Sep. 21st, 2010 09:48 am
These Four Kings (Year Five 6/8)
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fox_confessorTitle: These Four Kings (Year Five 6/8)
Author: Dani (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
escribo)
Word Count: 3251
Rating: PG
(Pairings: in the future will be Remus/Sirius, Lily/James)
Timeline: late April 1976
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. I've not made nor seek any profit.
Year 1: one/ two/ three/ four/ five/ six/ seven
Year 2: one/ two/ three/ four
Year 3: one/ two/three/four
Year 4 (coming in the future when work quits eating my brains! Sorry for the out-of-order-ness)
Year 5 one/ two/ three/ four/ five
Minerva McGonagall was, above all other things, a patient woman who loved her job, though for the last five years she’d had to remind herself of that nearly every day. She couldn’t understand how four underaged wizards could cause so much mayhem wherever they went, and as Head of the Gryffindor House, she'd had many spirited students, and had even given her own Head of House a run for his galleons in her day. There was nothing in her entire career or education that had prepared her for the combination of Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew.
Even having known Harold Potter, himself, when he was team captain the year she was made seeker, had done little to predict the limits that his son and his friends tested on a daily basis. She had looked up to Harold, and Muriel, who later became his first wife. Harold had been a real leader amongst his peers, and Minerva could see that in James as well, though his energies seemed to be directed more toward chaos. She felt that this, his fifth year career consultation, was an opportunity to steer him toward more productive outlets. His career choice, Auror, hadn’t been a surprise, and despite his ability to attract trouble to himself at every turn, Minerva had agreed, though she’d been rather prepared to offer some practical advice had he decided he wanted to be a professional Quidditch player. Instead, she’d outlined the classes he would need to take, the grades he would have to earn, and delivered a nearly hour long lecture on his behavior.
The meeting had gone well, and she’d decided that there was more of his father’s spirit in him than she’d begun to believe. She’d enjoyed talking with him, especially when it didn’t end with assigning days of detention, and had told him as much. She was glad she had when she reflected back on the week come Friday night, and realized that of her four Marauders, as they called themselves, James had been the easy one.
Immediately after speaking with James, Peter Pettigrew had been her next appointment. Minerva prided herself in being able to find the good in all her students, but she was stretched thin with Peter. There was something sycophantic about the way Peter ran after James and Sirius that disturbed her, though she’d seen it before over the years. He had no talent to speak of, no wit or intelligence. She had no doubt that he’d come as far as he had because of his friends, particularly Remus’ patience in tutoring him. Still, he was a Gryffindor, and sometimes that had to be enough to earn her support and loyalty, though she couldn’t quite keep the shock out of her voice when he stuttered out his intended career path.
"Auror, Mr. Pettigrew?"
"Yes, ma’am."
"Yes, well." She paused, struggling for something--anything--to say that wouldn't crush his spirit. "It's certainly an admirable goal, but perhaps you've considered other options as well?"
"James said--"
"We are not talking about Mr. Potter. This is about you, and to even be considered for a traineeship with the Auror's program you'll need at least five N.E.W.T.'s." Minerva shuffled through the papers in Peter's file, feeling mildly guilty at her tone. "While you do reasonably well in my class, Mr. Pettigrew, you've barely managed Acceptable in Potions. In fact, the only other class you seem to excel in is Divination. You'll have to do much better if you expect be accepted into N.E.W.T level courses."
"James said--"
"Mr. Pettigrew, surely you have interests of your own, ideas for a career that would be better suited to who you are." Peter sat quite still and did nothing more than blink at Minerva, clearly terrified. "Do you have any activities outside of classes that you enjoy, maybe, that would point us in a direction?"
"I'm good at chess."
Peter stared at his hands for a long time while he searched for another answer and Minerva studied him. She remembered his brother had been a handsome lad--tall and stocky with blond hair and blue eyes. Peter seemed a watered down version, pasty where his brother had been quite fit, milky blue eyes where his brother's had been striking. Of course, his brother had had the arrogance of teenage boys that seemed mostly absent in Peter, and Minerva couldn’t help but think that an improvement, though there was none of the charm of James Potter or the intelligence that Sirius Black showed.
Minerva mentally shook herself for being unfair to poor Peter who had probably spent his life being unfavorably compared to his brother, and now his friends. While she was human enough to admit that she sometimes had favorites amongst her students, she wouldn't let that affect how she did her job, which right at that moment meant encouraging Peter into some field where he might achieve some measure of happiness and success.
"Okay, chess is good," she said when his silence continued. "It's a beginning. Anything else?"
"I like Quidditch."
"Perhaps, Peter, you’d like another chance to review the information about the careers available and see if there isn’t something there that suits you, and we could meet again?"
"Again?"
Minerva stood up and pressed a handful of leaflets into Peter’s hands. "Again, Mr. Pettigrew, and while I know Mr. Potter probably made being an Auror sound like quite the adventure, I assure you that it’s a tremendous amount of work and a great deal of responsibility for very little pay. It is not a decision to be entered into lightly."
"Yes, ma'am," Peter whispered, looking down at the leaflets in his hand, a little lost, it seemed, and Minerva had no doubt that he would again turn to James and his other friends for advice.
"Consider it your homework, Mr. Pettigrew. Read the leaflets and make a decision on your own."
"Yes, ma'am; but James said—"
Minerva pinched her lips together and closed her eyes, remembering that with these particular boys it was sometimes better to count to one hundred before responding.
The next day proved much easier. The fifth year girls were always found to be much more mature at this age than the boys, and the discussions of Ministry positions, healing, and banking were easily sorted. Minerva found this year’s cohort to be a particularly lively, entertaining bunch, who frequently sought her out for advice, and she was fond of them all, especially Lily who was more serious minded than her friends though with a certain vivaciousness that made her particularly enjoyable to speak with.
Minerva was especially grateful toward them, as she wrote in her journal later, because Friday proved to be more difficult than she had expected. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had the last two consultations of the year, and she had specifically set Remus as last so that she could spend more time with him. Unfortunately, neither appointment proved easy.
Sirius came first, during what would have been his Potions lecture, and slouched down in the chair across from her, looking for all the world that he expected detention at the very least. His long black hair was caught back at his neck and she could still see the bruise that was fading on his jaw from some fight or mischief that she wasn’t even going to question. It gave him a handsome, roguish appearance that she knew James spent a lot of time attempting to mimic, and she couldn’t help her smile. She knew that even the seventh year girls already considered Sirius a heart throb, even if he hadn’t quite caught up with them, and she often told Albus that they should be grateful that he hadn't seemed to discover girls yet. Within a year, she suspected, there would be trouble enough on that end. For now, though, he’d merely avoided her eyes and mumbled through his answers.
"Have you thought of no career that might suit you?"
"My father forbade it, any discussions about it, because he means for me to take over his position on the Ministerial Advisement Counsel and as head of the family, when the time comes."
"And is that what you want as well?"
Sirius sat up suddenly and finally met Minerva’s eyes, the shock of being asked his opinion plain on his face before he fought to regain control over himself. She knew very well his father’s plans for him.
"No, ma’am. My father wouldn’t allow what I wanted."
"Nonsense, Mr. Black. Once you leave Hogwarts, you’ll very much be your own man. Your education will have prepared you for any number of careers and your talents shouldn’t be wasted in any event. Should you choose to pursue any career with as much determination as you devote to getting yourself into trouble with Mr. Potter, I’ve no doubt that you’ll be successful in whatever you chose to do."
Sirius looked back down at his folded hands but Minerva could see his blush paint his cheeks very prettily, and she wondered if he had ever considered a life beyond that offered by his family, a life not defined by his name. She suspected not and felt sorry for him, and for his brother, who may never be given the opportunity to realize the possibilities as she knew how involved Orion had become in Regulus’ education to ensure, as he explained to Albus recently, that the same mistakes weren’t made as had been with Sirius.
Minerva took off her glasses and let them hang from their chain around her neck as she folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward on her desk. "I've often had the honor to witness your capacity for compassion when your friends are presented with challenges; perhaps you would consider healing."
"I just do that stuff because Lupin needs me," Sirius answered. His blush was still in place but he sat up fully now, leaning forward in interest as he did in class when something especially interested him. "I wouldn’t want to do it all the time for anyone else."
"Okay," Minerva said, surprised by his answer and the offhand way he said it, but glad now that he seemed willing to consider other possibilities. "There are many other professions for which you’d be suited. Gringotts has an excellent program to train curse breakers. Surely you've considered this topic before, Sirius."
"Yes, ma'am. I mean, sometimes when I was younger I thought I'd like to be an Auror." Sirius looked up to see if maybe she would laugh at him, she thought, and when she didn’t, he grinned. "I know that's what James said, too, but he's not why I said it."
"I’m very glad to hear that. Tell me what interests you about that particular field."
"I don’t know. It seems exciting, like I'd really be doing something."
"And you like the thought of that? Being a part of something good."
"Yes, ma'am. Is that strange? Because of my family?"
"No. I went to school with your Uncle Alphard and knew him well. He was a good man. I know he thinks well of you."
"Yes, ma'am. He thought it was a good joke that I was sorted into Gryffindor. He suspects that I’ll be blasted from the family tree before I’m thirty. He set up a trust fund for me for if it happens."
Minerva laughed merrily over the thought of Alphard betting on his nephew’s future once Sirius had left much happier than when he’d come in. She’d given him the same lecture she’d given James, and planned his N.E.W.T.s, sending a message to Albus as a warning against what would happen when Orion and Walburga received her letter regarding the career consultations.
Minerva then cleared her desk, leaving only Remus' file on top, and waited for her final consultation of the year, but he never showed. She double checked his appointment time, surprised that he would have forgotten but willing to forgive what was extremely unusual behavior for him, knowing there would likely be an explanation forthcoming. When Minerva entered the Great Hall for lunch, her eyes went immediately to the Gryffindor table and to where Remus sat next to Sirius, picking at his food.
"Mr. Lupin, may I speak with you for a moment."
As Remus stood, James, Peter, and Sirius stopped their conversation to watch, and though she moved them a few steps away, she knew they continued to listen. She had no doubt that there were no secrets between the four of them.
"We had an appointment this morning," Minerva said, attempting to be firm though she could clearly see that Remus was miserable. He didn’t meet her eyes but nervously wringed his hands in front of him, thumb to thumb, and twisted his fingers together.
"Yes, ma’am."
"So you didn’t forget?"
"No, ma'am."
"Were you ill?"
"No, ma'am. I didn't want to waste your time." He looked up at her then, the plea in his eyes clear, and she wanted to reach out to him but kept her hand firmly at her side, not wishing to garner him any more attention than she already had.
"I assure you, Mr. Lupin, that I do not consider your future a waste of my time. I have office hours available at two o’clock this afternoon. I’ll expect you then."
"Yes, ma’am," he said, looking back down at his feet.
"You’re not in trouble, Remus," Minerva said more gently. "Go back to your lunch and I’ll see you this afternoon."
Once she was sat at the head table, Minerva kept her eye on the boys, who clearly hadn’t known that Remus had missed his career consultation. It wasn’t long before Remus gathered his books and left, though Sirius followed close behind. Later that afternoon it seemed that they boys were determined that Remus not miss the appointment again, as they all showed up at precisely 2:00, nudging Remus forward and into the office.
"Now, Mr. Lupin," Minerva said closing the door on James, Sirius and Peter. "A waste of my time?"
"I'm sorry, Professor."
Minerva motioned for Remus to sit as she rounded her desk to take her own chair. She rattled her tin of biscuits at him, and he took one, nibbling on the edge. She waited until he was finished before she opened his folder and folded her hands on top of it.
"I suppose I can guess at what this is about," she began. "Do you think Professor Dumbledore and your father gave no thought as to why you should be educated as a Wizard?"
"No, ma'am. I mean, I know it was important to my father and Professor Dumbledore was very kind to make so many arrangements to allow me to come."
"He didn’t just mean it as a kindness; he believes in you and your abilities, just as your father did and just as I do."
Remus worried a hole in the sleeve of his robe and bit at his lip, his forehead furrowed. She left him in silence to work out whatever it was that he was trying to find the words to say, and was rewarded several minutes later when he finally admitted his concern, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's just that with the new anti-werewolf legislation--"
"We have had this discussion before," Minerva said when he bit off the end of his sentence and sat once more staring at his hands. "Now, did you read none of the leaflets about career opportunities?"
"But I don’t have any, do I? Who will hire me? There are so many rules and penalties in place, no Wizard would take the chance."
"Remus, you're a smart lad who does well in his classes, and your father was very proud of you, rightly so. He would not have wanted you to give up so easily, would he."
"No, ma'am. He always said that it didn't matter. That I could do whatever I wanted."
"And did your father ever lie to you?"
"No, ma'am.” Remus finally looked up, a small smile on his lips as he remembered his father.
"And neither have I, and I won’t lie now and say that your path will be easy. I will do everything I can to help you on your way, but you have to be willing to fight for it. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said, and braved a bigger smile.
"And what do your friends have to say about this? I'll admit to being rather surprised that the four of you hadn't taken a pact to all be Aurors."
"No, ma’am. James and Sirius, they’re the brave ones."
"You’re brave, too, Remus," Minerva said as she leaned back in her chair and tipped her head at him. "So you hadn't considered what you want to do with your life."
"No, ma'am."
"Surely there must be something you’ve wanted to do."
Remus sat back as well though he looked away from her for a moment, his eyes distant, and Minerva could almost feel the presence of Remus’ father with them. It was a long time before he answered. "I want to teach. I want to be a teacher, like my dad, and you."
"I think he would have liked that very much, Remus." Minerva swallowed hard, her chest constricting with a sudden welling of emotion that she hadn't expected, hadn't prepared herself for.
The rest of the consultation went much more smoothly, much more like what she had expected in the beginning. His courses settled for his last two years and a much milder lecture about behavior and detentions, it was again a much happier boy who got up to leave her office. Minerva followed Remus to her office door and couldn’t decide if she was surprised or not to find Sirius sitting on the floor opposite.
"Mr. Black. Did you need to speak with me?"
"No, ma’am. I was just waiting for Lupin."
"Aren’t you supposed to be in class now? Care of Magical Creatures this afternoon, isn’t it?"
"Yes, ma’am." Sirius gave her a smile that Minerva couldn’t help but think would have been extremely effective if she was a 16 year old girl again. "James and I thought--"
"I do not want you to finish that sentence, Mr. Black. Go on, both of you back to class.”
"No detention?"
"Is that a request?"
"No, ma’am," Sirius said as Remus tugged on the sleeve of his robe to get him to follow, and she watched as they retreated down the hall, their voices echoing down the stone corridor before she turned back into her office and closed the door.
"What did she say?"
"The same things you did, except she didn’t punch me."
"I barely touched you."
That evening, when Minerva was alone in her room, her work done for the day and the final letters to the parents about the consultations written, she took a framed picture from its place of honor on her mantle and smiled when the boy of about nine waved at her. He had deep brown eyes, wide and inquisitive, and a crooked smile with a dimple in one cheek. She wasn’t meant to have favorites, no, but she couldn’t help but think of how much like Remus her own son had been, and wonder if he had survived, if he, too, would have been given a chance at an education and a future to fight for. She desperately hoped so.
next
Author: Dani (
escribo)
Word Count: 3251
Rating: PG
(Pairings: in the future will be Remus/Sirius, Lily/James)
Timeline: late April 1976
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. I've not made nor seek any profit.
Year 1: one/ two/ three/ four/ five/ six/ seven
Year 2: one/ two/ three/ four
Year 3: one/ two/three/four
Year 4 (coming in the future when work quits eating my brains! Sorry for the out-of-order-ness)
Year 5 one/ two/ three/ four/ five
Minerva McGonagall was, above all other things, a patient woman who loved her job, though for the last five years she’d had to remind herself of that nearly every day. She couldn’t understand how four underaged wizards could cause so much mayhem wherever they went, and as Head of the Gryffindor House, she'd had many spirited students, and had even given her own Head of House a run for his galleons in her day. There was nothing in her entire career or education that had prepared her for the combination of Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew.
Even having known Harold Potter, himself, when he was team captain the year she was made seeker, had done little to predict the limits that his son and his friends tested on a daily basis. She had looked up to Harold, and Muriel, who later became his first wife. Harold had been a real leader amongst his peers, and Minerva could see that in James as well, though his energies seemed to be directed more toward chaos. She felt that this, his fifth year career consultation, was an opportunity to steer him toward more productive outlets. His career choice, Auror, hadn’t been a surprise, and despite his ability to attract trouble to himself at every turn, Minerva had agreed, though she’d been rather prepared to offer some practical advice had he decided he wanted to be a professional Quidditch player. Instead, she’d outlined the classes he would need to take, the grades he would have to earn, and delivered a nearly hour long lecture on his behavior.
The meeting had gone well, and she’d decided that there was more of his father’s spirit in him than she’d begun to believe. She’d enjoyed talking with him, especially when it didn’t end with assigning days of detention, and had told him as much. She was glad she had when she reflected back on the week come Friday night, and realized that of her four Marauders, as they called themselves, James had been the easy one.
Immediately after speaking with James, Peter Pettigrew had been her next appointment. Minerva prided herself in being able to find the good in all her students, but she was stretched thin with Peter. There was something sycophantic about the way Peter ran after James and Sirius that disturbed her, though she’d seen it before over the years. He had no talent to speak of, no wit or intelligence. She had no doubt that he’d come as far as he had because of his friends, particularly Remus’ patience in tutoring him. Still, he was a Gryffindor, and sometimes that had to be enough to earn her support and loyalty, though she couldn’t quite keep the shock out of her voice when he stuttered out his intended career path.
"Auror, Mr. Pettigrew?"
"Yes, ma’am."
"Yes, well." She paused, struggling for something--anything--to say that wouldn't crush his spirit. "It's certainly an admirable goal, but perhaps you've considered other options as well?"
"James said--"
"We are not talking about Mr. Potter. This is about you, and to even be considered for a traineeship with the Auror's program you'll need at least five N.E.W.T.'s." Minerva shuffled through the papers in Peter's file, feeling mildly guilty at her tone. "While you do reasonably well in my class, Mr. Pettigrew, you've barely managed Acceptable in Potions. In fact, the only other class you seem to excel in is Divination. You'll have to do much better if you expect be accepted into N.E.W.T level courses."
"James said--"
"Mr. Pettigrew, surely you have interests of your own, ideas for a career that would be better suited to who you are." Peter sat quite still and did nothing more than blink at Minerva, clearly terrified. "Do you have any activities outside of classes that you enjoy, maybe, that would point us in a direction?"
"I'm good at chess."
Peter stared at his hands for a long time while he searched for another answer and Minerva studied him. She remembered his brother had been a handsome lad--tall and stocky with blond hair and blue eyes. Peter seemed a watered down version, pasty where his brother had been quite fit, milky blue eyes where his brother's had been striking. Of course, his brother had had the arrogance of teenage boys that seemed mostly absent in Peter, and Minerva couldn’t help but think that an improvement, though there was none of the charm of James Potter or the intelligence that Sirius Black showed.
Minerva mentally shook herself for being unfair to poor Peter who had probably spent his life being unfavorably compared to his brother, and now his friends. While she was human enough to admit that she sometimes had favorites amongst her students, she wouldn't let that affect how she did her job, which right at that moment meant encouraging Peter into some field where he might achieve some measure of happiness and success.
"Okay, chess is good," she said when his silence continued. "It's a beginning. Anything else?"
"I like Quidditch."
"Perhaps, Peter, you’d like another chance to review the information about the careers available and see if there isn’t something there that suits you, and we could meet again?"
"Again?"
Minerva stood up and pressed a handful of leaflets into Peter’s hands. "Again, Mr. Pettigrew, and while I know Mr. Potter probably made being an Auror sound like quite the adventure, I assure you that it’s a tremendous amount of work and a great deal of responsibility for very little pay. It is not a decision to be entered into lightly."
"Yes, ma'am," Peter whispered, looking down at the leaflets in his hand, a little lost, it seemed, and Minerva had no doubt that he would again turn to James and his other friends for advice.
"Consider it your homework, Mr. Pettigrew. Read the leaflets and make a decision on your own."
"Yes, ma'am; but James said—"
Minerva pinched her lips together and closed her eyes, remembering that with these particular boys it was sometimes better to count to one hundred before responding.
The next day proved much easier. The fifth year girls were always found to be much more mature at this age than the boys, and the discussions of Ministry positions, healing, and banking were easily sorted. Minerva found this year’s cohort to be a particularly lively, entertaining bunch, who frequently sought her out for advice, and she was fond of them all, especially Lily who was more serious minded than her friends though with a certain vivaciousness that made her particularly enjoyable to speak with.
Minerva was especially grateful toward them, as she wrote in her journal later, because Friday proved to be more difficult than she had expected. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had the last two consultations of the year, and she had specifically set Remus as last so that she could spend more time with him. Unfortunately, neither appointment proved easy.
Sirius came first, during what would have been his Potions lecture, and slouched down in the chair across from her, looking for all the world that he expected detention at the very least. His long black hair was caught back at his neck and she could still see the bruise that was fading on his jaw from some fight or mischief that she wasn’t even going to question. It gave him a handsome, roguish appearance that she knew James spent a lot of time attempting to mimic, and she couldn’t help her smile. She knew that even the seventh year girls already considered Sirius a heart throb, even if he hadn’t quite caught up with them, and she often told Albus that they should be grateful that he hadn't seemed to discover girls yet. Within a year, she suspected, there would be trouble enough on that end. For now, though, he’d merely avoided her eyes and mumbled through his answers.
"Have you thought of no career that might suit you?"
"My father forbade it, any discussions about it, because he means for me to take over his position on the Ministerial Advisement Counsel and as head of the family, when the time comes."
"And is that what you want as well?"
Sirius sat up suddenly and finally met Minerva’s eyes, the shock of being asked his opinion plain on his face before he fought to regain control over himself. She knew very well his father’s plans for him.
"No, ma’am. My father wouldn’t allow what I wanted."
"Nonsense, Mr. Black. Once you leave Hogwarts, you’ll very much be your own man. Your education will have prepared you for any number of careers and your talents shouldn’t be wasted in any event. Should you choose to pursue any career with as much determination as you devote to getting yourself into trouble with Mr. Potter, I’ve no doubt that you’ll be successful in whatever you chose to do."
Sirius looked back down at his folded hands but Minerva could see his blush paint his cheeks very prettily, and she wondered if he had ever considered a life beyond that offered by his family, a life not defined by his name. She suspected not and felt sorry for him, and for his brother, who may never be given the opportunity to realize the possibilities as she knew how involved Orion had become in Regulus’ education to ensure, as he explained to Albus recently, that the same mistakes weren’t made as had been with Sirius.
Minerva took off her glasses and let them hang from their chain around her neck as she folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward on her desk. "I've often had the honor to witness your capacity for compassion when your friends are presented with challenges; perhaps you would consider healing."
"I just do that stuff because Lupin needs me," Sirius answered. His blush was still in place but he sat up fully now, leaning forward in interest as he did in class when something especially interested him. "I wouldn’t want to do it all the time for anyone else."
"Okay," Minerva said, surprised by his answer and the offhand way he said it, but glad now that he seemed willing to consider other possibilities. "There are many other professions for which you’d be suited. Gringotts has an excellent program to train curse breakers. Surely you've considered this topic before, Sirius."
"Yes, ma'am. I mean, sometimes when I was younger I thought I'd like to be an Auror." Sirius looked up to see if maybe she would laugh at him, she thought, and when she didn’t, he grinned. "I know that's what James said, too, but he's not why I said it."
"I’m very glad to hear that. Tell me what interests you about that particular field."
"I don’t know. It seems exciting, like I'd really be doing something."
"And you like the thought of that? Being a part of something good."
"Yes, ma'am. Is that strange? Because of my family?"
"No. I went to school with your Uncle Alphard and knew him well. He was a good man. I know he thinks well of you."
"Yes, ma'am. He thought it was a good joke that I was sorted into Gryffindor. He suspects that I’ll be blasted from the family tree before I’m thirty. He set up a trust fund for me for if it happens."
Minerva laughed merrily over the thought of Alphard betting on his nephew’s future once Sirius had left much happier than when he’d come in. She’d given him the same lecture she’d given James, and planned his N.E.W.T.s, sending a message to Albus as a warning against what would happen when Orion and Walburga received her letter regarding the career consultations.
Minerva then cleared her desk, leaving only Remus' file on top, and waited for her final consultation of the year, but he never showed. She double checked his appointment time, surprised that he would have forgotten but willing to forgive what was extremely unusual behavior for him, knowing there would likely be an explanation forthcoming. When Minerva entered the Great Hall for lunch, her eyes went immediately to the Gryffindor table and to where Remus sat next to Sirius, picking at his food.
"Mr. Lupin, may I speak with you for a moment."
As Remus stood, James, Peter, and Sirius stopped their conversation to watch, and though she moved them a few steps away, she knew they continued to listen. She had no doubt that there were no secrets between the four of them.
"We had an appointment this morning," Minerva said, attempting to be firm though she could clearly see that Remus was miserable. He didn’t meet her eyes but nervously wringed his hands in front of him, thumb to thumb, and twisted his fingers together.
"Yes, ma’am."
"So you didn’t forget?"
"No, ma'am."
"Were you ill?"
"No, ma'am. I didn't want to waste your time." He looked up at her then, the plea in his eyes clear, and she wanted to reach out to him but kept her hand firmly at her side, not wishing to garner him any more attention than she already had.
"I assure you, Mr. Lupin, that I do not consider your future a waste of my time. I have office hours available at two o’clock this afternoon. I’ll expect you then."
"Yes, ma’am," he said, looking back down at his feet.
"You’re not in trouble, Remus," Minerva said more gently. "Go back to your lunch and I’ll see you this afternoon."
Once she was sat at the head table, Minerva kept her eye on the boys, who clearly hadn’t known that Remus had missed his career consultation. It wasn’t long before Remus gathered his books and left, though Sirius followed close behind. Later that afternoon it seemed that they boys were determined that Remus not miss the appointment again, as they all showed up at precisely 2:00, nudging Remus forward and into the office.
"Now, Mr. Lupin," Minerva said closing the door on James, Sirius and Peter. "A waste of my time?"
"I'm sorry, Professor."
Minerva motioned for Remus to sit as she rounded her desk to take her own chair. She rattled her tin of biscuits at him, and he took one, nibbling on the edge. She waited until he was finished before she opened his folder and folded her hands on top of it.
"I suppose I can guess at what this is about," she began. "Do you think Professor Dumbledore and your father gave no thought as to why you should be educated as a Wizard?"
"No, ma'am. I mean, I know it was important to my father and Professor Dumbledore was very kind to make so many arrangements to allow me to come."
"He didn’t just mean it as a kindness; he believes in you and your abilities, just as your father did and just as I do."
Remus worried a hole in the sleeve of his robe and bit at his lip, his forehead furrowed. She left him in silence to work out whatever it was that he was trying to find the words to say, and was rewarded several minutes later when he finally admitted his concern, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's just that with the new anti-werewolf legislation--"
"We have had this discussion before," Minerva said when he bit off the end of his sentence and sat once more staring at his hands. "Now, did you read none of the leaflets about career opportunities?"
"But I don’t have any, do I? Who will hire me? There are so many rules and penalties in place, no Wizard would take the chance."
"Remus, you're a smart lad who does well in his classes, and your father was very proud of you, rightly so. He would not have wanted you to give up so easily, would he."
"No, ma'am. He always said that it didn't matter. That I could do whatever I wanted."
"And did your father ever lie to you?"
"No, ma'am.” Remus finally looked up, a small smile on his lips as he remembered his father.
"And neither have I, and I won’t lie now and say that your path will be easy. I will do everything I can to help you on your way, but you have to be willing to fight for it. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said, and braved a bigger smile.
"And what do your friends have to say about this? I'll admit to being rather surprised that the four of you hadn't taken a pact to all be Aurors."
"No, ma’am. James and Sirius, they’re the brave ones."
"You’re brave, too, Remus," Minerva said as she leaned back in her chair and tipped her head at him. "So you hadn't considered what you want to do with your life."
"No, ma'am."
"Surely there must be something you’ve wanted to do."
Remus sat back as well though he looked away from her for a moment, his eyes distant, and Minerva could almost feel the presence of Remus’ father with them. It was a long time before he answered. "I want to teach. I want to be a teacher, like my dad, and you."
"I think he would have liked that very much, Remus." Minerva swallowed hard, her chest constricting with a sudden welling of emotion that she hadn't expected, hadn't prepared herself for.
The rest of the consultation went much more smoothly, much more like what she had expected in the beginning. His courses settled for his last two years and a much milder lecture about behavior and detentions, it was again a much happier boy who got up to leave her office. Minerva followed Remus to her office door and couldn’t decide if she was surprised or not to find Sirius sitting on the floor opposite.
"Mr. Black. Did you need to speak with me?"
"No, ma’am. I was just waiting for Lupin."
"Aren’t you supposed to be in class now? Care of Magical Creatures this afternoon, isn’t it?"
"Yes, ma’am." Sirius gave her a smile that Minerva couldn’t help but think would have been extremely effective if she was a 16 year old girl again. "James and I thought--"
"I do not want you to finish that sentence, Mr. Black. Go on, both of you back to class.”
"No detention?"
"Is that a request?"
"No, ma’am," Sirius said as Remus tugged on the sleeve of his robe to get him to follow, and she watched as they retreated down the hall, their voices echoing down the stone corridor before she turned back into her office and closed the door.
"What did she say?"
"The same things you did, except she didn’t punch me."
"I barely touched you."
That evening, when Minerva was alone in her room, her work done for the day and the final letters to the parents about the consultations written, she took a framed picture from its place of honor on her mantle and smiled when the boy of about nine waved at her. He had deep brown eyes, wide and inquisitive, and a crooked smile with a dimple in one cheek. She wasn’t meant to have favorites, no, but she couldn’t help but think of how much like Remus her own son had been, and wonder if he had survived, if he, too, would have been given a chance at an education and a future to fight for. She desperately hoped so.