⚯͛ Unfortunate - Remus Lupin ⚯͛

68.

Early one cold January morning, you could find Maeve sitting in the splits on the floor beside Remus's bed, reading. For once, she wasn't reading Alice in Wonderland, and instead had become invested in a book to help her research wolfsbane.

She had gotten the potions book sent secretly to her by her younger sister, someone she thought who would never want to speak to her again after she was disowned. Maeve and her sister rarely spoke anyway, especially not in school. Of course, as a family, they had been forced to converse during the holidays, but Maeve knew that nobody enjoyed it too much. The Iverson's had just never been talkers. They got to the point, and didn't see why one must say anything more than necessary.

Maeve guessed that this book was a peace-offering of some sorts, or a symbol from her sister to let Maeve know that she still loved her?

She tried to wipe those thoughts of the Iverson family from her mind as she switched legs and tried to concentrate on the book.

"Morning sunshine."

She looked up from the book to Remus who was blinking sleepily at her, craning his neck to look at her on the floor from where he was laying on the bed, having just woken up.

"Goodmorning," she smiled softly up at him, before diverting her attention back to the book.

"Is that the book your sister got you?" He asked.

"Yes," she nodded, turning the page.

After a moment he rolled out of bed and came over to her to press a kiss to her forehead, before saying, "I'll make the tea."

He left the room and she heard the stairs softly creak as he walked downstairs to the kitchen. She continued to read.

Indeed, Wolfsbane allows werewolves to hold on to their mental faculties post-transformation, but it is important to remember that it is in no case a cure for lycanthropy, but merely eases the symptoms. Often, a werewolf will harm himself or others after transforming, but with Wolfsbane this is not the case.
The potion is immensely complex, so should not be attempted by the every day Wizard. When concocted incorrectly it could be fatal, as the key ingredient - Aconite - is a poisonous substance. It is not to be brewed unless by an expert.

Maeve scrunched her face in concentration, and flicked through the pages to find the method. Compared to the potion she had concocted to reverse the unbreakable vow, it didn't seem too complicated.

Maeve stood up as she read and went back to bed, getting back under the covers with her nose still in the book.

After a few minutes, Remus came back in with two mugs of tea. He put Maeve's beside her on the bedside table, and his own beside him as he sat up leaning against the headboard.

He peered over her shoulder, "Wolfsbane?"

"Yeah..." she nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought that was just a theoretical potion, they hadn't finalised the actual...they...do they have it?" Remus asked in a whisper.

"It seems they do," she turned to him, "and we're going to brew it."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, it's incredibly difficult," he shook his head.

"You forget who you're talking to," said Maeve, raising an eyebrow.

Remus rolled his eyes but couldn't help but grin, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

They sat back beside each other. Remus got out the newspaper that he had collected from downstairs and they read together in a comfortable silence. At some point Sofia came in and lay between them comfortably.

And then Remus let out a short laugh, making Maeve look at him very strangely.

"What?" She asked.

"I just..." he shook his his and head and looked over to her, "I was just reading an article in the paper, about the Order, and I just..."

"What?" She laughed, raising an eyebrow at his strange behaviour, "what about the Order?"

"Well it was nothing, just about our progress, but it just got me thinking-"

"Always a dangerous affair," she teased.

"Oh shut up," he rolled his eyes, laughing, "I just had a thought, that...without you, without what you've done for us and what happened with you...I think things would be a lot different."

"A lot different how?" She asked curiously.

"Well...think about it, we wouldn't know about Peter, imagine what could have happened there," He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess you're right," she nodded.

"And didn't Dumbledore himself say that the Ministry wouldn't have given us all this funding if it wasn't partially for you and all the information you've got about You-Know-Who's plans?" Remus nudged her.

"I guess you have a lot to thank me for," Maeve looked down to hide her smile.

"I guess I do," he pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

≿ ————————　❈　———————— ≾

"Hello, is everyone here?" Dumbledore asked the group.

They were in a meeting for the Order of the Phoenix, discussing their next steps in finding and destroying Voldemort's horcruxes.

"Yes, I think so," Lily nodded, looking round.

"Now, where are we on organising the next mission?" Dumbledore looked round at the group, "Alastor?"

"Well," Moody cleared his throat and stood up, "We know of a lot of Death-Eaters, but it's difficult to uh, find exactly where they are, Sir, they're all very hidden away."

"Um, Sir?" Maeve began hesitantly, "Little Hangleton...there's a lot of hidden away houses there because it's close to where the Dark Lord would often meet us. I think it's where he came from...or maybe where he had family. It's an area where I'm sure you would find a fair few Death-Eaters hiding."

Moody looked at her for a moment, stunned as always by her helpfulness, "Well, how about that..."

"Thank you, Maeve," Dumbledore nodded.

"You're welcome," she nodded, pursing her lips in an awkward smile.

"Sir, do you think it would be a good idea if we-"

"Wait, I just heard something," Moody stood up, raising his wand at the door.

Maeve exchanged a wary look with Remus and gripped her own wand too.

And then someone burst in.

"Regulus??"