Switching Sides

Switching Sides

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Sex Ed

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The lessons that day were mostly spent by both students and teachers gawking at Remia's new form. Like her former male self, the girl felt a bit uneasy about all the extra attention centred on her, especially when not all reactions were very kind. With her friends' and especially Sir's support, however, she managed to make it through the day without having a nervous breakdown.

Their last lesson was Advanced DADA. Remia carefully settled on the seat between Sirius and Severus, hoping that sitting next to the Slytherin would lessen the danger of being cut by Professor Snape's undeniably sharp tongue a bit. Severus, of course, realized what she was trying to do, and smirked.

"Don't worry," said Severus quietly, leaning towards her from his own seat. "I've told him to leave my friends in peace. And yes, that does include you."

"Thanks," murmured Remia, flushing slightly. She'd noticed that the older Snape hadn't been as nasty to her and her friends after she'd befriended Severus, sure, but she hadn't known that her friend himself had said anything to his father. But, she was grateful.

"Now, be quiet," snapped the professor as he walked to the front f the classroom. With a glance at the nervous once-boy-now-girl, he added snidely, "How nice to see that you decided to join us at last, Miss Lupin. I notice you decided to let your female side out in the sight at last. Let's just hope that now that you have a female body and appearance, you won't sink mentally to the state of an average male student. We have enough dunderheads as it is, we certainly don't need you to change your psychic gender as well as your physic one."

Remia blushed again. Professor Snape, even though he'd hit it very well, had actually paid her a compliment. Sure, if she'd still been a boy, somebody saying that he had a girl's mind would have been rather insulting, but as she was a girl now, she'd only been complimented by putting her above "an average male student". Especially when the person paying her the compliment was male himself.

Of course, the boys didn't like this statement, and they scowled at the teacher. Severus, however, merely rolled his eyes. Obviously he didn't consider himself "an average male student". Well, on that he was right --he most certainly wasn't average, not by any means.

During the lesson, however, Remia paid attention halfly on Severus, halfly on Peter. This was the first lesson that day she could observe them both together on the same lesson. Severus was just as indifferent as usual, keeping his gaze firmly on his father except for a couple of quick glances and whispers to Remia herself. Peter, however, kept giving careful glances to Severus every time he thought nobody would see it. The diagnosis was clear: Pete-boy was in love. Now Remia and the other girls only had to find out whether or not Severus returned those feelings. And if he did, a beautiful romance was right around the corner -- with some help from the local matchmakers, of course.

The teacher's voice suddenly startled her from her musings. "Miss Lupin, Madam Pomfrey would like to see you after the lesson," Professor Snape said. "And as we still have some time before the lesson ends and you have to head to the Infirmary, could you maybe enlighten us by telling three ways to effectively kill a werewolf?"

The other Marauders glared at the teacher, and even Severus frowned at his father, who was smirking. Maybe he wouldn't be openly nasty, but he seemingly wasn't going to be too nice, either.

Remia, however, forced herself to stay calm. She was not a werewolf anymore. She was not. Therefore, the professor's question wasn't equal to him demanding her to tell three ways to commit suicide, what it would have been just a couple of days before.

"The three most effective ways to kill a werewolf are beheading, silver, and fire," she told with a monotonous voice. Maybe she wasn't a werewolf anymore, but she had been one for eleven years.

"And what about a simple Killing Curse?" Snape Senior asked, still smirking. "Why wouldn't that work as well?"

"Werewolves are almost completely immune to those, as they are to most of other curses. Therefore, Avada Kedarva would prove insufficient."

"Excellent. Five points to Gryffindor."

This raised not a few eyebrows. Their DADA professor, who was also the Head of Slytherin House, was known to give points to Gryffindor very rarely, if ever. "Trying t save his hide," Severus whispered to Remia.

"And does he manage to do that?" asked the girl back, relaxing a bit.

Severus shook his head with a smirk. "Nay," he said. "Now I'm mad at him both for being nasty to you and giving points to your House."

Remia giggled, and then started to gather her things as the lesson was just about to end. As she started to exit the classroom along with the others, Severus asked, "Do you mind if I walk you to the Infirmary? I have to go to that direction anyway."

"Of course I won't mind," replied Remia lightly. Inside her mind she was squealing in delight. Now she could try to find out what Severus thought of Peter!

"So," she asked when they'd left the other students behind, "you said you don't like dark-haired guys. What hair colour do you prefer, then?"

"Dirty blond," replied Severus, sounding almost careless. However, as she knew him, Remia knew that he was watching every word very closely.

"Like Peter's?" she asked in an attempt to be sly -- an attempt she knew to be very transparent. But, that was the best way to make Severus tell the truth.

"Yes, like your tiny friend's," replied Severus, rolling his eyes. "Stop trying to be cunning, Lupin. I can see right through you. Why don't you get right to the point and ask whether I'm interested in him? It's rather obvious, considering that you were staring at us both in turns through the class."

Now Remia flushed. Sure, she'd meant to be a bit transparent to trick Severus into talking, but she for sure hadn't known that she'd been that obvious. "I could help you," she said sheepishly.

"Help me? How? If in matchmaking, thanks, but no thanks. I definitely do not need a Gryffindor to try to arrange my love life," laughed Severus.

"I could help you to sort out your feelings," she still tried to convince him. However, she already knew that she'd lost the battle.

"I know perfectly well what I feel for Peter Pettigrew," the Slytherin replied calmly. "And that," he added, as Remia opened her mouth, "is absolutely none of your business."

"Spoilsport," she muttered, then concentrated on getting to the Infirmary.

On the door of the Infirmary they parted ways. Remia drew a deep breath, then stepped inside.

Madam Pomfrey was already waiting for her. "Ah, my dear," she said with a warm smile. "Come in, please."

"Professor Snape said you wanted to see me," Remia said, putting her bag on the floor next to her seat.

"Yes, I did mention that to dear Severus," the mediwitch replied happily. "Or should I say the older Severus. Anyway, what I wanted to talk with you about is how exactly your life will change now that these certain... arrangements... have been made."

Remia nodded, waiting for her to continue. If this was about her gender, she certainly wouldn't say a word, it was embarrassing enough as it was.

"So. At first, the werewolf factor." Poppy looked her right in the eye, then continued, "As you know, you will no more transform. This is because the Lycanthropy genes always specialize on the person they're inflicted on at the moment of the curse being transferred. They fit then exactly this person, and nobody else. As you have gone through a drastic change, but there's no the magic of the curse's spreading to help the harmful genes to adjust themselves to your new body, they're led to self-destruction. However, as some of those might still remain, you won't be able to return to your male self anymore. Some of your lycanthropic traits will remain, though."

Remia nodded, knowing all of this already. Then she asked the question bothering her most, "Am I still allergic to silver?" Her mother had, optimistic as ever, sent her some wonderful silver jewellery, but she was yet to touch them in fear of hurting herself.

"No, thankfully," Poppy cleared her fears. "That was a direct consequence of the Lycanthropy genes, as those were just what the silver harmed. However, your senses, for example, will still be better than a usual human's, even though not as good as before. You'll still be a bit stronger than an ordinary girl of your age. Those are all, even though consequences of those genes, changes they made to your body while adjusting themselves to your being. By time, your senses and strength have grown to be a part of you in a way that the Lycanthropy genes could never have been."

As Remia nodded again, this time not saying anything, Poppy smiled broadly. "Would you maybe still want to ask something before I go to the more embarrassing parts?" she asked teasingly.

After thinking for a moment, Remia blurted, "Where could I find a bra that's easy to put on?" She regretted her words as soon as they'd left her mouth, but as she then looked at Poppy, she noticed that maybe she hadn't put her foot completely into it.

"If you ever tell one that never causes problems, inform me immediately," the mediwitch laughed. "That would be the redemption of all women alive. However, if you are having problems, which is only understandable, it might help if you owled your mother and asked her to send you a bra with the clasps on the front, those are usually a bit easier." Then her voice took an even more maternal tone. "Now, Remia," she started, "I take it you know about birds and bees, right?"

Blushing more than slightly, Remia nodded. "Both about a boy and a girl together, and two boys together," she said almost too quietly to be heard.

Poppy smiled. "Understandable," she chuckled. "Anyway, you are a sensible person, I trust you not to do anything you don't know of. You do know that the contraception charms are different for a girl than for a boy?"

"Of course I know," Remia said, blushing even more. "Lily has already taught me those." In the Wizarding World, it was not unheard of for a man to get pregnant, as wizards had certain internal organs that Muggle men did not have. However, if you tried to prevent the pregnancy with spells, you had to use different spells on a man than on a woman, as the child wasn't conceived exactly the same way with them.

"Good for you, as I don't have to embarrass you by lecturing about that," the Matron said good-heartedly. "As long as you remember to use them, of course." Then her smile got even broader. "Say, Remia," she started slowly, her eyes twinkling in a way that reminded her horribly of the Headmaster, "do you know what it's like to have a period?"

Now her face was red as fire. "Annoying, from what I've heard," she muttered quietly. "Painful to some."

"And on that you're right," Poppy replied. "I won't go to the exact technics -- on that, you can trust on your dormmates or the school library to save us both from further embarrassment -- but I would like to tell you about PMS and menstruating pains." At the former werewolf's very timid nod, she continued, "Most women have a Pre-Menstrual Syndrome from one to fourteen days before their period. You're already familiar with some of its symptoms, as it's rather similar to the Pre-Moonyal Syndrome you've gone through every month until now. Some don't notice PMS at all, and some have it worse when they're older. Some, however, have it all -- headaches, backaches, stomachaches, tantrums, mood swings, water weight, odd cravings, you name it. These usually go away when your period starts. And then, there are the menstruating pains -- stomach ache is the most usual kind. Again, some don't even notice it, but there are not a few students whom I excuse from lessons every month because they simply can't even sit upright, they're in so much pain."

Remia nodded, now very pale instead of blushed. She had a bad presentiment that she would have it bad.

"Usually, even the worst menstruating pains get easier when you've got your first child, but I'm afraid that if you have it bad, you have to stand it until then. Oh, and you must not forget the possible headaches during ovulation..."

Now, Remia swallowed. This did not sound good...

*

"You want to what?" James stared at his best friend in disbelief.

"What's so hard about it to understand?" asked Sirius, flushing slightly. "I want you to teach me the contraception charms used for a girl. Don't pretend you don't know them -- as if I didn't know you and Lily are shagging like little bunnies at every chance. You know perfectly well I spent that part of our Sex Ed lessons snogging with Moony in the back corner."

"Yeah, I do know," James muttered, shaking his head slightly. "You didn't stop until Madam Pomfrey asked in her overly sweet manner whether you'd sure taken care of contraception..." With a sigh, he said, "Very well. Now, get your wand and come over here."

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