The Black Lupin

It’d been a month since then and Draco had been keeping an eye on Harry and Remy had been watching them both like a hawk, she wasn’t going to let Draco get too close or let Harry get to far. Keeping them both safe would be a delicate balance, today she was sat marking 3rd year homework when she became aware of someone in the room “Sit down Neville” she stated and she heard a chair grate across the floor as he did as he was told.

“Remy I need to talk to you about…Longbottom why are you hear?” Severus asked “I-I’ve got…” “Detention Severus, bloody cauldron keeps overflowing and I’m tired of cleaning it up so he’s memorising every potion in that book in hope he won’t keep getting it wrong” Remy cut in and Neville nodded opening the potions book in front of him and reading whilst trying to hear the conversation that was about to happen.

“How can I help Severus?” Remy asked, “It’s about our meeting tomorrow night, I wondered if I could arrange another time? Could I see you in my office at breakfast tomorrow morning instead?” she nodded and he turned around “So you still fail at Potions and you’ve added Defence to that adding pile of failures Longbottom” Severus sneered as he left.

Remy lifted her arm and the door slammed shut “I apologize Neville, your homework is massively improved and your potions work is a lot better. You’ll be continuing onto the last half of the year, come on make me a Polyjuice Potion” she said and he got up getting everything he needed and starting to make it as she watched him.

“Anyway what is Severus on about your Defence Against?” she asked “Oh I’m not very good at that either” “Severus does have a talent for raising students morals doesn’t he?” she joked and he smiled. “Final year, let me guess non-verbal spells?” Remy stated and Neville nodded “Oh they’re tricking things them” “You couldn’t do them either?” he asked. “Oh no I was top of my Defence Against class, natural flare for duelling I’ve been told” she bragged and Neville laughed.

He’d come to know her and that despite that fact she seemed terrifying in class she was actually very much like her brother, she was kind towards him and hadn’t gotten frustrated with him for not understanding potions when she explained them to him but rather stuck with it and kept going over and over until he got it. Nobody else had really showed that much interest in helping him out before and he appreciated it, she was making his life easier that was for sure.

“What house were you in at school?” “Slytherin, should’ve seen my parents’ faces when they found out. No Lupin had ever been in Slytherin, nothing wrong with being in Slytherin; many a great witch and wizard have come out of that house” she explained “Many evil witches and wizards” Neville added and she nodded. “Evil or good a talented witch or wizard deserves no less respect for their abilities. Just because someone chooses to use the Killing Curse rather than the tickling curse doesn’t mean they’re any less talented surely does it?” she asked and Neville had to admit she had a point.

“I guess not, but they lose respect for killing others surely? Those who even when faced with evil hold true to their beliefs are deserving of respect more than the one administrating the evil?” Neville asked quietly and Remy realised what she’d said and sighed. “Neville I apologize, that reminds me I have something for you” she stated moving to her desk and pulling out a package of brown paper holding it out to him and he took it from her.

“For me?” he said and she nodded “As a congratulations on getting a lot better grades in Potions and also I know today is a bit of a important day in your life, I’m sorry about your parents” she offered as he opened the package to reveal a book. “I understand these are a bit difficult to get your hands on when you’re a student” she offered smiling “Impossible, there’s one in the restricted section but we’re not allowed to take it out and they never have any in Flourish and Blotts, they did once and they refused to sell it to me because I was still a student” Neville rambled looking at the Herbology book in his hands.

“Well now you have one, nobody finds out I gave you it though; I’d imagine Dumbledore wouldn’t be too happy on the subject” she admitted laughing “I won’t tell anyone you gave me it” he offered and she smiled. “Good boy now you get back to your…” “What’s going on in here?” a voice snapped and Neville froze rooted to the spot.

“Severus I…” “Remy what is going on?” he repeated and she looked at the floor “Longbottom go!” Snape shouted and Neville scrambled to leave but Snape grabbed the book from him as he left. The door was slammed shut behind him and Remy jumped at the sound “What was that?” he asked calmly “Detention, he was here to do potions that he messes up in class” she mumbled in reply and she jumped as there was a bang as the book hit the wall next to her.

“That book isn’t detention! What is it all about?” he growled “A-A present that’s all” “A present! He’s a student Remy you can’t do that!” he barked and she kept her eyes trained on the floor. For all the potential evil that coursed through her veins, for every ounce of braveness and the overwhelming power and confidence she had Severus Snape always seemed to knock it all down.

“But…” “But nothing Remy! He’s a student!” he stated walking towards her and she shook her head “Remus used to…” “Remus turns into a werewolf on the full moon, doesn’t mean you have to!” he snapped and she closed her eyes. “Sev…” “No Remy you listen to me, I don’t know what your idea is but this isn’t right. He’s a student and you cannot treat him that way, I’ve seen the way your warped mind works. I know what your all about” he snarled and she looked up.

“You know nothing about my mind, you don’t know me,” she argued back and he laughed coldly “Yes I do Remy, you lure people in with that nice little attitude of yours and before they know it they’re killing people you want them to. I did not get you this job so you can use students to do your dirty work” he growled. “What, do you really think that’s what I’m doing here? That I’m trying to get students to join the Dark Lord? They say a lot of things about you Severus but I thought you were someone who would give me a chance” she said calmly.

“What’s that meant to mean?” “You know full well why I’m here, what I’m doing isn’t so far from what your doing here Severus” she stated and he glared at her his black eyes narrowing. “How is it the same? And what am I doing?” he asked and she smiled at him somehow taking pleasure from knowing she’d gotten the upper hand, “You protect Potter and I’m protecting Malfoy” “Malfoy isn’t my issue, it’s Longbottom I have the issue with” Severus argued back.

“Only because you wish he’d been chosen! You wish it was The Longbottoms he chose not The Potters, it’s not Neville’s fault he chose to mark Potter as his equal. We all know why he did it but you just can’t seem to accept it can you?” she asked and froze “W-What?” “2 boys could’ve been chosen, Longbottom or Potter. He chose Potter for a reason and that reason was the reason you hate that he did it…his mother. She was a mu…” she started “Don’t you dare say that word” he barked and she nodded “You now what she was and that made Potter a half blood just like the Dark Lord himself. Severus you sacrificed your own life to save her and she still died didn’t she? Then you were left to know that the only thing that could remind you of her truly was also a part of the one thing you hated more than anything. Harry James Potter, Severus do you really think I don’t understand you at all?” she asked and he stared at her.

“How do you…” “I grew up with them boys, I knew what was going on with them. Maybe the others closed up to me but Sirius never does, he’s always willing to tell me what I want to know. Always has done and always will do. I don’t understand it myself but he trusts me and I knew the basics, of course the rest took time to learn but you just verified my theory. I had another theory you know, it involved Harry actually being your child but…” she was cut off once again as Severus walked towards her again and she felt her heart rate increase dramatically.

“Don’t you dare make suggestions like that. You know Remy I pity you I really do because for all your intelligence and ability your dead behind them eyes, you don’t understand the simple things in life because you don’t have the capacity to do so. You don’t understand why Sirius will tell you what you want because you don’t have the capacity to do so,” he argued with her and she looked at him. “Exactly! You’re so blinded by it because you don’t know how to see it!” he stated.

“Severus what are you…” “You’ve spent years running around with his brother that you’ve never even noticed that it’s Sirius you’ve always been helped by! Your brother was always told to leave you alone by him, he spoke to you, defended you when James picked on you, he looks after you and he forced everyone to give you a chance when you came back to them. Sirius did all that” he listed and she just looked at him puzzled.

“Sirius likes you, how can you not see it?” “Severus don’t you try to do this! Your issue is with Longbottom,” she reminded and he nodded “Why?” “Because I feel bad Severus, the boy lost his parents at our hands! I never really understood it all until now but to lose someone you rely on is terrible and I just…” she trailed off. “You idiot! If you really want to help him you’ll not let him get dragged into all this mess, concentrate on the reason you’re here…Draco Malfoy!” he growled before turning and walking to the door “Also you think we don’t notice your rarely found when we go looking! I can only guess at where you go,” he stated before leaving.