Chapter Thirty two: Potion Making
25 November, 1982
Nathan jumped when Remus dropped the heavy books on the table with a loud thud, and looked up at him with a playful glare. He gave an apologetic smile before pulling out a chair and sitting down next to him. He took the tray that was lying in the middle of the table and began to nibble on a scone, before he looked at the wizard and said, "I was thinking, that since I don't have much to do at home, could I make some of the potions? I read the books, and I saw you don't need magic to make most of them, just a cauldron, a fire and the ingredients."
A frown appeared on Nathan's face, and Remus wondered if he had hurt his pride by saying that wizarding activities were so trivial that even muggles could accomplish them easily. But then he remembered that it was only Sirius who was so prideful, and that didn't necessarily mean all wizards would be the same. He was proved right when Nathan answered his question, though his response wasn't exactly what Remus had expected to hear.
"I don't know, Remus," he said as he chewed on his lip, the frown still prominent on his face. "The books make it look easy, but trust me, it takes a hundred tries to perfect an OWLs grade potion, and medicinal potions are twenty times as difficult. We can't afford to waste any ingredients."
He nodded his head slowly and continued to eat the scones. He couldn't argue against that. He had seen how long it had taken for Nathan to gather all the desired ingredients, and what kind of precision was needed to make the potions. And especially during this war, those ingredients, most of them being described as rare or being collectible only during a certain time of the year, were bound to be scarce.
"You can learn what kinds of potions are used for what," Nathan suggested after a while. "When we are busy with our plans, or in battle, you can help the wounded. If the injuries are caused by a spell, they can't be healed by muggle medicines."
Remus nodded again.
"But, if you want to," Nathan continued when he didn't say anything, "you can learn to make the painkilling potion. You've read about it most likely - there are many types, but there's one that is used to relieve minor pains inside the body, and it's the easiest to make. It also uses only five to six ingredients, so we should be fine. I'll help you learn it."
Remus smiled and looked up at the blond. "I'll try my best."
As it turned out, making the painkilling potion wasn't as easy despite it being the simplest medicinal potion to make. Remus wasn't familiar with the ingredients at all and kept mixing them up, and it was only with Nathan's help that he managed to perfect the potion in the third try. Thankfully enough, it didn't require any strict timing, nor did it require the ingredients to be added in precise intervals, unlike some of the other potions Remus has read about. Since it's function was simple - relieving small pains - it's production process was easy as well.
"How's Gillian?" asked Remus half an hour later, after they've cleaned up the mess and cleared away the leftovers, as they sat on the sofa and Remus admired his work which he had filled up in a glass bottle.
"She's getting better, thankfully," answered Nathan with evident relief in his voice. "She'll be returning home to her siblings in a day or two."
"That's good."
Silence fell over them, but Remus didn't mind. The house was empty, for Sirius and Marlene had left to attend some Order meeting, Nathan being left behind for no more than two representatives were needed from each house. Gillian was in her room - she had just left after having eaten some snacks.
Everything felt like a bizarre dream to Remus. It seemed like ages ago when he had been an ignorant person with no knowledge about a world that had carefully kept its existence concealed from the muggle world. His shelter, his dogs, his father - all seemed like a part of another world, and the memories were already fading as though his contact with the magical people has influenced his mind to think that this was where he belonged. He didn't feel strange to offer help to Nathan; it almost felt like he was offering help to a long time friend, and indeed, he could safely say they were friends now. Sirius and Marlene were out of the question - none of them were interested in talking to him - but Nathan had kept him company, spoken to him as though he was one of their own, told him about his family, about his life at Hogwarts. Remus didn't mind having the wizards in his house now as much as he used to before.
"So can I try making another potion tomorrow?" asked Remus a minute later. Nathan, who was leaning back against the sofa and rubbing his face with his hands, peeked at him from between his fingers.
"Yeah, as long as you listen to my instructions."
Remus laughed and stood up, before he jumped slightly as a series of loud cracks echoed through the air. Nathan leapt to his feet and dashed outside, while he stood in the middle of the room and tried to recover from the shock.
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His hands ached as he attempted to keep himself as well as the man in his arms upright. The apparition had taken up Sirius's energy, for he wasn't able to think much amidst the chaos that was taking place, but thankfully enough, he was able to apparate to Moonwood Place, though the sharp stinging on his left foot said that he was splinched.
Marlene rushed to the door and knocked rapidly, before the sound of pounding footsteps reached their ears and skidded to a halt on the other side. "Who's there?" Sirius heard a voice demand, which he vaguely registered, belonged to Nathan. His head was spinning and he felt that he would collapse to the ground at any moment.
But Marlene remained firm and upright and spoke in a steady voice. "This is Marlene McKinnon, the youngest and only daughter of Maureen and Graham McKinnon, the sister of Nathan McKinnon who has been dating Gillian Abbott without his sister's permission and would never be forgiven for it."
Sirius wondered how she was able to joke around in a time like this, but then realised that that was probably the only fact she could come up with on the spot that was known only by them. The door opened and Marlene moved away to let Sirius enter, with an unconscious Dedalus Diggle still hanging limp from his shoulder. He stumbled inside and nearly toppled, but Nathan was quick to help him get to his feet and take Dedalus from him.
He was led to the living room where he collapsed on the sofa, and Marlene immediately began questioning him about where and how much he was hurting. He showed her his foot, and she let out a squeal upon seeing it, and as his senses began to clear, he realised he had a thumb missing. Sirius didn't dare look, but he could feel the floor beneath him getting wet as blood flowed out of the hole that used to be his thumb.
Marlene recovered quickly and went on treating his splinch. His head ceased spinning, though he was still feeling nauseous. A few minutes later, after having drunk some potions, he began to feel better, and fully opened his eyes to look at his surroundings.
Dedalus was conscious and was filling Nathan in on what had happened. Marlene, though she was concentrated on cleaning his wound, had her ears perked up and alert, and added any bit of information Dedalus seemed to miss. Remus was sat in the corner of the room, arms crossed and listening to them with a mixture of mild curiosity and apprehension prominent on his face.
"So the traitor is still at large," Nathan asked, frowning deeply and looking at his sister, "and Dumbledore has no idea who it is?"
Sirius raised himself slightly and put his elbows on his knees. "He had no idea that Peter was relaying information to the death eaters, what makes you think he'll know now?"
Marlene was chewing on her lip, and she shifted to face Nathan from where she was sitting on the floor. "Couldn't he - Dumbledore, I mean - use Legilimency to see inside everyone's minds?" she suggested, though Sirius heard the uncertainty in her voice. Nathan shook his head.
"They could be good in Occlumency."
"And anyway," Sirius added, "it would be demoralising to do that. We should trust each other. Showing conflicts isn't going to solve anything."
A heavy silence fell over them. Dedalus was the first to move, and he rose to his feet. "Well, I'll get going now. I have to meet Hestia and let her know I'm okay."
He left the room, and soon after, a muffled crack was heard through the walls. No one spoke, until Remus stood up and said, "So, does anyone want pork chops?"
Sirius and the others gave him a strange look. It was odd, thinking about food during a time like this - blood still spilled over the floor near Sirius's legs for Marlene had forgotten to remove it, and the strong smell of potions lingering in the air - but Sirius felt that it was okay. It showed that they still were humans with human emotions and showing human needs. The war hasn't fully managed to transform them into inhuman beings craving for blood and flesh, and the simple need for quenching hunger suddenly seemed like a blessing to him.
"I do," he stated nonchalantly and followed the muggle out of the room.
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With hesitance in his footsteps, Sirius walked up the stairs which he had run over several times as a dog, but which had become so unfamiliar to him now, that he could hardly recall the way to Remus's room. The creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet made him flinch a few times, and once he reached the wooden door at the top of the stairs engraved with simplistic patterns, he raised his fist to knock, hesitating for only a second.
Remus looked up at him in surprise from where he was lying on his bed on his stomach, a notebook in front of him and a pencil between his teeth. Sirius hovered by the doorway uncertainly, before stepping inside.
He had been to this room only once after having revealed his true identity to Remus, and he hadn't looked at the surroundings carefully during that time. As he looked around now, he could see the obvious changes that have taken place. His coffee coloured polka dotted duvet wasn't there anymore, and the room was devoid of any of the dog toys that were always strewn around the floors. Indeed, the room was much neater and there weren't any signs of a dog ever having resided in this place, and Sirius allowed himself to wonder, for a moment, if Remus missed Santa Paws.
"Do you need anything?" Remus's voice brought him to look at him, but instead of answering, he only shook his head and went over, leaning forward to look at the notebook in Remus's hands. He moved to a sitting position and allowed Sirius to see it.
"What are you doing?" asked Sirius as he picked up the dogeared book and read the page that was open before him. Several numbers, which looked like money calculations were scribbled over it, though he couldn't quite figure out their magnitude for they were written in pounds, and not galleons.
"I was calculating how long my saved money would last," answered Remus, twirling the pencil between his fingers, "assuming you still won't allow me to go to work." He paused to send a glare to Sirius. "What's going to happen if I continue working? I doubt the death eaters would be interested in me."
Sirius sighed and sat down on the corner of the bed, dropping the book on Remus's lap. "We can't take risks. And besides, with the traitor lurking around, it has become even more impossible to go out in the day. Who knows how many people know of our location, and if it is handed out to the traitor, we would be gone in a second."
Remus's shoulders sank, and he looked down at his hands. Sirius suddenly felt sorry for him, sorry that they had brought such drama into his life. But then again, what was life without a little risk?
"Anyway," he said loudly, pulling the subject into another direction. "That's not why I came here."
Remus looked at him with a frown as he put the book under his pillow. "What did you come here for?"
"I want you to read me a book."
The frown deepened, as though the idea was incredible to him. But it was soon replaced by an amused look. "Say please."
Annoyance crept up Sirius's spine. "It's just a book, why do I need to say please?"
"It's just a please, why does it hurt your ego so much?"
Sirius could've smacked him right on the spot.
He also could've said please.
Instead, he brought out his wand and held it in front of his face. "Read it. Now."
But Remus, surprisingly, didn't falter, though Sirius did catch the moment's look of apprehension in his green eyes, before it was quickly removed. "Is that the conventional wizard way to deliver a request? I must say, you people are very civilised."
Grumbling inaudible, but very obvious curses, he finally allowed the word to escape his mouth, stowing his wand away. "Please." He felt like he was tasting something bitter.
A smirk appeared that looked so unusual on Remus's face. But he didn't prolong the argument, and instead pulled out a book from his shelf. Sirius didn't bother to read the title and simply took a pillow and lay down. Remus joined a second later and began to read.
Unlike the first time, his voice didn't put Sirius to sleep, and he remained wide awake, the words somehow reaching every part of his body and making him fully aware of the war that was raging outside the walls. He attempted to sleep, but his eyes simply refused to fall shut. Remus realised it several minutes later. He stopped reading and frowned at him. "Everything okay?"
Sirius wanted to lie, but somehow he allowed the truth to leave his mouth and hang in the air like a firm reminder of his sins and crimes. "I feel selfish." Remus waited silently for him to go on. "This is unfair. Everyone else outside are probably running around everyday, hiding from death eaters, fighting, and we're sitting here in a safe house with virtually no threat. I feel like we'd be punished for this."
"This is war, Sirius," answered Remus promptly, as though he already knew the answer. And maybe he did. Maybe reading books have made him far more knowledgeable than Sirius could ever imagine to be. "Nothing is fair in a war. Sometimes, we're on the receiving side, and sometimes giving. It all balances out in the end."
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remus and nathan are my brotp
i hope the long chapter could make up for the lack of updates. Thank you for being patient, i love you all <3