The Talisman of Monguk

Chapter 10: Love Letters and a Potion

On the seventh of November, Lupin was released from the hospital and taken back to Grimmauld Place to convalesce. Although the Healers had been able to stop the bleeding, they warned that his injury had been severe and that it would take some time for him to recover completely. He would need care. Lupin bristled at the thought of being fussed over and pampered, but he was really too ill to argue and had to relent in the end.

Both Angela and Molly decided to share the responsibility of looking after him. On weekdays, when it was her turn, Angela would come to Grimmauld Place before work, at lunchtime, and immediately after work to fix Lupin's meals and check on him. On weekends, she would arrive early in the morning and stay all day, doing whatever housekeeping tasks were needed in addition to preparing meals. She would leave notes for Molly to let her know what she had accomplished.

As for Angela's injury, her shoulder had completely healed and she no longer needed the sling. For the time being, she had been excused from all patrols and watches and thus had little reason to wear Muggle clothes. She now wore her normal wizard robes, consisting of a dark green hooded traveling cloak and a dress. Her favorite was a sage green dress that complemented her eyes and flattered her figure. It had a full skirt, three-quarter sleeves, and a fitted bodice adorned with picot trim and tiny white buttons. It was surprisingly feminine and was a notable departure from the loose-fitting Muggle clothes that she usually wore on patrol, a change not lost on Lupin.

For the first few days after his return from the hospital, Lupin remained in bed. But as he began to regain strength, he would get up for short periods of time. They set up a squashy chair in the kitchen for him, so that he could sit comfortably there and talk while they cooked. Several times a day, other members of the Order would stop by on business and visit with him.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

One Saturday morning, Angela climbed the stairs to Lupin's room carrying a basket full of clean folded clothing. She had just finished washing and mending his clothes and was headed up to his room to put them away. Lupin met her on the landing. He was on his way to the shower as she passed him.

"Remus, I've just finished your laundry. Should I put it away for you?"

"Sure," he replied, as he brushed past her.

"As long as you're out of the room, I should probably change the linens as well."

"That's fine," he answered sleepily.

Lupin's room was dark, the windows covered by heavy red velvet drapes. They were so decrepit that the material was bald in many places. She set down her basket, crossed to the windows, and pulled open the heavy drapes to let in the daylight. Dust fell from them as she yanked them aside. She coughed. A November wind whistled a little as it passed through the cracks in the warped windowpanes. The room was drafty and cool. Daylight flooded the room, illuminating the Kilim rug on the floor, the stuffed armchair, and the aging four-poster bed with its tattered canopy. A heavy carved wardrobe stood against the wall to one side of the room. A dresser with clawed feet leaned against another wall. Next to the bed was a small nightstand with two drawers. An oil lamp rested upon it and a tidy pile of books.

Angela began stripping the linens from the bed and piling them on the floor near the basket. She exited the room, returning a few minutes later with fresh linens. In no time, she had the bed made. Then she removed a handsome handmade quilt from the basket and laid it on top of the bed, smoothing it out with her hand. She surveyed the bed with satisfaction.

She opened the wardrobe and began emptying the rest of the contents of her basket into it. She hung the shirts and trousers neatly from hangers and stowed away his other things, but could not find where he kept his socks. She crossed to the dresser and checked the top drawer. It was empty. She checked his trunk that was tucked underneath his bed, but that was empty as well. Then she tried his nightstand.

She pulled open the top drawer and just stared into it. Staring back at her from out of the drawer was a wizard photograph of a beautiful woman. She had long red hair, brown eyes, and a beatific smile. The photograph was signed "To my beloved Remus. Yours always, Sandra." Angela picked up the photograph and sank down onto the bed as pangs of jealousy pierced her own heart. Who was this woman? And how did Lupin know her? Was she still his lover? Clearly, she had been.

Angela placed the photograph on the bed and peered back into the drawer. These were his personal effects. She hesitated, chiding herself for her desire to go through them. She knew that she should simply shut the drawer and forget what she had stumbled upon, but the temptation was too great. She glanced nervously at the door. She could hear the water running in the shower down the hall. Lupin would be gone for a while yet.

She turned back to the drawer and inspected the contents. There were several other photographs. As she flipped through them, she found another of the mysterious maiden. This one was of Lupin and the lovely stranger with their arms about each other, smiling blissfully out of the picture. It was too much for her to take.

Angela stifled a sob and started to put the pictures back. As she went to replace them in the drawer, she saw, hidden at the very bottom, a pile of letters tied neatly with string. Gingerly, she removed them from the drawer. They smelled of perfume and were addressed to Lupin with a flowery hand. Love letters!

Angela's heart was pounding now. She sobbed as she dropped the letters back into their hiding place. She replaced the rest of the contents and carefully closed the drawer. She would have liked nothing better than to forget what she had just seen. She sat on the edge of the bed miserably for several minutes, her heart breaking.

She glanced fearfully at the second drawer. Did she dare open that one? What would she find there? Slowly, she reached for the handle and opened the drawer. She cautiously peered inside, half expecting to see more pictures of the lady. But to her relief, the drawer contained only socks. She hurriedly stuffed the clean socks into the drawer and closed it. Then with a heavy heart, she loaded the soiled linens into the basket and prepared to leave the room.

She was just about to leave when she heard tapping coming from one of the dresser drawers. She turned, laid down the basket, and walked curiously toward the dresser. She listened carefully for a minute or two. She heard the tapping noise again. It was definitely coming from the dresser. With her eyes fixed upon the drawer, she pulled out her wand. Then she slowly reached toward the knob and opened the drawer just a crack.

The drawer burst open. She screamed and recoiled with fright as a monstrous spider nearly eight inches across jumped out of the drawer. It scuttled over her leg and escaped under Lupin's bed. She shrieked, jumping to her feet, and climbed up onto the armchair with her wand still drawn.

Lupin had showered and dressed and was returning to the room, when he heard her screams. He burst into the room, clutching the stitch in his side. He found Angela perched on the chair, wide-eyed, with her wand out. He looked at her quizzically. Angela pointed toward the bed.

"It's under there! It's enormous!" she exclaimed with a shudder.

Lupin bent down and peered under the bed.

"Merlin's beard!" he shouted, as he caught sight of the spider.

He sent a spell under the bed, but it missed. The spider shot passed him and out into the hallway. It squeezed under the stair rails and dropped over the edge. By the time Lupin made his way into the hall, the spider had scuttled away out of sight several floors below.

"I'm sure that we'll run across him again," he replied with a look of disgust.

When he returned to the room, Angela was just climbing down off of the chair. As she met his gaze, she blushed.

"You must think I'm a complete ninny, getting all worked up over a spider like that," she remarked. "I hate spiders. I always have."

She sat down on the foot of the bed, looking embarrassed.

"Not at all," he replied with a bemused expression.

He sat down beside her and glanced around the room, avoiding her stare. It was then that he first noticed the quilt.

"Where did this come from?"

"It's for you. It was going to be your Christmas present, but I decided to make it a get-well present instead. It's so chilly in this room. Do you like it?"

"Well, yes. I don't know what to say. That's probably the nicest present that I've ever been given. Thank you."

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied, staring down into her own lap, a shy smile appearing on her face.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The month of November passed quickly and pleasantly enough. Lupin was recovering, but much slower than he would have liked. He spent his time discussing the Order's business with other members and experimenting on Snogblod's scroll. However, regardless of what he tried, the map remained blank.

Often Angela would put him to work helping her with dinner or with the cleaning. The housecleaning chores presented some of the most interesting challenges, as the house seemed to attract some very unusual and obnoxious pests. When she encountered a particularly stubborn problem, she would call Lupin for help.

One day, Angela discovered an infestation of stinkypelts in one of the bedrooms. They were little furry flying creatures that gave off a very disagreeable odor when disturbed. A large colony of them had made a nest in the corner and they were flying around the bedroom. As she had no experience with these, she summoned Lupin.

"The tricky part with stinkypelts is that you have to disarm them before you stun them," he explained. "The spell that you use is 'Detoxify malodora.' Here, I'll demonstrate."

He pointed his wand at one of the creatures, performed a complicated little hand movement, and said, "Detoxify malodora." The stinkypelt shrank in size and buzzed about angrily. Then Lupin aimed a Stunning Charm at the creature and it fell to the ground with a soft thud.

"Now you try."

Angela pointed her wand at one of creatures. She attempted the same hand motion and said, "Detoxify malodora." But instead of shrinking like Lupin's stinkypelt, hers blew up like a balloon and gave off a putrid smell. Angela gasped, screwed up her face in disgust, and quickly covered her mouth and nose with her handkerchief. Lupin burst into laughter. He aimed a couple of spells at the now irate stinkypelt. It deflated and dropped to the floor next to the other one.

"That's not funny," Angela protested with a glare at Lupin. She waved her hand in front of her face to disperse the odor.

"Sorry," he replied, but try as he might he couldn't erase the smirk from his face. "It's more a flick of the wrist. Like this."

He demonstrated the wrist movement for her. She tried to imitate it, but was having difficulty.

After several unsuccessful attempts, he said, "Here, let me help you."

He stood behind her, put his left hand on her shoulder, and held her right wand hand in his. Then he moved her hand with the proper motion. They were standing very close. Her soft hair brushed against his cheek with its fragrant lavender scent. It was so much more pleasant than...He forced himself back to the task at hand.

After a couple of attempts with Lupin holding her hand, Angela was ready to try it on her own. With a determined look, she took aim at the nearest stinkypelt. This time, the creature shrunk.

In no time at all, they had dispatched all the malodorous pests and dislodged the nest. They collected the whole lot in a sack and tied it tightly for disposal.

Flush from their latest success, Angela was feeling elated. As they were leaving the room, Lupin mentioned, "I found a boggart in the dining room this morning. Would you care to tackle it with me?"

"Sure," she replied gamely. "Tell me, how do you think an enormous spider would look dressed in my granny's clothes?"

Lupin didn't answer. He just laughed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

By the end of November, Lupin had still not recovered completely from his injuries. Tired of Grimmauld Place, he was anxious to resume work for the Order and to get back out on patrols and missions. Visits from fellow members only added to his discontent at not being able to join them. He grew sullen. It was such a day when Severus Snape came to call.

"What's he coming here for?" Lupin said, when he heard the news.

"Dumbledore wants you to take Wolfbane potion. He wants to make sure that you don't injure yourself further when you transform. The full moon is only days away," Angela replied.

Lupin helped Angela lift her cauldron onto the stand. It was partially full, heavy, and covered with a dish towel. A copy of Moste Potente Potions was propped up in front of her, open to the page on Wolfbane potion. She busied herself arranging dozens of little phials and saucers in rows in front of her.

"But you've been brewing that for the last two days, why does he need to be here?" Lupin persisted. He folded his arms and sat down heavily on the kitchen chair.

She removed the dish towel from the cauldron and inspected the bubbly, yellowish contents. The strong odor of rotten eggs permeated the room. Lupin wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Because this is only the first part. The remainder is very complicated. This will be my first time making it and Severus has kindly agreed to observe. I don't want to make a mistake."

She took out her mortar and pestle, a knife, and a small cutting board. Then she started to unpack the potion ingredients and lay them out on the table. When she had finished, she wiped her hands on her apron and frowned.

The doorbell rang and the portrait of Mrs. Black started screaming in the upstairs hallway. Lupin got up to answer the door, muttering under his breath, "Doesn't he know enough not to ring that blasted doorbell?"

From below, Angela could hear him stunning the portrait and answering the door. A few minutes later, Lupin reappeared followed by Snape.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Angela," Snape said silkily, inclining his head in a slight nod.

"Hello, Severus. Thank you for coming. Can I get you some tea?"

"No, thank you." He surveyed the ingredients laid out on the table without expression. "Ready?"

"Yes, I think so," Angela replied nervously.

"You may begin."

Snape swept to one end of the table and sat down, glaring at Lupin with obvious disdain. Lupin sat down at the opposite end of the table, purposely avoiding Snape's gaze. Angela consulted the potions book and began chopping and grinding ingredients. As she measured each ingredient, she would place it carefully in one of the little saucers or phials until she had them all laid out. She worked in silence, looking increasingly tense. When the saucers were all filled, she lit a flame under her cauldron with her wand and started following the recipe.

"So, how are the patrols going, Lupin? Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't know," Snape said coolly.

"No, I wouldn't," he replied.

"Convenient, isn't it?"

"Isn't what?"

"That you're here safe and pampered while others are out risking their lives," mocked Snape.

"I remind you that I was out risking my life. I'd much rather be back out there now."

"Really?" Snape raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Do you really expect me to believe that a little spell from Bellatrix Lestrange would set you back for a whole month?"

"Meaning what?"

Snape scoffed, "Isn't it obvious? You're just like your old friend Black, hiding out here while everyone else does the real work."

Lupin rose to his feet. "Are you suggesting that Sirius was a coward?"

"I'm not suggesting anything...It's a fact! Black was a coward and a murderer," spat Snape, striding over to meet Lupin.

Lupin was furious. "Don't speak about Sirius like that! Sirius gave his life for the Order!"

"Silencio!" A bolt of red light shot from Angela's wand right between the two of them. She was livid with rage. "Remus, please, sit down! Do you want me to poison you? Severus, you're supposed to be watching me make this potion!"

This seemed to bring both men to their senses. They retook their seats, still eyeing each other with distrust.

Angela swore and hissed, "Now I've lost my place."

Her hand was trembling and she looked completely unnerved. She ran her finger down the page of the potion book, until she found her spot. She bit her lower lip and resumed making the potion.

An hour later, the potion was ready. Angela kept rechecking the book and looking suspiciously at her cauldron. At last, she seemed satisfied. She filled a goblet with the smoking fluid and, to everyone's surprise, raised it to her own lips. Both Snape and Lupin leapt to their feet. Snape, who was nearer, grabbed Angela's arm, spilling some of the liquid. Lupin pried the goblet from her hand.

Still grasping her wrist, Snape exploded, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm testing it on myself, of course. Do you think I want to poison him?"

"But you made it correctly," Snape protested.

"And how can you be sure? You were busy arguing with Remus," she countered.

"And what do you think would happen to you?"

"If I made a mistake, I'll poison myself, not him. And if I didn't, the side effects are dizziness, nausea, and..."

Angela broke off. She was now watching Lupin, wide-eyed with dread. He had taken a sip from the cup and grimaced. She twisted uncomfortably against Snape's grip. As Angela gasped, Lupin drained the whole goblet at once. His face contorted with disgust. Angela strained to break free from Snape, but he held her fast.

"Let her go!" commanded Lupin. "The potion is fine."

Snape released his grip. Angela stepped away from him, rubbing her wrist and casting nervous glances at Lupin. After a minute, she sighed with relief and started cleaning up.

"Would you like that cup of tea now, Severus?" she asked.

"No, thank you. I really must be going. Unlike some people, I have work to do. I'll let myself out."

With that, Snape bid them good day and swept from the room. After he had left, Angela began clearing the table to fix their dinner.

"There's plenty of potion left. You should probably take some more tomorrow," she said to Lupin. She paused, looking at the steaming brew and added, "You know, I get the distinct impression that he was disappointed that I didn't poison you."

"I think you're right," Lupin replied with a hollow laugh.

Angela hesitated and then pressed, "You've never told me why he hates you so."

"It was many years ago...a school boy prank that went wrong," he answered.

"Do you mean to tell me that all this is over a school prank?" she replied incredulously. "It must have been some trick."

Lupin leaned back in his chair and began, "Well, Severus went to Hogwarts too. We were in the same year and we didn't like each other very much. He would follow us, snooping around with that oversized nose of his, trying to get us into trouble. He was particularly curious about where I went once a month. So Sirius thought it would be entertaining to tell him. Snape followed me one day when I went to transform into a werewolf. Only James found out and pulled him back just in time. If James hadn't intervened, I could have killed him. To this day, Snape believes that I was in on the prank."

"But you'd never do anything like that."

Lupin smiled at her, but then added sadly, "Unfortunately, there are very few people who share your opinion."

"All this prejudice against werewolves is just plain ignorance." She stood there with her hands on her hips, looking defiant.

Watching her, Lupin smiled in spite of himself. Then his face fell a little. "Speaking of Severus, I believe...that he may have feelings for you," he ventured cautiously.

Angela guffawed. "For me? Don't be absurd! I'm not a pureblood witch." She continued, "I can just see Severus meeting my Muggle mother now. My Mum has this...well...gift. She believes that you can see a person's soul in their eyes. Whenever she meets someone, she insists on staring into their eyes and then she makes the most amazing proclamations about their character. The odd thing is that she's hardly ever wrong. Anyway, I can just picture her approaching Severus, taking his face in her hands, and saying 'Now, dear, let me have a good look at you.'" Angela did an impression of her mother. "And can you just picture the look on Severus' face?"

She screwed up her face in a look of puzzlement and disdain. Her impression was so accurate, that Lupin burst out laughing. Angela smiled broadly.

"It's so nice to hear you laugh," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Well, come help me set the table. Dinner is almost ready."