The Waning Gibbous

"...tell me about the Corpus Hex?"

"The Corpus Hex, Professor Lupin, is used to disable. It is cast by using a complicated incantation and a simple slash with the wand or wand hand."

"Thank-you, Hermione. Five to Griffindor. Is it one of the Unforgivables?"

"No. But that doesn't mean that it is painless."

"Good, Harry. In order to read up on this curse and its counter-hexes, please open your books to page thirty...."

"...so strangely. But I don't think we could have told him in any other way."

"No. I wish he'd talk to us. He really took it badly; he hasn't spoken to me in three weeks!"

"Yeah, well, you don't have to sleep in the same dorm room as him. It's tough putting socks on in the morning while getting the silent treatment."

"Everyone else has said that it's about time we got together. I just wish I knew why he's not okay with us...."

"...the Scarlet Cyclamen has what properties and what is its purpose in the Anastal Brew, Potter?"

"What?- - Errr, the Cyclamen has medicinal... no, wait..."

"Since Mr. Potter has failed to properly concoct his Anastal Brew, and obviously has not done his parchment on properties of the Cyclamen, he is well on his way to ranking another "D" in this course. Crabbe, what are the properties of..."

"... It's just been a rough start of year."

"We understand, Harry. I just want you to know that, even though some parts of our relationship has changed, Ron and I are still very much your friends. We've missed you."

"Thanks, Hermione. I appreciate that."

"...Remus! Hi! I was wondering if you'd like to maybe, sometime, if you're not busy, and I'm not busy, we could maybe go for a drink in Hogsmeade? But if you're busy, or, I don't know...."

"Thank-you, Juliette, but I really don't have time these days. I'm sure that the library is just as busy as the classroom, too."

"Oh, no. No, it's not as busy, but Madame Pince has me doing lots of re-shelving.... Are you sure? About Mme. Rosemerta's?"

"Thank-you, but I am sure. I'll talk to you some other time..."

On a note untied from the leg of a school owl: 'Remedial Defense tonight? Same place?'

"What's that, Harry?"

"Nothing, Ron. Just a crank note. Probably from Malfoy... Accendo!"

"Brilliant! Where did you learn that spell?"

"Harry, watch it! Your parchment ash is all over my breakfast!"

"Potter!" Severus Snape snarled loudly as he caught sight of Harry in the hallway of the wing of the castle that held only staff quarters. "What do you think you are doing here? I believe this section of the castle is limited to those who have attained employment here. You are not staff, so what do you think you are doing?"

He was satisfied when he saw Harry redden, but was quietly surprised when he answered in an even voice. "Someone threw a prank portkey at me... sir."

His eyes narrowed and he dismissed Harry with the wave of a long arm.

As Harry vacated the hallway, Snape peered over at the door that Harry was at. Suspicion laced his features when he saw that it was Lupin's.

"...So?"

"What?"

"Who is she?"

"Who?"

"Whoever has your thoughts these days! You've been competing with Neville for most absent-minded wizard in Hogwarts, and that's saying something. I figure it has to be a new girlfriend."

"No, Ron. There's no-one."

"Let's see. It can't be Cho... she's been moping around here lately. Who else... "

"...He's been doing quite well in my classes, Severus."

"And in mine as well. I don't see how one person can do so well at one class and so dismally in another..." Remus Lupin, sitting comfortably beside Headmistress McGonagall, set his bottle of Butterbeer down on the table and leaned forward. "It's difficult to understand that though Harry exceeds most of the other teacher's expectations, he earns only 'D''s in his Potions class."

"Perhaps I hold higher expectations of my students," Snape snarled. "And if you are suggesting, Remus, that I have been unfair to him, you sit in on one of my classes. Then, perchance, you will see for yourself how hopelessly inept he is and why he attains only 'D''s."

Remus flushed and his jaw clenched. Snape smiled oily, a knowing look in his eyes that the Headmistress failed to notice.

"I don't think it will come to that, Severus. Now, moving onto..." McGonangall shuffled papers with a flick of her wand and caught the file of the next student up for review, "...Quillborne, Joseth..."

"I think he knows something." Harry sat down heavily on the overstuffed couch in Lupin's office.

A cold fear struck Remus and he set his mug down on the table. "Why would you say that?"

Harry sighed as he absent-mindedly took Remus's hand. "I don't know. Maybe it's nothing. He thinks he knows something." Harry lowered his head into his hands, recalling the looks that his instructor had been drilling into him all day. "Potions class was murder."

"At our meeting..." Remus broke off with a sigh. "At our meeting, he gave me these looks, these deliberate stares." He sighed again and stood to gather the nearly-empty mugs from the table.

"I think he knows."

Remus grimaced and stared up at the moon window, his eyes tracing the fattening crescent. His reverie was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

Harry's eyes widened. He whispered, "I don't mean to be paranoid, but..." as he flung his Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders and flipped the hood up over his head, vanishing completely.

Remus stowed the tea mugs in a desk drawer as he pulled out his wand and opened the door with a muttered spell.

Severus Snape strode in, sneering.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Remus asked pleasantly as Snape unexpectedly sat down on the couch and put his feet up on it.

"I came to discuss this month. Where will you be staying?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Probably at Hogsmeade, in the Shack. Why?"

Snape rose and began to wander the room. "Curiosity." He stood in one corner of the office and peered around slowly. Remus smiled at Snape, though he was fully aware that Snape was snooping for someone hiding with an Invisibility Cloak.

"What are you looking for, Severus?"

Snape grinned as he whipped out his wand and yelled, "Accio Cloak!"

Remus sat stock still as his outerwear cloak, badly in need of repair, came flying out of one of the cupboards. "If you wanted to borrow my clothing, I would have gladly given it to you," he said quietly. "Are you looking for someone with an Invisibility Cloak? Is that it?"

Snape only scowled as he threw Lupin's cloak to the floor.

"And you forgot that Invisibility Cloaks cannot be summoned."

Snape pointed his finger into Remus's face. Remus compensated by stepping back with his head held high. Snape snarled, "I know what you're up to. I'm watching you."

Remus looked innocently from side to side with his eyebrows raised. "I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, Severus. But I will keep it in mind." He gave the slight smile and nod that one gives when they are talking with a disturbed person. With that, he opened the door and dismissed Snape from his office.

Snape decided to try to regain some of his dignity by stalking angrily down the hallway towards the staircase as Remus watched from his door.

Remus closed the door quietly and turned to look about his office for Harry. "He's gone."

A grumble emanated from under the couch, and Harry's head appeared from beneath the flounce.

"How did you fit under there?"

"I don't. Can you help me?"

"Sorry!" Remus hastily lifted the couch with a flick of his wand and Harry rolled out from underneath it, cloak in hand.

He remained on the floor, looking up at Remus. "He knows," he moaned and let his head fall back onto the floor with a clunk.

Remus extended a hand. Harry took it and pulled himself up and into his embrace. Both froze as a slight noise was heard from the hallway. Harry hurriedly pulled the Marauder's Map from his pocket and solemnly swore that he was up to no good. They looked at the small drawing of the corridor and read "Mrs. Norris". Remus shook his head and Harry's jaw clenched.

"Do you have any Floo Powder here?" Harry surprised Remus by whispering in his ear.

Remus nodded and gestured to the hearth. After throwing in a handful, he squeezed Harry's hand in farewell as Harry stepped into the emerald flames.

"Gryffindor Tower!"

"I hate Floo Powder," he said as he stepped from the cold fireplace into the Gryffindor common room. He was very thankful that Ron and Hermione, as prefects, ran a fairly tight ship. Now that Fred and George were gone, people were tending to go to bed at more civilized hours, leaving the common room uncommonly empty. He brushed the soot off of his black school robes and wearily began to climb the spiral staircase that led to his shared dorm room.

He dropped into his four-poster and listened to Neville snoring. He fell asleep worrying about Professor Snape's knowledge.