Nightmares (Fic, No Challenge)
Title: Nightmares: How Remus Lupin Came to Be a Chocolate Addict
Summary: See the title lol
Characters/Pairings: Uh. Remus/Chocolate. Toys at the beginning of a Remus/Sirius friendship and if you want to believe it grows into more than friendship then be my guest!
Genre: uh. Also General.
Rating/Warnings: G. No warning.
Word Count: 1132
THIS FIC IS A CHRISTMAS AND GENERAL AFFECTION PRESENT FOR alex_parker because our conversation sparked it and because we're buds and etc.
There was a thump in the night. Remus sat up in bed sharply, his blanket falling to his lap. It only took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the moonwashed room. He looked left, then right. Potter and Black were both asleep, Black snoring loudly. Remus didn’t look further - Peter never left his bed at night, not even if he really had to whiz. He’d wake up in the morning almost blue in the face and race to the loo.
The thump repeated, and this time Remus knew it wasn’t his housemates’ mischief. He pulled his legs closer to his torso, letting the blanket fall away completely. A savage growl ripped through the room and Remus felt every hair on his body rise. The back of his neck prickled, and he felt hot tears in his eyes.
‘Stupid,’ he thought fiercely, blinking them away. Another thump. It was coming from across the dormitory, near Remus’s wardrobe.
“Potter,” he hissed. No movement. The creature streaked across the room, with the awful scritching of claws against wood. Remus could only see the movement, not the creature’s shape or size.
“Black,” he tried again, fruitlessly. The two had been up whispering about girls until well past midnight, and for what purpose? Now Remus was left to fight this demon alone.
The monster was pacing, over near the large mirror which told Black every morning that he was growing handsomer by the minute, and told Peter he should avoid the pumpkin pasties for a few weeks.
Remus eyed the door. If he could make it past the beast he could get their Prefects, or even the Head of House to help him. But that would mean leaving his friends alone in the room with the thing. And honestly, Remus wasn’t so sure he’d be quick enough through the door. He remembered being told as a toddler never to run when faced with a growling dog.
Never run, because its instinct is to chase. Remus listened.
And look where that got him.
Remus turned and touched his feet to the cold, wooden floor. The monster stilled its pacing, emitted a low, warning growl.
Remus edged forward. The monster whipped behind the floor-length mirror, growls echoing and bouncing like rubber balls, scattering different directions and turning back, sending shivers up Remus’s spine.
“Who are you?” he whispered. He faced the mirror and the monster reared to its back legs behind the mirror, growing, stretching, enveloping the darkness and becoming it. Remus stepped closer, peering at the mirror.
The monster looked back at him.
It’s me, Remus realized with a jolt.
And still I must slay it.
The beast stared back at him from his own eyes in the reflection, wild like Remus’s own, but not with fear, like he felt. Just… wild.
Remus swept his eyes across the room in the mirror. The floor was littered with books, trash, items of clothing carelessly tossed aside and not yet tidied by the house elves.
He leaned down, eyes still on the mirror. The monster followed his movements, their eyes locked. He felt his hand touch something. Soft, a shirt maybe. He groped blindly behind him, afraid to look away from the beast in the mirror, afraid to make any sudden movements. His hand touched something solid. A shoe. It would do.
He stood again, bracing himself, and threw it, hard, right towards the beast’s face. The mirror shattered loudly, raining glass, and Remus found himself panting in bed, sunlight pouring in through the window.
“Breakfast’s in ten,” Potter shot at him, from in front of the unshattered mirror across the room, where he was deftly knotting his Gryffindor tie. “If you hurry maybe Peter will save you some bacon.”
Remus groaned and lay back against his pillows. His hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his arms and legs felt tight, as if he’d been tensed up for hours.
The three boys left to eat, and Remus swung his legs around. The room was cheerful once lit, no danger posed at all.
“Clever,” Remus muttered as he searched for his own uniform, patched and mended as it was. “I’m the monster. My subconscious must really work on its subtlety.”
Once dressed, he hurried down to the Great Hall, hoping that Peter had, in fact, save him some bacon.
“You look rough, mate,” Sirius greeted him as he slid onto the bench.
James started prattling on Sirius’s other side, and Remus looked down at his plate, assuming the conversation would slide on to Quidditch, or Evans, or Snape, or Evans, or Quidditch - but to his surprise, Sirius kept his gaze on him, awaiting a response.
“Oh,” Remus said, taken aback. “I suppose I do. Didn’t sleep so well.”
“You were certainly asleep when we all got up,” Potter said, peering at him through his glasses. “Didn’t even hear Peter trip over his trunk.”
Remus shrugged, looking back down at his toast. “Bad dreams,” he conceded.
James nodded. “My mum says not to eat before bed because your dreams get wonky.”
“Of course,” Remus said quietly. “I’ll try that.”
James went back to talking - now about their upcoming Charms lesson, and how he was sure this week they’d be working on levitation - and Remus went back to eating.
Sirius was still looking at Remus strangely, almost as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know which words were right. Finally, he handed Remus a wrapped rectangle of chocolate from the box on his lap.
“Here,” he said solemnly. “Try this. It’ll perk you right up. Poncy chocolate my mum sent,” Sirius said. “Always makes me feel right as rain.”
Remus nodded and pulled open the wrapper, taking a bite. Not only was it beyond delicious - heaven on his tongue, better than any candy he’d ever tasted - but he could feel warmth spread through his body straight out to his fingers and toes. It was as if the darkness of the night had been lingering along his bloodstream and was now chased away.
“What is this?” Remus asked in a whisper, eyes wide. Sirius grinned ear to ear, pleased that his attempt to fix his friend had actually worked.
“You like it? Here, have the lot,” he said, dumping a handful of the wrapped bars onto Remus’s lap. “She always sends loads, trying to compensate for being a wretched cow when she’s actually around me…”
“Cheers,” Remus said, starting on a second bar. Feeling infinitely cheered, he turned and actually tuned into what James was saying - even the bits about Quidditch, and Evans, and Snape, and Quidditch. Every now and then he and Sirius would catch eyes and grin, like the world - James, and Peter, and breakfast, and chocolate, and everything - was just a joke between mates.
Kimberly/Gryffindor/38 pts
(pss, hey beth, can we switch all the "author:kimberry531" tags into "author: willbetemporary" tags?)
Summary: See the title lol
Characters/Pairings: Uh. Remus/Chocolate. Toys at the beginning of a Remus/Sirius friendship and if you want to believe it grows into more than friendship then be my guest!
Genre: uh. Also General.
Rating/Warnings: G. No warning.
Word Count: 1132
THIS FIC IS A CHRISTMAS AND GENERAL AFFECTION PRESENT FOR alex_parker because our conversation sparked it and because we're buds and etc.
There was a thump in the night. Remus sat up in bed sharply, his blanket falling to his lap. It only took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the moonwashed room. He looked left, then right. Potter and Black were both asleep, Black snoring loudly. Remus didn’t look further - Peter never left his bed at night, not even if he really had to whiz. He’d wake up in the morning almost blue in the face and race to the loo.
The thump repeated, and this time Remus knew it wasn’t his housemates’ mischief. He pulled his legs closer to his torso, letting the blanket fall away completely. A savage growl ripped through the room and Remus felt every hair on his body rise. The back of his neck prickled, and he felt hot tears in his eyes.
‘Stupid,’ he thought fiercely, blinking them away. Another thump. It was coming from across the dormitory, near Remus’s wardrobe.
“Potter,” he hissed. No movement. The creature streaked across the room, with the awful scritching of claws against wood. Remus could only see the movement, not the creature’s shape or size.
“Black,” he tried again, fruitlessly. The two had been up whispering about girls until well past midnight, and for what purpose? Now Remus was left to fight this demon alone.
The monster was pacing, over near the large mirror which told Black every morning that he was growing handsomer by the minute, and told Peter he should avoid the pumpkin pasties for a few weeks.
Remus eyed the door. If he could make it past the beast he could get their Prefects, or even the Head of House to help him. But that would mean leaving his friends alone in the room with the thing. And honestly, Remus wasn’t so sure he’d be quick enough through the door. He remembered being told as a toddler never to run when faced with a growling dog.
Never run, because its instinct is to chase. Remus listened.
And look where that got him.
Remus turned and touched his feet to the cold, wooden floor. The monster stilled its pacing, emitted a low, warning growl.
Remus edged forward. The monster whipped behind the floor-length mirror, growls echoing and bouncing like rubber balls, scattering different directions and turning back, sending shivers up Remus’s spine.
“Who are you?” he whispered. He faced the mirror and the monster reared to its back legs behind the mirror, growing, stretching, enveloping the darkness and becoming it. Remus stepped closer, peering at the mirror.
The monster looked back at him.
It’s me, Remus realized with a jolt.
And still I must slay it.
The beast stared back at him from his own eyes in the reflection, wild like Remus’s own, but not with fear, like he felt. Just… wild.
Remus swept his eyes across the room in the mirror. The floor was littered with books, trash, items of clothing carelessly tossed aside and not yet tidied by the house elves.
He leaned down, eyes still on the mirror. The monster followed his movements, their eyes locked. He felt his hand touch something. Soft, a shirt maybe. He groped blindly behind him, afraid to look away from the beast in the mirror, afraid to make any sudden movements. His hand touched something solid. A shoe. It would do.
He stood again, bracing himself, and threw it, hard, right towards the beast’s face. The mirror shattered loudly, raining glass, and Remus found himself panting in bed, sunlight pouring in through the window.
“Breakfast’s in ten,” Potter shot at him, from in front of the unshattered mirror across the room, where he was deftly knotting his Gryffindor tie. “If you hurry maybe Peter will save you some bacon.”
Remus groaned and lay back against his pillows. His hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his arms and legs felt tight, as if he’d been tensed up for hours.
The three boys left to eat, and Remus swung his legs around. The room was cheerful once lit, no danger posed at all.
“Clever,” Remus muttered as he searched for his own uniform, patched and mended as it was. “I’m the monster. My subconscious must really work on its subtlety.”
Once dressed, he hurried down to the Great Hall, hoping that Peter had, in fact, save him some bacon.
“You look rough, mate,” Sirius greeted him as he slid onto the bench.
James started prattling on Sirius’s other side, and Remus looked down at his plate, assuming the conversation would slide on to Quidditch, or Evans, or Snape, or Evans, or Quidditch - but to his surprise, Sirius kept his gaze on him, awaiting a response.
“Oh,” Remus said, taken aback. “I suppose I do. Didn’t sleep so well.”
“You were certainly asleep when we all got up,” Potter said, peering at him through his glasses. “Didn’t even hear Peter trip over his trunk.”
Remus shrugged, looking back down at his toast. “Bad dreams,” he conceded.
James nodded. “My mum says not to eat before bed because your dreams get wonky.”
“Of course,” Remus said quietly. “I’ll try that.”
James went back to talking - now about their upcoming Charms lesson, and how he was sure this week they’d be working on levitation - and Remus went back to eating.
Sirius was still looking at Remus strangely, almost as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know which words were right. Finally, he handed Remus a wrapped rectangle of chocolate from the box on his lap.
“Here,” he said solemnly. “Try this. It’ll perk you right up. Poncy chocolate my mum sent,” Sirius said. “Always makes me feel right as rain.”
Remus nodded and pulled open the wrapper, taking a bite. Not only was it beyond delicious - heaven on his tongue, better than any candy he’d ever tasted - but he could feel warmth spread through his body straight out to his fingers and toes. It was as if the darkness of the night had been lingering along his bloodstream and was now chased away.
“What is this?” Remus asked in a whisper, eyes wide. Sirius grinned ear to ear, pleased that his attempt to fix his friend had actually worked.
“You like it? Here, have the lot,” he said, dumping a handful of the wrapped bars onto Remus’s lap. “She always sends loads, trying to compensate for being a wretched cow when she’s actually around me…”
“Cheers,” Remus said, starting on a second bar. Feeling infinitely cheered, he turned and actually tuned into what James was saying - even the bits about Quidditch, and Evans, and Snape, and Quidditch. Every now and then he and Sirius would catch eyes and grin, like the world - James, and Peter, and breakfast, and chocolate, and everything - was just a joke between mates.
Kimberly/Gryffindor/38 pts
(pss, hey beth, can we switch all the "author:kimberry531" tags into "author: willbetemporary" tags?)