MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

Gladder Bladder

The Christmas Lunch had been delicious. Atlas had never spent Christmas at Hogwarts before and had been wondering why she hadn't asked Minerva to take her there before. The House Elves had really outdone themselves and Atlas mentally noted to buy them all a few presents when she next visited. Now though, she was outside Professor Lupin's office, her present to him tucked safely under her arm and when she transfigured one of her ears and placed it against the door, she confirmed he wasn't busy and pushed herself inside.

It was dark in the room, impossibly so really, as if the sun had died out and left the earth in eternal darkness. She grew wary and pulled out her wand, flicking a light to the ceiling where it hung above her. The light revealed Lupin, the man squinting over at her, face ashen and arm trembling as he raised it to save himself from the blinding light.

"Oh!" She quickly diminished it and shifted her eyes instead, "Sorry..."

"It's quite alright, Atlas," Lupins voice came, weak and feeble like but it was there. Atlas smiled sadly and went over to him, placing a hand on his wrist. Lycanthropy was something she couldn't even begin to imagine, she'd read books on it, had come to know the effects it had before and after a full moon but would never truly know how it feels, especially now that she was an Animagus.

It's a well-known fact Animagus can't be turned by Lycanthropy, a blessing really as it has saved many wizards in the past from the curse of turning into such a beast. Not that all werewolves were bad, Professor Lupin was proof of that, but many were, like Fenrir Greyback, for example, a horrible werewolf who preyed on small children. Atlas had heard of him in passing and had immediately wished she hadn't.

"What brings you here?"

"Right...um, Merry Christmas Professor," She handed him the package, watching through glowing gold eyes as the man carefully took it and steadily pulled back the paper, revealing the new robes beneath, "It's nothing too fancy, I just thought you might like something a little warmer."

"You shouldn't have," Professor Lupin murmured.

"Hold on..." Atlas pulled out her necklace and clipped a second stone onto the chain beside the mini Minerva Animagus carving, pressing it against the cloak clip until it hummed warmly.

"A Heartstone?"

"Now we're connected, Professor," Atlas smiled, tucking her necklace away.

"I don't know what to say but thank you...really...thank you," and then he laughed. It was a peculiar reaction so Atlas cocked her head to the side, the movement of her eyes conveying her action to which Lupin smiled, "your mother actually got me the robe I'm wearing now."

"She did?"

"Ah yes, Amaya, she was very curious, an inventor like her family but she'd never tried her hand at sewing," Atlas grinned at the similarity of her and her mother, waiting intently for Lupin to finish, "And one day, she just shows up to a study session, carrying a mismatched robe and handed it to me with a beaming grin. Oh, Atlas, it was terrible, you think it's bad now? This is after I had to fix it myself."

"She was bad then?" Atlas laughed.

"Bad? She was awful," He joined in, only to cough and keel over suddenly, putting a frown on Atlas's face as she moved closer and placed her hand on his shoulder, "...I'm alright, I'm alright thank you."

"I should leave you to rest..." Atlas smiled softly and the man nodded, rubbing at his throat slowly, "Merry Christmas...Uncle Remus," she grinned this time and the man returned the gesture as best he could.

"And you, little star."

"How'd you know that name?"

"Your mother was my Best Friend, Atlas," Lupin replied and Atlas huffed, rolling her eyes amusedly.