the_debt_of_time

was now asking about dragons as though purposely diverting attention from the subject of
werewolves, despite the fact that he had been the one to bring it up in the first place.
"I was never allowed to have a pet," Remus said under his breath as he looked down
into the pens of the small animals, all of which appeared to be scuttling as far away from
him as possible. Some were quaking and looked terrified. Remus exhaled sharply at the
reaction and frowned.
Mia placed a hand on his arm and smiled. "Don't take it personally. They can smell
you just as easily as you can smell them. They see you as a predator." She caught his
immediate horrified look and sighed. "It's not a bad thing, Remus. Predator and prey is the
way life is. It's the way animals work, even magical ones."
When he still refused to take the self-condemnatory look off his face, she went on.
"Do you know much about hippogriffs?"
"Just what the book mentioned," he replied, gesturing to the tome in his bag.
Mia smiled, knowing that he had already read the whole thing. Had she not known
him well enough, she would have assumed he had read all of Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them in order to make sure his name and address was not listed inside, but
she did know him better and was well aware that Remus took his studies just as seriously
as she did.
"Tell me some defining characteristics of a hippogriff."
Remus let out a frustrated sigh. "Why do I feel that this is one of the life lessons
you're always trying to teach me?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Humour me."
"Fine. Hippogriffs are proud, easily offended. You're supposed to take extra caution
when approaching them, bowing and such. They're extremely dangerous, but can be
fiercely loyal and protective of.. ." He stopped and glared at her. "I am not a hippogriff,
Mia."
"No, you're not," she agreed pleasantly. "Now, what do hippogriffs eat?"
"Small mammals," Remus answered. "Ferrets and weasels, usually."
"So hippogriffs are predators?"
"Technically," he said slowly.
"And would you say that hippogriffs are absolute bastards for being what they are?"
Remus's jaw tightened, and his nose twitched. "Well look at that. If I didn't know any better,