Corrupted Souls | remus lupin

the long winter

Neoma giggled, taking a sigh of relief as they finally stepped off of the train. "I hope you have a nice holiday, Lily. I'll see you in 1978!"

"You too - see you in the new year!"

Neoma almost reached out for a hug, but decided against it as she turned away from the fiery-haired Gryffindor. Lily had been kind to her, but she still harbored an unspoken degree of mistrust toward the Slytherin. Neoma didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

"Was Lily just smiling at Neoma Nott?" James asked Remus, squinting behind his round-framed glasses.

"They're partners in Potions - you knew that." Remus explained casually, glancing around the platform for his parents.

"I didn't know they were chummy!"

"Neoma's actually really nice." Remus shrugged. "I'm honestly surprised she's in Slytherin."

James watched as Lily started to walk away from the exchange, and he took a moment to ensure she found her parents before finding Neoma in the crowd once more. "Well, that would be why." James mumbled, nodding toward the dark-haired girl who was now walking toward a tall, looming man with gray-streaked hair pulled back into a stern knot. "Nicodemus Nott is a known Death Eater. No one can prove it so he hasn't been touched but ... we all know."

Remus watched with interest as Neoma's father grinned once he spotted his daughter, his face dropping about ten years of age in a matter of seconds. The girl acted like she hadn't seen him for decades as she threw her arms around him.

"And she doesn't seem bothered in the slightest. Still think she's nice?"

Remus pressed his lips together, stuffing his hands into his pockets and frowning slightly as the Notts apparated away.

"I dunno, mate. She seems different than all of them. You don't know her situation."

"You don't either." James reminded him before his attention was drawn back to Lily, who was being crushed by her mother in a big bear hug.

The face of Sirius Black quickly obstructed his view, which was much less endearing.

★★★★★★★

"I love you so much." Nicodemus kissed the top of his daughter's head as he placed a cup of tea in front of her before sitting down at the kitchen table. "It's so nice to have you back."

Neoma took a sip of the piping hot liquid, wincing as it burned her tongue. "How are you, dad? How is everything?"

"Let's not talk about me yet." Nicodemus put his hand up, his wooden chair creaking as he leaned back. "How are your classes? How are your friends - are they giving you problems?"

Neoma contemplated his questions, tilting her head in thought. "Well, classes are going well. We have an interesting final project for Potions."

"What is it?"

"We have to design a potion. Did you have to do that when you were in school?"

Nicodemus took a moment to recall his years in Hogwarts, which seemed like a lifetime ago. "I was never in the advanced classes, but I do think Slughorn had Tom working on some similar project in our seventh year."

After all these years, her father still called Lord Voldemort "Tom" behind closed doors. They had been friends once, but the Tom Riddle he once knew had died long ago.

"Well I've decided to 'design' a cure for lycanthropy."

Nicodemus furrowed his brows together, a frown etching itself across his face. "Why would you want to do that - after what they did?"