Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban Timeline
"He Holds the Moon"
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"It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight."
- Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARE
After purchasing several boxes from Honeydukes, Nora and Caito strolled through town until lunchtime. By then they decided Liam had stewed long enough.
Back at The Three Broomsticks, Julia and the twins were still sitting with Andrew and Roger Davis. They had coaxed Madam Rosmerta into lending them a deck of cards and got to playing a riveting game of Rummy. Nora took one look at Liam and all was forgiven. She never could stay mad at him. Maybe Caito had a point, maybe she did always take his side. Liam was, in many ways, like an older brother to her, steady and reliable and occasionally annoying. Sometimes he was harsh in the way he tried to protect those he cared about, but it came from the right place and she loved him for it.
The rest of the afternoon passed by. Soon they were all headed back to the castle.
Before the feast, Nora made a quick trip to the oak tree by the lake to take Byron some food. He was nowhere to be seen when she got there, something she found odd because, knowing it was a designated spot for easy nourishment, he was usually around.
She left the basket for him to find later and decided not to dwell too long on his absence. Byron was a wild dog after all.
Halloween night was always a festive occasion at Hogwarts. This year the Great Hall had been set up with spooky themed decorations and the enchanted ceiling charmed to exhibit great bolts of lightening. Walls were hung with fake spider webs and orange streamers. Hundreds and hundreds of carved pumpkins were scattered around the room, piling in the corners or floating above the tables, macabre grins lit by the golden glow of candles. Magic bats swooped down over the students every so often, scaring several first years as it seemed like they were about to get smacked in their heads, though the bats always flew back up before they ever did.
Nora stopped by the Gryffindor table to give Harry and Tristan each a bag full of candy, first making them promise not to eat all at once. She figured, with a feast made up entirely of deserts and sugar-filled foods, they should wait a while before stuffing their faces with any more sweets.
She wanted to know what they had been up to all day, and they were happy to tell her all about having tea with Professor Lupin. Hearing the admiration laced in her brother's voice, Nora felt her heart swell. She thought it was high time Tristan found someone to look up to.
Giddy and excited after a day full of shopping and fun, she joined the twins and helped herself to a bit of everything from the exquisite feast. Julia had decided to sit with them that evening. She and Emma were having a blast doing bad impersonations of their teachers while Liam rolled his eyes repeatedly, failing terribly at pretending not to find them funny.
Nora shook her head, laughing at how horrible Emma was at imitating Snape, but her attention was quickly drawn to the high table, where Professor Lupin was having an animated discussion with Professor Flitwick. She sighed dreamily. Lupin looked awfully handsome sitting there. The scars on his face seemed more pronounced under the warm flickering light, adding a hint of danger and a dash of roguishness to his usually amiable appearance. She wondered what it would feel like to trace them with her fingers, to read the rugged lines of his expression and memorise the texture of his skin... to then drag her hands through his hair, pepper kisses along his jaw…
He suddenly glanced her way too.
Nora felt her breath hitch. Oh no, she panicked, were her inappropriate thoughts written all over her face? Could he tell exactly what was going through her mind?
They held each other's gaze for a long time, so long she felt as though they were the only ones left in the hall. And then he smiled for her, a sweet smile with a touch of shyness that warmed her from inside — the kind of smile that made the world a beautiful place. She tucked a curl behind her ear, cheeks turning pink.
"What're you staring at?" The voice was right next to her ear and it caused Nora to jerk abruptly in her seat. Julia looked over her shoulder in time to see Lupin averting his eyes. "Were you and Professor Lupin making goo-goo eyes at each other? You naughty minx!"
"It's nothing like that," Nora argued, even though her scarlet face was a dead giveaway.
"Oh come on, you don't have to hide it from me." Julia stole a quick look across the table at Liam and Emma to check if they were still distracted, and scooted closer on the bench. "I've noticed the way you stare at him when you think no one's watching. We were only joking about the crush, but you really do fancy him, don't you?"
"Dunno..." Nora chewed on her lip nervously. "How can you tell when you fancy someone?"
"Depends really." Julia grew pensive for a second. "It's different for everyone. Sometimes you meet someone and there's a spark right away. Sometimes it happens slowly over time, the more you get to know of someone the more your feelings grow. Or, I guess, it sort of rams you in the face and you never even saw it coming."
Nora wasn't entirely sure which category she fell into; she had sort of gone through all three. The spark had been there from the start, from the very first moment she set eyes on him, but she never expected it to escalate the way it did. Her admiration, her interest, her attraction — all of those feelings grew stronger and more intense with each minute they spent together. It terrified and excited her.
"For me," Julia said with a soft smile, gaze locked into middle distance, "when I fancy a girl, it's like I can't get her out my head. I'm always thinking about her, hoping to see her in the hallways, wondering what she's doing, who she's with… I want to know everything about her. Every time she smiles I get this funny feeling in my stomach, like a tingling… or like butterflies, I suppose, if you believe in that sort of sappy nonsense."
"Is that how you feel about Celia?"
"Yeah, it's exactly like that," Julia sighed wistfully. "But anyway, enough about me—" She gave Nora a playful nudge. "How long has this illicit romance been going on?"
"There's no illicit romance!"
"Could've fooled me, with all those sweet smiles and yearning stares. Really, Nora, the man smiles whenever he sees you, and not like a teacher smiles at a student. I don't blame you for fancying him. I've always thought boys our age were too selfish and immature for you, even Caito."
Nora shook her head sadly, "Caito was a huge mistake... I thought if there was anyone I could fall in love with, it should be him. I wanted it to be him. Made sense, right? The two of us together..."
"Just because something makes sense doesn't mean it's right for you," Julia said kindly, reaching for Nora's hand under the table and giving it a squeeze.
"I understand that now, but do you think this might be?" Nora stole another longing glance at the high table. "I mean, he's our teacher. And anyway, why would an older man take an interest in me? I'm not attractive. I don't know how to flirt like you and Emma... I'm seventeen and the closest I've ever been to any sort of romantic relationship were a few drunken kisses with my best friend."
"Are you kidding me?" Julia made a disparaging noise. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You're gorgeous! And if you don't believe me, you should pay more attention to the way that man looks at you."
Nora wasn't quite so sure about being gorgeous, or about Professor Lupin thinking the same, but she was glad to have Julia listen to her feelings as she had been struggling with them on her own. She couldn't exactly talk to Liam about it, nor Emma because she would definitely let it slip to her brother. At least now there was one person she could turn to who wouldn't judge her or tell her how stupid she was for fancying her thirty year old professor.
After the Halloween feast, students rolled out of the Great Hall with their bellies full. The twins and Julia went back to their respective common rooms while Nora started on her rounds.
She loved Hogwarts late at night when there was no one around and the torch-lit corridors were peaceful and quiet. Sometimes she liked to pretend to have gone back in time, that she was a noble lady in a royal court sneaking around the castle to meet her secret lover, a handsome man who would be waiting in a hidden alcove to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they both ran out of breath.
Stopping by a large window overlooking the Black Lake, Nora heaved a heavy sigh. Was it silly that the secret lover she used to picture before now looked a lot like a certain professor? Tall and homey in his old fraying suit, with peppered hair falling stubbornly over deep eyes that danced with a smile.
She shook her head at herself. Maybe she'd been reading too many romance novels...
There was a sudden noise to her left — a rasping sound, like claws scratching on the floor. She turned from the window even as a large black dog came skidding around the corner at the end of the corridor, two balls of fur, one orange, the other white, hot on his tail. Nora's jaw dropped. What were Crookshanks and Ophelia doing with Byron? And more importantly, what was Byron doing inside the castle?
The three rascals disappeared through a door like lightning bolts. She was about to follow them and see what they were up to when she heard someone call out her name.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," said Professor Lupin as he rushed over, face pinched with worry. "You need to come with me now."
Taking hold of her hand, he started dragging her back the same way he came from. Nora had to run a bit to keep up with his long strides.
"Wait — professor," she managed between pants, "what happened?"
"Sirius Black broke inside the castle. He attacked the Fat Lady trying to get into the Gryffindor common room."
"W-what?!" It was as though someone dropped a bucket of ice cold water over her head. "Tristan and Harry… are they—"
"They're fine." Lupin tightened his grip on her fingers. "Professor Dumbledore is gathering all students in the Great Hall. Your friends were already with them when I left."
Nora all but deflated with relief. "Thank god..."
"I was so worried, Nora. I didn't know where you were, all I could think about was how you were all alone and if he found you... if he hurt you in any way..." Lupin shook his head, jaw clenching. "He's already taken so much from me, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you too."
She couldn't see his whole face, but she had a feeling he wasn't entirely aware of what he was saying because he had just admitted something deeply personal — that he cared enough to fear losing her. Nora's heart soared with hope.
The last few students were walking through the doors when they arrived at the Great Hall. Lupin let go of her hand as they trailed after them in silence, and afterwards Nora veered off in search of her brother and friends. They weren't hard to find, all huddled in a corner, Liam with his arms crossed, Emma and Julia whispering furiously to each other, and Tristan standing next to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were all looking a bit pale.
Relieved, Nora threw her arms around Tristan.
"Nora, get off!"
"We weren't in the common room when it happened," Hermione hurried to explain.
"The Fat Lady was already gone when we got to the painting," Ron added.
"You're very lucky, all of you!" Nora exclaimed, snagging Tristan into another unwelcome hug that lasted only a few seconds before he wiggled his way out of it.
After a quick check with everyone, she joined Percy and the other Prefects gathered around Professor Dumbledore.
"I'm afraid that for your own safety you will have to spend the night here," said Dumbledore as Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick went around closing all doors into the Hall. "I want all Prefects to stand guard over the entrances and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported back to me immediately."
With a swift wave of his wand, the long tables stood themselves against the walls. Another wave and the floor was covered with hundreds of purple sleeping bags.
Dumbledore gave Nora and Percy a solemn nod and bid them all goodnight.
Once the doors closed behind him, Percy started barking orders left and right. Nora tried to reel in his overzealous enthusiasm, but it was easier said than done. She gave up minutes into it, let him do whatever rocked his boat instead.
Professor Lupin approached her as she was handing out sleeping bags and gently drew her aside for a word.
"I have to go now," he said quietly. The light of the torches flickered over his tired, grim face. "I'll come back as soon as I can. Make sure you stay here, Black might still be in the castle."
Nora grabbed Lupin's arm before he could walk away. "Do you have to go? What if he finds you?"
"Don't worry about me."
"Of course I worry about you," she argued, lowering her voice so others wouldn't hear. "Just... please be careful."
His tense face softened into a warm smile as he touched her hand on his arm, lingering meaningfully. "I'll see you soon, Nora."
She stared at the golden doors long after Lupin had disappeared through them, hoping the tight knot in her stomach would unwound itself but to no avail. He can take care of himself, Nora eventually had to remind herself firmly.
The next few hours ticked by in a furious whirlwind as she dealt with Percy and went around the hall comforting nervous students and tucking first and second years into their sleeping bags.
"Could he have Apparated inside the castle?" asked a young Hufflepuff girl when Nora knelt down next to her. "What if he does it again? What if he Apparates right here?"
"That's not going to happen, sweetheart," Nora soothed the poor, shaky girl. "Hogwarts is protected, it isn't possible to Apparate inside the grounds. You should try and sleep now. The other Prefects and I are watching over all of you."
Nora checked on Tristan, Harry, Ron and Hermione next, making sure they were doing alright. Finally, after stealing a glance over her shoulder at Percy just to be safe, she sat down with her friends, already lounging in their pyjamas. Emma was weaving Julia's hair into two braids while Liam was propped against the wall reading.
"Any ideas how Black got in?" Emma asked, tying the end of a braid before starting on another.
"Not a clue," Nora said grimly.
"It's very troubling how he keeps slipping in and out of heavily warded places," Julia said. "You'd almost think he had a man on the inside."
"Nobody would do that," Emma argued.
"You can't be sure. It's unlikely, but not impossible," Liam pondered out loud.
"Nevermind how he got in. If he lays one finger on Tristan, I might just…" Nora trailed off, too emotional to finish the thought.
"He won't." Liam closed his book and slipped inside his sleeping bag. "What would Black want with your brother anyway?"
She shot him a pointed look. "He's after Harry so what do you think Tris will do if Black finds and attacks his best friend?"
"Ah, yes. I do see your point."
"Lights out everyone!" Percy suddenly shouted. "I want you all in your sleeping bags and no more talking!"
"Heavens," Nora gasped dramatically. "No more talking, he says. Whatever will he do if no one listens? Stomp his foot until they do?"
Emma nearly yanked some of Julia's hair laughing.
All candles went out at once, plunging the Great Hall into darkness. The only light left was that of the silvery ghosts scattered around the room talking to Prefects stationed at the entrances and the enchanted ceiling where the sky was clear and full of twinkling stars.
"Cavanaugh," Percy called like a dog's bark. Rolling her eyes, Nora got up and skirted through the sleeping bags to get to him. He puffed his chest out, looking down at her from his nose. "Your job is to keep the students in line, not sit around all night chatting."
"Yes, Percy, I understand that," she replied placidly. "You're not my boss, I don't need you to remind me what my job is."
Percy nailed her with another snooty glare.
Once every hour or so, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Nora's heart jumped every time the double doors opened, however much to her disappointment Professor Lupin was never one of the teachers who came by.
Time continued to fly slowly and the whispering died out as more students drifted to sleep. She walked past Tristan as often as she could, sometimes lingering to talk to him, Harry, Ron and Hermione a bit. They were having trouble falling asleep. No one could blame them. More than anyone in the castle, they had very well-founded reasons to worry. Hogwarts was meant to be the safest place in the country. If a mass murderer could break in once, who was to say he wouldn't be doing it again?
Professor Dumbledore returned around three in the morning. Nora and Percy met him halfway across the room.
"Any sign of him, professor?"
"None so far," Dumbledore answered Percy. "And here? All well?"
"Oh yes," Nora nodded. "Everyone was very well-behaved. We did our best to ease their worries and keep them calm."
"Good. There's no point moving them now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?" Nora asked worriedly.
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed. Once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."
The doors opened again. Hopeful, Nora glanced their way, but it was only Snape and he appeared particularly sour as he loomed in.
"The whole of the third floor has been searched," he informed Professor Dumbledore. "No sign of Black. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owelry?"
"All searched."
"Very well. I didn't expect him to linger."
"Do you have any theory as to how he got in, Headmaster?"
"Many, Severus, each as unlikely as the next."
"You'll remember a conversation we had, Headmaster, just before, eh… the start of term?" Snape spoke almost inaudibly and through clenched teeth, like he was trying to block Nora and Percy out.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore slowly.
"It seems impossible that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed—"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," Dumbledore cut in sharply. Taking the warning in stride, Snape swallowed whatever else he wanted to say with a bitter grimace.
Nora immediately caught on to what was left unsaid between the two men. Snape was accusing Professor Lupin of helping Black into the castle. That snake, she seethed inwardly. Professor Lupin would never endanger Harry or any other student.
"I must go down to the dementors," Dumbledore informed them all. "I said I would let them know when our search was complete."
Nora gulped nervously. "The dementors… they won't come inside, will they?"
"Never, my dear." Dumbledore clasped a hand over her shoulder for comfort. "Rest assured, no dementor shall cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster. For now please inform the Prefects to stand down, you should all have some rest."
Nora and Percy, averse to spending any more time than required in Snape's unpleasant company, quickly split into opposite directions.
Despite having had permission to call it a night, Nora knew there would be no sleeping for her, not for a while. She sat against the wall, far from the crowd of sleeping students, and stared at the bewitched ceiling. Why was Professor Lupin so distraught about Black breaking into the caste? The way he'd spoken about it... he had to have known Black personally. It was the only explanation.
About an hour later, while she was still lost in her thoughts on the matter, the person she had been waiting for finally returned.
Spotting her, Lupin came over to join her on the floor. The warmth of his body washed over her as their shoulders grazed softly. "I could only get away now," he explained in a whisper. "How are you feeling? Cold? Tired?"
"Bit of both," Nora admitted. In no more than a second he had her tucked under his jacket. She kept it in place under her chin, eyeing his crisp white shirt and brown vest with concern. "Won't you get cold?"
"I'll be fine, darling. I'm tougher than I look."
The affectionate term brought a tiny smile to her face. She loved when he called her darling.
They sat in silence for a while, until the heat and the smell of him began to make her drowsy and she had to fight to keep her eyes open.
"Professor?" Nora called quietly. "When you came to find me earlier tonight, you said… well, you said Black had taken a lot from you. What did you mean by that?"
Lupin hesitated, pushing back the hair that had fallen over his eyes. "I suppose it's best you do know…" He drew one deep breath in, then his shoulders sagged defeatedly. "Sirius and I knew each other. In fact, we were best friends..."
"Best friends? Really?"
"Yes," Remus told Nora, sadness inevitably seeping into his voice. "There were four of us — Sirius, James, Peter and me. We met in our first year and we were inseparable ever since. We did everything together, shared all our deepest secrets. I loved them very much. Broke my heart when Sirius betrayed us."
"The friend you talked about that morning by the lake… that was him, wasn't it?" Nora's pretty eyes shone bright with compassion. Remus nodded, drawing his knees in. "I can't imagine how hard this must be for you."
"It's the not knowing that's really hard," he found himself sharing with her. "For twelve years I've tried to make sense of what happened, but it feels like something's missing. The man I knew wouldn't have sold out his friends, not even to save his own life."
"Didn't you have any suspicion?" she pressed even more gently.
"It was hard to tell back then. Sirius was stronger than most, or I suppose he was more driven. He despised everything Lord Voldemort and his followers stood for. He was determined to rid the wizarding world of people like them. But the war changed all of us in some way. We all had to do terrible things…"
Remus sighed again, resting his head against the wall behind him while contemplating the starry ceiling. He felt exhausted. The whole night had been one giant nightmare. When he heard about Sirius breaking in, a thousand thoughts had flown through his brain, each more terrifying and devastating than the last one. How did Sirius do it? How did he break in? Had he been watching the castle this entire time, waiting for the perfect chance? And how long until he got his hands on Harry? Or Nora?
With those haunting thoughts planted, Remus had canvassed the castle in a blurry frenzy looking for her. His senses were sharper with the full moon so close, more alert, and for once he was glad because he wouldn't have found her otherwise. The sheer relief that washed over him when he saw her and knew she was safe nearly knocked him off his feet, sucked another ten years right out of him.
"It wasn't your fault," Nora said softly, breaking the silence. "You couldn't have predicted how the war would change your friend. And you couldn't have known he'd break into the castle either. You shouldn't blame yourself. Everything's fine now. Harry's safe, we're all safe."
He was half struck by her ability to read him so well after such short time. "Your insight is nothing short of amazing. How old are you again?"
"I've been told I'm wiser beyond my years," she joked.
Remus shook his head with a little laugh. "Of course you have." Still smiling, he stared down at her fondly. "I can't thank you enough for all the kindness you've shown me, Nora. I don't remember the last time I've had someone worry about me or listen to my troubles."
Nora smiled back warmly. "You listen to me all the time, I was only returning the favour. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"
"Friends," he tested out the word. "Yes, I suppose we are."
"Well now, don't sound so enthusiastic about it," she quipped dryly.
Chuckling softly, Remus tucked her chin between his fingers and tilted her face toward him. Her cheeks bloomed with pink under his gaze. He loved that about her — the way she blushed with every small thing he did, as though it pleased her deeply to have him shower her with attention.
"You know I didn't mean it like that," he whispered, glancing down at her parted lips before flickering his eyes back up to hers. "I should be so lucky to have a friend as wonderful as you."
Nora placed her hand over his own, guiding it to her cheek, and he held his breath as she leaned into his touch, eyes closed. The vulnerability, the sheer tenderness in the gesture floored him — utterly. He felt like he was holding the most precious treasure in the world in the palm of his hand. That's when it hit him, what right did he have to this beautiful young woman? What right did he have to even sit next to her?
The conflict was huge, a loud, impossible war raging inside him. He grazed his thumb over the stardust of freckles on her cheek, struggling desperately with himself. If Nora knew who he was — what he really was... she wouldn't be wasting her time worrying about him, or letting his monstrous hands touch her.
Every muscle in his body screamed in agony as he pulled his hand back, clenching it in a tight fist beside him on the floor. The warmth of her skin lingered on his fingers, a dull tingling that was both torture and not enough at the same time.
"You should catch some sleep," Remus said without looking at her, fearing that if he did he would end up doing something he shouldn't.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw disappointment settle over her face. He heard her sigh softly. "I'm not sure I can, what if something happens?"
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on things."
There was another moment of hesitation before Nora finally made herself more comfortable under his jacket. She looked so small right then. He wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms, hold her close all night so he could chase away her fears and nightmares, so he could make her feel safe.
What a joke, Remus thought bitterly. Like Nora would ever be safe in his arms.
He tugged at his hair in anguish. When did this happen? When did this foolish infatuation turn into more? Was it that morning under the oak? That afternoon when they sat by the fire, drinking wine and sharing their life stories? Or perhaps he had been lost from the first moment he saw her, when he stared into those sea-goddess eyes so big and transparent, so melancholic. Had the situation been any different, he would have left as soon as he felt the pull. Because now... now was too late. Nora had ensnared his heart. All he could do was tuck away his feelings, keep himself in check.
But it was hard — so hard... especially under the influence of the impending full moon. He could smell Nora even before she walked in the room and his body reacted in ways he never anticipated. Like a blow delivered to his navel, desire and heat surged through him, made his heart race, his head spin. It was even worse on the days when he didn't see her as she would plague his every thought. He craved her company like an addict craves his drug of choice. And at night there were dreams; incredibly vivid and realistic dreams. Where Nora would come to him in his bed, clothed in nothing but a sheer white gown that made her look like a vision from heaven, and would whisper in his ear sweet words coated with a passion meant to drive him into wanton madness. So pale and beautiful bathed in moonlight, her skin like silk under his fingers, her lips like honeyed milk over his own. The sounds she would make… the warmth of her… all that delirious, slick, wonderful pleasure…
Remus would wake up gasping for air, sheets plastered to his skin with sweat, feeling mutually ashamed and frustrated. It would take him several minutes under ice cold water to cool off enough to leave his quarters and teach class. But then their eyes would meet and the struggle would start all over again. He was half terrified she could read his obscene thoughts plain on his face because the battle to keep them at bay was constant.
He felt something nudge him. Looking down, he saw that Nora had tipped over, fast asleep. The jacket had slipped down and was pooling on her lap. He covered her back up and adjusted her so her head was resting on his shoulder. It must've been the right thing to do because not a second later she was all snuggled up against him, clutching at his arm.
"Evanora Briar," Remus whispered quietly under his breath, brushing a curl from her face. "What are you doing to me? And how am I to fight it?"
We see a little into Remus's head in this chapter and as expected there's a struggle going on. I love writing his point of view so much... I don't know about you guys but I've always imagined Remus to be super sweet and romantic. The most troubled souls are often the most sensitive in my opinion.
Thanks again for all the support! Let me know your thoughts!