Reposted: November 9, 2021

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Lesbi-honest, you came here for Tomarry and stayed for Azure

Both Draco and Pansy went home for the holiday, so Harry spent most of his time down in the Chamber or hanging out with Tracey. Unlike most of the other girls in their year, Tracey didn't have much to say, preferring to work alone or with Harry.

"Have you noticed how strange Professor Lupin's been acting?" she asked during breakfast.

Harry chewed his eggs slowly as he pondered over her words. Dobby had told him that Dumbledore had been speaking to Lupin about bonding with Harry through the Dementor lessons. Harry might've thought Lupin was in with Dumbledore's schemes if it weren't for the fact that, after Dumbledore left, he began pacing the room, looking torn between fear and anger.

"Strange how?" Harry said aloud.

"Well, he just seems more tense. I mean, he missed that one lesson back in November because of the full moon, but that didn't cause this much concern."

"Figured it out, then? About his lycanthropy?"

Tracey shrugged. "It wasn't hard. He was sick the week leading up to full moon, missed the day of and the next couple of said full moon, not to mention, Professor Snape assigned us that essay on werewolves."

Harry hummed in agreement. It was times like this when he wondered how Tracey wasn't a Ravenclaw. "Does that bother you?"

"No. It's not like he asked to be bitten."

No, Harry agreed silently, but he also didn't ask to be used by manipulative Headmasters.

"Hello, Harry Potter." A second year with dirty blonde hair smiled at him as she passed.

"Hello. Luna Lovegood, I believe? Of Ravenclaw?"

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," she replied in a singsong voice. Her smile grew more vacant. "How is your mate doing?"

Harry was taken aback. "Pardon?"

"Your mate. Have you forgotten about him? There are a few Nargles floating around your head."

"How do you—?"

"I have Seen you with him in my dreams. Quite a good-looking young man, is he not?"

"That's an understatement," Harry muttered before he could stop himself.

Luna giggled. "I shall wait for his return to our world," she said as she turned away.

Harry watched her skip off. A Seer? They were very rare, he had read, and could interpret more than just omens in tea leaves like Professor Trelawney. He continued to mull over this as he headed to his dorm.

"So you think it's an understatement that I'm a good-looking young man, hm?"

Harry jumped as the smooth voice sounded directly behind him. "Tom!" he shouted, very thankful that he was the only one in the dorm. "How many times do I have to tell you to not do that?"

"Well, it didn't work the first two times," Tom said, eyes wide in faux innocence. "Maybe you should try for a third."

Harry scowled and turned around to stare at the wall, ignoring Azure, who had fallen off the bed laughing. He absolutely refused to react in any way that would bolster Tom's ego. That failed when Tom leaned forward, lips lightly brushing his ear.

"If it's any consolation," he practically purred, "I think you're a rather good-looking young man, too."

His face flushing profusely, Harry whipped back around to stare at Tom, who had the audacity to wink before going back into his diary.

As always, Azure was greatly entertained by the pair.

The rest of the holiday went by, and before Harry knew it, it was time for his first Patronus lesson with Professor Lupin.

Lupin carried a large case inside the History of Magic classroom and set it down on Professor Binns' desk.

"So," he began, "as you are already aware, the charm I am about to teach you is the Patronus Charm. It is highly advanced magic, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level, and even experienced wizards struggle with it. Do you know what it does?"

"It produces a shield against the Dementors," Harry said. "You have to focus on a happy memory."

"Correct. And each one is unique to the wizard that conjures it. The incantation is this: Expecto patronum!"

Harry raised his wand. "Expecto patronum," he said, thinking back to when first stumbled upon Azure.

A wisp of silvery gas whooshed out of the tip. "Did you see that?" he said excitedly,

"Very good," Lupin said, smiling. "Right, then— ready to try it on a Dementor?"

Harry nodded and refocused on Azure.

Lupin opened the case, and a Dementor rose into the air, facing Harry. The lights flickered around them, but Harry paid them no mind. "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum! Expecto—"

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please— I'll do anything—"

"Stand aside— stand aside, girl—"

"Harry!"

Harry's eyes snapped open. "Harder than it looks," he said as he sat up.

"It is, which is why these lessons are good," Lupin said. "Not a bad start, Harry. Here." He handed him a chocolate frog. "Eat this before we try again."

Harry took a bite, feeling warmth flooding through his body. "Thanks."

The second try wasn't any different. "I heard my dad this time," he whispered hoarsely.

"You heard James?" Lupin said.

"Yeah..." Harry sat up, wiping his brow. "You knew him, right? Professor Snape mentioned it." But it was Sirius that had told him about James, not that Lupin needed to know that tidbit.

"He was one of my best friends," Lupin replied quietly, but to Harry's disappointment, he didn't expand on that. "Listen, Harry— perhaps we should leave it here for tonight."

"Just one more time," Harry said. "I just haven't found the right memory yet."

Lupin reluctantly agreed and stepped back over to the case. "Ready? Concentrating hard? All right— go!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed, mind conjuring up the anticipation of getting Tom's body back. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

What looked to be the head of a snake burst from his wand, driving the Dementor back.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin said, forcing the Boggart back into the case. "Well done, Harry!"

Harry grinned, pleased with himself.

Lupin seemed to falter slightly as their eyes met, but he moved on so quickly Harry didn't have time to process it.

He handed Harry some more chocolate. "Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood."

Harry accepted it but didn't eat any just yet. "Professor, will you tell me about my dad? Snape's told me about my mum, but he didn't know Dad that well."

"Perhaps in our next meeting?" Lupin suggested. "You should rest for a bit."

Harry's shoulders slumped just slightly, although he was a bit confused. Given Dumbledore's instructions on Lupin bonding with Harry, he would have thought Lupin would have jumped at the chance that was quite literally handed to him on a silver platter. "Yes, sir."

He left the room. As soon as the door closed, Lupin groaned and put his head in his hands. "What am I going to do?" With a tired sigh, he grabbed the case and hauled it out, taking it to his office.

Lupin fumbled to get the door open and stepped inside. He set the case down on his desk and was just about to call it a day when he heard that voice he had grown to fear.

"Hello, Remus."

"Albus," Lupin replied curtly, turning around. He noted the wand that was held loosely in the headmaster's hand and felt a shiver of foreboding.

"You're telling me that Black is not the cause for your parents' deaths?" Severus felt like grabbing some Firewhisky after hearing this.

Harry nodded. He had come down to Severus' quarters directly after his lesson with Lupin to discuss his worry, but the conversation had turned to Sirius and Pettigrew after a passing remark.

"That traitorous rat had been under our noses the entire time," Severus snarled. His dislike for Pettigrew had never been quite as bad as his dislike for James and Sirius, especially after that night, but now...

His expression was dark, and Harry proceeded with caution. "You're thinking about fifth year, aren't you?"

Severus glanced at him sharply before realizing Black must've told him. "Yes, I am."

"Sirius and I think Dumbledore may have set it all up," Harry told him. "If you had died, no big deal, but you didn't, so he had to make some adjustments to his plans."

"It's possible," Severus said. Thinking back now, without the immediate loathing distracting him from his thoughts, he realized Harry may have a point. It was out of character for even someone as idiotic as Black to do something that could have ended in someone's death.

Adjustments... that was an understatement. He remembered his confusion when he heard that Dumbledore had been the one who vouched for him, removing him from Azkaban. It had been made clear that he didn't really care after Severus' fifth year, so why would he want him out of Azkaban? It was obviously so that he would be of use. Severus let out a bitter huff.

A sudden pop made them both turn around. It was Dobby, but he was not alone.

"Lupin!" Harry exclaimed, kneeling beside the unconscious wizard. He was shaking uncontrollably, and Harry felt panic well up inside him. He had just seen Lupin barely an hour ago, what could have happened in that amount of time?

"Severus, do something!" Harry snapped, seeing the potions master frozen in shock.

No one in the history of torture's been tortured with torture like the torture Dumbledick will be tortured with

By the way, when I type Dumbledick, autocorrect changes it to Dumbledore. Like b*tch, did I freaking stutter?