BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON
The night sky was black as coal, dotted with pinpoints of twinkling white. A chilled winter wind spilled in through the open window in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, rustling a stack of papers on the old clerk-style desk. Remus J. Lupin shivered involuntarily from the breeze and yawned, stretching his arms high in the air. He scratched his head, tousling his shaggy dirty blonde, almost brown, graying hair. Gods he hated the fact that fellow Professor, Severus Snape, had assigned his classes to compose essays. Remus frowned and sighed forlornly. Severus wouldn�t have assigned the essays if he�d not been asked to take over the DADA classes while Remus was, how did Headmaster Dumbledore put it?, �indisposed.�
Shaking his head and removing his large-lens reading glasses, Lupin rubbed the bridge of his nose and picked up the first essay on the top of the pile. How to Kill A Werewolf. How indeed. Remus tossed the paper aside, knowing the assignment had been to get under his skin. Severus was clever that way, but then again, Severus was a pompous bastard who stopped at nothing to make everyone around him feel worthless. No, Lupin thought with a thoughtful sigh. That�s not entirely accurate. Snape was a bastard but making people feel worthless came naturally to the man, he needn�t try.
Remus pushed back from the desk, shaking down the leg of his trousers, and walked over to the window. He was glad the full moon had passed for the month, at least for the next few weeks he could feel almost human�almost. Lycanthropy, he thought with a sigh, the worst malady to be affected with. Since boyhood, Remus had lived with this disorder. While other boys transformed into young men, Lupin transformed into a Werewolf every full moon.
His life had always been lonely, never knowing love the way it should be, his only living friend was an escaped convict, who he hadn�t seen in nearly 15 years. True, most of the staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was kind to him, but he figured it was mostly out of fear that he would eat them if they were rude. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was the only exception to that line of thinking. He had known Remus most of the younger man�s life, and accepted his duel existence. Lupin had always been able to confide in Albus and knew that, if nothing else, the older wizard was on his side.
And then there was Severus. Since their days as students at Hogwarts, Lupin and Snape had been enemies. Snape was a Slytherin who, to no end, taunted Remus and his friends. If it wasn�t vocal banter, it was pranks, curses and hexes. The Marauders, as Remus and his friends called themselves, did in fact deserve the slander, however. They themselves had made Snape�s life a living hell since the first day at the school, but what had been boyish pranks had turned into a bitter grudge for the dark haired Potions Master.
One of the Marauder�s, Sirius Black, had talked Snape into a very foolish trick after learning the boy had spied on them to find out why Remus disappeared every month. If it hadn�t been for James Potter, the leader of the Marauder�s, Snape would have surely been killed.
Since that day, Severus had never treated Remus the same. He no longer taunted the group, but it was clear that he deeply despised the four friends. When Remus had been asked to take the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Severus had openly opposed the offer. It was with less than open arms that he welcomed Lupin to the staff as well. The Potions Master had bit his tongue when Headmaster Dumbledore had asked him to prepare Wolfsbane Potion for Remus every month, but had grudgingly agreed to do so.
Though Remus had put the days of his youth in the past, it was clear that Snape would never get over his bitter grudge.
�Well, well, well,� a silken masculine voice whispered daringly from the doorway. Remus didn�t have to look to know who the caller was. �I see all is back to normal.�
�Good evening, Severus.� Lupin�s tone was neutral, withholding his usual cheeriness from lack of sleep.
�Is it?� Snape slithered into the room with a poise and grace that both had a purpose and was meandering. He hovered over the desk, idly thumbing through the stack of essays. �It�s a shame the 3rd years are so behind in this subject. Not one of them was properly instructed on the difference between a werewolf and a true wolf.�
�It�s been my understanding that the instructors prior to me where less than satisfactory, I don�t see how I can be held responsible for any material they had not covered yet.� Remus returned icily, facing the Potions Master.
Snape arched an eyebrow at the rebuttal as a malicious grin shadowed his slender face. �Tsk, tsk, Lupin, don�t go blaming yourself. It�s not your fault your not experienced enough to handle this particular subject.�
Remus glowered at the belittling tone in Snape�s bitter voice, but did not oblige the other man with a retort. Snape hesitated, seeming to wait for a comeback, and when it did not come, he frowned deeply, his brow creasing in a disappointed scowl. �The year has only just begun, Lupin. Perhaps you will grow a brain and be able to teach these idiots something useful. If not, it will be another wasted year for them, and I will no doubt... no doubt�have to properly instruct them.�
Severus stalked away from the desk, gliding towards the door for his exit when Lupin spoke up. �Thanks for the pep talk, Severus. Coming from you, that was almost encouragement.� The Potions Master paused brief enough to hear the last comment before tensing himself in anger and retreating from the room.
Lupin half smiled at his ability to ruffle the other man, then closed the window, extinguished the candles lighting the room, and headed to the Great Hall for the evening meal.
Chapter Two
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