Padfoot Fears Kittens

Lucretia glanced back at Lupin.

An Invisibility Rabbit?

It was a bit strange to hear Mr. Lupin say that, but he was always as reliable as Brother Regulus. Perhaps it really was some Magical Creature she hadn't seen before.

She turned her head back towards the clearing, thoughtful. "No wonder Luna reacted so strongly to the air just now. She can always sense things we can't see."

Lupin secretly breathed a sigh of relief beside her, glad she didn't delve deeper into the absurd explanation.

Upon hearing about the cat, James thought of the scene earlier where the bristling white cat had almost pounced on them. He laughed even harder, his entire face turning red.

He exaggeratedly mimicked a cat's pounce, winking at Sirius, and silently mouthed, "That cat hates the Dog Scent on you! Look at it bristling, it wants to tear you to shreds!"

Sirius's expression shifted between annoyance and panic, his palm pressing down harder.

But muffled giggles still escaped from James's covered mouth.

Lupin coughed and covered his face with his hand, pretending to ponder some profound question.

In reality, he was struggling to suppress the urge to imagine what his two unruly friends under the Invisibility Cloak were up to.

The messy footprints on the grassland had already told the whole story.

Lupin's eyes darted towards the direction of the Invisibility Cloak. "Yes, Cat Senses... are very keen. Especially towards certain... scents."

He deliberately emphasized the last few words, hinting at something.

But he didn't know that James was below the Invisibility Cloak, mouthing along with exaggerated lip movements.

"Big-Foot-Pants-Afraid-of-Kitties!"

Sirius's eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit. He covered James's mouth with his hand while opportunistically nudging his shin with his knee.

James doubled over as if he'd stepped on a Mandrake, tears streaming down his face from laughter.

Sirius had to increase his strength to hold him down, the two of them twisting awkwardly under the Invisibility Cloak.

Lucretia confirmed no one was paying attention to them, then sat back down on the stone bench to resume the conversation. "Regardless. Regarding the potion, I need to find a place to brew the final part. The Library is too public, and the Common Room is even worse."

Lupin returned to his usual demeanor, listening with his body angled to the side.

Seeing that the two had resumed their conversation, Sirius pulled the still trembling James forward a couple of steps.

Lucretia hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer to Lupin. "I need a quiet place where I can... bless the potion."

Lupin asked curiously, "Bless?"

Lucretia explained, "It's a kind of... Ancient Practice. Some potions, especially those using precious ingredients like Unicorn tears, require a specific... Sense of Ritual. It's hard to explain, but it's important for the effect."

Lupin (he) seemed to understand: "It's like potion-making isn't just mixing ingredients, but also requires the correct stirring direction and number of times."

Lucretia nodded: "Yes, exactly. It's just that this is more... personal."

Under the Invisibility Cloak, Sirius subconsciously squeezed Lupin's shoulder hard, the force almost making him cry out, his expression twisting unintentionally.

James quickly covered his mouth, bending over again as he stifled his laughter.

Lupin shook his head slightly, his eyes chiding Sirius for his eagerness.

After briefly calming his emotions, he said with a smile: "I can help you find an unused classroom. It's what I should do. There are some abandoned old classrooms on the fifth floor of the East Tower, and very few people go there. By the way, when are you free?"

"Really? That's great! I want to brew it on Tuesday night. The moon phase then is very suitable for the first step, and I can process the ingredients tonight. There's plenty of time."

Lucretia's eyes lit up, then she hesitated again.

"I don't want to trouble you, it's just..."

"It's just that Crouch and Regulus have an Ancient Runes after-school group that day, right? Otherwise, you could have asked them to help you find a place."

Lucretia was a little surprised: "Yes. Barty said they have a translation project that day and might be back very late. How did you know?"

Lupin shrugged: "I'm a Prefect, I have some understanding of activities in each house."

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Under the Invisibility Cloak, Sirius's mouth couldn't help but curve up when he heard that Crouch and Regulus wouldn't be around.

James nudged him with his elbow, silently mouthing: "Looks like someone finally found an opportunity for some alone time when the Knight Guard isn't around? Need me to keep watch for you?"

Sirius glowered at him, but couldn't hide the smile on his face.

He excitedly squeezed Lupin's shoulder again.

The dull ache that had already returned.

Lupin coughed lightly: "Then shall we meet at the Great Hall entrance at seven on Tuesday night?"

Lucretia said earnestly: "Okay, thank you. This is really important for the success of the potion."

She suddenly remembered something, opened her schoolbag again, and took out a simple small jar.

"Oh, and one more thing... this is Scar Removal Ointment. I thought you might need it."

Lupin took the jar in surprise: "This is...?"

"Winky, the house-elf at the Crouch family, made it for me when I first arrived. I had some... old wounds back then. I still have some left, and I thought it might be useful for you. The scars won't disappear immediately, but they will fade a lot. You need to use it every day, and it takes time to see results."

Lupin carefully took the jar, his expression sincere. "Thank you. This sentiment... I will cherish it."

Seeing him accept it, Lucretia breathed a sigh of relief. "Mother brought a lot of Herbal Materials. If you run out, I can make more."

Lupin looked at her, his eyes carrying a gentle smile. "Lucretia... may I call you that? I feel that after experiencing so much, perhaps we can be less formal."

Lucretia nodded and smiled. "Of course, Lupin."

The way she said his name was natural, as if they had already been friends.

Lupin also smiled sincerely. The warmth of being accepted and trusted made a special light shine in his eyes.

Under the Invisibility Cloak, Sirius's expression changed.

James snickered beside him, his gaze flitting between the two.

"I should go back. Emma is still waiting for me."

Lucretia looked into the distance. Emma was walking towards them, carrying Luna.

She bid him a soft farewell and walked towards Emma. "See you Tuesday, Lupin."

Lupin watched her leave. "See you Tuesday, Lucretia."

Once he confirmed Lucretia was far enough away, James yanked off the Invisibility Cloak and began to applaud dramatically.

"Moony, teach me! Calling someone by their first name within three sentences? This is a new record for the Marauders!"

Lupin shook his head helplessly. "Don't talk nonsense. It just happened naturally."

James turned to Sirius, winking. "Naturally? That sounds so familiar. Padfoot, isn't that what you said when you and Miss Lucretia exchanged names? 'We were just having a normal conversation, and then we naturally decided to call each other by our first names in private'?"

He made an exaggerated gesture of recording.

"Let's make a note of this: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Hogwarts' two most famous bachelors, using the exact same pickup line on the same girl! This is brilliant! This could be written into the Marauders' Love Guide Handbook!"

Sirius crossed his arms and let out a cold laugh. "Have you forgotten that Evans still called you Potter for six years, you idiot? I suggest you worry about your own affairs first. Besides, she's a person, not a pickup line."

James clutched his chest as if stabbed, staggering back dramatically.

"Ouch, you've changed, Padfoot! Before, you were the one helping our team's Eric analyze and perfect his comprehensive Hogwarts girl-chasing guide, even turning the Ravenclaw Tower password into a chance for conversation."

He pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears.

"But when it comes to dear Miss Lucretia, suddenly she's a person? Our Young Master Black has finally opened his eyes, I'm so moved!"

Sirius's cheeks began to flush. He grabbed James by the collar. "Shut up, James Potter! Say one more word and I'll throw you into the Black Lake to feed the fish."

Lupin coughed softly beside them, but the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards. "Uh, can we get back to the main topic? Tuesday's plan, East Tower, fifth floor?"

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