Over the Edge [ Lupin x Evans ]

Chapter 5: Distracted Marauder

On Sunday afternoon, Remus was preparing to leave the Hospital Wing, despite Madame Pomfrey's reluctance. The wound on his back had proven unusually deep and difficult to treat. On top of that, for the first time in a long while, Remus felt feverish. Nevertheless, he was determined to ignore it, as something was bothering him far more.

He still couldn't fathom how he had miscalculated the date of the full moon. He was eager to get to his dormitory and check all his notes to figure out where the mistake had occurred. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough galleons to buy a lunar phase calendar. Such a purchase might raise suspicions. On the other hand, he didn't want to ask the Headmaster for anything either — he had already done so much to help him. That evening, after summarising all his notebooks, notes, and records, Remus was still convinced his calculations were correct. So, why had things turned out differently than expected? He was still puzzling over it, not paying attention to the other Marauders who were helping him change the dressing on his back.

⤝°♦°⤞

In the Potions classroom, there were exactly four workstations set up, each occupied by a Gryffindor from the fifth year. It was time to begin the Monday practical exam. Remus spotted Lily Evans nearby, completely focused, as she arranged all her ingredients in a precise order. He swallowed nervously; unfortunately, Potions were not his strong suit, unlike the Gryffindor beside him. Lily was one of the best potion-brewers in their year, and it could easily be said that only Severus Snape was better than her.

After a few minutes, Gryzelda Marchbanks entered the dungeons with a brisk step. The elderly examiner from the Ministry was surprisingly full of energy. She quickly scanned the four students to ensure they were all prepared, then addressed them.

"Welcome to the practical exam for Potions as part of your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. Today, we will be brewing the Draught of Peace."

Remus quickly searched his mind, trying to remember all the ingredients and the formula for the potion. He had naively hoped that they'd be asked to make the base for the Polyjuice Potion, which they had studied for the theoretical exam earlier that day. Unfortunately, he was far better at theory than practice, especially when it came to those cursed potions. To his relief, he realised he remembered most of the Draught of Peace's recipe. Not wanting to waste any more time, he poured the appropriate amount of water into his cauldron. Then, he started grinding the moonstone into powder. Things were going reasonably well.

He took the opportunity to glance to his left, where Lily was leaning over her steaming cauldron, focused intently on her work. Remus had to admit she looked every bit the Potions Master, and he wouldn't be surprised if she earned the title in the future. For the past few days, guilt had been gnawing at him for having yelled at her. She had extended a helping hand to him, and he had rejected it. They'd never had a good relationship, or any real one, for that matter. Remus didn't want her to think even worse of him, especially since she already despised the Marauders.

Remus continued staring at the redhead for a moment too long, which caused him to stir his potion one time too many. The pink liquid in his cauldron bubbled resentfully, and a few drops shot out, landing on his hand. He hissed as the potion was now quite hot. Not looking at Lily any more, he absentmindedly added powdered hedgehog quills and resumed stirring according to the instructions: three clockwise rotations, then three counterclockwise. Leaning over his cauldron, he still couldn't see the desired turquoise colour. Cursing under his breath, he started to wonder what had gone wrong. After checking the temperature and the ingredients he'd added, suddenly it hit him. He frantically began searching his workspace.

Where the hell was that syrup?!

Just then, he heard a sound behind him. Thankfully, all the cauldrons were bubbling loudly, so Marchbanks hadn't heard it.

"Psst! Lupin!" Lily whispered, leaning slightly towards him. Clearly, she'd noticed something was wrong. Remus looked at her, furrowing his brows.

"The hellebore syrup," she suggested, pointing at his cauldron.

"I don't have it in my supplies," he whispered back frantically, feeling the sweat forming on his brow.

Lily straightened up in confusion, thought for a moment, then separated half of her syrup into another container. When the examiner leaned over some papers, Lily quickly handed Remus the vial, accidentally brushing his cold skin. The moment their fingers touched, Remus felt an electric jolt between them and quickly pulled away. He thanked Lily with a quick smile, then immediately turned his gaze away, embarrassed.

Sadly, despite their efforts, it was already too late for any intervention. From Remus's cauldron, thick graphite smoke began to rise, quickly turning into an unpleasant-smelling mist. Remus rubbed his stinging eyes and saw that Marchbanks was approaching his workstation with a stern expression.

"Unfortunately, Mr Lupin, you missed adding the hellebore syrup, and your potion is now useless. Please pack up your things and leave the classroom," she said, her tone flat.

Remus stared at the examiner, his honey-brown eyes wide in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. True, he hadn't expected to get an Outstanding, but he had hoped to at least submit a completed potion. For a moment, he argued with the elderly witch, hoping for a second chance. However, his efforts were in vain. As he was leaving the classroom, he glanced quickly at Lily, who gave him a sad but encouraging smile.