it's christmas season at hogwarts, and remus lupin finds himself and his friends stuck inside the school for the holidays. when searching through the library, remus finds a book he hasn't noticed there before—a notebook—and the front reads one simple question: do you dare?
or remus and y/n give each other dares to complete through a notebook, not knowing who was on the other side of the pages.
or a remus lupin fanfic loosely based on the netflix show dash and lily
hi! i have finally found time to start writing again and have found house of anubis to be one of my new obessions! if you have any type of writing request, send me submissions!
summary: it's christmas season at hogwarts, and remus lupin finds himself and his friends stuck inside the school for the holidays. when searching through the library, remus finds a book he hasn't noticed there before—a notebook—and the front reads one simple question: do you dare?
or remus and y/n give each other dares to complete through a notebook, not knowing who was on the other side of the pages.
or a remus lupin fanfic loosely based on the netflix show dash and lily
part two part four
When Remus woke the next morning, he had one thing on his mind: the notebook.
He knew the chances of the notebook being placed at this hour were low, but he couldn't get the object off of his mind. Or, well, maybe it wasn't exactly the object he was thinking of, but the girl behind the words he was reading. He was so curious to find out more about her, and though he would never admit it to anyone, he was actually having fun passing the notebook back and forth with the other.
Remus debates on his chances of leaving the dorm without his flatmates waking up, since it has to be early, and decides his chances must be very high. With that in mind, Remus quietly moves from under his cover, grabs a fresh set of clothes from his drawer, and sneaks his way to the bathroom. He quickly changes his clothes, does his daily routine, before walking out.
From the looks of it, the three boys are still sound asleep in their beds. Remus had a feeling he would get away with no one noticing, as he has to admit, the other boys tend to sleep like the dead. So, he makes his way to the door with a sly grin on his face.
"What's got you up so early, Moony?"
Remus stops in his tracks, turning to see James Potter, very clearly awake in his bed. Remus sighs softly, knowing he has been caught. How is he supposed to answer this question? Does he tell James the truth and risk sounding like a crazy person? How does one tell their friend, 'I'm going to the muggle studies room to see if the notebook I have been passing back and forth with a mysterious girl was left at the saddest Christmas book' without sounding insane?
Remus decided the best choice would be avoiding the question, "I could ask you the same, Prongs."
"Lily and I are getting breakfast at Hogsmeade this morning, and spending the morning getting Christmas gifts for everyone," James smiles. It's the same goofy, lovestruck smiles James always gets at the though of Lily Evans. Remus would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't in such a weirdly great mood. James continues, "And you, dear Moony?"
"I have to check out something in the Muggle Studies room, someone was supposed to leave something in there for me," Remus explain, and James looks confused for a split second, but eventually shrugs his shoulders with a nod.
Remus leaves the room, and has to stop himself from running straight to the classroom. Not many students are awake at this hour, but he knows it would look very strange for him to be running to the muggle studies classroom at this time. So, Remus tries his best to keep his composure, but he can't help feeling so excited. It's like he knows the notebook will be sitting there, waiting for him.
When Remus finally arrives in the classroom, he goes straight to what he believes to be the saddest Christmas story of all: The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson. He read it at this time, last year, and it dampened the already bad mood he was in. So he goes straight to the aisle, knowing the book would be placed there and is so ready to see his response. He checks the aisle hopefully, and...
Nothing.
No notebook is there. Remus tries not to think the worst, so he decides to scope out the rest of the room, incase he might have forgotten a sadder Christmas story. He searches each shelf, hunting for the red-leather spine he grew so fond of. His luck is not looking good, and he begins to think Clue Girl decided his answer simply wasn't good enough. Was he being too whiney in his response? Maybe he shouldn't have been so honest about his feelings towards Christmas? Did he scare her off?
Then, Remus sees the spine of the notebook resting in the section of Children's stories. A smile grows onto his face, and when he grabs the notebook, he sees the interesting choice it was resting by. With a shrug, Remus open the notebook and flips to Clue Girl's newest entry. Remus then begins reading.
Dear Mystery Boy, I have to admit, you answer did surprise me. You might be the first person I have ever known admit to hating Christmas. I will say, I think you might have been misled by me, as we are not as similar as you had first thought. I actually love Christmas; something about this time of year has always felt so special. Usually, I spend Christmas with my family, but this year they decided to go on a trip and leave me here. SO I guess we can relate on having a shitty Christmas this year.
Well, Remus had not been expecting this answer. He did think she sounded quite like him, but maybe he was projecting his feelings on the holiday onto her. Though, it seems she is having just as terrible of a time here as he, if not worse. Remus continue reading her response.
Now, I am guessing you might be surprised by my answer for the saddest Christmas story, but I have good reasoning for picking How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch was outcasted his whole life, and when he decided to take revenge against the people that made him feel such a way, his plans are foiled by a little girl. Sure, the book is meant to send children a good message, but the life of the Grinch was undeniably sad.
Remus finds himself smiling, and if he had to guess, it's probably a smile as goofy as James when he thinks of Lily, that Remus makes fun of constantly. He can't help it: Clue Girl has a sense of humor, for sure, and he cannot help but get more intrigued by her with each notebook entry. She is something different than most people he knows, which is why he is waiting for the answer to his last question. Remus keeps reading, hoping to get the answer he wants.
Mystery Boy, I know you asked for my name, but I don't know if you have earned it yet. Though, I have come up with a way for you to learn my name, if you're up for the challenge.
That was not exactly the answer Remus was expecting, but he is always up for a challenge. He is curious to see what it is that Clue Girl has in store for him, though.
As we both know, all the good children get this Christmas wishes granted by Saint Nick himself. That's how the story goes, right? I would have you ask Santa for my name, but I don't think he would come to Hogwarts for something so simple, and how do I know you've been a good boy this year?
Hogwarts does have someone with a close resemblance to that of Santa Claus, though. And he might have something for you, but you might have to get a little naughty in order to get it. If you really want to know my name, I would check Dumbledore's office. He might just have a little piece of paper with the answer you're looking for.
Okay, so Clue Girl is much more mischievous than Remus had originally thought. Including Dumbledore was definitely not something Remus was expecting, but for Clue Girl, he would do almost anything. And Clue Girl must not realize who she is speaking with, because distracting Dumbledore is basically a piece of cake. How many times has he had to get the map back from Dumbledore's office while the other boys distracted him? That number is probably too high to count, at this point.
Clue Girl might think of this as a challenge, but it is no challenge when it comes to the Marauders.
"Would you like to explain this situation once more for me, Moony? I would just like a better understanding as to why I was woken up at the ass-crack of dawn to distract Dumbledore for you." Sirius complains.
Remus rolls his eyes, "I told you, I have been writing back and forth with a girl in a notebook, and in order to find out her name, I have to steal a paper from Dumbledore's office. Now, pay attention to the map! Are you sure Dumbledore isn't in there?"
Sirius checks the map once more, "Dumbledore is still chatting with Mcgonagall on the other side of the castle, just like he was when you asked 5 seconds ago. The longer you stall, Moony, the more likely he is to catch you. Just go in there, get the paper, and get out before we both get caught and have detention on winter holidays!"
Remus nods, slowly opening the door to the office. He has been in Dumbledore's office many times before, so he does know his way around the place. He quickly moves to the desk, searching through the many pieces of parchment for the name of his Clue Girl.
For some reason, Remus is coming up empty handed. He is completely sure the notebook said the paper would be sitting on Dumbledore's desk, waiting for him. Isn't that what the notebook said? Now, Remus begins to question himself. It seems obvious the paper is not actually on the desk, so before Remus begins to panic, he starts frantically searching around the rest of the office for where the paper could be hiding.
Remus is not having good luck in finding this paper. He has checked under cabinets, inside drawers, between books on the bookshelf, yet is still empty handed. The one place Remus hadn't checked was Dumbledore's mysterious cauldron. There's no way the paper would be in there, right? He might as well check, just incase. Remus makes his way to the cauldron, about to peak inside, when suddenly...
"Mr. Lupin, I wasn't expecting a visit from you today. Nor do I remember my office being such a mess when I left."
Remus whips around, "Hello, Professor! Such a nice day outside, isn't it? Doesn't the snow look beautiful on the castle?" He tries to play it cool, but if anyone can see through him, it's Professor Dumbledore.
Dumbledore smiles, "I believe it must be you this message was left for, correct?" Dumbledore pulls the paper he was searching for out of his sleeve. Remus nods enthusiastically, as Dumbledore continues, "Normally, I wouldn't be happy that you were meddling in my office, but I will let it slide this once. When I was your age, I was in love. Though he is no longer here, and didn't turn out like I had expected, I will always feel grateful towards him for showing me what love is. I cannot deny that feeling from you, Remus."
Dumbledore hands him the paper, and Remus stares at him in shock, his mouth slightly agape. "I'm not in trouble, Professor? I destroyed your office searching for this!"
Dumbledore simply shakes his head, a smile on his face. He speaks once more, "Mr. Lupin, you are not in trouble. Plus, I have always had a soft spot for you four. Now, go read the letter, and please tell Mr. Black to pay more attention when he's on guard-duty next time."
Remus nods his head, walking to the door of the office with the letter in his hand. He reads the message from Clue Girl as he walks.
I hope Dumbledore didn't punish you too badly for wrecking his office searching for this letter. Maybe I should have mentioned it was with him, but I thought this way would be more fun. And, mystery boy, I have to say you have definitely earned my name now.
Y/n.
Now, leave this notebook at this first table in the dining hall. And, mystery boy, I believe since you have learned by name, it is only fair I learn yours.
Who are you, mystery boy?
"Well," Sirius asks, "Did you get her name?"
Remus smiles, "I did, her name is Y/n."
Siruis nods, "I like that name."
The two boys begin to walk away. Remus has a smile sitting on his face when he finally puts down the letter, and he doesn't even try to hide it. He nods to Sirius's words, saying more to himself than anything, "Yeah, I do too."
it's christmas season at hogwarts, and remus lupin finds himself and his friends stuck inside the school for the holidays. when searching through the library, remus finds a book he hasn't noticed there before—a notebook—and the front reads one simple question: do you dare?
or remus and y/n give each other dares to complete through a notebook, not knowing who was on the other side of the pages.
or a remus lupin fanfic loosely based on the netflix show dash and lily
summary: it's christmas season at hogwarts, and remus lupin finds himself and his friends stuck inside the school for the holidays. when searching through the library, remus finds a book he hasn't noticed there before—a notebook—and the front reads one simple question: do you dare?
or remus and y/n give each other dares to complete through a notebook, not knowing who was on the other side of the pages.
or a remus lupin fanfic loosely based on the netflix show dash and lily
part one part three
Christmas has always been your favorite holiday. Something about the atmosphere of Christmas has always drawn you in, and you can't help but feel at home when you think of all the joys this season brings. Yet, this year you were unable to travel home, leaving you feeling more lonely than joyful.
"Y/n, we need to get you out of this common room. You have been in here all of break so far, you need to get out there and meet people!"
Regulus Black enters the common room, crossing his arms over his chest. You look up from the book you had been reading and smile at him, before diving right back into the story. You hear Regulus sigh, before suddenly the book is ripped from your hands and placed on the table in front of you. You sit up in you seat, looking at him patiently as you sense he has something to say.
"Y/n, you are always talking about how your dream has been to find your perfect person at Christmas, but how do you expect to do so when you stay hauled up inside this room? You need to go mingle with everyone! There isn't many people left over break, so this gives you a chance to meet all the people that are here!" He says, sitting across from you at the table.
You fold your arms over your chest, "Reg, you know I am not great at meeting new people. I get nervous in front of people I don't know! Do you not remember how I acted the first time I met you?" You pause, and you both laugh softly at the fond memory, "I just wish there was a way for me to meet someone with actually meeting them, you know?"
Things between you two go silent. Regulus is almost too quiet, like she is thinking about something. Suddenly, Regulus is reaching for his bag and pulling something out, with a mischievous look in his eye. He lays the object in front of you on the table, and you now see what he was thinking about. In front of you is a red notebook, each page empty and ready to be filled. You look to Regulus for his explanation, which he seems like he is almost too excited to give.
"You say you want to meet people without really meeting them, right?" You nod you head, so he continues, "This is how you do it! We can use this notebook to help you meet people!"
Intrigued, you sit up slightly in your seat. Your face reads confusion as you ask, "Reg, how do I meet people through the notebook?"
"We can make it like a scavenger hunt! Grab some books, we can form them into clues. We can also think of some different ideas, really brainstorm this, and then we can leave it on a shelf in the library since anyone who decides to go in there during winter holidays must be your soulmate, and we can—"
"Regulus!" You interrupt the boy from his rantings, "This is never going to work. Hogwarts is basically empty, like you said, and I doubt anyone left is going to care enough to even play this game."
Regulus sighs. He thinks for a second, wondering what would be the best thing for him to say. Finally, Regulus says, "Y/n, you have to trust me. I have never failed you before, and even if you don't get any takers, at least you put yourself out there."
You debate this idea inside you head for a while. It's absolutely crazy to think this could really work, but part of you can't help but wonder if it might. It's such a small chance that anyone would actually go for it, but then again, who's to say someone wouldn't? You begin to smile softly, and finally respond with, "Fine, but I'm only agreeing because I know this won't work!"
It was very late at night. You probably should have been in bed asleep, but you found yourself unable to do so. You didn't want to admit it, but the curiosity of the notebook is keeping you awake. You tossed and turned in your bed, wondering if someone actually took the bait and decided to play your game. You know you should wait until the morning to find out, but you couldn't help yourself at this point.
You jump out of your bed and begin heading in the direction of the library. The hallways are dark, but since it's the holidays, the professors are being much more lenient with the rules. You cast the lumos spell to light your path, and quietly continue the trip to the library. Thankfully, the library is open constantly during the holidays as a way to coerce students into studying, but most people haven't done it.
As you imagined, the library was empty. You walk quietly towards the section the notebook should be sitting, when the librarian calls your attention, "You had a taker, Ms. L/n. And he is who I had expected him to be, of course."
You try to hide the excitement bubbling up in your chest, but it shows all over your face. You quickly move to retrieve the notebook, and hurriedly open it to see the reply. The first thing you noticed was the beautiful handwriting, and the fact that this person decided to take small notes across the page as they deciphered the message. Finally, you flip the page once more, and begin reading the mystery person's response.
Dear Clue Girl, do I dare? Not just for anyone, but apparently, Clue Girl, I dare for you. I admire your words, I salute you for your in-depth knowledge on how our trusty school was founded, and I am interested in your gameplay. I have to confess, Clue Girl, you intrigue me. You asked me how this time of year makes me feel, and I suspect from the way you sound, you're a kindred spirit. So, I assume you feel the same way as I when I state an unpopular opinion: I hate Christmas.
"He hates Christmas?" You say quietly to yourself. This is very much not what you expected, and unlike what Regulus said, this person cannot be your soulmate. Regulus. It's his fault you got yourself into this, so he should have to hear this, as well.
With that thought in mind, you find yourself racing to my Slytherin common room where you know you will find the Black heir. You say the secret password, and barge yourself in. Like you suspected, Regulus is sitting by himself in the room, drinking a cup of tea next to the fire. You storm over, drop the notebook into his lap, and exclaim, "This is all your fault!"
"Good evening to you too, Sunshine. Would you like to explain what it is that is my fault? Did you get a taker?" Regulus asks, and you take the notebook back into your hands.
"Oh, I got a taker, alright!" You start, flipping to the page of your mystery boy's response, "He hates Christmas! He says he feels it's a 'detestable holiday where people fake their cheer because it is what they are told to do, not because they actually enjoy the season!' This is your fault! You made me sound too cool and now he thinks I am the opposite of who I really am!"
Regulus stands, "Okay, first, take a deep breath. Keep reading, and see what else he says. Maybe he explains himself better in the rest of his answer?" You sigh, opening up the page to continue reading.
What I dislike most about the holiday is that everyone thinks of it as a special time to spend with your friends and family, so when you're alone on Christmas, it somehow feels worse than the rest of the year. Clue Girl, I have to admit that you are very clever, and you did have something right about me. I am lonely this Christmas. Have you ever been in a room of your friends, but feel absolutely invisible? That's how I am feeling now. And it's a shit feeling.
"He's lonely," You say softly, looking up to Regulus. "I know we joked in the notebook that he had to be lonely if he's playing my game, but it sounds like he's having a really bad Christmas this year. Maybe he doesn't actually hate Christmas, he just hates the feeling he gets during this season?" You ask a rhetorical question to Regulus, but mostly to yourself.
Regulus nods slightly, "Did he say anything else?"
Your eyes scan over the page, and they begin to widen when you realize what's waiting at the bottom of the page, "He left me instructions to continue the game!"
If you know this feeling, keep reading.
If you liked this answer, and I do get a response from you, I want you to go to the muggle studies classroom and leave this notebook by the saddest muggle Christmas story you can find. But I have to ask one more thing before I hear from you again, as I am expecting to hear from you again.
Who are you?
"Well, are you going to keep playing, or are we trying this again with someone new tomorrow?" Regulus asks.
You look up to him with a smile, "I'm going to keep playing. I think I have more to find out about this mystery boy."
summary: it's christmas season at hogwarts, and remus lupin finds himself and his friends stuck inside the school for the holidays. when searching through the library, remus finds a book he hasn't noticed there before—a notebook—and the front reads one simple question: do you dare?
or remus and y/n give each other dares to complete through a notebook, not knowing who was on the other side of the pages.
or a remus lupin fanfic loosely based on the netflix show dash and lily
part two
Remus Lupin has never been a fan of Christmas.
In his personal opinion, Christmas has to be the most detestable time of the year. With everyone's fake cheer, the crowds of people at Hogsmeade searching for the perfect gift, and the students gathered around to decorate the giant tree at Hogwarts, Remus can proudly say he does not like Christmas.
He least favorite part of the holiday has to be couple confusing their Christmas spirit with being sickeningly in love, like his best friends are doing now. James and Lily have always been grossly obsessed with each other, that's something he is used to. But now, even Sirius and Peter have found people to spend the holiday season infatuated with, and Remus is finding every chance he can to escape from witnessing it.
That's how he ends up here, stuck seventh wheeling the three couples in the Gryffindor common room. He has barely been listening to what the couples were saying, and has decided he's had enough of the love fest. He stands up, thinking he can get away with sneaking out without anyone noticing. He's almost at the door now, and he knows he's gotten away with it then, when suddenly—
"You heading somewhere, Remus?"
Of course, if anyone were to notice Remus leave, it would be Lily Evans. He turns around, seeing her eyes looking towards him expectantly. Remus shrugs, "Was thinking about heading to the library, want to get a head start on studies before the new year," he replies.
Lily's eyes roll, "Remus Lupin, it's winter holidays! You should be enjoying the holiday season with us!"
Remus is about to respond, but Sirius speaks first, "Oh Lily, haven't you heard? Moony here is our resident Scrooge! He wants nothing to do with the holidays, and if I remember correctly, I heard him say he hates Christmas!"
Remus takes this opportunity to sneak out the door before anyone else can protest. He decides to actually go to the library, as anything is better than sitting in the common room at this moment. He searches aimlessly through the shelves, knowing each of them like the back of his hand. His fingers run across the books, and he recognizes the feeling of each spine from the many times he's done this before.
Until, he doesn't. His fingers run across something he doesn't recognize, and he halts his steps. He looks at the book his hand has landed on, and notices the new, red leather book very obviously not meant to be placed on his shelf. Remus pulls the book from its slot, wondering what this book could be about. The back of the book is completely blank, just the cool, red leather to decorate. As he flips the book over, he sees the cover is garnished with one question.
Do you dare?
Curiosity fills him, and he flips open the book to find it's a notebook. On the first page of the notebook is a message, one that seems like it was meant just for him.
I've left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don't, put the book back on the shelf and let someone else take a chance at the game.
Remus debates very briefly in his head on what he should do, and ultimately, he decides that the random hunt inside of the notebook has to be more fun than what he has been doing. So, Remus turns the page, and sees what clues could be awaiting for him. He reads the next message inside his head.
So, you've chosen to play. A revealing choice, I must say. Shall we begin?
Remus flips the page once more. The next page has eight empty blanks meant to be filled at the top of the page. His eyebrows furrow, and he wonders what this person might be wanting to learn from him. At the bottom, below the blank spaces, is another message from the person behind the pages.
A coded message. You can decipher it with the right books, but only if you can find them. Your first clue requires some heavy reading, look for the story on how Hogwarts was founded.
Hogwarts history is a book Remus is familiar with. It was one he read when he first arrived at the school, back in year one. He wanted to familiarize himself with the place he would be living, and learn more about how this place was started. So, with that in mind, Remus shuts the notebook and goes towards the aisle hosting the book he needs. He scans the books down the aisle, trying to remember where the book was located, until he finds it. A smile grows on his face, and he notices a quill stuck inside.
Remus flips to the page, taking the quill inside his hand, and notices two little words circled on the page. He opens the notebook back to the page he left off, and writes the two words inside the first two blanks. Are you...
"Am I what?" Remus speaks lowly to himself, wondering what this person could be asking. He looks to the next message, and reads it to himself.
Okay, maybe that was a bit too easy. Let's make this harder. Year two, required reading for Mcgonagall. 193rd page, second paragraph, 34th, 35th, and 36th words.
Again, Remus knows exactly which book he's searching for. He places The Founding of Hogwarts back on the shelf, and quickly moves to find his next book. In the Transfiguration section, he easily pulls out the book. He flips to the requested page, moves down to the second paragraph, and searches for the three words he's looking for. When he has them, Remus fills them into the next blanks before reading the next clue.
I'll stop with the books for now. I want to test you. Your next word is an adjective for someone without company. Which, I don't want to assume, but you might be feeling this way since you decided to play my game during the Christmas holidays.
Remus thinks for a second, but the words comes to his head rather fast. In the blank, Remus simply writes the word lonely. With only two blanks left, Remus checks out his final clue.
I'm feeling generous, so I am going to give you the seventh word: on. Now, for your final clue, it's rather simple. What holiday are we about to celebrate?
Remus write the seventh word in the blank, and doesn't have to think about his answer for the final clue. He writes the last answer inside the last blank, and feels accomplished at the work he did. Remus reads the sentence laid out in front of him.
Are you going to be lonely on Christmas?
Remus has found himself in the middle of the library now. His attention is pulled away from the notebook when the librarian says, "Mr. Lupin, I see you have found the notebook. I somehow knew it you be you to find the book. She worked very hard on that, you know."
"She's a she?" Remus asks, "Can you tell me who is she?"
The librarian shakes her head, "That's not how to play the game, Mr. Lupin. Good luck!"
Remus smiles to himself, and flips the page once more. He has one final message left, and he reads it to himself.
So, here we are. What happens next is up to you. Leave a message telling me how this time of year makes you feel. Leave the book where you found it when you're done, and don't wait to find me when I come to get it, that's against the rules. If I like your answer, you might get a response back. If you aren't scared.
Remus is smiling softly. "Oh, I'm not scared, Clue Girl. I'm hooked," He speaks quietly to himself, before shutting the book and heading in the direction of his dorm.
Though he might have been dreading it before, Remus can definitely say that this years Christmas might be better than the past.
