𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸, remus lupin

˗ˋ 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH HE'S EXHAUSTED

. . .

The dungeon that served as the location of many potion lessons was by far Pandora's favourite classroom out of any of them. It was just so interesting, with it's walls lined with shelves of such different content.

She even deemed it to be more interesting to look at than Dumbledore's office - which had lost it's grandeur after she was in there twice receiving warnings for her behaviour and being blamed for something that wasn't her fault.

But the potions dungeon, despite the amount of times she had sat in there for lessons, still seemed to interest her. Jars of jellied and pickled ingredients, books crammed into shelves and drawers upon drawers of other ingredients surrounding the doorway into the storage cupboard - which was filled with even more ingredients to go into the potions.

The ceiling was of hard stone and not generally interesting, but the ceiling had been painted with images of now-fading ingredients - she suspected it was to make it less dark, damp and depressing. The wooden tables had names, drawings and notes scratched into, and the stone arcs that held up the curved ceiling had drying plants hanging from them. 

By Slughorn's desk were several racks filled with previous made potions, all glittering several colours in the light of the nearby window - which didn't let in outside light but instead the pale green glow from the lake (it was a lot higher up than the windows in the Slytherin common room and dorms). Beside the rack, sinks and even more metal racks for things to dry on.

For once, Pandora's gaze hadn't wandered over to the drying ingredients that hung above Lily Evan's head, or the picked eels and lacewings in the jars nearest to her. Instead, they stayed firmly fixated on one place.

Across from her, a rather weary Remus Lupin, who had spent the entirety of the lesson slumped on the glazed wood. Slughorn hadn't bothered him about it, instead focusing on James and Lily bickering their way through making the assigned potion a table over.

She believed Sirius and Peter to either be in Care of Magical Creatures or Muggle Studies. And the final of the group of four sat in front of her, the two other sides left empty by the students who had been scared off by the Rosier girl's presence. 

The girl hadn't even done anything them to her. She was just freakishly good at potions and had butterflies spilling out of her fingertips every so often. Sure, once she had accidentally been brandishing her small cutting knife at one of them whilst she asked if she would be able to get some more newt spleen, but that was it - the student had stared at her, eyes wide before throwing all of their newt spleen at her before rushing over to Slughorn to request to move to another table.

And once that student had moved, the other had followed. Leaving her and Remus.

Who had been missing from the school world the previous day as well. He was in the hospital wing, and Pandora only knew because she had waited on the rooftop for Madam Pomfrey and Remus to return. Which they had when the sun came up, and Pandora followed them back to the hospital wing in the same way she had done.

She stopped herself from prying any further, the werewolf howl echoing in her ears whenever she thought about it. And now there they were, sitting across from each other in the dungeons.

Remus had barely moved all lesson, which had been a practical lesson. There had been chatter all around them, and still the Lupin boy had not moved. He was exhausted, a new scratch across his forehead and into his hair. 

The lesson came to an end, Slughorn instructing them to place their finished potions into a bottle and place it on the clear rack by his desk and assigning them an essay on the properties of some ingredient. 

Pandora ignored all of this, instead scooping up what she had made into a small pot. James had nudged Remus awake, and was too busy spilling the potion everywhere with Lily despairing to see Pandora move over to stand beside Remus, who had his head rested on his arms still. 

She didn't announce her presence, instead stealling the nearest stool and sitting beside him, resting her head on the wood. "Remus. You've been missing for days. What have you been doing?" She asked. Pandora already had a feeling she knew, and she also knew that he wouldn't tell her.

"I was sick... In the hospital wing." Remus replied, his voice a little croaky and raw. 

"Yes I know that." Pandora rolled her eyes, adjusting her position so her palm was resting flat against the surface, nail tracing over one of the indents in the wood. "But I wanted to know why you've been sick."

"None of your business." The boy forced himself to sit up, watching Pandora for a reaction through narrowed eyes. A singular butterfly appeared, dancing round for a second before she reached out and enclosed it in her palm, squishing it - although it seemed to have dissolved seconds earlier. 

"Fine. But you have another scratch. You're always covered in scratches." The girl replied in her usual snappy tone. "Here. Have this." She held out what she had been making, placing a tin on the desk. 

"What is it?" The Lupin boy had barely even the strength to lift it. 

"A balm. I learnt how to make them when my mother used to practise her cutting charms." Pandora said it so nonchalantly that Remus almost missed the implications, eyes wide in horror as he realisied exactly what she meant. "It's made of Bitterroot. It burns a little when you first apply it but it's only for a few seconds." 

The Rosier girl was speaking from experience, as she unscrewed the lid of the balm and scooped out a quantity on her finger. She wasn't so gentle as she jerked Remus's chin towards her, the briefest of apologies flashing over her features and not expressed in words, sitting up and beginning to apply the balm over the lengthy cut.

Pandora had been right. It did initially sting, but once it subsided it almost numbed the area, leaving a small tingling feeling before fading. Remus was surprised to find himself almost relaxed as she continued to apply it.

On the table beside them, Lily had noticed and nudged James, who had twisted towards his friend with a look of suspicion on his face - as soon as the Evans girl had muttered the words 'look at Remus and Pandora' he had been filled with dread.

But it truly was a strange sight. A strange sweetness wove it's way through the scene, a change from the usual harshness of Pandora Rosier's movements as she so gently applied the healing balm to the face of the boy who she had taken interest in simply for deeming him pretty. 

Not even an imperfection like another scar and bags under his eyes large enough to look like bruises seemed to be able to take that judgement away from her.

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