We Are Venom

Chapter 24 - Complicated

"Mr Potter?" Professor Lupin asked when Harry walked into his office.

"I seem to recall that we were supposed to have a talk," Harry reminded him as he closed the door behind him. "I recall that we were supposed to talk after your lesson, but you didn't show up."

"Ah, right," Realization appeared in Professor Lupin's eyes. "My apologies, I forgot to inform you that I had a prior engagement that night."

"It's alright, I was angry at first before I remembered that that night had a full moon," Harry explained, perhaps taking more pleasure than he should have in the way that Professor Lupin's face paled.

"I beg your pardon?" Professor Lupin blinked. "I...I'm not entirely sure what you mean."

"And I am entirely sure that you are entirely sure about what I mean," Harry replied as he walked forwards and stopped in front of Professor Lupin's desk. "I mean, it's rather obvious by now, isn't it?"

"I really don't know what you mean," Professor Lupin insisted. "I think that perhaps you and I should just go and..."

"I know that you're a werewolf," Harry interrupted him with a long sigh, feeling that this conversation probably wouldn't go so good if the man was already going to start lying to him.

"H...How did you know?" Professor Lupin gulped slightly as he stared at him.

"My mother had written it in one of her diaries," Harry shrugged, lying with more ease than he was comfortable with.

'Is it a bad thing that I am a good liar?' He asked Venom.

'Nah, just means that you're creative.' Venom reassured him.

"Oh," Professor Lupin let out a deep sigh. "I suppose that makes sense, Lily always did write down notes about everything." He muttered to himself before speaking to Harry. "Please, don't tell anyone, if you do then I could lose my job and..."

"Relax, I won't tell anyone, I promise," Harry told him in an honest voice before he paused as a thought came to him. "Unless you intentionally try to harm me, in which case, all bets are off."

"I guess that that's fair enough," Professor Lupin ran a hand through his hair.

"Where were you?" Harry asked sharply before Professor Lupin could say anymore. "I've been in the magical world for a few years now and haven't even heard of you, you never came to visit me or even send me a letter in the muggle world. You were apparently one of the best friends of my parents, what the hell happened? Why did you leave?" Harry asked quickly.

"It's sort of a long story," Professor Lupin let out a deep breath. "You see, Harry, the war had been going on for what had honestly felt like decades. We were all tired and miserable, even if we were able to convince ourselves otherwise, or at least most of us were. It was a horrible time, nobody knew who we could trust, in fact, I believe that my friends were even beginning to suspect me due to my rather...' furry' nature. I had been out of the country when I received news that your father and mother died," Professor Lupin paused and took in a deep breath before he continued. "It was a miracle that you had lived and I was glad, of course, but I was in no state to look after you. My friends were all dead, brought to their deaths by a traitor who I had truly believed to be my friend, most of my blood family was dead and I was more than a little depressed. Not to mention that I wouldn't have been able to get guardianship of you anyway, it's hard enough for a regular werewolf to get guardianship over anyone, never mind a known friend of Sirius Black getting custody of the boy-who-lived.