𝕘𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕠𝕣

Oz turned his head to look behind him, feeling his heart drop into his stomach at the sight of absolutely nobody there to back him up. Bloody snakes. There was a high-pitched, shaky noise that left him as he turned back to face the professor. “Huh. That’s, well… not surprising at all. We were just uh–” His gaze seemed to have found more interest in the ceiling as he tried his best to come up with an answer that wouldn’t sound as bad as planning to destroy the spirits of some Gryffindors who tried out last week and even preparing a chant that went ‘lousy lions lose!’. “Well, y’see Professor, nothing interesting. Just mere… team-buildin’ exercises. For Quidditch!”

“Yeah…” Remus agreed sadly, staring down at his hands, still fighting the urge to look up at Hogwarts. “Me neither.” He felt a pang of guilt as Gwaine acknowledged how dark their conversation had become. He hadn’t meant to let things spiral, he tried so hard to keep his feelings reigned in, under control. “I can’t say I know the word but I am sorry.” He said, taking a deep breath and making a conscious effort to focus on the now. “Let’s talk about something else. Do you have any new stories? Have your students pulled any pranks since we last spoke?” He asked. It was something he questioned Gwaine on rather frequently, desperate to know whether the Marauders’ legacy was still standing strong, whether any students had somehow come close to their ingenious. 

the witch wasn’t in the greatest mood.            as weakening as it is,            her anxiousness was written all over the porcelain of her usually blank face,              but that does not stop golden hues to             lighten             up at the sight of candies.              it was almost comical to see her wiggling her fingers to fish one of the treats away from the surface,             her tongue lingering on the corner of her mouth until she was sitting back against the seat.           the witch was worried again,            but at the same time not as much after gwaine’s speech.           vera didn’t speak for a few second,            fingertips tugging on the wrap of the candy.             “            i know,             ”              the brunette said,           giving her bottom lip a light bite.              “             i just…            i guess i never got to          think           about my future until now.             papa didn’t start that well because of his species,            so maybe i just got worried about myself…            which is stupid,          you know            ?           ”            she pops the candy into her mouth,            crossing her arms after placing the wrap inside of her robe’s pocket.             “            he’s—           papa is doing fine.           he’s successful—            a lot more successful than ever.          and so is my grandmother,            and my aunts            !             it’s fine,           they are fine…           why is it hard for me to believe that i will be fine            ?             ” 

   marigold had never been one to look a gift dragon in the mouth.  she sat down on the chair in front of gwaine’s desk,  then put her backpack on the floor.  she then proceeded to pull a plant out of it,  which she placed on the corner of his desk.  she was using it as inspiration for details of her sketch assignment for the art extracurricular.  after casting a quick water charm from her wand on her plant,  she tapped the tip on her piece in the works.  it was a wolf,  with trees and mountains for its mind and soul.  birds fluttered around the parchment,  but if she could get it just right,  his eyes would blink as well.  marigold bit her thumb as she erased a detail.  “  professor,  how did you know you wanted to teach  ?  ”

slowly,            vera sits down on the pushed chair,            hands settling on her lap while short fangs click against each other.           clink clink.             “             i am worried,           ”           yes,             she knew she was repeating herself,            but please,             give her kudos—            vera wasn’t good at the basics of communication:           for example,           at words…         let alone at describing what has been bothering her as of late.             “              that i won’t be taken seriously after hogwarts…          as a part-vampire.              ”              she whispers,            and is currently wishing for the chair to swallow her up.   

 at his invitation, pippa swept into his office and deposited herself into one of the plush chairs.  her feet ghosted the floor as she crossed her legs, her bag hitting the floor with a dull thud. “  well you see, it’s about the cheerleading association.  i’m sure you’ve heard, it’s actually happening this year. “  she smiled.  after her YEARS of suggestions finally her dreams were coming to fruition.  a cheerleading squad.  at hogwarts.  “  i’ve posted a sign up sheet in the great hall but i was wondering if i could post another in your classroom ?  the more visibility, the better chance there is of people joining. “ 

A wry smile began to tug at Remus’ lips. “Well, you’re doing a pretty good job of distracting me right now.” He said, catching his friends eye. He didn’t always voice his gratitude but he knew Gwaine understood. He didn’t have many people in his life, and the few friendships he managed to maintain, he cherished more than anything. “But I suppose maybe that is just life.” He admitted, his smile fading. “You know, that was my life for a very long time, I always assumed it would be. And then one day it wasn’t. Things were… good.” He sighed deeply, thinking back to his time at Hogwarts, if he turned his head he knew he would be able to see the spires of the castle. But he chose not to, he didn’t need to remind himself of everything he had lost over the years. “It’s so much harder having something and losing it, don’t you think? Rather than never having it at all, I mean.” 

“              i guess,             ”             vera replies,              both of her index fingers tapping against each other in an          anxious            way.             a peculiar sight on vera brambilla,           really,           but this time she has grown worried and she really         needed          to talk to someone–             and who was better than an older wizard she has known for years due to having a friendship with his younger sister              ?             her dad,           probably,             but she didn’t want to talk about this with him,             not when he is…           kind of responsible behind her sudden insecurity on her future.             she didn’t want him to get upset or anything.                “               i–i just have—-         i’ve been worried,             ”              she said,            taking a slow step into the office.             “             can i–           may i close the door             ?           i will end up crying and i have a reputation so no one can see me.              ”              she joked.            she wasn’t going to cry…           probably.

Remus shook his head lightly, letting Gwaine know that he didn’t agree with him, despite not wanting to argue his case. “Maybe one day.” He added, in a slightly wistful tone. He realised, for the first time, that perhaps he was a little jealous of Cal. Strange considering he had never given thought to working at Hogwarts until this particular conversation. “My life?” He sighed deeply, looking down at the ground as he scuffed his shoes. “I can’t say anything interesting ever happens to me.” He admitted with a shrug. “Nothing seems to change anymore.” He looked up at Gwaine with a sad smile, unable to hide his melancholy. “I’m sorry, that’s a little depressing, isn’t it?” 

“            hi,          ”            vera’s voice was low as she greets the wizard,               dainty fingers toying with each other.              “             professor.          did ye’ already got used to us callin’ ye that            ?             ”            she smiles,          lazily,           but it was all pearly whites and fangs.             “            …            is it a good time            ?            ”

“I don’t think you ever stop.” Remus said with a small smile. “Worrying about people, I mean.” He clarified, thinking of the way he used to worry about Sirius. About his parents… James, Lily and Peter. His smile faded. All of that worrying and he hadn’t been able to protect them from the worst… from the person he worried about the most. He felt his chest tighten and forced himself to focus on his friend, if he did that then he couldn’t dwell on the past. “Me?” He asked, amusement quickly dissolving his pain. “The school would be mad to hire me. I’m ill too often.” He shrugged, trying to look unaffected by his lack of job prospects, thinking of Cal and how he miraculously managed to hold down at job at the school. “They were mad to even let me attend.” The words had escaped his lips before he could stop them and he froze, knowing it was too late to take them back. “I mean- because of how many classes I missed.” He added. “But I don’t think I would make a very good professor anyway…” And Hogwarts definitely doesn’t need two werewolves.

“I can imagine.” Remus said, sitting next to Gwaine and shooting him a small smile. He actually couldn’t imagine returning to Hogwarts to teach and he certainly couldn’t imagine being called ‘Professor’, but wasn’t that kind of the point? It was such a strange and alien concept. One he refused to allow himself to ponder on. Regardless of how much he might enjoy the idea, despite only dwelling on it for a minute or two, nobody in their right mind would ever let him near their children. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, finally looking at Cavall who, to his relief, seemed completely at ease. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before reaching down to scratch behind his ears. “You are enjoying it though?” He asked, turning to look back at his friend.