The Stars and Forbidden Cigarettes | Professor Remus Lupin

Nonverbal Spells

Reverie looks up as the clock strikes 6 times above her. She is the last one to enter the castle, a few fellow Prefects ahead of her, and she relishes in the expansiveness of Scotland's night sky. As a young girl, her grandmother would always point out the greatest constellations in the night sky by name, call them divine, the only magic Reverie knew for a long time. On a clear night like tonight, the Plough is especially visible, Orion just above, and she hopes her grandmother is looking up as well.

She knows she'll have more time on other nights to stargaze, but tonight was the feast, and as good as her grandmother's cooking had been at home, she's missed the pumpkin juice and roast beef and potatoes. With her mouth already watering at the thought, she tears her eyes away from the night sky and enters the castle, slightly jumping when the grand doors slam behind her. Her eyes focusing on the candle-lit corridor in front of her, she sees out of the corner of her eye the brown tweed coat and case rushing up the main stairs.

"Hey!" Reverie calls out, starting to walk towards the man.

He slows down to glance behind him, and fully stops when Reverie reaches the last step.

"Are you ever going to apologize, or does the Ministry have to mandate the words "I'm sorry" too? For all you know, you could've caused Scabbers to die. That must deserve some form of recognition," Reverie says.

The man looks down at her with a frown on his face.

"What, not used to someone not kissing the Ministry's ass all the time? Tell Fudge that nobody likes a Minister that works only for himself. Merlin knows he didn't do anything for us," she spits.

She looks up at him angrily, expectantly, but when he only shakes his head, baffled, she rolls her eyes.

"Fine, have it your way. But just know that if the Ministry wants anyone to actually like them, they have to at least make an effort." She turns and walks up the final step and towards the Great Hall, the overbearing commotion slightly numbing her anger. She finds the Gryffindor table and sits by Fred, who smiles up at her, and Oliver Wood, her one and only friend, who asks her where she'd been.

"Just outside. Talking to some Ministry ass I saw on the train."

"Ministry ass? Who--" Oliver started, but was interrupted by Dumbledore, now standing at the podium. He begins by telling students of the dementors that are now stationed to protect Hogwarts from the escaped Azkaban prisoner, Sirius Black, the same dementors that searched the train earlier today.

"And now, I'd like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for this year, given Mr. Lockhart's absence this school year," Dumbledore starts.

"Honestly, if we learn anything this school year, this one will be infinitely better than Lockhart," Oliver leans over to whisper.

"Mhm," Reverie nods, sipping her pumpkin juice.

"Please offer a warm welcome to Professor Lupin!" Dumbledore announces, and turns towards the man at the far left of the table to clap along with the students.

As Reverie looks up, she sees the brown tweed and the shabby hair on the man who stands up with his hands in his pockets, and she chokes on her drink. Oliver turns towards her, still coughing, and slaps his hand on her back three times until Reverie calms down, careful not to make too big of a scene.

"Shit, Rev! What happened?" Oliver questions, as they sit down with the other students.

"That's-- That's the Ministry ass that I talked to," she says hoarsely, her eyes squinted as she tries to breathe normally.

Reverie looks up at the man -- at Lupin -- and finds he is already looking at her, his green eyes almost fiery as he looks upon Reverie's embarrassment. Reverie tears her eyes away and internally cringes, poking at her potatoes and roast beef that suddenly don't look as appetizing anymore.