Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 69 - Hello, Hogwarts, Old Friend

"Selene, darling, you're going to be late!"

It was time. Selene had been dreading this moment all summer – the day she had to go back to Hogwarts. She and Harry would be leaving Remus behind at the cottage, and Selene would have no way of knowing where Remus was sent for the Order or if he was alright. Their perfect oasis of sun-soaked days spent together would be marred by Selene's overwhelming fears of whether or not Remus was risking his life on Dumbledore's behalf.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said loudly, nearly stumbling down the stairs, laden with Hestia's cage and her heavy school trunk. She hit the step – thankfully with both feet – and threw down her trunk with a resounding crash.

"I could have helped you with that," Remus said, raising his eyebrows at the sight of Selene's mildly disheveled state.

"No, no, it's alright," Selene said, throwing on a weary smile as she looked up at him. She wasn't going to tell him she didn't ask because she knew he was exhausted; the full moon had only been two days prior. "Now, remember, Harry has to be at the train station by –"

"– eleven o'clock, darling, I know," Remus said. "I think between Harry and I together, we can manage to get him on the train to Hogwarts on time."

"I'm sorry," Selene said, pressing her lips together. "I'm a little on edge. I suppose I'm just not ready for summer to end."

Remus gave her a sad smile. "I know," he said softly, slipping his arms around her waist. "I'll be anxiously awaiting you and Harry's return for the Christmas holidays, trust me."

"You'll write regularly?" Selene asked, her eyebrows raised.

Remus' expression was hesitant, and he didn't answer her right away. She felt his grip on her waist tense.

"Remus, what is it?" Selene asked, her heart growing colder the longer he stayed silent.

"I-I'll write as much as I can," he began slowly, the look in his eyes becoming deeply apologetic, "but Dumbledore – turns out he does think it's necessary – he's asked me to go and live amongst the werewolves, see if I can sway their allegiances to our side –"

"No," Selene said immediately, shaking her head.

"Selene, please, just –"

"No, Remus!" she said, pulling away from him suddenly and clenching her hands into fists. "Don't you know how dangerous that could be? They resent werewolves that have tried to integrate into the Wizarding community, and they don't – they don't understand you!"

"Understand me?" Remus repeated, his tone a little heated. "Selene, I'm sorry, but I don't think you quite understand either."

Selene stared. "What do you mean?"

Remus sighed, letting the wall behind him support his full weight as he leaned against it. "Selene, I am so, so grateful that you don't view me as – as some kind of monster, and that you can just see me as – well, me – but I am a werewolf. I fight the same prejudices that they do, and I experience the same injustices as any other lycanthrope faces. I know how they feel, even if I got lucky and had normal friends that didn't give a damn about the wolf. I still understand how it feels, because there were so many people that weren't like you guys – that did give a damn that I was a werewolf."

He rubbed his face tiredly, and it seemed as if he was trying to maintain a handle on the irritation that he was undoubtedly feeling. "Let's face it, Selene – you're normal. And don't get me wrong, I love that, I love that you don't have to endure the things that I have had to – but don't say you understand that part of my life, because you don't."