Into White [Annelise!]

[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 468

I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice
Tables of paper wood, windows of light -
And everything emptying into White.

Remus was reading, and yet he was not. He had sent Annelise an owl late last evening (so she should've gotten it this morning at least) to let her know that he would be in the library all Sunday morning and probably the afternoon as well, if she had some time left for a tutoring session.
After their first meeting, a few had followed, and Remus dared say Annelise was progressing steadily. So steadily, in fact, that he planned on going over the basics of a patronus charm, as Annelise had expressed a very solid interest in that particular defensive charm multiple times. He'd read up a lot about it (and, actually, still was) and had a feeling it just might work, especially as there were no dementors or lethifolds anywhere near for which they'd actually need a patronus. There was another part which interested Remus thoroughly - a patronus, when corporal and summoned correctly, could apparently pass messages. He had not heard of that use before and was a little eager to test it, to be honest.

Another thing he had waiting for Annelise in his pocket, was a letter from his father. His father had been delighted to hear Remus had made another friend (and had gently jested about the fact it was a girl) and had enclosed a list of books and research reports on a large variety of Magical Creatures, also adding that if she ever wanted to do something in the field to see if it was her cup of tea, that he could probably arrange for one of his old colleagues to take her along on a harmless mission of some sort. He was obviously very enthusiastic about his work.

Remus exhaled slowly and turned his attention back to the book ('Complexer Charms against Creatures'), telling himself to stop watching the door to see if Annelise had arrived yet. It was a Sunday morning, after all - maybe she wasn't even up yet. Or worse, maybe the owl he had sent her had just woken her, while she'd have liked a lie-in. Remus rolled his eyes at himself, decided he was a 'pureblooded idiot' for thinking of strange scenario's like that, and turned his attention back to his book. '...is both a carnivorous and highly dangerous magical creature. Lethifolds are very similar to Dementors, both in appearance and ways of hunting. Its appearance resembles that of a black cloak that is roughly half an inch thick, although it gets thicker if the Lethifold has recently digested a victim. It glides along the ground and...'

[Annelise Westerhof]

Annelise awoke to the sound of tapping on the dormitory window. Her other House-mates seemed to not hear it, but then again, she was a light sleeper; most of them were not. Especially on a Sunday morning. She stole out of bed, her feet touching the cold hardwood floors. She saw an unfamiliar owl there, but opened the window to a breeze that hit her face and woke her up even more, not that she really needed it. She enjoyed being an early riser. From where the sun was in the sky, it was clear that it was quite early. The owl flew in, sweeped around the room, and then landed on Annelise's shoulder. She gave it a friendly pat on the head, and took the note from it when she noticed it had her name on it. She knew it wasn't from her family, so she was quite curious to who it was from.

The moment she took it, the owl gave her a friendly nibble, and then flew off again. Annelise closed the window before the cold awoke her roommates. She opened the letter, and her eye scanned through it quickly, and she smiled to herself when she noticed it was from Remus. Their last few tutoring lessons only confirmed to her what she had felt on their first meeting: she liked him, and everytime she met up with him, she liked him more and more. She came to terms with it fairly quickly, and accepted it. She wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual, but she didn't really care. She just liked spending time with him.

Annelise dressed quickly, dressing in a skirt and a lavender blouse. She tousled her hair, making it curly, for her hair occasionally had the tendency to curl anyways. She didn't bother putting make-up on, and slipped on a pair of black flats. She slipped out of the dormitories, and then out of the common room altogether. The corridors were mainly empty, for apparently even the professors wanted a lie-in on Sundays. It wasn't long until she made her way into the library. It didn't take long for her to spot Remus, apparently reading.

Annelise wandered over and sat across from him, a smile automatically on her face. She couldn't help it: whenever she saw him she smiled.

"Exactly where you said you'd be," she said, grinning. "So, what are you doing here at this time of morning anyways?"

Annelise half-glanced at the books, but didn't catch the titles. Other than the librarian, they were the only ones in there, and she liked the solitude. She had yet to be told that she was in the gossip column (not that she would care if she was) and she liked it that way. She was quite the private person.

Word count: 488

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[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 378
Comments: It just occurred to me it would also be hylarious if Rem would've given Annelise his part of his father's letter as well (the part saying 'oho, has my boy gotten himself a girl friend?' etc. ). I think it'd be funny, but either way's fine with me. Up to you.

Remus, too, had started to realise his feelings were a little more lingering than the average crush. Oh, sure, he'd reasoned that that was due to the fact that Annelise did not discourage him, but deep inside, he knew better than that.
He tried not to give away too much of his feelings, still a little afraid that Annelise might not reciprocate the, but had taken heed of Sirius' advice and was looking for signs that she might like him in any way. He hadn't dressed up specifically today and was wearing simple loose (and rather faded) jeans with a dark green turtleneck that was one of his favourites (something that was obvious by the fact the ends of the sleeves and the elbows were worn).

"Exactly where you said you'd be." Remus looked up only to meet Annelise's smile and he felt his own lips mimicking hers. "So, what are you doing here at this time of morning anyways?" Remus' eyes twinkled slightly. "Well," he started, "it's called reading, you know - they change sounds into all these little signals.." Grinning lopsidedly, he shrugged in a way that obviously meant 'joking, sorry'.
"I'm reading up on patronus charms, I figured we could give those a try today?" he suggested, waiting for Annelise's enthusiasm to make her eyes shine they way he knew they would. "Oh, and before I forget-" Remus dug up his father's letter from his pocket, handing it to her. "Remember I promised to owl my dad?"

Remus started packing his things plus the few books with information about patroni. Hoisting his bag over his shoulder, he turned to Annelise. "Room of Requirements again, I suppose? It's pretty much the ideal spot, isn't it?" Honestly? He couldn't wait to start. Remus wasn't sure why, though. Maybe because they would be working on the patronus charm and Annelise had looked forward to that, so he looked forward to teaching her and seeing her smile when she succeeded. On the other hand, maybe he liked it just because it was Annelise - Remus probably would've liked it even if he'd have had to catch grindylows with her or something equally unpleasant.

[Annelise Westerhof]

"Well,it's called reading, you know - they change sounds into all these little signals.."

Annelise laughed at what he had said, causing the librarian to look over suspiciously. Apparently it wasn't normal for the sound of laughter to be heard in the library. Or it could also be because due to the fact that since hardly anyone was there, the noise echoed throughout the room. Regardless, Annelise wasn't aware of the stern look she had been given, for she wasn't paying attention. "Oh really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow with a smile still in place. "You'll have to teach me of this strange technology called reading."

"I'm reading up on patronus charms, I figured we could give those a try today."

Annelise felt as if she could spring off her chair in excitement. She had been looking forward to him teaching her how to create a Patronus since they had their first tutoring session. She could feel the excited-look on her face, but couldn't help it. She had been trying so often to be able to produce one to no avail, and she was quite worried that she didn't even know how. "Seriously? You think I'm at that level?"

The fact that he even brought it up felt like a compliment to her, as if to say that he felt as if she had mastered everything else. She hadn't really mastered it, but her professor and her classmates certainly noticed a large improvement. The other day, the professor even allowed her to attempt something, and she even succeeded. No, she never got such a reaction from a spell like she had with Remus where she knocked him to the wall, but she did do it adequately. She at least didn't worry that she was going to fail anymore.

"Oh, and before I forget- Remember I promised to owl my dad?"

Annelise took the letter from Remus and read it, although her face went rather red about his dad teasing that Remus had made a girl friend. She didn't comment about it, but she could feel the change of facial colour. She loved the letter, and she appreciated it a lot. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, not mentioning the part about the girl friend, for Remus had obviously read it and didn't think it was embarassing enough to perhaps cut out of the letter. "This is amazing - I'll probably end up taking him up on that offer one day!"

As the two left the library, she could feel her face still burning. How much had he told his dad? Did they correspond regularly about her? She didn't know how she felt about it. Even just the mention made her feel giddy, for nowhere in there did it say anything about any of the other Marauders. "It's definitely the best spot for it. I wonder how many other people know about the Room of Requirements! I can imagine it being used for well," she paused, not wanting to sound dirty minded. "Parties and things like that. Why don't Houses just have parties in the Room of Requirement instead of their common rooms where they would probably get caught?"

Word Count: 570

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[Remus John Lupin]

Remus was a little surprised to hear her laugh, because really.. the joke hadn't been that funny, not at all. Oh, well, it was a pleasant surprise, either way. "You'll have to teach me of this strange technology called reading." Remus grinned. "Oh, dear friend, I'd be delighted."

He was not disappointed when Annelise's eyes started glistening with excitement when he mentioned the patronus charm. "Of course you're at that level, you've basically always been," Remus commented with a warm smile. "It wasn't your skill or intelligence that has been getting in the way, remember?" But Remus knew what she meant and he meant what he said. He'd been meaning to ask her about her overall improvement in class, but he'd bring that up later. Patronus first.

She accepted the letter and read it. Remus didn't look at her as she did so, as he personally didn't always like people observing him as he read his mail, and it was probably just as well, or he'd have noticed her blush and wondered what caused it. He had, indeed, not really meant for that part of the letter to fall into her hands. Not that he was ashamed of it, per se, but Remus felt that maybe Annelise would feel uncomfortable with it. (Oh, irony.)
"Thank you so much!" Remus smiled at her. "Very welcome, really," he assured her. "This is amazing - I'll probably end up taking him up on that offer one day!" He nodded. "Oh, you should. I mean, my dad was pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing as well - I think he's a tad disappointed that magical creatures aren't my expertise." He smiled lopsidedly, walking alongside her, out of the library.

Remus had told his father not all that much about Annelise. He felt a little insecure about confiding such things to paper, who knew who might read it (all to true, yes, I love irony, can you tell?), after all.
He agreed that the Room of Requirements was the best spot for tutoring, absolutely. "I wonder how many other people know about the Room of Requirements!" Remus listened in silence. He didn't know, actually. "I don't know.." he mused. "My friends and I came across it by accident, I don't think a lot of students notice it, even when it appears. The door makes it look like a regular room, after all.."
They entered and the setting was like it had been since the first tutoring session. Remus sat his bag down by one of the chairs and stretched a little (it was a Sunday morning, after all), smiling faintly. "So.. what do you know of the theory of patronus charms?" Remus wanted to move on to practice as soon as possible.

[Annelise Westerhof]

Remus seemed a little surprised that she had laughed at his joke, but she didn't know why. She had honestly found it funny, and not because she wanted him to like her, either. Annelise didn't need things to be witty or insulting to be funny, and she found Remus to be quite funny, although she doubted he knew that. She didn't want to comment on it, however, and make it awkward, so she left it at that.

"Of course you're at that level, you've basically always been. It wasn't your skill or intelligence that has been getting in the way, remember?"

She did know, really, but just because someone knew the theory did not necessarily mean that they could perform the spell: she was prime example of it. It frustrated her some days, however, because she was living up the expectations that Hufflepuffs were dim witted, slow or even talentless. It was something they could never live down, even if one of them did excell in class, which she had to admit, was a rarity. It was typically someone from the other Houses. Really, what was the pro for being in Hufflepuff anyways? Gryffindors had bravery, Slytherins were cunning and Ravenclaws were intelligent. What was Hufflepuffs? The fact that they were loyal? She couldn't remember anyhow. She had always never minded that she was in Hufflepuff, but she occasionally wondered why. "Oh, yes, I know, but you're helping me actually do the spells. You can't be at a good level of magic without being able to perform. I wish all my classes were at the same grade as Care of Magical Creatures. I get an 'Outstanding' on all my work... but I guess all classes can't be of the same ease, huh."

"Oh, you should. I mean, my dad was pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing as well - I think he's a tad disappointed that magical creatures aren't my expertise."

Annelise liked the sound of Remus' dad. He sounded like a really good guy, and not just because he shared the same area of interest as Annelise. The way Remus talked about him also gave it away. "That's very nice of him, especially since he's never even met me! I could be dreadful for all he knows," she said with a bit of a chuckle. "I'm sure he's not disappointed. Children are just offspring, not clones, and I'm sure he knows that. Besides, what's the fun in having the same interests all the time? It could get awfully boring if you had the exact same interests as someone else. At least if two people don't have the same interests or experiences, the two can share their own interests with the other, do you know what I mean?"

She was talking a lot, and she knew she was. She was just so proud of the fact that she had found a friend in which she could have an easy conversation with, and whenever there was silence, it wasn't awkward. Too many people seemed to think silence was a bad thing, but Annelise disagreed. Sometimes the moments with the least conversation were also the best. Take romantic moments, for example. She, when she had attended Muggle school as a child (she had attended with her brother), watched a romance movie in which the two lead characters did a whole scene in silence, but the expressions on their face told the story, and when they finally kissed, you could almost feel the emotion. Sometimes, Annelise was a sucker for romance novels and movies. As long as they were done right.

Annelise looked at Remus' smile and noticed it was a little lopsided. She liked it. Unlike other guys' smiles who were known for being perfect (ie Sirius), Remus', well, had personality. It was nice, and it was different. Just like him. So, all in all, his smile definitely suited him.

"My friends and I came across it by accident, I don't think a lot of students notice it, even when it appears. The door makes it look like a regular room, after all.."

"Well, maybe no one knows about it," she said as she entered, standing next to him and noticing that the room was the same as it had been last time. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this place, just in case."

She meant it, too. Annelise didn't want the room abused, and she didn't want it to be a partying pad. She just wanted it to be like a secret. It seemed special that way.

"So.. what do you know of the theory of patronus charms?"

"I know that I can't perform them," Annelise joked, taking out her wand as she did so. She paused for a moment, thinking about the question. "Honestly? I know a lot. This is the one thing I've always looked forward to being able to do, ever since I was much younger. Before I even came to Hogwarts. I know they're used to defend yourself against Dementors and, I believe they're called Lethifolds, but I can't recall if we've ever learnt about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts..." she paused, giving it some thought. "I know one has to have a happy thought in their mind when casting the spell. That's what probably gets me. My mind starts automatically thinking of the scary stuff when I go to cast it."

Annelise looked at Remus and gave him a rather apologetic look. "I'm sorry if we'll be here for a while," she said, half-joking. Really, she doubted very much whether she'd be able to. Most people their age didn't have the ability to, anyways, and she was quite impressed that Remus could, and that he was willing to teach her.

Word count: 1030

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[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 1552

Perhaps, Remus' statement that Annelise had been at that level all along was just the tiniest bit untrue and he was well-aware of that, but he wanted to motivate her and make sure she felt confident about this (and especially about herself) - conjuring a patronus without self-confidence was even more difficult, after all.
"Oh, yes, I know, but you're helping me actually do the spells. You can't be at a good level of magic without being able to perform." Remus nodded, slowly, agreeing with her, but then spoke: "I may be helping you, but in the end it's you doing it." He couldn't help but press this matter enough; he didn't want Annelise to feel everything depended on him, as he feared she might never be able to defend herself when he was absent. Then again.. of course Remus wouldn't mind so much sticking by her side at all times, either. "I wish all my classes were at the same grade as Care of Magical Creatures. I get an 'Outstanding' on all my work... but I guess all classes can't be of the same ease, huh." Remus chuckled softly. "Merlin, I hope not! I'd be expelled simply for not passing anything," he joked. Remus was in a good mood today. He wasn't sure what brought it on, but he had a pretty firm guess. It started with an A.

John Lupin was a nice man, indeed. He was, perhaps, a little obsessed with his work (just like Remus could be at times), but had never ceased to pay attention to his son, even moreso after the accident, for which he'd felt immensely guilty until Remus had noticed that he felt like that and told him not to. He probably still felt guilty, but hid it better, Remus thought - that sort of guilt is not easily erased, even if it was not John's fault. Not in Remus' eyes, anyway. He had stopped thinking about who's fault it was, after reasoning the fault for his misfortune all the way back to, basically, the big bang. What did it matter, anyway? No matter whose fault it was, Remus would not be healed or happier if they were found and punished.
"That's very nice of him, especially since he's never even met me! I could be dreadful for all he knows." Remus smiled brightly. "My father's not subjected to prejudice," obviously, having a werewolf for a son! "Besides, I told him you're nice and he trusts my judgement." Remus blushed slightly as he added these words, but it was true, he had taken to briefly describing Annelise (trying to leave his romantic feelings out of it and, of course, failing just a little, which his father had flawlessly picked up). "I'm sure he's not disappointed. Children are just offspring, not clones, and I'm sure he knows that. Besides, what's the fun in having the same interests all the time? It could get awfully boring if you had the exact same interests as someone else. At least if two people don't have the same interests or experiences, the two can share their own interests with the other, do you know what I mean?" Remus nodded. "I do, and I think I phrased my words wrong. It's not so much that he's disappointed in me or my choice of interests.." his voice trailed away for a moment, as his incapability in Care of Magical Creatures was hardly a choice or due to a lack of interest. "I'm an only child, I suppose he always dreamt of taking his son out in the wild, you know, things like that." He smiled faintly, thinking about how lucky he was. Other parents would perhaps just have let him die, but his hadn't, and although he had been home schooled until going to Hogwarts (Ministry orders, as they'd considered him dangerous), they had treated him like every other child (so yes, even Remus was scolded for stealing cookies). Remus was sure that this had contributed to the fact he was (or tried to be) of such amiable nature.
He liked their little conversations like this one. It was nice to talk not only about tutoring or school. There was a world outside school and, although they'd met exclusively in school, Remus found himself asking more often what Annelise's life was like outside school. Also, he wondered if she wondered the same.

"Well, maybe no one knows about it.." Remus nodded a little. That seemed utterly plausible to him. Besides, the Room of Requirements could not be found if it didn't want to and it was part of a school, so he could imagine it would be more willing to appear for tutoring sessions than for wild and forbidden parties. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this place, just in case." Remus smiled at Annelise a little, yet didn't comment. It was almost like this room was not just a secret, but their secret, and that felt better to him than he dared admit.

They moved to the patronus charm and Remus listened in silence to what Annelise had to say.
"I know that I can't perform them." Remus rolled his eyes a little and chuckled, amused. "Honestly? I know a lot. This is the one thing I've always looked forward to being able to do, ever since I was much younger. Before I even came to Hogwarts. I know they're used to defend yourself against Dementors and, I believe they're called Lethifolds, but I can't recall if we've ever learnt about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts..." Remus spoke to set her mind at ease. "We haven't learned about the patronus charm yet, no. I'm not even sure if it's officially part of the curriculum," he mused, wondering if, with the threat of Voldemort, they might make it part of the curriculum for just that. "We'll probably at least treat the theory in class, as it's a well-known defense charm, but as for the practical part of the matter, I'm not sure." He smiled a tad wider. "Well, we'll be seeing to that today."
"I know one has to have a happy thought in their mind when casting the spell. That's what probably gets me. My mind starts automatically thinking of the scary stuff when I go to cast it." Remus nodded. It was the same as with the other spells, then, and they had overcome that obstacle, hadn't they?
"Casting the spell consists of three elements," Remus explained, "a happy memory, as you just mentioned, a wand movement, which I'll show you in a bit, and the charm, which is 'expecto patronum'." He didn't show her just yet, just focused on going through the theory quickly, especially as Annelise seemed to know part already. "The patronus is usually silvery-coloured and will manifest itself in a sort of silverish mist at first, but will be corporeal after practise, the shape being dependent on the personality of the caster." 'Damn,' he thought, 'I sound like a book.' "Either way, patroni can, indeed be used against Dementors and Lethifolds, but if cast correctly and corporeal, they can apparently also deliver messages. I haven't tried that last bit yet, so maybe we could try that later, if we have time." They probably did.. it was only morning, after all, they had basically all day. "So I think that's pretty much the long and short of it," he concluded, "I didn't feel like getting us a Dementor or, worse, a Lethifold to practise on," Remus added with half a grin to indicate he was joking, "so we'll just have to pretend they're there."

"I'm sorry if we'll be here for a while." Remus smiled slightly, probably more gentle than he'd be willing to show. "I don't mind. I have all day."
He cleared his throat and reached for his wand, a joint in his elbow popping softly. "So, ready? Just watch, the wand movements aren't very complex, so you'll have them perfect in no time," he assured her, before flicking the wand at an imaginary enemy and whispering the words under his breath. A silver mist erupted from the tip of his wand and soon established itself into a largish wolf, that stood still and looked at the wall in juxtaposition. It wasn't a real animal, after all, just a mirror image, and was supposed to ward of some sort of enemy - but there was nothing there.
Remus glanced at Annelise for a moment. "It took me quite some time before mine was corporal," he reassured her (though it hadn't taken that long, in his case, but he didn't want to discourage her). "We'll see how it goes, don't get worked up, okay?" He sent her a smile.

[Annelise Westerhof]

"I may be helping you, but in the end it's you doing it."

Annelise smiled at his motivation. He only meant the best, but didn't seem to be able to take any credit for anything he did, either. She didn't think he saw how much he was actually helping her. Yes, she was aware that she could do it without him, and didn't think he was the cause for her magical abilities, but at the same time knew she wouldn't have been able to come around to being able to do such things without him.

"I know it's me doing it," she said with a small laugh. "But you'd be bonkers to think that you haven't helped."

Yes, she really did just say 'bonkers.' Sometimes she said strange words or phrases, even if they were outdated or unpopular, just because they seemed to fit certain things that she was trying to say. Certain people made fun of Annelise for it, but she believed it was all in good humour. She didn't think that people were legitimately making fun of her ever (for the most part), and that they were just trying to have a laugh with her. Whether or not she was actually correct in her assumption, she didn't care. All that she cared about was her happiness when it came to those situations. She herself never actually made fun of anyone, unless it was brief and it was obvious joking - like she occasionally did to Remus.

"Merlin, I hope not! I'd be expelled simply for not passing anything!"

Annelise didn't know how to react to that. "You're not good at Care of Magical Creatures? I mean, I knew you didn't have an interest but I didn't know you weren't any good!"

She meant it, too. Remus seemed like a very kind and considerate guy, which typically translated into good with creatures. She didn't know why, it was just the way it worked. Annelise had assumed that maybe he had no interest, but was still passing anyways. She knew that she held Remus on a pedestal, so to speak, but she couldn't help it. Despite the fact that he told her that, she still assumed that he was just putting himself down and that he was actually better than he realized. She didn't voice her opinion, however, knowing that Remus would no doubt argue it.

"My father's not subjected to prejudice. Besides, I told him you're nice and he trusts my judgement."

Annelise blushed slightly, but not heavily. Every time she blushed, she swore that Remus knew, even if it was only subtly. She figured he must be good at noticing small details, for no one else noticed those small kind of changes. Her mind automatically went back to the letter in which she had put into one of the books she had brought, and the thought made a smile appear on her face. She had told her brother of Remus, yes, but she hadn't admitted it to Remus. Well, he'd probably think she was some sort of fanatic if she mentioned it to Remus. Most of her communications with Jakob were about Remus lately, and it was all because her brother seemed fascinated with him, asking all sorts of questions. She hadn't intended on having such a conversation with Jakob, but she mentioned who Remus was and what he was doing for her, and it was like her brother fell in love with him. It was cute, but annoying in a way. She'd ask Jakob how school was going, and she'd only get a paragraph about his school and about four about how he thinks Remus is 'perfect' for her.

"I'm an only child, I suppose he always dreamt of taking his son out in the wild, you know, things like that."

Annelise frowned, hoping that she hadn't come off accusatory about Remus' father. She understood where he was coming from though. With her mother and brother a Squib, and her and father witch and wizard, both parents had a child who took after them. It was a little vague, but both children had a parent they 'took' after, and it was comforting. She herself supposed if she ever had a child it would be nice if they shared at least some interests with her.

"I understand what you mean," she said. "He honestly sounds like a passionate, lovely man. I can't wait to meet him one day."

There she went with the blushing. She was surprised that she hadn't fainted yet from her heart beating so fast around Remus. For some reason, that sentence made it sound like she was his girlfriend, and that she was excited to meet his father; and not the reason that she actually meant about the expedition that he had invited her on. She knew Remus wasn't stupid, however, and knew that he would get what she meant. Or at least she hoped so, anyways.

He then began to speak about how he wasn't sure how the Patronus Charm was part of the ciriculum, so she said, "I hope so. So when I master it, people will actually be surprised that I mastered it before them!"

Annelise listened to Remus talk about how the Charm worked, and she was fascinated. Not only with how it worked, but also the way he talked. She couldn't help it: she found intelligence sexy. Not know-it-all, but actual intelligence. She may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she also wasn't the dullest. She typically was able to retain a lot, but at the same time forget certain details. To put it shortly: she was a typically average student academically. He then produced his Patronus, and she was in awe.

"It's beautiful," she said without thinking, watching with her brown eyes as it moved around only slightly. It was very well done, and she was impressed with his skill. She had never seen another student at Hogwarts do a corporeal Patronus. It was fantastic, and it just made her more excited about what she was going to learn. She really hoped she'd be able to, and would be admittedly disappointed if she couldn't, although she was fully aware that it wouldn't be Remus' fault if she couldn't. After all, this was out of a fifth year's level of skill anyways. Just seeing how beautiful a Patronus was, she was convinced that it should be taught. Besides, it should especially be taught in Dark times, such as what they were in now. At that moment, she felt like the happiness she felt from seeing the silvery wolf was enough to be able to allow her to cast a Patronus.

Remus smiled at her, and she took a mental image. That alone, she figured, would probably be enough to produce some sort of creation from her wand. She nodded and smiled back, fiddling with her wand, all excited.

"Well, this is what I can do now," she said, deciding that he should see what she could do before trying to make any sort of adjustment. It only made sense, really. She threw her wand arm out and cried, "Expecto patronum!"

A slim mist of silver came out of her wand, spun in the air to form almost a spiral, and then disappeared. She supposed it really was better than most, but at the same time, that was after trying to create one since she was eleven. She figured it took most people about a month of practise to master, although she had no way to be sure. For all she knew, it would take a lot less time (which it did). She looked at Remus with a shrug and said, "I guess now is time you work your magic on me."

Her cheeks flushed red again.

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[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 800 (minus code and quotes)

He laughed softly at her choice of words. Being an avid reader, Remus liked words and the associations caused by them, and 'bonkers' made him chuckle. "I know I've helped," he admitted (albeit a little grudgingly, as though he didn't want to admit she'd not done it all on her own). "But you do most of the work, either way."
Remus smiled a little enigmatically as he realised Annelise had been unaware of his care of magical creature results. He was only passing because of his essays and the extra credit he tried to earn whenever he could. "It's not.." Remus hesitated briefly. "It's not that I don't have an interest, I'm sort of.. it's okay, it's just that animals just don't like me," he eventually said with a slight shrug. "Nothing to be done about it." If only there was something that would be done, heh.. Remus sometimes wondered what he'd be like, had he not been bitten, but always ended up realising he probably would've been very, very different. Now, he suppressed several parts of his character, also ones that were not wolfish. Would he have been more outgoing? More like Sirius or James? Sometimes, when in front of a mirror, Remus couldn't even help but wonder if he'd be more handsome, had he not been a werewolf. He was skinny, pale, sickly.. would he have been a healthy teenage boy? Tanned? Would've played quidditch, would he have been broader? In the end, Remus would get fed up and decide it was no good pondering over such things, dismissing the thoughts from his mind.

As Annelise blushed slightly at the indirect compliment he paid her (he really did think she was nice), Remus smiled. He noticed her blush, sometimes (as full moon was close) he would even almost smell it, but mostly thought it was due to nerves or his compliments. Sometimes, Remus wondered if he paid her compliments because he liked her or because he wanted to boost her confidence for the tutoring session. He tried to convince himself that it was the latter..

Remus had not considered Annelise accusatory towards his father at all, he'd just felt the need to clarify. He could imagine that his father would've liked a son without Remus' current issues. It didn't make John love his son any less, but Remus could imagine that sometimes it was difficult to pretend he was a normal boy.
"He honestly sounds like a passionate, lovely man. I can't wait to meet him one day." Remus smiled a little wider. "He is passionate. I think he'd forget to eat, sleep, and breathe, were it not for my mother easing him into calm every once in a while." It was true, Remus' mother was a gentle sort of woman and a mother in every sense of the word: soft, nurturing, and safe. The only thing that bugged Remus about his mother sometimes, was that she seemed unable to be angry. Sure, Remus tried not to be angry a lot, and chose to forgive people in stead, but he didn't just let people walk all over him and knew when anger was, in fact, due. His mother didn't, she was too meek.

Clearing his throat, Remus tried to focus on the theory and practise of the patronus, not on the fact Annelise was blushing slightly, that her heart rate seemed to race. 'She's enthusiastic because we're working on the patronus charm,' he told himself. 'That's all.'
Remus smiled warmly when Annelise blushed it would be part of the curriculum, so she could show she was already able to produce a patronus. "I think they might incorporate it, even if it isn't," Remus mused. "Dark times and everything." He nodded slightly, determined not to give the 'dark times' any more attention. They were at Hogwarts. They were safe. He would not think of his parents.

"It's beautiful." Remus felt his face heat up. "It's not that special," he half-muttered, though his smile obviously said 'thank you for the compliment'. He erased his own patronus and waited, watching Annelise as she cast the spell herself.
At least she had a result. He knew students where nothing even happened. "Relax," he said with a smile. "Pronunciation and wand movement are flawless, once more. Maybe try a somewhat more powerful memory? It took a while before I found mine," he said. And even then, if she had one, she'd probably still need an even better one when she'd have to use it in real life. Remus had never encountered a Dementor and he hoped he wouldn't, but he'd need one hell of a great memory...
Annelise seemed to accept the fact it would need some working on. "I guess now is time you work your magic on me." Remus cheeks mimicked Annelise's and he chuckled dryly. "Ah-yes.. Well, let's start with the memory, then.. do you think you can come up with a stronger one? Not necessarily happier, just stronger?"

[Annelise Westerhof]

“It's not that I don't have an interest, I'm sort of.. it's okay, it's just that animals just don't like me.”

Annelise laughed lightly at his comment. She couldn’t count the amount of times she heard someone say that animals didn’t like them. “There’s no such thing as an animal that doesn’t like a human. Well, okay, I lie, sometimes with association they won’t like someone, like say, someone beat them, but unless you’re nervous around them, I’m sure they don’t not like you. Are you nervous around them or something?”

It was a simple question that she would have asked anyone. Although she didn’t typically prod, she didn’t consider this so. She had helped many people get over their fear of animals, although Annelise had no idea that she was completely off the mark. She had no idea that Remus was anything but a normal boy. She knew, due to her first tutoring lesson, that he had scars, but she didn’t know what from and didn’t ask. Had she wondered? Of course, what normal person wouldn’t? But she wasn’t about to ask. That was the kind of thing that was prodding. She knew that if wanted to share what the scars were about, that he would. Most girls enjoyed asking guys what their scars were, but Annelise was the opposite. She found that many times, the story behind the scar was a personal one. Annelise had known of self-harmers, or those who have been harmed by others. She hoped that Remus’ wasn’t due to pain, but knew that was a very naïve thing to think. Scars were only caused by pain, and she worried a little bit, due to the fact that he didn’t seem like the time to harm himself. Regardless, she never asked, and she never tried to look at them.

"He is passionate. I think he'd forget to eat, sleep, and breathe, were it not for my mother easing him into calm every once in a while."

“Sounds like my mum,” Annelise replied, fondly. She imagined if she had any children, she would turn out like that, too. The typical mum who packed their kids’ lunches and put notes inside the bags. No, she would not send them to school with lunch money. She could imagine having supper on the table by the time her husband got home (providing she didn’t work longer hours than he did) and just doing all the things that those kinds of mothers did. “No wonder you turned out so great,” she continued, honestly. “You’ve got a solid base from an amazing family.”

It was true, as well. She found those who came from broken homes the ones with the most severe personality traits, either being very rude, or very attention seeking, or even extremely shy. They always seemed to have no in between; just extreme. Yes, Remus was a little shy, she supposed, but at the same time he would talk when spoken to, and was always very polite with the appropriate amount of humour thrown in here and there. She herself was very, well, normal. Yes, her aunts took part in the Dark Arts, but it didn’t affect her personally. Her mum and brother were Squibs, but she found them stronger for it, and realistically, it didn’t affect her personally, other than the fact she pitied them occasionally when they seemed like they felt left out. But considering they had no magic but lived in the magical community, they were both great people, and didn’t take out their frustration at what they were on other people. They simply lived their life as best they could.

Annelise also found the more she talked to Remus, the less she was shy. Yes, the occasional comment made her blush, but she was a girl after all. She nodded when he mentioned the Dark times. “Yes, exactly what I was thinking. It’s one of the reasons I want to be able to produce one.”

She neglected to say it was to protect her non-magical mother and brother if something came along, due to the fact it wasn’t necessary. She wasn’t ashamed of them, but at the same time knew she didn’t have to mention it all the time either. She knew one day Remus would find out about her family members, but for now it wasn’t really important. She would mention it when conversation led that way one day.

Annelise laughed when he mentioned that his Patronus wasn’t that special. “Don’t be so modest, Remus. It takes a highly skilled fifteen year old to be able to pull it off, and so well. It’s not a bad thing to be proud every now and then, you know.” It almost sounded like she was lecturing him, but she was not. She was merely stating a fact, in her mind.

"Ah-yes.. Well, let's start with the memory, then.. do you think you can come up with a stronger one? Not necessarily happier, just stronger?"

Annelise frowned. What great, solid memory did she really have? Remus was the only well, good friend that she had made while at Hogwarts. She supposed her acceptance letter was a good time, but then again, she had expected it, so it didn’t come as a surprise. Hogwarts also didn’t give her a second-home kind of feel to her, mainly because her brother hadn’t been accepted. So what was there? As she tried to go through her memories, it struck her that she didn’t have a solid, great memory.

“I don’t know if I have one,” she said, rather meekly, looking at Remus. She felt a little bit embarrassed, but couldn’t help it. Everyone else always seemed to have something. Most people could use being accepted into Hogwarts, or the magnificent gifts they got when they got their letter. A lot of them had their first kiss, or even their first girlfriend or boyfriend to fall back on. Some of them went on wild adventures or trips, but Annelise’s family, although not poor, had never gone on one. What did she have? Good grades and a happy family? It hardly seemed like it would be enough. She felt the hope in her deflate a little bit. If she couldn’t think of a good enough memory now, then who was to say she’d eve actually be able to face a Dementor? She laughed, slightly and awkwardly, in order to perhaps make herself feel a little better. “Does that make me strange?”

Word count: 1007

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[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 669 without codes and quotes

Remus had trouble keeping his face straight as she mentioned that 'there was no such thing as an animal that doesn’t like a human'. He didn't quite know why, either, he was usually more than able keeping his face straight around people that were not his intimate friends. Okay, no, well.. maybe he had a slight idea why it troubled him. He just hung onto the first excuse he could thing of - the one Annelise offered. "Eh, yes, they tend to make me nervous, I guess." Remus could feel his ears heat up as he lied, but this was at least better than 'no, animals don't like me because I'm actually 100% carnivorous'. Now all he had to do was hope she didn't offer to help him to be more at ease around animals, that might just end in disaster.
He plucked at the loose ends of his turtleneck a little and made a mental note to try and mend the thing. Remus didn't want to throw it away, he liked it too much, it made him feel pleasantly camouflaged.

Surprisingly, he didn't find the subject of family as difficult as he'd expected. He never really talked a lot about his family with his friends. They had met his parents, but had never stayed over at his place before, as, despite everything, his parents were a tad protective and wanted to make sure Remus got well-rested during the summer and that his home would be a safe haven for him. Remus had slept over at James before, once, but only for a few days. It was always difficult planning those sort of things around the full moon, too.
"No wonder you turned out so great - you’ve got a solid base from an amazing family." Remus blushed deeply, though grinned slightly. "Yeah, they're absolutely amazing." And he meant it, he felt he couldn't have been luckier with parents like this. "Still, I'd have liked a sibling," he mused. "So in that respect, that would make your home situation preferable," Remus added with a wink, half teasing.

Remus could also feel himself opening up to Annelise, mainly because he allowed himself to. He'd promised Sirius to give this a try, after all. He nodded solemnly when she mentioned she really wanted to be able to produce a patronus on her own. "I'm sure, with a bit of practise, that you'll manage," he promised her, nodding.
"Don’t be so modest, Remus. It takes a highly skilled fifteen year old to be able to pull it off, and so well. It’s not a bad thing to be proud every now and then, you know." Remus half chuckled, though he blushed mildly at the compliment. "Of course, a highly skilled fifteen year old," he echoed, rolling his eyes. "Well, we're currently transforming you into a highly skilled fifteen year old, so let's not focus on me, shall we?" It wasn't that she scared him or something, it was just.. so many compliments. He was used to his friends calling him 'a boring bookworm' or something the like from time to time and he had gotten used to accepted that as compliments, but these were heartfelt, genuine compliments, said in a different way than a 'well done' from a teacher. It was quite something else.

Annelise's expression turned pensive and Remus waited, patient and silent. He knew how difficult it was to find the right memory. Initially, he had used the feeling he'd gotten when his Hogwarts letter had arrived, but it hadn't been quite strong enough. In the end, he'd found a particular powerful memory in remembering the faces of his parents last summer, when his Prefect badge had arrived. His mother had nearly cried, his father almost burst with pride. They had never even expected their son to go to Hogwarts, let alone that he'd become a Prefect. Remus could even now feel his heart swell with happiness as he thought of how he had made his parents proud and happy.
"I don’t know if I have one," Annelise eventually admitted, softly. Remus met her eyes and could see faint embarrassment. "Does that make me strange?" she added after an awkward sort of chuckle. "Not at all," Remus said, smiling a little, though not mocking. "It took me ages to figure out which memory to use." He hesitated briefly. "Unless it's personal, eh.. what did you use?"

[Annelise Westerhof]

"Eh, yes, they tend to make me nervous, I guess."

Annelise felt as if Remus was amused by what she had said, and she didn’t know why. Did she say something peculiar? She tried to think back on what she had said, but couldn’t think of anything strange about it. Maybe he was just in a good mood? She couldn’t pin it on anything else, so she left it at that.

“Well, it’s rather common so…” she just trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. She very much believed he was exaggerating anyways. She didn’t even acknowledge the fact that she practically thought that Remus was good at, well, everything. Just because he didn’t really like the animals, didn’t necessarily mean that he was bad at the course. Typically as long as they were good at the theory, a student could pass the class. Annelise knew, she had been doing that with Defence Against the Dark Arts for years.

"Still, I'd have liked a sibling. So in that respect, that would make your home situation preferable.”

Annelise’s eyes lit up at the mention of her brother, and she couldn’t help but ramble. “Oh, yes, having a sibling can be great. Well, I mean, sometimes it can be not, like if the two of you don’t get along. I guess I’m kind of lucky to have Jakob. I mean, he’s so supportive of me, and he’s happy for me even if it means that it makes him less happy. I don’t know, really, nothing beats the love of a sibling. I think Jakob’s probably my best friend.”

When the thought about it, she realized that he was her best friend. He was the one she went to when she was happy or upset or angry or anything, really. Annelise told him everything, and he did the same to her. They had mutual respect for each other, and he taught her some things he’d learn in Muggle school, and she did her best to teach him some of the things that she was learning in Hogwarts. She also told him everything about Remus, for the most part, and different things about different people. He was fascinated with her life, and looked up to her, and as weird as it was – considering he was only thirteen – she looked up to him as well. He was strong in the one part of his life in which most people would have gotten green with envy. He supported Annelise’s schooling even though he wasn’t able to take part, despite the fact that he thought he’d be. He always told her, ‘just because I can’t be there, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.’

Annelise stopped arguing about who she thought they should focus on, for she thought it pretty clear that they both wanted to talk about the other person. Annelise practically had this need to learn more about him. She thought he was so interesting, which was apparently the opposite of what most girls thought. Most girls seemed to think that he was nice, but too nice. Bit of a bookworm. Annelise never believed in the concept of ‘too nice.’ She was never into the bad boys, and it seemed lately that every boy in Hogwarts was trying to be the next Sirius Black. All jokesters who tried to get with every girl. It got rather repetitive, almost like no one wanted to be themselves. Besides, bookworms were interesting. They knew more than most people, and probably had a more vast imagination. Jakob himself wasn’t much of a reader, so she appreciated the fact that the only other major person in her life at the moment was.

"Unless it's personal, eh.. what did you use?"

Annelise blushed immensely. She assumed he’d ask, but hoped he wouldn’t at the same time. She wasn’t sure whether she was more embarrassed because what she used didn’t work, or the fact that she had decided to use it in the first place. She knew she couldn’t not answer; it wasn’t a part of who she was. When someone asked a direct question, she always answered it. She was an extremely honest person, and didn’t care for liars, so she wasn’t one herself. In all honesty, she thought of Remus’ smile. It was elusive sometimes, but she appreciated it every time she saw it. It was lopsided, and just completely genuine. She didn’t know anyone else with that smile, and every time she smiled, it felt like it, well, as weird as it sounded, warmed her.

She immediately looked at the ground in front of her, took a deep breath and then said, “Um, well, don’t think of this as weird or anything, but um… I thought of your smile.” She glanced up at him again to his see his reaction without thinking about it. Her gaze returned to the floor and she talked to his shoes. “I mean, don’t think I’m creepy or anything, it’s just you’re the only person who took the time to help me and get to know me, and you’re practically the only friend I have outside of family, so, well, you make me happy, and it was the first thing I thought of, and you can’t possibly blame me for thinking of the first thing I thought of, because that’s completely illogical, for no one can help what they think and…”

Annelise kind of just trailed off.

Word Count: 869

[Remus John Lupin]

Word count: 579 without codes and quotes

Remus felt a slight pang of relief as Annelise didn't press the Care of Magical Creatures home. He hadn't expected her to, anyway, it seemed so unlike Annelise, but he had feared a little.. "I'll manage," he assured her. "I do things for extra credit.. and I manage to pass with just the theory." He grinned slightly. "I'll just pair up with Sirius and let him handle the creatures next class."

Yes, the subject of family was absolutely preferable in contrast to Care of Magical Creatures. They both liked talking about it, for one, and Annelise's eyes would light up to twinkle quite magically.
"Oh, yes, having a sibling can be great. Well, I mean, sometimes it can be not, like if the two of you don’t get along. I guess I’m kind of lucky to have Jakob. I mean, he’s so supportive of me, and he’s happy for me even if it means that it makes him less happy. I don’t know, really, nothing beats the love of a sibling. I think Jakob’s probably my best friend." Remus chuckled softly. "I'd have liked a playmate, mostly. My parents live rather secluded and I was homeschool because the nearest school was nearly too far away-" It was true, but the main reason had still been Remus' condition. His parents had bought a house so far away from other people for exactly that reason. "I was alone with my mother a lot, which wasn't bad exactly - but it's different from being able to play with other children." He shrugged slightly, faintly smiling at the memory. He hadn't talked about his parents this much since Remus had feigned homesickness back in first year, while he'd actually just been afraid of his first transformation.

Remus had anticipated her blush the moment he'd asked what memory she'd used, but it still managed to turn his knees into jello. He wanted to tell her that it was fine if she didn't want to tell, but found that his voice was rather unwilling and just swallowed. Annelise looked down and for a moment Remus wondered if the memory was really that personal. His stomach twisted into a knot. Merlin, did he even want to hear? Maybe she'd thought of, well, her first kiss or someone she liked, did he want to know that at all?

The answer was like a bludger to the face. "Um, well, don’t think of this as weird or anything, but um… I thought of your smile." Remus froze and could feel his cheeks heat up. Annelise looked up at him and he caught her eyes briefly before breaking eye contact, not physically, but by pulling back into his thoughts, and not so much seeing. Part of him wanted to make one of those self mocking jokes he was so good at, but he didn't want to offend her by saying 'well, obvious that it didn't work then - my smile's worthless'. She obviously disagreed, or she wouldn't have chosen it. .. She liked his smile? Oh, Merlin, Circe - Remus stopped thinking.
"I mean, don’t think I’m creepy or anything, it’s just you’re the only person who took the time to help me and get to know me, and you’re practically the only friend I have outside of family, so, well, you make me happy, and it was the first thing I thought of, and you can’t possibly blame me for thinking of the first thing I thought of, because that’s completely illogical, for no one can help what they think and…" Her voice lowered and something within Remus pushed him to speak - he had to say something, had to say something - but what?
"Eh- I don't think it's creepy." Remus coughed, still blushing. "I feel quite flattered and- and I don't blame you at all.." He still wondered if his smile was really the happiest memory she had, because if it was.. well, that would be sad, wouldn't it? Had she had no happy feelings before that? Part of Remus mind just yelled at him 'don't think about that - she likes you! she thinks you're a good friend! you're her happy memory' and Remus found it incredibly tempting to just give into that voice. "I like you too.." Remus blinked slightly, as the words had escaped him before he'd thought them over, and blushed even deeper. "I mean- I mean.." He couldn't stop stammering and, actually, what did he mean? He did like her, after all.

[Annelise Westerhof]

Annelise listened to Remus talk about how he would have liked someone to hang out with growing up, and she pitied him somewhat. Even if she hadn’t had Jakob as a brother, she had gone to primary school up until Hogwarts, so she had still made friends. She had lived in London, as well, which meant that there were a select few witches and wizards in her school as well, including her werewolf friend. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she had no other friends going up. That kind of explained why Remus was so shy, she supposed.

“Well, it certainly is quite the experience having a sibling. Really, though, you have James, Sirius and Peter as well as friends, though, they must have been like siblings once you got here?” she suggested, thinking it over. She had seen (and heard) his friends be both comforting and teasing towards Remus the same way that siblings who got along did. Little did she think that Remus knew how envious most people were of the quartet’s friendship. Yes, people had best friends, but it rarely escalated to the level in which those four were. She herself had to admit that she was jealous, although she did have Jakob, she didn’t have the opportunity to see him every day, and really, it just wasn’t the same. At thirteen and fifteen (nearly sixteen), the two weren’t exactly peers.

When Annelise finally had the guts to look from the floor back up to Remus, she saw a wide variety of emotions play across his face, but due to not knowing him extremely well, she didn’t really know what they meant. Was he embarrassed, was he freaked out? She didn’t understand. She hoped it was neither of those things, and was honestly hoping that in the least he’d be neutral about what she had said. Annelise only said it to be honest, and nothing more. It wasn’t like she had been waiting for the right time to tell him this, for she hadn’t been planning to tell him at all.

"Eh- I don't think it's creepy. I feel quite flattered and- and I don't blame you at all.”

Although he said this, and it made her feel somewhat better, it didn’t stop her heart from beating out of her chest. She swore he could hear it, but at that point in time, she supposed it didn’t matter. Her blush gave her away anyways, and possibly by how she had been previously staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. As long as he was being truthful, which she sincerely hoped he was, she was just happy that he didn’t think she was some sort of creep. Besides, really, if he didn’t like her that way, she still had a friend, right? That was what was truly important.

"I like you too.. I mean- I mean.."

It almost seemed as if Remus had said it without even realizing he said it. Almost as if he had meant to think it instead. Annelise didn’t know it possible to blush any harder than she was, but apparently it was. He was stuttering, and she found it, well, adorable. She sincerely hoped he meant it in the way she interpreted it, for she didn’t want to feel stupid when she said, “Well, I like you as well.”

She couldn’t help but smile, and then stare back down at the floor once again. Oh, the floor. How useful it was in embarrassing situations.

Word count: 566

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[Remus John Lupin]

Although Remus'd had little to no friends, that didn't mean he hadn't had a lovely childhood. His mother had been home at all times, as she'd quit working the moment Remus was attacked, and Remus had been easy to amuse. He'd been a helpful boy by nature, helping his mother in the garden when she'd finished teaching him, and even if he wasn't doing chores or (obviously..) reading, there were wide fields which he had pretended to be the Himalaya or the Andes or whatever place his mother had taught him about that day, exploring them in play.
He smiled a little wider when Annelise mentioned his three friends. "Yes, they're like brothers to me, I suppose," Remus said. To Remus, they were more than brothers, though. They were his secret keepers, they felt like his pack - he felt a little embarrassed thinking about them like that, but it was true.

Remus found it harder to breathe as his heart seemed to creep up his throat to bang in his ears loudly. Had Sirius given him any advice on what to do when something like this happened? Remus couldn't remember, he had the feeling his brain had stopped working. When had she gotten so close to him, anyway, or had he just not noticed before? He felt the almost inescapable urge to touch her, because although she stood close to him, it still felt as though she was too far away.
"Well, I like you as well."
He was sure his heart stopped, if only for a moment. Did she mean it like that? In the same way as he did? Well, she was blushing an awful lot, maybe-
Then, before he knew it, there was an impatient growl and before Remus had realised he had lost grip of the wolf for a split second, he had made half a step forward and kissed Annelise on the lips. Had Remus' brain worked, he would've cursed himself and stepped back, apologising over and over again, but for once, Remus found out what it was like to be without thoughts at all and his mind grew blissfully silent until his own heartbeat and the triumphant sounds of the wolf were all he heard.