A/N: Thank you so much for 100k views! I'm absolutely floored, I can't believe we've gotten this far. I appreciate you all for sticking around this long, and I apologise for the lack of updates, so I hope this makes up for that. It's a short one, but hope you guys enjoy it! Also I'm a little rusty so forgive me if there are many mistakes.

There was an uneasy, dreading silence that gripped the two of them, as they entered into a side office from the Great Hall.

With the professor Lupin guiding them forward, a spring in his step showed his confidence, and for once Y/N's own spring
had faulted, and even Fenrir's too.

Casting a brooding gaze to the row of candle lights and stone walls to his right, Y/N set his sights on the surrounding area, to distract his head that buzzed back with a million questions.

All while Fenrir, for the most part, had been shocked. Even he was perplexed and caught off guard when the rag-wearing professor revealed he had seen him.

'It's not possible.' Fenrir drawled out, the voice panicking in Y/N's head. And that was a shock, Fenrir panicked? 'It's just not possible. It can't be--'

'Shut up.' Y/N inwardly glared, feeling the spirit's anxiety spark back at him, causing his stomach to churn, and not in a good way. 'Just shut up.'

Professor Lupin came across to Y/N as a kind hearted soul, a gentle one. One laced with great compassion and understanding, but for the life of him, Y/N couldn't help but scowl at the back of the man's head.

Or was that Fenrir, eh, if he was being honest, it was the both of them.

They hadn't spoken a word, neither of them, well not vocally. With being shocked into silence, and then carted off to god knows where in the castle, Y/N couldn't dare to open his mouth to speak.

Coming to a stop, Lupin gazed around, before his eyes settled on an office to the left (that Y/N assumed was his) and walked up to the oak steeled covered door. Opening it with a quick grace, and ushered Y/N inside.

Once inside, Y/N took note of the room.

It was sparse.

The room occupied a wooden desk stacked with numerous books and notes, while a shelf stacked away was bare empty. In the far left corner sat a blackened caulderen and some, what Y/N could gather, was jars of potions and whatnot, though he barely glanced at what they were exactly.

"Take a seat," Y/N almost jumped out of his skin when the professor spoke, and turned back to face the man who's charming smile had finally donned itself, "Please." He offered a hand to the single chair that laid empty towards his desk.

Huffing, Y/N quickly took to his seat and sat down, bringing the chair closer to the desk by the way of dragging it against the stone flooring (to which Fenrir cringed at the obnoxious sound) and finished when his body was close enough that it wasn't shrouded away.

Lupin took his own seat across from him, a comfy leather seat that was probably the most rich and costly thing in the room, and centered his gaze to the younger boy in front of him.

Folding his hands in front of him, Lupin placed them on the table, and spoke gently, "How are you feeling?"

Caught off guard, Y/N gaped slightly at the question before answering, "Fine." It was short and perhaps too low for his liking, not that Lupin deserved it, "I've been better." He answered truthfully.

His smile widening, Lupin relaxed back into his seat and nodded, "As I thought. It's not everyday a person is subjected to the dark tenderalling gaze of a dementor."

"Yeah," Y/N agreed. "It wasn't what I was expecting when I got on the train this morning."

The sarcasm in his tone was clear, and he found himself almost frowning at Lupin's quiet chuckle. Nevertheless, Y/N continued.

"Still, I guess there are worse things to be subjected to."

"I can't imagine what's worse than a dementor," Lupin's smile turned grim, like he was holding back what he really thought. "But, I can imagine you do."

Y/N chewed on his bottom lip nervously as he stared back at the professor, "Yeah," He admitted quietly, and hesitantly, "Guess I do."

Seeing him hesitate, Lupin replaced his grim look with a brighter scenery, and offered words of encouragement, "For what it's worth, I'm surprised at how you've managed it so far." He even grinned, shaking his head as he chuckled at something only he knew, judging by Y/N's frown. "You've done well."

Y/N brightened slightly at the professor's words, and sheepishly looked away for a moment. Flustered at the praise. Before turning back with a few words of his own.

"I wasn't alone." He felt Fenrir's presence in his mind as he shuffled by himself. "It wasn't just me."

He felt the need to add that. Despite the long and grueling months, dealing with something so profound, new, scary and down right confusing. He still had to give credit where it was due. The two beings had been rocky at the start, and still were, but there was an untold truth between them.

They needed one another, even if they were distrustful of each other's intentions.

"Of course." Lupin hummed, stroking at his chin thoughtfully as he stared back. "And how have you been faring with... the other one?"

Y/N gave him a sideline look that showed it all, "Honestly? Absolutely fucking terrible."

He felt Fenrir growl in the back of his head. While he wasn't in a social mood, Y/N was sure he'd plot right back into the open and spout whatever obnoxious dribble he was prone to.

Meanwhile, Lupin ignored the obvious swear, 'So much like his father at his age,' He thought, and said softly, "That's to be expected. Your mother thought the very same thing when it happened to her."

Y/N froze slightly in his seat, his fist tightening at his side at the mention of his mother. He could remember her face clear as day from the photo that he had of her.

"You knew my mother?" Y/N asked, almost hesitantly as he moved forward in his seat.

Lupin smiled, and nodded, "I did, and your father too. We were quite the troublemakers back then." He soon got a far away look in his eyes as he gazed away from Y/N, remembering all the times they had, the good and the bad, before returning to him. "But, that's for another time..."

Still reeling in from shock, Y/N shook his head and slouched into his chair, "So... My mother?" He questioned, "She was the same?"

"Indeed," Lupin replied, "She had the same bond, the same gift, that you do now with Fenrir."

Y/N frowned yet again, openly scowling, "I wouldn't call it a bond."

Lupin smiled, "Well, what would you call it?"

"A curse." Y/N shivered as he remembered the uncontrollable energy, the power, that he felt the time in the chamber. It still echoed in his mind, and would forever.

Not to mention the nights out.

Suddenly Lupin frowned at the word, the exact look that Y/N mirrored, and he couldn't help but sympathize with him.

He knew it all too well.

"I understand why'd you think of it as such," Lupin began softly, his eyes shining with understanding and warmth. "But in time, I believe... No, I know you'll come to... appreciate it." He cringed at his own wording, and instead, offered a small, awkward smile. "At least, with my help."

Ah, so now it made perfect sense. So, if Dumbledore and his father were to be believed, professor Lupin would be the one helping him out.

Yet, Y/N was sceptical.

"You're going to help me?"

If Lupin was offended by Y/N's disbelief, he didn't show it.

"Of course," The older professor clasped his hands together, and stood up from his seat, "Naturally, I'm the best choice, considering my newest role here in Hogwarts. Defence against the dark arts is a serious role, and yours even more so."

Y/N cocked his head to the side as he got up from the chair, and moved beside the professor, "Makes sense."

Despite the doubt in his eyes, he guessed Lupin was his only shot, besides, he dreaded having someone like Snape attempting to help him control something far beyond his own comprehension. In a way, Y/N was glad for somebody to help him, even if it was yet to be proven solid.

"Now, considering your rather busy schedule," Y/N could only assume he meant the whole shebang of lessons Hermione had picked them out. "That Time-Turner Professor McGonagall handed you will prove to be quite the life saver."

He winked, and Y/N soon found himself being guided quickly to the door before he could utter a word.

"I'll be seeing you again for a first DATDA lesson, and then we'll speak on the matter further." He opened the door and they exited, "Now, I believe the rest of the students have already taken their leave for the house common rooms, you're best off joining them before it gets any later." He smiled softly, "It was nice seeing you again, Y/N. Goodbye."

The oakwood door closed with a clang, leaving behind a flustered and confused Y/N. His mouth agape as he was practically removed from the office.

Biting back a retort that was sure to get him into trouble, he sighed and began moving along. His mind buzzed a mile a minute.

Y/N still had many questions. Questions that Lupin had not been forthcoming with, as he rushed out before he could utter any.

How much did Lupin know of his mother? How could he help him with his newfound gift/curse. How could he see Fenrir, even when the spirit had remained completely invisible to mere mortals?

'Shit.' His head buzzed with a headache as it spun back and forth with a question that threatened to break him in half.

Sighing, Y/N placed them and the frustration in the back of his mind and continued on. On his walk, he felt Fenrir shuffling around in his head (it still felt weird to even think another soul was inhabiting him) and he had yet to say anything since his panic attack.

He thought of saying something, perhaps asking him if he knew anything. But he was only likely to either be ignored, or get the snarkiest retorts of his life.

So Y/N opted for silence.

It wasn't long till he arrived at the Gryffindor Tower. All students were either in the commons or in their dorms, so it was empty, except Flinch and his cat that roamed the halls, and the odd ghost or two. Though, rounding the corner, he was surprised to find Hermione waiting for him, twiddling her hands back and forth, a sign of her nervousness, he was sure.

"Y/N!" Hermione's eyes immediately lit up when he came into view, and she fought back embracing him as he came to a stop.

Her face was bright, her eyes full, but hesitant. Her mind was still playing back the events on the train with the dementor. She still felt the fear that washed over her when Y/N and Harry had collapsed. And the longer he had stayed down, the longer the fear stayed.

She just had to see him again, at least to reassure herself that he was alright.

"Hermione." Y/N returned the smile, his own eyes lighting up at the mere sight of her, as it had always done whenever he saw her.

Despite everything, Y/N couldn't help but smile when he saw her. With everything that had happened in the few weeks leading up to their return to Hogwarts, and the awkwardness around them, she still brightened his day, and vice versa.

"What are you doing out here? Were you waiting for me?" Y/N teased her, and immediately, Hermione blushed red, sheepishly turning away from him.

"No." She denied, and instead, retorted with a question as she returned his gaze, "What were you doing with Professor Lupin?"

Y/N flustered red, "Uh..." He coughed, bringing a closed hand to his mouth, before releasing. "He wanted to see how I was faring... you know, after the whole dementor attack."

Fuck, he hated doing this, but he had to, right?

Besides, it wasn't a complete lie.

"Right..." Hermione said, in a way that conveyed she didn't entirely believe him. She knew Y/N all too well, and because of that, she decided not to push this time, and instead answer his question, "Well, somebody had to stay behind to give you the new password."

And of course, she volunteered, practically insisting.

Y/N groaned, "I forgot they changed the password," What would he do without her? "So, what is it?"

Hermione proceeded to the portrait on the wall, followed by Y/N, and noticed a fat lady in a pink dress, "Fortuna Major."

Instantly the portrait opened up to reveal the entrance.

The two of them quickly made their way in, only stopping at the common room where it split off towards the two separate dorm rooms, the boys and the girls.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning?" Y/N said, eyeing Hermione as she stopped beside him.

Hermione nodded, and gave him a once over, almost in thought as she stared closely at his face. While her own softened, she quickly made her mind up, rushing forward and engulfing him in a hug.

Surprised, he stumbled before accepting her embrace back, unsure what to say or do, but hugged her, despite the voice that nagged at him in the back of his head.

"Goodnight." Hermione said softly, pulling back, her lips pouted. "And... be safe?"

Y/N assumed she was referring to the incident on the train, and he couldn't help but offer her a small, but shy smile, "I'll try, Hermosa."

Hermione smiled far brighter, before she took her leave, and Y/N did the same. Finding himself in the dorm room minutes later. He found that Ron and Harry had already fallen asleep like the rest of the boys. Quietly making his way to his bed, he spotted his trunk placed at the bottom of the bed and Midnight who snuggled on his pillow.

Joining his pet, he quickly undressed and let himself drift off to sleep. His mind troubled what the days ahead would bring him, lacking in the confidence that Lupin had, but determined nevertheless.

And in the back of his mind, Fenrir stood idly by, staring into the black abyss that was his place of solace (or sorrow?) his own head squirming back and forth with questions that threatened to end him.

At the end of the day, Fenrir only had one word to offer to himself, and the darkness around him, "...Fuck."

--

In the other parts of the castle, a lone figure stood beside a glass window. One that was undoubtedly in the lower part of the enormous building. And waited, their shadow the only thing visible from the raging hearth from the fireplace that lit up the room, along with the uncanny silence as the other occupiers slept soundly.

But soon that silence was broken, when the flaps of air greeted them, and immediately the figure opened up the window. In flew a small creature, dark and enthralled, it glittered in the light, and revealed a small green shaded mockingbird. It perched itself on the windowsill, as the figure began to speak in a low tone.

"I saw him, he was there. On time, too." The dark shadow confirmed, causing the mockingbird to caw. "They talked, I'm not sure what about exactly, but it was something important, you can guess what."

The mockingbird flapped it's wick viciously, cawing louder as it moved.

A clear sign of annoyance, that much they knew.

The figure sighed, "I'm not a bloody ghost. I can't just phase through walls."

But it seemed the bird wasn't satisfied, and cawed louder.

The figure winced, and fought back a retort, "...Fine, I'll try and find out." They hesitated, finding the will to say something, "I still don't get why I have to do this."

It was very much the same response he got earlier, and the figure stomached their anger and instead nodded.

"Okay, I understand." The shadowy figure stepped back as the mockingbird took flight, flapping its wings as it made it's exit through the window, before it was closed. "Asshole."

The figure stepped away from the window and made their way to the fireplace, stopping momentarily to feel the warmth, before it was quickly extinguished by the flick of a wand. Enclosing the room in darkness, as the figure retreated to their dorm room, and left behind only more dreaded and confusing questions.

Ones that were just begging to be answered.

A/N: Well, this is getting interesting...