𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 [𝐑. 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧]

𝐀 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

"Am I calm yet?" She whispered, watching as he tilted his head to the side.

"You're asking me if you are calm yet?"

"It was a simple yes or no question, Lupin." She mumbled, crossing her legs under the table. "Now what's next?"

"Me helping you with DADA as a way to grant one of your two favors." He proposed, hoping that she would accept his offer. Instead, Callisto shook her head, smiling cheekily.

"I don't think so, Lupin." His smile immediately falling at her response. "I haven't reached that point yet."

That much was true. Unfortunately, she indeed reached that point about twenty minutes later when she felt tears stinging in her eyes and her heart racing at the mere thought of how much homework she would have to complete over the next days if she didn't manage to figure DADA out. Remus on the other hand, was skimming through the questions with an incredible ease, not even bothering to check in his book for the correct answers.

"Lupin." She whispered but Remus didn't even bulge. "Lupin!" This time she nudged his leg under the table but she received absolutely no response. "Buddy! Friend! Comrade!"

Remus' lips tugged up in the corners but he held his head low, focusing on the worksheet. He only turned to look at her when she felt her fingers tugging his hair lightly, followed by the phrase:

"Fine! I need your help, Remus!" His name rolled off her tongue in a way that seemed familiar to him. It sounded more like a song and less like an actual word; something he had heard before briefly and he didn't know he missed until he got it again. It was nice, he thought as a peculiar feeling pooled in his stomach. A bit too nice, maybe.

"Remus, huh?" He teased, trying to ignore how different it sounded when she said it. "That wasn't too hard now, was it?"

"You're an asshole!" She hissed, even though that little voice in her head kept on whispering how this wasn't true. She stood up and took her bag from the chair, rushing away. Or at least, she would have rushed away weren't it for a hand grabbing hers as she walked past him. A jolt shot up her arm and she tore it out of his grasp like it had burned her.

"I'll help you, Callisto." He stated, looking up at her. "Not as a favor, but because you said I'm an asshole and I like proving you wrong."

"That's the most assholy thing I've ever heard." She grumpily responded, contemplating whether she should accept the help after all or not. On one hand, she would never be able to complete the homework alone without breaking down in the middle of the library but on the other hand, she would normally never give him the satisfaction of knowing that she had used the help. She was planning to say no, but there was nothing but genuine desire to aid her in his eyes. "Okay, but you're still an asshole."

"Yes, an asshole that says assholy things." He confirmed, sighing in defeat. "You're such an eloquent person."

"Continue this and see how eloquent I can truly get!" Callisto threatened, pointing at him with the broken quill. He raised his hands in mock surrender and she carefully let it down. "I really don't understand a single thing."

Remus immediately noticed the momentary embarrassment flashing in her eyes and he nodded, opening the book. "So, what do you remember about vampires from third year?"

Defense Against the Dark Arts in Durmstrang was more of a class in which the students were taught how to practice the Dark Arts and less of a class in which they learned how to defend themselves from them. The professor, Igor Karkaroff, was a cruel man with a very short temper and a knack for severe punishments no matter the crime. At times, it would be better to get caught by the headmaster himself instead of the scrawny man with the cold, black eyes.