Author's note: Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.
Hogwarts Submitting Info: Assignment #4, First Aid, Task #1 Write about someone seeking relief
Warnings: NA
The Last Five Ingredients
Remus' hands shook as he tried to measure out a scoop of powdered boom berry. That was how tired he was—which was ultimately his own fault. When Mad-Eye had accidentally given him a night guard of Malfoy Manor the night before the full moon, Remus should have asked for an assignment change right away, but no, he hadn't. And so he had been awake for roughly 43 hours at this point.
His eyelids were falling but the ugly cramp in his side that sometimes emerged after a transformation was absolutely killing him. He didn't know how to describe it—on a good day, it was like a runner's cramp, he supposed. On a bad day, like this one, it felt as if some invisible spirit was reaching into his body and twisting his insides, cranking the knot more and more tightly. The pain somehow rested deep in his muscles while simultaneously resting on the tip of his nerves. He knew from experience that it would keep him awake and make it impossible to curl up in bed comfortably, and if he didn't deal with it now it would plague him for days—maybe even until the next full moon when his next transformation gave things a chance to click back into place.
He just needed to get this damned pain relief potion brewed and then he could go lay down forever.
He clucked his tongue impatiently as his shaking hands foiled another attempt to portion out a perfect scoop of the blue powder before him. No matter; he could always inverse the last five ingredients of the potion, he'd done it before. Thankfully this particular pain draught wasn't finicky in the order of ingredients.
He reached into the cupboard of Grimmauld Square's kitchen, the one dedicated to potion ingredients as opposed to Molly's particular brand of culinary magic, and took out a jar of poppy seeds. Again, frustration bubbled up inside of him when his hands couldn't quite grip the lid strongly enough to unfasten it.
He put the jar down and sighed, slumping forward to rest his forehead against the cupboards. Maybe he could just stand like that forever instead…
"Can I help?"
The voice, albeit helpful and soft and familiar, startled him. When he jumped, his side screeched in protest and pain shot up.
"Oh, sorry," Dora winced in sympathy. She stepped forward and offered a smile, but didn't reach out to touch him. "I didn't hear you get in and I worried a little bit, thought I'd come down and check..."
"I'm quiet, that's all," he said. He was thankful that he didn't look too disgusting this morning—there was no blood, though suddenly he panicked and wondered if there was dirt on his face, perhaps in his hair…
Dora, on the other hand, looked comfortable and warm and cozy. She was wearing a baggy Weird Sisters sweatshirt, thick pink socks, and a pair of flannel pajama pants that looked suspiciously like his own. Her hair was a mess of sage and blonde streaks packed atop her head, exposing the piercings lining her ears.
"Can I help you with that?" Dora asked again, nodding at the assortment of potion ingredients before him. He didn't answer right away, so she started explaining herself again. "I'm clumsy as all hell, but I'm quite good at potions…"
"Of course, of course," Remus said. "It's just, well, it's not really your… I wouldn't want to make it your problem."
"Too late," Dora said with a grin. She stepped forward and unscrewed the lid from the jar of poppy seeds as if it was nothing—which, Remus supposed, it was if your body wasn't in a state of mutiny.
"How much should I add?" she asked.
"Three tablespoons," Remus said. The cramp acted up and he winced. "Actually, best make it four."
She nodded.
"Do I stir?"
"Counter-clockwise, four turns," Remus said. She nodded to herself and hummed as she did it, a new song she'd heard it on the radio and had had in her head ever since. He caught himself watching her when she cleared her throat.
"What next?" Dora asked.
"Right, umm, Syrup of Hellesbore," Remus said.
"Okay," she said. "Distilled or not?"
"It doesn't matter, whatever's on hand," he said.
"We have both," Dora said, looking over the cabinet. "What will be more efficient?"
"Distilled," Remus admitted.
"I'll use that, then," Dora said. "Why don't you take a seat? I've got this."
Remus did and couldn't quite resist laying his head on the table as she went through the motions, only calling on him occasionally when she had a question.
She brought the potion before him in the sage green mug he used regularly for tea.
"Here you are," she said. He sat back up quickly, which hurt but the potion's familiar smell was right there. He picked up the mug and took a long sip of the warm liquid within. It tasted like mudwater and left a dusty taste in his mouth, but whenever he actually went ahead and made the drought he needed it so badly that the taste may as well have been chocolate.
Dora went ahead and cleaned up the countertop while he finished his drink. She sat back down again just as he put the mug down for the last time.
"Better?" she asked.
"It'll take some time for it to kick in," he said softly.
"Did I make it properly?" Dora said.
"Perfectly," Remus said. "Thank you."
She smiled, maybe a little proudly, and then got up, holding a hand out.
"Come on, you madman. You don't have to do everything on your own anymore. I won't let you stumble over making this potion alone, and I won't let you fall asleep alone either."
Remus could feel the blush rise over his cheeks, but… well, he smiled. The idea of falling asleep nestled against her was… well, he could go for that.
He took her hand and got up gingerly.
Stacked with: MC4A; Shipping Wars; Hogwarts; Lessons Learned; Fall Bingo
Individual Challenge(s): Black Ribbon; Black Ribbon Redux; Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Seeds; Golden Times; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Love); Themes & Things B (Risk); True Colours; Rian-Russo Inversion; In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux
Representation(s): Remus; Tonks
Bonus challenge(s): Hot Apple; Second Verse (Middle Name); Chorus (Odd Feathers)
Tertiary bonus challenge: NA
Word Count: 994
Shipping Wars
Ship (Team): Nymphadora Tonks/Remus Lupin (Technicolour Moon)
List (Prompt): Fall Micro 2 (Moon)
Summer Bingo
Space Address (Prompt): 2D (Jar/Can)