Looking For a Friend✨ wolfstar slowburn

Chapter 3: First Year: Full Moon

Summary:

This chapter is about events before, during and after Remus' transformation.

CW: blood, wounds, bruises, symptoms of sickness and basically bad well-being

3rd September 1971

Remus woke up with hair sticking to his forehead and sheets lying on the other side of the bed. His heart was racing, pounding like a hammer and his whole body was sweating. He got up and looked around, noticing that everyone else were asleep. He came up to the window, opening it widely and sat on the windowsill, trying to calm his breath. It was a rainy and foggy morning which didn't seem to get better within a few hours. A boy barely slept a wink due to the same dream haunting him like a ghost. There also was a worry which kept growing in his chest. He could not stop thinking about a detention he's received and severe events that may result of it.

Remus knew that he had to inform Professor McGonagall as quickly as he could. He grabbed his pocket watch off the bedside table and realised that it was six in the morning. He decided to have a shower and leave the dormitory to find McGonagall. He was supposed to have Transfiguration class with her that day, but thought that the faster he found her, the better result he would get. Grabbing his clothes, Remus went to the bathroom where he washed his face with cold water. Once he got into the shower and hot water hit his skin, a boy hissed with pain and quickly turned off the shower. He realised that his senses started getting more sensitive when the full moon was getting close. He turned cold water on, sighing with relief when his burning skin met cold drops.

The moment Remus was ready, he put all the necessary equipment into his bag and left the dormitory with a hood on his head. He silently went down the stairs and approached the table, pouring himself a glass of water. Suddenly, he heard a noise of opening door and quickly ran towards the exit, opening it slowly so that the Fat Lady wouldn't wake up. The moment he was outside, he pulled a map out of his pocket and searched for McGonagall's office. He turned around, making sure that the Fat Lady and the rest of the portraits were asleep and slowly made his way downstairs through the Grand Staircase, looking around attentively. Once a boy found himself in a first-floor corridor, he turned right next to a staircase leading to the Serpentine Corridor and saw the door of the witch's office.
"Where do you think you're going, hooded kid?" he heard a squeaky voice and gave a start, getting scared. He spun on his heel and looked directly at the pale gleam looking like a human's figure. Remus quickly realised that it was one of the ghosts Lyall told him about and stared at him, searching for some characteristics. The ghost was wearing a hat with three horns sewed up with small, golden bells, and ridiculous clothes which seemed to have been colourful when the ghost was still alive.
"You're Peeves, aren't you?" Remus whispered, looking around carefully. He didn't want to get caught and be punished with another detention.
"I'm The Peeves," the ghost stressed. "The most famous ghost of this castle. And you're up to some mischief, um..."
"Remus Lupin."
"Righ- Hang on. You're The Loony Lupin! Pleasure to meet you, you're just as disliked here as me," Peeves twirled in the air with a laugh and approached him, drawing his right hand in Remus' direction. Remus tried grabbing it, but his hand went straight through it, giving Remus a weird feeling of coldness. Peeves laughed even harder and then flew towards McGonagall's office forming a fist out of his hand, ready to knock on the door.
"Stop! What are you talking about?" he asked. He didn't really care about what Peeves said since he was a poltergeist – he liked pulling pranks on students and the teachers as well. Remus knew that Peeves was probably playing with him to make him angry. Lupin only wanted to stop the ghost from waking up the professor because he wanted to do it himself.

"There's this one boy I really like to annoy. He walks around the school with those greasy hair, telling his so-called friends how much he hates you, and calling you names," Peeves pointed at Remus with a wide smile on his face as if it was the funniest thing he's ever said. At this instant, Remus realised who the ghost was talking about. Peeves noticed the change in emotions on Remus' face and came back to him with curiosity. He lowered to Remus' level and leaned to his ear with a taunting smile.
"Would you like to even the score?" he prompted. Remus frowned and clenched his jaw. He thought about Jerry who wasn't too kind for him and about all the times that Remus secretly made him fall on the ground. Peeves put his hand around Remus' shoulders and scoffed. "I know that look too well. Would you like me to help you?"
Remus nodded with a clever smile appearing on his face.
"Great! I'll meet you at the Viaduct Courtyard before curfew," a ghost nearly sang of happiness and turned around, leaving Remus all alone. Lupin looked around and sighed with relief. He still had less than twenty minutes before the whole castle would wake up, so he took a few steps and knocked on the door leading to McGonagall's office. When his action met silence, he tried again and then once more but no one responded or opened the door.