Strangers in the Night | r.j.lupin

Nerves

She clutched at her bleeding nose after shouting a brief curse, feeling herself well up with the frustration at whoever this idiot was just barging through doors like a maniac. That might have been an exaggeration, but who the fuck cares? She had a broken nose.

"I'm terribly sorry, are you alright?" The kind voice said from above her, the concern prominent. She tried to stand up a little straighter from her keeled over state, still with a hand over her face, and turned to face the other way to avoid embarrassment.

"I think I'd be a whole lot better if I didn't look like I got smacked with a jam sandwich," Vera snorted, deciding to make light of the situation. 

She had a few seconds to breathe and no longer had the desire to hex this fool into oblivion. Accidents do happen.

The cartilage shifted uncomfortably at the wordless magic and there was a sharp inhale before the exhale of relief. She wiped the blood off with the back of her sleeve which made her feel like a child in the worst possible way and turned to face the stranger with a grimace of a smile.

The scars that littered his face were not unfamiliar, and she knew before her was Remus Lupin. He'd aged, quite obviously but definitely not poorly. He'd seemed to acquire more scars which did not hinder the charming gleam in his light brown eyes or the soft smile that came with it. An amused looking one at that, and Vera almost felt defensive if she didn't feel so much like a deer caught in headlights at the sight of him.

"I must repeat again, I'm indeed deeply sorry. Miss?" He asked with an expectant tone and put forward his hand for her to shake. It took a moment for her to realise what he was doing and reached out her own hand.

"Felicio, Elvera Felicio."

"Well Miss Felicio, my name is Remus Lupin. I'm sure we will have plenty of time to get to know each other as co-workers in the year." Oh god, he didn't remember her. She couldn't decide whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Obviously, she could do with someone not remembering her as a silly little girl who would essentially follow Lily around like a lap dog, but still in a way it almost hurt. Whatever, she didn't know him either. It wasn't a crime for him to forget her, they weren't friends.

The train suddenly lurched forward, and she found herself falling forward into the tall man, hands going out not so gracefully and planting on his chest heavily as they fell into the driver compartment door. He let out an oof and the height difference was really made apparent as she stared up at him awkwardly.

She wasn't even short, but he was at least 6'2 and she was 5'4 so the height difference was still a smack in the face. Speaking of faces, his was horribly close due to their predicament.

Vera couldn't even pull herself back properly, so Lupin had to straighten himself first and then her, placing large gentle hands on her waist to support her as he did. Her face grew hot and she just prayed to Godric for this sweet man to not awaken something in her.

It's not like she was incapable of getting laid, but it had been a long time and he had big hands.

"If I were teaching classes in clumsiness, I'd be a lot less anxious about how well this year was going to turn out," Vera commentated and the other professor laughed, tucking his hands into his pockets. He seemed to realise something was in there and pulled out a chocolate bar, pulling back the wrapper slightly and then breaking off a piece and offering it out to her.

Vera raised an eyebrow, taking the chocolate with a little bit of confusion.

"Eat, helps with that horrible feeling you get from the dementors," He pushed, and she took a bite with a nod, grateful.

"Say, you don't happen to have more of that on you, do you? Couple of first years I was in the carriage with were a little freaked and I feel like this might help their nerves." Lupin gave her a look of admiration. This helped her nerves.

"I always carry a stash on me, I swear by chocolate," He handed over a separate bar that he had in his pockets and Vera thanked the older man.

"That's very wise." She laughed, then looking down at the bar. Milk chocolate with sea salted caramel; she almost decided to keep the bar for herself as it was such a good pick. Muggle brand too it seemed, which was nice to know that he didn't feel any pride against muggles. Not that she thought any friend of James and Lily would have any issues with muggles, leaving out of course Snape. Prick.

Him and Lily were not friends when she had met Lily, but that did not mean she didn't know who he was. She had been in Slytherin after all and avoiding Snape and his horrid friends in their final year was next to impossible. He was quiet and generally unemotional when she saw him, but if a first year got hexed by Rosier or Lestrange, he didn't exactly look all that sympathetic.

Things had changed though, she wasn't sure Dumbledore would have a death eater so close to him if he didn't surely trust him, but Vera was still not convinced. She believed in redemption, but anyone who followed Voldemort, ex death eater or not, well she just wasn't sure they deserved the chance for it.

"I'll see you at the feast, Professor," She noticed the smile reached his eyes as she bade him farewell, before heading in the direction of the first year's carriage.

After her departure it felt a whole lot easier to breath and Vera realised the tension in her relaxed after leaving Lupin's presence. It had been a long time since she had seen someone who was actually good friends with the Potters, and she was familiar with.

Arthur and Molly were wonderful, but they were a few years older than James and Lily at school and Vera had not known them on a first name basis until she'd left Hogwarts. Bill had been a few years below and she'd seen him around; the Weasleys weren't exactly non recognizable. That hair was just insane. She hadn't known him in school though, the four year age gap wasn't a big deal now but at the time there was no reason for them to clash.

She didn't actually think she'd ever seen Remus Lupin again after her friend's wedding. She certainly didn't know that he'd end up teaching this year, but then again neither did she.

He was still remarkably interesting looking, those scars so strange but oddly complimenting. Vera felt like she might have regretted not mentioning she knew him, however at the same time that might have been just a little too many painful memories that even after years of trying to work through- she had not quite mastered the art of getting over it.

She no longer had time to think of it, she actually had to do a little adult stuff checking in on those sweet little first years. Vera hoped Lupin was actually telling the truth about the chocolate.