52Chapter 15
Chapter 15:
Remus's POV
He hadn't meant to notice the new kid's scent changing, but he had been curious enough when instead of sitting next to Peter he found an empty table behind him and Sirius, that he kept part of his attention on the other kid.
There was a brief smell of something like annoyance when Severus joined him at the table then anger but it quickly faded. Remus wondered if the kid just wanted to work alone. He didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards Snape or other Slytherins, at least not yet. That would probably come the longer he was at the school.
He sighed, stirring the caldron in front of him.
His full attention was brought back to Evan when the other teens scent changed to an interesting mix of longing and worry. He almost turned around to see what the kid was up too, but Sirius was dropping Ivy into their potion and he had to lunge to stop it before it caused their potion to blow up. His friend huffed at him and he had to resist the urge to lecture him on causing trouble in class.
He heard Snape snap out a 'Stop' and suddenly the whole class was paying attention to the back table. He wasn't going to move at first but than a wave of warm vanilla hit him. Submissive, Moony whined and he was moving before the thought of not doing so could cross his mind.
He tried to ignore the overwhelming smell of confusion and fear as he wrapped his arm around Evan.
"Evan, everything alright?" he asked.
He almost gasped when Evan not only relaxed in his arms but leaned into him. Moony however whimpered and urged him to hold the other closer. To protect and comfort him. He swallowed and watched as Evan looked back over his shoulder at him. He took in the other kid surprise and wondered if the brunet had been expecting someone else. Probably Luke but then Evan nodded.
And he had to fight against hist surprise when Evan didn't move away from him.
Remus felt completely lost.
He was holding a submissive, one that hadn't quite presented fully. Which wasn't that strange but the fact that the young man seemed confused about it was. His family should have warned him about an inheritance if he had one and told him what to expect. He wanted to growl because sending a submissive out into the world without knowledge was a sure way for the young man to get hurt.
"You boys okay?" Slughorn asked finally joining them.
Remus almost rolled his eyes at the man.
The man was good at potions but that was it. He had no talent for dealing with students or people really, and Remus wasn't sure if he would know how to handle a developing submissive, but before he could say anything, he felt Evan shift to look at the professor. Still not leaving his arms.
"Yeah. Severus saved me from adding the wrong thing." There was a smile on his face and if Remus couldn't smell how freaked out the brown-haired boy was, he would have believed him.
Slughorn looked over at them but Remus had removed his attention from the man and towards Snape who was eyeing Evan. Remus could see it in his eyes that he was figuring out what Remus already had. Evan was submissive and didn't know, and that he, Remus, had just claimed him as under his protection.
Severus raised his eyes to him and gave a soft nod.
He left himself breathe.
It seemed that the Slytherin was going to respect customs and leave Evan alone. He let his arm drop away and it seemed to break whatever standstill they had fallen into. Slughorn wandered off and Sirius dragged him back towards their table.
After that, the class seemed to fall back into his usual rhythm, the only things off where how Evan kept far away from his partner and how the blonde Slytherin Luke kept looking back and watching Evan.
Remus wondered if the other boy knew what was happening to his friend.
After class, he was walking down one of the hallways towards the library when Sirius appeared beside him. The black-haired boy slipping his arm in between his. Causing Moony to keen in his mind. The damn wolf wanted to come out and play with Padfoot. He pushed him down and looked at Sirius with a raised brow because he was pretty sure his friend was supposed to be headed to quidditch practice.
"So, what was all that about?"
He sighed.
"What was what about?" He asked.
He watched as Sirius rolled his eyes. "In Potions?"
"Nothing," he said. He didn't want to speak of it until he got a chance to speak with Evan.
"Uh huh, sure. That's why Moony was getting all protective," Sirius said pulling them to a stop.
"Moony?" he asked, starting to panic.
Because fuck he hadn't realized his wolf had shown. What if someone had seen. Snape already knew, after the disaster last year but the others didn't and if he outed himself, he would have to leave Hogwarts.
"Shit, breathe Remy."
He felt Sirius move close then arms were wrapping around him. Hugging him. Pulling him in close. His best friends scent surrounded him, causing Moony hummed happily in his mind. It helped him relax. He took a couple of deep breaths, wrapping his own arms around Sirius.
"He didn't show. I just can read you. I can tell when it's good old Remus being protective and when its Moony. Whatever happened set you both off and he wanted to protect Evan," his friend said into his shoulder. Then he felt Sirius start to pull away, he felt Moony wanting to hold him more. Keep him close because he smelt great, like many things that meant home and love to them.
But he let him go.
"You going to tell me?"
"Not yet."
His friend gave him a puppy look and he smiled.
"Let me talk to Evan first."
"Whatever" his friend huffed.
"Where are we headed anyways?" Sirius asked as they started walking again, and Remus shook his head. Only his friend would ditch practice to track him down to ask a question, he could have asked later, but was too impatient to wait. Then not pay attention to where he was being dragged off too.
"Library."
Sirius arm suddenly disappeared, and his friend slowly started to back away from him.
He laughed at the idiot's antics.
"I'm going to go find James," Sirius said before turning around and rushing off down the hall.
He was about to turn his own corner when two whispering voices caught his attention.
"You could talk to Lupin," one said; a male.
There was a sigh.
"He would ask too many questions," another said, and Remus was pretty sure it was Evan.
"So, don't answer them," it was said offhand like it was no big deal. Hinting to Remus that it was most likely a Slytherin, meaning it was probably Luke.
"Than why would he answer mine?" Evan snapped.
"Because he's a professor?" Luke said sounding a little amused.
Professor? Remus sighed, wondering if this was a new rumor or joke going around about him. He wouldn't doubt it and he would even bet it was his friends who started it.
"Not yet, he isn't," Evan said, sounding strangely disappointed.
"Great now everyone thought he was going to grow up to teach," he thought with an eye roll.
"Fine," Luke snapped back. "But he will be. It's like him to lecture and teach."
Remus groaned as he heard Evan chuckle.
"Imagine that conversation, hey Remus, you're brilliant and I kind of know you're a werewolf want to help me learn about these stupid new instincts I've got?"
His breath caught and his heart stopped.
"I wouldn't ask him like that," the other boy huffed. "He'd probably eat you."
There was another sigh from Evan, this one louder sounding more annoyed.
"Remus wouldn't eat me," his housemate snapped. "Or anyone else," was muttered at the end.
Remus almost turned the corner to look at them, because Evan had said it with such conviction and confidence that he wanted to see the young man's face.
"So, ask him."
"Why don't you just teach me?"
"Because you idiot, all I know is how my own instincts react to you and how I'm supposed to treat you."
Both of them fell silent.
He stayed pressed against the wall, heart beating rapidly in his chest as he tried to understand what just happened. Two people outside of his friends, the headmaster, and Snape knew. Two people he didn't even know and for some strange reason they didn't seem bothered by it. Despite Luke's comment about him eating them, which sounded too much like Sirius or James when they joked, for him to think the kid actually thought he was going to eat anyone.
"How the hell?"
"Come on," Luke muttered, interrupting Remus's panic. He slumped forward listening as they walked away.
It didn't make any sense, they hadn't been here long enough to have seen him on a full moon or even after. And he knew none of his friends had told them anything. Unless Snape was spreading a rumor, but that didn't make sense no way would he chance getting expelled, and Remus was pretty sure Malfoy hadn't figured it out.
He groaned and pushed off the wall.
He would just have to keep on eye on them and hope they kept quiet.