Chapter Text
Remus leans on his Head-of-House the entire trip down the stairs and to the infirmary.
He’s shaking like a leaf by the time they enter the doors, and Madam Pomfrey looks as if she had been pacing, expecting them.
“Oh good! You’re finally here. Let’s get you sat on the far bed please. Away from any prying eyes or ears so I can examine you.” Remus grimaced at the thought as she claps her hands together and convinces the professor to shuffle him over.
“I didn’t see you eating! I’ve already said that you’re far too skinny. And why didn’t you want to sit at the table with the others?” Madam Pomfrey rambled at Remus, picking up supplies and bringing them over to sit on his bedside table. Laid out on a silver tray. Remus scooted away in a slight panic.
“Sterling silver. The silverware was silver. I can’t touch it. Just like that tray. Or Black’s ring.” Remus pulled up his sleeve, McGonagall let out a gasp. The purple was slowly receding, the mark itself still an angry shade of red. The side effects have yet to dull much. His head was pounding, and his ears were still ringing. The world around him felt duller than usual and he hasn’t stopped shaking.
Madam Pomfrey ran a few diagnostic spells over him then handed him a few potions
“He has too much of it. My senses got overwhelmed the second I walked into the room.”
“Here. Drink these: Invigoration Draught, Girding Potion, and Draught of Peace. In that order, we don’t want you up all night.” She picks up a container with a lid that says ‘Burn-Healing Paste’ in the same orange and the thick paste itself.
Remus drinks the potions and starts feeling better almost right away. Although his head feels a bit funny after, slightly foggy, and floaty.
Remus sways briefly before Madam Pomfrey steadys him and begins applying the paste to his arm. Remus hisses in protest but she doesn’t say anything, just lets go when she finishes and cleans up.
“Minerva, I can take care of one student. I need to bring him to the kitchens anyhow. I’ll bring him straight to his dorm right after he’s eaten some proper food.” McGonagall shifted awkwardly before nodding and seeing herself out.
“While there is nothing I can do about Mr. Black's collection of silver, I can convince the house elves to make sure the silverware you receive during meals isn’t silver, you just have to arrive before the food does.” She said as they walked down a level until they reached a painting of fruit. She reached up, seemingly tickling the pear. It giggled and transformed into a large door handle.
Remus lurched back at the amount of silver in the room, refusing to enter. Madam Pomfrey sighed and went down by herself. Less than a minute later the silver was seemingly gone, and Madam Pomfrey was walking him down into the Kitchen of Hogwarts.
Brass pots and pans lined the walls, the metal had used to be silver, but now there was barely a trace of any.
She sat Remus down at the closest table and talked with the house elves for another few moments.
Despite feeling much better now Remus’ head still felt all foggy. Not in a bad way per say, more of an overlaying mist.
They’re was a snapping sound and suddenly more food than Remus could ever eat on his own showed up in front of him. Alongside a set of fake silver cutlery.
There was meat and potatoes of all kinds, fruits and vegetables Remus doesn’t think he’s ever seen.His mouth is watering to the point he has to wipe drool off the side of his mouth.
“And this is for me? I can eat anything off this table? Even though it’s so close to the Full?” It would seem cruel to just shove all this food in his face and then tell him he can only have a small portion.
“Yes, you can have anything you want to eat. If there's something specific you want, you can ask the house elves. What do you mean by ‘even though it’s so close to the Full?’ Are you not supposed to have certain foods?” Madam Pomfrey furrowed her eyebrows upwards, looking confused and concerned.
Remus wilts, hunching his shoulders and shrugging slightly before turning to eat. He took a small bit of beef and rabbit, some beet roots, and turned to a house elf about Camomile tea, who happily provided after Remus’ shy and polite request. He ate and took some pomegranate seeds, ignoring the dessert plates all together as he sipped his tea.
“Remus, dear you haven’t eaten nearly enough.” She said sternly, forcing him back into his seat. He turned back to her with wide eyes.
“But I’m not supposed to eat much the week before a full moon!” Remus whined, he didn’t want to break another rule on the first day.
“What do you mean? Shouldn’t you be eating more with the up and coming transformation?” Madam Pomfrey still looked confused so Remus figured he should be more clear.
“No. It's for safety so I don’t get strong enough to break out.” Remus looked down at the ground, ashamed at what he was, for having to explain why he wasn’t under weight, but at a good size for someone who turned into a monster once a month and needed to make sure that they didn’t escape.
Madam Pomfrey scoffed, shaking her head with a stern glare. She asked a house elf to bring Remus another cup of chamomile tea and urged him to eat his fill. Including an entire steak, two servings of fruit, and a large helping of collard greens. (And a Pumpkin Pasty because the house elves decided he needed a bit of sweetness to make him happy) Before he was walked back to Gryffindor tower, a bit achy and a fading headache, but feeling well enough.
He entered his dorm to find the rest of the boys gleefully laughing, although quieting down when he opened the door. They were all already in their sleep wear.-
“You look better.” Pettigrew comments happily. Remus gives him a closed mouthed smile more akin to a grimace.
“We took the liberty of unpacking your belongings for you.” Black voiced nonchalantly. Remus took in a harsh breath through his nose.
“Besides the classic textbooks you have many books on werewolfism and quite a few muggle fantasy ones. Or so Peter says they are.” Potter stated bluntly, no question, just making sure that Remus knew that they really had gone through everything.
The room was quiet for a moment, and then Remus remembered that’s what rich people do when they want you to tell you something. They form it like a statement, or an accusation and expect you to explain yourself.
Remus knew he should answer, that he was beyond below the people that were clearly fishing for answers. But they didn’t know that he was a half-breed. And they never would if all went well. So why should he have to answer if his father had a job at the ministry? Despite not being a pure-blood, he was just as important and worthy of life as they are in their eyes.
So Remus snorts, and pouts instead, grumbles about his father’s job and wanting to go to bed.
“That paste suddenly showed up on your nightstand while you were out.” Pettigrew blurted, pointing to a tub of the paste Madam Pomfrey had used.
Remus grunted and grabbed the paste, his clothes, and his shower necessities that had been lying neatly on the end of his bed.
Remus stepped into the bathroom and noted the room had five showers, sinks, and toilets.
He made his shower quick, the entire bathroom smelling like his rosemary scented toiletries. He dried off inside of the shower's tinted walls, just in case someone walked in.
Remus applied the paste with mild whimpering and dressed inside the shower as well.
Long sleeve and pants to cover any of the silver scratches scattered across his body.
“I’m telling ya’ he’s flippin mental!” Pettigrew whispered,
“No. Well… Yes. But he’s loopy as well. Definitely not right in the head.” Replied Black.
“Haha, Loopy Loony Lupin is quite the title.” James snickered.
Remus rolled his eyes and spit out his toothpaste, rinsing his mouth out and exiting the bathroom.
The three were each sitting in their respective beds, Remus made eye contact with none of them. He dropped his clothes in a hamper. Made his way to his bed, put away the paste, drew the curtains to his bed.
Remus didn’t sleep well that night. He had trouble falling asleep, he could hear three separate sets of heartbeats and breathing.
And all three of them snore. Pettigrew sounds like a fog horn and Potter kept throwing things at him throughout the night. Black even threatened him a few times, seemingly in his sleep.
But Potter snores as well, the most quiet of the three. And Remus doesn’t know how to explain it, but he swears Black snores in French.
Or maybe it’s just the boy’s entire treasure trove of silver messing with his senses?