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?]

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[wolfymcwolf]

[He'd just been hoping the class period would end as soon as possible and they could just stop talking about this. He doesn't expect what Lily does at all.

But Merlin, he knows now why James is so enraptured with her. They're already friends, have already talked a bit during shared Prefect duties and after that incident in fifth year, but he'd never fully appreciated-- and she's not even saying it in his defense specifically. She's saying it because it's the right thing to do.

He does shoot James a nervous look when he speaks up, then immediately tries to look disinterested as the class' attention turns in his general direction. (Because of course they all four sit together.) But it's fine, James has always been too good at talking his way out of things. It just sounds like he's being his usual self, full of bravado. It's fine.]

[lightmagic]

[ Lily is furious. She is livid and she has detention and she never has before, not in her entire schooling career, and it's this prick's fault. And now another prick is speaking up and she whips her head aside to glare at Potter, ready with her usual frustration—but something in her expression stills and softens because she's actually listening to the nuances of what he's saying and the meaning behind it. Rather, the fact he agrees with her and he's trying to... get her out of trouble, apparently.

It's something new and unfamiliar and she's not sure what to do about it. Reading between the lines is almost more annoying than he is usually. When their professor speaks again her attention turns back to the front. It's clear he'd caught the biting nature of the little speech anyway. ]

"Well, Mister Potter, you won't have to worry about sharing a detention with Miss Evans." [ There's a pregnant pause, and Lily's eyes widen just slightly— ] "You'll be having yours on another day. Detention for you as well."

[ Lily's book slams flat on the desk as she stands, looking from the group of boys sitting across the room and to their Professor and straightening her spine, imperious and fiery. Then she packs her bag roughly, stepping away and outright glaring. ] If you are quite finished, and as I've already earned my detention, I'll be taking my leave early. This is the sixth year we've had to listen to this rubbish, and frankly I've had all I can stomach. Perhaps next class, you'll actually teach. [ She's storming off before he can even reply, but his voice catches her at the door. ]

"Evans, if you leave this classroom, I will be taking twenty points from Gryffindor."

[ She stills utterly, taking a deep breath. She's never lost points for their house, either. Her hand shakes slightly as it drops to the doorknob, but it's not from fear. She knows things she really shouldn't, and it's not good that Potter's drawn attention back to his group after her display. No. Her jaw sets even though her head dips forward slightly. She'll just draw the attention back to herself. Better this way. ]

So be it.

[ Then she's gone, door slamming shut behind her. She feels a bit like she's going to vomit. ]

[forevertwentyone]

[Detention is easy. Detention is the sort of thing that happens. At least, it's the sort of thing that happens to James Potter. It's not the sort of thing that happens to Lily Evans. Losing points is even less the sort of thing that happens to Lily Evans.

If he'd missed the brief stillness in her expression, it's just as well she likely misses the brief flash of egoless devotion as she turns to leave. It seeps into his voice, soft and genuinely impressed, as he leans a little sideways on his elbow toward Remus.]

--'s the future Ms. Potter. Telling you.

[And then he's off again, leaning forward over the desk dramatically to swat at the boys in front of them with his usual bright whispering.]

D'you see that? [Obviously. Whatever.] Evans went off. [It's not going to earn him any points in the young woman's book. That's all right. That can get dealt with some other time.] You think she'll run that up the chain? I'll take odds on a new professor by the end of the week. End of the day, even.

[This, after all, isn't such a bad campaign to be launching. 'Did you hear a perfectly good and well respected student lost it at poor teaching?' 'Did you hear the DADA professor might get sacked?' Much better conversation pieces than the usual continued ripples after a class like this, with the occasional re-ripple of conversation hours after the class ended as students remembered yet another bit of trivia they might once have heard about werewolves.

Thank goodness this isn't a class that needs focus. There are minds to bend into speculation about the tenure of Hogwarts professors; who has time for all the rest? Much better to start speculating wildly about what other professors might get fired. And honestly, who can even remember what set Evans off in the first place?

It'll take a bit, but it's a winnable conversation shift. Waste of a popular face not to make it happen.]