. After all, that was the effect she had on him. Then he wizened up and lifted his head. "What are you doing back so soon? I thought you did weekly visits."
"Actually, I come as often as I feel." She smiled. "It appears I came at the right moment."
"For my blood pressure, yes. But I don't want either of us to get in trouble because you come visit when I have a class."
Luna cocked her head to the side. "Then when is your free period?"
He chuckled. "Luna, that's something. That's… You're serious," he stated when she just stared at him. "Um, but, I'm sure you have better things to do, like your research and spending time with Neville."
"And why wouldn't spending time with you qualify?"
"I-" Remus shook his head. "Luna…"
"You live for the here-and-now, correct?"
"Luna, that's what you said-"
"So why worry about consequences?"
"Because consequences influence the next bit of my here-and-now!" he snapped. He blinked and averted his gaze. "Look, I don't want to yell at you…"
"Then don't." She touched his chin and turned his head to hers. "Don't do want you don't want to do. Don't worry about that which doesn't hurt you right now –or won't. Don't think there won't ever be a day when you can breathe easily." Her blue eyes were soft and comforting. "And smile. Those who smile live longer."
Remus looked at her, at the smiling witch who really believed those words –her words. And he wanted to believe them, too.
So why shouldn't you?
The thought hit him, and he wondered. Why had he always just gone along with the flow of things? When James and Sirius planned a prank, he either remained a bystander or joined in; he never stood up to them when he didn't like what they were doing. When he took orders from the Order of the Phoenix, he rarely suggested anything; he just carried out the plan. When Tonks had told him she was pregnant, he hadn't thrown a hissy fit or demanded to know why she had hurt him by betraying him so. For the life of him, he didn't know why had barely, rarely challenged anything. And now Luna was challenging him to challenge her. The only difference this time was that he accepted the quest.
She grinned a rather all-knowing grin, and Remus rolled his eyes again. But she kept his face level with hers. She wasn't going to let him back down and away from anything anymore.
It was then that it hit him smack-dab in the face. Looking at her now, taking comfort in her words and presence, glancing at her lips with an idea in mind-
Remus had fallen in love with Luna.
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KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT'S HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so maybe it took a while, maybe it went a little fast, but I LIKE IT!!! WHO'S WITH ME?!! Ah, with that out of my system, I feel like the story will flow a little better now and that Rena will grow…but what's on Luna's mind? Hmm. Good question. Well, let's begin to answer that question in chappie 7. But you gotta REVIEW first!!! Rena appreciates it (and so do I!)!!!
Read and review, as always, dearies!
-mew-tsubaki
