Saint Merlin’s and That Bloody Application
Remus’ head was pounding with adrenaline, matching the rhythm of his trainers against the ground. The boys clamoring behind him sounded closer.
“Come on, you swot, don’t be afraid! We ain’t yobs!”
“Yeah, we jus’ wanna get to know you better!”
Remus couldn’t go back home. He wouldn’t do that to Hope. She was tired from coming home to her parents in Wales at the asscrack of dawn, and Remus just had to run his fat mouth. Amie would’ve pointed out his mouth was being smart, maybe a bit maniac, a bit too angry, but not fat, but he had still been a smart-ass.
The older boys had caught him ‘round the wrong corner. They recognized him from his old school, and they knew what had happened. Probably from a little brother or cousin, but they still knew. And Remus snapped.
So Remus was praying to a God he didn’t believe in that his stamina ran longer than their patience. He didn’t say anything, not “Go away!” or some stupid shit like that. He just ran.
Eventually, he put a good bit of distance between him and them and turned a few corners. He’d ducked into a narrow alleyway and they lost him. He’d heard them saying a scrawny thing like him wasn’t worth the hassle, and just then, some cop heard the commotion.
…
“I’m home, Mam!” Remus shut the door and kicked off his shoes. He smelled eggs cooking in the kitchen.
“Helo ci bach (Hi pup),” Hope smiled. She dumped some scrambled eggs for one on a plate, nursing a coffee mug. She knew Remus liked cooking for himself, the way he liked it. Remus smiled faintly and took a few eggs out of the fridge.
“So, Mam, I’ve been thinking about St. Merlin’s.” He turned his back to her, drizzling oil into the pan.
“Pup, you know you don’t need to go, especially not for me.”
“Mam, I know. If I decide to go, it’ll be for me, promise.”
“Alright. So what’re your thoughts on it?” Remus cracked the eggs open.
“I don’t have a problem with living away from home. Of course I’ll miss you, but I’ll write to you and come home for the holidays. I read through the pamphlet, and the curriculum is great. Students from around the world go to Saint Merlin’s.”
Hope hummed. “Lots of foreign exchange students?”
“Loads. Anyways, Saint Merlin’s sister school is Saint Morgana’s, but the interesting thing is the thing they’re really close in distance. Like, there’s in indoor-ish bridge connecting the two, and they have classes in each other’s schools. But, well, I was thinking about was the dorms. I’ll, uhm, have to live with three other boys. Maybe four.”
“I thought just as much. It sounds like you think it’s a good school, though.”
“Yeah, and you do too.”
“I do.”
Remus took out a spatula and set his fried eggs on to a plate. He walked to the table and Hope “tsked” good-heartedly. “I can’t tell if you keep burning them on accident or you just like the taste of piss.”
“I’ll take my crispy piss over your crushed tofu anyday,” Remus snorted. He got up to get a fork as Hope kicked his chair. Remus stumbled, laughing as he elbowed Hope’s shoulder. He got a fork before sitting down and continuing. “Anyways, I was thinking that we could always talk to the headmaster, and see if there’s any extra dorms. Besides, living with a couple of blokes for ten months won’t be the end of me,” he chuckled.
Hope took a good, long look at him before setting her fork down and hugging him tightly. One of the few things that differed about them was how they liked physical touch. Remus didn’t mind giving it, but was alright with receiving it very rarely. Hope seemed to always know when. Hope loved both giving and receiving it, but she was always great with boundaries.
“You’re being so brave, ci bach.” She squeezed both his shoulders before letting her hands fall away.
“Yeah, Mam-”
Before he got another word in, Hope gritted her teeth and said, “Remus, what happened to your bloody knees?”
Remus internally thought, “Oh, boy.”
…
“Mam, it’s fineee,” Remus whined.
“Remus, when I said ‘what happened to your bloody knees’ I didn’t actually think they were bloody!” She had marched him to the bathroom and had him roll up the legs of his trousers, revealing the full extent of his injuries.
“They aren’t that-”
“Remus John Lupin, your Nain (grandmother) is a very successful pediatrician and she taught me what she thought I needed. If you say they aren’t that bad, I’ll have your eyeballs in the oven for my Welsh cakes!”
Remus stifled a laugh. He loved how creative she was with her words.
He sat on the wooden stool as she swabbed his knees with antiseptic on a cotton ball. Hope muttered something about “could’ve gotten an infection” and “reckless.”
“So are you going to tell me what happened? And if you say ‘nothing-’”
“I went for a walk to the forest next to the park and I tripped over one of the toddlers,” Temus sighed miserably. It had been the same toddler he’d seen with the once cream, and worse yet, his mother, the pregnant woman in the floral dress, had scolded Remus. That interaction was what had made him so quick to anger with the boys earlier.
Hope clucked her tongue and got out a green botto from the medicine cabinet. “This is like when you twisted your bloody ankle every two weeks for a month. My guess is that you have week bones. Remember to take a vitamin everyday. I’ll leave them on the kitchen counter.” The bottle was filled with small, yellow-orange pills. They were transparent, like fish eggs. The label read, “D3: Supports Bone and Tooth Quality.”
“Yes, Dr. Lupin,” Remus grinned. He dry-swallowed a pill and almost gagged at the oddly smooth texture.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Anything with green beans.” Hope smiled.
“I’ll see you downstairs.”
…
“There is no bloody way I’m ever applying for another school,” Remus groaned, banging his head on the table.
“If you ever think about it, I’ll turn you into a green bean,” Hope scowled, her tooth gap showing. They had taken a lamp in from the attic, which had been so bright they had plenty of light setting it in the back of the kitchen. It was late, the analog clock reading 12:05 am. Remus’ hands were sore, part of his ring finger purpling from a pulled muscle. Hope had taken out her reading glasses for the first time in a month.
Four hours earlier, Hope had rushed out to get an application from God knows where. Remus had used his iPhone to call her at the last minute, reminding her they could fill it out online. Then Hope had a tutoring client, and Remus didn’t know the passcode to her laptop. He had forgotten about his laptop until she came home an hour later.
They wasted a whole forty-five minutes applying for St. Morgana’s, not realizing it until Remus thought he noticed something funny about the group photo, where everyone was wearing a skirt.
When they reached St. Merlin’s website, Hope had made them some tea. They calmly filled out the following:
Saint Merlin’s Application for Admission
Academic Year: Five
Year Group Applying For: Six
Full Name: Remus John Lupin
Date of Birth: March 10th, 2012
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Welsh, English
Current/Last Attended School: West End Secondary School, #### Street
Previous Schools (if applicable): Ashwood Primary School,
2017-2023
Parent/Guardian Information:
Parent/Guardian 1 Name: Hope Charity Lupin
Relationship to Student: Mother
Occupation: Tutor
Phone Number: ###########
Email Address: hopeclupin#########
Home Address: #####
(Optional) Parent/Guardian 2 Name:
Relationship to Student:
Occupation:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Home Address:
Academic Information:
Favorable Subjects: Literature, Psychology, Biology, Ancient History
Academic Achievements: Birmingham Poetry Contest - First Place, United Kingdom Writing Competition - Second Place, Youth Authors of England Competition - 1st Place
Languages Spoken: English, Welsh, British Sign Language
Extracurriculars:
Hobbies/Sports: Jogging, reading, writing, cooking, cross-country
Achievements In Sports/Arts/Music: Birmingham Youth Symphony - Second Chair
Health and Wellbeing:
Does the student have any medical conditions, allergies, or special needs? Yes
If yes, please provide details: Allergic to soybeans
Supporting Documents:
A recent passport-size photo of the student
One Image Attached
A copy of the student's birth certificate
One Image Attached
Recent school reports
Several Images Attached
Application Fee:
“Mam, there’s a bruise on my finger,” Remus cried theatrically. Hope snorted.
“I feel like we should’ve put autism for that previous section…” Hope mused.
“I need the biggest chance I can get. Besides, what if the school counsellor is another bloody plonker?”
“Agreeing to fill out this application makes me feel like a plonker!” Hope whined.
“You suggested it!”
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“Augh, no autism then…” she grumbled.
“Are we eligible for financial aid, Mam?”
She was too tired to scold him for knowing too much. She reached for the brochure on the other side of the table. “I think so, it says here we can apply for it if we make less than £25,000 a year.”
“We make less than £25,000 a year?”
“I- you trickster!”
“Ha-ha, im just messing with you. I already know that.”
“If I weren’t so tired I would’ve kicked your chair by now.”
“Believe me, I know.”
Application Fee:
Are you eligible for financial aid? Yes
Choose one: Full scholarship
Payment Method: #######
Declaration:
(Use mouse/touchpad) I confirm that the information provided in this application is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Signature of Parent/Guardian: Hope Lupin
Signature of Student: Remus Lupin
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