𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 [𝐑. 𝐋𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧]

𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇

Song:
Best Friends (The Weeknd)
"I love you so, but we can't get close. You're my best friend now."

31 of March 1977: Callisto would remember that day forever.

She had never looked at a potion with so many emotions all at once, disbelief washing all over her as Slughorn handed her a single, crystal vial, the beige etiquette reading "WOLFSBANE" on it with dark red ink. She switched off the fire a bit unsurely, observing the light blue steam rising from the cauldron and filling the room with an unpleasant, bitter aroma. It made her lungs burn, and she waved her wand, the window flying open.

"This is it, Callisto." Horace said, staring at the potion with the same awe. It was an azure blue color, nothing too extraordinary to the eye. If he didn't know better, he would have discarded it without a second thought. Yet, this potion could be the answer to so many people's pain.

Callisto closed the vial shut, her hands trembling as she let it down on the wooden desk.

"And now?"

"Now, we wait." Slughorn smiled mischievously. "There's someone I want you to meet."

~ ~ ~

Euphemia Potter told her sons everything. They were a tight-knit family, much different than Sirius' and Callisto's. It was obvious from the moment someone talked to James Potter, his borderline motherly attitude and bizzare quirks hinting at a happy family.

Perhaps that was why it felt so wrong for the woman, when she visited Hogwarts without notifying the boys. She could only imagine how offended James and Sirius would feel if they ever found out she didn't come to see them. Well, James would probably be passive agressive for a good week, repeating the phrase "my own mother..." many times to himself, while Sirius would probably pretend to look for another mother, while claiming that "third time's the charm."

Alas, she was here for business, called by her own professor from when she was in Hogwarts. She was curious when she received his letter, the allegations about a new potion that was worth a shot catching her attention immediately. Of course, she understood why Slughorn wanted specifically her help, when she learned that the potion creator was a 17 year old girl, going by the name of Callisto Claire.

She had known Thomas Claire from work for years, and she could swear he had no children. Euphemia had actually talked about it with Fleamont, when she saw Thomas and his wife, Vera, in Gringotts once. Fleamont and Thomas had been friends in Hogwarts, but had parted their ways amicably after James' birth. Well, it was more as if the Claires had disappeared off the face of Earth, but that was expected at some point.

After all, how many friendships lasted outside the walls of Hogwarts?

Unfortunately for the woman, the four Marauders had eyes everywhere, so after Euphemia was seen by Peeves roaming down the corridors, James learned it in an instant. One look at the Marauders Map was enough to convince them that indeed, Euphemia Potter was in the castle, and also to give them her exact location.

And so, the four boys found themselves under that poor invisibility cloak again, following Euphemia Potter around the Castle. If Fleamont Potter knew that James would end up using the cloak to spy on his wife, he would have probably kept it hidden in his closet and would have never talked about it.

Thankfully for the four boys, Fleamont was no seer.

"I can't believe it." James mumbled grumpily. "My own mother doesn't want to see me. Where have I gone wrong?"

"You mean the last three turns even though we have a bloody map, or..." Remus offered, making James gasp in offense.

"Screw Potter." Sirius chimed in. "What about me, huh? I change mothers like I change my shirts at this point."

"You'd think he'd be more hygienic with all these girls swarming around him." Peter hummed thoughtfully. Sirius immediately fell silent, the odd reaction to the comment making Remus frown.

Usually Sirius couldn't keep silent even when pleaded, much less when he was provoked.

"Is she going to the Potions classroom?" Remus asked, pointing at the small room. "But what is Listo doing there?"

"Maybe Slughorn called her and Elphie is in detention."

"Merlin, Wormtail, how daft can you be?" Sirius exclaimed, shaking him from his shoulders. "This is a blind date, for fuck's sake!"

"Who's dating who?"

"Callie is dating mom!" Sirius insisted, shaking his head in denial. "I can't believe her! The sly minx is wrecking our home!"

Remus couldn't find it in himself to argue, "Obviously."

"Is she hooking up with Mia?"

"Probably not." Peter answered, shrugging. They all turned to look at him and he cleared his throat, blush rising on his cheeks. "Definitely not."

Much like Remus had predicted, Euphemia Potter led the way to the potions classrooms, her heels clinking softly on the marble floor.

Euphemia knocked softly on the door, smiling as Horace opened the door.

"Euphemia!" He greeted, hugging the woman enthusiastically. "What a pleasure it is to see you after all these years! Come in, come in."

"I don't think they're hooking up, Prongs." Sirius murmured, following them inside the room. Callisto was seated anxiously right above a caudron, her fingers fiddling with the necklace Remus had given her for christmas. The boy couldn't help but smile lightly as he saw the little charm glistening around her neck.

"Euphemia, this is Callisto Claire." Horace introduced. "Callisto, this is Euphemia Potter."

The two women shook hands, both observing each other intently. Callisto had heard a lot about James' mom, mostly because of the boy's adoration for his mother. She seemed like a nice woman, with kind hazel eyes that resembled James', light brown wavy hair and a warm smile, that would betray she was a mother before she would say it. She could see where James had gotten his caring nature from, the woman's grip on her hand being steady and friendly. She couldn't help but feel a bit bad, knowing very well that her grip probably appeared borderline hostile.

All Euphemia could think of was how much Callisto looked like her parents. Surely, she had to be their daughter, and judging from her age, she should be in the same year as James. It probably explained where the Claires had disappeared off to, but it didn't clear up why she was kept hidden. There was intelligence in her blue eyes, mixed with a certain kind of ambition that betrayed her house before she spoke.

"Are you Thomas' daughter?" She asked, her kind tone stopping Callisto from lashing out. That didn't stop Remus and Sirius from exchanging a look, both knowing very well that the question riled her up.

"Yes."

"With Vera."

"I hope so." She blurted out, making the woman chuckle. "I grew up with my aunt."

"Yes, little Elena. I know her." Euphemia smiled, recalling the younger girl that would always whine whenever Fleamont and Thomas took a second too much saying goodbye to each other for summer. Euphemia found it funny, while Thomas and Fleamont looked more embarrassed by the year. "So, technically, there's nothing stopping you from putting your name on your potion, you know."

"I want this to pass." Callisto murmured, gesturing to the cauldron. Euphemia approached it curiously, examining the potion curiously. "Maybe don't stand too close. The fumes are toxic."

"Belladonna."

"Yes." Callisto replied with a small, surprised smile. "You recognized it."

"Very pungent smell, but necessary if you want a fast batch." Euphemia stated, humming in content. "Aconite is a tricky ingredient; very unstable. Yours, however, seems just fine."

"I added Galanthus nivalis." Callisto stated, handing her a piece of parchment. "I have all the ingredients and the steps for the potion. Well, all except for a tiny detail."

Aguamenti is used for the water. Normal water will make the potion blow up.

Euphemia looked at her quizzically.

"Horace said I shouldn't put my name." She stated. "I didn't put it, but that's not enough. I don't want my recipe stolen, Miss Potter. You surely understand."

"Call me Euphemia. Miss Potter makes me sound old." The woman smiled, nodding. "I'm afraid that as long as Lestrange and Nott are in the committee, only old, pureblooded men will be able to publish potions. Your worries aren't unjustified."

"Oh, she can be an old man alright." Horace laughed, completely oblivious to the deathly glares the two women were sending his direction. He was making light of the situation, completely ignoring the fact that she would never get recognized for her work, even if it could be one of the most innovative potions created in the last decades.

"This is not funny, Horace." Callisto stated, her eyes narrowing. His smile immediately faltered and he cleared his throat, embarrassment creeping up on his cheeks under their stern gazes.

"I will leave you two to talk." He excused himself. "Call me if you need anything."

And with that, he left the room, a satisfied smile on Callisto's lips as she turned back to Euphemia. "As I was saying, this is just a safety net in case someone tries to take credit for my work."

"Except for?"

"Damocles Belby." Callisto stated, handing her the form. "Born in 1908 in a pureblooded family in Switzerland. He worked with Horace Slughorn for some time, hence the affiliation in section C, and dislikes any type of publicity."

"All fake, of course." Euphemia hummed, skimming through the paper. "I don't think there will be any issues, Callisto. I'll just need three vials for testing, and I'll inform you."

Callisto summoned two more vials and started pouring some of the potion inside, a strange feeling creeping up on her as she glanced to her right. There was nobody there, but she couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching her, the hairs on her neck standing up. She shook off the feeling, turning back to her work.

"How long have you been working on this?" Euphemia asked, eyeing her curiously. She was so young, yet she moved and spoke with such comfort about potions, as if she had been revising what she had to say for years at an end.

"A few months." Callisto responded, closing the potion shut. "I tried around 15 recipes before this one."

"And?"

"Complete failures." She admitted. "One blew up on me. See?" She lifted up her sleeves, revealing the silver scars running down her forearm. "My cauldron got too hot and exploded."

"And why are you doing this?" Euphemia asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Callisto's cheeks immediately flamed red, and she shrugged. The woman was pretty sure that this wasn't a usual reaction for the girl.

"I was bored."

And I want to make Remus fucking Lupin happy, but I can't say that to you, because you know him. Hell, do you really not know who I am, or are you trying to be professional? You'd think Jace would talk more about his alleged "constant headache".

Unfortunately, Callisto didn't know that James was referring to her as "Elphie", even to his own mother. The poor woman had assumed this was her actual name, completely oblivious to the fact that the girl standing in front of her was in fact the witch that had all four Marauders worried sick over Christmas.

"All that just because you were bored?" Euphemia laughed. "What's your specialty?"

"Poisons." Callisto admitted, a small smirk on her lips at the woman's surprised look. They all reacted that way, the only person being used to it was Nicholas, who after some point just accepted that it was best not to snoop around Callisto's business. "Have you seen this thing in muggle movies where they play with the dosage and add it into something else? Not food, but other objects that people touch. It's fun to experiment with that."

"I find poisoning someone's food to be highly unsuccessful for the most part."

"Most of the time it is." Callisto agreed. "I mean, diluting the poison in water is the most successful option if you want the effects to be at maximum capacity and instant. Poisoning through skin works better in most other circumstances."

Euphemia smiled knowingly, "Are you talking from experience?"

"No."

Both women knew the answer was yes.

Callisto handed her the two vials, a small smile on her lips. "When will I know if it's approved?"

"I'll make sure you know around Easter, Callisto." Euphemia promised, putting them in her bag. "Healing potions are usually checked very quickly, just because they're so useful.They usually take around two to three weeks of intensive testing and one or two months of details I won't bore you with, but I'll get you through some of the bureaucracy faster. If you had made a cosmetic potion, it could take months to years."

"Thank you." Callisto sighed in relief, running her hand through her hair. "Really."

"It's no problem." The woman smiled kindly, shaking the girl's hand. "Now, I'll have to get going before my sons and their friends see me roaming around. Merlin forbid I don't visit them." She laughed, shaking her head. Both Sirius and James scowled under the cloak, eyes narrowed at the older woman. "Stay safe, Callisto."

"Goodbye, Euphemia."

Callisto waited until the woman had left the room and she clasped her hands on her mouth, unable to contain her excitement anymore. Remus smiled lightly as he saw her dancing around the small room, letting out a laugh of relief as she emptied her cauldron.

It was obvious that Callisto had done something big. Remus didn't know what exactly it was, but it took all his strength not to throw the cloak down and join her jumping around in the small classroom. From what he could see, the other three Marauders were pretty happy too, despite James still looking a bit offended by his mother preferring to see "Elphie" over him.

Horace came back into the room, looking sheepishly at the girl, "Did I say something?"

"What?"

"You both looked rather angry, Callisto." The man pondered, cleaning his glasses with a light green handkerchief. "I thought I said something."

"You did."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty damn sure."

"But, what did I say?"

"Think about it." Callisto sighed, picking up her notes and the dark blue jacket that was thrown messily on a desk. "Consider this your assignment for next week."

"But-"

"Goodnight, Horace." She mused, pinching his cheek before she exited the room. The four boys followed her out of the classroom, struggling to keep up with her without making any noise as she skipped down the empty corridor.

"Is she going back to her dorm?" Remus asked, turning to look at James.

"Yes."

"I'll go just to make sure she's safe." Remus stated, the three boys looking at him with identical, smug grins. "Oh shut up, you told Lily to step on you."

James blushed furiously, "A moment of weakness."

"He wasn't thinking, Moony." Sirius agreed, patting James' head. "Evans was just existing that day."

"Fuck you all." James muttered grumpily.

"Maybe later." Remus teased as he paced towards the direction she had left in. He finally caught up with her, the sound of his footsteps making her turn around. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw the taller boy, and she smiled slightly at him.

"Careful, Lupin." She teased. "I would have cursed you."

"I would have probably deflected it."

"How cocky." She murmured, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "Every day, you stray further away from humility, darling."

"Well, you never had any humility to begin with."

She shrugged, a small smirk on her lips as she looked around them at the empty corridor, "Have you been following me?"

Why couldn't she be dumber?

"No, I-I just..." He stammered, pointing at the direction he came in. "I was at McGonagall's and I saw you, so I thought I'd check in with you, because well, I did see you, so why not?"

"Sleeping with Minnie, Remus?"

"Feels so right but is so wrong." Remus hummed, shaking his head. "Can't stay away, I'm afraid."

"Anything she can do, I can do better."

Shit.

He stood frozen, "Are you-"

"Flirting? Force of habit." Callisto stated, averting her gaze away from him. "Sorry, it slipped out. I-I didn't mean it."

"Technically, you're not wrong." He blurted out, dread washing over him the moment the words left his lips. "It's just a good probability. I don't know what McGonagall is like in bed."

"We should have invited her."

Merlin, shut up! In the name of Morgana and every other medieval wizard and witch, I need to shut up!

"Lost opportunity, huh?" Remus awkwardly asked, letting out a small chuckle. "Oh fuck it, Callisto. We don't know how to joke unless sex is involved, so let's just get it over with."

She snorted.

"What?"

"Get over what, Mr. Lupin?" She innocently asked, the suggestive glint in her eyes telling another story.

He just smirked, biting his bottom lip as he really thought of all the things he wanted to get over, both figuratively and literally.

"I shouldn't say." He answered, his voice merely above a whisper. "It's not very friendly."

They stayed like that for a moment, his eyes piercing hers, trying to understand what she wanted him to do. He knew he wanted to kiss her and carry her up to her dorm, but did she want the same thing? He could ask, but if the answer was "no", he'd have completely messed up.

The sound of a soft meow broke their silence, making Remus' head snap to the direction of the little animal. Mrs Norris was standing at the edge of the corridor, observing them with her big, yellow eyes. The cat let out another series of sounds, and turned around the corner, her tail disappearing last.

"Listo."

"Remus."

"Run." And with that word, he took her hand and bolted off to the opposite direction. His fingers were tightly interlaced with her own, as he pulled her behind, completely losing track of which corridor they were in.

Callisto was gasping for breath when Remus finally stopped for a brief moment, only to unlock a random broom closet and drag her inside. The door closed behind them with a faint clicking sound, only their ragged breaths audible. Remus could hear the unruly footsteps from a few corridors away, quickly approaching them and he placed his hand on Callisto's mouth, motioning for her to keep quiet.

"Where are they, Mrs. Norris?" Argus Filch said angrily, passing right in front of their broom closet. The confined space only allowed for so much movement, Callisto's body basically pressed against his own as she tried to look anywhere but his eyes. She was awfully aware of the warmth radiating from his body, accompanied by the familiar scent of his cologne, chocolate and old books.

The footsteps started to sound distant again and Remus hesitantly removed his hand, reaching for the handle.

He pushed it down once, the door remaining closed. Then once again, the movements becoming more frantic as the door continued to remain shut. Remus pulled out his wand and aimed at the lock, before trying the handle again.

"Listo." He mumbled, turning to look at her. "It doesn't open."

"Open it."

"I just told you, it doesn't open."

"You're bloody useless, I swear." She huffed angrily, trying the same spell as he had, while he casted a faint lumos. Yet, the door remained locked, her eyes widening in the absolute panic one can only feel if they're locked in a tiny space with the only person that makes their heart skip miles at a time.

"Bloody useless, huh?"

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"Merlin, you're so immature." He hissed, scoffing. "This won't get us out of here."

"Am I that appaling to you, Lupin?"

No, the exact opposite, for fuck's sake. Move one more time and this will get very awkward for the both of us.

"That's not what I meant." He argued, sighing. "Okay, the guys will probably notice I'm still gone in a bit and they will find us."

Callisto raised an eyebrow, "So, we're relying on Jace's observational skills?"

"They'll be here soon." Remus insisted, trying to move as far away from her as possible. It really was easier said than done, his back completely pressed against the wall. He could still feel her against his chest, the sweet smell of her perfume and the slight hint of smoke lingering around him. She didn't seem to have noticed how tense he was, constantly writing around to get more comfortable.

"Until then?" She asked, catching him off guard.

"What?"

"What are we going to do until they come?" Callisto repeated, looking at him expectantly. Remus didn't answer and she let out a small groan, rolling her eyes. He grabbed her arm before she could move again, holding her in place. At this point he had had enough. She didn't know what she was doing to him, but being in such close proximity to her after all this time was enough to drive him wild.

"What are you doing?" Callisto demanded, trying to ignore her heart beating so fast in her chest, she felt as if it was going to burst.

"Do us both a favor, darling, and stop moving around." He murmured, the darker tone in his voice making goosebumps trail on her skin. She hadn't really noticed how close they were, but now she could feel the strong grip on her arm, the way they'd be basically hugging if she made even a step closer and she could smell the scent of his cologne so clearly, it felt as if she was kissing his neck again.

She looked up at him, the dim light of his wand making his eyes appear darker than usual. Her gaze fell to his lips for a brief second and he brought her closer, leaning in slightly.

Her first thought was how much she wanted to kiss him. She could still remember how his warm lips moved against hers as if a day hadn't passed. His lips brushed against hers, her eyes fluttering close.

"Remus." She murmured, putting her hand on his chest to push him back gently. "Look, we said we were going to be friends."

To hell with that, I want you.

He couldn't say that. If he did, he would lose her forever and he wasn't ready for that. So, he pulled away, clearing his throat.

"Sorry, I-"

"It's fine." She blurted out, smiling slightly at him. "We should probably sit down until they come."

"So much faith in James all of a sudden."

"Peter's with him." Callisto justified. "So is Sirius."

They both sat down on the floor, knees brought close to their chests and Remus set down his wand, the small light illuminating the room.

"Claire."

"Yes."

"Do you want to play Truth or Dare?"

Callisto laughed, "Dare? What will you dare me to do here? Stand on one foot?"

"Do you have to ruin everything?" He complained, nudging her shoulder. "Let's play with just truth then. I'm bored."

"Okay, fine." She sighed, resting her head on her knees. "What's your favorite song, Lupin?"

"God save the Queen." Remus responded, recalling the first time he heard the song on Lily's tattered radio. Sirius had taken upon himself to sound as similar as possible to John Lydon as humanly possible, only to fail miserably. "Yours?"

"Gold Dust Woman." She hummed. "Ever heard of it?"

"No."

"Merlin, Lupin." She protested, an incredulous look on her face. "You know what? If we make it alive out of here, we're listening to the entire album together. How does that sound?"

"Sure." He smiled, trying to stifle the giddiness in his voice. "Your turn."

"Favorite thing you own?"

The copy you gave me of Pride and Prejudice. Pretty sure you put one of your nasty spells on it, because I can't let it down.

"My green sweater."

"It looks nice on you." She complimented, biting back a comment about exactly how good he looked when he was wearing it. "It looks better off you though."

He chuckled, "Fuck you, Claire."

"You've lost fucking priviledges, Lupin." She teased, looking up at him. "Ask."

"First kiss."

"Merlin, no." Callisto groaned at the memory. "I was curious and fourteen and he was a muggle, so I wouldn't have to see him during the year. He was our old neighbor's grandson and his grandma invited us over for his birthday. I didn't really bother getting him a good present, so you could say I killed two birds with one stone."

"Poor boy was your first victim." Remus mocked, sticking his tongue out when he saw her glaring at him. "Mine was in fifth year with Marlene."

Calisto's eyes widened, "Our Marlene?"

"Pretty sure that was when she realized she was a lesbian." He commented, letting out a laugh. "I was the last one to get his first kiss, so Marlene decided to step in and help. Though, I did kiss someone else a week after, so there was no point to it after all."

"Oh, my second one was Nicholas." Callisto shrugged. "Some kids at school weren't convinced we were dating, so we did it once to shut them up. Worst ten seconds of my life, Rem, and I was literally forced to torture my best friend." 

Remus couldn't help but laugh at how casual she sounded.

"Worst crush?"

You. You're making me crazy.

"Haven't had many crushes." He admitted. "I mean, I usually had better things to do." He cleared his throat, hoping that Callisto wouldn't get too mad at him for his next question. "I have a good one."

"Ask away, pretty boy."

"Your first time."

Callisto was thankful for the dim lighting, because it meant that Remus couldn't see the intense blushing covering her entire face.

"You're blunt, Lupin." She sighed. "Well, my first time with a girl was last year. Her name was Anette Claude but we never really spoke about it again, because she got betrothed to Roi's older brother, and my first time with a guy was also last year, with a Quidditch player."

"A Quidditch player?" Remus scoffed. "Doesn't he have a name?"

"Anjel Dimitrov"

"Wait, I've heard that name somewhere." Remus mumbled, trying to remember where he could have heard the random name. "Could James have mentioned it? But he didn't play in the match..."

"Oh no, Rem." Callisto laughed. "You've got me wrong. He plays for the national team."

So he was competing with national team Quidditch stars and guitar players from hell.

And Roi, of all people. Remus would be lying if he even tried to claim he wasn't bothered by him, even now that he was gone.

"And Roi?"

"Are you going to ask me again if I was thinking of you while he was fucking me?"

"Would you be honest with me?"

Callisto averted her gaze away from him.

"No."

"Then no, I won't ask you." Remus answered, his jaw clenching at the thought of Leo coming down the Gryffindor staircase the next morning as if he had won the lottery. "Were you and him a thing?"

"No, we like to identify as two individuals."

"Were you?"

"No." She responded. "We kissed once on a Dare. It doesn't even count... I hadn't done anything else with him before."

"I thought-"

"You thought wrong." Callisto interjected. "Either way, it's none of your business."

"I'm asking as your friend." Remus said, even though the lie tasted bitter on his tongue. "I'd like to know if he's... special to you, the same way I'd ask for Lily or Marlene..."

"I wish he was." She simply stated. "He'd be good to me."

It felt like a slap on the face. He didn't say anything, the weight on his chest crushing just him a bit more.

"Yours?"

"My what?"

"First time."

"Oh, ehm." He stammered awkwardly. "Fifth year with a girl from Hufflepuff after we won the House cap. Gina Thomas, don't know if you've heard of her."

Callisto couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy on her chest, even though it was completely unjustified. She shook her head negatively, hoping that the scowl on her face wouldn't be visible, or that he would at least not comment on it.

"Can't say I have." She muttered. "She mustn't be all that special."

Silence fell between them, Callisto's eyes fixed on the handle opposite from her. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until she felt Remus' head falling softly on her shoulders. The girl was about to scold him by commenting on how heavy his head was and how it was probably filled with bricks, when she turned to look at him and saw his eyes closed, and his lips partly opened. Every muscle on his face had relaxed, the permanent frown on his eyebrows finally disappearing as he peacefully slept on her shoulder.

"Your friends will notice my arse, Lupin." She mumbled grumpily, but didn't move nonetheless.

Her own eyes started to feel heavy as the adrenaline from finally turning in her potion wore off, her legs feeling numb as she slipped into deep slumber with the last thing she thought of being the scent of old books, cologne and chocolate.

On the other side of the castle, the four Marauders accompanied by Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadows couldn't stop snickering as they observed the two name tags on the map, standing close together.

After all, Sirius had promised that damaging every broom closet handle in the castle would prove beneficial at some point.

~ ~ ~
One thing to say:
The song describes their current situation so well....