The Offer

Remus paced in front of the fire in his small living room, clutching a glass of scotch anxiously in his right hand. With a thud he dropped down into the nearest chair and drained the rest of the glass. He began to stare penetratingly into the fire, only glancing away to look at a loudly ticking clock and a newspaper clipping that rested beside him on the table.

The clock struck midnight with a slightly off-key tune, and, as if on cue, a fiery face with an entirely too-long beard appeared amongst the flames.

"Remus," beamed the man. "How pleasant to see you again." Remus smiled in return, kneeling down on the hearthrug in order to be face-to-face with the elderly wizard.

"Hello, Headmaster. Punctual as always, I see." The older man smiled, but there was a note of disapproval in his eyes.

"Remus, I am no longer your professor, but I would like to think of myself as your friend. Please, call me Albus." Remus nodded, although he doubted he could bring himself to be so casual with the man who had been his teacher and headmaster for seven years.

"Yes, sir. Now, how may I be of assistance to you?" There was a sudden silence, and it resounded about the room until Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, looking away from the fire. "Is it Sirius?" he asked quietly. He did his best to ignore the burning sensation in the back of his eyes as he avoided the stare of his former headmaster.

"I'm afraid it is," replied the elderly man, sounding much more weary and tired than usual. "You've seen the papers, I presume?" The acrid taste of hate filled his mouth as Remus nodded. Blood pooled underneath his fingernails where they dug hopelessly at his palms, trying to relieve the clenching in his chest.

"I don't know what his escape has to do with me, sir," he ground out from between clenched teeth. The wise professor stared up at him, almost staring to the very core the werewolf.

"I think we have to meet in person in order to do this conversation justice, Remus. Can you meet me in the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow at noon?"

Mist surrounded Remus as he walked to the pub the next day, soaking him without ever seeming to touch him. He took his time while heading towards the meeting, wanting to stall the conversation about his past for as long as he could manage. He glanced at his pocketwatch and sighed. Ten minutes late already. He knew he couldn't linger for too much longer. He pushed the door open, waving a silent hello to Tom, the barman.

His honey-colored eyes scanned across the room until they spotted a man with long white hair and beard, and a ridiculously conspicuous hat. With cautious steps, he approached the man.

"Hello, Pro...Albus. How nice to see you in person," he muttered grimly, offering his hand. The other man shook it heartily and indicated that Remus should sit down. He did.

"You as well. I'm afraid the circumstances under which we meet are both beneficial and somewhat...disheartening, to say the least. But first, drinks! What would you like, Remus, my treat." The older man stood to give the barman his order.

"Nothing, sir. I'm fine for now." As the man walked away, Remus assured himself that the drinking would come after the meeting. In a few short moments, Albus was back carrying a glass of whiskey, and sat down again.

"Now, Remus, as I was saying. As you very well know by now, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban and is roaming free across the British Iles. There is reason to believe that he is headed for Hogwarts, and it is my sole priority to keep my students safe, which is why I have asked you here today to have a drink with me. I would like to offer you a job as the Professor of our Defense Against the Dark Arts class at Hogwarts."

It took Remus' mind a few minutes to catch up with the Headmaster's words, but when it did, he could feel his eyes widen. He shook his head.

"Professor, I don't understand. You want to keep your students safe by hiring a werewolf for the teaching position?" he asked incredulously. Albus stared at him inquisitively before setting down his glass.

"Remus, you should know by now that I do not think your condition makes you in any way dangerous, especially after the invention of the wolfsbane potion. If I had considered you a danger to my students, I would not have accepted you as a student into my school. Severus Snape has agreed to make you the potion each month, and agrees that, with Sirius running amok about the countryside, you would be the best candidate. You know the school inside and out, along with any secrets Sirius may be hiding from us." His eyes seemed to twinkle with these last words, and Remus felt himself flush. He took a deep breath and waited for a few long moments before replying.

"I am honored that you consider me the best choice for the job, Albus. But I believe that this is the sort of matter that should be carefully thought about before arriving at a conclusion. You shall have my answer within the week." He and Albus stood and shook hands before Remus left the pub and entered the misty London streets once again.

He arrived at home after running some errands, and the sun was beginning to set. He put away his groceries and opened a few windows, running his fingers through his hair and spinning his glass of scotch.

A professor. He had to admit, the job was what he had always wanted. His friends had always teased him and called him the Professor for his teacher-like mannerisms and exuberance for studying, but he had never though the opportunity would arise.

But he had lived as a hermit for so long. Could he face large crowds and public speaking as he had not done since...in so many years?

Remus knew that the reason Sirius would be coming to Hogwarts would be to find Harry and to possibly kill him. Harry, the only living reminder of his long-dead and beloved friends, Lily and James. He had to protect the boy, and would do so as would a godfather, the old godfather that Harry had never known. He grabbed a quill and some parchment, and hastily scribbled down the following note:

Albus, I would be honored to teach at Hogwarts this term. Please accept this as my joyful taking of the position. Your servant, Remus J. Lupin.