The Collision Theory | Remus Lupin

49. Pretty Smells and Revelations

"Our mighty warrior hath returned!" James cries as the doors to the hospital wing open, and Remus trudges out. We stand up, clapping and cheering as though he's saved the school or something.

Sirius pretend to wipe away a tear, "My dear Moony, your bravery is one to challenge might Godric Gryffindor's!"

"Piss off Padfoot." Remus laughs. He spent yesterday in the wing under Pomfrey's eye, getting much needed sleep.

"Isn't he charming?" I pretend to swoon on Lily.

She pushes me back up, "Honestly Remus, don't let her be around Sirius, she's becoming like him."

"Like me?" Sirius raises an eyebrow, narrowly avoiding a second year as we walk down the corridor towards potions.

"Yeah," Remus says, shooting a grin at Lily, "drama queen."

"I'm very offended." Sirius flicks his hair, and pouts.

I link arms with him, "Come on Sirie dear, we can be drama queens together."

*

"Good morning!" Slughorn beams as the calls enter the room.

I take my usual seat beside Lupin, and put on my glass to read the board at the front, "Last step: crush four devil's snare leaves into Cauldron, low boil."

"You know, I forget that you're almost blind without glasses sometimes." Remus chuckles.

I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose, "Oh shut up, Mr Perfect."

"Is that a new pet name?" He grins, watching as I try to crush the squirming leaves with the pestle and mortar.

"No." Oh my God I can feel my cheeks burning, I'm a bloody idiot, "Just... just focus on the bloody cauldron, Moony!"

"Okay okay." Remus laughs, drawing his attention back to the slowly bubbling bubblegum pink mixture. When the colour pales, we add in the leaves, which turn it into more of a fuchsia colour.

"Very good, very good." Slughorn mumbles to himself as he takes labled sample vials from everyone's cauldrons, which gives me a little hope. He makes his way to the front of the class, placing the vials on his desk, "Right, as a reward, I think you should all take a sniff now."

I lower my face to the cauldron, and inhale deeply. It's smells like parchment, cinnamon, the herbs in my mother's cooking, and most prominently, chocolate.

"What did you smell?" Remus asks, but he gets his answer in the blush already growing on my face.

REMUS

"What did you smell?" I ask. She seems like she can't get the words out, and her face turns a deep scarlet when her eyes meet mine. I let out a laugh, "Come on, you can tell me."

She mumbles something under her breath, casually inspecting her nails.

"What's that? I couldn't quite hear you." I bend down so that our faces are closer, which only deepens her blush.

"Chocolate." She says, with a tone of resignation.

"And you know why, yes?"

"Yes." She suppresses a smile.

"Say it," I smirk, and Lin pushes me back, sitting back in her seat.

"No."

"Don't be stubborn."

"Fine." Aylin let's the smile grow on her face, "Maybe it's because Remus John Lupin smells like chocolate."

"Maybe?"