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tryskomys · 1 year ago

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MOONCHILD

Remus Lupin x OC reader

Chapter 3 - Riddikulus

Summary: Remus and Hesperia teach their first class. Prepared and excited, nothing can go wrong…right?

previous chapter

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notes: chapter threeee! i hope you’ll all enjoy. the next part will be…let’s call it a rollercoaster, okay? hopefully. that’s a spoiler, so it’s just between us, reader.

tw: some bad words. snape’s psycho breakfast. also, a bit of werewolf body horror - so that’s a bit nasty if you’re squirmish. and i feel like the squirm-factor will only get worse from now on, so beware of that, my sweet squirmish pals. squirm.

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"I don't know, it just came up in my mind. He looked at me like he was watching it happen." Hessie lamented about last night’s uncomfortable memory, lazily buttoning up her shirt. She was inside her chamber, talking to Remus over a half-closed door.

They had separate rooms opposite each other. They joined in a short corridor, which led to a small common room with a cosy fireplace, stone walls and a soft burgundy carpet. There were frescos of constellations on the ceiling, similar to the ones in their classroom.

A floating porcelain pitcher was watering the greenery that was decorating the windowsills of the gothic windows.

It strongly resembled the ambience of the Gryffindor Tower. She wondered if the chambers were accustomed to whoever stayed inside. The entire complex was hidden with an enlargening spell behind the door to their shared office, soundproofed from any inventive students that might enjoy spying on professors in their spare time.

After all, she wasn't a stranger to eavesdropping, courtesy of her unruly best friends.

Remus's head popped out of his ajar door. He was just in the middle of putting his red-and-yellow socks on. Lily Potter had knit them for him for his seventeenth birthday.

"Are you suggesting that Snape is a Legilimens?"

He got a confused hum for an answer.

"That's absurd." he chuckled and disappeared into his room again, taking a shoebrush from his trunk to polish his oxfords. He managed to make them at least slightly shiny.

As he tightened the thin shoelaces, Hessie walked out of her room, a tweed vest lazily thrown around her shoulders. She made her way to the small kitchen-like corner.

"What's absurd is the way he treats his students. I overheard a couple of fifth years yesterday while leaving the feast. They discussed how he makes them test a potion's accuracy on their animals. Want a cuppa?" she glanced over her shoulder as he came in, his fuzzy tie still hanging untied around the collar of his shirt.

It felt like they were back at their Yorkshire cottage. The only difference was the fireplace. And the king's beds with feather duvets. And not having to scrap for food. There was actually so much food she didn't know what to do with it. She felt like she could retrospectively feed her starving self.

He walked to a bookshelf next to the door, gathering a few schoolbooks.

"Yes, please," he muttered and opened the well-used copy of The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger.

He sat down in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace, crossing his legs as he browsed through it all the way to the chapter index.

"Oh, marvellous. We're supposed to do Boggarts first."

Hessie whistled. She carried two ornate teacups that resembled goblets. They were made out of black porcelain instead of metal. The cups dangerously wiggled on their saucers and Remus hopped up to take one of the cup to help her and put it on the coffee table next to him.

She sank in the other armchair with a sigh, carefully sipping her milk tea so she wouldn't burn her tongue.

"I was thinking of trying Boggarts first as well, it's an interesting and handy subject. But you're the one on duty this time, so I guess you'll have to manage by yourself."

"I'm not sure I can do it without you, love." he mused with a smirk before taking a sip from his cup. She gasped and kicked his shin. She despised that pet name. James and Sirius always used it to piss her off. She hated how condescending it was.

It sounded somewhat endearing from Remus, though.

"With this attitude, you'll be lucky to live long enough to show up for the class at all." she hissed at him and took another sip of her tea, this time so vigorously she scorched her mouth. She cursed, Remus just giggled, and continued to search through the textbook.

He still looked so beaten down, purple circles were bordering his eyes, his skin pale and dull. As the first sunbeams entered the room, she could see familiar twinkles in his sad eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked silently, nudging his leg with hers, this time softly. He looked up from the book.

The silver strands in his hair were a lot more protruding than when they were students, but she felt like it made him even more handsome. Like fine wine in a cellar, he aged under the moonlight's glow, remaining startlingly beautiful despite all the suffering he had to endure.

That boyish charm in his grin was never snuffed out, the dimples above his mouth as cheeky as ever.

"Never better," he replied, his tone laced with both sarcasm and honesty. The duality of the man, she thought as she rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head as if she wanted to get rid of the blush on her face. The one that spilt all over her whenever he smiled at her.

She stood up and walked to the bookshelf, nudging the back of his head when she walked by him.

"It's missing a few essentials. I need to check the library, coming?" she muttered and put on the vest after grabbing her green robes from a lion head-shaped hanger. Remus shrugged, fishing a Mars bar out of the pocket of his pants. It was a bit melted, but tasty nonetheless when he took a big bite.

"Do you still think Madame Pince is still there?" he mumbled curiously.

"That old hag? Hope not. She took 30 points from me once, just because I brought her Earl Grey instead of Ceylon. As if she was allowed to assign students slave work in the first place."

"You put a frog in her teacup, Mimi."

"That was Padfoot's idea!"

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As the week passed by, they spent most of their time in the library researching and preparing for their classes. It was as if they were fifth-years again, furiously scribbling notes on their parchments. Even Madame Pince was still sitting behind her mahogany desk, as hostile as ever.

The only thing they were missing was Sirius Black’s taunting, James Potter’s annoyingly attractive voice calling them ‘book-flobberworms’ and Peter Pettigrew’s constant questions about when they were finally leaving for lunch.

And of course, Lily Evans sitting between them, her flaming red hair in their peripherals.

When Thursday came, Remus felt considerably more sick than on the night they arrived, which was quite ironic. He looked a lot better now, the circles under his eyes were slowly going back to their usual light beige and the few new scratches on his face were closed up, now pale pink.

His hair was a bit more tameable as well, his cheeks somehow fuller and even more dimpled than usual when he gave Hessie his signature disarming smirk. He was very pleased when he looked in the mirror in the morning. Not that he felt handsome, he never did. But he looked alive and that's what mattered to him the most.

The nerves were eating him up from the inside, though, fingers shaking as he held a fork with scrambled eggs. He was looking around the Great Hall, trying to remember as many Gryffindor and Slytherin faces as he could. He hoped it will make him feel a bit more comfortable when it comes to facing a classroom full of strangers. Hormonal teenagers, for that matter.

Hessie sat beside him, a bit less on edge, as her first class was scheduled for tomorrow. She felt terrible for him, though.

"You'll be excellent, Moony, I'm sure of it."

"What if I hurt them, Mimi?" he blurted out, his voice strained and trembling. She sighed and took his hand, lowering it back on the plate so the eggs wouldn't fall on his shabby robes.

"You still have more than two weeks and you're starting Snape's brew tomorrow, there is no reason to -"

"Will you go with me? Please…" he cut her off, lowering his voice when Snape sat beside him, carrying a plate with a single over-toasted slice of bread and a lump of unmelted butter slapped on top of it.

As soon as it touched the table, the empty cup in front of him filled itself with tea so black it almost matched his robes.

Remus felt like a small boy begging his mother to go to school with him. Hessie mindlessly darted across Snape’s plate and then nodded.

"Of course I will. I'll just work on my notes and be an emotional support cat. I’m quite good at that, am I not?" she grinned and he let out a sigh of relief, finally gathering the courage to take a bite of his scrambled eggs without the fear of throwing up.

"I was actually kind of hoping you'll demonstrate. You've always been better at charms."

"You received an ‘Outstanding’ in N.E.W.T.s, Remus."

"Besides," he interrupted and ignored her biting remark.

"You know what my Boggart is. It could…you know. Raise some suspicions."

Hessie panicked. Did he forget what hers was? Before she could argue, though, a deep voice filled her ears.

"So, Lupin. I've heard that you are teaching your first class today. I would like to wish you good luck. And a smooth process. After all, we would all be very disturbed if an accident occurred." Snape sneered, his voice frigid and sarcastic.

He took a sip of his tea, not even flinching at the nauseating bitterness. Remus closed his eyes for a second and then turned at him, a wide smile plastered on his face.

Hessie just dug a fork into her fluffy pancakes, stuffing her cheeks to the limit. She had to make sure she wouldn’t be able to hex him right on the spot. Her nostrils were trembling with anger, though.

"Thank you, Severus. I truly appreciate your kindness." Remus stated calmly, biting his cheek when Snape responded with a twitch of a forced smile. The cold man continued.

"Speaking of accidents, your potion is nearly ready. Stop by my office around eleven o’clock to gather tomorrow's dose. I will continue to bring it to you on every odd date until the last seven days prior your…imminent sickness. Then you will switch to a full goblet twice a day for the entire week. No pauses, no misses. It is very important for you to remember. Write it on Lynx's forehead if you have to."

He ignored the furious look Hessie gave him when he mentioned her.

"One last thing - mentally prepare yourself for its unique taste. I have not sampled it, for obvious reasons, but it smells like a troll's lair. And no cheating, sugar devalues its properties." he muttered and quickly got up, his black robe swishing behind him as he walked away, holding his plate with an almost disgusted expression.

"I swear to Godric I will cut him open one day."

After spending the rest of the day in the library, they made their way to the classroom in silence, both too nervous to hold a conversation. When they reached the door, they gave each other one last look. Hessie straightened his fuzzy tie and tapped his shoulder as he straightened her robes, brushing off a few cat hairs she had on her arm.

He gave her a warm smile and then opened the door, walking inside the filled room with long strides as she jogged to catch up with him.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" he said with a calm, soft voice. Hessie didn't detect any signs of stress on him. After all, he was an expert in masking himself. She echoed his greeting.

"Professor Lynx is here only as a spectator today, you will get to know her wits up close tomorrow. As for today, please, close your books and pack your things. We will only need our wands today. I would like to start this semester with a practical lesson." Remus stated. The students exchanged confused looks and whispers filled the classroom. They were quite curious though, so they obeyed.

"All packed? Wonderful! Let's be on our way, then. Please, follow us." he said and walked back to the door, waiting for everyone to gather in a group. Hessie led the way next to him, clutching a packet of pumpkin pastries. They moved through the empty hallways, heading for the professors' lounge.

On their way, though, they were blocked by Peeves. The most infuriating poltergeist under the sun, in Hessie’s opinion. When he spotted them, he let out a shrieking laugh.

"Fucking hell…" she muttered, silent enough for only Remus to hear. He just grinned widely. He beamed as if he was delighted to meet Peeves again.

"Loony loopy Lupin, lousy little Lynx - sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I -"

"Well, that brings out some memories. Peeves, would you be so kind and move? We were just on our way to the -"

Peeves just blew a raspberry, raising his transparent hands to give Remus a middle finger. The only obstacle was that he didn't have any fingers. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil giggled at the implication of the ghost’s sing-song, their cheeks flaming with a blush. Remus just sighed and took his wand out of the depths of his robes.

"Pay close attention, everyone. This is a very useful repelling spell, it is truly a multitasker. Waddiwassi!" he exclaimed and performed a stabbing motion with his wand. Peeves rotated in the air for a few seconds as the spell threw him about five feet back, it looked like he was hit with an invisible projectile.

Remus gained admiring gasps from the students.

Hessie snorted with laughter, covering her mouth so she wouldn't spit out the tea she’d just sipped from her chipped thermo flask. It came out of her nose instead.

"That was so cool, professor!" Dean Thomas mused as Peeves flew away, loudly complaining with foul words. Remus turned around and gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you, Dean! Let's move, shall we?"

● ● ● ● ● ●

"I'd love to ask my wonderful assistant for today to do a little demonstration. Would you be so generous, professor?" Remus beckoned to Hessie. She did a little curtesy, making the students giggle in anticipation. She took a bite of her pumpkin pastry and took her wand out of the tweed vest.

Hermione and Harry answered Remus's questions about the nature of a Boggart and the advantages of fighting it in a group. The closet in the middle of the room ominously shook every few moments, rattling with every move. Everyone in the room trembled as well - from fright. Except for the two teachers.

"By all means, professor."

A few nervous chuckles accompanied her as she positioned herself in front of the ornate cabinet and brushed off pastry flakes that settled in the corners of her lips with the back of her hand.

She took a quick glance at Remus for a green light and he nodded. Then she pointed the tip of her cherry wand at the object’s door, following up with a soft swing.

The doorknob twisted with a loud click and several students jumped at the noise. They were anxiously waiting on what will come out. A couple of gasps and squeals echoed through the classroom when black mist slowly floated out of the cabinet and materialized into a bony, clawed paw.

A tall, pale creature stumbled out of the closet and fell on its knees. Its ears were large and pointy, skin shrivelled and a sickly shade of white. The patches of fur that scarcely speckled it were thin, the only consistent amount of hairs was on the top of the beast's head.

It slowly rose on its huge sinewy legs and straightened its back, at least as much as the big skeletal hunch allowed it to. Its long snout twitched as it smelled its surroundings, the damp tip of it moved up and down when it locked its glowing yellow eyes with hers.

Loud thumps filled the air as it vigorously swung its stubby tail and repeatedly bumped into the open door behind it. The children backed away in panic, a few stumbling right into the wall. Harry soundlessly gasped when the creature stepped towards Hessie, its chest heaving in irregular wheezes.

She watched it with great caution, not taking a single step back when it threw its head back, took a deep breath and howled, its voice cracking. The creature's teeth were needle-sharp and crooked, dark blood was leaking from the corners of its lips.

Her eyebrow twitched when it set its eyes on her again. But it wasn't vicious. It wasn't a feral glare.

Its amber irises were glossed over by misery. Big salty tears were streaming down the beast's scarred cheeks. It looked at her with tremendous pain, pure, pristine agony.

A high-pitched cough hitched in her throat, but when Pansy Parkinson’s terrified squeak reached her ears, she forced out an exhale and swished her wand in a Z-pattern just as the beast raised its frail arm to swing at her.

"Riddikulus!"

A split second before the dirty claws were about to dig into her flesh, the figure warped into the same dark fog it originated from and then vaporized again - a fluffy grey puppy appeared in its place. She broke into a soft smile when the class started applauding with sighs of relief and cheers.

Even the most disinterested Slytherins were watching closely in awe. A lot of them actually whistled in admiration.

She crouched and scratched the dog behind the ear before pointing her finger at the cupboard. It barked and obeyed, stomping away with a chipper shimmy, its tail excitedly wiggling. It disappeared into the depths of the closet and she swung her wand again, closing the door with a loud bang. The object started rattling again.

Hessie stood up and looked at Remus. He was clapping, too, but he stared at the floor with a sad smile. She cleared her throat and turned around to face the class, theatrically bowing when the cheers got louder. She took another bite of her pastry and grinned. Remus walked up to her and chuckled.

"Wonderful, professor, thank you!" he beamed and stuck out his palm to shake her hand. She took it with a laugh and felt her features fill with familiar warmth when their fingers touched.

She hopped up on the windowsill that ran along the room and tucked her wand away, chomping down the last bite of her snack. She dusted off the crumbles from her fingers and watched as Remus called Neville to the front.

When he successfully polymorphed Snape's bat-like robes into his grandmother's clothes, the class erupted in laughter and she couldn't help but giggle as well. She couldn't deny the uncomfortable pit in her stomach, though.

The students formed a line and Remus rushed to the gramophone that was next to Hessie, carefully placing one of his well-used vinyl records on top. A cold shiver ran down her spine when her gaze fell on the slender fingers that took the needle and gracefully pressed it on the record.

A catchy swing melody filled the room and Remus grabbed an apple from a wicker basket prepared on a tea table next to him. He took a bite and excitedly wiggled his eyebrows at his friend, twirling around to face the crowd.

"Parvati!" Remus called the petite girl to the front and watched as Snape twisted into a gigant snake. She stumbled backwards with wide eyes. When she heard the encouraging roars of her friends, she waved her wand and another pop echoed around the room. It changed into an oversized jack-in-the-box.

Hessie scrunched her nose.

Not much better.

She seemed amused and satisfied, though, so Hessie gave a little clap and whistled while motioning Seamus to continue. One by one, the students took turns in front of the closet, successfully morphing the Boggart to their will. She shook off disgust when Ron came up and Dean’s incapacitated zombie hand warped into a full-grown Acromantula.

"Steady, Ron!" she cheered and took another pastry from the packet in her pockets.

"Wand at the ready, Ron!" Remus clapped and rolled up his sleeves, watching Ron's twisted expression. He let out a small squeak when the Acromantula clicked its mandibles. Then he finally moved his wand.

"Riddikulus!"

With a loud snap, all of the spider's legs disappeared. Its body rolled around the ground like a furry ball. Cheers and laughs mixed with the lively music. While Ron didn't look a hundred per cent convinced, he grinned and backed away, giving high-fives on his way to the back of the row.

The round torso rolled around the room and stopped at Harry's feet. He was up next.

All colour drained from Hessie's face when Remus looked at her with wide eyes, an identical memory flashing behind his eyes.

Pale, nearly transparent skin peeling off of a face that still carried some eerie resemblance to handsomeness. Glowing red eyes with serpent-like slits for pupils. A green light ricocheting off a disarming spell. Deafening ringing in their ears as they held each other's hand in a tight cramp, apparating away from the annihilated battlefield.

Remus jumped in front of Harry as nonchalantly as possible, right before the Boggart infiltrated the boy's mind.

"Here!" Remus exclaimed and raised his wand. The fuzzy globe bounced off of the floor like a volleyball and hung in the air for a few seconds before dissolving into a shiny orb surrounded by clouds. Hessie accidentally crushed the pumpkin pastry between her fingers, forcing down a dry swallow.

"Riddikulus!" he commanded, calm and collected. The orb burst open and a cockroach appeared instead, falling on the floor with a dull slap. Remus ignored Harry's confused shrug and searched for Neville in the crowd.

"He's weak, Neville! Finish him!" he waved his hand and Neville awkwardly jogged to the front and pointed his wand at the insect, more confidently this time. It changed back into Snape for a split second.

"Riddikulus!" the boy loudly yelped. Everyone caught a flash of his grandmother's red handbag. Then the Boggart turned into a small whirlpool of black smoke before imploding with an echoing boom, leaving behind a few crackling fire sparks.

The whole class erupted in loud cheers and feverish clapping along with both professors.

"Wonderful, everyone, truly professional work!" Remus stuck his wand into the wicker basket to applaud properly.

"I'm very proud of you all, what a joyful show!" Hessie agreed, giving everyone thumbs up.

"So, five points to Gryffindor and Slytherin for each student that participated, ten points to The Lion for Neville, as he faced the Boggart twice. And five points for both Harry and Hermione."

"But I haven't done anything!" Harry questioned, his expression as puzzled as his voice. Remus smiled.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly! Everyone, this has been a wonderful lesson, thank you!"

"A small homework for the lot of you, read the chapter on Boggarts in your textbooks and write a short essay on methods of recognizing and eliminating them. The deadline is Monday, so you have plenty of time, no stress. Thank you, dear colleagues!"

Hessie clapped once again and hopped back up on the windowsill, watching the excited students say their goodbyes and flow out of the classroom until it was empty.

They were boasting to each other about how well they dealt with the dark creature. Remus let out a heavy sigh, clearly content. Hessie chuckled and tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

"Very enjoyable, sir," she mumbled, smirking when he proudly straightened his back. His fist involuntarily flexed at the way the title rolled off her lips. He cleared his throat.

"Not so bad yourself, madame. They seemed to understand quite well, don't you think? I feel like they all have a lot of potential." he closed the closet door with a swish of his wand and leaned against the wall next to her, taking a big bite of his apple. She nodded.

"I just hope…you know -"

"Yeah. I'm sure he will understand. Harry is a smart boy."

Strange silence filled the room. Hessie felt like she could hear Remus's thoughts sprinting through his brain. She took a shallow breath to say something but he was faster.

"I did not realize your Boggart was still…I mean, I didn't think that…"

He fell silent. Stumbling through his explanation wouldn't be coherent enough for her to understand. She started shaking her head furiously.

"No, no. No, Remus. Don't do this to me right now. You know damn well why it's -"

"I'm sorry, Mimi."

"Don't you dare even imply that I would -"

A maternal voice disturbed their hushed conversation. McGonagall's elegant figure entered the chamber, her hair tied in a tight bun. A stark contrast to the mess on Hessie’s head.

"Ah, here you are! Albus told me you have your first lesson today. Did everything live up to your expectations?” she asked, her kind smile as professional as ever.

The two of them exchanged a quick look before Remus cleared his throat, trying to swallow the apple pulp completely.

”Of course, prof- Minerva. They all did their part and eliminated the Boggart Albus was talking about. I feel like they’re all way smarter than we were at that age.” he chuckled and McGonagall pursed her lips.

”I highly doubt that.” she simply stated, her voice full of brutal honesty. Hessie painfully bit her lip to contain a wide smug grin that was cracking her professional smile. The older woman sighed.

“Glad to hear that, though. Anyway, I just came to invite you to our Quidditch practice. I am sure you will find that Potter is even more similar to his father than you think."

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Tag list: @wickedsingularity @messyr-moons @moon-witchs-world

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