Info Digging (Remus) - COMPLETE

[talls]

Ferret looked at him with an eye brow cocked. "Are they strange, strange habits, or the type of strange habits I would have to erase my memory after?" She really wanted to know what the all great Sirius Black's strange habits were, but she wanted to sleep well at night.

Which was a feat normally anyways these days.

Ferret laughed softly. "Crowbar? Nah, more like some type of spell, my brother tells me I have a sticking charm permanently attached to me. So when I attach onto something, I don't let go! Which is why I have to chase my brothers around the house to get hugs on the holidays."

She chuckled lightly, feeling perfectly at ease.

[remuslupin]

Remus shrugged and gave a rueful grin. "In the most part a mixture of the two, to be honest. I've never been able to figure out which category his crying fits over romance novels fall into, for example."

Remus laughed along with Ferret as she shared the story about her brothers. Hearing about people and their relationships to their siblings was something that had always fascinated him, not having any of his own. After Greyback had savaged him his parents had been too afraid to try again for another child.

"A Sticking Charm, eh?" Remus let his eyes drift obviously down to their embrace, joking: "I never would have guessed! And don't worry. When we get back after Christmas I'll give you all the slightly-delayed holiday hugs you'd like."

[talls]

Ferret smiled widely. "Maybe he could suggest some good ones," she said. "And may be as a Christmas present, you can let me borrow those mags that were mentioned at the party! That GT one sounds interesting." She winked, smiling.

She laughed pointedly. "I know right!? I always get people by surprise. Its my secret attack. Its even funnier when I have Jasper with me. The furry bastard always takes the best spot." She raised a hand and pointed to where shoulder and neck met. "I end up having a one sided argument with him."

Smiling more widely, her face dropped a bit at the mention of Christmas, but I brightened more when he said he would give her all the holiday hugs she wanted.

"I will be here, so I will take you up on that! No one to cuddle with over the holidays so you may be smothered, just a fair warning."

[remuslupin]

"I'll ask but he'll probably just threaten to hex me." Remus shrugged and then chuckled. "Come to think of it, I get that threat a little from him." At her next suggestion Remus winced. "I'd advise against it. Given the owner of those mags, I'm not sure I want to touch them. You don't know where they've been or what they may have been used for, if you know what I mean."

"Jasper..." Remus thought back over the conversations he'd had with Ferret over the years, trying to place the familiar name. "He's your pet, right? A hamster, if I recall correctly. Sounds like a wonderful companion." He gave a sad smile, "I tend to have problems with animals, for fairly obvious reasons. I've always wondered what having a pet was like."

Remus frowned. "I'm off to James' for the holidays, but I'll take you up on that offer. Feel free to smother me when I get back. Merlin knows I'll need it after two weeks of the drunken James and Sirius show." He was going to miss Ferret, he realized. Somehow, over the course of this one emotionally laden conversation the distant friendship they'd naturally shared (as housemates) had deepened into a strong connection. He'd even go so far as to say she might be becoming one of his best friends.

[talls]

Ferret raised an eyebrow. "Really...guess I will have to get them myself then," she said. The eyebrow soon went higher. "Don't muggles use them to wack with?" she asked. She had seen Emric looking at one once (while saying it was a friend's).

At the mention of her beloved pet, Ferret lightened up considerably. "Jasper is a ferret, which is why I can't bring him here. He would terrorize the other pets." She smiled more. "My brother Emric gave him to me as a birthday present. He's one of my very good friends."

Her cheeks were actually starting to hurt from smiling so much. But in a good way. "Please bring back pictures! I want proof of what those two look like drunk."

She felt so comfortable with her arms around Remus. Even more comfortable than she did with Lily. Lily didn't like it when she clinged, but he was encouraging her! A dangerous game, but one he seemed willing to play. She was more than happy.

[remuslupin]

"I'll see about grabbing you some for Christmas, though I can't make any guarantees. If my parents caught me with a skin mag I'd wish for death before they were through." Watching Ferret's eyebrow climb higher and higher until he started wondering if she could Metamorph it off her face, Remus grinned. "That is indeed their proscribed use, as I understand it. At any rate that's what Sirius decided they were for," he said with a rueful shake of his head.

"Jasper and Ferret." Remus chuckled. "Why am I not surprised. It's cute, though. I approve." The chuckle turned into a laugh at Ferret's request for photos. "That shouldn't be a problem. I take photos anyway, and then send them around as an extra birthday gift. So one more set of copies shouldn't be too tricky."

Realizing how closely wrapped together he and Ferret were, Remus gave a mischievous smile. "You don't suppose we'd better head back to the commonroom yet, do you? Given the quality of the show we've been putting on here it would seem a shame not to give the gossips time to work. And, you know- this is quite nice." Remus blushed and buried his face in Ferret's shoulder to hide the red flush in his cheeks. "I don't mind staying a bit longer if you don't."

[talls]

"That's what owls are for!" Ferret said happily. "You take one of the ones Black mentioned that are hidden under your mattress, wrap it in something pretty and attach it to an owl's leg. And tell it to come to me!" She smiled more. "I will most like be in my dorm most of the holidays."

Ferret found herself laughing and even blushing. "Hey, Jasper had his name before I got him. Emric rescued him, but his foster family were afraid of him, so Emric sent him to me. Now he is my partner in crime!"

She chuckled. "Fantastic, I will put them in my Blackmail Scrapbook. And I promise to hide it from Lily. Don't want her thinking any less of James then she already does."

Ferret blushed at his smile before laughing. "Who do you think they will say seduce who do you think?" she asked. She found herself blushing more as the young man buried his face in her shoulder. "I don't mind at all..."

[remuslupin]

Remus felt for a sudden moment like a bit of an idiot. Of course he could use owl mail! It was moments like this that every so often reminded him that his half-blood status meant he wasn't quite as accustomed to magic as the purebloods were. His family tended to prefer the traditional Muggle way where it wasn't too inconvenient. "GT for Christmas it is. Though I would like to assert that Mangy Black was lying about me owning any such magazines. Though knowing him that could have been a confession to having planted some in my room, now that I think about it."

Remus let out a bark of laughter considering Lily's probably reaction to the kind of shenanigans James tended towards while pissed. "Please don't hide them. Given how annoying James is about Lily now, just think how bad he'd be if they were dating. Remus assumed a mock heroic voice and posture. "We have a duty to humanity to do our level best to prevent such a horror being unleashed."

"Hmmmmmm... Remus' blush deepened as he thought about it, "Despite your claims that I am secretly considered attractive and fanciable, I suspect you shall be the seductress. Benefit of greater experience and all that - I don't think there's anyone in the castle who doesn't know I've never dated and never been kissed outside maybe one time I think I remember during a drunken game of Truth or Dare that may or may not have actually happened and didn't count either way."

Remus let himself relax into the embrace, enjoying the moment before confessing: "Oh good. I'd hoped you'd say that."

[talls]

"I thought all guys owned at least one skin mag," Ferret confessed. "I own one. I nicked if off my oldest brother. He doesn't need it anymore. He has a fiancee." The girl smiled, totally unashamed.

Ferret gasped at the suggestion. "But I have to hide it! I don't want anyone using my blackmail without my permission! I have a little something on everyone in my dorm." She couldn't help at giggle at Remus's pose. "James and Lily dating. I want to see it happen...Lily claims she would rather date the Giant Squid." She shrugged. "He may be annoying but he seems like a nice guy...sometimes...maybe..."

Ferret giggled and blushed. "The lesbian is broadening her prey pit. Yeah, I could see them saying that." But her eyes widened at his words.

"You have never been on a date?!" she asked, shocked. "And you have only kissed once?! While drunk!? (And no, that doesn't count.) What is wrong in this universe!?" She smiled. "Feel my matchmaking powers growing stronger..."

As Remus relaxed, Ferret smiled, closing her eyes. "Thanks for not making me let go..."

[remuslupin]

"I'm shocked and scandalized! And I thought you were such a nice girl." Cracking a grin and ruining his facade as over-concerned prude Remus winked at Ferret. "And yeah, must be all guys minus me. I have a very vivid imagination." He gave an exaggerated wink to show he was joking. "All fun aside, I've never really thought much about girls. The whole 'being a monster' thing tends to put a damper on any possible relationships."

Remus blinked and let a slow grin spread across his lips. "Everyone in the dorm you say? What've you got on me?" He gave a rueful giggle. "Besides the obvious, of course." Remus took a moment to consider her thoughts. "I think Lily and the Giant Squid would make a great couple. Their eight-limbed bright red babies would be so cute! But all jokes aside, James can be a great bloke. He just needs to grow up a little and pull his head out his arse and Lily just needs to give him a chance."

"Predatory lesbian? Where?" Remus fluttered his eyelashes and pretended to feel faint. "Should I be worried for my virtue?

Remus cast his eyes down, slightly embarrassed by the topic of conversation. "I don't know what's wrong with the universe, but I have indeed never dated or had a kiss that counts." He shuddered slightly at the mention of her matchmaking powers. "For some reason I feel like I may have set you off on a crusade of some sort."

"You're quite welcome. I didn't really want to either." Remus returned Ferret's smile and started combing his fingers through her hair, wondering if he could get it to change colour on its own.

[talls]

Ferret gently slapped his shoulder. "Its not what your thinking about. Because they are showing more skin, it is easier to copy what they look like." Ferret rolled her eyes, smiling. "Vivid imagination, right. You will have to share some of those with me."

Ferret frowned. She knew how Remus felt in a way. It was hard explaining to a partner why they went to bed with someone different than you woke up with. But it had to be far worse. "Your not a monster. You just get a unique version of PMS." She shrugged and smiled gently.

Ferret laughed. "Everyone in my dorm meaning, everyone in the girl's dorm that I live with. And most of their blackmail is how they might slip a guy a love potion." She shivered.

The girl laughed and slapped his shoulder again. "Haha very funny." She poked his side. "No virtues are in danger of me at the moment."

Ferret snickered softly. "Crusade is an understatement," she assured him.

It felt nice having someone run their fingers through her hair. She had always thought so but not many people did it. Her grandparents did and her first girlfriend did but that was about it. Usually she did the hair stroking. She looked up at him, blushing. "Is there...a color you like?"

[remuslupin]

"Of course. You'd have to have an accurate model to work off. Imagination can only provide so much. And you'd have to know a ridiculous amount of anatomy as well. Or do the organs and muscle structure happen automatical-" Remus cut himself off, well aware he was going into Professor mode again, and while the Library was probably the most suitable place now was hardly the most ideal time. "I'm getting you a mag for Christmas - what more do you want?" He joked.

Remus smothered a grin as Ferret made a crack about his lycanthropy and male PMS. But the confession about her roommates and their love potions and her involuntary shiver at the thought were too much of them and he let out a muffled laugh. "Lily too? I wonder what James would think of that. In all seriousness though - never been gladder to be a werewolf. Among the few simpler benefits is an immunity to Love Potions."

Remus smiled at Ferret. "I think it looks quite nice as it is, actually. Is this your natural colour?" He broke from the embrace for a moment to stretch and crack his back and neck before cuddling in again.

[talls]

Ferret giggled. "I want a lot of things, but lets just stick with the mag for now."

Ferret snorted. "Lily? Nah, I got better stuff on her. She doesn't really do love potions. Any other potions, depends, but not love potions as far as I know."

Ferret shivered again. "I hate love potions. A bunch of girls once a year make their mate drink them and direct them towards me. I end up getting really hurt in the morning when the girl freaks out finding me in bed with her." She sighs. "One of the reasons I dislike Valentine's Day."

The girl shrugged. "So I'm told. I was bald when I was born. Then within five minutes, I grow this mane of black hair, then it turned blue, then red, then green, then, then, then." She moves away from Remus enough to do a small turn. "This is what I am told I am suppose to look like." She shrugs again, feeling down on herself again.

[remuslupin]

"Something in that statements tells me to be very afraid. I'll just have to live in hope that if I bribe you with presents you'll hold off on your evil plans."

Remus frowned, holding Ferret more tightly in an attempt at comfort. "That's just cruel and spiteful. I hope they weren't Gryffindors or I'm not sure if I've ever been more disappointed in our house." His jaw set with anger, Remus' eyes flickered a slight tawny gold. "It sounds like a Marauding hand might have to slip some Love Potion Neutralizer to the Kitchen Elves this year before Valentine's Day."

Pulling her back into a hug, Remus whispered in her ear. "Well if this is you then let me tell you as a completely neutral and unbiased outside observer - you look beautiful." Remus felt his cheeks burn slightly, but ignored the temptation to lower his gaze and instead met Ferret's eyes, figuring from the her expression and body language that she probably needed to hear it.

[talls]

Ferret laughed. "Only if you hate Southern United States Style Macaroni and Cheese. Otherwise, your safe for now."

Ferret shrugged. "I think they are this underground anti-homo group in school or something. My first year it was a Slytherin and we only cuddled. Ended up getting hexed for the rest of the year. Second year was a Gryffindor, and I tried to kiss her. She slapped me and called me a bunch of mean things." Ferret thought for a moment. "That was the year I was wearing a lot of black if you remember. Third year was a Hufflepuff, she let me kiss her but then she ended up having a boyfriend so I got the sit beat out me. Last year was a Ravenclaw and we shagged. She screamed and ran out. We ended up dating a few months later until the summer but then she broke up with me and moved to Italy. I got a wedding invitation in the mail. So now, I am expecting they slip it into the drink of some girl at the pub when I go this year."

The girl sighed and shrugged. "I'm used to it by now but I fall for it every year."

Ferret blinked a few times and looked at the boy, blushing. Did he just call her beautiful or was she hearing things again? "Thanks..." She hugged him tightly, smiling.