Title: Lupus quod Justicia [2/?]
Fandoms: Gundam Wing, Harry Potter
Pairing: past Wufei/Treize, Wufei/Remus Lupin
Rating: varying from PG-13 to NC-17
Warnings: unhealthy relationships, crack, cliche, purple prose, disregard for continuity
Chapter Wordcount: 1757
Summary: Wufei is looking for something to distract himself from reality. Hogwarts provides the perfect opportunity.
PrologueChapter One I suppose I could get used to living in a place like this. If I must get used to living anywhere. Wufei thought upon first seeing the castle loom above him. He was tired and irritable and wearing robes so large and ill-fitted that he looked mildly emaciated. The chattering of the children with whom he had shared the trip was fraying on nerves that were already worn thin.
Wufei felt his face twist into a disdainful frown which he was too tired to correct.
By the time he had finished surveying the castle and turned his attention to the rest of the students, Wufei’s newly found acquaintances were had already climbed aboard one of the numerous carriages, which were hooked up to monstrous horse-like creatures that regarded Wufei with eyes that reminded him of glowing face of his Gundam.
The youngest students were following Hagrid to the boats moored on the side of the lake. Wufei found himself wondering which way to go. He was not a first year, but he might fit into that group for sorting purposes. Still, he was loath to approach the boats and be lumped with the smallest children.
“Mr. Chang?” A wizened voice asked almost directly into his ear, just as he was about to move towards the shore.
Wufei jumped at the sudden proximity of another person, spinning around quickly and barely keeping himself from dropping into a defensive position. He could feel his frown deepening.
The old man who had so easily crept up on him gave a jovial chuckle and extended his gnarled hand, which Wufei took gingerly.
“I am Albus Dumbledore,” the old man told him with a cheerful smile, “Hogwarts is certainly fortunate to have you here with us, I wasn’t sure you would come.”
“Niether was I.” Wufei admitted, as calmly as he could after being so startled, “but I’ve found myself at loose ends, and I could hardly continue my magical education where it began.”
Wufei had, in recent months, found a sick sort of glee in mentioning the destruction of his home. His loss made others uncomfortable, so he brought it up often.
“I was sorry to hear about the L5 colony.” Dumbledore said in a way that conveyed condolences but not pity, “your grandfather was a great wizard, and an even greater teacher.”
“I am honored to be his grandson.” Wufei responded, feeling a good bit less bitter than he ever had before. Dumbledore’s ability to make those around him entirely comfortable was a dangerous skill, one that Wufei reminded himself to remain aware of.
“Well then!” Dumbledore exclaimed with a snap of his fingers, “If you’ll just follow me…”
The headmaster made a gesture towards the carriages, where Wufei could see there was a slightly grander and more official looking coach set off to one side. Wufei felt a wave of relief, at least there would be no boat travel with the infants.
As he was tossing his duffel into the carriage, Wufei’s attention was once more drawn to the strange creatures that were meant to pull it. They regarded him will coolly glowing eyes, calm, but with a sort of cruel knowledge that felt strangely familiar.
“Did you have thestrals on your colony?” Dumbledore asked him after they had both seated themselves and the carriage had begun its’ journey.
“We didn’t have any animals,” Wufei responded quietly, “magical or otherwise. They presented a danger to the colony's support systems.”
“A shame. Thestrals are fascinating creatures, incredibly intelligent and only visible to those who have seen death first hand.” Dumbledore chuckled, “much of the wizarding world takes them to be a bad omen, but I find them to be quite friendly.”
“They are very... regal.” Wufei wouldn’t admit to being fascinated by the creatures. In a way they reminded him of the glowing gaze of Nataku...
Useless sentimentality! He chastised himself, a gundam is just a machine, and these are just glorified horse.
Dumbledore gave him a wink, “They like you too.”
After a few minutes of bumpy road past in silence before they reached the castle entrance and disembarked. From where they had stopped, Wufei could see the older students filing into the grand hall and moving to their places at the tables. The system by which they sorted themselves was impossible to discern, Wufei thought it might have something to do with the color of their ties.
“If you’ll follow me.” Dumbledore said, interrupting his musings. The old wizard lead Wufei through the great hall to sit to his left at the head table.
“The students are sorted into houses at the beginning of the feast.” Dumbledore explained to him, “After the first years are finished I will introduce you and you will be sorted as well, until then you can keep an old man company."
Wufei felt more than a little put out that he would be paraded in front of the school like a trained monkey or Relena Darlian, but it did separate him from the younger children who were forming a queue in front of the small stool in the center of the great hall. No one would be mistaking him for an eleven year old after this.
Looking quickly up and down the table, Wufei saw that Hagrid was seated a few seats down from him and was chatting with a very small man on a booster seat. On Dumbldore’s right was a greasy looking man who vaguely reminded him of an OZ jailer whose nose he had broken on three separate occasions. On Wufei’s left...
...On Wufei’s left sat one of the most captivating men he had seen since he had first looked Treize Khushrenada down the barrel of a beam cannon. He was too worn to be truly beautiful, a little too ragged around the edges to be considered attractive, but something in this man’s eyes reminded Wufei of his fellow pilots, and himself.
“You must be Chang.” The man said in greeting. His voice sounded a good bit younger than his gray hairs would imply.
“Yes, sir.” Wufei replied, feeling oddly tongue-tied. His eyes are so blue.
“My name is Remus Lupin. I teach Defense against the Dark arts.”
“Remus is returning to us for his second year.” Dumbledore explained with a cheerful grin that made Wufei's hair stand on edge, "We are lucky to have him."
“Hmph.” The OZ-like man grumbled. Wufei saw Lupin give a slight wince in response to the snort. Wufei ignored it in favor memorizing the fall of Lupin's hair.
“Do you intend to make the students combat ready?” Wufei asked.
“Normally no,” Lupin's voice was rasping and tired but had a deep musical quality that Wufei found... enjoyable. “But given the current political situation it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”
“What?” Wufei began, but before he could fully voice his confusion he was prodded to his feet. Apparently the sorting had finished while they were talking, and it was Wufei’s turn to be placed. He found himself mourning the lost conversation.
Dumbledore lead Wufei to the front of the room, standing beside the sorting hat on it’s stool. The entire school watched them with the sort of curiosity that comes only in bulk.
“Students!” Dumbledore started his announcement abruptly, clasping a hand on Wufei’s suddenly tense shoulders, “This is a year of firsts! A year for new enterprises and new hope.”
The old man’s eyes were suddenly a good deal sharper and more aware than Wufei had previously seen them, he looked through the crowd as if locking glances with every student there.
“For the first year in quite a while we have a returning Defense teacher, Professor Lupin, who took a leave of absence due to worries over his health, but we’ve brought him back and the ministry can’t do a thing about it.”
The hall erupted with noise, almost evenly divided between cheers and hisses. Wufei had given up on explanations.
“Also,” Dumbledore continued over the noise, his arms raised like a pop star in front of a screaming crowd, “We have Hogwarts’ first ever transfer student, from the space colony L5. Wufei Chang will be moved into sixth year, I do hope you’ll make him feel welcome.”
Wufei felt the eyes of the entire school, looking him over and whispering amongst themselves. The weight of their gaze distracted him even from the butchering of his name. He tugged on the too-long sleeve of his robe, trying to make himself look even somewhat presentable.
“Chang, if you would.” Dumbledore said gesturing towards the stool and the sorting hat.
Wufei cautiously seated himself on the old stool and placed the hat on his head, wishing desperately that he had listened to the song that would tell him what the sorting meant. He had been too busy watching the defense teacher to notice the students.
Interesting a strange voice suddenly spoke into his mind.
??! Wufei jumped. They hadn’t told him the thing would go into his head!
A scholar and a warrior, a loyal friend and a traitor, you would be suited for any house.
Get out of my head!
I see your life has changed you, and maybe not for the better. I might have placed you in Ravenclaw had you been sorted at the proper age but I see now that it must be...
“GRYFFINDOR”
One table erupted into cheers while Wufei wondered at the significance of his placement. Sitting down at that same table, near to the children he had met on the train, He couldn't help but look back at the head table where Lupin was deep in conversation with a woman Wufei hadn't met.
Something about him, Wufei thought, What is this feeling?
It was a familiar (painful) feeling. Wufei felt his lips twist into an equally familiar smile. Bitter and acidic.
I want him. He took a sip of the disgustingly sweet liquid in his cup and stole another glance at the professor.
Had it been this way with Treize? Wufei couldn't remember. But there was something about Lupin's smile, something about the lines around his eyes, that drew Wufei in.
Wufei wanted him. Well, he thought, At least I won't be bored this semester."
It was the kind of cold thought Wufei was used to suppressing with vigor.
From across the room, Wufei could feel the weight of Lupin's eyes. He smiled wider, and turned to his dinner.
TBC in Chapter 3