Tea cups, a werewolf and Quidditch
The next morning Harry did not wait for his dorm mates to be ready before he headed to breakfast. He had not slept well; he was restless, irritated and had no patience for Draco’s preening. He made his way to the Great Hall alone and sat at the far end of the Slytherin table to eat where he could better ignore Severus’ reproachful glances.
Harry had just piled his plate with scrambled eggs and toast when the quiet of his early morning breakfast was shattered by an ear-splitting argument.
“I’ve told you Ron my timetable is none of your business! So what if it’s a bit full? It doesn't affect you!” Hermione yelled.
“It does when I have to get up at the crack of dawn to eat,” Ron grumbled.
“I didn’t force you to get up early Ron! I thought you were looking for your rat,” Hermione huffed.
“Lavender said your cat wasn’t in your dorm all night,” Ron accused.
Hermione looked a little uncomfortable at that but she tossed her frizzy brown mop and said haughtily, “Crookshanks doesn't always stay on my bed. I dare say that there are mice somewhere in the castle and he’s gone hunting.”
“Well I can't find Scabbers anywhere and if I find that your cat has been hunting him…” Ron threatened.
“Don't be ridiculous Ron, Crookshanks has not eaten Scabbers! I am sure he is just hiding at the bottom of your trunk again.” Hermione
“Eaten? Eaten! I never said anything about him being eaten. Has your monster of a cat eaten my rat??? Ron demeanded.
“Of course not,” Hermione replied a little softer. The sounds of the argument faded as they got closer to the Gryffindor table, so Harry was unable to make out the words any longer.
The two bickering Lions sat themselves down at their table and continued to argue Harry noted Ron did not stop arguing even with a mouth full of eggs and he wished he sat with his back to the other tables. The ridiculous pair of Lions did nothing to soothe his irritated nerves.
He glanced back at the teacher's table noting that Severus had left at some point and Professor Lupin had arrived. Harry did not know what was going on with his betrothed and the former marauder but he was going to find out. He had known Severus for two years now and he knew the man had secrets about his parents; it was likely Severus thought he was protecting Harry by not telling him. Harry was not sure that was true.
Severus had been cagey when he talked about Lupin. Harry had long suspected that his father was a bully and that had been confirmed by Severus after Black had escaped. Severus had been quite upfront about his difficult relationship with both Black and his Dad so why was he less upfront about Lupin?
Severus had always said he did not want Harry to think poorly of his father because of him, which meant something bad must have happened. Harry hated not knowing things he couldn't protect himself if he didn’t know what was going on. Professor Lupin intrigued him and a part of him wanted to take the chance to get to know someone who had been a friend of his parents.
Severus had insinuated that there had been a ‘rat’ in his parent's friend group, he had not directly said that the rat might be Lupin. He had not directly said anything other than asking Harry to not be alone with the new Professor. Harry was torn between wanting to know and not wanting to hurt Severus.
Pansy arrived as Harry was contemplating paying Lupin a visit on the weekend; the girl sat down next to him. “Morning Harry, you’re up early,” she said cheerily.
“Humm,” he replied absently. “I am always up early I just usually wait for Draco and the others but this morning they were being particularly irritating,” he told her.
“I see,” Pansy said with a hint of sympathy. Pansy knew Draco was a diva she had known him for years before they began Hogwart. However, Harry seemed too morose for it to just be Draco’s Vanity bothering him. “What's wrong Harry? And don't say nothing I am not stupid,” she insisted.
Harry blew out a sigh. Pansy was annoyingly perceptive sometimes. “I don't know," he admitted. "I feel restless and irritable; truthfully Draco is the same this morning as he always is; fussing about his hair and getting the knot on his tie just so. Usually, it doesn't bother me but this morning, I just couldn’t deal with it,”
Pansy nodded sympathetically. “Did something happen yesterday?” She asked. Loading her plate.
Harry shook his head. “No, not really I mean other than Draco being a dick in Care of Magical Creatures but that got sorted out. No, it’s…it’s Professer Lupin, I think.” he confessed.
Pansy looked confused. “The Defence teacher? What’s wrong with him? I thought the lesson yesterday was brilliant.”
Harry nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it was, it's just apparently Lupin knew my parents. He was friends with them and…with Sirius Black,” he told her.
The dark-haired girl dropped her fork, shock etched on her face. “Sirius Black as in…the prisoner who escaped from Azkaban?”
“Yeah that one,” Harry replied.
“Oh, so do you think Professor Lupin is working with Black?” she asked.
Harry shook his head. “Professor Snape doesn't think so, but I feel like…I want to talk to him you know, but how do I know if I can trust him?” he confessed.
Pansy shook her head “ I don't know Harry, maybe you’ll get some insight into it at divination; we have our first class today after Transfiguration,” Pansy told him as she filled her bowl with porridge and added brown sugar.
That was possible Harry thought and on the whole a good suggestion. He was looking forward to Divination; Severus said his Mum had the gift and he thought Harry might have it too. Maybe Professor Trelawney could help him interpret the rat he saw in his mirror. He knew Sev thought she was a charlatan, but she must have some credentials to have secured a position teaching the subject. “Yeah,” he said finally. “You're right Pansy, maybe divination will help.”
The dark-haired girl gave Harry a radiant smile just as Draco sat down across the table. “You got your hand on Parkinson's knee Potter?” he asked with a smirk.
Harry rolled his eyes. “Don't be a prat Malfoy,” he said with a smirk.
Pansy glared at Draco, “Harry’s right; don't be a prat Malfoy,” she said huffily. The girl would not mind at all if Harry had put his hand on her knee but it was an open secret in Slytherin that Harry was betrothed. It was all supposition but in Slytherin House betrothal contracts were still fairly common. Harry had never confirmed the rumour but he always looked a little too interested when Daphne or any of the others with betrothal contracts were discussing their futures.
“You're not wearing your sling,” Harry observed, raising his eyebrow.
“Nope, got a letter from father last night. The board have announced they are doing a review of a certain teacher; so I don't need it any more,” he replied looking pleased with himself.
Harry nodded, he didn't want Hagrid to get into trouble but he also didn't want anyone to die in the man's class. “Oh that’s good, I hope they let him stay on as an assistant,” Harry said.
“Me too, Daphne said, as she took a seat opposite Harry.
Harry looked at her in surprise. “I thought you were angry about the lesson?” he asked.
“Of course I was, hippogriffs are dangerous creatures; their Ministry of Magic classification is XXX but I don't want Hagrid sacked. He knows everything about creatures and we could learn a lot from him. I just don't want to die at school,” the girl said.
“I knew you were faking Malfoy,” said an angry voice from the end of the table. “If you get Hagrid sacked I swear I will hex you,” Ron Weasely spat, from the end of the Slytherin table.
Malfoy raised his eyes slowly and looked the angry redhead in the eyes before giving him a wry smile. “Calm down Weasely,” he drawled. “You'll get your panties all twisted.”
Harry shot Draco an annoyed look before looking at Ron “What do you want,” he asked in a clipped tone.
Ron put a pink envelope on the table. “It’s from my sister,” the redhead explained. “Look Potter, I know you somehow saved her from the Chamber. I don't know what you did or what happened in that place but she hasn't been right since. I don't know what this letter says but…you stay away from her right!” Ron warned raising his finger and pointing it at Harry,
Harry raised his wand and checked the envelope for compulsion charms and potions and then he let Draco and Daphne test it too. When the letter came up clear he looked back at Ron. “I swear to you Ron, I have no interest in going anywhere near your sister for any reason. I went down there after her because I didn’t want her to die that's all, alright?”
Ron gave a stiff nod of his head and left; as Ron walked away Harry noticed a rat poking its head out of a hole at the bottom of Ron’s bag. Suddenly he recalled the Lion’s conversation on the train and their conversation just that morning and he jumped up and ran after the other boy. “Hey Ron,” he said as he caught up to him.
“What?” Ron asked suspiciously.
“Ah, well I heard you and Hermione arguing about your rat before and well...I can see him; he just stuck his head out the hole in your bag,” Harry told him.
Ron moved so fast that Harry did not realise what had happened until he found himself with Ron’s bag in his hands. Ron wrenched the bag open and started pulling all his books out and putting them in a rough pile on the end of the Ravenclaw table. “Scabbers,” the Gryffindor breathed in obvious relief as he lifted a large brown rat out of his empty bag.
The rat did look a bit worse wear, its fur was scruffy and falling out in patches and it looked ill. It also looked exactly like the rat Harry had seen in his mirror; a common garden-variety rat which had somehow lived long enough to have been Percy’s rat before he was Ron’s. Harry wondered just how long the Rat had been with the Weasley family.
“Thanks, Harry,” Ron said giving the the Slytherin and small smile.
“No problem, I would hate to lose Hedwig. How long have you had him?” Harry asked casually.
“Oh years, he was Percy’s rat first. Charlie found him in the garden at home just before Percy started Hogwarts. My parents bought Percy an owl when he was made a Prefect and I got Scabbers. He’s not much maybe but he's mine,” Ron added a little defensively.
“He’s lucky to have someone who looks after him so well,” Harry said as he ran a critical eye over the rat. It was missing a toe, he noticed; Harry tried to remember if the rat in his mirror had all its toes. “Anyway I am glad you found him,” he said.
“Yeah thanks again,” Ron said as he stuffed his books back in his bag with one hand; while he held his ill-looking rat in the other hand. The rat lay listlessly in Ron’s hand and then something odd happened; Scabbers lifted his head and looked directly at Harry for a moment. Harry found himself making and holding eye contact with a rat. Then suddenly the rat let out a terrified squeak and started to wiggle Ron left his bag in Harry's grasp and used both his hands to try and hold onto his rat.
“Scabbers? What’s wrong?” Ron asked the rat, who was still frantically trying to escape. “Is that bloody cat in here?” he asked scanning the room suspiciously while holding Scabbers tight against his chest.
Finally and with much difficulty Ron managed to get his squirming rat into his pocket. Then he grabbed his bag back from Harry and ran out of the Great Hall, leaving half his school books on the table. Hermione walked over collected the books and then with a brief nod to Harry followed the redhead out of the Hall.
🐀🐕🐺
Transfiguration proved to be both much harder than the year before, as well as much more interesting. Professor McGonagall had given a lecture about Animagi and Harry had held on to her every word. He had been intrigued to learn that you could not tell an actual animal from an animagus unless you knew them well or used a spell on them to reveal the person.
When Professor McGonagall had transformed into a cat in front of them Harry noticed she had markings around her eyes where her glasses had been, so when she transformed back he raised his hand. “Professor?”
“Yes Mr Potter,” The teacher said in her no-nonsense tone.
“I noticed that when you are in your cat form you have marking around your eyes in place of your glasses; does every animagus have a mark linking them to their human form?” He asked.
“A very good observation Mr Potter, five points to Slytherin,” she said with a smile. “Yes, I do not need glasses in my cat form; a cat's eyesight is much better than a human's. My glasses become the markings around my eyes because when I transform back I do need my glasses. Such is the case for any other distinctive marking or essential accessory,” the teacher explained.
“So you would have a lighting bolt, Potter,” Seamus called out.
The professor turned and glared at her Lion. “You would do well to remember that you already have three weeks of detention for your behaviour in Potions, Mr Finnegan,” she said but she did not take any points.
Pansy raised her hand. “Miss Parkinson,”
The teacher said stiffy.
“So if the wizard was missing a tooth or an arm would that would show in their animal form?” Pansy asked. Harry could have hugged her.
“Depending on the animal yes, it would. If for example, I only had one arm, then in my cat form I would only have three legs; the corresponding limb would be missing,” Professor McGonagall explained.
Harry sat very still as he listened carefully to everything the teacher told them. Ron’s rat was missing a toe. Why that should mean anything he didn't know but…something nagged at the back of his mind. Had someone mentioned a person with a missing arm? No, not an arm. A missing arm would mean the rat would only have three legs. Harry tried but he could not grasp the thread which dangled in his mind.
The rest of the class was spent reading the chapter on animagus transformations and asking further questions at the end of the class the professor set a two-foot essay on the process required to become an animagus. Harry made sure to take careful notes he was quite interested in becoming an animagus; ever since he found out that James had been one.
After Transfiguration Harry and Pansy said goodbye to the rest of the Slytherins and made their way to Divination. According to the timetable, the classroom was at the top of the North Tower but neither of them had been there before. They cast a point me spell and set off in the direction it pointed; at the top of a tight spiral staircase, they found a rickety-looking rope ladder. Harry put one foot on the first rung to test it, then was distracted by yelling on the spiral staircase. Harry rolled his eyes, honestly could those two Lions not converse at a normal volume? Pansy stifled a groan as Ron and Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs.
“I was right behind you, Ron,” Hermione huffed. Sounding annoyed but there was a worried frown on her face which did not make sense given her tone.
“You were, then weren't and then were again, what's going on Hermione? Is this something to do with your impossible timetable?” Ron demanded.
“I told you, Ron, it isn't impossible! I’ve sorted it out with Professor McGonagall,” the girl replied. “Do we have to climb that?” she asked, turning her attention to Harry and squinting dubiously at the rope ladder.
“It seems so,” Harry replied. “I think it should hold,” he said pulling himself up so his full weight was on the rung. The rope rung sagged under his weight but it held so Harry put his other foot on the next rung and climbed the ladder. Pansy followed him.
They emerged into a dark circular room which contained twelve round tables each with two overstuffed chintz armchairs. It looked like an attic which had been converted into a teashop a hundred years ago and then forgotten about. The space was divided in half with six tables on one side and six on the other side. Harry noted the tables on the other side of the room had crystal balls on them. At the front of the room was a staircase leading up to a door which was probably Professor Trelawneys office but there was no sign of the Professor herself.
Two tables set with tea cups were placed at the front of the room near a large window, which was hung with heavy red velvet drapes. Harry surmised they were beginning with reading tea leaves. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were already seated at a table right in the front, they looked as excited as Harry felt, he was pleased that at least some of his classmates were taking this class seriously. Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbot were at the table next to them. Ron and Hermione took the other table at the front and Harry and Pansy sat together at a table towards the back next to two Ravenclaws who Harry recognised as Michael Corner and Morag Macdougal there were two more Hufflepuffs at the last table on this side of the room.
Harry pulled out his book ‘Unfogging the Future as soon as he was seated and turned to the relevant chapter. Pansy gave him a strange look but he ignored her. He had been looking forward to this class, and he really hoped Severus’ refusal to comment on Professor Trelawney was just him being Severus.
“Welcome class,” a dreamy voice spoke from the shadows at the side of the room. “It is so nice to see you all here in the real world. My name is Professor Trelawney and we are here to learn about the ancient art of divination. Now, before we begin I must warn you,” she said in a slightly less dreamy voice. “Although you have chosen to study divination only those with the sight will succeed. I can teach you the methods but what you see will depend on your inner eye. If your eye is obstructed then I am afraid you will not…see,” she whispered dreamily.
“You,” the professor said suddenly and dramatically pointing at Lavender. “Beware the red-headed man,” she hissed. Parvati and Lavender both glanced at Ron.
Professor Trelawney continued in her vague unconcerned manner. “We shall begin with reading tea leaves. Reading the leaves requires some intuition, however, if you can see the symbols in your cup you may be able to interpret them only using your text. However, if you can use your inner eye everything will become clear. Please collect a cup from the front of the room and I shall bring the tea around. Oh and you dear,” she said waving at Neville. “Once you have broken your first cup please choose a blue patterned cup, I am rather fond of the pink,” Professor Trelawney told him.
The class moved to collect cups and sure enough just as Harry returned to his seat with a finely patterned pink cup he heard the clinking noise of broken china. “One of the blue ones, if you wouldn't mind dear,” the Professor said as she swept up the broken cup with a resigned sigh.
Harry sat in his seat and examined his cup. It was fine china with a pattern of pale pink flowers. It was a lovely cup but if what he had read in the book Severus bought for him was correct, then this cup was all wrong for divination. The cups should be plain white with no decoration at all, and the tea leaves should go directly into the cup and have hot water poured over them to steep in the cup; perhaps this was just a method of teaching he thought.
Ignoring the stream of very wrong information and nonsense predictions coming from the professor; Harry, held his steaming hot cup in both hands and closed his eyes focusing his energy on his cup. Then he began to drink keeping his mind focused on his intentions. Then when only the dregs remained, he turned his cup upside down in his saucer using his left hand and let the remaining tea drain out. Then he turned his cup three times clockwise and lifted it and looked at the te leaves remaining in the cup.
Harry could vaguely hear Hermione’s voice loudly declaring that anyone could have known…well, something. He wasn't sure what the girl was yelling about this time but he wished she would lower her voice so he could focus on his cup.
“I am afraid my dear your aura is very murky, the resonances of the future are like sound waves; if you are not attuned you will never truly perceive,” the professor said in an irritated tone. Harry’s respect for the woman instantly increased, though it could hardly have decreased at this point..
Carefully he examined his cup noting down an acorn in the middle of the cup and hummed good fortune was a nice start. There was a chain towards the bottom of the cup, indicating a future marriage, he smiled at that and wrote it down. On the opposite side of the cup near the rim and close to the handle, indicating the present and immediate surrounding was a large blob. Harry thought for a moment might be a rat; he squinted and looked closer but he was not sure, he turned to Pansy he held out his cup. “What do you think that is? He asked indicating the blob.
Pansy took the cup and looked closely, “hmm, it is probably an animal,” she said thoughtfully. “I don’t think it's a cat, maybe a dog?” she said screwing up her nose.
Professor Trelawney appeared out of nowhere and snatched the cup from Pansy. “She studied the cup and then sank into the chair, which, Harry was sure had not been the moment before and she sighed dramatically. “Oh my dear boy, she gasped. You have the grim.”
Lavender and Parvati both sucked in deep breaths and Neville broke his third cup. Then there was silence.
Harry stared at the teacher in shock. The grim was of course bad news it was a sign of imminent death and given its position in the cup, Harry quickly scanned the room for an imminent threat. However, all he saw was his classmates, staring open-mouthed at him. “The grim,” he repeated with a smirk. “I don’t think so and even if that is a dog, which I am not sure that it is, then at the top of the cup it signifies friends and friendship. I think perhaps you ought to reread your set text, Professor,” he said in a neutral tone.
Pansy looked at him as if he had lost his mind, Lavender and Parvati looked like they might cry, Ron was yet to close his mouth and Neville was clearly distraught. Harry took a deep breath, picked up his cup and vanished the leaves; then he gathered his bag just as the bell sounded and he left the classroom. Pansy scrambled to follow him. As he reached the bottom of the spiral staircase he heard loud footfall above him and he heard Hermione calling out to him. He stopped and waited for the breathless Lion to catch up.
“Harry, Harry you are not worried, are you? I really don’t think there is anything to worry about. Divination seems rather woolly to me,” the girl told him.
“Woolly!” Ron said suddenly appearing behind them. “There is nothing woolly about a Grim,” he said white-faced and shaky. “My uncle saw one and two days later he was dead! You’re just annoyed because Trelawany said you have no aura!”
Hermione huffed and walked away, Ron gave Harry a terrified glance and ran after her.
“You should tell Professor Snape,” Pansy said softly, touching his shoulder.
Harry hummed his agreement. He would tell Severus of course but only because he was certain the animal in the cup had been a rat, not a dog of any kind.
🐀🐕🐺
Quidditch tryouts were due to be held that Saturday and after a long conversation with Severus about his first Divination class; Harry had decided to put the grim/rat out of his mind and focus on Quidditch. Harry was hoping to make the main team this year since Terrance Higgs was in his seventh year and had quit the team to focus on his grades, he wanted to become an unspeakable so he needed at least five NEWTS including an outstanding in Charms, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.
Severus had explained to Harry that Professor Trelawney’s favourite way to greet a new class was to predict someone's death. The professor had predicted the death of at least one student every year since she began teaching. Harry was disappointed he had been hoping that divination would help him hone his natural skills. Severus had encouraged him not to give up, which, Harry thought was nice of him given his distaste for the art.
Early on Saturday Harry got up before the rest of his dorm mates and headed down to breakfast. He was planning to get to the pitch early and warm up well before the tryouts began. He was sprinting from goal post to goal post for the third time when he felt eyes watching him. He slowed down and scanned the stands as he flew passed looking for the person watching him. In the last stand usually reserved for teachers, Harry saw him; Remus Lupin. He was quietly sitting at the back of the stand with his back to the wall and he was both watching Harry and scanning the perimeter of the pitch.
Harry considered the man as he flew, it was odd that a teacher would follow a student to the quidditch pitch and watch him. Severus had warned him not to go off on his own, to not be with Lupin on his own. The rat in the tea cup flashed into his mind, was Lupin the rat? His name would suggest not; a wolf was far removed from a rat in terms of its symbolic meaning, a wolf referred to jealousy. in which case the question was could jealousy lead to betrayal?
In the distance, Harry saw Marcus Flint the Slytherin Captain heading towards the pitch, he was followed by about half of Slytherin House. Harry had maybe five minutes to find out what Lupin wanted; Harry was prepared to lay his cards on the table, if Lupin did the same then maybe they could talk further. He should be safe enough if he stayed on his broom and his housemates were close enough now to see anything which might happen.
He flew over to the teacher's stand and hovered near the edge of the stand. “Morning Professor,” he said neutrally.
“Good morning Mr Potter, you are a very skilled on a broom, your dad would be proud,” Lupin said with a smile.
“He is,” Harry replied without blinking. “He comes to matches as often as he can, mother too.”
Lupin looked surprised and then something dark crept across his face, but it was gone before Harry could blink. “I meant…”
“I know what you meant,” Harry cut him off in a hard voice. “I know you were a friend of James and Lily; however, I never knew them. Lucius and Narcissa are my parents now. They take care of me, unlike Lily’s relatives who never wanted me and who treated me like a slave. If you think you can turn up here and take me away from my new family with a few fairy tales about dead people, please think again,” Harry said coldly, and he moved to fly away.
“No, Harry, no I don’t want to…please, I don’t want to disrupt your family. If you are happy and well cared for then that is all I want I just…I would like to get to know you. I won't talk about your… about James and Lily if you don't want me to,” Lupin said quickly, sounding pained.
Harry stopped and looked back at the man who was looking quite ill Harry thought. He gave the man an assessing look.”Why?” He asked.
“I have read the papers, Harry, I have some idea of what happened to you. None of that should ever have happened; I know Lily would never have left you in Petunia's care. I was weak, after Sirius…after everything…I left. I should have been stronger. I should have stayed here and made sure the wills were adhered to; I trusted the wrong people, Harry, I regret that.” Lupin explained.
“Would you though? Would you have just let the wills stand? Do you even know who my magical guardian is?” Harry demanded, jutting out his chin.
Remus swallowed hard, would he have stood aside and allowed the Malfoys to care for Harry. Something tugged at his mind, a memory, something Lily had told him but it was just out of reach. He shook his head and met Harry’s eyes. “I believe I can guess who he is,” he replied slowly. “…based on the fact it was Lily’s will which surfaced and the fact you are in Slytherin I am assuming…”
“Sush,” Harry hushed. “Do not speak his name; it has been suppressed for a reason. My question stands, given everything you just mentioned; would you have allowed Mum’s will to be followed?” Harry asked.
The man hesitated then he said very softly. “I…yes, yes Harry. If it was the will of your mother, Lily. Then yes.”
Harry considered the man and his response then he nodded. “I will talk with my…family,” he said. “I will let you know,” and he flew way towards the team.
🐀🐕🐺
Flint ran some warm-ups for all the hopefuls and then he divided them into four groups depending on the position they wanted; he needed at least one person for each position on the main team. His keeper, two beaters and one chaser had graduated the year before and with Terrance deciding not to play he had more spaces to fill this year than he had the year before. The reserve keeper was going to be hard to beat for the main team, Draco and Harry were probably a given as well but Professor Snape had insisted all vacant positions be opened to anyone who wanted to try out.
Once the warm-up was done Flint started with the chasers. They ran drills moving the quaffle up and down the pitch while Harry flew around as if he was seeking the snitch. Flint had asked him to do it to weed out the ones who would be too easily distracted. When he was down to seven he brought in beaters to hit bludgers at them while Harry pretended to chase a snitch. When he had the three new chasers he needed they moved on to the beaters.
Those who wanted the beater position were put against the new and old chasers, the three who managed to almost knock Draco off his broom were then pitted against Harry, Terrance and the two of the seeker hopefuls. Harry flew like a man possessed catching the snitch eight times out of ten he was beaten twice by second-year Alex Harper.
When the teams were finalised Harry and Draco had both made the main team but Harry knew he had serious competition with Alex Harper. He congratulated the second year and suggested they get together for a couple of seeker battles.
The finalising of the Quidditch team was celebrated in the Slytherin common room long into the night; Marcus was thrilled with the talent he had in his team and he was already creating strategies with Terrance Higgs, who had agreed to act as an in-house coach for the team. Severus let them go. It was important for the team to bond and for the rest of the house to support them and given they were under the water level of the lake it was highly unlikely anyone would hear them.
Severus was not Minerva not by a long way, but he did have his pride and the pride of Slytherin House to consider; not to mention his running bet with the Head Gryffindor. As curfew approached Severus headed out on his rounds; when he returned he checked the common room and found the party winding down, so left the supervision of the house to his prefects and made his way to rooms. Where he found Remus Lupin waiting outside his office door. He froze as he always did when confronted with a person he knew to be a werewolf.
“Severus,” Lupin said softly. This close to a full moon his senses were heightened and he could smell the man's fear; he was not offended, he understood it, Sirius really had been an idiot when they were at school. “I was hoping for a word,” he requested, in the same soft tone which he hoped was reassuring to the other man.
Annoyed with himself for his display of weakness, Severus pulled himself together and opened his office door. He stepped back to allow his guest inside first; Severus very rarely turned his back on any wizard but to do so to a werewolf was pure stupidity. He watched the man who might have killed him in his fifth year walk into his office and followed behind him; almost without hesitation.