fun times with being a teenage werewolf

[wolfymcwolf]

[It was time to cover werewolves in DADA, always a bit of a rough subject for Remus. Not because it was difficult, he hardly had to take notes for it, but many of his classmates had opinions, and this year's teacher of the subject seemed all too willing to encourage "class discussions".

So it just devolved into people sharing horror stories of things they'd heard had happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's cousin's mom at the hands of a werewolf, speculation on whether the wolf half "leaked" into the human half, and all sorts of hideous rumors that Remus couldn't begin to dispute without outing himself.

Instead he slowly slid down in his chair, wishing the floor would swallow him up. Why couldn't he have been too sick to come to class this week? Or would that have been too obvious?]

Comments

/shrugemoji

[effingsirius]

[He's not good at words. He's not good at laying it all out for someone to understand things from a new perspective. He lets James and even Lily take on that, whenever it's necessary to do for Remus' sake. Does his best to sit next to his friend and sneakily rest his hand against his during class, instead. If he can't defend him with words, he can at least remind him he's not alone.

He can also, and does, keep a mental note of some of the particularly opinionated people in the class. Usually manages to find, somehow and coincidentally, a reason to get into a fight with said people. They're always quick things, usually have the other person scuttling away with embarrassment for losing so thoroughly or because they don't want to get into any additional trouble. Sirius has learned well from his parents how to make a hurt show up quickly and without being visible. Sirius has learned to take a great amount of pain so that his scuffles don't land him in the hospital wing. He usually fixes himself up or gets James to lend a hand, so Remus can keep having plausible deniability about Sirius' involvement in anything that'll wind up with him bruised. Most people, even if they end up in the hospital wing, tend not to want to name him because he always makes sure to let them know it'll just be worse next time if they do.

(He tries not to think of himself as his father or mother, when he says it. Tries to tell himself it's like with Regulus. He's protecting Remus. It doesn't make the blood-- metaphorical or the one that literally ends up on his knuckles-- feel like it's gone any faster.)

But he's still got a sharp, victorious smile as he slides in across from Remus at dinner. He's managed to clean the blood off his split lip, but he's going to need James' help later for the bruises across his chest. It has him wincing slightly as he settles in.

Still, his voice is chipper as he helps himself to food.]

D'you hear Reynolds got himself landed in the hospital wing? From an actual Muggle fistfight, even. I didn't know he'd deign t'stoop so low.

[wolfymcwolf]

[He doesn't expect them to speak out on his behalf. He's not even sure he really wants them to, he doesn't want to bring any attention regarding werewolves their way. But it's nice to know they would. Sometimes Sirius' hand against his is the only thing that gets him through.

Despite his friends best efforts to distract him, Remus is usually pretty glum the days they go over werewolves in class. And it happens every year because they can never keep a DADA instructor long enough for a steady curriculum to be developed. Normally he might at least try to look disapproving at Sirius getting into fights behind his back, but now he just feels guilty because he knows it was done on his behalf.

Plus there was the added guilt of being complicit through his "If I didn't see it, it didn't happen" attitude. Honestly, he was the last person to deserve his Prefect badge; if Dumbledore chose him in hopes he'd put a stop to his friends' more unreasonable pranks and fights, well... Remus supposed he was just a disappointment to the man.

Sirius is not subtle at all, even without the split lip. But as always, Remus chooses not to acknowledge it.]

Always the gossip hound, aren't you, Sirius? [There's a joke there. See? He must be feeling better.] I hadn't heard that, no.

[effingsirius]

[The quiet pun earns a bark of a laugh, which promptly earns the faintest of winces as it disrupts the bruises on his chest. He manages to call up a smile to his lips almost instantly after. No need to make Remus worry more-- knowing him, he was probably already feeling guilty, even though he shouldn't.

This was entirely on Sirius, and he only had himself to blame for how awful he could feel himself twisting into, sometimes, when fighting the people who'd said such rude things. But they'd started it-- hadn't they?]

You know me. The source of all information y'need about the going-ons here in our fine institution. 's why you keep me around, 'sn't it?

[wolfymcwolf]

I keep you around for lots of reasons.

[Remus draws up a teasing smirk, flicking a pea at Sirius. Under the table, he nudges his leg against Sirius' pointedly. He wouldn't have made it through class without all of their support, in all the quiet and not so quiet ways it was given. He has to show appreciation for that.]

[effingsirius]

's that so?

[A bright, fond grin back at his friend. He tries and fails to catch the pea and eat it; settles instead for nudging his knee back against Remus'.]

Glad to hear 'm such an incredible catch, then.

[wolfymcwolf]

[He huffs out a laugh, slightly tempted to toss more at him, but it wouldn't be very Prefect-ly to start a food fight.]

That's what all the girls say, y'know. That you're an incredible catch.

[effingsirius]

[A laugh as one brow lifts in response to Remus' words.]

Gossiping with the girls about me, are you?