Howl of The Moon (A Remus Lupin Fanfiction)

Chapter 15

"Hello?" I said, but it came out more as a question. "Jasmine, hey." Lily smiled but looked at McGonagall, almost like she was scared. Remus emerged from behind me and stood behind me. "Boys, Hazel, Lily and Professor McGonagall. It's good to see you all." He said somewhat stiffly.

He's got that feeling of insecurence too.

I felt slightly relieved when realisation hit me. Professor McGonagall was the first to recover from shock. "Hello Miss Cooper, Mister Lupin. It's nice to see you. Would you want to get dressed and come up to my office? I can get Poppy to come." She told us. Rem and I both nodded and went to do as we were told.

Third-Person POV:

Hazel and the rest were speechless. Remus and Jasmine had just arrived and had merely greeted them before going to get dressed. Then again, they hadn't said a thing and their current situation was quite grave as they had been found out by Snape when he stepped on James' cloak today when they were going into the forest and immediately reported them to McGonagall. But not all the blame was on them. Jasmine and Remus had indeed showed up in rags, their hair touseled, their body stiffened and their eyes were hollow sockets with dark eye bags underneath. Fried blood covered wounds, there were fresher scars, mud and filth clung to bits of their hair. It was quite shocking.

McGonagall turned back to the 5 and said, "As long as it doesn't happen again, I won't punish you this time." The 5 Gryffindors nodded their heads, their throats dry. Professor McGonagall let them off for breaking the school's most important rule.

"Proves that she cares about Moony and Jasmine too." James said at last. They all murmured in agreement and sat down, waiting impatiently for Jasmine and Remus to come back down and tell them what happened.

• • •

Jasmine's POV:

Remus and I quickly brushed up and took a quick shower. I met him by the portrait hole.

"Rem, I'm scared." I told him as we headed towards McGonagall's office. "Me too. It feels like a sense of insecurence, hanging around threateningly." He said from beside me. I nodded. "Well, here goes." He smiled tightly before knocking on the door and the voice of Professor Dumbledore sounded.

"Come in."

"Professor Dumbledore." I inclined my head at him. "Hello Madam Pomfrey." I smiled at the Healer but it came out as a grimace. "I've told you you can call me Poppy, Miss Cooper." She said. I nodded and shifted so she could reach some scars I received.

As Remus began to fill in what happened, Madam Pom- I mean, Poppy, started to heal my wounds. Binding them and preventing them from infecting. Whenever Rem missed out a detail, I quickly spoke up and filled in the details.

"You escaped Miss Black-" McGonagall started and stopped when Dumbledore said in his gentle tone. "I believe we should call her Bellatrix Black now." He said grimly. McGonagall nodded and carried on. "You escaped from Bellatrix Black and Fenrir Greyback's base?" She asked. I nodded dully. Poppy was now healing Remus' wounds. Which I must honestly say, are much more worse than mine.

"Oh my Merlin. Are you dears alright?" She asked, turning from "Professor mode" to "Mom mode". "We're alright, Professor McGonagall." I said whilst smiling widely but falsely. Every moment I felt as if my eyelids were drooping and I was getting more and more tired each second.

"Albus, I move that they need a day off tomorrow." McGonagall said, immediately noticing my state. "Yes, Minerva. That is agreed. Please sign the slip to excuse both Miss Cooper and Mister Lupin from lessons tomorrow. They need all the rest they can get." Dumbledore said. He then turned to us, his blue eyes twinkling. "I wish you both to get better soon." He told us before leaving us with a smile.

Professor McGonagall gave us the slips and asked Winnie to being up some cookies and warm milk for us. She then left with a simple "Get well soon". Madam Pomfrey left us alone as well after telling us we had to rest and no panicking or anything like that sort. I scoffed quietly to myself.

As if that'd happen.

Remus and I sat in silence as we munched on the cookies. I savored the flavor of the chocolate chip and unconsciously started running a finger over the scar above my right eye. Our appearance was alright, thanks to Madam Pomfrey's healing spells but we still had more scars. Remus has a scar on his left cheek that'd reopened.

No books, no gossiping, no jokes. Nothing. We sat there in complete silence and I swear I heard a mosquito fall from midair. When I felt that the silence was nearly unbearable, Remus cleared his throat softly. Hem hem.

I took a swig of the milk from the mug before I looked over at him, a small smile playing across my lips. "Yes, Rem?" I asked, still smiling. "What are we going to tell Lily and the rest?" He asked anxiously. I furrowed my eyebrows and ran a finger across my scar again, my smile fading a bit. "We can tell the truth, but make it sound less scarier and less bloody?" I suggested.

"We can." He said shrugging, "but Hazel'd freak out and Lily'd bombar us with all sorts of questions. Peter would probably choke on whatever he's eating, Sirius' would grin when he hears how we escaped his psycho cousin and James'd smirk when he hears we're locked up together." He told me. "It's still worth a shot. And anyways, I'd still have you." I reasoned him.

"Uhh... I'm a werewolf." He said uncertainly. I rolled my eyes at him. "We've been through this. I'm a werewolf too." I said, giggling slightly at his reddened face and slapped his arm gently, playfully.

"Good point." He frowned. "Sirius is going to kill you when he knows you didn't kiss me yet." I said, smirking widely.

Oh well done, me. Now you brought up the topic you're flustered about. I told myself sarcastically. Remus smoothened down his hair a bit.

A faint smirk graced his features as he said, "As a matter of fact, I did."