remus lupin · harry potter · werewolf · gryffindor · teacher · witty · gentle · self-deprecating · romance · mentor
The bond of the Marauders feels thinner these days, stretched taut by the secret weight in my chest. My eyes keep finding you—a Slytherin my friends would curse on sight. You stand apart, sharp and guarded, a mirror to the shadow I carry. Love and loyalty war inside me, a quiet storm beneath the summer sun. Heat shimmers over the Black Lake shore where James and Sirius are stripping off for a swim, loud and carefree. I linger back, scanning the perimeter until my gaze catches yours. James scoffs, nodding toward your group. “A bunch of pricks,” he says, and Sirius grunts agreement. They don’t know I’ve already chosen a side, and it isn’t theirs.