Prompt 5 - Wolfsbane Potion
@wolfstarmicrofic April 5, word count 737
It was horrible stuff. Remus was almost positive Snape was ensuring the bitter, cloying flavour of the potion was stronger than it needed to be because it was for him.
He gagged on the final swallow and had to press his hand to his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. A quiet knock at his door made him jump, and he hurriedly hid the goblet that was still faintly smoking and called out for his visitor to enter.
Harry’s head poked around the door, his vivid green eyes lighting up when they landed on him.
“Hi Professor Lupin,” he grinned, and Remus’s heart gave a little twinge. He looked so much like James that Remus could barely keep it together when he looked at the boy.
“Hello, Harry. What can I do for you?” He returned his best friend's son's smile, even if it was slightly forced.
“Nothing, just a bit bored, thought I’d pop in and see what you’ve got planned for us next week,” his eyes darted excitedly around the room, looking for the dark creature Remus might have had stashed somewhere. Remus chuckled and crooked his finger as he stood and went over to his cupboard.
He unlocked it, Harry bouncing from foot to foot in his excitement. Remus had to close his eyes to block out the memory of the boy he knew who also used to do that. He pushed away the shoulder-length black curls, the skin so pale it was almost translucent, those grey eyes that could see into your soul and that lopsided smile that melted his heart every time Sirius used it on him.
He cleared his throat and slid on his dragon-hide glove before plucking one of the small crab-like creatures from the tank he’d hidden in there. He brought it out into the light to show Harry. “Wow, what is it?” The thirteen-year-old asked excitedly.
“It is called a Chizpurfle. They are parasites drawn to anything magical. They tend to live in the fur of Krups, the feathers of Augurys, but they also like wizard dwellings. They will gnaw away on wands, guzzle potions from the bottom of cauldrons, anything with a magical signature they’ll hunt it out and devour it. Fascinating things, though it is very easy for an infestation to get out of hand. See the little fangs there?” He pointed at the Chizpurfle’s fangs as it tried in vain to bite through Remus’s glove. “Those are what they use to latch onto a living host and won't let go until they are fit to burst with magic,” Remus let Harry look at it for a while longer before returning it to the tank and after ensuring it was fully secure locked his cupboard back up.
“It’s kind of like a tick,” Harry mused aloud.
“Yes, that is a very good comparison. Well done Harry,” he grinned, proud of how Harry had linked the two together.
“Good enough for a few points to Gryffindor?” Harry asked cheekily. Remus had to school his face so he didn’t roll his eyes. He let out an exasperated sigh.
“Five points to Gryffindor, because not many can use cheek like that and get away with it,” Harry beamed. “Go on off with you,” Remus ushered him towards the door. “And you’d best be an expert on Chizpurfle’s for your next lesson,” Not that Remus would be teaching it, it fell on the day after the full moon and Remus would be recovering.
“Yes, Sir,” Harry’s eyes crinkled and glinted with mischief as he quickly exited Remus’s office. Remus shut the door and leaned against it. Sliding down and letting everything he’d been holding back wash over him.
He turned his head to the pile of newspapers he’d kept on the bottom shelf of his bookcase and pulled out the top one, staring into the face of Sirius Black.
“I still don’t understand how you drifted so far from the boy I knew to this,” he told the silent picture as Sirius’s face laughed back at him. Remus put the newspaper away and, for the first time in a long time, wished the wolf could take over on the full moon so he could escape for a few hours, but that damn wolfsbane potion wouldn’t let him. He’d be stuck in the wolf’s body with his own mind, fully aware and able to think of lost friends and Sirius.