thattimeofthemonth | Open RP Post

He placed his tea cup to the side, understanding that this was a difficult topic and wanted to give him his full attention.

"Agreed." Draco matched Remus's gaze and gave a firm handshake in response. There was no uncertainty and hesitation there, but respect.

He wanted to help and understand his mentor more and if he broke the trust here he would never earn it.

Remus wouldn't even know what to do with the title of 'mentor' if Draco had mentioned it. It was still such an awkward idea for him, even having been a teacher. Werewolves didn't mentor people! (Then again, they didn't teach them, either, so...)

With the handshake sealing the deal, Remus licked his lips in an unconscious sign of his nervousness and thought where best to begin. This always went so much easier when he was rehearsing it in his head. "After dinner that night, I will be going downstairs and locking myself in the room we arrived in. Tonks will be locking it from the other side. The room is soundproof, both in Muggle and Wizard methods, to make sure that Teddy can sleep through the noise. No matter might interest you, or your curiosity pushes you, you must not attempt to enter that room." He let out a breath, his eyes closing. "I no longer have a source of the Wolfsbane potion to stop the beast from taking over, and it would not recognize you as friend - only prey, and it would come after you. We're... working on it, but the Ministry has no desire to help out a half-breed, though before you think it, Shacklebolt is working to aid in that, but for now, this is the method we've best to deal with the solution without sending me far away again."

He gave a nod of understanding. Unsure of what to say or ask. He felt horrible that Remus had to lock himself in the basement for the three days. He understood why...but just he idea of it felt crude.

Draco was aware that Professor Snape had been the main source to the Wolfsbane potion. He also understood that it was a very difficult potion to make and not many were successful with it. Any slight mistake could mean death for the person drinking it.

His father had always been strong with potions as well, but he wasn't sure if that was something his father would even do...let alone with the mind set he had if he could be reliable. He didn't bother suggesting such an idea.

"So...there's nothing none of us can do for you during this time? Just simply wait it out?" He couldn't help but sound a little upset by this.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm not happy to say it, or to force it on you, but it's part of the penalty of remaining with us. Just.. have to wait it out." There was even more of a hesitation, his hands coming together and wringing once in his lap before he said quietly, "and to deal with the aftermath. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse, but... I would rather you either remain in your room after, given that it can be rather- violent, or prepare yourself for it. I will not look good. Pale, hungry, usually wounded."

He gave a nod, feeling somewhat defeated by the conversation. The aftermath seemed to be a lot worse then dealing with the whole thing. There was a pause as he debated on asking the next statement.

"You had mentioned before...how Professor Dumbledore was the one to help you out. Did he help arrange everything for you when you attended school... and later as a Professor?" Draco softy questioned, a little hesitant at mentioning the Headmaster's name. This time he was more willing to hear the story then the last time Remus had tried.

The aftermath in most people's opinions were worse. Far worse. However, the mention of Dumbledore actually got him to smile just a little bit. "It's only because of him that I could go to school at all, actually. My parents had been prepared to keep me away because there was no way to contain me anymore. I was getting too strong, too violent, too dangerous. He found a way to keep me safe while I was at Hogwarts, and then when I returned as a teacher, had Snape to be able to help me with the Wolfsbane potion. ...An unlimited supply, he told me."

His smile grew sad. "I could have stayed, very happily, actually. It felt good to have a proper job and sanity."

He frowned slightly knowing that his father and Snape probably were the ones to cause the trouble. It was amazing that his father even kept that secret to himself for that long.

"I'm sorry...it wouldn't surprise if my father started that."

"Your father and Snape, undoubtedly," Remus said with certainty, looking to Draco and giving a slight shrug. "My reputation was already terrible; they only added to it. Even now, parents would throw a fit to hear that a known werewolf is among their children, and so that is the end of it."

And now Draco was in a similar position...just not as extreme. His time visit with the Prime Minister told him that much. Even if he was cleared...many people were still going to be hesitant or down right refuse him.

"Perhaps...things will change now with our new leader." Draco finding that he was terrible with trying to show or say words of support. He spent too long trying to hurt others that this was foreign for him.

He still wondered what exactly that Remus and his friends had done to earn Snape's hatred, but he didn't dare ask.

"Maybe, but I honestly don't blame people for how they react. I've yet to meet any werewolf like me, who's willing to follow Wizarding laws and rule. They're just not willing to be second class citizens and some days I don't blame them. It's part of why so many were willing to follow /Him/, because he promised them more. Others were being threatens and forced by Greyback."

Remus looked to Draco, his eyes dark and serious. "For now, it is what it is. But we manage, Tonks and I."

Draco couldn't help but give a slight shudder at the mention of Greyback. He had hated working along side him. Especially dealing with the threats of attacking him that Greyback would hint at. This had always been done out of earshot from his parents.

He idly wondered what it would have been like if there were other werewolves like Remus around that hadn't been threatened by Greyback.

He gave a nod. "Thank you for explaining this to me."

Oh Greyback would have loved to get his teeth into Draco. To take the child of such a stuck up pure blood Wizarding family would have pleased him to no end.

"You're welcome." He leaned back into the couch, head tilting back. "Things were easier when I was in achool, in a lot of ways, both when I was young and as a teacher. I don't think kids appreciate it anymore." It was a bit of teasing, almost playful, but Remus always sounded so tired.

He made a face at the obvious teasing and then went reach for his tea. At least, it hadn't gotten cold yet. He wasn't sure what to say at this point. It wasn't an awkward silence...more like a comfortable one.

They both had discussed what was needed and Draco wasn't very good with simple conversation. His mother was always good at keeping the conversations going.

Remus was silent for a moment as well, but a thought occurred to him and he glanced to the young man at his side. "Did you know the Whomping Willow was put in place because of me? It gave me a place I could be near school during the full moon. Put over the entrance - but don't give that about to anyone." He chuckled quietly.

"I was wondering what he had done to help. Isn't there some trick to by pass it so the tree doesn't hurt you?" Draco asked, surprised by this news.

"Professor Snape had been furious when Harry and Ron crashed into the tree. I would never had known the tree was there for a reason. He had said it was an old an expensive tree."

"To be fair, that is true. Old and they aren't easy to come by. They injured a living thing but also almost revealed that little secret." He chuckled quietly at that.

But he winked to Draco. "Of course there's ways past it, but I'm not about to reveal all of its secrets. I had to get in there somehow, didn't i?"

It had been so easy with Wormtail, who could sneak in and press the knot to stop the tree for them. Sometimes it was painfully easier to think of Wormtail and Pettigrew as two different people.

Draco pouted slightly. Remus and his many secrets.

" So, the tree helped but how did you manage to keep it a seceret while you were a student? Wouldn't people start to wonder where you disappeared all the time?"

So many funny stories there that all carried a twinge of sadness now, but Remus did his best to remember the good times over the bad. "It started with Dumbledore making up a lie for me - that I actually had a blood borne illness thanks to my half-blood that often made me very sick. Only he, McGonagall, and the head nurse before Madam Pomfrey knew the truth. He arranged for me to get work ahead of time and make it up after with no penalties though they ended up working me harder than most students."

He smiled, something fond and warm and older than his years. "I had no friends at first. No one had ever seen me before of course. But then I made one odd friend - Sirius Black. He decided I was a challenge or something because even though I tried to stay away from him at first, he wasn't going to have it. Be introduced me quickly to James Potter, and we picked up Peter after that. ...That was when all the lying started."

He gave a small smile in return as he found the stories fascinating. They were so different from what he heard from Professor Snape and his father. He was slowly getting to learn both sides of things.

"Did they start to investigate them?" he questioned. If anything they really reminded him a lot like Harry and his gang.

It was interesting that the next generation were the ones hearing all this. Harry had all the hatred of Snape inherited by his side and Draco had heard Severus' hatred of the Marauders, but both were getting to know the other side of the coin much too late.

"They did." Remus gave a quiet laugh. "I was in my second year when they started calling my lies. Telling them I was sick wasn't entirely untrue but they weren't buying it. Sirius kept up the pressure until one particularly bad full moon. I came back... much worse than usual."

He reached up and traced an old scar on his face, more prominent than most. "I came back with this. He said no one got that from the illness I had. I started to panic. I hid from them as much as possible, thought I should transfer or leave or tell Dumbledore - then one night, they cornered me. We shared a floor of the dorms all to ourselves, the four of us, so they waited until I was in bed and wouldn't let me leave. Then Sirius said the magic words 'You're a werewolf'. With complete certainty. He knew. James said they researched it and figured it out based on when I was sick and my symptoms and why I wasn't being magically healed."

"They didn't abandon you after they learned your secret." Draco quietly commented.

It was clear that they didn't go around telling everyone about Remus's secret. He knew that Sirius Black didn't work that way and that James Potter sounded very similar to Harry. He was unsure about Peter though. They were very loyal to him. He was a little jealous at the loyalty. None of his friends were that way.

"What did they do to help you deal with it?"

"No. In fact, the exact opposite. We became as good of friends as anyone could ever be. Inseparable, except at the full moon." Then, suddenly, he laughed. An honest real laugh. "You have no idea how determined or resourceful they were. They hated that I had to deal with the full moon alone and were determined idiots to figure out something to help me - which they did in complete secrecy. I had no idea."

Draco couldn't help but be impressed. It was also nice to hear Remus laughing as well. He was always so serious or depressed.

"What did they do?" This held Draco's attention as he was unsure of what could be done. The way Remus had explained things it seemed all they could do was wait it out.

"They put together two facts that I believe no wizard ever put together before, then accomplished something incredibly difficult that wizards many times their ages haven't always the patience or skill to manage." Remus' voice was so fond, the smile remaining.

He looked to Draco, a brow raised. "Do you remember much about werewolves? I know Professor Snape decided to hold an entire class about them thanks to me. Do you know what werewolves /don't/ go after?"

That earned a frown as Draco tried to remember the class and the essay they were forced to write. It seemed so long ago. "Other animals," Draco replied with some hesitation.

"Are you saying that your friends learned to be Animagi?" Such a transformation was difficult and not often successful. And to learn something like that on their own? Draco thought was foolish and dangerous.

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