#I can’t even go into a Sirius or james edit without him being mentioned SHUT UPPPPPPPP

[comradekarin]

remember when the marauders fandom was actually about the marauders and lily/marlene/dorcas/mary? about jily and wolfstar? and not bigoted ass slytherins these new fans get they pussy wet for? go ahead and mention regulus, barty, rosier, mulciber or any other bg bigot again- see what happens…..

[halothenthehorns]

TLTNL- EDUCATIONAL DECREE NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR

Harry felt as if it had been ages that he'd taken the book so lightheartedly. His godfather still weighed heavily on his mind, he could not erase the fear that their last argument wasn't going to be the end of things and Harry still worried deeply for the end results of that, but finally something was going right in school! He couldn't wait to learn what all became of that!

Harry was happier the rest of that weekend than he had been all term. He still had some pretty late hours with all his homework, but the sunshine prevailed and they spent it out under the shade of some trees instead which made the work more bearable. Hermione, who of course was up to date on her work,

Sirius chuckled as he told Harry, "you manage to say that with such perfect exasperation."

"It never fails to boggle the mind," Harry grinned.

"Well compared to her third year, I imagine even seventh won't feel as bad as taking all the classes at once," Lily shrugged.

brought knitting needles and more wool to knit themselves while she happily edited their work.

The idea of now actively doing something to resist Umbridge and the Ministry was finally giving Harry the satisfaction he'd been needing.

"Is that all you needed?" James grinned in relief his son was finally starting to sound and clearly feel more normal again. "Didn't the Order help with that?"

"I wasn't actually doing anything of use on that front," Harry shrugged, "knowing someone's out there helping and my actually helping are two very different things for me."

No one argued that point, they all felt the same.

  He kept reliving the moment where he realized all those people had been there because they believed him, respected him, their looks when Cho had praised his accomplishments about the Tournament.

"Which bit was your favorite part again?" Sirius smirked, to which Harry ignored him.

That so many people didn't find him a weirdo still left him smiling Monday morning, despite the prospect of all his least favorite classes.

"I still want to see someone hung for that, it truly sounds like yet more torture for you this year," Remus said in disgust.

He and Ron came down the stairs, but were distracted from leaving the common room by a very large sign covering up the normal flyers on the board, including the school rules Filch kept up to date, Quidditch practices, who would trade what Chocolate Cards, lost and found, dates of Hogsmeade visits, and the Weasley's advertisement.

"They're still hanging those up! I thought Hermione would have a cow on them if she saw?" Lily yelped in concern for the twins health.

"This one wasn't nearly so big or as flamboyant," Harry shrugged, "she may not have even noticed it a second time." It was truly depressing that the second Harry had locked in on this new thing, his face had gone right back to that unhappy, sour look he'd carried through most of this book.

Instead in great big unable to miss letters was the notice of Educational Decree Number twenty-four, signed by the High Inquisitor. All organizations, societies, teams, groups, or clubs were hereby banned unless approved by the High Inquisitor. This consisted of a group of more than three people. Any students found in any of the above without permission by the High Inquisitor would be expelled.

Harry looked up, surprised no one had interrupted him during that to state their disgust, and found four stunned stupid faces. James even had his mouth hanging open in shock.

"That is the most ridiculous thing, I have ever heard, in my life," Remus struggled to even get this out.

"Are you kidding me!" Lily screeched in outrage. "You must be absolutely joking. Of all the stupid, I mean she didn't really, no one could have let her-"

"But Quidditch!" James and Sirius broke in with unison disgust.

"Priorities men," Remus scowled at them, "how about, even we couldn't have hung out at school! Group's of three or more, bloody hell, just walking down the corridor is banned in that stupidity!"

"Would you lot focus," Lily snapped. "I can't imagine how this was passed, she is literally just putting up laws now that fit her own need, how on Earth is this being passed! I am absolutely disgusted anyone could be part of this."

"I think you're all missing the big picture," Harry kept scowling at nothing, "which is, how did she know?"

That did catch them off their own problem, as each ran through the list of all who were in the Hog's Head that day.

"Must have been one of the students, none of the other customers care enough to say anything about this." Remus reasoned out.

"Harry did keep noticing that one shifty person," Lily reminded.

"So there was a shifty person, they still wouldn't have a reason to go darting to Umbridge," Sirius brushed off.

"So the best idea is that arsehole Zacharia, everyone else there never showed any problem with this," James decided.

"That friend of Cho's," Lily said uneasily.

Harry's stomach twisted in pain even as his eyes lit on her for some understanding he got from that, but then Sirius dismissed at once, "loyalty to her friend would keep her mouth shut I'm sure, Zacharia didn't have that with Ernie or that other chick," and Harry was no longer sure what he'd been thinking of.

"Great, now that that's decided, I can't wait to hear what the twins do about this," Remus sneered.

"But Quidditch!" James was not going to let that point go. "That means Harry's team has to be reinstated by that toad! I can't go a whole other year without hearing about him in the Championship!"

Lily smacked him upside the head while Harry kept going with much less enthusiasm now. He'd had all of one page to enjoy himself and that had already been taken away.

Harry and Ron read the notice over the heads of a couple of second-years, who began talking to each other in concern about their Gobstones Club.

"Youthful innocence," Remus sighed.

Harry turned with forming fists to Ron as he hissed that she knew.

Ron at once said she can't have, but Harry insisted she still could have been there, or anyone who had been could have ratted to her. He'd thought they'd believed in him...

"Oh Harry they do," Lily promised at once. "I've realized time and again what a beacon of hope you are for your generation, how so many look to you-"

"Usually not in a good way," Harry interrupted with a scowl, clearly refusing any kind of comfort.

James wouldn't give in that easily as he tisked at Harry, "remember what Dumbledore said last year? If you're striving for universal popularity you're going to be waiting forever. You've hardly ever looked past the bad people are saying of you, try for some optimism a good twenty something people are on your side that you know of, not counting the ones I'm sure are still in that school."

Harry thought about this for a moment before he really did smile. Somehow, he just knew, before all this was up he'd realize his parents were right and that was enough for now even if he didn't feel it currently.

Ron at once said it could have been that Zacharias bloke, or that Michael Corner, he'd been shifty.

All of them at least got a small laugh out of Ron's one track mind, but at least he'd said the main suspect first, he wasn't entirely acting like an overprotective brother.

Harry looked around and didn't yet spot Hermione, so decided they should go up to her room to tell her about this. Ron at once took off for the stairs.

"I can't believe it took you this long to get in this one!" James snorted with glee.

"I found that out during my second year, and it was for a much better reason than visiting a friend," Sirius agreed with a wicked grin.

Harry gazed bemusedly at them, realized they weren't going to elaborate, and kept going curiously what the problem with this was.

He didn't make it past the sixth step when the stone beneath him vanished, turning into one long smooth slide, and Ron was left to tumble backwards and land at Harry's feet.

Harry offered him a hand up as he gazed at the new type of passage, mentioning he no longer thought they could go up to the girls dormitories.

"No, that mustn't be it!" Remus made his eyes go as wide as possible. "What on earth gave you that idea!"

Harry just rolled his eyes at the sarcasm while still grinning at the mental image Ron had provided.

Two fourth years came sliding down, giggling at the ride, while Ron turned an affronted look on Harry and demanded why not, Hermione had been in their room.

Hermione managed that moment to come sliding down, already explaining it was an old- fashioned kind of rule,

"That timing," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'd have been much more impressed if she'd been coming down headfirst," Remus snickered at the thought.

that Hogwarts: A History said the founders thought boys less trustworthy.

"That is entirely insulting," James pouted.

"What about in the Slytherin common room?" Harry asked in surprise. "They don't even have stairs, how do they stop there?"

"Temporary dirt funnel over you," Sirius grinned. "Any time you try to step pass the barrier, a wall of dirt circles you, though girls around you still come and go, it leaves you pinned like that till you turn around and then it opens again for you to leave."

"Same two things happen for the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws," Remus agreed.

"Why am I the only one insulted by this?" James protested of them.

"Because it's a fairly pointless rule considering most couples don't enjoy spending time in their rooms considering all the, err, shared space, so most find other places to...interact." Remus rolled his eyes at him. "You just get mad because when you tried to fly your broom up there an intruder alert went off and McGonagall showed up and nearly cursed you before realizing what you'd done."

"She never did let that one go, gave him a month of detentions and threatened he'd be in her office for life if he ever set off another alarm like that again," Sirius chuckled.

Harry wouldn't let himself be distracted by this as he dragged Hermione over to the notice and waited impatiently for her to reach it. She'd hardly looked back at them when Ron snapped about someone blabbing, but she began protesting at once no one could have done.

Ron told her she was being naïve,

"Ron just said the same thing before Hermione showed up," Lily rolled her eyes.

"But now of course he realizes he's wrong and he's correcting her as well," Sirius shrugged.

but Hermione insisted that if anyone had done so, they'd now be jinxed because of the spell she put on the parchment everyone had signed.

Harry had hardly paused for breath upon realizing this before he startled at the burst of laughter from all sides. He looked around with his own amused smile to see that even his mum was giggling like mad that Hermione had done something so, underhanded, to ensure silence for this group.

"Hermione is a girl of many talents," James calmed down first as he fixed his glasses.

"She really is something when it comes to protecting her own," Lily agreed fondly.

Ron now looked on, impressed as he asked what this jinx was, and Hermione said it would make the person who blabbed regret it, they would have more blemishes on their face than actual face.

The boys lost it all over again, cackling like idiots, and Harry joined in this time to help relieve some of the tension living in him of how sure he was this was going to be happening at some point.

She beckoned them to head down to breakfast, wondering if this had been put up in the other houses yet.

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't be," Remus shook his head at the idea, his grin still stuck in place for Hermione's curse.

The three of them found the twins, Ginny, Dean, and Neville chatting uneasily as they approached, and they all looked to Harry asking what they were going to do about this.

Harry said do it anyways of course.

"I never thought anything otherwise," Sirius smirked.

George beamed and said he wasn't surprised, though Fred looked suspiciously at the two prefects as he asked if everyone would be in?

"They knew what they were getting into before this stupid, I don't even want to call it a law it's so sad it's a thing," Lily scowled.

Hermione said of course at once, while Ron pointed over his shoulder and said the two prefects from Hufflepuff plus some Ravenclaws were headed over here now, and he still couldn't spot anyone spotty.

Hermione turned around in surprise as she hissed that wasn't the point, they couldn't come over here now, it would be too suspicious.

"No it won't," James said in confusion. "People chat with other people from different houses all the time."

"Still not best to have it clear and obvious who's coming up to talk to me right now," Harry shrugged.

Remus was biting his tongue to hold in the sarcastic comment that even the Great Hall was technically now falling under the more than three people in one group rule.

Hermione began waving frantically at them all to go sit down, while Ginny huffed she'd tell her boyfriend while calling him a fool.

"I already sense true love," Lily giggled as she nestled in a bit to James' pleased smile, both parents missing the stricken look Harry seemed to get for no reason because of that.

She hurried off to the Ravenclaw table, while Harry watched Cho chatting uneasily with the same friend. He wondered if that notice would scare her off from future meetings.

"You could still offer her private lessons, those still even fall under-"

Remus smacked Sirius for Harry this time just so Harry could keep going.

They were leaving the Great Hall when Angelina caught up to them, and informed them this new decree also meant the Quidditch team.

"I can't believe you were more concerned over this group you just made up than your Quidditch team!" James was still stuck on that one.

Harry and Ron were just as shocked to realize this as Angelina turned pleading eyes on him not to have any more outbursts with Umbridge or she'd never let them reform their team.

"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this," Sirius said uneasily, already imagining that toad excluding the Gryffindor's from playing ever again just because Harry was on the team! Surely Dumbledore wouldn't really let that happen though!

"She can't stop Quidditch," James said flatly. He didn't look quite as dangerous as when he'd heard about that quill being used on his son, but this was a good second. "There'd be a true revolt, even the other houses would go barmy if she stopped one team because it would ruin the whole year's structure."

"Breathe you two," Remus tried for comfort even as he shifted uneasily in place at the idea of this. "Prongs said it himself, there's no way this is going to last, I'm sure."

"Least someone is," Harry sighed, he couldn't get rid of this pit of nausea telling him he should have enjoyed Quidditch while he still had it.

Harry quickly agreed to this, mostly because Angelina looked ready to burst into tears.

"Is that all it took, for her to start crying to get you to stop," Lily at least grinned for that.

They walked off then towards History of Magic, Ron saying he was positive Umbridge would be here for this lesson.

"Could she even get rid of him?" Remus asked, clearly looking to think on something else before his friends blew a gasket over their topic. "I feel like even if she did fire him he wouldn't even take notice and he'd just keep showing up."

"I actually agree," Lily nodded. "You'd have to designate a new classroom and put a teacher in there, and then Binns would just show up and keep talking to an empty room."

"The worst part is, Umbridge would probably consider him a good teacher if she doesn't fall asleep in the back like everyone else," Remus sighed.

None of the boys laughed like the two had been hoping.

She however was not, and class began as normal, Harry doodling rather than actually taking notes, and it took several hard prods from Hermione before he looked up. She however was not gesturing for him to pay attention in class, but to the window, where Hedwig was.

"What on Earth?" James began in confusion, that had finally caught everyone's attention onto one subject, and it wasn't History of Magic.

"What's Hedwig up to?" Sirius tried to lean over in concern to look at the book. "Either she could have dropped off her reply with breakfast or she should have waited till you were alone."

Harry had no answer, all he knew was the powerful burning protection rising in him as he gazed at the memory of his owl and hurried quickly on.

Harry took a quick look to the teacher, who was droning on as ever, but still kept low as he went to the window and let her in. Instead of holding out her leg as usual, she hopped inside, hooting dully. Harry quickly moved her to his shoulder and went back to his seat, placing her on his lap instead before he saw the true problem, her feathers were ruffled oddly, and a wing was bent out unnaturally.

"Someone attacked Hedwig!" Harry snarled in outrage.

"Oh the poor dear," Lily crooned in concern, "I can't even imagine what."

"I really can't either," Remus shifted uneasily, remembering clearly who that letter was from...nothing could have happened to Sirius right?!

Harry hissed in surprise she was hurt, while Ron leaned over and Hermione put down her quill to look.

"There's a miracle in itself," Sirius said as he jittered uneasily.

Hedwig was shaking slightly on Harry's knees, and when he tried to touch her wing, she puffed up and tried snapping at him for it.

"Bird bones aren't exactly easy to break, despite being hollow," Remus began prattling off as he pictured it in his mind's eye. "It must have taken some very great effort to bend it out of shape, I can imagine Hedwig fought back-"

"Remus," Harry all but begged, shutting him up instantly as Harry kept hastily going.

Harry waited no longer to take to his feet and call to the professor he was not feeling well.

"Honestly Harry, you could have just walked out and he wouldn't have noticed," Lily told him with a straight face, she knew she would have if her pet had shown up injured.

Professor Binns raised his eyes from his notes, looking amazed as always to find people present.

No one could even crack a smile for this display.

Harry was already walking towards the door, his owl stashed behind him as he declared he was going to the hospital wing.

Binns hardly acknowledged his own dismissal of Perkins as he returned to his notes.

"First time in my life someone called me wrong, and I can't even enjoy the moment," Harry muttered sourly, his eyes flickering to his father's owl and away with longing, he wanted to know right now his owl was okay, he couldn't get rid of this terrible premonition something could be very wrong with her.

When he left the room however, he dithered on where to actually go. His first thought would be Hagrid, but failing that, he decided he had no one to ask but Grubbly-Plank.

"That's so sad," Lily groaned as she twisted up some of her hair with worry, "but I'm positive Grubbly-Plank will help her, she's been nothing but decent so far."

Looking through the nearest window, he did not spot her with a class on the grounds, so decided the best place to start looking was the staff room.

That made Sirius question for the first time where the woman was even staying. It's not as if Hogwarts had an abundance of guest rooms set up, though he supposed one would obviously be provided for her, and entirely not the point right now.

When Harry bolted there, he was met with two talking stone gargoyles who tried to discourage him from knocking, though Harry ignored them as he said it was urgent. It was McGonagall who answered the door, taking one flashing look at him and demanding if he'd been given another detention.

"Must love her faith in you," James continued shifting in unease as they all watched Harry read with panic over his poor pet. They were sure she was fine, it more than likely wasn't a critical injury, but it put them all on the edge something like this had happened so randomly.

The gargoyle interrupted to remind it was urgent as snidely as it could.

"That's not helping," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

Harry quickly showed his owl and told who he was looking for, and was relieved to see the woman was in fact inside. She began inspecting Hedwig at once, talking to herself about how a Thestral was capable of doing this, but Hagrid had the ones on grounds well trained not to attack owls so this wasn't likely.

Remus nodded absently, he'd worked all that out silently himself, and had been hoping for some other answer while Harry absently noted his question of those winged horses had just been answered and he hadn't even realized it.

Harry neither knew nor cared what Thestrals were;

"Oh the irony," Sirius couldn't help but mutter.

as Grubbly-Plank asked how far she'd traveled?

Harry just said to London, and by the look on McGonagall's face, it was clear she understood who the recipient was.

"She's never been slow on the uptake," James began fidgeting all the more, now fingers crossed she'd pull Harry aside so the two could go check on Sirius. What on earth had happened here?

Grubbly-Plank noticed nothing as she asked Harry for him to leave Hedwig with her for a few days, she could take care of this.

Harry gave an uneasy thanks, but before Harry left McGonagall gave Harry the letter Hedwig had been carrying this whole time. Harry took it with one last pitiful look at his owl, who was watching reproachfully as he left as if abandoning her.

Harry shifted guiltily, wishing he could have done more for his owl or at least stayed with her. Remus and James tried to draw comfort from the fact that Harry was more worried for Hedwig than Sirius, surely if he thought something had gone wrong with his godfather he'd be even more upset.

McGonagall escorted him to the door where the bell had been rung and students were starting to swarm from both sides. McGonagall just had time to warn the message that channels of communication in and out of Hogwarts were being watched, before he was swept away.

"The worst part is we already guessed as much," Lily said with grim disgust.

Harry made his way to the courtyard to find his friends talking in low mutters. They both at once asked how Hedwig was, and Harry explained where he'd gone and what McGonagall had passed along.

Neither looked surprised, as Hermione began to say this was the first time Hedwig had ever been intercepted, or had she ever been hurt in flight before?

"Not even to wherever the bloody hell Sirius was hiding before, but now at the safest place on earth," Harry snarled in disgust, still shifting restlessly and knowing he was going to feel off until he knew his owl was back to one hundred percent.

Ron asked about the letter then, and Harry opened it to find Sirius' writing and the simple sentence; same time, same place.

Ron hissed in surprise if that meant he was planning another visit tonight?

"Can't imagine what else it would mean," James said dryly to cover up his heart thudding harder every second. If Sirius didn't make an appearance tonight, than he'd know something was wrong. Surely though it was just Hedwig's response being intercepted, and not the fact that someone had attacked her and Sirius while he'd been putting the letter on the owl. Harry would have been told if something like that had happened, right?

Hermione said that part was obvious, and she just hoped no one else had read this.

Harry said it had still been sealed when he'd got it, plus no one could even understand what this meant.

"That bit is impossible at least," Sirius said with conviction, "no one else was around for last time, I'm sure it'll be fine."

Hermione wasn't as convinced, saying it was possible to reseal things with magic, and if anyone had been watching the Floo Network recently...

They all paled as they realized that, but Lily jostled herself back into thinking right. "That falls under Dumbledore's job to keep that monitored for the school on behalf of the Ministry..." but she trailed off right there, as even before this latest stupid decree it had been made clear Dumbledore's powers were quickly being stripped away. What if someone in the Ministry had noted when this had happened? Could it be possible they'd somehow traced it back to Grimmauld place? The amount of magical protection around that house should have made this impossible...but something had happened to Hedwig, and none of them could stop their stream of worries until they got an answer.

The problem was they couldn't warn him of anything without that being intercepted too.

"There must be some other forms of communication," Harry said through gritted teeth, something even more fearful rearing up inside of him at just the hint of the idea he couldn't get into contact with Sirius because of this, and something was going to go terribly wrong because of it.

Sirius and James exchanged a significant look before James said, "well yes there is, but usually those are private and preset up things that you and Sirius just haven't established yet."

Harry looked on at him in confusion, waiting for that to be explained more, and Sirius did just that. "A few items can be enchanted so that you can have conversations one on one, but like Prongs just said, you have to individually set them up and you and I haven't yet."

Harry still felt like they weren't saying something, but pressed on anyways as he just wanted this nasty feeling to go away. He tried to even remember that happy feeling he'd felt only at the beginning of this chapter, and already that felt like a foreign concept.

They trudged off to potions in silence, which didn't last long as the moment the room was in sight they also heard Malfoy speaking clearly for all to hear.

"I was under the impression that was always how he talked," Remus sneered, more than tired of hearing of this little prat near constantly.

Boasting about how Umbridge had signed off right away for the Slytherin team to continue, of course it was all thanks to his father's influence in the Ministry.

"Nothing should ever be a question of influence inside that rat hole!" Lily snapped in disgust.

The Gryffindor's certainly had no chance this way, as the Ministry had been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years.

"I wish they would," Sirius said nastily, "then half the Ministry would quit in protest and the other half would quit because the place couldn't even run anymore, then Fudge would be forced out of office and we could put someone with a brain in place."

"That was extremely elaborate," Harry told him conversationally.

"That's Sirius," James agreed.

Potter was no use of course, it was just a matter of time before St. Mungo's caught him and put him in the ward for the ones with brain damage.

"Considering that room isn't housing the whole of your family, I don't consider them that reliable," James sneered.

Malfoy began making grotesque faces at Harry, who had no time to react as someone forced past his shoulder, Neville.

"Uh oh," Lily sat straight up in concern.

"I hadn't realized Neville was around," James winced in concern.

"This could be..." Sirius trailed off as he couldn't decide how this was going to be. Neville would get a few good licks in, more from shock on Malfoy's part than anything, but now everyone in the area would question why this had affected Neville so bad, clearly something the boy was against as he'd never brought it up himself.

Harry leapt forward to try and stop him, to the stunned faces of everyone around them.

All five of them remained grim faced, the boys for once not even cheering this fight on. Neville deserved whatever he was going to do to Malfoy for that crack, but glory the motivation for it was the most terrible thing any of them could put into words.

Ron quickly joined in restraining their dorm mate, while Neville inarticulately shouted at Malfoy about not funny, Mungo's-

Snape arrived then, at once taking ten points away from the three struggling boys.

Harry only released Neville once Malfoy was inside, apologizing by saying Crabbe and Goyle would have torn him in half.

"Not if you'd backed him up rather than stopping him," Remus said under his breath.

"As you always say Moony, time and place," Sirius gave him the absent reminder, wishing he could go start his own fight with the twisted beings passing as people walking around with the intent to do this to their friends.

Neville said nothing as he stalked inside and set well away from them as class got started.

They were all still shifting uneasily in here for that distressing moment, each wishing they could do something, say anything to make that even remotely better, but words weren't enough.

Snape began class by saying they had a guest today.

Harry looked back around in surprise and was amazed he'd missed the pink amongst the black background, Umbridge was present, clipboard in hand.

James's mouth opened with a little pop, before he exaggeratedly clutched at his throat and began pantomiming distress.

"Honestly, I'm with Prongs," Sirius nodded along while Lily watched him with mild concern for the show. "I've never been more torn who I want to see come on top on this one."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron and Hermione, all of them feeling the same. It was hard to decide who to root for in this moment.

"Why can't I have normal friends who just say something like that, instead of you two idiots?" Remus gave a small smile as Sirius had switched to raising both hands and clearly weighing both sides, and James had only slightly calmed down by now making exaggerated faces every few seconds.

"Oh hush Remus, you know full well you want to go get the camera right now," Lily said with mild indulgence at the display.

"Well I can't tell them that, then they'd think I approve or something," he smirked.

Snape gave this no more attention as the told them all to begin today's work, but Harry was so interested in watching Umbridge shadow Snape Hermione stopped him three consecutive times from adding the wrong ingredient to his potion.

"I knew that conviction of not letting Snape get the better of you wouldn't last long," Sirius sighed.

"You're going to blow that potion up in your face if you don't pay more attention," Lily couldn't help but scold him.

Harry hardly gave her notice as Umbridge began her usual line of questioning, saying that while the class was clearly well handled, perhaps today's potion was too advanced and should be taken off the syllabus.

"I'm confident they'd want everything removed from the syllabus that doesn't involve brain washing," Remus snarked.

Snape gave no response to this as she switched to asking how long he'd been here, to which he curtly replied fourteen years.

"Oh how I long for the days of Slughorn, who'd have thought," Sirius grumbled in disgust.

"I will pay that man whatever it takes to never go into retirement and keep this from happening," James vowed.

Harry was frowning lightly to himself, wondering at that time frame, though surely it couldn't be anything too significant...

Harry was watching his expression, and so looked down in surprise to find his potion had gone from the turquoise it was supposed to be, to orange.

Lily shook her head, now completely giving up on the idea Harry's potion was going anywhere this lesson.

Umbridge and Snape kept his attention though as she asked that Snape had first asked for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post? When he gave a one worded answer, she affirmed he was unsuccessful?

"You know at some point, I almost wish he would be," Sirius groaned. "Then he'd be gone after that year."

Harry gave an odd little laugh of agreement he was sure shouldn't feel as significant as it did.

Snape's lip curled as he stated obviously.

Remus snorted in surprise, and then at once was affronted he'd done any such thing, and covered his face with shame.

"There, there, Moony, we all lapse in sanity sometimes," Sirius grinned as he patted his shoulder with comfort.

"Now what was this about me being dramatic again?" James smirked. "I would never deny when anyone made a good comeback."

"Shut up Prongs," Remus huffed as he scowled at him instead.

Umbridge just made a little note before asking he regularly applied for the job?

Snape gave another yes, clearly growing angrier by the moment.

"It is actually hurting my soul to be enjoying this so much," Sirius was watching the book with an intense feeling even he couldn't quite read. It wasn't quite pleasure, but far more understanding than he'd ever given Snape in his life.

She then asked why Dumbledore denied him the job?

"He's afraid to let him into a classroom with daylight, he might melt," James smirked.

"Wrong myth dear," Lily muttered without explanation to his confused look. She was sitting far back in her seat with her arms crossed. She still couldn't quite bring herself to the level of mocking him like the boys were doing, but for once in their life, they all seemed to be of the same mind when it came to Snape right now.

When Snape did not give a satisfying answer, she decided she'd have to ask the headmaster herself then. She walked off to begin questioning the students, and Snape stalked straight over to Harry, noted the way his potion was frothing, and then vanished it again with no grade for this class while also assigning him the homework of the correct way to brew this potion.

"Merlin's pants, you congratulate the man for one second on doing something right and he turns around and does even more bull loaded nonsense!" Sirius groaned in disgust.

"Snape reached his limit of my liking for him and then shattered it all in the same stretch, I'd be impressed if I wasn't pissed," James huffed in agreement.

Harry glared hatefully at him as he walked away. Snape had already assigned one lesson today, now Harry had two. There goes another sleepless night.

"I found it cathartic to try breaking something, like his nose," Remus said so only Sirius could hear, causing him to at least giggle a bit, but the two kept that one to themselves.

Harry trudged off to lunch glumly, considering skipping Divination so he could spend the time starting that new assignment from Snape.

Hermione disagreed at once for the idea,

"I really can't see how it makes too much of a difference honestly," Lily said grudgingly. "That's a waste of a class, you're prioritizing."

"There are many reasons I fell in love with you dear," James grinned at her, "this is one of them."

Lily just grinned as she waved on her surprised son.

Ron told her she was one to talk, she'd walked out on the class.

Hermione defended she found the subject a waste, but Harry had already missed History of Magic this morning, he couldn't afford to keep skipping all his classes.

"He was doodling during that class, I hardly think he missed out on something riveting," Sirius snorted.

"Hermione is a terrible conscience if she can't even tell you how to sort your day out," Remus sighed.

Harry grudgingly agreed to this logic as he went off, but found he wasn't the only one having a bad day. Trelawney was stamping around the class placing the books down as usual, but was muttering tersely under her breath and did not stop as more students entered. She dropped the book loudly on Harry and Ron's little table, nearly took Seamus' nose off as she thrusted the book at them, and actually pushed Neville off his pouffe as she put the book in his arms.

"I know Monday's are terrible, but this is getting ridiculous for all parties," James said in confusion.

When all eyes watched her with worry, she snapped at them briskly to get a move on, or was she such a substandard teacher they didn't even know how to open a book?

"Ouch," Remus winced, all of them at once understanding what must have happened.

"Is it of some comfort she wasn't outright fired?" Lily sighed, none of them particularly liked her, but that didn't mean they wanted her under Umbridge's thumb either, which seemed to be what had happened.

"Not much," James groaned.

Harry leaned in and whispered to Ron it looked like Trelawney had gotten her inspection results back.

Parvati raised a tentative hand and asked in genuine concern if something was wrong?

Trelawney said in a throbbing voice of course there was nothing wrong! She'd been insulted, accused, but there was nothing wrong!

"As if she doesn't contradict herself enough with her predictions, now she's doing it in real time," Sirius tried for his old mocking tone, but even he didn't hate Trelawney enough to poke fun at this.

The class watched as a few tears spilled from her eyes while Lavender asked who'd insulted her?

"If she really can't piece that together logically than she could at least consult a crystal ball," Lily muttered without any real heat.

Trelawney got some of her old dramatics back as she stated the establishment! Her kind had always been persecuted.

She spent the rest of the class striding about wiping away tears, muttering threats under her breath about how dare they put her on probation and she may well quit from the indignity of it.

"Of all the teachers to go on probation, she wasn't exactly number one on my list," Remus sighed.

"Even she didn't deserve this," Harry grudgingly agreed past all his annoyance at her.

Harry arrived at his final class to find Hermione waiting for them, as Harry told her and Umbridge both had something in common, they both found Trelawney a fraud, and he explained about her probation.

"That was insulting Harry, a fact does not give two people anything in common," Lily said flatly.

Umbridge entered with the usual standard and for all wands to be put away. There was no flurry of movement this time, no one had bothered to take their wand out.

"I'd be worried for their mental health if they had by this point," Sirius snapped, then winced at the careless comment as he imagined Neville's reaction again.

She instructed them which chapter they were to be reading today and finished as always there was no need to talk, coupled with the trio under their breaths.

"No need to think, more like," Remus sneered in disgust.

Harry came back to the common room that night to find Angelina in a state, she hadn't been given her permission for their team.

Harry at once promised he hadn't done anything today-

"You already have though Harry," James sighed. "That first day you asked to go to tryouts told her all she needed to know about the best way to get to you."

Harry looked horror struck he could be the reason his team didn't get set back up, so Lily quickly soothed, "oh I'm sure you're all exaggerating this, Quidditch is a set Hogwarts tradition, even Umbridge can't be stupid enough to think she can go on without letting the team play forever, someone will step in." Even she didn't look very convinced by the end, that woman had already gotten away with far too much.

Angelina assured she knew it wasn't Harry's fault this time, the woman had said she just needed time to consider.

Ron told in a temper she hadn't had to think about anything in regards to the Slytherins, but Angelina just shook her head pitifully as she walked away.

Hermione tried to point out the bright side, at least now he had more time to do Snape's essay.

"That's not the bright side I was looking for," Lily groaned, even she wouldn't put that in the good column.

Harry demanded of her how no Quidditch but extra potions was a good thing?

Still, he had no choice but to begin on his work, proven extra difficult tonight by the amount of noise in the room. Fred and George had apparently perfected their Puking Pastel, and were demonstrating it to a cheering crowd. The twins took turns eating the orange bit, and vomiting spectacularly until they got down the purple pill. Lee was assisting by making the bucket they were vomiting into randomly disappear.

At least the Marauder's looked entertained at this display, while Lily found the whole thing rather sad this was getting such a show. Could watching someone vomit really be so entertaining?

Nothing was helped by Hermione tisking in disgust, and as Harry scratched out the wrong information for the fourth time in frustration, he demanded she go yell at them and get it over with if that's what she wanted.

Hermione was just as frustrated she technically couldn't, as none of this was against the rules.

Ron was watching the show with some surprise, asking how they hadn't got more than three OWLs each? They clearly knew their stuff.

Hermione scoffed they only knew flashy things that were of no real use.

"No real use!" Sirius looked stricken.

"This is the most valuable thing I've ever seen invented, far more useful than a dozen spells I could name that have only one purpose! This is a multipurpose gift!" James agreed.

"Would you lot calm down," Lily rolled her eyes at them. "So they make you vomit, Sirius' socks can do that."

"Not stop on command though," Remus reminded, "think about it Lily, this could even have some real world applications for spies, slipping this into someone's food and they couldn't stop unless you promised them the antidote."

Lily pursed her lips even as her mind did begin spinning past the trouble it caused. Satisfied that everyone at least appreciated these things on some level, Harry did keep going with a small smile in place now.

Ron pointed out one use the twins were already prospering in, they'd made more than twenty-six Galleons tonight alone.

"And there's that," Remus agreed absently.

Finally though the crowd stopped shouting, orders were taken, and the room began to quiet down. Harry still wasn't even halfway through his work though when Ron shouted in surprise at Sirius.

James and Remus finally felt themselves relax since the news of Hedwig's arrival. They wouldn't even admit to themselves how worried they'd been for him about the attack on Harry's owl during this delivery, but clearly he was just fine and it had been some other thing to happen to Hedwig completely unrelated to Harry's godfather.

Harry happily slid from his chair to greet him, Ron and Hermione joining him on the hearth along with Crookshanks, who tried nestling up to the fire.

Lily giggled happily at the idea, eyeing her cat whose tail was just being spotted hanging from the staircase banister.

Sirius grinned as he saw them, asking how things were?

James felt the same grin appear on his face and he wasn't even beside his mate, it was just natural even when he wasn't in on the joke, though he did wonder what Sirius knew and was eager to hear.

Harry grumbled not that good, how the Ministry was forcing them to have Quidditch teams approved-

and secret Defence groups? Sirius inserted.

Harry stared in stunned disbelief at the words before turning wide eyed to his godfather, who at once put his own baffled hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me, even I'm not that good."

"And it takes a lot for him to admit to that," Remus said off hand even as they kept watching the book for this explanation. Maybe Padfoot had showed up after all but not even been seen by Harry just to prove a point, that seemed the kind of thing their friend would likely do.

There was a pause before Harry demanded how he knew about that?

Sirius kept grinning as he said the Hog's Head was a terrible choice.

Hermione defended it was better than the Three Broomsticks, always packed with people-

which would have made them harder to overhear, Sirius pointed out.

"At least some things about you never change," Remus grinned.

Telling Hermione she had a lot to learn.

"And I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you," Lily shook her head for him.

Harry wouldn't be distracted and demanded how he knew, and Sirius explained Mundungus had told them, he'd been the witch under the veil.

Harry's mouth flopped open, outraged that he was still being followed, before he glanced up and saw all of them not trying very hard to stifle giggling at the thought of Mundungus dressing up like this. James pushed the idea further by getting out around a shaking voice, "wonder if that was Sirius' idea for the disguise, and Dung was too afraid to say anything otherwise?"

Harry did crack a grin for that at least, though it didn't at all make him feel better as he still hadn't been told about this, this time not even by Sirius.

Harry was outraged he was still being followed.

That did make the others realize as well Sirius had been fully aware of this and had not passed this information on, but James defended his mate on this one. "Firstly Harry, when exactly was he supposed to tell you this? Maybe Sirius didn't even know you still were until Mundungus showed back up to say what you'd done." His face soured for his own explanation though, as Sirius should get first say in what happened around Harry.

"Besides that, maybe Sirius just assumed you still knew. Followed outside of school, why not while in it too," Remus rolled his eyes at the absurdity of this even while he explained it.

Harry just sighed but decided against butting heads with Sirius over this when it more than likely still wasn't his decision.

Sirius just chuckled it was a good idea if the first thing he was going to do was go out and create illegal defence groups. He in no way looked angry or worried, on the contrary, Harry found pride as he kept gazing at them.

"I swear you are the worst influence on his life," Lily didn't even bother trying for a stern tone as she grinned at him. "Can't you at least pretend to scold him before congratulating this idea."

"I'm not even going to bother to apologize," Sirius kept snickering.

Ron asked why Dung had been hiding, but Sirius explained he'd been banned from the Hog's Head twenty years ago.

Harry had felt some growing unease since he'd read Sirius' letter, so he tried to ignore why for a moment and asked, "what's the story there?"

"Sadly we've only ever heard some garbage from the man himself," Remus sighed.

"We tried to get him to meet us there for an Order meeting one day and he wouldn't go," James pouted, "only said he hadn't been there in ages. When we asked the barman, he told us when he'd been banned but wouldn't say more."

"Maybe he showed up without covering his face and ruined the motif," Lily rolled her eyes at all of their disappointment at not learning something.

"Considering how off that barman is, my best guess is it was something personal though," Sirius grumbled, wishing he did know what had happened.

Then he switched by turning to Ron,

"I still think this Dung in a dress thing warrants far more commentary," James chuckled.

"Keep it to your own head then," Lily rolled her eyes at him.

and said he'd promised to pass along a message.

Ron asked what that could be with clear apprehension.

"I am to," James' face at once tightened in concern of what that woman had to say about this.

Molly had said under no circumstances was he to be involved in any illegal Defence groups, she did not need to hear of him being expelled. There would be plenty of time later for him to learn to defend himself, and he was still too young to be worrying about this.

"Merlin's pants, she sounds like Umbridge!" Remus protested in disgust.

"That's a bit extreme," Lily frowned at him. "She doesn't want to hear of Ron in trouble."

"Why didn't I ask the other three Weasley's to be in attendance for them to hear about this as well?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"How exactly would you have secretly phrased that?" Harry chuckled, "I'm sure Ron'll just pass it along to them, for all the good it'll do."

Sirius then looked at all three of them and finished he hoped Harry and Hermione followed this advice as well, but she accepted she had no control of this and just had their best interests at heart.

"Would love to have been there for that bit," James huffed, wondering what Sirius had said to remind Molly that's all she could say on the subject.

She'd have made an appearance tonight to say this herself if she hadn't been on guard duty.

Ron asked guarding what, and Sirius just said Order stuff.

That gave them all a moment of interest. This guard duty got more interesting the more they heard about it, though it was still infuriating just hints kept being dropped about it instead of actually being told what it was, especially by Sirius himself.

He then asked Ron to make sure his mother knew he'd at least gotten the message, he didn't think she trusted him to pass it along.

"Honesty I'm a bit impressed you did," Lily snorted.

Then Sirius went back to watching Harry with a grin, who asked with defeat if Sirius was going to ask him to stop?

"As if," they all scoffed at once that's the conclusion anyone could draw. Sirius saying something like that would be akin to him declaring undying love for Snape.

Sirius looked surprised this was his conclusion, he found this a great idea!

"There's my Padfoot," James chuckled.

Harry felt his heart lifting at once as Sirius said he and James would never have lain down and taken orders from Umbridge.

"Not a chance on the Map," James' grin turned wolfish, Sirius at once agreeing while Remus looked a touch offended. He could understand why Sirius wouldn't have said the whole of the Marauders, that would hurt his heart too much to possibly ever say again, but he'd have liked to at least been acknowledged as well during that. Clearly even his name being passed along by Sirius was too much to ask for anymore, and this somehow continued to get more depressing the less he was mentioned.

Harry was still surprised, as all last year Sirius had told him to do was not take risks- but Sirius brushed that off that last year they'd been concerned about Voldemort coming back. Now he was, and Harry needed to do everything in his power to keep himself up on defences, this was a great idea!

"I notice you've yet to ask us how we'll be learning?" Harry smiled at him. "I'd have liked to know what you thought of me teaching the lot of them."

"I'm sure pride, amusement, and a list of other good things," Sirius smiled fondly at Harry who couldn't help but beam.

Hermione asked and if they were expelled?

"I'd thought she'd sorted out her priorities by now?" Remus sighed.

"Then you'll have less homework and more time to practice," Sirius snorted at her oddly.

"This was her idea, why's she suddenly the one bringing this up," James rolled his eyes in agreement.

Harry protested this had been Hermione's idea, but Hermione said she still wanted to hear what Sirius had to say about that.

Sirius just said better kicked out of school knowing than inside without a clue.

"Why do you seem to be the only person thinking like that," Remus agreed with an unfocused gaze, Sirius turned to look curiously at him for the tone and not understanding the put out look still on his face.

Sirius happily switched to asking where this was going to be taking place?

Harry said he'd love some ideas, because they hadn't a clue.

Sirius at once suggested the Shrieking Shack.

"You'd think you'd realize same as Remus did, that's not big enough for almost thirty of them," Lily looked at him in confusion.

"I might not know how many of them there were," Sirius shrugged, "if it had been ten or less it may have worked better."

Hermione didn't think so, saying there was no way they could all sneak down there like they had, one Invisibility Cloak wasn't going to cover it.

"I don't see why that's her problem," James said in confusion. "Sure the cloak helps to sneak onto the grounds, but so long as they don't do it after school hours while taking turns sneaking down there, that wasn't really the issue."

Sirius didn't argue and instead offered a space behind a mirror on the fourth floor, that had always been roomy.

"That one could have been big enough," Sirius pouted, "if it hadn't caved in."

"I'm really coming up with nothing short of a classroom, which is ridiculous when you consider how big that school is but nothing outside of the classrooms hold that many people," James ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Harry said Fred and George had told him ages ago it had caved in.

Sirius strained to think of something else, but then froze, looked sideways into the brick wall, and suddenly looked alarmed.

Harry's voice spiked in concern at once, James nearly startling out of his seat at such an abrupt change, and Remus leaning in protectively close to Sirius as he watched the book dangerously for what that face could mean. Sirius was at Grimmauld, and Harry was at school, surely nothing could be happening at either end or they would have realized it before now...

Harry anxiously asked what was wrong, but Sirius had already vanished.

James couldn't help jumping out of his seat then, his face stark white with concern as he fought back the impulse to snatch the book away from Harry's stuttering, fear filled voice.

Harry turned puzzled eyes on his friends, trying to ask them what that could have been about, but then Hermione let out a horrified shriek and leapt away, followed by the boys as they spotted a hand groping through the fire, with short stubby fingers covered in ugly old rings.

Lily began swearing violently as her mind raced to realize what, how this had happened!

The three raced off for the stairs, Harry looking back one last time to see Umbridge's hand still snatching at the flames where Sirius' hair had just been, determined to snatch him.

"No, no, no!" Harry shouted in outrage. "How could she! There's no way she could have known you were there, how could she even manage to do that to you! What did she almost do?"

"Pulled him right out of his fireplace into her's," Lily answered through numb lips.

Sirius didn't realize that pressure was Remus' hand curled so tight on his arm, prepared to wrench him out of the way of something any second, until he tried to move towards Harry and reassure him everything was alright, he'd escaped. He looked back at Remus steadily, who had to concentrate to unfurl his hand, before Sirius promised Harry and everyone, "relax, I bolted, she didn't grab me or you'd have realized it. You've never done this before, but you can still sense what's going on at your end as well as the place you're visiting. You can also still feel the Floo Network working around you. I'd have sensed someone else trying to jump in and I bolted, there's no way she could tell where, everything's fine."

No one looked remotely reassured. Too much adrenaline still pumping in them, too close a shave that Sirius was once again trying to blow off. He hardly even looked ruffled, if his eyes were a little wider than usual than that was more mild surprise than anything someone had gotten so close to him.

James was still shaking and too white from fear as he kept a steady eye on his brother, that had been the most fear inducing moment yet and it had happened while he'd been chatting with Harry! What was wrong with this world Sirius couldn't have one actual conversation with his son lately without something happening to someone!?

[swellwriting]

Polyjuice

Fandom: Harry Potter (Marauders Era)

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Reader Warnings: None Request: Hey can you do a Remus x reader where they bet each other that they couldn’t last a week in the other’s place so they use Polyjuice (sp?) potion and Lily is asking the reader (Remus) why she hasn’t mentioned Remus and James/ Sirius is asking the same to “Remus” And they realize they like each other? Sorry it’s kinda specific A/N: This weeks edition of “Karli makes her own potion rules and invents a new use for Gillyweed”, it's not canon but oh well, none of this really is :)) Also reader sees “after full moon Remus” and thinks “it just be like that with boys sometimes” because she’s a dumbass. Shoutout to my mom @diggorysghost for proof reading this <3 <3

Word Count: 5.2k

It was harmless, really. All meant in good fun, good competitive fun. But that's what you’re friendship with Remus was like. Some called it sexual tensions, like Sirius, but you saw it as a competition. A competition of what exactly? Well, Everything you can name. It was always who got the better grade, who got the potion perfect and on and on.

Maybe it was just a weird excuse for you guys to hang out all the time because the world would end if you guys admitted to just wanting to be together, or at least admitted it to each other. So when someone asked why you and Remus had been in the Quidditch pitch for three hours in the cold fall weather you would say you were challenging each other, to see who was better when you had actually found yourself fooling around on the brooms not really accomplishing anything.

Today you sat in the library with him, seeing who could finish this chapter of the potions textbook faster, he always won.

“I wish we could brew this potion in class,” Remus muttered while still half focused on reading.

You put your book down, completely stopping reading as you knew you were too far behind anyway to win and conversation with him was much better. “I mean, we could.���

“Slughorn would never let us do it in class or after, Lily, on the other hand, he would definitely let her.”

“But if we manage to get the ingredients we could totally find somewhere to brew it, we could do it during the next Slugclub meeting so we know the classroom will be empty...”

“So we are just going to brew Polyjuice potions and see who’s ends up better? How will we know?”

You smiled mischievously at the idea that immediately popped into your head, your folded your hands together and leaned to the edge of your seat. “We could brew one of each other and then drink it.”

“How long will it last?”

“Well, shouldn't you know that? Haven't you been reading your chapter Lupin? If it’s good enough it will hopefully last an entire day.” You teased as you pushed his book out of his hands and onto the table, grabbing his full attention before completely diverting yours to the new task, taking out a notebook and writing notes down.

“What are you doing now?”

“I'm doing my potions assignment and reading the chapter so I know as much as I can about the potion, so I can be better than you of course.” You teased as you quickly looked back down at your notes scribbling a few important details to remember, Remus quickly mirrored you, the two of you stayed like that until Pince kicked you out just before curfew.

-

That night you had asked Lily when the nest Slugclub meeting was, stating that you were simply curious so she quickly forgot without asking too many questions about why you wanted to know.

You told Remus the next day at breakfast before going to sit with your friends, you planned to meet up outside the classroom and wait until Slughorn left so you would have the whole night to brew it as the Slugclub meetings often went until curfew, and then Slughorn would go back to the classroom after. To be safe you looked up a charm to lock the door and had an excuse ready and rehearsed in case you got caught.

Your friends and housemates were all gathered in the common room, reading, talking and enjoying their night. Lily had just left five minutes ago so you looked across the room getting Remus attention by tilting your head towards the exit and he followed you out the door and into the hallway. You handed him the bag of ingredients to carry.

“Are you sure you got everything?” Remus asked timidly, he seemed a little off.

“Yes, with no help from you mister “oh I'm sorry Y/N I'm sick.” You finished the teasing with a terribly fake coughing noise to playfully mock him.

“I really was sick, I still am a bit actually.” He shrugged with a sorry look on his face.

“Sick? You look more like you got in a fight, but I imagine that's what it’s like being friends with those boys.” You waved your hands gesturing to the group of boys who were back in the common room.

“What are you saying?” He sounded defensive over his friends thinking you meant that they had purposely hurt him, or that you believed in the reputation they had.

“Isn’t that what boys do? Fight because they think it’s fun?” The way you asked it wasn't accusatory at all, you just thought boys did that. Remus quickly nodded accepting your excuse for his current beaten up appearance. The reality was he was so busy getting ready for making this potion and spending time with you that he had almost forgotten the full moon was coming, so the night you two were to gather ingredients he had to get Sirius to tell you he was sick. You almost didn't believe him until you saw he didn't come to class for a few days after that, you thought he must have the weakest immune system because it seemed like he got sick every month.

“You know next time you’re sick I can make you a Pepperup potion?” You offered kindly and he smiled down at you chuckling to himself, “I think Madam Pomfrey has more than enough of those to shove down my throat.”

“Well of course she does, but I make the potion perfect so it would have a stronger effect.”

“I’ll let you know next time then.” His heart warmed knowing that you cared, even though you played it off like you were just trying to show off your skills.

You looked both ways down the long hallway and then grabbed Remus’ hand quickly pulling him into the classroom. You took your wand out of your knee high sock and started the charm to lock the door.

“You think that will keep someone out?”

“I know it will, do you know anyone better at charms than me?”

“Well I haven't had the pleasure to meet myself so-” You smacked him on the arm, oh so lightly, interrupting him. “Hey, no need to resort to violence, I know the truth hurts.”

“Oh shut up and set up your potion station Lupin.” Grabbing the ingredients and portioning them out evenly you set up your pewter cauldron and all the small flasks and tools needed. Remus looked over at your from across the table and let his eyes linger a little too long on your focused expression, you looked up and met his eyes. “It's not a race but our time here is limited so, eyes on your own cauldron Lupin.”

“You don't have to call me Lupin all the time Y/n you know my name.”

“I know, I just like the way it sounds.” Remus didn't respond to that and you both looked down at your busy hands to hide your matching red cheeks. For some reason unbeknownst to you, that wasn't a far enough trip into “flirting territory” so you opened your mouth again. “You should get used to it anyways.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, when you’re a professor someday your students won't be calling you “Remus”.”

He felt his heart flutter in his chest at your words, you really saw him as capable of being a professor someday? He hadn't told anybody he wanted that in the future, mostly because he knew he could never have it. “You think I’d be a good professor?” He asked like a little boy whos insecurities seeped through every word.

“Of course, second to best to me of course, pick your class wisely because I’ll be your competition for the first open teaching spot after graduation.” You teased catching a glimpse of his perfectly rosy cheeks and a wide grin that took up half his face.

“Okay less talking more brewing before we get caught.” He spoke in a more serious tone.

After an hour or so the sweat collected on your forehead from the hot steam of the liquids, your hair curled into a mess but Remus still kept looking up just to see your face, you looked a bit messy but it was still cute. He knew he looked like a mess too, the sweat on his forehead irritating the fresh scar on the upper left side of his face making it bleed again. You looked up at him and saw the small trickle of blood and instead of telling him it was there you stopped what you were doing and walked over to him taking out the small cloth you had tucked into the waist of your skirt. Remus looked up when he noticed you walking over and stopped what he was doing. Maybe it was the potion fumes that had you in a daze or maybe how much you truly cared for the boy was coming out. He looked at you and raised a brow but stayed silent as you grabbed his cheeks lightly but enough to squish his face, not that you needed to but you couldn't help it, you turned his face away from you and lightly patted the area, he winced a bit from the light pressure. You realized how awkward you had just made it so you tried to say something more typical of yourself. “You really are putting blood sweat and tears into this potion aren't you?”

“Well, I haven't started crying yet.”

“I can push on your cut a little harder if you need some help with that one?”

“I’d rather not.” He said as you both chuckled at yourselves before you changed the subject a bit, “I'm so excited to be you for a whole day, I get to walk around with all your cool scars and I don't even have to brush my hair because you haven't done that since first year!”

“Hey, I brush my hair it’s just messy because it's curly.”

“Excuses excuses.”

“I can't wait to be you so I can feel what it's like to be a teacher's pet.”

“I am not!” “You so are.” Remus retorted with a grin.

“Well, you couldn’t last a day in my shoes.” You tried to argue with no real reasoning to back yourself up.

“Oh, all the girl talk will really be the death of me.”

“Well, let's see who can last the longest without anyone finding out?”

“Sounds good, now get back to your brewing station Miss.Y/L/N”

You turned swiftly and made the finishing touches to your Polyjuice potion before pouring it into a cup and going to sit beside Remus as he finished his. It only took him a few extra minutes, you grabbed him a cup and held it as he poured the potion in, he took his cup and held it to his lips before you pulled his hand back down. “Wait. You have to ‘cheers’ me dummy.”

“Oh sorry, I'm not up to date on my Polyjuice drinking etiquette.” Remus clinked his cup to yours and you both mumbled a timid “cheers” and drank down the liquid.

“Ew yuck,” you commented on the thick consistency and bitter taste of the liquid.

“Doesn't Polyjuice taste bad when that subject is a bad person? I think it's quite offensive that you say the Polyjuice potion for me is gross, maybe you brewed it wrong.” Remus joked but then realized his probably had a bad look and taste, not because of him but because of the wolf inside him, for a minute he worried if you taking a Polyjuice potion of him would hurt you, if you would feel all the pain he felt all the time, what if you felt the pain he felt when he got bit?

The questions raced through Remus’ mind until you spoke up. “The taste and colour can be affected by the essence of the person who it’s made to replicate, but not always. What did mine taste like.”Remus escaped the maze of his head and spoke before he could filter himself. “Strawberries.”

You laughed as you started to feel the change happening inside of you, “Surely that's because I'm so sweet.”

The change was quick, almost record-breaking how fast the two of you became almost perfect replicas of each other. You tried to hold in a laugh as you saw yourself in front of you, dressed in Remus large sweater which looked even larger on your smaller frame, especially the arms, you noticed too that you were looking down at him and the height difference was strange from this new angle. You wiggled your arms about giggling to yourself, “I feel so lanky.”

“You look like a proper idiot.” he tried to suppress his laugh but couldn't at seeing himself dressed in a very short skirt and knee socks. “I look like you!” You turned your skirt to see the zipper has already undone itself from the change of waist size, you struggled to slide it off as Remus covered his eyes. “Why are you closing your eyes? I'm you!”

“But you're still you, but I'm you. Oh, Merlin, you’re me! You should be closing your eyes too.”

“Are you starting to regret what you signed up for Lupin?”

“I'm not Lupin I'm you, just please close your eyes.”

“Only if you do the same.”

You both quickly undressed with eyes clamped shut as you tossed each other the different articles of clothing. “We really should have planned for this.”

“I seemed to have forgotten about the actual effects of the potion,” Remus commented as he struggles to do up your bra on himself, he had the skirt loosely around his waist as he couldn't do the zipper up for that either.

“Need some help there? Not experienced with women's underwear are we?”

“You're supposed to have your eyes closed.” he rolled his eyes turning to you.

“They were, but now your just me and I've seen me naked before obviously.”

“But I'm still me, and I feel very naked right now.”

“And what's so wrong with me seeing you naked?” You teased as you walked up behind him, he had no response to that comment. Your now much larger fingers fastened the clip effortlessly and you also pulled up his skirt, zipping and fastening it. You picked up your sweater off the ground and held it out for him.

You turned, almost tripping over your now long legs and grabbed two small baggies.

“Now this should make it easier for us to pretend to be each other.”

You grabbed the small bag with your name scribbled on it and gave it to him then took his and opened it pulling out a clump of Gillyweed.

“And how is Gillyweed supposed to help us? Unless your plan is to hide in the lake until the potion wears off.”

“It's not just any old Gillyweed, it's charmed. Chew it until its dry and then spit it out. Then you should have my voice for the next 24 hours, it should wear off when the Polyjuice does.”

“You made this?” Remus said looking wowed at what was in his hand, examining it as if it would look different.

“Yes now eat it.” You pushed his hand up to his mouth as you chewed on yours. It took a few minutes for the slimy plant to get completely dry in your mouth but once it did you spit it up and threw it out, Remus did the same.

“So you thought to make special charmed Gillyweed but didn't think to bring each other an extra change of clothes?” Remus teased as he was taken back by his change of voice.

“Merlin,” You mumbled at seeing yourself in front of you and hearing your voice, “Do I really sound like that?”

“Yes. And I guess I sound like that.” He shrugged like this was normal.

“But your voice is normal mine is so high pitched.”

“It's not, you just aren’t used to it so it sounds weird to you, it’s the same for me. Don't worry I wouldn’t talk to you so much if you had an annoying voice.”

“Gee thanks.” You mumbled as you gathered the stuff and lifted your wand to undo the locking charm. After a minute or so Remus took your wand from your hand and replaced it with his own.

“It would seem a little weird to see us with each other's wands wouldn't it?” He suggested and you took the wand, moving to tuck it into the knee sock that was no longer there, “How do you carry this thing?”

“I wear these things called pants, you should try it sometime.”

“If you are more comfortable in pants you can find some in my room.”

“Wait which room is yours again?” He asked realizing he didn't know where your room was or which bed would be yours either.

“You will have to figure that out yourself Y/n” You called him by your name and opened the door leaving him in the classroom alone to ponder about what he had gotten himself into.

-

You made it back to the common room before curfew and just in time to see James heading up the stairs to his room so you casually followed him so you would know where you were going.

You tried to walk as casually as you could, you felt like your now long arms were flopping about and tried to think about what Remus looked like when he walked so you could copy his body language a bit. You tried to drag your feet slightly and slouched your shoulders, it seemed to work because as you approached the room James called out, “Moony there you are!” He walked into the room but pushed the door so it would stay open for you and you hurried a bit to walk into the room.

You tried to quickly figure out which bed would be Remus’ without standing there looking like a lost idiot in their own room. James went straight for his own bed jumping into it and smashing his face into the blankets, so it wasn't that bed. Then there were three more beds, luckily Peter came out of the bathroom and made his way to his own area of the room, searching through his trunk for something. Only two left, one was half made with books on the nightstand and a pile of sweaters folded on the top of the trunk and one didn't even have sheets on it at the moment but you noticed some black t-shirts on the floor around it, didn't take long to realize which one belonged to Sirius. You chose the bed with the sweater and books and sat on the edge taking your shoes off. You looked through the trunk for some type of pyjamas but realized Remus probably slept in a t-shirt and boxers like you heard most boys do, Marlene had told you Sirius did that at least.

Grabbing the clothes you made your way to the bathroom and closed the door behind you, placing the clothes on a dry spot on the counter, you relaxed a bit knowing no one could see you. You looked in the mirror and examined your face, the harsh lighting of this bathroom did no justice to the soft kind face you usually saw on Remus, you looked tired, the scars on your face pale and you weren't used to having curly hair falling into your eyes. You brushed back the curls and slipped off your sweater pulling a lighter shirt over top. When you pulled it down you noticed a slight pain in your rib, a ghost pain that almost felt like it wasn't really there. Maybe Remus was injured in his ribs to and the potion tried to replicate that as well. You leaned against the sink and caught your breath for a moment. The shirt smelled nice, it smelled like Remus did whenever you sat close enough to smell him.

The bathroom was a mess, you looked down and thought about taking off your pants, you had a sudden realization, what if you had to pee, oh god that's so wrong in so many ways, maybe this was a bad idea after all.

When you went back to your bed you opened the potions book, you read over all the notes he had written between the margins and pulled his blanket up to your face, falling asleep quite easily.

-

Remus wasn’t so lucky when he got to the empty common room a few moments after you had. He sat on the couch and read over a book until Lily came down looking for you.

“Y/N why are you still in the common room?” She yelled from the top of the stairs.

“I must have lost track of time,” he closed the book so loudly he startled himself and then quickly followed Lily back to the room, he discovered which bed was yours much more easily because everyone was in the room already, thankfully already all wearing their PJs so he didn't have to awkwardly avert his eyes.

He felt weird as he sifted through your trunk, finding you PJs, avoiding touching your lacy underwear, he grabbed a set of soft flannel pjs and a pair of fuzzy socks before going to the bathroom to change. It was weird that he felt colder as you, so the warm pyjamas were much appreciated and he pulled your sweater off and unzipped your skirt. He accidentally looked up meeting his own reflection in the mirror cursing to himself after shutting his eyes quickly. He was unable to get the image of what was basically you in just your underwear out of his mind, it felt wrong but he imagined you would have seen him in the same state, or maybe less. He was suddenly self-conscious though he really had nothing to worry about, if you had taken a peek down his trousers you would be anything but disappointed at the sight.

When you passed each other in the great hall the next morning you exchanged knowing smiles, you thought it was cute that he had actually found a pair of your pants to wear instead of your house skirt, he had worn your hair down and you noticed he hadn't attempted makeup at all which was probably a good idea.

You sat beside Sirius and tried to keep quiet as to not out yourself right away by saying something completely stupid. The rest of the day went on like this, you almost slipped up in potions when you automatically made your way to sit beside Marlene but luckily caught yourself, not before Remus noticed as he had entered the classroom right behind you. He took the seat beside Marlene and turned to wink at you.

Remus almost gave himself away after lunch, he was walking with your friends just a few feet in front of you as you walked with James. Sirius was walking down the opposite end of the hallways towards you and James when he passed Remus you noticed that Remus almost acknowledged his friend but caught himself when he realized why he was willingly listening to Marlene gossip about his own friends.

Later on, everyone was back in their rooms, curfew was soon approaching and Remus was sat reading in your bed as he waited until the time you had set to meet up. When the time drew closer he got up, awkwardly looked around the room and gathered all his things before walking towards the door silently until Marlene noticed. “Where ya off to Missy?”

“I'm going to do the assignment with Remus.” He quickly explained trying to keep on his path out the door,

“Ooh Remus, you guys got another study date?”

“It’s not a date.”

Lily laughed from where she was sitting on her bed and accusingly pointed at him, “You know, you have been acting weird today I wasn't sure what it was until now.”

Marlene joined in the mixture of loud laughs and giggles as she spoke, “She hasn't mentioned Remus once until just now that's what's weird.”

“What?” Remus said trying not to sound so shocked.

“Oh Y/N, just go to your date we can tease you later, we have enjoyed our day without having to hear about his cute curly hair or how he looks particularly cuddly today, You are worse than Lily gushing about James.”

Lily threw a pillow across the room at her friend and Remus took the opportunity to rush out the door, mindlessly walking to meet up with you, his cheeks probably burning red from the strange interaction. There was no way you fancied him, he also felt like he should be guilty for getting information like that about you.

-

“Remus! Come help me with the Transfiguration assignment!”

You looked over Sirius’ shoulder examining the papers on the table and then looked at him, “That's the one from yesterday if you wanted my help you should have asked me then because I don't have mine anymore. I have to leave anyway, I'm going to meet Y/n.”

“Have you shagged her yet?” Sirius asked with a stupid grin on his face as he beamed up at you like he wasn't bothered at all that you didn't want to help him.

“I don't want to shag her you git.”

“Really? That's not what drunk Remus confessed to us last month, we've been over this we know you're mad about her, you can't keep lying to us.”

“I'm not lying.” You tried to keep your composure after hearing this new information but found yourself wanting to escape this conversation as fast as possible.

“Sure mate, now hurry you don't want to keep the lady waiting.” Sirius teased as he waved his hand shooing you out the door, completely unaware of what he had just openly admitted to you.

You quickly took the opportunity and scurried out the door, making your way back to the potions classroom where Remus would be hopefully waiting for you, or maybe you hoped he wouldn't be there so you would have some time to calm your nerves.

You weren't just going to see Remus, you were going to see Remus who had some sort of feelings for you. You had to admit you had some sort of feelings for him too, a dumb crush with no potential. Well, that's how you thought of it until now.

When you opened the door Remus was sat waiting for you, it was not weird whenever you saw him today, basically seeing yourself. You wish you could blame that surreal feeling as to why you stood there silently, your mind not allowing your body to move. Remus mirrored you, both staring awkwardly at each other, faces growing redder by the second until you felt something swirl in your stomach and not the usual type of swirl you felt when his elbow brushed yours by accident.

Remus stood up quickly as he realized he was about to be himself again but stuck in your clothes, “We forgot again!”

You threw him a bag of his clothes you had grabbed and took out some you had managed to steal of your own while looking like Remus. He caught the bag and smiled, looking a bit relieved, “You still better close your eyes.”

“Only if you do.” You agreed with a wink as you turned away from the boy and started undressing.

You quickly changed back to yourself as the potion wore off, slipping on the right sized clothing. “Are you done?” You asked quietly, now remembering the information you had accidentally gotten about him.

“Yeah.” He mumbled as you both turned around to face each other, awkwardly fiddling with your hands unsure of what to say next. “So that was weird.”

“Yeah really, really strange.” He mumbled again, agreeing with you.

You decided to go sit on the stool beside him avoiding his gaze as you crossed the room. He wanted to just confess to you how he felt but you started to speak before he did.

“So, Sirius um. Sirius mentioned something odd just now.”

“Did he? That sounds like him. Was it something weirdly dark and fucked up from his childhood but he phrased it like a joke?”

“No, well I mean he did that earlier, but this particular comment was about you.”

“What about me?” He asked the question like he had no clue of what you would say, what you didn't already know about him before today, he wasn't scared of the words that could leave your lips because he trusted you.

“Something you admitted to them when you were drunk.”

“Oh, that.” Remus realized as a smile spread across his face. “Funny, your friends told me a similar thing.”

Your awkward fidgeting stopped as you grabbed his hands quickly. “No, what did they say?”

“Something you said about me having cute curly hair, or looking cuddly, something like that.” You jumped up placing your hands over his mouth, “Shut up!”

“I mean you're the one who said it.” He mumbled from under your hands, you felt his smile against your fingertips.

He grabbed your wrists moving your hands away as you both giggled at how silly this whole thing was.

“I guess we are both hopeless.” You admitted.

“Well if you want the truth, a not drunk confession. I spent my entire day looking like you and it was terrible because for the entire day even though you were there, you looked like me and I couldn't see your cute stupid face.”

You brought your hands up to your face this time, unsure of how to take the compliment so you hid behind them until Remus pulled them away again. “You git, I just said I had to go all day without seeing your face and you try to hide it from me?”

Your hands lingered in his hold until you intertwined your fingers, like shoelaces that had never been tied before but they felt so different now that they had. “Sorry.”

“Don't be sorry, instead you should let me challenge you to something else?”

“And what would that be?” You asked, almost bouncing in your seat from how happy this entire conversation was making you, how freeing it felt knowing your feelings were not being forcibly dimmed or hidden.

“Let me take you on a date.”

Oh now it was even better but you tried to keep your cool composure, instead of tackling him to the ground and smothering him in kisses you simply said, “Barely a challenge but I'll take it.”

-

Everything Tags: @theseuscmander @theboywhocriedlupin @diggorysghost @wanna-see-my-lease @fortisfiliae @moonynprongs @bluemadcnna @niffleurs @dyngflwrs @jamcspotters @siriuslyimmoony @lonelyhufflepufff @heartbeats-wildly @whysoseriouspadfoot @thisismysecrethappyplace @carolinesbookworld @finnofamerica @blimey-ron @wizardwritings @xinyourdreamsx

HP Everything: @babyplutoszx2  @sleep-i-ness

Remus: @evyiione

[a-confused-turtle]

Monsters

Fandom: Harry Potter (Marauder's Era)

Request(By Anon): “If you’re interested in doing so, could you write something where Remus passes out after the full moon and has a scary, vivid nightmare that he attacked his S.O.? And when he doesn’t see her the next morning, he’s freaking out because he thinks he actually did something?”

Words: 1,700+

Pairing/Characters: RemusLupinxReader

Warning: Nightmares! Fear of death of s/o, causing it..

Author’s Note: Wow, you guys are just getting a lot of stuff. I finally had to time to really sit down and write, not to mention edit, which this one and the Bones one needed... They probably still suck, but here we are. I liked this one... Okayyyy, byeee. Plz send me more things.

“No!” A voice, shrill and agonizingly familiar, pierced his ears. It kept repeating, the same word over and over. Then, suddenly, it changed, morphed into something that had Remus’s heart pounding and frantic thoughts running through his head as his legs moved faster toward it. “You monster! No! Stop! Monster!”

The voice didn’t sound so far off now, he knew he was close and he was in the forest.

Something about his vision felt off, strangely not his own as if he couldn’t control anything happening before him and yet it was his reality. He didn’t have the keys to the car, someone else did and he was the only passenger.

And then, there you were, just ahead, cowering underneath a tree. Your robes were muddied, hair a mess, eyes blotchy from tears. You stumbled to your feet, immediately making your way toward him. As you moved you swayed slightly, though your expression changed entirely. “Remus, oh thank god,” you cried in relief, smile gracing your sweet lips he adored so much.

Every bit of him wanted to run to you, quell your fears, and hurt whatever or whoever had done such a horrible thing to you. But he couldn’t. He could only watch. Only watch as he raced forward in a different way, a deadly way. All of a sudden his body wasn’t his own, it was that of his inner beast, his furry little problem that James so affectionately called it.

Your relief, quickly morphed into frenzied fear and confusion. Those bright eyes of yours conveyed even more than your screams. “Remus, I know you’re in there! Please! I love you! It’s me!”

You ran to the right to dodge him and hide behind something, anything, but your speed and agility were no match for him. And while Remus screamed, fighting with everything he had, it made no difference.

The right paw caught your leg, bringing you down in one fluid motion.

Your whimpers pierced Remus’s heart painfully. Your pain, all caused by him.

He didn’t stop there either. More clawing and ripping…

“Rem, I know it’s not you doing this. I love you. I’ll always love you.” Despite the blood flowing from your body and the tears streaming down your face, your voice didn’t falter once as you spoke. It remained completely certain, full of faith in your Moony, until you grew still.

~

Remus woke with a start, violently sitting bolt upright in his own four poster. He had to take several moments to adjust and figure out where exactly he was though. This definitely wasn’t the forest, where he had felt himself only moments ago. No, he sat in his bed in his dorm located in Gryffindor tower where his roommates slept nearby. Sirius snored loudly on Remus’s left as James groaned and rolled over on his bed on the other side of the room. It all felt stupendously normal, especially compared to the hellish visions still playing on repeat through his head. His whole chest constricted painfully as he thought about what he’d seen, what he’d done…

It had all felt so chillingly real. Every detail, especially the tiniest ones: the smell of the trees, the faint glow of the stars and moon, the soft sound of his own breath before… Your voice and that light behind your eyes until it faded… Every single one, provoked this deep uneasiness within him. His entire being shuddered agonizingly.

It couldn’t have been real, right? There wasn’t even a full moon the night before, right?

Just to be sure, Remus reached for his bag and pulled out his calendar. It had to have just been a nightmare anyway… a very vivid one. Nothing more.

When Remus’s eyes fell on the two words he loathed more than anything, written in his own handwriting, everything stopped. His heart had surely stopped beating, because if what was scribbled right there happened to be true… well his entire world would collapse.

“James, wake up,” Remus yelled, immediately leaping from his bed to his friend’s, “Was there a full moon last night? Wake up, please!” Impatiently, he tugged at James’s blanket and nudged the boy’s shoulder.

James groaned, pulling at his blanket.

“Oi, could you shut it?” Sirius hollered groggily. “We still have ten minutes.”

“Sirius, was there a full moon last night?” Remus asked forcefully, abandoning his efforts with James.

“Course, why do you think we’re so tired?” Sirius grumbled and rolled away from Remus.

He pressed further, still completely disregarding the sleep his roommates could have been having, “Well, did anything happen last night? Anything unusual?”

“Not really.”

“Tell me everything, please, Sirius,” Remus pleaded desperately in a softer tone though his heart rate hadn’t slowed in the slightest. It thumped rapidly and he worked air into his lungs, but he paid no mind to it. Only you mattered, he would never forgive himself if…

~

While Sirius’s completely regular synopsis of the previous evening quelled his fears somewhat, you not showing up to breakfast had him in that same agitated state again. The boy could barely breathe and he didn’t even touch a morsel of his food.

“Where’s Y/N?” Remus mumbled for the upteenth time.

“Mate, she probably slept in like Peter told you. Why are you so upset anyway?” James answered agitatedly from across Remus. He hadn’t quite gotten over the morning’s rude awakening yet.

As Remus went to reply, he found the words just wouldn’t form and to make matters worse his mouth went dry, refusing to cooperate too. “Nothing. I-I just need to find her,” he finally forced out and immediately dashed from the table.

Without having to think about it, his legs carried him swiftly right to the bottom of your dorm’s staircase in gryffindor tower. At that point he paused, everything flashing through his mind paralysingly. If it all was true, would he actually want to know? In no way could he bear…

Out of nowhere, something collided with his body and landed on top of him as he hit the ground. Again, Remus had to refocus, the process taking several seconds, as he tried to deduce why he now laid on the floor.

“Oh, Remus, hello! Sorry! I didn’t mean to sleep so late, but after last night I was just so tired. That’s why I was in such a rush! I hope I didn’t hurt you, are you alright?” You explained, scrambling to get off him and cheeks burning a delightful red.

“Y/N,” Remus mumbled incredulously as you helped him up, to which he complied though he didn’t particularly register the action.

“That’s me…” You watched him with concerned eyes, brow knitting into question. “Are you alright?”

“Merlin, Y/N, I’m wonderful!” Remus exclaimed as his brain caught up. There you were, perfect as any other day. What he so feared hadn’t happened last night. He definitely felt better than alright, truly better than ever before. Without thinking, the boy took your rosy cheeks in his hands and pressed his lips to yours firmly. Only when he pulled back did he realize what he’d done…

It was his turn to blush furiously and cower out of embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t- I-”

You bit your lip as he spoke, eyes bashfully meeting his frantic gaze. But, what you did next Remus found entirely unexpected, so much so he thought he was dreaming again… Just as enthusiastically as Remus had, you kissed him, this time taking his cheeks carefully in your own hands.

“Would you bloody stop apologizing for everything, Rem? Though I would like to know what that was for…” You said after pulling away, hands lingering on his plump cheeks.

Once again faced with saying his horrible nightmare/almost reality aloud, Remus swallowed hard. How could he even… The sweetness and light behind your eyes, which held steadfast, solely focused on him, finally helped him find the courage. “I, well, I had a nightmare about the full moon last night, where I… I killed you, Y/N. When you didn’t show up for breakfast, I thought that it must have been…”

“True,” you finished for him in a quiet voice before pulling him into a tight and loving embrace. “Oh, Rem.”

“I just, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. And if I was the one to… I could never forgive myself,” he whispered into your hair, tears pricking in his eyes.

“You are never going to lose me. Never, I wouldn’t allow it. And you would never-”

“But I would! I wouldn’t be able to control myself! I’m a monster Y/N!” Remus suddenly burst out and away from your grasp.

“Remus! Do not shout at me or say such things! You are not a monster! You are not able to control yourself, because it’s not you!” You roared back fiercely. Since you didn’t raise your voice often and always seemed to keep your temper, this display unnerved Remus. Once you got a hold of yourself, you inched closer to him and shifted your voice to a comforting whisper. “Rem, you’re not going to say anything to convince me, or the others otherwise. That’s why we’re here. We know you can’t control yourself, that it’s not you, and that’s why we’re here to help. It breaks my heart to hear you talk like that, because you’re the farthest thing from a monster that I can think of.”

After you finished speaking, Remus remained silent for many moments, biting his lip and looking at you, transfixed. Did you really believe such things about him? You were too good, too good for him, too good for such a cruel world… “Y/N, I-”

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s alright. We’re alright,” you cut him off, reaching for his hand hopefully.

He took it gladly, another surge of courage coursing through him. “I want to though, because you’re wonderful and I love you. I love you so much.”

You smiled at him, those cheeks tinting that delightful reddish color again. “I love you too, Rem.”

Just like that, all those worries drifted away and he felt safe. He grinned and quickly brought you into a tight hug, no trace of all that anxiety. His heart thumped steadily and surely in his chest as if to say this was where he was meant to be, with you.

Tags:  @enniaram