𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE STARES

. . .

The slightly earthy smell that the Potion classroom had been filled with lingered on Pandora's jumper as she climbed out of the dungeon and towards the Great Hall for lunch. 

Having applied the salve to Remus and ignoring absolutely anything from Slughorn asking about her vial of the potion he had asked them to brew in the lesson she left, Sirius slipped past her and into the classroom.

Ten minutes later and Pandora was sat at the Slytherin table with a perfectly cut turkey sandwiches sat in front of her, watching as Sirius and James laughed over something, Remus's arms slung over thier shoulders as they walked to their usual seat at the Gryffindor table. 

Somehow, it seemed that the Potter boy had let Sirius know just how tired Remus was in Potions and he had come to help, and now they were sitting together in the Great Hall, eating lunch as if their friend wasn't covered in scratches or tired out of his mind.

"She's staring again." Lily had followed the boys up from the dungeons, concern for Remus winning over anything. She had figured out his secret years before, unable to keep her forever active mind at bay from figuring it out. And so, just like his three best friends, Lily Evans new that Remus Lupin was a werewolf. 

"She's always staring." Sirius shook his head, hair falling into his eyes and instantly being brushed away. "She's a creep, does creepy things." 

"Like applying salve to our wolfy friend." James commented. "Pass us the ham and cheese would you Pete?" The Pettigrew boy did as he had been asked, and James took four halves.

"What do you mean?" Peter continued to ask, taking a couple of the triangular sandwiches for himself and tucking into them. "She was applying salve?"

"In Potions." Lily interupted as Marlene and Dorcas came to sit next to her. "Instead of making the potion Slughorn set for us to do she made this balm thing." 

"And when it came to the end of the lesson she sat there and applied it to his cuts. She seemed to be quite gentle about it. Rem -  was she?" Jamees continued the story, turning towards Remus, who was nibbling carefully on the egde of a cheese sandwich.

"It stung. But she was being nice. Wasn't going in my mind or anything." Remus replied in an off-handish manner. He rarely spoke about what happened during his time alone with Pandora, and this seemed to be giving his friends a lot more information on it.

"Sorry did you say in your mind?" Dorcas repeated, eyes wide. "You mean she's a Legilimens? Remus you should start practising Occlumency, lock her out." 

"Or you could become a Legilimens yourself." Sirius always seemed to have suggestions of things that only he would do. "Get her back for her creep behaviour, you know?" 

"I'm not doing that Padfoot." Remus shrugged off Sirius words. "And.. I don't entirely mind it. Just as long as she isn't doing it... to find out things like my condition." 

"You don't mind the new resident scary Slytherin invading your mind?" James scoffed, shaking his head. "You can't be serious, really - she's invading your mind and reading your thoughts and you're okay with that?"

"Calm down on the interrogation." Peter grumbled. "Don't forget that he's exhausted." He was careful not to mention the reason why that was, glancing over at Marlene and Dorcas for just a second.

"Right.. yeah - sorry Moony." James apologised first, Sirius mumbling his own seconds later. 

"'s fine." Remuus replied, putting down his sandwich and turning to take a drink, using the opportunity to look over at the Slytherin table. Golden brown eyes met striking blue and he twisted away again. 

"She's still staring?" Marlene rose an eyebrow. "Should I go tell her to stop?"

"No - don't do that. You could end up losing your.. necklace or something." The Lupin boy's gaze raked over Marlene's appearance to find something, and the girl hurried to tuck the necklace under her collar. "Like I said.. I don't mind it. I can sort of tell when she's there."

"You can? So that's sort of Occlumency then?" Dorcas offered, nose wrinkled slightly as she tried to make up the connection. "I mean it has to be right - you can sense when she's invading your mind is the first step to being able to lock her out. You should practise it just in case."

"Yeah - what she said." Marlene nodded, glancing over her shoulder once again, still seeing Pandora watching. "Merlin that is weird, are you sure somebody shouldn't like.. tell her to stop."

"No. I'll just meet her in the library like normal and then she won't be so snappy anymore." Remus seemed to have learned her behaviours rather quickly. "Then she shouldn't be so upset."

"She did seem crabby when she was outside the Hospital Wing." Sirius nodded slowly. "Fine. But if she doesn't stop soon then I'm saying something."

"That probably won't end up well." James mutter, but even he couldn't change Sirius's mind when he got something in there.

And he was right. It wouldn't.

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