Remus Lupin (nihowlist) wrote in disorderic, @ 2017-11-03 16:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | fred weasley, remus lupin |
WHO: Fred Weasley and Remus Lupin
WHEN: About a month ago
WHERE: Remus & Tonks' place in Hogsmeade
SUMMARY: Discussions & maps & confessions
WARNINGS: Nah
The Weasley twins and their unassuming brilliance had often left Remus in mind of Gideon and Fabian - or even James and Sirius, all things being fair. He loved their sense of justice and their desire to see good done no matter the cost. But he worried about them, too. Beyond even missing ears, young people throwing themselves so wholeheartedly into the mess of their society had more often than not meant that someone was simply going to get hurt. And Remus was tired of so many good people being hurt. So it was time to further open his little home, share his information and collaborate. The full moon had left him tired and wan as ever, but he had a kettle of tea on the stove and a plate of biscuits out. (And a bottle of whisky close should both of them require a little additional liquid courage.) He was excited, though. He was ready to collaborate and - ultimately, he hoped to bring them a little better luck with Potions, a base for the Wandless and a new Map in Diagon Alley. Fred had helped himself to a biscuit straight away, making himself comfortable in Remus’ home. “What did you want to show me?” he asked Remus, excitement creeping into his otherwise tired voice. It had been a long week post the attack at the Magpies game, but Fred was looking forward to throwing himself into another project to take his mind off of how much worse that could have been. Remus smiled, glad to see Fred feel at home enough to sit up and get excited. He was, after all, about to confess a bit more about himself than really anyone living (save Tonks) knew. “If memory serves, Harry let me know that you and George made use of an article at Hogwarts called the Marauder’s Map. I’ve nearly finished a version of it that’s mapped out Diagon Alley in a two block radius of the abandoned building we’ve designated for the Wandless refuge.” “You’ve made a Marauder’s Map of Diagon?” Fred repeated, sitting up even straighter, interest piqued. “Can I see it? How did you know how to do it? Did Harry show you the map? Harry didn’t show you the map when you were his teacher did he?” he asked, all in quick succession before Remus could get a word in. “Harry showed me the map,” he said slowly, pulling a rolled up piece of parchment from a folder. When Remus’ wand touched it twice, Diagon Alley, sketched out in basic blocks with the businesses lettered above, faded into view. “I was really surprised to know it was still in circulation. But, I suppose, that’s on us for leaving it.” He paused, meeting Fred’s eye. “I know how to do it because my friends and I made it.” “Filch tried to keep it out of circulation,” Fred commented as the map came into view, eyes immediately going to his own business. He’d missed having the Marauders map, even if passing it along had been the right thing to do. “But George and I —” distracted by the map it took a minute for what Remus had said to sink in. “You made it??” “ -- had a hand in making it,” Remus said quickly. The Map had been a colossal work of collaboration, each equally they're own. Except for Peter, mostly. Bloody betrayer. “You can call me Moony.” A smile. “That's why I said on the journal I know it could be done. With the map, the unplottable refuge and a Hits schedule, I don't see why we founder start Apparating Wandless out of the Alley.” Fred’s face broke into a huge grin. He couldn’t wait to tell George this news. “Okay, but you’re brilliant,” Fred told him, a word he usually reserved for himself and George, the wandless temporarily forgotten despite Remus’ mention of them. “Did you find all the hidden passageways yourself? I wish I’d gotten a chance to use them before Filch discovered most of them. How did you make it insult people? I never imagined you as a rulebreaker.” He smiled -- brief. “I had friends.” Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. “Very creative ones.” Then, scooting forward, he pointed back to the Diagon Map. “It gets harder around places like the Ministry and the Bank, what with the sheer volume of people. Just one wizard’s charm, you know? I figured you and Fred might want to add to it -- the more we collaborate, the more detailed the map will be.” Fred nodded. “I can take it home to George and we can work on it tonight,” he agreed, still staring at the map with awe. “We’ll be able to get the Wandless out in no time.” And not soon enough, if people like Malfoy were going to continue to claim they were being attacked by them. Not that he would blame them if they did want to attack him, he understood that feeling all too well. “So, Professor Moony,” Fred teased to stop himself from thinking about Lucius any longer. “What trouble did you get up to in school?” “ … that’s classified,” he told him evenly, but unable to escape without a crooked smile. “Suffice it to say, we did our fair share of pranking, though it was two of my other friends who would have given you a run for your money. I had to be a good Prefect, after all.” James and Sirius dead and he still felt as though he needed to keep their secret safe. The whomping willow, the shack and their own little escapades. Maybe one day, he’d tell Fred. And his child. “We’re going to ask the Dearborns for the Hitwizard rotations.” A pause. “I tell you what. You make a confession and I’ll make a confession. We’ll go at it like that.” Fred nodded at the idea of asking the Dearborns. Umbridge and co might have been doing their best to make life miserable for the Wandless, but they were no match for the Order. “Sounds like more of a drinking game,” Fred suggested with a grin, already sifting through stories in his mind, trying to decide which ones were best to tell. “But you can go first.” “There’s a bottle of Quintin Black in the cabinet,” he said with a smile. Then, sitting back, he considered the long list of pranks James and Sirius pulled. Then he further considered those he took part in, whether it be because of his Prefecture, or the Moon. “Hmmm. There was the time I Transfigured the spoons on Slytherin’s table to mice and they danced a reel through supper until the students touched them and suddenly they became spoons again. But that was right in time for my other friend to ensure dessert was melted.” Fred fetched the drink and some glasses, chuckling at Remus’ story as he poured them both a glass. “Anything that makes Slytherins suffer is a good prank,” he said, handing a now full glass to Remus and then picking up his own. “Or anyone that’s too full of themselves. There was this kid in the DA with us, I don’t know why he was invited because all he did was complain and claim Harry had no idea what he was doing. So every time we were practicing, we’d silently disarm him before he could do anything. He’d get so annoyed as his wand would go flying from his hand, and it made him look like an idiot.” “Well done, you. Knock the stuffing out of a complainer. So does that mean we both take a drink?” Remus said, smiling as he pulled his glasses from his breast pocket and let them perch on his nose. When Fred placed the glasses and the bottle on the table, it did the job of pouring itself out rather liberally. He laughed. “Or how does this game go?” “Both take a drink,” Fred decided, realising he hadn’t thought the drinking game aspect of this through very well. “But what we’ll do now is tell a story, then the other has to guess if it’s something that person actually did or not. If they guess wrong, they drink, if they guess right, the story teller drinks.” Fred grinned, enjoying the idea of playing drinking games with a former professor. If only he’d known Remus was this cool while he’d been his teacher. With a quick sip of the amber liquid, Remus gave a nod and got down to the business of playing the game. He arched a brow and leaned forward for his most ardent storytelling posture. “In Fourth Year, Slytherin House spent a full week trying to get into the Hufflepuff dormitory because I’d found a way to charm the staircases to develop Penrose stair characteristics whenever a Slytherin stepped out of the Great Hall. This, of course, was only allowed to continue because the stairs were only charmed post-supper and pre-breakfast.” “I think it’s true,” Fred decided after only a moment’s thought. “It’s a smart prank so sounds more like something you would do.” He grinned. The prank he described belonged to James. And it was a good prank that he, of course, offered a few thoughts on. A few thoughts like Penrose stairs are fun, James. But that was neither here nor there. He did not actually perform the magic. (He was in bed after a particularly nasty moon.) “Take a drink, Fred.” Fred happily took a large sip - there was no losing in this game as far as he could see. At worst, he’d get some new prank ideas and a little drunk. “Alright,” Fred nursed his glass as he tried to decide on a story of his own. “In first year, after having to serve another detention with Filch, George and I managed to catch Mrs Norris - which was not easy, that cat is crazy - and put ink on her paws and then let her back out into the school where she left paw prints everywhere. Which Filch had to clean up.” An hour or more passed in which Fred and Remus continued in this game, long enough indeed to put a fair dent in the bottle of Quintin Black. Remus drank far more than he considered fit, but felt as though he had come out of it with a new appreciation for the young man. His smile, always genuine for the Weasley brothers, managed to be plastered on his face for nearly the entire time. Then, finally, as the game began to wind down he leaned forward and capped the bottle. “I’m glad you have you on this map. It will be a useful tool - but like the Marauder’s Map, one that could go quite awry in the wrong hands. We must keep it safe.” He paused. “And in keeping things safe, I’d be doing us both a disservice if I didn’t offer you a room for the evening, or at least supper. A wizard ought not drink and Apparate.” “I can apparate,” Fred insisted, despite the slight slur to his words. “I passed my apparation test first go, not like Charlie who went and landed on an old lady instead.” He chuckled to himself and made a note to tease his brother about that again next time he saw him. He pushed himself to unsteady feet, sitting back down seconds later. “But I won’t say no to supper.” |