love, lupin

thirty-one

November 30th, 1976
Tuesday

"This may be your last detentions with me but I hope you know that doesn't mean you can slack on your work."

It was Tuesday, the last detention with McGonnogal and hopefully the last time he'd ever have to perform that damned book binding spell. The charm was practically useless outside of the detentions. He was sure they just got taught it for detentions like these.

"You'll need to have finished all the boxes tonight, this may lead past midnight so if you're still tired in the morning then Madam Pomfrey will have Pepperup potions ready for each of you in the Hospital Wing." McGonnogal told them and she began to gather her belongings from her desk and Black sat up abruptly.

"You're leaving? Already?" He asked and McGonnogal smiled bitterly.
"Try not to sound to excited Mr Black, I'll see you both in Transfiguration tomorrow morning." She told them both and after a bow of the head towards the pair she swept out of the room, robes as stiff as cardboard.

The moment the door clicked shut Remus was suddenly aware it wasn't just him and Black in the room. Potter and Pettigrew seemingly appeared out of thin air.

Remus looked between the three who were staring at him intensely.
"Where did you two come from?" He asked and Potter laughed at him as if he was daft and Black gave him a warning look.
"We were hiding in there." Potter jabbed a thumb behind him at a storage cupboard that Remus knew was locked and was always locked. Remus gave them a suspicious look, they knew that he knew it was a lie.

"Whatever, I can't be bothered with your guys' bullshit." Remus huffed as he angled his chair away from the trio. and began innhis first box, separating them so he could just do the spells quickly one after the other.

He was heavily aware of Blacks hoodie in his bag, stuffed right at the bottok beneath his school supplies and snacks. He planned to give it back today but it didn't feel right giving it back when Potter and Pettigrew were there.

The three were working surprisingly, absolute silence came from behind him apart from when came the muttering of the spell.

Then it wasn't the spell. The words were incoherent but Remus knew the rhythm of the spell and neither of them were following the rhythm of the spell. He didn't dare steal a glance back and he just leant back leisurely in his seat and continued sifting through the papers.

He cracked his neck and listened, his vision heightened slightly and so did his hearing.

"I thought you said he was being friendly?" Pettigrew whispered and he felt the shift of Black shrugging,
"Hes an odd one yknow?" Potter told Black, "I don't understand why you-"
"Because I do, besides it'll help The Order in the big picture."

The Order.

Remus shot upright and his knee banged the table and he hissed at the sudden shock. Rubbing his knee he muttered an apology,
"thought I saw a spider."

He felt their eyes stay on him so he glanced over his shoulder with a disapproving look and he faltered when he saw the absolute looks of shock on their faces.
"What?"
"You're scared of spiders?" Potter asked and Remus nodded unsurely,
"Yeah." No he wasn't. He actually quite liked spiders but they didn't need to know that.
"Oh."

Remus stared at them for another moment before he let out a small laugh and rolled his eyes before turning away.

"You guys are funny." No they weren't.

Remus settled back into his seat as if nothing happened and waited. But they were silent so he continued working.

Remus knew about The Order. Fenrir got the information and told Remus about it. The Order, or better known as The Order of the Phoenix was a secret not so secret organisation against the Dark Lord's cause. He knew that Potters parents were part of it. Heck, he knew all the members and could probably rattle each name off as if it was the alphabet. He could probably do it in alphabetical order too.

The New Generation were tasked to originally join the fight when of age and take apart any rebellion but in the past few years Remus knew that they'd been tasked with mainly The Order. Tasked to focus on bringing their skills, precision and strength to a level where they could all take on the members without the support from Death Eaters. They were getting there but Remus had to admit, the constant killing of members who are only slightly inadequate was really threatening their form and their willpower.

As trained to kill and not feel as much they all were, they each bonded with eachother, to the other people who had been and are still going through the same thing.

There was just silent work for a while, no one was uttering the spell, all just sifting through papers and sorting the pipes out. It made Remus itch.

He picked up his wand and the moment he started the spell, chatter picked up behind him.

"Him?" Potter hissed ans Remus heard a smack and a groan of pain, "Alright, sorry."

Remus willed them to talk about The Order again and as if Merlin himself heard his prayers they did.

"You said your parents owled you back?" Pettigrew asked Potter and he assumed the brunette nodded.
"Yeah, I thought it'd be best to ask about the standings on the Soul Demons and see if they think that they pose as any real threat."
"And?" Black urged.
"Mum said there were mixed reactions from them all but they found something else. Mann-"
"He's the spy right?" Pettigrew asked and Potter kicked him.
"Shut up. But yes, he's the spy. Same level as Abraxas now, he's doing well. but anyway as I was saying," He heard a swish of a wand but nothing happened, "Mann managed to get some clearance to access the files that Malfoy keeps himself and there was a file on the New Generation."

Remus felt his shoulders tense but he didn't dare turn around. There names couldn't haave been in there. They'd have been taken in already if their naames were known. Right?

"Were there names?" Black asked and Potter shook his head,
"No, they had a sort of charm on them that you needed a password to see but get this, he could see their ages and they're just kids." Potter seemed in disbelief still but Remus assumed he'd have read the letter early that morning, "Fourteen to twenty year olds. God, mum said there were so many deceased stamps, kids as young as twelve, dead."

There was a jostle of fabric and a thump on the floor.

"But what's even more mental right? Is there are a few of then above eighteen that are still alive and older then the majority. But the guy in charge- hes sixteen." Potter broke off just as Remus finsihed his spell but he carried onto another stack as if he heard nothing.
" You're serious? " Black asked.
"I'm serious. Bloody mental."

"So what did they say about the danger level?" Pettigrew asked, "they can't be too dangerous right? If they're just a bunch of kids."

Remus could have laughed. If only tge boy knew.

"They're dangerous Pete, they're so dangerous."

"What's dangerous?" Remus butt in midspell, he couldn't help it. He felt prideful at the reputation of the New Generation and the information he could feed back into the army. To The Dark Lord. Information that would surely get him some major praise.

He turned in his seat and looked at the three boys who looked at him in suprise.

"What? Something on my face?" Remus asked and oat his face aimlessly.
"No, just- just forgot you were there. You were awfully silent Greyback."

"My bad. So what's dangerous?"

They all glanced at eachother and Remus waited patiently,
"Manticores." Black excused and Remus held his gaze with a narrow like before he shrugged.

"Yesh they are pretty dangerous but theres none close to the school so yiu guys have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, thanks Greyback." Pettigrews voice shook as he spoke to Remus. He saluted the Gryffindor,
"No problem Worms."

"What?" Potter hissed and Remus held up his hands in defense and looked over at a guilty Sirius Black.
"Black called him that one time. Thought I'd try it out but it's not for me. It's too weird."

Potter nodded.

"Its Wormtail fully." Pettigrew told him and Remus nodded, turned around and stretvhed.

"Back to work boys."