the case of dawna flynn - r.j lupin

one

After the death of two of his best friends and the betrayal of a third, Remus Lupin learnt not to be reminiscent on tha past or get too attached to anyone and it went well. For the most part anyway.

He thought about his old friends scarcely, busying himself with learning more about the dark arts and what it could bring. Eventually he became specialised in it and in 1993 he was approached by his old headmaster to teach at the school he once belonged too as a student himself. Of course he accepted the offer immediately.

It made him think of the orange cat again, the one with the peculiar whitish rims around its eyes. The cat that belonged to the girl who had dissappeared 15 years ago on Hogwarts grounds, Dawna Flynn.

When her death had been announced he found himself mourning for a girl he'd never met or even laid eyes on till her face was all over the papers in May of 1978. He knew it was because he had her cat and he wasn't sure if it was because he was a werewolf or not but he remembered feeling connected to the cat distantly and so her grief became his.

Remus hadn't wanted to leave the cat behind when he left Hogwarts, the tired 18 year old version of him begged his parents to bring her home, he was sure she was a young cat aswell after all, but his mother had a severe allergy to cats and so he couldn't. He promised the cat he'd come back for her when he could but after the autumn of 1981 he couldn't bring himself to go back to Hogwarts so soon so he just hoped and prayed someone else had taken her in. After all, Poppy had promised him she'd look after her when he left.

He thought about the cat and the girl she belonged to more then he thought about his friends. The feeling of guilt overwhelmed the werewolf because of it but it wa easier to cope with the grief of the death of someone he had no affiliation to then what felt like hoards of people he loved so dearly.

"You'll be teaching third years predominantly Mr Lupin." Minerva McGonnogal informed Remus as she escorted him to the teachers quarters where all of his belongings apart from the hand held case he always carried with him was waiting. The case had been a gift from Lily Evans for hia birthday in '81 and it was one of his most dearest possessions.

"That's Harry Potters year group if i'm correct?" Remus asked as they ascended even more stairs. He definitely didn't miss the stairs.
"You're quite right Mr.Lupin-"
"Please call me Remus, Minnie. Mr Lupin makes me feel like i'm back at school again for reasons other then teaching." McGonnogal gave him an uneasy look before nodding.
"Okay, Remus." She paused after saying his name and Remus smiled at her. "you'll get to see him in his first DADA lesson on Tuesday."

"Oh, I've seen him already. Dementors got to him on the train here. Dumbledore needs to talk with the Ministry about restrictions, it almost cost Harry's life. I understand Sirius Black has escaped and everyone's on high alert but there shouldn't be death eaters dispatched about school grounds." Remus ranted and fell quiet as they got outside the door to his room.
"Albus is working on it as we speak," McGonnogal told him as he opened the door to his room. "Remus, I actually wanted to ask, how are you feeling?"

"what do you mean?" Remus looked at her with raised and Minnie gave him a pointed look.
"With Blacks escape of course." she spoke carefully but however more careful she could have spoken it still would have sent Remus into defense. He was never one for sharing and talking about his feelings.

"I'm perfectly fine, it should be the students your worried about. If the ministry think he's going to come here then all teachers should be focused on the students. I know how to defend myself perfectly fine." He turned to move into his room and McGonnogal was frowning now.
"Remus, he was your friend and he betrayed you all-"
"I'm fine Minnie."

And Remus Lupin slammed the door shut in Minver McGonnogals face.

He collapsed onto his bed, not having the energy to unpack his belongings yet and stared up at the ceiling with tired eyes.

He wasn't fine, he knew he wasn't fine but he wasn't going to talk to McGonnogal about his feelings. When he heard that his former friend, Sirius Black, had escaped from Azkaban he had spiralled. Remus Lupin had once admired Sirius Black for his charm, for his ability to speak his mind and for the loyalty he represented to his friends but that broke the night he killed Peter Pettigrew and dobbed in James and Lily Potter.

"You were supposed to be their friend!" he remembered screaming at Sirius through the tears and sobs. Sirius' voice echoed through his head like a bell.
"Remus, you have to believe me. I would have never done this, you know me. I'm Sirius Black, your friend." Sirius seemed so so desperate and Remus was pretty sure he'd heard his heart physically shatter that night.
"you're not my friend, don't call me that." the whole ordeal was breaking them both.
"and maybe this whole thing was your plan the whole time, following in your parents footsteps,"
"Remus don't you dare."

"Once a Black, always a Black." Remus spoke to the empty room and shuddered at the silence he got in return.

The brown haired man was under the impression Sirius would come for him next, he'd murdered their other two friends so why wouldn't he kill him next? And he'd probably maybe even go for Harry but Remus wasn't going to let that happen.

He was going to protect Harry from Sirius Black to the end, even if it meant taking his final breath.