Hello everyone!
I decided to get back into the Harry Potter universe. This fic takes place in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Lupin was doing some espionage work in the sixth book. However, I suspect he already started in the fifth book. I thought it would be interesting to see the contrast between human and werewolf. One of my OC's will make a comeback in this fic. The story starts in the middle of December.
Here are some expressions or words to look out for.
Slàinte Mhath means 'good health' in Gaelic. Often used in Ireland and Scotland when toasting during meals.
There are two Easter eggs in the chapter as well. Hint: Look for numbers!
Back to civilization.
'Huh? Is it morning already?' realized the male as he blinked. He looked down at his magical wristwatch. It was 07:30 AM according to the arms position on the dial. 'Merlin. Better get back to London' realized the wizard. He got up on his feet after checking the area. Last night had been a rough one. December nights were always quite long, cold and dark. Longer nights equalled longer time as a werewolf. The cold was another problematic aspect. Things could get quite dangerous when his body changed back to human. The snow made his clothes wet for starters. Secondly, the low temperature could give him hypothermia.
Fortunately, the former Gryffindor knew how to use heating and water repelling spells. This made the winter moon transformations less troublesome. "Ah. Lovely" muttered the male as he put on his sweater. He glanced at the tree stump ten feet away. It looked like a beaver had attacked it. A small positive about being a werewolf was the chance to release pent up aggression. Just knowing that best friends son attending a school ran by Umbridge made his blood boil. His best friend being unable leave the house was not making it better. All the wizards or witches disappearing did not bode well either. Lastly was the tension between him and - no. There was no time to think about that.
Remus rubbed his eyes before he tied his shoes. The white snow on the surrounding field made him slightly nostalgic. It made him think of the snowball fights at Hogwarts plus skiing with his parents. They usually went cross country skiing around the Welsh countryside during the holidays. His father continued this tradition until his son graduated from Hogwarts. Both of them enjoyed skiing around in the quiet nature with nothing but snow and trees. "HOOT!". "Huh?" muttered the man before looking around. His eyes caught the sight of a barn owl on the nearby tree stump. A small blue velvet pouch laid in front of it. "Is it for me?" inquired the wizard. The owl did a bobbing motion with its head.
He picked up the pouch. 'Wonder what this can be. I hope Sirius has not sent anything explosive or smelly' mused Remus. The content was not sinister at all. It featured a large owl treat, two scrolls of parchment plus some galleons. The smallest parchment was stamped with wax. It was black, revealing who the sender was. He opened up the parchment immediately. 'Hello Remus. I hope you're not too green around the gills. I would like you to deliver the larger scroll to Shacklebolt. He's going to tell you when he gets there. Arthur has booked a room for you at the Leaky Cauldron. You can stay there for the next two nights. Dumbledore paid for it. Said he owed you that much after your espionage missions. Use the galleons on some chocolate and a new pair of shoes. Kreacher threw out the old ones out. He said they were no longer fit for wear. Belive it or not, I agree with him for once. Padfoot'.
The male could not help but to smile. He laid the larger roll of parchment into his pocket. "Here you go buddy" told the wizard before he laid the owl treat in front of the bird. He pulled up a muggle pen from his pocket, and wrote a reply on the scroll. 'Hello Padfoot. Thank you for the note and money. I'm doing all right considering the weather. When you read this, I've relocated. See you during the holidays' wrote the man. The bird gobbled down the owl treat before it left. 'I better thank Dumbledore the next time I see him. Next stop is the Leaky Cauldron I suppose. Better make sure there are no muggles here. Especially since there are not any wolves around here. I'm going to leave once I covered my tracks' decided the brunette.
Green eyes checked the surroudings. All he saw was a farm that was three hundred yards in the distance. He made sure to choose a place that was not too close to humans during this full moon. December full moons were always the worst, so safety was crucial. The only living creatures outside were a few birds. Remus picked up his wand and moved it in a sweeping motion. Snow moved across the ground like a sheet. All of his nearby tracks were covered in a few minutes. The rest would disappear in a day or so. In the blink of an eye, the man as well as the traces of him disappeared.
The brunette blinked once he arrived to Charing Cross road. His senses were in for quite a shock. The blended scent of car exhaust, sweat plus pine made his nose itchy. Hearing all the people talking only added to the sensory assult. Especially since not all of them spoke English. A garishly decorated Christmas tree at the street corner made his eyes hurt. 'Nope, can't stay here any longer! Better get in' decided the male. Thank Merlin that the lights had just turned green. He headed straight for the Leaky Cauldron across the street.
Remus felt his shoulders lower themselves once he entered the bar. It was much more quiet here for starters. Not to mention that the scents were more subdued. It smelt like faint pine and lemon in here. Some tinsel with fairy lights hung over the bar. A Christmas tree with some glitter, baubles plus a gold star stood in the corner. A Christmas wreath hang above the fireplace. Said fireplace had a magical fire in it. Enchanted Christmas angels holding mistletoe fluttered around in the bar. This was the kind of decoration the man preferred. It was minimalistic yet tasteful. There only guests at the bar were two elderly African wizards plus a small blonde. Both of the African wizards wore deep forest green cloaks with an ash brown print. On a closer inspection, the print looked like a palm leaves. The blonde wore an emerald green, navy blue and golden yellow tartan scarf. A charcoal gray coat covered their torso. The person wore black tight trousers and dark green dragon leather boots.
The wizard approached the desk. "Hello Tom. How are you?" greeted the male. Being rude around Christmas time was just unnecessary. Secondly, being around feral werewolves made him more aware of human aspects. Manners was a major one. 'Yikes! I better take a bath too. My clothes smell like a bail of hay and mud. I doubt I smell much better' realized the male. "Hello. Can I help you?" inquired Tom. "Yes. I am here for a room. I believe it was booked by Arthur Weasley" told Remus. The other wizard nodded before checking his book. "Ah, yes, yes. You're staying at the third floor. Here is the key. Enjoy your stay" told the older man. He slid the key over to his guest. "Thank you so much. Have a nice day" replied the the male.
He picked up his key and turned around. A shiver ran down his spine seconds later. 'Why do I have the feeling of being watched?' realized the brunette. His green eyes shifted to a bronze plaque that hung on the wall above him. The plaque gave him a view of the bar counter. Both of the Africans were drinking something. However, the blonde was looking in his direction. 'That can't be Umbridge. She's at Hogwarts. Besides, that blonde looks thinner. I doubt it is Lucius or Rowle. They are at least six feet tall. Eh - maybe it's just my tired mind. Better move so I don't look suspicious' realized the wizard.
As he left, a pair of icy blue eyes were looking in his direction. "Do you want a refill of that tea?" inquired Tom. "Yes please" told the blonde. The voice was raspy and had a Scottish accent. The man nodded before he poured some tea into the mug. "Thank you. Slàinte Mhath" replied the Scot. "Same to you" said Tom. He glanced at the guest. Their scarf covered the lower end of their face. A thick winter coat covered the guests frame. However, the older man suspected it was a female guest. First clue was the clean hair that smelled like strawberries. Furthermore, most men he knew did not grow their hair that long. Those who did never used strawberry scented shampoo. Secondly was the frame. The guest in front of him was rather petite with somewhat curvy legs. A short teenage boy would not have the same leg shape. Tom turned his attention back to the water kettle when steam emerged from it. He poured some hot water into the tea cup. Refill charms did not ensure the ratio like the water kettle did. "Here you are" told the bartender. "Thank you" told the guest and gave Tom a coin.
'200...201...202...203. There we go. Even got a room near the end of the hallway' noticed the man. He smiled as he unlocked the door. Remus opened the door carefully and walked inside the room. The faint herbal smell meant the room had been cleaned recently. A window was on the right side of the room. Some faint rays of light peeked through the glass. A solid wooden desk and a matching chair stood close to the window. The man noticed that there was a small door in the far left corner.
On the left side was a twin bed with sage green bedsheets. A nightstand with a lamp stood next to it. The size of the bed made his heart sting a little. Sure, he was taller than most people. Having a twin bed would give him plenty of space. There was enough space for another person though. The male sighed as he closed the door behind him. 'Stupid werewolf bite. Who wants to be with someone who turns into a maneating monster every month? Sure, women are not off the hook with their monthly issue. But I doubt it makes them into something inhuman' concluded the wizard.
He glanced into the mirror. His skin was slightly paler than normal. The slightly dark circles under his eyes made him look exhausted. His light brown hair was rather messy. There was no yellow in his green eyes though. When the full moon was getting close, his eyes usually sported flecks of gold. 'I need a bath. Right now' decided the man. He went into the bathroom after locking the door.
A smile formed at his face. He spotted a bath tub at the right corner of the room. Not only that - there was a small golden orb laying on the small table next to the tub. Under the orb was a small piece of paper. Curiosity got the better of him, so he picked up the orb. 'Happy holidays dear guest' read the handwriting on the note. The brunette turned on the taps before he unpacked his toiletries. His jacket featured several pockets with expansion spells. This made traveling (or full moons) a lot easier.
'Toothpaste...toothbrush...hair brush...razor...shaving foam...face cream...eau de cologne...face wash...ah. Shampoo. Time to scrub all the dirt of!' thought the male. He plopped the golden orb into the water before turning off the taps. The golden orb soon dissolved into the water. Seconds later, icy gold foam formed on the water surface. A mix of vanilla, apple wood, cinnamon, cypress and mint made the room smell like Christmas.
It did not take long for him to undress. He looked as his physique in the mirror. Yes, being a werewolf meant his metabolism was quite high. It gave his muscles some extra strenght too. But there were some remaining scars from his childhood days. All of them were in places that were usually hidden by clothes. Once the clothes came off however, there was no hiding. It was the naked truth. The thought of letting a girlfriend seeing them made him nauseous. They would tell her what kind of he monster was every full moon. Not only that - she could risk getting the same scars.
Just the thought of it made him cold sweat. He could see the faces of different women in his life flash by his eyes. First was his mother, who adored him. Then was Lily, with expressive green eyes that her son had inherited. Next was McGonagall with her stern, yet understanding demeanor. Then was the blonde classmate he could not remember the name of. Up next was Molly Weasley. A woman with a heart big enough for her family, and then some. Lastly were all the female students he taught back at Hogwarts.
'Face it Lupin. You're doomed. Doomed to a life of singlehood. Oh well. At least I don't have to deal with domestic issues. Or hormonal issues. Poor James' mused Remus as he climbed into the hot water. He still remembered how henpecked his friend was at those times. Then was the horrified expression his friend sported when he learned about the - ahem - girl cycle. Being an only child in the wizard world meant he never had sex ed in school. His werewolf friend and Peter however were taught sex ed at elementary school. Sirius (thankfully?) got the entire rundown when he was seven. His family was probably tired of being asked where babies came from.
He lowered himself into the warm water. "Haaah. This is lovely" muttered the man as his muscles relaxed. His mind started to wander to what was going on. Christmas was coming up very soon. He was going to celebrate with his father this year. It was a tradition that both of them looked forward to. The werewolf was going to celebrate New Years eve with Sirius and the Weasleys though. He could imagine what kind of hijinks Sirius, the twins or Arthur would come up with. Fireworks - magical or not - were always appropriate.
A knocking sound made the blonde jump. Ice blue eyes spotted a blurry shape outside the window. "All right, all right, I'm coming" muttered the raspy voiced person. At a closer inspection, it was clear what the blurry shape was. It looked like a brown owl. Thin fingers undid the clasps so the owl could come in. "Hello there. Here we go" told the blonde. The bird hopped into the room with an envelope in its beak. 'That's a bit odd. I'm not expecting any mail. Wonder what it is' pondered the guest.
A slim hand put on a pair of glasses. 'Hold on. I don't live in 203. That's the one next door. Can't blame the guy for not finding the right room. The windows here are a bit messed up' concluded the blonde. After letting the owl out, the guest picked up their key. A small 'clack' was heard once they locked the door. '203. Huh. It's locked. I guess I'll just slip it in here' decided the guest. The blonde bent down and slid the letter under the door. Seconds later, the guest was gone.
Times were dangerous nowadays. One of their friends died recently because of Antonin Dolohov. The spouse died at St. Mungos. Thank Merlin they did not have children. Especially with that hag Umbridge placed at Hogwarts. 'This is one of the reasons I don't want to have kids. Not even the best magic or kindest people can make this world better. I mean, one of my former classmates got chucked into Azkaban for murder! Not even the muggles are safe. Even well meaning people like that Potter kid can't escape! I am glad that case ended in his favour. That poor kid deserved that victory' recalled the guest.
They remembered the photo from the court case like it was yesterday. Harry Potter just looked like her former classmate James. Same unruly dark hair, facial structure plus lanky build. A pair of round glasses framed his almond shaped eyes. They were a bright fern green. Just like Lily Evans were. He was only fifteen years old, and looked like one. A fifteen year old did not deserve a court hearing after defending someone from a dementor. They deserved a therapist plus a good support system. Especially if they were an orphan like Harry.
'I hope Harry has family that can help him. Or at least a guardian. I can't imagine my life without a family present' thought the blonde. They blinked their eyes. Cases like this made them sad. Especially after so many lost their lives during the last war. The only person they lost was a great aunt. Said great aunt was a chain smoker who contracted lung cancer. The guest approached the zebra crossing. Cars zoomed past them with high speed. Once the light turned green, the blonde crossed the road. It was time for some work.
Now for the Easter egg. It was the room number of Remus' room. The actor who played Remus (David Thewlis) was borne 20th March. Which translates to 20.03. The second was the bath bomb. Remus' wand is made of cypress wood. Some of the Tom Ford perfumes features cypress notes in case you are curious.