Lupa | Teddy Lupin

Chapter 16 - Page 394

As May came to an end the fourth years were cooped up in the library like a bunch of McDonalds chickens. Teachers constantly reminding them the importance of these exams are, they all felt like a bunch of OWL students. Of course all the fifth years had nearly finished their exams so were beginning to soak up the beginning of summer in the Scottish highlands.

"I don't care about these exams any more." Lillian announced one evening. It was exactly nine days before their exams began and Maddie looked up from her astronomy work, amused. In fact everyone at the table had looked up and Lillian shrugged their eyes away.

"These exams literally have no significance whatsoever and it's a beautiful summers day but I'm working away over these book, wasting the little summer we get in Britain away." She huffed, slamming her book shut with a bang. "I'll see you guys later, I'm going to my common room."

And without another word she left before anyone of them could make a sound. Maya giggled, looking after her.

"Well she's always known what she wants and when she wants it." She laughed and Meelee piped up.

"She does have a point though, doesn't she?" glancing longingly at the branches blooming against the clear blue sky, just about visible through the library window.

"Sorry to change the subject, but we haven't covered werewolves yet, have we?" Adam was squinting down at his paper, brow furrowed. Teddy looked up, shaking his head.

"Dad thought it was best to... you know..." he trailed off awkwardly, trying to avoid Maddie's gaze guiltily.

"Professor Lupin said that we'd be covering it on Wednesday, so in two days. I think we must have to know it fourth year exams or something." Maddie added lightly, ignoring the weird tension. If there was one thing she didn't want to happen over the next few months, it was for her friends to have to tread carefully around her or make the topic of werewolves taboo. "I can probably help you with that question though, if you like Adam?" She smiled a bit, making Adam relax when he saw she was genuine. He cleared his throat,

"What are the circumstances under which someone becomes a werewolf?" He looked up and leaned back in his seat, waiting for his friend's answer. Maddie scrunched her nose and ticked off her points on her fingers.

"They have to be bitten by someone who is a werewolf, obviously. It has to be a full moon, so the werewolf must be in werewolf form and when bitten, the werewolf's saliva must mix with their victim's blood."

"So it's not genetic?" He asked, surprised. Maddie opened her mouth to answer, but Teddy beat her to it.

"Nope. If it was I'd be a werewolf, wouldn't I?" He reminded his friend. Adam nodded and Hunter then spoke.

"When were you bitten then Mads?"

"I don't know. Been a werewolf as long as I can remember."

"Like Dad." Teddy nodded in understanding. "He was bitten by Fenir Greyback." He added with a dark look. Maddie looked down at her textbook.

"Oh he's the one who bit my dad too." Victoire added. "Wasn't even the full moon. He was ruthless and rabid."

"Got him locked up in Azkaban now though, don't they?" Meelee said, earning a nod from the group. Maddie sniffed distastefully. "Who bit you Mads?"

Maddie looked up. "I don't know." She replied gently, but still curtly, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. Silence fell over the group again. And they returned to their revision, left with a bubbling curiosity of what would happen in the DADA lesson to come.

***

Two days later a rainstorm broke the sunshine of summer, accompanied by lightning and thunder. Teddy shivered as he walked with Maddie and Victoire, slightly nervous about all the things that could possibly go wrong in this lesson. They stepped inside the classroom and Victoire took a seat near Maddie, beside Xander, who she didn't even so much as spare a glance to, and Teddy sat in his usual seat beside Maddie.