Drabblefic #1: Remus and Greyback, "Lessons"
For duck_or_rabbit, who requested Remus, Greyback and the prompt malnourish. I should say here and now that I have abandoned any hope of achieving only 100 words in any of these, unless it's in the intro or title. This one's 395 and still feels short...
Lessons
“How are you, Lupin? Such a shame you missed out last night.”
The voice, coming from the doorway, is solicitous. The dark, misshapen figure, blocking out the early morning sunrise, is not.
“Better now.” Remus lays his quill down and smoothes the ragged piece of parchment out before looking up.
Greyback takes a couple of steps forward, filling the little hut, and smiles. The top lip curling upwards to reveal the yellow incisors. “Lot of sickness about, it seems. Poor food, even bad food I’ve been told, laying people low, with no trace of what it was- ”
“It was odd,” Remus agrees. “But I’m always careful what I eat.”
Greyback frowns. “Starvation leads to bad transformations and wolves too weak and feeble to hunt like last night. What use are they then?”
“There are worse kinds of starvation.” Remus watches the pink and gold light of dawn gently touching the edge of the uneven trellis table he uses as a desk.
“You’re right. Up to the rest of us to provide at these times. Can’t have such as you suffering. Not when I need your help.”
“My help?”
“Mmn.” Greyback takes another step forward and idly picks up the piece of parchment in his darkly stained hands. “Never been much for the letters or reading myself, and when I ask around all the youngsters tell me Lupin’s the one to go to. He'll get me sorted out in no time with a lesson or two!”
“Learning to read and write,” Remus hesitates. “Opens many doors for such as us.”
“Not really proof of that though, are you? Being here.” Greyback gives a short laugh and puts the parchment down. “Doesn’t say much for that quick brown fox you’re on about, either. Still, no use harping on. I need to send a report and my usual letter writer - he got sick last night as well. Can’t understand it, but good job he got the word out to us in the nick of time.”
Remus picks up the quill carefully again. A tiny drop of ink blots the parchment, spreading outwards, as his hand shakes slightly. “What do you want to say?”
“Ah, you see, it’s always the spelling I struggle with. You’ll have to help me out here a bit, Lupin. Brains versus brawn.” The top lip curls back again over the wet teeth. “Now tell me how you'd spell … Montgomery?”
Lessons
“How are you, Lupin? Such a shame you missed out last night.”
The voice, coming from the doorway, is solicitous. The dark, misshapen figure, blocking out the early morning sunrise, is not.
“Better now.” Remus lays his quill down and smoothes the ragged piece of parchment out before looking up.
Greyback takes a couple of steps forward, filling the little hut, and smiles. The top lip curling upwards to reveal the yellow incisors. “Lot of sickness about, it seems. Poor food, even bad food I’ve been told, laying people low, with no trace of what it was- ”
“It was odd,” Remus agrees. “But I’m always careful what I eat.”
Greyback frowns. “Starvation leads to bad transformations and wolves too weak and feeble to hunt like last night. What use are they then?”
“There are worse kinds of starvation.” Remus watches the pink and gold light of dawn gently touching the edge of the uneven trellis table he uses as a desk.
“You’re right. Up to the rest of us to provide at these times. Can’t have such as you suffering. Not when I need your help.”
“My help?”
“Mmn.” Greyback takes another step forward and idly picks up the piece of parchment in his darkly stained hands. “Never been much for the letters or reading myself, and when I ask around all the youngsters tell me Lupin’s the one to go to. He'll get me sorted out in no time with a lesson or two!”
“Learning to read and write,” Remus hesitates. “Opens many doors for such as us.”
“Not really proof of that though, are you? Being here.” Greyback gives a short laugh and puts the parchment down. “Doesn’t say much for that quick brown fox you’re on about, either. Still, no use harping on. I need to send a report and my usual letter writer - he got sick last night as well. Can’t understand it, but good job he got the word out to us in the nick of time.”
Remus picks up the quill carefully again. A tiny drop of ink blots the parchment, spreading outwards, as his hand shakes slightly. “What do you want to say?”
“Ah, you see, it’s always the spelling I struggle with. You’ll have to help me out here a bit, Lupin. Brains versus brawn.” The top lip curls back again over the wet teeth. “Now tell me how you'd spell … Montgomery?”