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beachylupin · 7 months

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Werewolves of London || Remus Lupin x American!Fem!Reader

i've crawled out of writing slump hell to publish this. i really hope you all enjoy. feedback is always appreciated :-) let me know if you'd like to see more! <3 pt. 2 here word count: 3.6k warnings: talking about children being turned, mentions of a weapon, maybe a few swear words, i literally can't think of anything else

“You’re looking for the Leaky Cauldron in London,” the gruff-sounding man said over the phone. “Where are you calling from?”

“Heathrow?” You said, sounding confused. Where else would you be calling from? “Am I supposed to be somewhere else?”

“Right…” he muttered into the phone, shushing the person who was talking behind him. “You didn’t apparate to King’s Cross from there?”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to,” you mumbled as he said, “Could’ve just apparated instead of just taking a plane.”

“Have you apparated across an ocean?” You quipped, and he stopped grumbling. “Listen, I’ll figure it out, okay? Should I catch the tram to King’s Cross and call you when I get there? Or would you like me to apparate to somewhere I’ve never been?”

“Just take the bloody tram. We’ll send someone to meet you,” he grumbled, half-talking to the person behind him before hanging up abruptly.

You stood confused for a beat before hanging up the phone, quietly apologizing to the person behind you for taking so long.

Following the signs, you made it to the tram, boarding just before the doors closed.

You sat, keeping your luggage on your lap and you looked around at the other passengers. You were sure they could tell you weren’t from here.

You had on a long, leather duster jacket, hiding a dark green top and a pair of black bell bottoms. Tapping your heels to the song playing on your walkman, you ignored them, staring out the window at the underground darkness.

It wasn’t strange being called somewhere else. As someone who worked as an herbalist and potioneer who specialized in harvesting monkshood and brewing the difficult potion invented a few years prior, this was your job.

You were a board member of the Lycanthropy Regulation and Control Committee at the Magical Congress of the United States of America. It was your duty to try and prevent them from coming into towns and completely ravaging them by giving them wolfsbane when they were caught.

Wolfsbane, monkshood, or aconite was deadly. If it was harvested by someone inexperienced, they could simply die. For a lycanthrope, this was their saving grace. This miracle plant is what kept them human.

You were here to help develop a type of werewolf resolution, Project Blue, for what a leader of sorts, Mr. Moody, had called “The Order.” You thought of this group as the resistance to whatever race war had been started here.

This resolution would be developed in secret by both you and the maker of the wolfsbane potion, Damocles Belby, and it had to remain a secret. You had received a list of names that could know exactly what you were doing attached to a different letter from Mr. Dumbledore, and you assumed the rest were to be left in the dark.

Mr. Dumbledore also gave you a protector, who was called Moony. You were given specific instructions to board with this Mr. Moony and tell nobody only if they told you the code word: blue. To anyone unsuspecting, blue is just a color, but to someone who knew about the project, it meant the color of the solution: wolfsbane.

The war really must have been in full swing, and considering that you were an American half-blood, you were stepping into dangerous territory.

Sure, the United States had its fair share of war, but it was the mixing pot of the world. Pure blood, half blood, or no-maj born: a wizard was a wizard. You had always been treated just the same.

Werewolves, however? They were something else completely. The United States werewolf was one of the most dangerous creatures in the world. Having endless room to roam, they often lived outside of civilization, only coming in when they needed someone new to join their tribe.

This meant taking the children in quiet towns and turning them into werewolves so that by the time that they were fully grown and strong, they had no memories of being a human.

These were the werewolves that you typically saw: mangy, feral, and insisting that they didn’t need wolfsbane. Nearly all of them had never taken it before, spending their whole werewolf existence in the wild, losing themselves completely, even when they weren’t in their wolf form.

It was devastating, not only for the families of these children, but for the werewolves that were doing their part to prevent anyone else from getting this terrible disease.

The werewolves of London and the surrounding area were almost always docile. Having taken wolfsbane from the moment they turned, they’d given up the desire to live a feral life.

However, there was a pack that was a danger to The Order. A pack that led the American lifestyle and stayed away unless they needed a new member. One led by Fenrir Greyback. A name that put shivers down anyone’s spine.

The tram screeched to a stop at King’s Cross, and you got off, immediately finding a phone. You dialed the number again.

“Who am I looking for?” You asked as a now different louder man coughed.

“Uhhh-” He cupped the receiver, his shouting muffled. “Aye! Who’d we send again?” Someone answered him and he loudly removed his hand. “A blonde girl! My age! Pretty.”

“How am I supposed to know your age?” You asked, looking around for a blonde girl. “I can’t see you.”

“Oh… Um, right,” he mumbled, covering the receiver again. “Hey! How would you describe Marlene?!” His shouting was muffled again, but this time, the phone was forcibly taken from him, a girlish huff breathing into the receiver.

“Right, you’re looking for a girl named Marlene McKinnon.” This girl sounded exasperated, shushing the laughter behind her. “She left here wearing leather trousers and a feather duster coat. ‘M sure she’s wearing a beret,” she said as you looked around King’s Cross.

You found who fit the bill immediately, dressed in exactly what the girl described.

“I found her! Thank you!” You breathed. “I’ll probably see you in a little bit.”

“Most likely!” She sounded like she was smiling. “Goodbye, and safe travels!”

Hanging up the phone, you picked your luggage up again, weaving through the small crowd to where the pretty blonde was standing.

She looked to be about in her late teens. Her makeup was sparkly and dark, and she had on about a million necklaces. The feather duster coat was gaudy. Nearly everything about her was gaudy.

“Marlene?” You asked as soon as you approached her. You introduced yourself, taking her ringed hand into your gloved one.

“You must be our gal!” She said, pulling you into a tight hug. “How was your flight?”

You shrugged. “Long.”

“Bloody hell, I can only imagine,” she said, her hand still in yours as she pulled you through the station. “Leaky is just a few blocks down!”

Marlene finally let go of your hand as soon as you were out of the busy station and in the rainy September air. “Have you been to London before?”

You shook your head. “I’ve never been over the ocean.”

“Ooh, first time?” She asked, her eyebrows raised. “We’ll have to show you a good one then.”

“Well, I’m here on business,” you said, desperately trying to keep up with her. “I’m not sure if I’ll have enough time to have fun.”

“How long are you here for?” She asked.

You shrugged, genuinely not knowing. “However long it takes for it to get developed.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s it?”

“I’m not supposed to disclose that information,” you said quietly, looking at your feet. At least to you.

Marlene glanced at you, her expression unreadable. “Well, I’m sure you’ll still have time.”

You narrowed your eyes slightly, but not wanting to argue, you continued on after her, your luggage clattering on behind you.

The Leaky Cauldron was a hole-in-the-wall type of pub. It was no wonder they were allowed to be in downtown London without worrying about no-majs coming in.

It was fairly busy, and Marlene quickly bee-lined to the back where there was a secluded table full of people. She mumbled something before sitting down, and they all turned to look at you as you excused yourself past a group of open-mouthed witches.

“Hi everyone,” you said, tucking your hair behind your ears once you set your luggage down. You scanned their surprisingly young faces. “Who was the first person I talked to on the phone? Um.. Mr. Alastor M-” Moony? Moody?

“Moody?” The raven-haired boy said. You nodded, eyebrows raised hopefully. “He left.”

“He left?” You asked, scoffing when everyone at the table nodded. “Why?”

“You took too long,” he replied as if it was an easy answer. “He’ll be ‘round tomorrow morning with everyone else.”

“I told you that you’d have time,” Marlene said, smiling tightly. “Things don’t get done around here unless you stick us to it. The rest of ‘em are old.”

“They’re busy,” another boy corrected her.

“Great,” you sighed. “Well, in that case-” You pinched off your leather gloves and stuck your hand out to the raven-haired boy, introducing yourself.

“Sirius Black,” he said, shaking your hand enthusiastically. “It’s nice to meet you!”

You nodded then looked at the bespeckled boy. “Tell me your name is something easy to remember,” you teased, smiling at the other boy.

“I’m James,” he said, and you sighed a breath of faux relief.

“I’ll remember that one,” you said, smiling at the rest of the group.

James then pointed to the blonde boy. “That’s Peter. Next to him is Lily, and this-”

You could tell immediately who he was. Mr. Dumbledore, who you still hadn’t met yet, had told you that there was indeed a werewolf in “The Order,” and up until this point, you couldn’t discern who.

But he looked the part, down to the claw-like scars that riddled his face. He didn’t look dangerous. He looked the least dangerous of them all, dressed like an old man in a funky blue and brown sweater and dingy jeans. You couldn’t tell if he was a teen or fifty from the way he held himself, but considering his friends, you decided he was on the younger side of the spectrum.

“Remus,” he said, smiling slightly.

“Remus,” you repeated. You held his gaze for a beat longer before clearing your throat. “Well, it’s nice to meet all of you.” You glanced at your luggage then back at the table.

He glanced at your luggage as well, meeting your eyes with a look that said, “Leave it.” You furrowed your eyebrows.

Sirius pulled out a chair for you, patting it so you’d sit.

You obliged, looking around the table.

“I was hoping Moo-” Your eyebrows furrowed, trying to remember his name. Not Moony. “Um, Alastor?”

“Moody,” Sirius finished for you, exchanging a look with James.

“Yeah, Moody was going to be here to set me up with the right person, but I see that might not happen tonight,” you said, settling into your seat.

“Well, who exactly are you looking for?” James asked, looking around the group. “We might be able to set you up with…” He baited you, waiting for the name.

“I’m not supposed to disclose that information with you,” you mumbled, looking down. “It’s… It’s all very secretive, I know, but I got very detailed instructions about what I’m supposed to do and who I’m supposed to discuss and do it with.” You threw a pained smile at the group. “Your names aren’t on that list…” You glanced at Remus, then sent your gaze at the table. “Only a few can know right now.”

“So we can know nothing?” Sirius asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m sure you’ll know eventually,” you suggested and sighed when he rolled his eyes. “I’m really sorry. I wish I could tell you.”

“What can we know?” Marlene asked, causing you to shrug.

“What do you want to know?” You countered, glancing at the small group.

Lily stared at you with narrowed eyes. “What do you do in America?”

“I work for the Magical Congress of the United States,” you answered simply. “I’m a herbalist and potioneer.”

The girls cocked their heads.

“How old are you?” Peter asked, resting his cheeks on his hands.

“Nineteen.”

“And you work for them at nineteen?” Peter acted shocked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah?”

Peter humphed, sitting back in his chair. “Carry on.”

“Have you always lived in America?” James asked, and you nodded.

“Where do you live in America?” Sirius asked.

“I kind of move from place to place depending upon the need for me,” you replied. A few of them furrowed their eyebrows. “Home base is New York City, though.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Marlene asked. “They needed you for something?”

You paused, shrugging slightly. “Yes?”

“For herbalism and potions,” Lily clarified, and you sighed, shrugging.

“I suppose,” you said. “I’m not going to tell you why I’m here.”

Lily pursed her lips. “I’ll figure it out. Just give me a moment.”

“I really don’t think you will,” you said, your eyebrows pinched together. “I haven’t given you anything to work off of.”

But Lily ignored you, her eyes closed as she thought. Marlene was next to her, trying to piece it together.

“Remus,” Sirius said, leaning to look at him. “You’re awfully quiet over there. Do you have any dying questions for the girl at the stand?”

Remus, who had been all but paying attention, hummed, looking at you.

“What’s your favorite color?” He asked.

Sirius and James let out a laugh.

“Really?” Peter asked, hands hitting the table. “We’re in a Sherlock type mystery and you ask what her favorite color is?”

“It’s an important question,” Remus replied, shrugging. He looked back at you, hopeful.

“Blue,” you said, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Blue?” He repeated, and you nodded. A knowing smile grew on Remus’ face. “Interesting.”

“How is that bloody interesting?” Sirius asked. “It’s blue. Everything is bloody blue.”

Remus simply shrugged, glancing at you again. “Just… fitting.”

You narrowed your eyes. He must’ve been the one that Mr. Dumbledore called Moony.

“What’s yours?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Green,” he said, smiling. Sirius looked between the two of you.

You nodded, looking around. “Any other questions?”

Sirius narrowed his eyes. “What does he know?”

You glanced at Remus. “Probably as much as you.”

Remus confirmed your suspicion with a nod.

“Well, we’ll figure you out,” Lily said, leaning her head on Sirius’ arm. “Before you tell us.”

“Where are you staying?” James asked, glancing at Lily and Sirius. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you stayed with us.”

“I actually have a room booked here,” you lied, pushing yourself up from the chair. “I should probably see if it’s ready for me.”

“Right,” James said, smiling slightly as he stood. “We should be off, shouldn’t we?” He asked, reaching for Lily’s hand. She took it, allowing herself to be pulled up, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“We have an early morning,” Sirius said, glancing at Marlene. “You ready?”

Marlene nodded, getting up. “It was nice meeting you,” she said curtly.

“Yeah, it was nice meeting all of you,” you replied, watching Remus stand, nose crinkled as his knee popped.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Sirius said, looking at Lily. “We’ll have you figured out by then.”

You sighed. “Please don’t try to figure me out.”

“Too late,” Lily said sweetly, her hand in James’ as she started pulling him out of the pub.

James waved a goodbye to you and Marlene tailed the two of them out with Sirius following slightly behind. He turned around.

“You coming, Moony?” He asked, and Remus shook his head.

“I need a night cap,” he said, waving Sirius away. “Don’t worry about me.”

Sirius took this dismissal with a raised eyebrow, slightly shrugging before walking away.

“Moony?” You said quietly, crossing your arms over your chest. “That isn’t a very clever nickname.”

“Neither is Bane, but I didn’t say anything,” he quipped, reaching to take your luggage but you beat him to it.

“Bane?” You said, your nose crinkled. “That’s what your leader is calling me?”

“Better than Monk like he originally wanted,” he said, offering you his arm. You looked at it, sighing. “We’re going to have to apparate.”

“I know,” you grumbled, taking his arm. “I just hate doing it.”

“It’s not my favorite thing either,” he said, leading you outside the pub.

The wet sidewalk was clear, allowing Remus to quickly lead you into the alleyway, looking around again.

“Take a breath,” he said, and you did so, the breath leaving you as soon as there was a familiar tug on your navel.

The Eldritch Manor lay before you, half destroyed. It was supposed to be your place to sleep and work. A place to be safe. This didn’t look like a place where you could do any of those things.

Half of the manor was missing, rubble and stones lying in a place where a wing might’ve been. A house fire was possible, but it looked as though something hit the house.

“‘S not much,” Remus said quietly, allowing you to drop his arm. He immediately reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

He could tell you weren’t impressed by the way you straightened, your owlish eyes staring at the half of the house that was still standing.

It was also made of stone, but it was covered in dying ivy, a plant that would’ve flourished in the summer. A gnarled branch weaved its way up the front of the house.

“I wasn’t impressed either,” he said through a puff of his cigarette. “But it’s what we’ve got.”

He stamped out the other half of his cigarette and headed inside, leaving you to follow behind him.

You looked around Remus’ house. It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t tiny. Books and blankets lay on almost every surface, and there was a chill running through the house that you couldn’t quite place. You set your luggage down and toed off your shoes, watching as Remus knelt down in front of the fireplace, busying himself with stacking logs.

“This isn’t where I normally live,” he said, his knees cracking as he stood up from the fireplace. “This is temporary.” He took his wand out, lighting the fire wordlessly.

“Like a safe-house?” You asked, sitting down in a leathery chair, covering yourself with the throw blanket.

“Exactly like that,” he said, sitting down across from you. “Got here a few days ago to make it homey.”

You looked around the small living room. There was an endless supply of books around, as if that’s all he did in his spare time. You leaned, peeking at the kitchenette, where a stove and a fridge sat, looking as if they’d never been used.

“It’s nice,” you said quietly, looking into the fire.

A lull fell over the two of you. Maybe Remus figured that you were tired from your journey, or maybe he didn’t know what to say.

You didn’t have much to say either. This was the first time that you were meeting him, and you only knew a few things about him. First, his name was Remus, and he went by Moony. Second, his favorite color was actually most likely green considering all of the blankets in this house were either green or brown, and third, he was a werewolf who hated being a werewolf.

You didn’t have to ask him to know that. The way he tried to act normal was a telltale sign.

Remus cleared his throat, causing you to turn your attention to him. “So Moody said what you’re working on is… dangerous? And that you needed my help?”

“Sort of,” you sighed, and he continued staring, urging you to go on. “You haven’t been debriefed yet, have you?” you asked, sitting up straighter. He shook his head causing you to sigh again.

“You need to talk with me?” Remus asked.

“I’m actually here to consult with Damocles Belby, the inventor of-”

“Wolfsbane, yeah,” he interjected.

“Alastor was supposed to set that up tonight, but he left, as you know,” You said, your tone clipped. “Him and I… We’re trying to fashion a type of… explosive to use in case of-”

“A werewolf?” Remus asked, and you reluctantly nodded.

“A feral werewolf,” you corrected him, your mouth tight.

“Ah,” Remus tutted. “So you’re saying someone whose a monster-”

“That’s not at all what I’m saying,” you said quietly as his gaze dropped from yours. “I’m not saying they’re monsters. Werewolves aren’t monsters, but I don’t think you understand the real problem-“

“Moony is… I am the problem,” he quipped, getting up. “I think I understand it quite well. Now, if you’re thinking you’re going to use a bomb on me-”

“I never said it was going to be you-”

“-you’re daft, alright?” He finished over you, pulling the sleeves of his sweater down as he strode across the room.

You scrambled after him. “You’re not part of the problem, Remus!” You called, following him down the hall. “You do your part to prevent the spread! I can tell!”

He snorted, looking at you over his shoulder. “If that’s your way of telling me that you think I’m a virgin, you’re dead wrong.”

Your eyebrows instantly furrowed, taken aback. “Lycanthropy isn’t spread that way,” you muttered more to yourself than to him. You huffed, catching his hand as he rounded the kitchen doorway. He stopped, glaring at you. “You’re not understanding me. You haven’t turned anyone. You’re not biting anyone on full moons, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay, good,” you huffed, letting him pull his hand away from yours. “The explosive is for the ones who try their hardest to turn as many innocents as possible. The ones who flock into defenseless villages and towns to kill and turn anyone they see.” You swallowed, your tone quiet, “The ones who turn children.”

Remus’ face turned from sullen to serious as he blinked, eyebrows furrowing. “Why do you need my help?”

“I think you might know where they’re hiding.”

#remus lupin #part one #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x american!fem!reader #remus lupin angst #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin fic

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thebestofoneshots · 5 months

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Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 5.4 K Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. (Reader discretion is advised). Basically, it's a rough night. Prompt: You promissed you'd get that moonflower, remember? This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 20: Bad Moon Rising

November 22nd, 1976 - Monday (Full Moon)

Kless had kept his promise, 3 days ago you had gotten a package from him, an old brown owl had delivered it, biting you sharply when you tried to take it from his beak, he flew off right after, just as you brought your finger to your mouth to try and lick the wound clean. You opened the thick envelope and found a small notebook –muggle by the looks of it– with an interesting black and white pattern and Damocles Belby’s name on a small square at the front. You opened it and started looking through hundreds of notes on werewolves. On the kind of food they ate, the effects it had on them and more. If you thought your research had been thorough, his was pretty much the bible of werewolves. He had also added a very in-depth research on the Moonflower near the end of the notebook.

A note fell from it as you flipped the pages: Your turn.

You stared at the information a little longer, entering an almost hyper-focused mode as you tried to learn a bit more about the Moonflower so you’d be faster to find it, that you barely realised someone had sat next to you until they spoke.

“What are you looking at luv?” Remus asked as he peered through his spot to look at the notebook you had on your hands.

You almost jumped out of your skin when you realised who the person sitting in front of you was. You froze, you couldn’t tell him it was a potions project, he was your godricdamn partner in that class. Freaking James Potter, you thought. “It’s uh… Kless lent me his notes for my herbology project.”

“Kless?” Remus asked with a frown.

“Damocles Belby, from 7th,” You said, raising the notebook so he could see the cover.

“Damocles?” Remus repeated as if he was still trying to remember who he was, “When did you even befriend him?”

“It was kind of an accident,” you told him, and that wasn’t a lie, “he was nice enough to help me pick up my stuff when… It doesn’t matter, actually.”

He then pulled the notebook down a little “I’ve seen that flower,” he told you, pointing at the drawing of the Moonflower.

“Really? Where?” You asked excitedly.

“Grows in the forbidden forest.”

“Thought it wasn’t a good place for humans,” you tsked.

“Yeah, that’s how I found out,” he sassed back.

You shook your head with a smile as you stared at him “So it grows there?”

Remus nodded, “Sirius picked it up once, the idiot ate it and had this pretty heavy trip.”

“He did?” You asked, eyebrows raised “Where?”

“On a small glade, they’re common on glades,” he explained “Where they can bask in moonlight.”

“Oh that’s super useful actually!” you said with a smile.

He narrowed his eyes at you “You wouldn’t be thinking of getting some, right? You know how dangerous the Forbidden Forest is.”

“Me? That’s ridiculous!” You said, pitch a little higher than normal. “I know it’s no place for humans,” you said with a little nod, managing to level your tone “It’s all for investigation,” you added in the end with a little smile.

Remus looked at you, a little tilt in his head before adding “You wouldn’t do anything that stupid.”

You nodded lips closed tightly, taking a deep breath as you did. Remus was about to say something else, but Sirius arrived, planting a kiss on your cheek and he completely forgot about it. The moon was close, and seeing him be so domestic with you just made him jealous and of the two of you, to his dismay.

“What you up to Starshine?” Sirius asked as he took a seat beside you.

You closed the notebook “Just studying,” you said, “got some notes borrowed and I’m reading through them,” Sirius hummed in response and wrapped his arms around you, resting his head in the crook of your neck. He was clingy today, “rough day?”

“A little,” he whispered.

Remus turned to the side and pulled out a piece of parchment, writing something down on it before turning it into a paper plane and sending it off. Sirius, still with his arms around you, unwrapped one of his arms ever so slightly and pointed at the paper “Who is that for?”

“Alice,” Remus answered, a little more bitterly than he intended to.

“Oh,” Sirius said simply before changing the topic altogether.

Fast forward to now, you were already preparing for your little adventure. You had actually told Marlene you were sneaking out into the library, so the girls didn’t worry about you not being back at the dorms on time. Marlene wouldn’t ask too many questions which is why you’d decided to tell her instead of Mary or even Lily.

You had been hiding in the girls’ bathroom when Myrtle popped her head out from the toilet “Someone’s sneaking out of school today,” she said in a sing-song voice. She wasn’t being loud like she was normally, which you were thankful for. Inviting her to the Halloween Party had been a good idea after all.

“I need to get something from the forbidden forest.” You said, sitting over one of the toilets and closing the door.

“Tonight’s a dangerous night,” She told you, “You wouldn’t want to end up like me.”

You raised an eyebrow “Would you rather I stay here and chat with you all night?”

She shrugged “It’d certainly be safer,” she said with a little nod.

“Unfortunately I can’t, I need this thing to help my friend.”

She hummed “Of course, the brave (Y/N) would risk her life for a friend.”

You scoffed, “I’m not risking my life.”

“Of course, because the Forbidden Forest is one of the safest places in the castle,” she said with a tight-lipped smile.

You huffed in response, “You’re not going to deter me from going.”

She looked at you innocently “I’d never dream of such a thing.” She seemed to think for a second and puffed her chest as if taking a deep breath -a rather silly move for a ghost- “Just be careful… you’re not the only one roaming outside of the castle tonight,” she said before disappearing dramatically.

You stared at the place she had gone to before checking the pocket watch. It was time, you took a deep breath and cast a disillusionment charm around you. Carefully opening the door of the stall before walking outside of the bathrooms. Once there, you looked to both sides, making sure there was nobody around before starting to walk the path you had carefully traced as you planned your outing.

Once you reached the Quad, you pulled your broom from under a couple of dried leaves that you’d use to hide it and took off towards the forest. You landed close to the spot where you had found Fang and threw the broom into the ground. You stood there, breathing in the natural scents of the pine trees. The forest was dark, you hadn’t taken any lanterns along since you did not want to be spotted, which is why you took some time to let your eyes adjust as much as possible. You looked up at the sky, it was still cloudy and the moon wasn’t out yet either so you turned back to look at the forest and smiled, it looked as dangerous as alluring.

You perked your ears, silence.

Your turn, you remembered Kless’s note, and finally walked inside. Casting a footstep silencing spell to make sure the crunch under the leaves was unnoticeable.

The disillusionment charm still cloaked you, rendering you invisible as you navigated through the dense forest. You moved slowly, cautiously, looking carefully through the trees attempting to find a clearing. That’s when you heard something behind you, you spun around, alarmed, trying to identify the source.

Two powerful arms encircled you. From the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of ashy blond curls but it was the smell that gave him away, a thick cologne that would smell nice if it wasn’t for the fact that he had threatened you while wearing it - Evan Rosier.

You attempted to bite his hand, but he only pressed it harder as two other figures appeared from the trees. "Well, well, look who we have here," Crouch sneered, a wicked smile on his face. "Out of the castle and at this hour?”

Your breath quickened as you assessed the situation. Evan's grip was relentless, he was grabbing you with such force you were sure it would leave a bruise, and you could barely move your hand toward your wand, still concealed in your pocket. You could feel his chest behind you, firm and muscly –like James’– but Evan had you pressed against him, squishing you so tightly that you wanted nothing more than to push him off, but you couldn’t, your strength was no match.

“Finite incantatem,” Barty said, waving his hand over you and making you completely visible.

“She’s all warm and snuggly, perhaps she’s out to snog her boyfriends,” Mulciber said bitterly.

“Are you?” Barty asked with a menacing grin.

Evan loosened his grip just a little and that allowed you to nod, “They’re waiting for me,” you lied, voice coming out muffled from Evan’s hand, still over your mouth.

Barty chuckled in response, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Deceptive little thing," he taunted. "Didn't you say you saw them at the castle, Severus?"

A final figure came from the shadows “I did.”

“Snape,” you said with a gulp, he was probably the only person you’d be able to reason with, “I’m not looking for trouble–“

“Shut it!” Evan cut you off, pressing his fingers to your jaw and jerking your head back. Your jaw clenching so tight you feared you may break a tooth.

You gulped, nor being able to hold a straight face and pulling a grimace instead, brows furrowed and breath heavy. But you did as told, extending your hand towards your pocket as you attempted to distract them. When you finally managed to reach the edge of your wand, you pointed it towards the tallest figure, and whispered “Opugno.” Suddenly the leaves on the floor started to move in circles and surrounded the boy, you smiled and pointed your wand straight to Barty but he was faster to notice your intentions “Accio dragon scale wand,” he said, and your wand pulled out of your pocket, flying straight towards his hands.

“Were you trying to distract us?” He said, waving your wand in the air, you looked to the side, breath heavy as you tried to think of ways to escape.

“Finite incantatem,” Severus said as he pointed his wand towards Muciber, who had been scraped by sharp rocks and leaves from the forest’s floor.

You huffed and tried to wiggle out of Evan’s grasp, Barty laughed again, “Well, I might have not been able to throw you off your broom back at the game, but you’re out of luck now. I see no protection charms around.”

You looked at him as realisation hit “The jerking of my broom… It was you!” Barty licked his lips before bowing sardonically as he did, he was proud, “What… what protection charm?”

Barty raised an eyebrow “You didn’t know?” You shook your head, trying to think of what he could be referring to “Your stupid little bow.”

Confusion swept over you, and you felt Evan's grip slightly loosened, he had been too interested in the conversation. Seizing the opportunity, you elbowed him sharply in the gut and made a run for it. However, you felt a sharp, searing pain in your back and collapsed to the ground, trembling. BIood filled your mouth, and you realised you’d parted your lip.

Barty caught up with you shortly after, tsking disapprovingly as he stared at you from above “Did you really think you could run from us? With no wand?!?” he mocked. Crouching beside you as he stared, tilting his head just a little and smiling when he noticed you tried to push yourself up and failed. “I’ve heard you like inviting ghosts to parties.”

You turned your head to him “What are you–”

Evan smiled, he was still standing but managed to guess Barty’s thoughts “How about a little tour in the Shrieking Shack?”

“The– the Shrieking Shack?” asked Snape, he had no problem with making you suffer, but he did not want to murder you “I doubt it’s–“

“Shut up Severus, we’ll throw you in as well,” Barty said, snapping towards the boy before it turned to you again “Let’s see if she really is as brave as she claims,” he added as he pulled you up, lounging you across his shoulder, the carelessness of the action made the pain in your back worse, causing you to let out an involuntary cry. Which only got a satisfied laugh from Crouch.

You tried to fight back, kicking and screaming but Mulciber cast a silencing spell over you. You were still screaming, it was just that no one could hear you. In a second Barty apparated you right in front of the house, leaving you disoriented, and you felt a sharp pain on your leg, probably from splinching, all of which just made you even more vulnerable. How does he even know how to do that? you wondered, still fighting to let yourself free.

Mulciber opened the door as Barty tossed you inside, “How’s that for a creative prank?” he said as you struggled to your feet and tried lunging yourself forward. Mulciber punched you in the stomach –same place the quaffle had hit merely days ago– and it was enough to send you back to the floor, gasping for air.

“Poor thing,” he mocked. “She won’t be able to sleep ever again after surviving the horrors of the most haunted house in England. Welcome to our country darling!” He said before closing the door. By the time you managed to get up, they were already locking the door from the outside.

You roared, rage filling every single bit of your body as you banged the door repeatedly, it was useless, their stupid silencing spell made your cries inaudible. You could hear their laughs though, mocking as they saw your futile attempts.

“Just accept your fate darling,” said Evan “If I were you I would start thinking of ways to survive.”

You pounded the door one last time, your fist throbbing in pain from the sheer force you had used, and finally dropped back to the ground, screaming one last time before tears started running down your cheeks. You felt humiliated and powerless, seething with anger at the realisation that you wouldn’t be able to harvest the moonflower either, your palms were scraped, your leg hurt like a bitch, your back was still in pain from whatever hex they had used and yet, you could feel nothing but rage.

You weren’t afraid of the Shrieking Shack’s ghostly reputation. It might have looked run down and had scratches all over, but you knew the ghosts wouldn’t do much other than attempt to scare you. Regardless, you approached the old fireplace and squinted your eyes until you found an old poker, it was made of iron, great against spirits and even better at cranking open doors. You used it to strike the door repeatedly, still trying to open it when you heard a creak, probably coming from one of the rooms. You gulped, if there was a door, there was a way out, and if there was a way out, you could still get out of this place and harvest the flower. At least that way your outing wouldn’t have been useless.

You took a deep breath, deciding to make use of the spell you had had and walking up the staircase, you heard muffled voices from the other side of the door of the rooms and you stood there, quietly, trying to make out anything from what they were saying, but your attempts were futile, the walls were thick, no matter how you tried, it was all incoherent mumbling.

You heard the door creak again. Ghosts did not normally use doors, so whatever was on the other side, had to be corporeal, you tightened your grip on the iron poker, your knuckles white from the force you were using. And after a couple of seconds, you kicked the door open, the poker held high, ready to beat the hell out of whatever or whoever you found on the other side.

But when the door finally opened wide, what you found on the other side shocked you, “Remus,” you mouthed, a relieved sigh leaving your body, the iron poker falling to the ground with a rather loud clang as you stared at the boy. He covered the distance between the two of you in seconds and wrapped his hands around your face worriedly, gently rubbing his thumb over your cheek as he stared at your dishevelled stance. The dirt sticking to your face and your parted lip made it evident that you had been through a lot that night. You relaxed into his warm hands almost immediately, the bruise from Evan’s rough grip already starting to show on your jaw and neck.

“What happened?” he asked as he placed a piece of your hair behind your ears to get a better look at the state you were in, his hands warm and caring in comparison with Evan’s, you felt safe, so safe and he so worried that the two of you had forgotten the real reason you had ended up in the same place altogether. Remus was completely focused on you, he wanted, no, he needed to comfort you.

“Barty,” you said, wincing when no sound came out of your mouth, he instantly realised you’d been charmed and took out his wand.

“Finite incantatem,” he said softly.

“Barty,” you repeated, voice a little raspy from how much you had screamed earlier, even if no one had heard you. You wanted to crumble into his arms and cry like a baby, “I was trying to harvest the Moonflower because…” Remus stared at you in disbelief, ready to scold you when you stumbled into your words “…today is full moon.”

Remus’ eyes opened wide and he put a huge distance between the two of you in seconds. You felt cold at the lack of warmth his body had brought and winced, but you instantly understood why he’d done it. You stood straighter, you were in danger, and for the third time in the night, you had to find a way to survive.

“You have to go,” he said sternly “This place isn’t safe, you–“

“–You think I don’t know?” You spat, a little annoyed, your tiredness translating into annoyance as you leaned down to pick up the iron poker and walked towards the window, trying to crank it open. Your arms and hands hurt from the force you were using, the struggles from the night taking a toll on your body. Maybe hitting and fighting Barty hadn’t been such a good idea –No, hitting Barty is always a good idea, you thought as you gave another sharp swing toward the window.

Remus looked at you, confusion sipping into his head. Why are you trying to get out? What are you even– “You know,” he said finally with a gulp, had Sirius told you? he wondered bitterly.

You turn to him, sighing and closing your eyes for a moment, “I’m sorry Remus, I didn’t mean to pry, I just–“

“-how long?” he interrupted you, voice so dry you almost cringed.

“The last full moon.” you admitted shutting your eyes for a second before turning back to him to try to explain, “When we were at the infirmary together, it was because I was reading that stupid spicy werewolf novel; all the inconsistencies just made sense…”

He gulped again, she guessed, of course, she guessed. He should’ve expected it, you were brilliant after all. He felt slightly relieved when he realised no one had told you, but it quickly turned into guilt since he hadn’t done it either.

“I wanted to tell you,” he admitted.

You shook your head “We met months ago Remus, most of your friends don’t know either.”

“But I still wanted to tell you,” he emphasised the last bit, “you wouldn’t be here if I had.”

“I probably would,” you said, still banging harshly at the windows. “FUCK!” you shouted, launching the metal poker to the window distressed, it fell gracelessly to the ground. No matter how hard you tried they didn’t even budge. “How long do we have?” you asked with a tired sight.

“Minutes, probably,” he said bitterly “Where’s your wand?”

“The Slytherins took it,” you responded. He instantly threw you his wand, you caught it with ease.

You went for the door “alohomora,” you whispered, nothing happened.

“It closes from the outside.” He explained. You sighed again. “How much did you research about my condition? You know defence spells?”

“There are no defence spells against werewolves Remus, they’re attack spells, murder spells.” He knew, he just didn’t wanna call them that.

“So you know them?” he said, ignoring your remark.

“No! I ripped the page out and burned it,” you admitted.

He stared at you angrily “Well, that was bIoody stupid on your part!”

You stared at him in disbelief “Yeah, because learning how to murder my best friend was the clever thing to do!”

“YES! When your best friend’s a monster, then YES!”

You frowned when he said that, the way he perceived himself hurting your very soul “Remus…” He groaned and fell to the ground, “Remus!” You ran towards him but he placed his hand in the air, open palm facing you, a warning.

He looked up at you, eyes glossy, he had hoped the boys would be here before it started “Hide!” he roared, voice cracking “If I get too close, please promise you will defend yourself.”

You shook your head, eyes welling with tears “I’m not gonna hurt you, Remus.”

“Please!” he pleaded.

“If it’s either you or me, then it’s not gonna be you,” you said simply.

He cried out, his eyes turning golden, his teeth growing “Don’t be so fucking stubborn and bomb the shit out of me.”

That’s it, you thought and tightened your grip around his wand, you stood right in front of him, pointing the wand to the door “Bombarda!” you shouted, Remus’ wand followed your command as if it had been your own. Once the spell reached the door you screamed again “Protego.” The force field of the spell protected both you and Remus, who was still crouching and crying as his body continued to transform.

Once the fire was gone, and the dust settled you realised the spell worked, the big metal door was hanging from one of its hinges. You turned around, giving one last look at poor shrieking Remus and ran for it. But the more you ran, the more stress filled your mind. You knew this tunnel, you’d been there before. In your dreams.

And then there it was, the howl that had been haunting you since your very first week, the sound of paws and claws clashing against the stone. You knew this all too well, you were in your nightmare, except this time, it was real. All the warnings you’d gotten filled your mind. The fox was finally in danger.

Remus’ strides were even faster as a wolf, and he caught up with you with ease. You raked your brain for a spell that wouldn’t hurt him too much “I’m sorry Remus,” you said with a little frown before pointing his own wand against him “Stupefy!” you roared, the force of the spell enough to push him back a couple of metres. You swallowed thickly as you saw him scramble back to his feet, and crouched down through the thick roots near the end of the tunnel.

There road was now going upwards, you had to claw your way up, digging your nails on the dirt until you managed to reach the light, you were sure you’d broken one, the sharp pain almost invisible as adrenaline filled your body. As you stood up, you realised exactly where you were “The Whomping Willow,” you whispered as you stared. An idea quickly forming in your head.

While the hit from one of the branches would probably hurt the wolf, it wouldn’t kill him, not like spells would. So you crouched near the entrance, waiting for it, when you saw its snout, you ran to where you assumed the branches of the Willow reached. If you calculated it wrong, you’d be dеad in seconds, so you took a deep breath, hoping you had been smart enough to figure this one out.

When the wolf emerged from the tunnel, you finally managed to dimension it. It was huge, far larger than your friend. It stared at you, golden eyes sizing you up. You could almost swear the animal smiled as he gave a slow step towards you. He knew there was no place for you to run where he wouldn’t catch you.

You looked up at the willow, trying to keep your breath steady as you turned your eyes back to the menacing creature. You looked up at the branches one last time, Remus would kill you if he saw what you were trying to do, “Hey! You stupid beast!” you screamed, arms open as if the wolf didn’t already have his eyes glued to your figure “Why don’t come at me huh? What are you waiting for?” you taunted.

You saw the Willow pull one of its branches and you smiled, “Scared your little witch?” You taunted again.

3…2…1… The wolf lunged at you, and you threw yourself to the side, rolling about half a metre on the ground. At the same time, the Whomping Willow lunged its branch straight against your previous position, effectively launching the wolf to the side. You heard a crack and the wolf howled, you winced, hoping the sharp hit hadn’t hurt Remus too much. Unfortunately, the willow had thrown the wolf in between you and the castle, which meant: it was no longer an option to run towards it. That left only one escape route, you turned to look at the dark forest again. The wolf was still trying to get up.

It might have been naive hope, but you thought that perhaps, you could lose the wolf in the forest. So, for the second time that night, you ran straight towards the most dangerous place in the entire school.

The darkness engulfed you as you sprinted through the woods, no longer caring for the sounds you made, you had to gain terrain. Your legs were already trying to give in when you spotted a clearing; and there it was, shining with the white cast of moonlight, the moonflower. You turned to see behind you, no sign of the wolf. A glade wasn’t a good place to go when you wanted to lose a fierce beast since there is nowhere to hide in them.

You looked back one last time before diving to the side, breath sharp as you tried to reach the place with the flower. Once there you almost threw yourself to the ground, digging around the edges and taking the flower out carefully, trying to work as fast as possible, gently placing the flower under your shirt as you got up and wiped your hands on the grass.

You heard a howl, and looked around, trying to spot the wolf. It sounded so close. You were terrified, the echoes of the howl reverberated all around you. If you took off in the wrong direction, you might end up running straight towards the beast.

One deep breath after the other, you heard the howl again, and you took another step back, hearing the sound of something crunching under your feet, you turned your head downwards, spotting the cracked bone you’d seen before, in your dreams. The bones of the fox. You gulped, knowing full well what would come next: a haunting howl sliced through the air piercing your ears, you winced.

Remus was close. You took a deep breath, trying to remember where the wolf had popped from in your dream, but it had always been from a different place, as if your dreams were all the different possibilities of how tonight would go down. You turned around again, deciding that’s the place you’d run to, only to find the beast right in front of you, its predatory gaze calculating which part of you it would feast on first.

“H-Hey, It’s ok, it’s me,” you stammered, hands extended as if you could reason with it. You remembered your notes: Werewolves do not remember who they are once transformed. They can be very aggressive, and they have killed friends and loved ones in wolf form. What the hell had you written after that? If he turns and you’re around, run the fuck away.

If only it was that fucking simple.

“Remus,” you said then. The wolf growled baring its teeth at you, you winced, struggling not to step back, harsh movements could be your doom. “Moony,” you breathed out. The wolf tilted its head. You half smiled, of course! The boys sometimes talked about Moony as if it were someone else. You took a deep breath, and nodded, gulping as you considered your next words, “I’m not going to hurt you,” you said, extending Remus’ wand further away from your face dangling in between two fingers. Maybe werewolves attack wizards because they know we’re dangerous, you thought naively.

“I’m gonna leave this in the ground, okay?” you said, you’d read how smart werewolves were, perhaps Moony understands me. You took another deep breath and bent your knees slowly. When you were close enough to the floor you let the wand fall gently on the grass, standing up just as cautiously. Finally, you stared at the wolf, his slow breaths, watching your every move attentively, and it was a stunning specimen. He was huge, you weren’t sure you’d ever seen a wolf so big, with thick and fluffy fur and eyes sharp, golden specks shining with the moonlight, just like Remus’.

And then, all of a sudden, a sharp sound came from the forest. A growl, but it wasn’t from the wolf. The second he heard it, his ear perked and he lunged straight at you. You crashed back on the ground with a cry, landing next to the rest of the bones you had unwittingly shattered moments ago.

Moony pushed you onto the ground with one of its paws, his sharp claws on you, past your thick sweater and digging in straight into the skin of your shoulder. His weight was also crushing your sternum, making it hard for you to even breathe. You cried in pain as he flexed his paw, claws digging deeper. You felt tears streaming down your face, but the wolf wasn’t looking at you, it was looking around.

You were about to lose consciousness when you heard a familiar growl. You turned your head a little and you saw him “Fang!” you screamed “Get out of here, you’re in danger!” you urged, but the dog only walked closer to the wolf, baring its teeth. You looked at it mortified, but the wolf didn’t move to attack him, yet…

Then you heard a creak from the other side of the forest, a stag, a lot taller than the wolf, and with thick and strong antlers. Just underneath it, there was a small brown rat, with its hair standing on end. It looked like it wanted to get close to you, but was too terrified to do so.

You stared at them, blinking twice before turning back to the dog, who was still growling at the wolf, attempting to get closer. The wolf shifted, its claws digging deeper into the soft skin of your arm, you held back a cry, whimpering as you bit your lip so hard you drew bIood, again. You turned to the stag once again, staring at its antlers through your lashes. The wolf acted as if it knew these animals. Werewolves don’t really attack animals, they seem to target exclusively Humans, you remembered.

As you continued to stare, you finally discovered another secret “Prongs,” you whispered as you stared at the stag, “Wormtail,” you said as you lowered your gaze at the rat, and finally you turned around to the dog “Padfoot.”

The dog, who you had assumed to be Fang, wasn’t even a dog, it was Sirius’ animagus form. He did it, and he turned into a dog, of all things! you thought humorously, somehow managing to smile in such a situation. No wonder the boys always laughed so much when you joked about him being a dog, or about the fact that you’d given him “Puppy” as a nickname. Moony’s claws dug deeper, and you emitted a cry, Prongs tensed as if he was preparing to gore the wolf. And that’s when it downed you: Werewolves don’t attack animals, and clearly, they didn’t attack animagus either. Finally, you smiled, recalling one last trick you had under your sleeve.

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A/N: looks like the cat is outta the bag, amma right? This was definetly an intense one, wasn't it? And it's still one of my favourites, I just loooove the action scenes hehe. Either way guys, sorry for the cliffhanger, love ya very much

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up-to-some-good · 2 months

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Moonstruck

Written for @wolfstarmicrofic prompt 22 February - moonstruck (650 words)

The first time they saw the wolf, Sirius was stunned. Remus had made them wait outside during the transformation. He told them to make sure they were in animal form before they came in. He didn't want to take any risks, none of them did.

So the first time Sirius saw the wolf, it was muted. He was in dog form, colours washed out and scents overwhelming his senses, but he was still amazed. The wolf was huge, almost as big as Prongs, with sharp teeth and predatory eyes. But he was also skinny, ribs sticking out through his fur, and had patchy fur from years of being left on his own to destroy himself. He didn't seem to want to attack the new animals in the shack either. He approached them slowly and sniffed them apprehensively. Eventually, with some persuasion from Padfoot, he began to trust them, and the nights of the full moon became full of games and running freely in the forest.

10 years later, the amazement of seeing the wolf had faded. They had spent almost every full moon together for a decade, and Padfoot and Moony were almost as close as their human counterparts. It had been just the two of them for years now. Peter had stopped joining them at the end of school, when his job at the ministry got too busy for him to take the time off. James had stayed on until Harry was born and he decided to become a stay-at-home dad. Both of them had offered to come back in the years since, but Sirius and Remus had never needed them. They had their routine down: dinner, apparate to the edge of the forbidden forest, walk to the clearing, wait. The next morning, Sirius would heal any injuries and get them back home, and they'd sleep it off for the next day, snuggled close to each other.

The February full moon of 1985 was different for the first time in a decade. Damocles Belby and Lily Potter had had a breakthrough. After years of development and testing, the Wolfsbane potion was complete. And it worked. The Sleekeazy company had funded the project and as a result the potion was now available for any werewolves who needed it. For free.

Remus had been taking the potion for the days up to the full moon, wincing and retching at the taste, but trusting Lily's judgement and expertise. This was a life changer. He could stomach the awful taste if it meant keeping his mind at the full moon.

The transformation was the same as always, despite a change in location. Sirius had to hold back tears as he listened to Remus's screams echoing throughout their flat, grateful for the silencing charms keeping their neighbours from hearing the noise.

When Remus emerged from their bedroom, still insisting on transforming out of sight, Sirius was struck by the sight of the wolf for the first time since he was fifteen. He was used the the size of the animal by now, as well as the lush fur and healthy appearance that had come in the years the marauders had spent with Moony, but this was the first time he had seen the wolf in his human form. For the first time, he could sink his fingers into the coarse fur and bury his face in the wolf's neck the way Remus did with Padfoot.

The wolf flopped down on his lap, crushing his legs beneath his massive body. Sirius laughed and leaned back against the couch, burying his hand in the wolf's fur as he got comfortable. Moony fell asleep there, his breath coming in heavy huffs. After a while, Sirius fell asleep too, mindless of the spasm his neck would surely be tomorrow and fully aware of the way he was falling more in love with Remus every day.

#wolfstar #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar fic #wolfstar microfic #wolfsbane #moonstruck #sirius is in love with remus #just so in love #no war AU because I like happy endings and I don't like canon

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tasteoftheforbidden · 11 months

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“My time is valuable, Draco, and I’m sure yours is as well. So I hope you won’t mind if I avoid all the pleasantries, and ask you directly why you want an apprenticeship under me, and why I should hire you.”

Draco swallowed at the question. He thought of all the ways he could answer this – his OWLs, his NEWTS, a recommendation letter from Professor Slughorn perhaps, maybe even Headmistress McGonagall if he was feeling particularly shameless. He thought about flattery, seeing as the potioneer seemed to be in love with his own reflection. He also considered bribery as well, because despite Belby’s lucrative endeavors, their money couldn’t even compare to his.

He considered all of those and more, but none of them seemed enough to get the attention of someone like Damocles Belby. He was the type who lived his life based on whims – random bouts of passion and creativity that brought about a masterpiece like Wolfsbane. He wasn’t the type who liked to play by the rules. The harder the challenge, the greater his desire to solve it.

There was only one way to ensnare a man like Damocles.

Draco pulled up the sleeve of his gray jumper, revealing the Dark Mark etched on his skin. All his scars were hidden under a perfectly placed glamour charm. “A cure.” He began, eying the older man with a calm, focused gaze. “I’m looking for one.” He added, mustering up every ounce of bravado in his body. “And I’m going to find it.” He leaned towards the table, not once breaking eye contact.

“Will you help me?”

ao3 | ffnet | wattpad

#dramione #hermione granger #draco malfoy #ensemble cast #sobriety #addiction recovery #substance abuse #TR2S #TheUniverseofFP #sequel

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celestemagnoliathewriter · 11 months

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Ch. 62 of Cariad is finally done! It's titled "Sons" and it's full of heartwarming, father-son bonding moments! Also mixing things up at Hogwarts because I CAN.

Snippet and links below :)

...

“Do you have any questions before we begin?”

Draco shook his head.

“Right, then, I suppose we can begin with points,” Remus started. “Be consistent and be fair. I’m sure you know what fair is, given you were a prefect and a student—”

“—I don’t,” Draco interrupted. “I don’t know what fair is. Slytherin was either awarded too many or too few.”

“Oh.” Remus cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize that.”

“It wasn’t usually a problem when you taught.”

Surprised by his statement, Remus gave Draco an overview of how he awarded and took away points.

“I do take more away from Gryffindor than I give out,” added Remus, “but I’m the Head of House. Next term I’ll fully take over as Deputy Headmaster and expect I’ll be taking more points away than ever.” His lips twitched, still joyful over the new position he’d be taking over.

“Damocles Belby will manage the harsher punishments for Slytherins?”

“Correct. Damocles is the Head of House. He’s brilliant, as you know, and he can always help you if you’ve got issues with your students.” Remus fiddled with a quill and heard the sound of wooden blocks tumbling; Scorpius and Alex were having a splendid time nearby. He retrieved a copy of the upcoming class schedule for the new term and handed it to Draco.

“All four houses per class?” Draco asked, frowning.

“We decided, a few years ago,” Remus explained, “that the old system of two houses being split apart wasn’t going to work long-term for inter-house unity. We’re going alphabetically—for now, it’s split by surname, A-L and M-Z. As our student population increases, we’ll divide the surnames accordingly.”

“So my son,” Draco said, gesturing to Scorpius, “will always be with students whose family names begin with ‘M’, regardless of house?”

Remus nodded. “We’ve seen good results. The students are still bonding with their housemates, as they share common rooms and dormitories, but our dining tables aren’t as divided as they used to be.”

Draco almost looked impressed.

...

read from beginning // chapter 62

#remadora #remus lupin #nymphadora tonks #remus x tonks #tonks x remus #teddy lupin #draco malfoy #i'm giving draco a second chance #tonks x lupin #remus x nymphadora #hogwarts #hufflepuff #gryffindor #harry potter fanfiction #lupin x tonks #post war au #post war

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engie-ivy · 2 years

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(I wanted to write a fic for @wolfstarmicrofic 9th: Forget, but with 1157 words, I don't think it still counts as a microfic😅)

Sirius meets a man who is strangely compelling, who has large, amber eyes and a warm voice, and who is completely freaked out by him.

That's All I Need To Know

“Excuse me, sir.” Sirius walks up to the man who just participated in the research project he’s working on. “I’d like to give you our contact information, so you can reach us in case you have any questions about the progress of the research.” Sirius moves to hand the man their card, but he’s startled upon noticing the man’s reaction and pulls back.

The man seems completely frozen in place, all the colour drained from his face, his wide eyes staring at Sirius intently, stunned and shocked. Those large, amber eyes... Sirius finds those eyes compelling for some reason. Despite that the way the man is looking at him is anything but comforting, Sirius oddly enough sees a kind of comfort in those eyes.

He shakes it off.

“Are you alright, sir?” He asks worriedly. Werewolves often regard Healers with suspicion, and with good reason, as most ‘research projects’ into Lycanthropy so far have been ill-veiled attempt at identification and control, but the study Sirius is conducting with Damocles Belby is really aimed at finding a way to make their transformations more bearable. “They drew quite a lot of blood, so if you’re feeling light-headed, I can give you some Blood-Replenishing Potion if you whish.”

The man opens and closes his mouth a few times without any sound coming out. “No,” he eventually says, scraping his throat. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

Despite the distress Sirius still hears in his voice, his voice sounds warm, and that odd comfort Sirius saw in his eyes he hears in his voice. For some reason, it reminds Sirius of fireplaces, chocolate and honey. He thinks he feels something stir deep inside his chest, but a moment later it’s gone, and he assigns it to his relief that the man won’t be fainting on him.

“Good to hear,” Sirius smiles, and he hands the man the card containing the contact information. Their hands brush for a short moment. The man pulls his hand back as if burned.

Sirius tilts his head to the side. “Do I know you? If I’m supposed to recognize you, please don’t take it personal. It happens to me more often...”

“No,” the man says immediately. “No, you don’t know me.” He averts his eyes, not looking at Sirius anymore.

“Alright then,” Sirius says. “Well, thank you again for your participation, sir. Have a nice day!”

He turns to walk away, but suddenly, the man asks “Are you a Healer?”

Sirius turns around, surprised but pleased, as the man hadn’t seemed like he was interested in making conversation. “Yes! Well, I will be, hopefully. I’m a Trainee Healer. I started my training a bit late.” He shrugs. “First there was the war, and after the war things were... rough, for a while.” Sirius shudders to remember those dark days right after the war, how lost he had felt, that inexplicable emptiness inside... He waves his hand. “But I reckon it was for everyone.”

“And now?” The man asks softly. He’s looking at Sirius again, staring at him like he’s searching for something. “How are things now? Are you happy?”

Sirius blinks, caught off guard by this sudden question. “Yes,” he says hesitantly, while thinking about it. “Yes,” he repeats with more confidence as he smiles. “Yes, I suppose I can say that I am.”

“Good,” the man whispers as he regards Sirius, some sort of melancholic resignation in his eyes. “Good. That’s all I need to know.”

And with that, the man turns around and walks away, leaving Sirius to stare after him in confusion. Those amber eyes will continue to plague his thoughts for days to come.

5 years earlier

“Stop saying it’s okay!” Remus shouts. “It’s not okay! None of this is okay! You’re working a shitty job you hate, to pay for this shitty house, that we will be kicked out off by the end of the week, and we still don’t have a clue where we can go this time.”

Sirius steps closer and cups his face in his hands. “Hey, listen to me. I know things are hard right now, but we’ll figure it out, okay? Together.”

Remus just stares at him. “You deserve so much better...”

“You want to spare me pain, right?” Sirius asks, looking determined.

Remus just nods.

“Well, then you should now that nothing will ever hurt me more than you leaving me. So in that case, I guess you have no choice but to stay with me forever.”

Remus wants nothing more than to smile and accept those terms, and allow himself to lean into Sirius’ touch, but then his eye falls on the rejection letter from St Mungo’s still lying on the kitchen table. They don’t trust werewolves, they don’t trust someone close to werewolves, and they don’t let someone whom they don’t trust to work in the hospital. Really, Remus should’ve seen it coming.

“It was your dream...” Remus whispers.

“It was a dream,” Sirius says firmly. “And so is getting to spend the rest of my life with you. So let me tell you, Moony. If I have to give up on one of those dreams, then I’m damned glad it was the first!”

Remus is sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the hospital’s hallway. From the corner of his eye, he can see Lily rushing up to him.

“Remus! James just told me! How...?”

“The Death-Eaters attacked three against one,” Remus’ voice sounds flat, emotionless. “He got hit by a Confundus and an Obliviate charm at the exact same time.”

Lily presses her hand to her mouth. “His memories...?”

“All gone,” Remus replies flatly. “They say it’s permanent.”

Lily closes her eyes for a moment, but when she opens them, they are full of determination. “It’s going to be okay. He’s got us. We’re going to help him with everything he has forgotten. We’re going to help him get through this, Remus.”

“Could you please give me a moment?” Remus asks.

“Of course.” Lily briefly places a hand on his shoulder before walking off.

Remus’ lycanthropy has been weighing him down. Not just the physical strain, but also the mental toll and the stress.

Sirius wanted to help him carry the burden, but Remus fears that the burden is too heavy even for two, and that in the end, it will crush them both.

‘Nothing will ever hurt me more than you leaving me.’

But that’s not true anymore, is it? Remus leaving won’t hurt Sirius if Sirius doesn’t even remember Remus was there to begin with.

It’s a chance, Remus realises. Sirius can have a better life with someone who actually deserves him, without the loss and the pain of the separation.

And Remus’ own loss and pain? Well, that’s a price he’ll gladly pay for Sirius’ happiness.

Feeling numb, Remus gets up from his chair and starts to walk away. He doesn’t look back as he walks out of Sirius’ life forever.

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