Beyond Rumours | Remus Lupin x Reader

Chapter Six

REMUS LUPIN

Friday, 30th of September 1977 

I watched the Professor talk, but I didn't really listen. It was a few days after the full moon, and my muscles were still sore - although not as sore as they used to be, before the others helped me through the transformations. I was still a bit out of it, so I supposed it was fair that I was struggling to pay attention.

My mind wandered back to the day of the lake, two weeks ago. I remembered Y/n's smile – and her scream as Regulus tackled her into the water. I involuntarily smiled at the memory.

"And for homework, a foot of parchment on the theory of Vanishing and Conjuring objects," Professor McGonagall said.

Everyone began to pack up and I followed suit, putting my ink and quill as well as my books into my bag. James, Peter, and Sirius ran out of the classroom, and I rolled my eyes, deciding to walk with Lily instead.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked quietly once we were in the hall. "I saw you zone out... was this full moon rough?"

Lily had known about my 'furry little problem', as James liked to put it, for almost a year now. She'd always been a smart girl, and in our fourth year she'd figured it out. She'd always been kind and accepting about it, like she was with everything. It was something I admired and loved about her.

"I'm just a bit tired," I admitted. "It wasn't too rough."

Lily eyed me warily and linked our arms. I sighed and walked with her back to the common room, joining the boys on the couch. James playfully narrowed his eyes and Lily and my linked arms, and I rolled my own at him. My relationship with her was nothing like that, and James knew that. Even though he and Sirius liked to say I was the 'Casanova of Gryffindor Tower'. Which I was not.

"Next week is the first Hogsmeade trip," Lily said casually. "What are we doing?"

"You – you're coming with us?" James asked incredulously.

"Might as well," Lily said with a shrug. "Mary and Marlene are going off together, so..."

I watched as James's eyes widened, and Sirius grinned. Peter smiled, his head whipping between Lily and James.

"Well, erm..." James started when he remembered Lily had asked a question, "we usually go to Zonko's first, then Honeydukes. They're both necessary stops." The rest of us nodded, and James continued, "Then we usually just hang out, maybe go to the Three Broomsticks."

"Sounds like fun," Lily said with a smile.

James smiled at her like a lovesick puppy, and I refrained from rolling my eyes again. I unlinked my arm from Lily's with a small smile.

"I gotta go start the homework," I said. "I'll meet you all at Potions, yeah?"

There was a chorus of agreements and goodbyes, and I grabbed my bag and headed to the library. As soon as I entered the library, I walked over to the rows of desks, and stopped short when I saw Y/n scribbling on a piece of parchment, looking at the book beside her every now and then. I took a deep breath (I wasn't exactly sure why I needed to) before walking over.

"Hi," I greeted.

Y/n jumped, nearly knocking her ink pot over. She looked up and made eye-contact before her eyes widened and darted away.

"Oh, Remus, um... hi," she said nervously.

"What're you working on?" I asked.

"Oh, um... Transfiguration homework," she replied. She was silent for a moment, before you cleared her throat and gestured to the chair opposite her. "Do you... um, do you wanna take a seat?"