Moonstruck | A Remus Lupin Love Story

Chapter 2 : The Stranger

The eyes of each child bulged like gilstening fullmoons, thier jaws swinging open. Esmeray stood infront of them, staring at the approaching figure on the other side of the door. She could feel Harry's trembling body beside hers. He of all people would be heavily affected by the dementor's presence. Its claw grasped the side of the door, each bony finger rattling against the frosted metal. It floated in, and sat, suspended in swirls of midnight above me. Harry was now shaking vigorously, and trying not to scream with all his might. Esmeray stood her ground. I will not fail anyone, she thought. But the longer the hood stared at her, the more those worms wriggled in her stomach. She could feel sweat being pulled out of each pore and then freezing over her body. The taste in her mouth evaporated. Her vision became a blur of grey and black. A stinging pitch filled her ears. As it consumed her vision, all she could feel was utter and eternal loneliness. Harry's grunts brought her back to the border of reality, enough for her to yell out 'Expecto Patronum', and from her hands, she saw her glowing white wolf leap out, and chase the dementor down the corridor. She released a sigh. She did it. I am not darkness, I am light, she thought.

'A full patronus and with no wand... just who might you be?' a strangers voice asked. She turned around and saw the sleeping man from before, standing above her with his wand pulled out, as if he was about to cast a spell to the now empty corridor. He looked perplexed, astonished and almost searching for the ghostly wolf that escaped her hand. Yet, something about him was so warm. Her head was spinning out of control. She couldn't grasp reality back. She gave a little chuckle, 'Guess I beat you to it' and then succumbed to the dementors affects from a minute ago.

The scent of chocolate, coffee, pine trees and old parchment swam into her nose, stirring her awake. A warm, fuzzy but slightly scratchy sensation acted as a barrier between her cheek and the floor. As her eyes fluttered open, she was met with two hazel eyes, that sparkled in the yellow carriage light.

'Ah, you're awake, how are you feeling?' the stranger said.

'I've been better...not to bad considering I fainted,' she replied, looking at her surroundings. She realised that I had been lying on a huge grey sweater, which she guessed was the stranger's. Her head whipped around to the trio, 'Are you guys alright?!' she exclaimed, worry striking her bones.

'We're ok thanks to you,' replied Hermoine.

'Yeah, that was wicked ! Wandless magic and you have a wolf as your patronus ! Your homeschool teacher must have been brilliant!' exclaimed Ron. She didn't know how to respond. She just smiled and rubbed her hands together, feeling the trickle of power at her fingertips.

'Wicked indeed,' smirked the stranger. 'I am Professor Lupin, I will be taking over the Defence Against the Dark Arts department.' He held his hand out to Esmeray.

'I'm Esmeray Black, I'm an exchange student, special request from Dumbledore,' she replied, stretching out her finger tips towards his. Something passed through his eyes. Recognition? Intrigue? Concern? Before thier hands could connect, the train rattled vigorously, allowing her uneasy legs to loose thier sense of gravity, and fly towards the chest infront of her. Esmeray collided with Professor Lupin, his hands holding her shoulders steady. Zap. They both flinch. The moment thier skin touched, it felt like pure electricity ran up and down each of her veins. Like lightning had struck through her bones. Like she was fire and ice at the same. This sensation was foreign, mindboggling, but most of all, welcoming. And by the way the Lupin stared back, he felt it too. He stood back, placing his hands in his pockets. His eyes ran up and down Esmeray until locking on her icy blue ones.

'Well, Esmeray Black' he announced slowly, as if testing the name in his mouth,' I look forward to seeing what else you're capable of in my class.' He smiled, took one hand out of his pocket revealing a chocolate bar. 'Now, eat, it will make you feel better.' Careful not to touch him this time, she grabbed the bar out of his hands, smiled with the heat of a thousand suns, and then turned quickly to try and steady her elevated breath. She heard the door shut, signifying his exit. She plonked back down in my original seat facing the trio. Thier faces, once of shock were now of pure excitement.

'This is going to be a fun year...We might actually have a good DADA Professor and we have befriended probably the most powerful student in the school' Ron spoke. She hoped this year would be fun, but with dementor attacks on the train and a professor who tests the control of her powers, it will definitely be interesting, she thought.

An hour later she stepped off of the train and stood before the grand allure of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was nothing short of beautiful. The entirety seemed to glow with a homely wamrth, one that makes your heart skip a beat and fills your stomach like a home-cooked meal. Mage lights littered the ancient brick walls of the towers, towers littered the main buildings. Even the woods that framed Hogwarts held an enchantment. The deep blue water that surrounded the mossy cliff Hogwarts was situated on, seemed to sparkle with magic under the stars. At that first sight, Esmeray smiled, a tear coming to my eye. Home. This was the feeling of home, she tought.

The scrape of metal on rock busted her out of her transe. She glanced to her left, noticing that her trunk had been placed beside her, and beside it stood Professor Lupin. He was smiling at the school, and then he passed that smile to Esmeray as he turned his head.

'It's beautiful isn't it?' he suggested.

'My thoughts exactly'

'So, you must be excited to be attending one of the best wizarding schools in the world?' he asked.

'I am excited to be attending A school' Esmeray exclaimed honestly. He looked at her with a slight sadness, as if he knew what she had endured, but was hidden by his kind smile.

'I wish more students hold your excitement' he said into the silence. Esmeray moved her feet beneath the pebbles, feeling a trembling in her feet. Why did this man cause her power to go haywire. Why did this man seem to know more about her then she was letting on. She had been careful, hadn't she? She really needed to focus on staying hidden, blending, fitting in. She must not screw this up.

'Well, Goodluck, Miss, um, Black' he muttered before walking towards to school. 'And should you ever need some help, advice, or simply a friend, your welcome to come to me anytime, just contact me with one of these, I know you know how' he said, as he pulled out his wand and cast his patronus. Out of his wand came a shimmering and glassy shape. The closer it came the more she could make out the baby blue glow of its fur, the glow its paws made on the floor, the magic that danced off its snout. Her heart rate increased rapidly, like it was trying to jump into her throat. Her brows furrowed in confusion, trying to make sense of what she saw infront of me. The professor smirked and then continued walking. Where he had stood, now stood his Patronus. A giant wolf. Just like hers.