love, lupin

four

September 4th, 1976
Monday

When Remus had told Jack she'd find a pureblood wizard worthy of her he hadn't meant Barty Crouch Jr.

But that's what she must have thought because by the end of the week Remus walked into them snogging outside his and Jack's potions classroom.

Remus stopped by the door and cleared his throat, raising a questioning brow. Jack broke the kiss and practically shoved Crouch away when she saw Remus.
"Remus!" She exclaimed and those who were already in the classroom probably heard her. "I thought you were already in class." She said and her cheeks went beet red and Crouch stood smugly a few feet away.
"Well I'm not." He said and pursed his lips together showing he was unimpressed before he walked into the potions classroom.

He heard Jack say goodbye to Barty before she rushed in behind him.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that Remus." She floundered as she sat beside him and Remus shrugged.
"I don't know why you're apologising Combey." Remus looked over at her. "You can snog whoever, wherever, whenever."  He said and some part of him meant it really but Jack took it a snarky comment.

"Right." She spoke primly and took out her parchment as Slughorn walked into the room.

"No parchment needed today students, we're starting out Elixir today."

Jack froze beside him in a panic.
"Its fine you have me." Remus reassured her and she relaxed for all of five seconds because Slughorn spoke again.

"I'll be choosing partners this time because last year was a disaster." Slughorn shot a dissapointed look at James Potter and Sirius Black who snickered childishly.

"Remus i'm doomed. I hope I get placed with some Ravenclaw or me and my partner are going to fail this!" Jack whined beside him and Remus pat her back with a heavy hand making her scooch away with a glare.
"You'll be fine."

"Black and King."

Sirius Black got up dissapointedly and slipped into the seat beside Oscar King.

"Combey and Pettigrew."

Jack looked at Remus with a hopeful look and deflated when he saw the pitiful look on his face.
"Oh no. Remus i'm going to fail."

Remus gathered his stuff and slipped out of his seat as Pettigrew approached the table. Remus gave her a thumbs up and she gave him a despairing look but sat up unbelievablely straight when Pettigrew sat in Remus' seat.
"Hi." Pettigrew piped.
"Hi." Jack answered.

Remus moved to the back of the room where various others who had been kicked out of their seats were.

"Greyback and Potter."

Now it was Remus' turn to deflate. He approached James Potters table cautiously. He wasn't intimidated by Potter whatsoever but they didn't have the best relationship, their fight last year was a big one and multiple people around sucked in sharp breaths as Remus sat beside him.
"Greyback." Potter nodded, acknowledging him.
"Potter." Remus answered back and they both looked away from eachother.

***

"Why did everyone look so anxious when you sat beside James?" Jack asked, Remus raised an eyebrow at her as they walked to lunch. "Potter, I mean."

"You haven't already heard?" Evan appeared out of nowhere and Jack shrieked, hitting him with her book bag.

"Ouch." Evan whined and rubbed his arm. "What on earth have you got in there? It's like an anvil was just thrown at me."
"Sorry Rosier." Jack apologised but Evan shrugged it off anyway. "As you were saying though?"

"Its not important. There's no need to know." Remus pushed in, he didn't want to hear yet another recount of the story. But alas, it was inevitable.

"Potter and our lovely Remus here got into this massive fight during our O.W.Ls last year." Evan explained and Jack didn't look too surprised.
"Did you win?" Jack asked Remus and he nodded.
"Obviously."

"How come you guys thought?" Evan looked up at Remus with a wary expression and Remus shook his head.
"Not sure." That was how Evan answered Jack's question and Remus felt his hand twitch in his pocket.

"Touch my friend again Greyback and I will kill you."

Remus sighed heavily and picked up the pace.

"Hurry up lads." He said and looked over his shoulder at Evan and Jack, whose hair was now a honey blonde again, "Regulus is probably waiting for us."

"I'm right here."

Remus shrieked this time and Regulus looked up at him in amusement and his lips slipped up into a tight smile.
"How long have you been here?" Remus asked.
"The whole time."
"Oh."

Crouch was already at the table and Jack had rushed ahead, her hair going brown just as it had been this morning, and Crouch welcomed her with a sloppy kiss. Remus grimaced and Evan seemed to choke on the air.
"You alright mate?" Regulus asked him, ramming the side of his fist into Evans back.
"Yeah I'm fine." He answered, voice quiet as sat beside Remus.

"Guys its lunch please snog later." Remus kicked the bench they were sat on and it jolted. The pair pulled apart instantly.

"No need to be jealous cause you can't get a girl Greyback." Crouch sneered and Remus ignored him and grabbed one of the ham and cheese sandwiches that appeared on the table.

"Oh Barty, did you hear?" Crouch looked at Evan and shook his head. "Remus had bene paired up with Potter in potions."

Crouch broke out into manical laughter and the Slytherins around them glared at the Ravenclaw. They were already fed up he took space on their table but now he was being disruptive.

"Really?" Crouch blurted after he recovered. Evan nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, haven't you Remus?"
"Yep." Remus answered, tone glum and Crouch grinned, the smile as manical as his laugh.
"Thats brilliant. After you bea-" Remus cut him off with a sharp kick to the shin.

"What gives?" Crouch growled and Remus gave gim a scary look that spoke what he wanted him to do clearly and Crouch understood. "Im actually not sure what happened." Crouch played off and Remus gave him a satisfied look. Jack looked beyond confused and Remus could tell that she knew the boys were hiding something, Crouch must've noticed too because he beat Jack to speaking.

"Anyway, Evan, I bet you four galleons that they don't last a week." Crouch bet and Evan smirked.
"Four galleons, I say a month."

"Can I join?" Jack asked and they both nodded. "Four galleons, the whole project."

Even Remus thought that was wishful thinking but they accepted the bet nonetheless.