0014 Remus Lupin

Words : 1744 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

"Wait, what did you say your name was?" Adrian asked, his voice carrying a sudden note of recognition that hadn't been there a moment before. When the man had revealed his identity as Remus Lupin, Adrian felt as though he'd been momentarily struck by a minor confundus charm. The name had triggered something deep in his memory. Although the details of the Harry Potter series had faded considerably from his mind over the years, certain key characters and their distinctive traits had remained in his consciousness. And Lupin... he still had some impression of Lupin. He was... a werewolf, wasn't he? The connection formed in Adrian's mind like pieces of a puzzle slowly assembling themselves. Lupin, with the sensitive perception that came from years of watching for the smallest signs of recognition or disgust on people's faces, immediately noticed Adrian's reaction. His posture tensed, and the eyes that had momentarily displayed hope now lowered slightly, as if instinctively wanting to avoid the other's gaze. "My name is Remus Lupin, sir," He repeated. "Ah, yes, Mr. Lupin." Adrian, observing Lupin's nervous reaction and understanding its cause, stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't be nervous, sir. When would you be able to help me? I think preferably before September—I'll be quite busy by then..." Lupin, hearing Adrian's response, was momentarily stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the other man hadn't recognized his identity, nor had he noticed his "furry little problem" (as James Potter had once called it). While maintaining the conversation, Lupin secretly observed Adrian's expression, searching for any hint of the disguised disgust or excessive caution. Finding none of those reactions and only genuine interest and perhaps mild impatience to finalize their arrangement, Lupin allowed his tensed shoulders to relax slightly—not completely, as that was hardly possible after decades of vigilance. "Within two months?" He considered thoughtfully, mentally reviewing his non-existent calendar of responsibilities. Then, keeping his voice steady and professional, he said softly, "My schedule is quite flexible at the moment. I can start anytime that would be convenient for you." The modest phrase "quite flexible" concealed the harsh reality that no other employment prospects awaited him, and his current accommodations were temporary at best. Adrian nodded with satisfaction. He didn't care whether the person standing before him was a werewolf, dog-man, cat-man, or any other variety of magical being. In the original Harry Potter story that existed somewhere in Adrian's memory, Remus Lupin had been portrayed as an exceptional wizard with considerable knowledge and skill—particularly in Defense Against the Dark Arts. That academic and practical expertise would likely be well to for tending to magical plants as well. Adrian certainly didn't want his valuable plantation ruined by someone who knew nothing. As long as his precious herbs and plants received appropriate care, hiring a werewolf with Lupin's qualifications seemed like good fortune rather than a compromise. With the matter decided in his mind, Adrian reached into an inner pocket of his robes and took out a small, dark card and handed it to Lupin. "This is the address where you'll be working," Lupin accepted the card and lowered his gaze to examine it. Immediately, he noted that the material felt unusual like some kind of processed bark and the beautiful lettering on it read: : "Sunshine, Daisy, and Butter-Mellow?" Lupin read the whimsical name aloud and the corners of his lips twitched slightly. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That's right, nice name, isn't it?" Adrian responded with a chuckle. Although Lupin privately thought the name sounded more appropriate for a children's nursery rhyme than a decent botanical business, he nodded politely in front of his future employer and carefully tucked the extraordinary card into an inner pocket of his robe. "Shall we meet tomorrow afternoon then?" He inquired, raising his gaze to meet Adrian's once more. "No problem at all," Adrian confirmed, extending his hand to formalize their agreement. "I hope you won't come to regret taking this position, Mr. Lupin. The work will be demanding at times, but I believe you'll find it... uniquely rewarding." The next afternoon Lupin made arrived punctually at the address printed on Adrian's card. Although this was indeed a Muggle neighborhood, such wizard homes weren't unusual. Many wizards throughout Britain would choose to hide themselves within Muggle residential areas as it helped conceal their identities. When Lupin reached the shop entrance, he immediately recognized it as his workplace. A small notice was hanging on the door, and as he approached, a line of text materialized on it: The specificity of the message confirmed beyond any doubt that he had found his destination. The enchantment was impressively classy—clearly designed to display personalized messages to expected visitors while presumably showing something entirely different (or nothing at all) to Muggle passersby or unwanted magical visitors. Gathering himself with a deep breath, Lupin pushed open the door and a wind chime inside gave off a crisp sound. Lupin stood in place, his gaze quickly sweeping across the entire shop. The store was softly lit, with the air permeated by the fresh scent of soil and plants. Wooden shelves displayed various potted plants, some common in the Muggle world, others from the magical world. Lupin nodded to himself, though 'normal' in this context merely meant 'not overtly dangerous or illegal.' "You've finally arrived, Mr. Lupin." Adrian's voice came from behind a wooden counter at the rear of the shop, where he was lazily leaning back in his chair, apparently waiting for his new employee. Upon hearing the voice, Lupin shifted his gaze toward Adrian behind the counter, who was looking at him with a smile, seemingly having waited for some time. Seeing Lupin standing hesitantly at the entrance, Adrian made a welcoming gesture with one hand. "Come in, sir. No need to hover at the threshold." Lupin stepped forward, approaching the counter. His gaze swept across the shop's interior once more, confirming again that it was indeed a normal store. "So, boss," Lupin said as he came to a stop before the counter, raising his eyebrows slightly in inquiry. "What exactly will my job involve?" "It's quite simple," Adrian replied, rising from his chair. He circled around the counter to stand in the center of the shop. "Take care of these plants, ensure they grow healthily, assist customers when they visit, and help manage the store during my absences." As he spoke, Adrian casually reached toward one of the nearby shelves and selected a pot containing what appeared to be a small shrub with unusual golden leaves that seemed to tremble slightly despite the absence of any breeze. "For example, take this one," Adrian continued, holding the pot at eye level between them. "It's a Flutterby Bush. Do you know how to properly care for one, Mr. Lupin?" Lupin frowned slightly in concentration, bending forward to examine the plant more carefully. "Flutterby Bushes generally don't require especially complex care," He began thoughtfully. "They're very adaptable plants and rarely wither unless subjected to truly extreme conditions. However, ..... I've never encountered a Flutterby Bush with golden leaves before. The standard varieties typically are of purple or various shades of green." After listening to this detailed assessment, Adrian nodded with satisfaction. The botanical knowledge displayed confirmed his initial impression—the wizard before him indeed possessed at least a foundational understanding of magical herbology. "Excellent observation, Mr. Lupin. Don't doubt your identification—this is indeed a genuine Flutterby Bush, despite its unusual coloration. You're quite right that the standard varieties have purple or green leaves. This particular one has undergone a color mutation through a specialized breeding process." After this brief explanation, Adrian gently returned the pot to its place on the shelf. Lupin watched closely as Adrian replaced the plant, his mind processing this additional information. He pondered for a moment, before speaking again: "Is this my job then? Caring for specialized variants of magical plants? That sounds simple enough." "Of course." Adrian smiled mysteriously, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the counter. "However, this is just the most basic part." Lupin raised an eyebrow slightly. "What else is there beyond what I'm seeing here?" "Do you think I would specifically seek out and hire a qualified wizard of your particular talents just to water these relatively ordinary plants and trim their branches?" Adrian asked with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "That would be waste of both your abilities and my resources, don't you think?" Hearing Adrian's reply, Lupin's curiosity was piqued. Yesterday, Adrian had mentioned having a large plantation; that must be where the real work was. "Hmm." Adrian smiled meaningfully, turning to walk toward the back of the shop. "Follow me, Mr. Lupin. We have some herbs that aren't quite suitable for display at the front. I'll show you what your real work involves." Adrian pushed open the door behind the counter leading to the plantation and made a "please" gesture. Lupin hesitated for a moment but stepped through anyway. This time, Adrian had set the entrance in the center of the lawn. As soon as Lupin entered, he saw three greenhouses distributed around the perimeter and the Wisdom Tree in the middle. For the Wisdom Tree, Adrian had made some disguise adjustments. Now the tree had withdrawn its fluorescent green glow, appearing like an ordinary oak tree. Adrian strode ahead, crossing a patch of grass, leading Lupin toward the most distant greenhouse. "This place is... much larger than I had anticipated," Lupin remarked as he walked alongside Adrian, his eyes continually scanning their surroundings. Adrian chuckled softly, turning his head slightly to glance at "Of course, it is." As they approached the furthest greenhouse, Lupin looked up to see an enormous Roman numeral "III" above its entrance in what appeared to be living vines that had grown into the shape of the numerals. Adrian stepped forward and knocked on the door of Greenhouse Three. Almost instantly, the door opened from inside. "Welcome to Greenhouse Three, Mr. Lupin," Adrian stepped aside to make way, gesturing for him to enter. "This is where we'll be working."

0014 Remus Lupin

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