A New Destiny

Hope walked back into Madam Pomfrey’s office looking anxious and wringing her hands together—a nervous habit she picked up a while ago but Landon was always there to hold them so she never worried too much about it. Guess she should’ve expected to lose her only anchor too. Remus, on the other hand, was on the edge of his seat in excitement. Taking a deep breath, Hope prepared to tell her half-truth to the werewolf, making it up as she goes. 

“So, I’m guessing you know nothing about my species of wolf?” She asked, already knowing the answer and leaning on the desk, preferring to stand in her nervous state.

“No, I don’t. Why is it so secret? Madam Pomfrey mentioned it was because of how your kind turned. How do they?” Remus approached the topic carefully sensing it was going to be a difficult one for the Slytherin.

“Well, as you know, people don’t take too kindly to werewolves.” 

Remus laughed at that. “Understatement of the bloody century.” That lightheartedness, thankfully, eased some of the tension in Hope. She smiled down at her hands and mumbled, “ain’t that the truth.”

“I’ll get into how we’re turned in a bit but I should probably explain the differences between our kinds first.” Remus nodded for her to continue. “For one, when I turn, I become an actual werewolf. Unlike your weird man-wolf combo that I still think is very unsettling.” She tried for a light tone but the boy didn’t take it too well. The werewolf across from her took on a guard expression at her words. “And I mean that in all good faith.” She added quickly, her arms up in surrender, and grinned. He returned it, unfazed by any ridicule after years of it. 

“We also aren’t bitten. Our werewolf side is genetic.” His eyes widened at that. 

“What?” He shouted, leaning forward in his seat. “But I thought that was impossible. Every person I’ve talked to and every book I’ve ever read said it wasn’t. How can it be genetic?” Remus had always feared that if he ever had kids, he would pass along the curse of being a werewolf. It took his friends years before he believed otherwise and now he was finding out there was a species of wolf that actually did pass down the trait? It was bloody terrifying. “Wait, does that mean you start turning into a wolf the first full moon after birth or is there a certain age where it starts to manifest? Is the transformation as painful as my own?”

“Calm down Lupin. I’ll explain everything. No, we don’t start turning after birth, there is no age where it suddenly starts to happen, and the transformation is just as painful as your own—maybe even more actually.” Lupin narrowed his eyes at that last bit. 

“ More painful than my own?” He laughed humorlessly, his brown eyes flashing gold. “I’ve woken up with gashes all over my body from self-inflicted wounds for years . Enlighten me Mikaelson, what’s more painful than that?” He sneered. 

“I…” Hope sighed, not meeting his eyes. “I didn’t mean to downplay what you go through. In any form, pain will always be just that. Pain.” Her voice was low and heavy with emotion as if recalling every moment in her life where she has had to suffer. Looking up, she continued. “I’m sorry.” She spoke softly.

Expecting to see sympathy or pity in her eyes, Remus was shocked at the amount of grief he saw. That softens the anger. “It’s alright, I guess I’m just sensitive about some things.” He mumbled. “Please, continue.”

Bracing herself, Hope forced herself to keep going. “As I said before, our werewolf side is genetic. Centuries ago, a certain witch cursed a tribe by turning them into wolves. Every month they would have to undergo the transformation. When they had kids, they were relieved to find out that the curse didn’t manifest in them. That was until…”

“Until?” Remus prompted, leaning forward in his seat and hands clasped together with his elbow resting on his knees. The tribrid had barely looked at Remus throughout the entire conversation. It was almost as if she was ashamed of what she was admitting or scared of his reaction. He noticed her hesitance to continue. “Hope?” He asked gently. She finally met his eyes and they looked scared and lined with vulnerability that he would never expect from a Slytherin.. 

Hope was terrified that revealing this to him would ruin her whole plan of laying low. What if he was disgusted by what she had done? Or told everyone he knew about her? What if once he knew, he would see her as the monster that so many people back home had labeled her as? Hope had repressed that feeling the last few months of being in the wizarding world but it never fully went away. The shame, the guilt, and thought of knowing she was nothing but an abomination. The only reason she was going through with telling him anything was because she trusted Minnie and Poppy.

“I swore to you that I would not reveal any information you tell me to anyone. You can trust me, okay?” His voice is gentle but sincere. He stands up as if to make a point and moves to stand in front of her. “I can see this is hard for you. Take your time.”

She looks at him in a sad but thoughtful way. As if already mourning a connection between them that barely had a foundation to destroy. “I hope you're as nice to me as you are now after I tell you about this.” She stated more to herself, mournfully. Shaking her head, she continued. “The tribe was led to believe that the curse didn’t manifest in their kids until…until one of them made their first human kill.” She closed her eyes hard, her face strained, as if bracing for impact.

Remus backed up a step, taking in the information. Her kind had to kill in order to turn into werewolves. No wonder they were kept secret. If the wizarding community found out about them, they would be hunted. But why shouldn’t they be hunted if they were killing people because of their curse. Remus was always afraid of hurting people when he turned into Moony but now he’s learning of a new species of wolf that killed just to be able to turn? His mind was whirling but looking at Hope, he saw her anguished face. Why would she look so upset at something her kind was known for? It was then he realized that she was scared of him seeing her as a monster or a murderer because she had killed someone before. He was standing in a room with an actual killer. But if she really was a monster, she wouldn’t look so guilty or worried about his reaction. Something else also came to mind. Hope said their transformations were probably more painful than his own. Why would anyone subject themselves to that once a month? He didn’t understand and the reasonable part of his brain decided to hear the full explanation before making any judgments. He was all too familiar with people judging him too quickly because of what he was without hearing him out all the way through and Remus Lupin would be damned if he did the same to anyone else, no matter who they were. 

“That…I…I can’t believe it.” He whispered. “You have to kill in order to be a werewolf? Surely, your kind doesn’t do that willingly ?... Do they?” He was scared of the answer.

“No we don’t.” That eased some of his worries. “Most of my kind go their entire lives without triggering the curse. But there are the unlucky few who kill without knowing about the gene and it’s almost always an accident.”

“How can murder be accidental ?” He shouted, not understanding. Hope winced at his tone. She had spent years since childhood getting control of her anger and knew how to not let anyone provoke her in any way. Hope steeled herself to keep going, keeping her voice steady.

“Because our curse comes with a lot of untamed anger and aggression. It’s almost an urge that pushes us to kill that only goes away after we’ve triggered our curse because it wants to punish us. We don’t want to kill and we sure as hell don’t want to go through hours of pain just to turn into wolves and then wake not remembering anything we did.” Hope defended but Remus locked onto the word “hours”. 

It took hours for their transformation to end. His barely took five minutes and waking up with open wounds was usually the worst part of it. In wolf form, Moony would have control and Remus was always alert to his actions but could never act on any of his own. Moony was oftentimes volatile which is why he always locked himself up. It wasn’t until after he started taking his wolfsbane potions in fourth year did he finally stop using chains during full moons but he still kept in the shack with his friends in their animagus forms. The potions allowed him to be in control instead of his wolf but he could still sense him trying to communicate in the back of his mind. Remus was always scared of hearing what Moony had to say so he never listened.

“Hours?” He repeated. “What happens on a full moon for you?”

Hope’s voice suddenly got cold and she glared at the wall behind him. “We have to break every bone in our body over and over again. It’s supposed to get easier every time but that doesn’t stop it from being the most agonizing experience you could ever dream of.” Hope remembered how smooth her first transformation with her dad had gone and he had told her to stop fighting the pain and to let the wolf in. Let the wolf be a part of her. With his help, she remembered every detail of her first time as a wolf. But, after he died she had let herself go through every full moon with the full force of the excruciating pain as a sort of punishment for herself for not doing enough to save him or the rest of her family. She didn’t deserve the relief of being in control. 

Remus was not prepared for that answer. Breaking every bone in your body multiple times? He fully believed that no sane person would willingly kill if they knew that was the consequence. “That’s..horrible.” He looked into her blue, glazed over eyes. “No one should have to go through that.” His soft voice caught her off guard. 

Her reply came quickly after, but her tone was still thoughtful. “You shouldn’t either…It’s not fair—the things we have to go through. The pain. The suffering. Kids with more knowledge on the horrors of the world than the adults meant to protect us from it.” She seemed to be somewhere other than the office they were standing in.

“They do what they can but they can’t hold our hands forever, can they?” He asked, thinking of his parents.

“What if they never did?” She countered, her voice raw with emotions Remus couldn’t even begin to decipher.

He didn’t have a reply to that. Several minutes of thoughtful silence went by before he finally broke it. “I have to ask. I’m sorry but…how uh…um who…I…what did..” He groaned, running his hands over his face. “Merlin, there’s no easy way to ask this.”

“Who’d I kill?” Hope asked bluntly, looking up at him through her lashes, and Remus stared dumbfounded.

“Uhh..yeah?” He scratched the back of his head and hoped he hadn’t offended her.

“It’s alright. You had to ask sooner or later.” She sighed deeply and recalled the event. “A few years ago when I was fifteen, there was a group of vampires in my hometown. To make a long story short, they hated my family.”

“How come?” Remus inquired, wondering if there was something he should know about the girl and if she was actually dangerous. If so, he was concerned for Lily’s safety and James’ if his best mate was still intent on pursuing the girl.

“They hated crossbreeds. A few of them even kidnapped my mother and tortured her in front of me because she was like us. A witch and a werewolf.” Hope twisted the truth to sell the story but she could still hear her mother’s screams as a witch bound her werewolf side, leaving her a regular vampire. “She died but not before taking out the vampire who started it all. I was…I wasn’t doing too well after that and…it was getting harder for me to control my magic in my grief. My wolf was fueling all of it into rage so, my dad took me to a church that was housing the vampires that were still conspiring to get rid of my family because of what we are. My mag—”

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m sorry but your father willingly took you to the same people that wanted you both dead?” Remus was beyond confused and his face definitely showed it. You’d think someone used a confundus charm on him or something.

“Uhhh? Yeah?” Hope shrugged sheepishly and gave a wry smile. “It made sense in context, trust me.”

“Do I even wanna know the context?”

“I wouldn’t.” Remus nodded, choosing to leave it. His head was going to burst from all this new information. “But as I was saying—my magic was out of control because of my pent up anger and grief. So, my dad told me to let it out on the vampires. Basically he told me to kill them with a blast of energy so I didn’t take it out on any innocent bystander that looked at me wrong.” She left out the part of most of her anger being heightened due to the Hollow inside of her.

“But I thought killing was what triggered your werewolf side?”

“It is but only if the kill is a human. Vampires are technically magical creatures and dead so it wouldn’t count.”

Remus let that sink in. “That makes sense. So, if you went to the church to take out the vampires, how was a human involved in all of this?”

That question is what made Hope tense. “The next day after we left, my dad came into my room. He’d just come back from cleaning up the dead vampires. Apparently, what we didn’t know when we went to take out the vamps was that there was a human in the attic who got caught in my wave of magic. I didn’t know he was there or…” She sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall down before continuing. “Or that my magic even reached that far but since it was my magic that killed him,” He voice broke on those words. “It was my fault. I was fifteen and ever since I had been turning every month up until recently.”

All Remus heard in Hope’s story was that she was grieving the loss of her mother and protecting her family from people who wished them dead because of what they are. The latter, Remus could very well understand. And she never meant to kill that human. It really was an accident. But he could hear the guilt in Hope’s voice when she spoke of that day and she very clearly still blamed herself. 

“Hope,” he started softly. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“People say that but it doesn’t make it true. They’re just words.” Remus could sense she was going to be stubborn about this. Probably a werewolf trait. “In my experience,” he stepped towards her and made her hold his gaze, “words are like tattoos that are permanently engraved in our minds. If you keep telling yourself that you are to blame then that is all you will ever know because words turn into beliefs once you force yourself to start agreeing with them.”

Hope pondered his words. He was right. She knew he was right. And she also knew that logically, it wasn’t her fault but circumstance led her to taking an innocent life. She would never be able to shake that no matter how hard she tried.

“It was not your fault.” He repeated but this time with a hard edge to his voice that left little room for arguing. He reached out to gently place his hands on her arms and looked at her so open and honestly, it made her shed a tear she didn’t know she was holding back. He quickly wiped it away and pulled her into a hug. Stunned at the action, Hope froze for a second before wrapping her arms around his waist seeing as he was much taller than her. She welcomed the warm embrace and familiar feeling she had been deprived of for months.

He didn’t hate her was Hope’s first thought. He didn’t call her a monster and had promised not to tell anyone about what she had confided in him about. For the first time in a while Hope felt a small weight lift off her shoulders. She had told someone other than Poppy and Minnie a small bit about her dark past and instead of being faced with malice, she was being embraced in a way that warmed even her insides. If this is what the Paragon had meant about a fresh start and finding a place she truly belonged then it was more than welcome as long as she kept this warmth.

Remus eventually pulled away. He had one more question on his mind. The Gryffindor moved to sit back in his original chair.  “Right, now that that’s over and done with—sorry, I’m not the best with emotions—I have one more thing to ask.”

Hope chuckled, wiping her eyes. “Just one?”

“For now,” Remus winked to try and lighten the mood. He really wasn’t good with emotions. “What did you mean when you said you’ve been turning every full moon until recently?” Did she suddenly stop? Was there a cure for her curse? A potion to stop her transformation? Or a ritual that could maybe help him too? Unless it was dark magic, then he wouldn’t know what to do or think. He desperately needed to know what she had meant.

Hope tensed slightly at this. The real reason she wasn’t turning every full moon was because her vampire side made it optional and also less painful of a transition so she could turn at will. But she couldn’t tell him that. He currently thought she was like him; a witch and a werewolf, which wasn’t exactly a lie either. Who was she to tell him otherwise? However, in the time Hope was in the wizarding world over the summer, she had done some extensive research on the werewolf species there and found that if the human and werewolf could come to a mutual understanding then that would allow the werewolf to control his transformations and not have to turn on full moons or ever again. The only downside was that their wolf could emerge any day of the month if angered or met with any other intense emotions, just like her. There had only been a handful of werewolves to accomplish such a feat but she could always tell him that it’s easier for her species to do it than his. It’s not like he would ever meet another one of her kind to verify her facts.

“Well, I recently discovered that if I stop fighting my wolf during transformations then she’ll let me be in control and allow me to transform whenever I want and without the pain. It took a few months but all I had to do was let the pain in and let my wolf be a part of me rather than a separate entity altogether.”

Remus looked incredulous. “How did you come upon that information? Surely you wouldn’t experiment on yourself to find this out.”

“Of course I didn’t,” Hope rolled her eyes. “I read a book written by a werewolf, Ivan Embry, who was a half-blood. He did the experiments himself because of his muggle job as a scientist and his natural instinct to find answers. He, obviously, was one of your kind but I thought I’d give it a try to see if it would work with my kind too and well, it did.”

Remus seemed to be holding himself back from saying something before giving in. “Do…do you think you could teach me? I mean, how to connect with Moony so I can control it?”

“Moony?” Hope ignored his question in favor of her own.

“Yeah,” He said, suddenly seeming embarrassed if his tinged cheeks were anything to go by. “It’s the name my friends came up with for my wolf. I like it and…so does he so we just sort of kept it.”

“It’s nice.” Hope smiled. “And appropriate.” She added. “To answer your question, that is why MInnie and Poppy wanted us to talk to each other about this—so that I could help you and…I would love to.”

“Really?” Remus lit up brightly when Hope nodded. “Oh, that’s great!” In excitement, he went to pick her up and spin her around in joy. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He repeated as he set her down. Hope chuckled brightly at his antics. “Oh don’t stop now Lupin. I actually enjoy being spun around and praised.” 

“Must be the dog in you,” He joked. “Maybe I’ll start doing it more.” He squeezed her shoulders affectionately before letting go. Both their moods did quick turn-arounds which was easy as Remus had a new hope—no pun intended—for taming his furry side and his happiness spread to Hope. “Also I think we’re at the stage where you can start calling me by my first name, Hope, especially considering what we talked about.”

“Alright Remus . You’ve officially been upgraded to first name status and by a Slytherin no less. How does your Gryffindor pride feel about that?” She teased, finding it surprisingly easy to talk to him like this.

“Ugh, like I’ve dishonored my whole house,” He pouted. “Don’t let this get out or I’ll be sleeping in the corridor outside the common room. They’ll throw out all my bags and I’ll have to make camp right there and I do not want to wake up to the fat lady trying to demonstrate how she can break glass with her high-pitched voice. It’s like nails on a bloody chalkboard.” He looked genuinely horrified by the image but it made Hope laugh wholeheartedly so it didn’t take long before he broke out his own wide grin. He also felt it was easy to joke around with the other werewolf. Who knew Slytherins were so nice?

— — — — — — 

Hope and Remus walked out of Madam Pomfrey’s office still joking around lightheartedly when the healer stepped into their path. “I see your talk went well.” She grinned, feeling smug about her plan.

“Indeed it did, Madam Pomfrey. Hope agreed to help me learn how to control my wolf.” Remus explained and the older witch lit up. “Oh well that’s wonderful dear! I knew that both you having another werewolf around would be beneficial. Didn’t I , Hope?” She asked pointedly, still looking as smug as she felt.

Hope smirked. “Oh yes, Pom Pom! You were absolutely right about this!” She dramatically let out to convey her subtle sarcasm. Poppy glared in turn.

“Pom Pom?” Remus questioned from beside his new friend.

“Hope, what did I say about that name?” She warned.

“That it was the best thing you ever heard and to always refer to you as such?” Hope batted her eyes innocently, her arms clasped behind her back.

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes on the girl. “Oh, I’m sorry. Would you prefer…Pop?”

“ Hope .” She warned.

“Ooh, I know! Make it plural—Pops!”

“Ho–”

“No, you’re right, that makes it sound like you’re my grandfather or something.”

“Hope Andrea Mikaelson!” Poppy exclaimed.

“Oof, government name. I’m screwed.” She mumbled to Remus who snorted. “You know, I think I’ll agree with you Poppy, Pom Pom really is the best one of the bunch.” 

Poppy’s glare turned complacent. “Miss Mikaelson, you do know that as a matron at Hogwarts I have the ability to hand out detentions? Especially to students who like to call their elders names that they did not agree to.” Hope took upon a look of betrayal and Remus was looking far too amused for her liking and trying very little to hold back his laughter. “Oh, don’t think you’re off the hook Mr. Lupin.”

He quickly sobered up. “What? What did I do? I was just standing here!” He exclaimed, his arms flared out in defence. 

“You were laughing at the expense of the woman who has healed you every month since first year. I must say, my dear, I am truly disappointed.” Remus lowered his head in shame and only lifted it to look at Hope in surprise when she burst out laughing.

“Oh come on!” She exclaimed. “You wouldn’t actually give us detention for some harmless jokes.”

“She would.” Professor Mcgonagall’s voice cut in from the entrance of the hospital wing where she was heading towards the group from, her lips turned up in amusement. “Minnie!” The two werewolves said excitedly. Hope hadn’t had a chance to talk to her ‘godmother’ since the sorting ceremony.

“Hello, Hope. Remus,” She greeted. 

Hope turned to her new friend. “She lets you call her Minnie?”

“Yeah, me and the rest of my mates wore her down at the end of third year and she finally accepted the name.” Remus smiled up at his head of house. 

“Damn, three years? It took me two weeks.”

“You’re technically family so she probably likes you better.”​​ They both turned to the professor. “Who do you like better?” Hope asked, feeling the need to instigate for the fun of it. 

Mcgonagall rolled her eyes at them. “I don’t have favorites.” 

“Liar.” The two students synchronized before giggling.

“I see you two have made fast friends. Poppy, what do you think? Have we created another monstrous duo of students who are going to age us far beyond our years?” Mcgonagall asked her friend thoughtfully and looking as if she was pondering her own question..

“I think we have but we could always just find more creative detentions to keep them apart. I’m getting more wrinkles from this conversation alone.” Pomfrey mused.

“We’re right here!” Hope said, annoyed.

“Oh we know, sweetheart.” Minnie smiles innocently. “Now I wanted to come check in on the two of you to see if you were alright but I think I have my answer.” She turned to her goddaughter. “Hope please come visit when you have time. I want to know how you’re getting along in your classes and especially your new house.”

“Sure, I’ll come to your office later this week.” Mcgonagall smiled and embraced Hope gently. “You two run along now, I need to talk to Madam Pomfrey.”.

— — — — — — 

“So, the full moon is this Saturday and I usually go to the shrieking shack to transform—”

“The shrieking shack?” Hope questioned from beside Remus as they made their way towards the great hall in time for dinner.

“Yeah, it’s an abandoned house bordering Hogsmeade. It's only called that because people thought it was haunted. Rumors were spread of people hearing screams coming from inside once a month but never found anyone in there. What they didn’t know was that—”

“It was you in there?” She finished for him.

“Yes. I’m surprised more people didn’t figure it out—the fact it was a werewolf in there—but not many wiccan are familiar with the transformation of a wolf, surprisingly.” Remus said thoughtfully. “But as I was saying, that’s where I usually go on full moons. However, my friends have been accompanying me the last few years.”

“You let them near you during transformations? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Generally yes, but—”

“Remus! There you are!” James Potter yelled, running towards them with Peter and Sirius trailing after him. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Lily said you were in the hospital wing and we were wor—” He stopped mid-sentence after glancing at Hope who he just noticed. “Hi.” He said sheepishly in her direction but Remus cut off any reply from her.

“No need to worry Prongs, I’m fine.” 

Prongs? Hope questioned the nickname in her head. 

Sirius cut in with his boisterous personality. “What are you doing with Mikaelson here?” He gasped dramatically and clutched his chest with both hands. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for her? Moony, I can’t believe it! I thought me and you were meant to be together forever!” He dropped down to his knees. “Remus John Lupin, you have broken my heart forever.” He pretended to weep and all Hope could think was how different he was from Regulus. 

Remus looked amused but Hope could tell he was slightly hurt. Did he have a thing for the melodramatic Black? Potter and Pettigrew were doubled over in laughter before Pettigrew cut in. 

“Don’t fret my beloved Sirius! I’ll save you from this heartbreak!” He flung himself into Black’s waiting arms who gracefully fell over from the added weight. They both tumbled onto the cold corridor floor which elicited an amused reaction from Hope who couldn’t help but laugh. She noticed Potter somewhat composed himself and looked at her with slightly wide eyes. What? As if she was incapable of laughter? His friends were actually entertaining, she thought.

Remus kicked at Black’s legs. “Get off the floor you nitwits.” Potter helped Pettigrew get up, who in turn helped Black. As the latter got his footing, he looked at Remus horrified. “Merlin’s balls, he’s insulting us now too.”

Potter finally cut in. “Oh come off it Padfoot. He insults us all the time. It’s how our dear Moony shows his love.” He moved to put his arms around Black’s shoulders. “Still hurts.” Black mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms, and feigning hurt.

Padfoot? It was at this moment that Hope took in their scents. She had never been this close to them to tell or rather, she didn’t care enough to notice, but all three of them smelled both human and animal. None of them, however, smelled like wolves. Potter smelled wild and warm like nature but she could sense the nobility. Black’s scent was almost comforting and playful with hints of salt and musk. Pettigrew’s was of old wood and dust but it held a sense of home. Then she recalled the names she’s heard them call each other: Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs. She hasn’t heard Pettigrew’s but she’s certain he has one. Moony is obviously because of Remus’ wolf counterpart but what about the others? 

Hope briefly remembered her first interaction with Minnie when she saw her transform from a cat into a woman. The tribrid had asked her about it later and got a lesson on animagi. They are wiccan who undergo a very long process to be able to turn into an animal and back again at will. They won’t know which animal until the process is complete but whatever they do turn into is a representation of who they are inside. She also remembered reading in her werewolf research that no human could be near one but…could an animagus? It would certainly explain how Remus’ friends are able to accompany him during full moons. That had to be it, she concluded. But she couldn’t bring it up without them asking how she knew. However, if she was going to help Remus on full moons, they’d come along too and would certainly question her presence. Remus couldn’t just tell them he didn’t want them to come anymore without seeming suspicious especially after years of them helping. 

Potter turned to Remus looking concerned, “What are you doing with her and why were you in the hospital wing? We thought you were hurt.” Hope and Remus gave each other a look only they could decipher.

Hope sighed, turning to Remus. “They’re going to find out eventually, especially since I’m gonna be helping you.” Remus agreed, “I guess you’re right.”

Pettigrew cut in. “Find out what?” 

Hope’s answer was short and to the point. “The fact that I know you’re all animagi, unregistered I’m assuming, and that Remus is a werewolf.”

“What?!” The four shouted together. 

Remus looked at her confused, “How did you know they’re animagi?” Hope tapped the side of her nose twice. “Scent?” She nodded.

Potter knit his brows together. “Scent?,” he repeated.

Hope turned to him, “I’m a werewolf.”

“Bloody hell!”

“Circe’s tits!”

“That’s great!”

Those were the three reactions she got. Four of them, however, turned to look at Potter as if he had grown another head. “How is that great?” Pettigrew asked.

“Well not ‘great’ that she has to go through full moons like Remus but great that he now has someone like him who understands him better than us. As much as the three of us try, we’ll never fully understand him. She will and I think that’s great, especially if she wants to help him.”

“That was…” Hope starts.

“Surprisingly insightful and heartfelt?” Black finished for her. She nodded in agreement, looking at Potter in a scrutinizing way as if trying to figure him out. Potter took on an arrogant stride, his hands in his front pockets, and he approached Hope.

“There’s more to me than meets the eye, love. I can be deep when I want to be. If that’s something you like then I’ll gladly keep it going.” He added with a wink.

Hope snorted, “Sorry, but I prefer my men unemotional, cold, and visually appealing. You don’t exactly fit the bill.” She says in mock sympathy. His friends snickered beside him.

He grins as he steps a little closer to Hope, undeterred by her sharp words. “Well, lucky for you, I’m adaptable. I could work on the ‘cold and unemotional’ bit, though it might take some practice. As for the ‘visually appealing’—” He gestures to himself exaggeratedly. “—I think I’ve already got that covered, don’t you?”

Hope pretends to look him over. “Hmm, maybe if I squint. Really hard. In a dimly lit room.” Black howls with laughter and claps Potter on her shoulder. “Prongs, I think you’ve met your match.”

Potter ignores him, still grinning stupidly at Hope, “Alright, fine. So, I don’t fit your cold and broody type. But wouldn’t you rather have someone warm, charming, and devilishly funny to balance you out? You’re already scary enough on your own.”

Hope tilts her head with a mockingly sweet smile. “And wouldn’t you rather have someone who actually finds your flirting the least bit charming and not comparable to a train wreck?”

He scoffed but kept his air of arrogance. “I’ll have you know that there are numerous women here that simply can’t resist my Potter charm and you will soon be one of them. You should be honored. I'm neglecting all those wonderful women in favor of you.” He said with finality and an easy smile.

Hope rolled her eyes but a smile was playing on her lips. “Potter charm? Please, the only charm you’ve got is the one keeping you upright, Potter. Without it, you’d be tripping over your own arrogance.”

Black sucks in a breath, facing Hope. “Merlin, she’s vicious.” He turns to Potter, “no wonder you're smitten.”

Potter chooses to ignore his friend again. “You’ll find me appealing one day, Mikaelson, you’ll see!” He beamed as if this was a daily occurrence and, from what she’s heard from Lily, it is.

Remus found his voice from dying at the interaction with Peter on the sidelines for a much more serious matter. “Okay, Jamie’s sad love life aside, Madam Pomfrey wanted to see me because Hope is going to be helping me during transformations. She’s figured out a way to bond with her wolf so that she can turn at will and she’s going to teach me.”

Sirius lit up like a Christmas tree and rushed forward to hug Hope with enough force to almost knock her over if she wasn’t a wolf or a vampire. “Fucking hell, that’s amazing!” He pulled back a little, gripping her shoulders, to look at her with wide, wondrous eyes. “Where have you been all our lives?” He exclaimed.

Potter and Pettigrew had to forcibly pull him away from her but he was still looking at her as if she was Merlin himself. Potter smacked him upside the head, “Ow! What was that for? I was just showing my gratitude.” Black rubbed the injured spot on his head. Potter silently glared at him, not wanting to explain why he hit his friend.

“Well, you are very welcome.” Hope smiled kindly at the injured Marauder. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say your animagus is a dog?” Sirius perked up at that and Hope could picture a dog with its ears pointed up in alert when the doorbell rang. “How did you know?” His friends and Hope laughed quietly and he turned his head quickly in all four directions trying to figure out why they were laughing which only made them laugh harder. “I have my reasons.” Hope answered vaguely and was still smiling.

“Wait,” Pettigrew said, suddenly serious and looking at Remus, “Does this mean you don’t need us to go with you anymore?” He asked, looking hurt and disappointed at the thought of not being there for his friend. That quickly sobered up the other two Marauders who looked at Remus in trepidation of his answer.

Remus smiled at his friends and wondered what he did to deserve them. “Of course, I still want you all there.” They were all visibly relieved at that. “But…I was actually going to ask Hope the same thing cause I don’t know how the process to control my wolf is going to go or how long it will take.” All four Marauders turned to look at her with, ironically, puppy dog eyes, silently praying she’ll say yes.

“I’m not going to lie, it might take months and it’s very painful.” She warned them and Remus felt his stomach churn. “But…” They all leaned forward a bit, waiting for her approval. “It’ll be a lot easier with a support system and you clearly have a strong one.”

They all cheered and Black went to tackle Hope again in appreciation but was held back by all of his friends. She smiled, happy that she was helping. Back home, all Hope knew was saving people. At first it was her family and then it was her friends and the rest of the student body at the Salvatore school. It’s all she’s ever known—putting her needs aside for the greater good or someone else’s happiness but never her own. She hasn’t had that in months since being in this universe and it’s nice to have some familiarity. Hope knows Remus doesn’t need saving or fixing but she also knows that she can help him in a way no one else can, and that’s enough for her.

— — — — — — 

The group made their way to the great hall for dinner. Hope stayed quiet and close to Remus as Sirius and James went into detail about their latest prank. Peter added into their tale with small quips here and there. Apparently they had charmed the wands of the first years during a class with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to do the opposite of whatever spell they were saying. The class was learning the lumos charm and after they had cast it, the marauders cast their own spell on their unsuspecting wands. After that, everytime the first years would say ‘nox’ to extinguish the light, it would just grow brighter, making them temporarily blind. By the time they figured out how to extinguish it, half the first years were tripping over each other and the desks and chairs were splayed half-hazardly all over the classroom. Professor Flitwick got the worst of it, being as tall as a first-year and getting caught in their freakouts. Unfortunately for the students, the spell they used lasted two days, without a counterspell, so they were forbidden from using their wands for the time being in fear of any unwarranted explosions. One of the first year Hufflepuffs forgot about the spell on their wand and went to cast an alohomora on her dorm room but it backfired and added more locks onto the door no one could get through since she didn’t actually use the proper spell. It took almost an hour for their head of house, Professor Sprout, to get them all unlocked. No need to say it but the boys got detention. 

Walking into the great hall, Hope split up from the boys and walked towards the Slytherin table but not before Remus had to hold Sirius back from another hug of gratitude. God, that boy has issues. She slid into her seat beside Pandora who offered her a dreamy smile and passed her a plate which Hope took graciously. Looking up to greet the boys she paused in her movements to plate her food as she saw their hard glares.

“Uhh…what’d I do?” She asked, genuinely lost.

“What were you doing with the lions?” Evan asked. “More specifically,”  Barty added with a hard tone to match his expression. “What were you doing with those lions?”

Hope rolled her eyes at them. “We were just talking. Poppy asked to meet me and Remus was there. Apparently, he spends a lot of time in the hospital wing helping her with tasks and since I’ve been doing the same over the summer, she thought it’d be a good idea for the both of us to work together and learn the new routine.” The lie rolled off her tongue easily. It tasted bitter, lying to her new and only friends in her house but they couldn’t know the truth either so she stomached the taste.

Evan narrowed his eyes on her. “Alright, but that doesn’t explain why you were with the rest of those blithering idiots in red.”

“They bumped into us on the way to dinner.” She shrugged. Neither boy looked convinced and Reggie had been suspiciously quiet, glaring at his half-eaten plate. She sighed. “Look, it was nothing okay. I promise.”

“I’m not sure we can believe that, Hope. Just yesterday you made friends with Evans and now you're calling Lupin by name and walking to dinner with his best mates. Don’t tell me you're collecting enough of them for a Pride? Are we not enough for you?” Barty bit out. 

Hope was confused. She didn’t think she had made that much of an impact on the four Slytherins in just two days but they seemed to be a little offended, at least Barty is, in her making more friends. Of course she had grown fairly attached to them but still, it’s been two days , why were they acting like this? She looked around at Evan and Pandora and they were wearing similar looks of worry and fear of her answer to Barty. The man in question was glaring at her but she could see the hurt in his eyes masked by anger. Regulus had yet to glance in her direction. 

Slytherins protect their own , echoed in her head but she couldn’t remember where she heard that from. She was one of them Hope realized. She was Pandora’s only female friend, the only girl in their house that would share a dorm with her, and one of the few who never questioned her unique personality and actually embraced it. Evan and Barty had welcomed her with, somewhat, open arms, joked around with her, and made efforts to include her. And Regulus, well…he had opened up to her about his feelings towards his brother and she did the same with as little information as she could offer but he had yet to look at her since sitting down at the table. Wait—his brother— he had seen her with his brother . The same brother whom Reggie felt abandoned by and told Hope of his inner turmoil regarding him. And also the same brother who he just saw interacting with Hope as if they were friends and attempted to hug her. 

Fuck, I’m an idiot , she thought and mentally face-palmed.

She turned to all of them, making her voice and expression as sincere as possible. “Of course, you guys are enough. I’m not ‘collecting’ lions as you so elegantly put it, Barty. I made friends with Lily because she seemed nice enough and I was hoping,” She turned to Pandora. “That the three of us could hang out one day.” The blonde Slytherin smiled in approval. Hope turned back to Evan and Barty. “And as I told you before, Madam Pomfrey wanted to see me and Remus and since we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other we thought it best to be civil. I’m not suddenly replacing you guys or anything.” They eased at that and she saw at the corner of eye, Reggie exhaling a breath he seemed to be holding in anticipation but he still never looked up. “Not sure I could even if I wanted to. Evan kinda sticks like a nasty bug, doesn't he?”

That earned a laugh. Barty clapped Evans shoulder with a smile, “She’s got you there mate.”

The conversation turned light-hearted after that. Everyone was talking about their day and any random topics that came up. At one point, Evan went on a tangent about how utterly stupid and childish the prank that the four Gryffindors played on the first years was. Everyone was laughing at his theatrical retelling with his own opinions mixed in. Everyone, except Regulus who seemed adamant on not looking anywhere other than his plate. Hope is worried if her interaction with Sirius puts a strain on their barely-developed relationship. She is wishing it hasn't and if it has then she is determined to set it right. There are so many layers to Regulus Black but Hope can tell that peeling back every one would earn her an amazing friend and maybe something akin to a brother. 

Throughout dinner, Hope tried to get his attention but failed every time. She decided to talk to him after dinner on their way to the dorms but Pandora pulled her back to talk about their Transfigurations class and if Hope would be willing to help her. Hope tried to catch him in the common room but he had gone upstairs claiming to be “too exhausted to engage with simple-minded fools.” 

There’s always tomorrow , Hope thought.

— — — — — — 

There, in fact, was not tomorrow. Or the day after for that matter. Regulus has been actively avoiding Hope for two days and she has had enough. 

On Wednesday, she got up early to catch him in the morning because he’s always up and ready in the common room an hour before breakfast. So, she sat down across from him and was about to strike up a conversation. He didn’t take one look at her, closed his book, and walked out. Then she tried during their free period before lunch when he was in the library. He quickly lost her in the countless aisles he was obviously more accustomed to than her. After dinner was pointless because Evan and Barty dragged her into a very confusing and painful game of exploding snap. Evan won cause Hope got annoyed and snapped her fingers at random to annoy him and Barty was about ready to throw a fit every time he lost a card.

On Thursday, she didn’t see him at all because he wasn’t in his regular spot before breakfast and didn’t walk with them like normal. Hope started to feel bad because that habit was theirs long before she got to this world and now it was getting off balance because of her. During free period and lunch, Pandora asked to sit by the lake so they could finish their assignments together. By the time they were done, Barty and Evan joined and they had to help the two. At night, Pandora stopped her from going up to him where he was sitting with a book by the fireplace in the common room.

“Reg is more guarded than any of us. Could be a fatal flaw or a trauma response. Either way, someone needs to push through his wards.” Hope went to walk over to him, thinking that’s what she meant but the blonde pulled her back with a sad smile. “But not tonight. Give him another day.” Hope conceded but she wasn’t happy about it.

Currently, it was Friday and Hope was holding herself back from dragging Regulus by the ear and forcing him to talk to her. She didn’t understand why she was so worked up about the Black not speaking to her but it irked her in ways she couldn’t imagine. The more she thought about it though, the more she realized he reminded the tribird of her Uncle Elijah. Elijah was always more closed off from the rest of the family, choosing to play diplomat and rarely showed his emotions to her. She remembers always seeing him sitting in secluded corners with a book in his hands, much like Regulus. And also like Regulus, he never showed his feelings on his face. She had to learn how to pick up on Elijah’s physical tells to know how he was feeling. Her uncle rarely smiled fully but there was a slight uptick on the left side of his face that always betrayed him. With Regulus, he has on a constant mask of indifference but his eyes always gave away his true feelings. They both also share rare instances of vulnerability, which in defence, is a family trait. 

She’s been gravitating towards the younger Black because of the familiarity. But she knows he could never replace her Uncle and she would never want him to. Regulus is his own person and Hope has grown to care for him and she would be damned if she let him give her the cold shoulder any longer. She was determined to talk to him that day but lady luck was not on her side. At least, that’s what she thought. Regulus had successfully avoided her all day, even going as far as to agree to playing a round of quidditch with Barty and Evan even though he loathes the game and flying. 

That same night, Hope couldn’t sleep. She was tossing and turning in bed for hours. The full moon is tomorrow and that always has her on edge. Even more now since she has to help Remus with his transitions. Deciding to give up on sleep, Hope slipped out of her shared room, careful not to wake Pandora, and went down to the common room. She didn’t expect anyone to be down there since it was about one a.m. but Regulus was curled up on a comforter in front of the burning fireplace with a book in his lap. He didn’t seem to be reading though, just staring blankly at the fire.

Hope knew that if she made any noise or indication that she was there, the boy would leave. She had to be cautious about this but just in case she threw up quick barrier spells on all the exits so he would be forced to talk to her. She slowly crept up to him. Approaching him was similar to how you would a cat. Quietly and no sudden movements. Maybe that’s what his animagus would be if he was one , Hope wondered.

Coming up next to him, she cleared her throat. “Hey,” she started softly. She saw him tense slightly. “Can I sit?” He gave a sharp nod, only noticeable if you were looking for it and she was.

Hope sat down on the seat across from him and basked in the warmth of the fireplace. She smiled at the green flames before turning to him. His body was rigid and his eyes hard. His hands were tightly grasping the edges of his book and Hope feared for his life if it was one of Madam Pince’s. 

“Wanna talk about it?” She didn’t know about what exactly but she had a feeling. 

Her question was met with silence. She decided to keep going. “You’ve been avoiding me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” 

Nothing. 

“Could you tell me why?” 

His fingers twitched.

Hope sighed softly, leaning back in her chair and letting the silence stretch between them. She figured that forcing Regulus to talk wouldn’t get her anywhere—he was stubborn, and pushing too hard would only make him retreat further. She gave it a few minutes before trying again.

“I know I’m not your favorite person right now,” she said after a while, her tone gentle, almost teasing, but laced with sincerity. “But whatever’s going on, I’m here. You don’t have to tell me, but…I’d like to help. If you’ll let me.”

Regulus didn’t move, didn’t speak, and certainly didn’t look at her. His jaw clenched so tightly that Hope wondered if he might snap a tooth. She sighed, leaning back in her chair but keeping her eyes trained on him. If he wanted a staring contest, she was ready to win it.

“Look, I know you’re mad,” she started again, her voice calm but insistent. “But I don’t fully know why. So maybe you can enlighten me?”

Still nothing. He was like a statue, carved out of ice and marble. Hope crossed her arms, biting back her irritation. “Reggie, I’m not leaving until you say something. So you might as well—”

“You don’t get it,” he snapped, cutting her off. His voice was sharp, like glass slicing through the quiet. His eyes finally flicked up to meet hers, and they were colder than she’d ever seen. “You don’t get anything, Mikaelson.”

She blinked, stunned by the venom in his tone. “Then help me get it,” she replied, her voice firmer now. “You can’t expect me to read your mind.”

Regulus let out a bitter laugh, the sound low and humorless. “Why would you even care? You’ve got your lions now. Go ask them to explain it to you.”

Hope’s patience snapped. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, is this about Sirius?” she asked, throwing her hands up. “Because if it is, you’re being ridiculous. I didn’t choose to bump into him, Reg. It just happened.”

“ It just happened, ” he mimicked mockingly, his grey eyes flashing with anger. “Of course it did. Everything with him just happens, doesn’t it? And now you’re practically best friends, laughing and hugging like—like—” He cut himself off, biting down on his words.

“Like what?” Hope challenged. “Like we’ve known each other for years? Because we haven’t, Regulus. I barely know the guy, and you know that.”

Regulus slammed his book shut, the sound echoing through the room. “It doesn’t matter,” he bit out, standing up abruptly. “You’ve already chosen your side.”

Hope shot to her feet, blocking his path. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” he hissed, stepping closer, his voice low and furious, “that you don’t get to waltz into my life, pretend to care, coax me into opening up, and then run off to him like everyone else does.”

His words hit her like a punch to the stomach, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer, steadier. “I didn’t run off to him, Regulus. I’m here, aren’t I? At one in the freaking morning, trying to figure out why you’re so mad at me.”

He stared at her, his breathing uneven, his fists clenched at his sides. For a moment, Hope thought he might storm off anyway, but then he turned his back to her, staring into the fire. His shoulders were rigid, his head bowed.

“You don’t understand,” he said finally, his voice quieter now but still sharp. “You can’t.”

“Then explain it to me,” she said, stepping closer. “Help me understand.”

He shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh. “You wouldn’t get it. You didn’t grow up in this family. You don’t know what it’s like to have everyone you care about turn their back on you.”

Her heart twisted at the pain in his voice, but she kept her tone gentle. “You think I don’t know what it’s like to lose people? Reg, I know more about that than you think.”

He turned to face her then, his eyes narrowing. “It’s not the same,” he said bitterly. “You don’t have to see them every day, laughing and living their perfect lives like you never existed. You don’t have to watch them replace you.”

Hope was thrown into the memory of when she was flung from Malivore months after she jumped into the pit and no one remembered her. She had to watch everyone she loved move on and be happy because to them, she didn’t exist. She understood him more than he realized. But the difference was that he does exist to people, just not to the one that matters most to him.

Hope frowned, stepping closer until she was right in front of him. “Is that what you think Sirius did? Replace you?”

Regulus didn’t answer, but the way his jaw clenched told her everything she needed to know.

“Reg,” she said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. He flinched but didn’t pull away. “Sirius didn’t replace you. He made his own choices, just like you made yours. But that doesn’t mean you’re any less important.”

He looked at her then, his eyes searching hers for something she couldn’t name. “You don’t know that,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

“I do,” she insisted. “Because I know what it’s like to feel like you’re not enough. But you are, Reg. You’re enough for me, and for Pandora, and for Evan and Barty. We’re your family now, whether you like it or not.”

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, finally, he let out a shaky breath and nodded. “You’re annoying, you know that?” he muttered, but there was no real bite to his words.

Hope smiled, relief flooding through her. “Takes one to know one, Black.” Her voice took on a more serious note, “But next time you’re angry with me, call me out. Please don’t avoid me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it's that avoiding the problem only makes it worse.”

He looked into her eyes, silver meeting blue, with sincerity and newfound trust, “I promise.”

Hope took her chance and pulled him into a hug which he reluctantly returned. Hope could tell physical affection was not something he was used to and Hope decided to change that when the younger Slytherin leaned into her touch like it was a life force. She didn’t let go for several minutes until he made the move to do so.