Wolf and Wings - Remus and Narcissa

Chapter 1

The last of the shine of Christmas holidays dulled to cold, white January. It was in this rather glum mood that Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew made their way from Hogwarts castle to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Professor Grubbly-Plank was holding the 7th year Care of Magical Creatures class.

Remus was glancing over his shoulder to where Sirius's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange's sister, that Narcissa Black, was picking her way through the snow behind them. She was following too close, as if trying to eavesdrop. All over wizarding Britain, things were unsettled and ominous, even here at school. They seemed especially so now that the girl who had always ignored the lads in spite of being Sirius's cousin, was suddenly at their heels.

"It's just odd that old Dumbledore is being so gutless about it. He had all of Christmas holidays to take some kind of stand and as far as we know, he's done nothing at all," Sirius was saying, impatient for someone with real power to lash out at the pure-blood viciousness that had driven him to leave home while he was still in school.

"Not so very odd," Peter said. "Dumbledore loves his secrets."

"Will you all please stop talking about it," Remus said. "We're not in private here. And anyways, we'll do well to trust him and follow his lead."

Again, Remus glanced over his shoulder at Narcissa, the girl with a family full of Death Eaters, the girl wearing Lucius Malfoy's engagement ring while she listened in on them. Malfoy had only graduated a few years earlier and he was already a known Death Eater. Everyone associated with him was dangerous. And why wasn't Narcissa walking to class with Severus Snape, as she usually did?

James answered, as if reading his mind, growling as he said, "What's got me cross with Dumbledore is that he's let Snape transfer out of this class and into Divination in the middle of the year. He's there with Lily right now."

"At least we get a break from his ugly mug for one more class a day," Sirius said. "And it's not like Evans is going to fall in love with him if he bats his eyes at her over a crystal ball."

James smirked. "Bats."

They came to a halt in the ring of students gathered around Professor Grubbly-Plank. She stood over a long table stocked with boxes set at intervals. Each box was large enough to store a hat in, and every moment or so, they would jerk, as if gathering strength to jump off the table and disappear into the forest.

"My apologies," she was saying. "This year's early cold snap drove most of the country's Hodags into stasis before we could secure a supply of them, so you will have to double up for today's lesson."

"Not Hodags again," Sirius groaned. The last time they had trifled with these little dragon-like frogs, half the class ended up inhaling enough of the powder that sloughed off Hodag horns to keep them wide awake for a week.

"Yes, after last term's poor showing, we are redoing Hodag care. Mind your masks, this time," Grubbly-Plank ordered. "Keep those noses and mouths covered. Now pair up."

"There goes Pete," Sirius smirked as Peter left without a word to team up with Alice Fortescue. For Peter, the best thing about Care of Magical Creatures class was that Frank Longbottom didn't take it but Alice did. Now that both of them had got over their mutual shyness, Frank and Alice had been inseparable all year. But Peter still hadn't given up hope of them splitting up. Just in case they did, he made himself available to Alice whenever he could.

Remus shook his head as Peter popped up at Alice's side, blushing and beaming, telling her how smashing she'd been at the dueling club before Christmas though she hardly remembered now.

Sirius watched them over Remus's shoulder. "Sad," he said. "Longbottom's the perfect match for that girl. Pete has got to let that go."

"Nah, it could pay off yet," James said.