"The next time you punch someone―" And Remus knew there would be a next
time. "—keep your thumb out so it won't break."
Hermione lowered her head and laughed quietly as he walked out of the library.
Remus stretched his arms above his head, grimacing in pain despite the moon not
rising for another hour or so. Yawning, he looked over the notes he had taken during the
day while his students had faced the obstacle course he created for their final exam. He
had been so proud when Harry defeated the boggart at the end of the lesson. Though it
was, of course, Hermione who left the biggest impression on him.
A part of him had been worried when she stepped into the trunk to battle the creature, whatever it
might be, so when he heard the little witch scream, Remus had gone running to her aid with Harry and
Ron following closely behind.
"Hermione!" he shouted upon seeing her crawl out of the trunk. "What's the matter?"
"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing to the trunk. "Sh-She said I'd failed
everything!"
He felt terrible for wanting to laugh, which was why he held it in until she had
stopped shaking, offering her the Chocolate Frog she had given him earlier that day.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in." He tried to smile pleasantly as Snape walked through the door, smoking
goblet in his hands. His smile faded briefly as he glowered at the goblet as though he had
a personal vendetta against it. "Thank you very much, Severus."
Snape nodded to him curtly. "Lupin. You'll want to drink that right away," he said,
gesturing to the goblet the same way he did every night leading up to the full moon.
"Says you." Remus sighed looking at the cup. "You're not the one who has to drink
it."
Snape scowled at him, clearly insulted—likely thinking that his time was being
wasted only for Remus to be ungrateful. "Perhaps you'd like it if I stopped brewing it for
you. Or maybe you could make it yourself. Tell me, because I seem to have forgotten, what
marks did you get in Potions?"