𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 | remus lupin

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

[ 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑  𝐅 𝐎 𝐔 𝐑 }

𝓭𝓾𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓫

WHEN THE BOYS found out about the dueling club, one of the first things they did was try to track down Elowen. They found her easily, sitting in a bay window with a book in her lap.

Remus thought she looked peaceful. She was bundled in her robes, her curly hair loose and messy as she scanned the pages and lightly chewed on her red lips.

Her peace was quickly disturbed by James snatching the book from her hands.

"Hey!" Winnie complained.

"No time to be annoyed, join a club with me sissy," James said, dancing out of her reach.

She scowled. "I don't want to join a club, I want to finish my book."

"Come on, curls," Sirius interjected. "It'll be fun."

She sighed and dramatically leaned back. "Even you, Pete? You're joining as well?" Peter nodded eagerly.

"Fine. What's the club for anyways? Hair tips? Quidditch?"

"Dueling, actually," Remus said, speaking up for the first time since finding the girl. Her eyes widened in delight.

"Dueling! Well why didn't you start with that? I'd love to hex Jamsie without getting point reductions."

"Hey!"

Winnie just laughed before standing up. "Well come on then, we don't have time to waste."

Peter turned to Remus as Winnie marched ahead. "Are girls always this bipolar?"

"I think that might just be our Winnie."

"You guys know Winnie," Sirius said. "Loves nothing more than a good fight."

Sure enough, Winnie stood with the large group of students at the club with a huge smile on her face. When Slughorn asked if anyone wanted to go first, her hand shot up.

"Ah, Miss Potter. I can't say I'm surprised. Right on, get up here then." She climbed up next to him.

"Anyone want to go against Miss—"

"I will!" James said, jumping up opposite his sister before the professor could object.

"I guess we'll have Potter against Potter." Slughorn began to explain the rules and procedures.

Sirius turned to face Remus and Peter. "I'll put 5 galleons on James."

Remus laughed. "Are you mental? My money's on Winnie."

"No way. You know she'll probably just use defense. James will actually fight."

"That's why she'll win. She's more practical. What do you think, Peter?"

He mulled over it for a few moments. "I think my money's on James for this one, Moony."

Remus shook his head in disappointment. They all turned back to the twins as Slughorn counted them down.

"Locomotor Wibbly!" James shouted, followed by Elowen's "Protego!"

James called out a few more junxes, all of them being blocked expertly by his sister. Finally, when it seemed like all she'd do was deflect, she quickly pointed her wand.

"Impedimenta!" James, not expecting her to actually throw any jinxes, didn't have a chance to deflect and found his movements drastically slowed.

"Cantis!" She yelled again before James could gain back his speed. The entire class began to laugh when James tried to jinx her back.

"Fli—FlipENDO!" He sang. He clamped his hands over his mouth at his unintentional song. "Winnieeeee, you're gonna paaaay!"

This just caused the crowd to laugh harder. Before Winnie could do anymore to her poor brother, Slughorn called the match in her favor. She grinned widely as she jumped off, followed by James's sulking form.

Remus turned to Peter and Sirius, his palm open and facing up. "Well? Pay up." The boys grumbled but each placed 5 galleons in his hand.

"That was so not cool," James said, the jinx having worn off.

"I found it quite amusing," Peter replied with a laugh.

"Oh, sod off."

///

The next week at dueling club, Slughorn informed everyone that they'd be fighting in pairs.

"In the real world, odds are you won't be alone. Especially if you become an auror, you'll have to get used to dueling with people on your side. You may think it's simply just twice the jinxes, but it's not. If you have backup, they probably will too. It's about keeping your eyes open and putting trust in your partner to watch your back, and being able to watch theirs. Now, if everyone will pair up, we'll begin."

Despite the incident last time, the Potters immediately partnered up. Remus and Sirius teamed up since Peter had skipped to 'study' with some fifth year.

"Are you ready to lose?" Sirius taunted.

"Losing isn't in our blood, Black," Winnie retorted.

"Nonsense," Remus said. "James loses quite often."

"Hey!" James protested, launching into his attack. Immediately all four of them jumped to attention, their duel quicker and more intense than everyone around them. At some point, the others had all stopped to watch.

Sirius and Remus fought like a well oiled machine. They moved around each other with the ease of people who'd lived together for years (which they were).

However, while they were a dynamic pair, the twins moved like one. While James countered, Winnie protegoed. When James stepped forward, Winnie ducked around. While James fought, Winnie protected.

That's why, while the two boys had put up an outstanding fight, it came as no shock that James and Winnie won.

The duel concluded when the twins had managed to advance closer, disarm the boys, and point their wands at their throats.

"You lose," Winnie whispered in Remus's ear as she stepped back and lowered her wand, a wicked smile on her lips.

Remus just grinned like an idiot.

"I'll always lose if it means I get to see you smile like that."