The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

The Wolf and the Dog

The Wolf and the Dog

Remus was sitting with the boys at the Gryffindor table. Sirius was being quite twitchy, glancing at the sun in the wide ceiling's reflection of the sky. Soon, it would be time for Remus to go out to the Shrieking Shack as that night was the full moon and Sirius, who had been practicing his transformation from boy to dog and back again all week, was nervous about what the night would bring. He hadn't told Remus what he was planning, knowing Remus would try to talk him out of it and Sirius didn't want to have the argument again. He'd already held it multiple times over with James and Peter. There was no stopping him -- he couldn't leave Remus alone out there in his state.

"How are you getting out to the shack tonight, Moony?" Sirius asked quietly.

Remus shrugged, "I'm not sure. I was thinking of going to talk with Dumbledore after lunch. I'm sort of worried about how the change will go with this leg," he sighed. Madam Pomfrey had cut loose the cast that morning and wrapped the leg in bandages to keep the bone steady in preparation for the night to come. Pomfrey had said it was Dumbledore's idea to cut off the cast, seeing as a wolf's leg is shaped quite a lot differently than a boy's and the cast would only hinder the transformation and cause additional problems. Nobody knew exactly what to expect from the change, though, and Remus worried that it would lead to another break in the still fragile bone.

"Someone will need to bring you out," James said, "They can't possibly be dim enough to think that you can wheel yourself through that tunnel out to that horrible --" James looked up and actually choked on the treacle tart he was eating for dessert. Looming over them was Albus Dumbledore, smirking down at James warmly. "Headmaster," he said, voice high as Peter thumped the ball of his fist against his spine and lifted up one of his arms to free the lodged bit of tart, "Hi."

"Don't get all choked up on my account, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said smoothly, winking as James waved for Peter to stop whapping on his back. He nodded at both Peter and Sirius as well, "Hello." He looked at Remus, "Might I have a bit of a word with you, Mr. Lupin?" he asked.

"Yeah," Remus answered, nodding. He glanced at the other three and mouthed goodbye, then as Dumbledore took hold on the handles of the wheelchair and brought him away.

James looked between Sirius and Peter. "You don't think Dumbledore heard me call him dim, do you?" His face was still red from choking.

Sirius laughed and reached over to straighten James's tilted glasses.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was pushing Remus along the corridor. "I hear your friends have been quite the silly bunch, using the locomotor charm to move you about in this contraption?" his voice was gently amused.

"Yeah," Remus said, nodding, "They've been quite amusing with it. They bewitched a carpet, too, brought me all about the school with that." He smiled, "Dunno if any of them have ever been so motivated to learn new spells before."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Sometimes adversity is the greatest motivator, I'm afraid. And how are you feeling?"

"It hurts less," Remus said. "And I can do this." He wiggled his exposed toes for Dumbledore to see.

"Very good!" Dumbledore said, smiling.

Remus smiled at his toes, too, and then leaned his head back to look up at Dumbledore. "I wanted to thank you, sir, for helping me, and staying at St. Mungo's with me."

"Of course, Mr. Lupin," said Dumbledore, "You are very welcome."

Remus contemplated a moment, unsure how to ask what he wanted to. He looked back at his toes, chewing his lower lip, then asked, "Sir... What'll happen when I change this time? Will my leg be worse?"