THE BEST OF ME

Chapter 5: FRIENDSHIP GOALS

NOTE: I would like to say thankyou first to the user miniandminie for reviewing my story. The comment, I got from you made me really happy and it made me want to write more on this fanfic.Since, classes had started on my part, I'll try my best to update.

Anyway it was stated that Wolfsbane potion already existed in the year 1984 or before that—well according to the game Hogwarts Mystery. So, the date of the making of first Wolfsbane potion is uknown. That's why this info is important to the story, take note if you like.

Previously:

Days turned to weeks, and it had been almost half a month since he had gotten to Hogwarts. Remus Lupin had already gotten used to the rhythm of a Hogwarts student, and he soon discovered that he wasn't such a bad student. He wasn't the first of his year, but he was among the top ones, and that gave him a small pinch of pride.

"Although, your social skill is bad, lil' brother..." His brother would always say when he tend to avoid other kids.

His social skill hadn't been improved as easily. After a long (and a little short time) living among them he was finally comfortable enough to chat with the other Gryffindor boys, however his chat would consist of borrowing, favors and assignments. Also, he doesn't hang out with them, but Bill Weasely proves to be a hindrance.

The boy would stick to his side, striking up conversation with him and he would sometimes ask him to join him with the other Gryffindors. He thought redheads are the hotheaded ones, but the guy can be classified as persistent and stubborn.

Speaking of stubborn people...he lifted up his head to see the young hufflepuff, happily discussing about the little prank she pulled on their proferssor Serverus Snape.

"You should have seen how tiny he became when I slip in some shrinking potions in his shoes." She told him with a laugh and Remus shook his head at the young girl.

"..."

He was strolling around near Hagrid's hut when his ears picked up sounds of screeching. Intrigued, he decided to investigate and the scene in front of him was worth it—curiosity had never killed the cat, but laughter did.

Some fifth year Ravenclaws and Slytherins students were being chased by a group of fairies. The professor, Silvanus Kettleburn, was trying to calm both the students and creatures down, while Hagrid stood at a spot that was a feet near the poor professor, shaking his head in disappointment before helping out.

"..."

The man smiled, "I'm great m' boy, got m' self a new critter, noth' much." He exclaimed and Remus hums, getting interested at the older man's new creature. "Great, how is it?" He questions, making the man look up with a smile. "Lil thing, burnt m' favourite books, so he's gettin' a good lecture when I get back." Hagrid answers him, as Remus drops his mouth in realization.

"Hagrid, you own a dragon!" He shouted with shock etched on his face.

The older man panicked, his head darting everywhere before turning back to him. "Wha', I don't own two d'agons! Where did you get that idea from?" He glowered, but his denial and lie didn't work on Remus. Then, he realized something—"You own two dragons!?" He asked loudly, as worried came over him, "Hagrid, you'll get arrested if somebody knows about this."

Hagrid sighed, running his hand trough his long curly and messy hair. "S've the' lecture for later, Remus." He groaned, "Just help m' find the dragon please."

"..."

Oh, why did the dragon's scent lead here? He looked up, nervous at the thick dark forest in front of him. He'll get expelled for this, but they wouldn't find out right? Gathering his courage, he ventured into the Forbidden Forest.

"..."

Then, there it was again, and his nose had picked up the dragon's scent. He was close. Oh, he had to thank Hagrid for making him memorise that dragon's smell, or he wouldn't have found him at all.

However, he stopped when he spotted at a hectare away, the group of centaurs he saw earlier, surrounding something and that something is the baby Hungarian Horntail!

The baby dragon was hissing at them and the horse men slowly approached it with weapons raised. The bronze spikes in every part of the black dragon's body raised up and it reminded Remus of a cat—anyway, he needs to save that dragon.

"..."

Shaking his head, he cast 'Episkey' on the dragon's wound and it closed.

He watched the dragon, hesitating for a moment, its bad leg before testingly trying its leg and when it didn't flinched. The dragon gave a happy croon before it begins jumping. Remus could only watched amused, "You like to skip a lot, ay..." He chuckled and didn't expect the next words that came out of his mouth, "Maybe, I can call you Skips?"

"..."

"I appreciated the kind gesture, Hagrid." He said to him, taking the large blouse and quickly slipping it on. "Thankyou."

The man laughed, making Remus stop midway at buttoning the blouse. "It should be I, who should thank you, Remus Lupin." Hagrid stated and the werewolf gave him a smile. Standing up, he went to Skips first and gave him a gentle pat on his head before walking to the door.

He bid Hagrid goodbye, and with that he exits the house. However when he was a feet away from Hagrid's hut, the man called out to him, "Don't worry about missin' class, Remus, I had talk to Prof. Dumbledore about it!"

Remus could only smile, "Thanks, Hagrid." He shouted back before resuming his walk back towards Hogwarts.

He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was a blurry brown smudge. He blinks, adjusting his vision and the blurry brown smudge that he was staring at was the ceiling of the Shriecking Shack.

What was he doing here? He groans, feeling his muscles ached and he forced himself to sit up. He stared at his surrounding; then, his eyes landed on the window and he could see that it was already dawn.

That's when it clicks, it was a full moon yesterday night and he went here trough a passage in the newly planted Whomping Willow, so he could transform.

'I hope, I hadn't hurt anybody..." He sighs, this was his first worry when he came to Hogwarts and Professor Dumbledore assured him that everything is under control.

Scratching his head, Remus noticed that there were a few scratches and bite marks on him. That was odd, he knew when he turns into his wolf self, he always received wounds because the wolf has serious OCD problems, or it had went hunting and encountered other preys.

He heard his stomach growl and he realized he was a little bit thinner than before, 'Looks like the wolf had little to eat last night.' He sighed, giving out another groan of pain when he stretched his muscles.

At least, it didn't hurt much than his previous transformations when he was eight.

'Exercising my body and doing that Muggle yoga thing, really paid off.' He gave a small grin.

Grabbing his bag that was at the corner, he pulled out his extra clothes and begun to put them on. Done with dressing himself up, Remus crawled back to the passageway that leads back to Hogwarts.

He's gonna catch some missed snoozes in the infirmary after madam Pomfrey treats his wounds.

"..."

He was walking towards the school's kitchen when something grabbed him on the shoulder, and every hair on his body stood up (his senses are more heightened after a full moon and it only last for twenty-four hours). Surprise at first he tilted his head and saw a small hand, and when he turned his head more. He saw whose the hand belongs to—"Nymphadora." He smiles at the Hufflepuff girl, relaxing a little bit when it was just her.

Tonks glared at him when he said her first name and the young werewolf couldn't help, but laugh slightly.

She huffed, pulling her hand that was on his shoulder, back to her. Shaking his head, he begun to ask her, "Do you need anything, Tonks?

Remus watched, as the girl smiles, but he didn't expected to be grabbed once again— this time on his right hand—and be pulled away. "Wha—Tonks!" He uttered, jumping on his words when the hypher actived girl turned at another hallway.

"Can you explain me—" He tried to ask, but was cut off by the girl. "No, time, just come with me!" She happily exclaimed and he heard his stomach growl again. Irritation filled him, 'What's so important that I had to miss lunch?' He thought; then, he frowned more when they exited the castle and made their way to the grasslands part of Hogwarts.

He was about to asked her once again when he sniffed something in the air—'This aroma...'

His eyes widened when Tonks pulled him to what looks like a picnic. Bill Weasley was placing the plates neatly on the blanket and at the same Remus felt his mouth water a little bit at the amount of food placed there.

"What's this for, Tonks?" He asked, when the young girl made him sit besides the redhead. She sat across from him, wearing a big smile.

Tonks passed him a plate full of baked potatoes and roasted chicken, "Well—" She answered, straightening up, as she continued, "Since, I didn't saw you during breakfast and our classes, I got a little bit worried." Without even realizing it a faint smile appeared on Remus' face when she said that, "So when I was in charms, I tried to asked the other Gryffindors where you were, and that's when I met Bill."

The young werewolf curiously stared at his fellow housemate who gave him a shrug, "Tonks asked where you were, mate, and I told her I didn't know since you weren't in your bed this morning." He explained; a concerned look appeared on his face, "Got a little worried there mate, so we decided to ask the teachers around."

That's when a frowned made its way on the redhead's features, "And that's when we discovered you were in the infirmary—"

At this information, Remus' eyes widened, 'Did they found out.' His heart lurched, but it went back to normal at Bill's next words, "Madam Promfrey, told us that you fell off the stair last night and broke some one or two ribs." He said to him and the young werewolf almost released a sigh of relief.

Then, there was a snort from the redhead, "Did you perhaps caught Tonks' clumsiness, Remus?" He joked, glancing at the girl across from them who gave the young Weasley a glare. "Are you fourth wheeling on Tonks relationship with the stairs and floo—OW!"

Remus let out a large laugh when a spoon was thrown at his housemate, and the one who did it, let out a smirk. The redhead glared at the hooded girl who stuck out her tongue in return, and once more he laughs.

However, he stopped when Tonks happily said, "After we found you at the infirmary, that's when I had an aswome idea. Madam Promfey told us that you were asleep all morning and it was also nearing lunch, so..." A cheeky grin appeared on her face and the young werewolf couldn't help, but smile at her.

"We decided to give you the best picnic, preapared by yours truly, Tonks." She smirks when the redhead besides Remus shouted, "Hey, I had helped too!" Bill protested with cheeks puffed out, "Besides, if you're the one who carried the food, there wouldn't be any—what hey, ow! Stop it, Tonks!"

Remus watched them amusely, but there was one thing that was bothering him. Why are they doing this?

His eyes glanced at the picnic; then, at the two other kids who were in the picnic blanket. "Why are you doing this?" He queried at their kind action, thinking he doesn't deserve their generosity, "Is there a reason."

The Gryffindor redhead and the Hufflepuff hooded girl quickly stopped their banter; both of them turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Bill snorted, "Why do you think there's a reason we're doing this?"

"Well, I—" Remus was about to asnwer when Tonks stops him right there. Raising a hand, as a signal for him to wait, the young girl gave him a honest smile. "Remus, you're are our friend and that's the only reason we're doing this."

'Frie-end?' He choked on his food a little bit and he glanced down on his plate. 'They think of me, as their friend...why?'

Remus lifted up his head to find Tonks still smiling at him and Bill who was besides him has a grin on his face. 'Friend...'

"Give it a chance, Rem." His brother's voice echoed in his ears, "Like I told you before, their will be a time where people would offer you their friendship. For once, embrace the fun of having somebody like a friend and these two are maybe it, the one you can call your friends if you gave them a chance."

The young werewolf looked uncertain, because what about his condition?

There was a snort and a coughed inside his head, "Remus, for once, just don't care about your furry problem. Because they're asking for your friendship, not the wolf!" His brother shouted and he snapped out of his world when there was a small hand on his right hand. He looked up to see it belongs to Tonks and she gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Friends...

She let go of his hand and Bill gave him some soup. He looked up at the young girl who was staring at him with an emotion that he couldn't tell, but there's one emotion that he can recognize. Adoration. He was confuse, why is she feeling that?

However, before he could process anytging, Bill started chatting about quidditch and how England will win the World Cup this year. He got distracted when the redhead told a joke about one of their country's quidditch player and he couldn't help, but laugh along.

Friends, he stared at Tonks when she wasn't looking and a small smile made its way on his face. 'They are my friends...'

His eyes sparkled with tears, but he didn't let them fall. He bowed down his head and begun eating, 'Why does it sounds right...his friends.'

The month went by quietly, and one morning,red, orange and yellow leaves flew by in the autumn wind and landed on the paths in Hogwarts. It was October, the air around felt colder than before and students around them chose to wear warm clothes. Remus Lupin, let out a breath and he watched it became visible in the freezing air before fading.

His body felt relax, but shivered a little bit when a breeze brushed his skin. The coolness, made his whole body feel awake and he sighed at that feeling.

Then, he heard a loud THUMP! and Remus turned his head to the right to see Tonks on the ground wearing a scowl. He heard Bill laughed besides him and the young werewolf shook his head in amusement. Lending his hand to her, a grin appeared on his face when the young Hufflepuff girl happily accepted it.

"Nymphadora, this was your third fall." He teased, only to receive a annoyed glared from her. "Do you really love the ground so much, that you always fall for it a lot."

Bill snorted and the grin on Remus' face widened. However, their fun was cut short when a hex was coming towards them, having greater reflexes, he had easily dodge, but his friend was unfortunate.

Bill laughing ceased, as his nose scrunched up and out came a large black bat from his nose. The redhead shuddered in disguise, "Please do not do that again." He fumed and the Hufflepuff girl smirked at him.

However, Remus was impressed at the hex casted by her. "Nonverbal and the 'Bat-bogey hex'..." He grinned, "Wow, Nymphadora, color me impress."

At his statement he saw the girl flushed pink, "There's nothing to be impreased about that." She stated sheepishly, "I just learned that hex just to defend myself from Ceasar and his goons."

The young werewolf nodded in understanding, those Slytherin boys would physically harm their victims and he doesn't like it when they pick on his friends.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Bill yelling, "Hey, guys look at that!" He pointed at a clearing in the forest and Remus didn't found out what was interesting about a empty clearing when he noticed it. A small lake, glistening in the afternoon's sunlight and hidden behind a large rock.

Fascinated by the tiny body of water, all of them edge closer. "The water is clear blue." Tonks said in amazement, reaching down to touch the surace with her index finger. Bill agreed, but when he saw Tonks lean in a little bit closer to the water, he chuckles, "You might fall in, Tonks." He joked and the girl glared at him.

"I'm not go—WOAH!" She yelped when she slipped and dived in the water, but not grabbing Bill first who was surprised. However, the force pulled him along, so the redhead had to grab onto Remus. Even, he got pulled too and SPLASH!

Remus saw the bubbles he had released when he opened his mouth a little bit underwater. He looked up to see the sunlight and quickly swam up to the surface. He breathed in a a lot of air when his head was now out of the water. He heard coughing besides him and he saw his two friends emerge out of the water.

"TONKS!" Bill shouted, as he started shivering and said person quickly apologized.

Remus' looked at them and he couldn't help, but laugh out loud. Then, he was joined by his friends and they stopped when Bill let out a sneeze. "You know, I think it's a good idea to come back to the castle." Tonks suggested and both Bill and him quickly agreed, swimming to the bare ground and walking away.

"..."

"This is your fourth visit in my infirmary, miss Tonks." Madam Promfrey scolded the young Hufflepuff girl who held up an unfazed stare at the school's nurse.

There was muffled laughter coming from a bed from her right and a snort from the young werewolf who was sitting on a chair besides the sick girl's bedside. Remus watched amused at the next couple of words that came out from his friend's mouth, "To be fair, madam Promfey—" She paused, looking up at the older woman who raised an eyebrow at her, "I got a fever, not a bump on the head, abrasions or broken bones, just a fever."

Remus snorted again, stifling his laughter when the old nurse gave a tired sigh, as she rubbed her aching forehead with her fingers. He heard her mumble under her breath and this time, the young werewolf let out a quiet laugh.

However, his fun was halted when Bill called out to him, "Oi, no offense, why aren't you sick, Remus!" He protested, crossing his arms, "Being stuck in bed is boring, good for you mate."

A smug smile curled up in his lips, "Well, Weasley, I had a better immune system than the two of you combine."

There was a chocking sound coming from the redhead and Tonks laughed outloud. "Blimey, are you telling me that I'm a sickly guy." He gasped and Remus pretended to think before answering him.

"You had already confirmed it, William." The young werewold shrugged, surpassing the grin on his face, "So why asked me?"

Bill glared at him, but there was a playful smile on his face, "Hahahaha." He laughed mockingly with a wave of his hands before leaning in to Tonks' direction, placing his hand besides his lips, as if he was to whisper something. "Tonks, I think Remus has a fetish for calling people with their real and first name."

The girl grins back at him, "I know."

Gossiping like perky mean girls, Remus left eyebrow twitched in an annoyed way. "I don't have a fetish for people's first name." He denied and the two plainly looked at him, but he gets their message, 'Really' and with that he pointed his finger at Tonks, "What about you."

The girl gave a disbelief gasp, placing her hand in her chest, "What about me?" She asked incredulously with a pointed stare at him that means 'Try me.'

He grinned, "If I have a fetish for names; then, you have a fetish for the ground."

He felt well pleased at the glare she gave him. Tonks crossed her arms, her glare still intact on him, "Involving my clumsiness in this conversation, Lupin? Oh, how low of you." She remarked and he grinned in reply, "Well done, well done, but this isn't over yet."

Remus spread out his fingers, studying them like a preffy girl would do when she wins, but this is just for mockery. "I know." He grins, lifting up his chin to meet with her glare.

There was a groan from the other occupant in the room and both of them stared at the redhead, "I felt like an extra baggage here." Bill stated making the young werewolf confused, "You two are too much that's why I'm the aswome one here."

"Aren't you full of yourself?" Remus probed and the redhead responded with a smirk; however, it dropped when a pillow was thrown at his face. "Even, Nymphadora thinks your head is full of weasels."

Although, he didn't expected to find himself staring at nothing, but white and he felt something soft sliding down his face and he looked down to find a pillow. He smirked amusely when he heard Tonks' familiar phrase, "Don't call me Nymphadora."

He shrugged, "I'll make no such promises."

This time, he ducked the other pillow she threw at him and Bill let out a loud laugh. Then, in the background, he heard Madam Promfrey shouting, "Keep it down, your disturbing other people!"

He saw his Gryffindor housemate looking around, "No one is here, but us, madam Promfrey!" He answered back and Remus keen senses picked up the old woman's distressed sighs and groans.

He grins, "Something tells me, we'll be spending most of our time here."

Bill snorted, sticking out his tongue, "Hate to break it to you mate, but I'm not Tonks."

"You better put that tongue back in your mouth, Weasley." Tonks warned, pulling out her wand from her pocket. "Before, I turned it into a snake."

For the first time, the Weasley boy wisely put his tongue back to his mouth before shutting it close. Remus raised an eyebrow at the girl's wand, "Do you always keep your wand in your pocket even in bed?" He questioned the girl and she responded back with a shrug.

"Constant Vigilance." She smiled, "Is what a paranoid man told me once."