It was July.
Remus Lupin had been working in Alaric Thorn's plantation for nearly two weeks. Tending to magically-infused flora was an extraordinarily meticulous task. Moreover, the process often had to be done without the aid of spells.
Magic could interfere with the plants' natural development; some medicinal herbs would instantly lose their potency upon contact with foreign mana, making Remus's work far more complex and physically draining than he had anticipated. Furthermore, many of Alaric's specimens remained aggressively territorial. Even with Alaric's detailed guidebook in hand, Remus lived in constant fear of being blindsided by a homicidal shrub.
This anxiety frequently led to minor oversights in his routine. Fortunately, no matter how obscure the botanical puzzle, Alaric always had the answer ready.
"Mr. Lupin, don't forget your Bubble-Head Charm."
"Mr. Lupin, do not touch that with your palm; use the back of your hand."
"Mr. Lupin, that is Type I fertilizer. You should be using Type III for the Dittany."
"Mr. Lupin..."
During the lulls, Harry would often slip in to assist Remus with his chores. To Remus's slight embarrassment, the boy was significantly more adept at the daily maintenance of the plantation than he was! It was a humbling realization for a man being paid a triple salary.
Harry's expertise was the result of months of hands-on apprenticeship. Over the past half-year, Alaric had ensured the boy could identify almost every mutation in the conservatories and knew the temperaments of every resident plant. If Alaric hadn't been so insistent on Harry mastering his "favorite" subject of Potions, he likely would have kept the boy working in the dirt full-time.
With Remus and Harry sharing the burden, Alaric was no longer tethered to the greenhouses all day. He had set up a refined desk and chair in the shop's main office to focus on his new primary responsibility: preparing for his tenure as the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts.
Just yesterday, Professor Kettleburn had sent over a letter along with a well-worn copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In the letter, Kettleburn had thoughtfully outlined his previous lesson plans, which included Fire Salamanders, Crups, Thestrals, and Unicorns. Generally, Care of Magical Creatures was an elective offered from the third to the fifth year. Students rarely continued into their sixth or seventh years unless they were truly devoted to Magizoology and pursued it for their N.E.W.T.s.
At the end of the correspondence, Kettleburn had left Alaric a final piece of advice:
"You are free to choose your own methods, Alaric; you needn't follow my path to the letter. But mark my words: do not let the students handle anything truly lethal. There is a reason I served sixty-two separate periods of probation."
Alaric nodded solemnly as he read. It was sound advice. Sparking a student's wonder was hardly worth the price of a missing limb. Still, sixty-two probations... Alaric marveled that Kettleburn had managed to reach retirement age without being summarily sacked. Dumbledore was a man of immense patience, it seemed.
As for the curriculum, Alaric decided to stick with the classic text. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a masterpiece for a reason; Newt Scamander had cataloged nearly every known magical creature in the wizarding world. It was a definitive encyclopedia.
As Alaric sat immersed in his lesson planning, the creak of the plantation door drew his attention. Remus and Harry stepped out together.
Remus looked even more haggard than usual. A fine sheen of sweat stood out on his brow, and his face was a sickly, ashen gray. Alaric frowned. The workload shouldn't have been that strenuous, and Remus hadn't looked this drained earlier in the week.
The pale wizard shuffled over to Alaric's desk. "Mr. Thorn, I've finished today's quota. Would it be possible for me to leave early?" He hesitated, a flash of discomfort crossing his face. "I have... some urgent personal matters to attend to."
It was a transparent excuse; Remus clearly knew he looked like death warmed over. Alaric stood up, his eyes narrowing as he appraised his employee.
"You look unwell, Remus. Do you need tomorrow off as well?"
Remus shook his head weakly, forcing a thin smile. "No, no, Mr. Thorn. I'm just a bit fatigued. A bit of rest will set me right. Perhaps the summer heat is simply getting to me."
Alaric wasn't entirely convinced, but he wasn't the type to force a man into a sickbed if he insisted on working. He gave a slow nod. "Very well. If you need the rest, take it. And if there is anything I can provide to assist you, do not hesitate to ask."
Alaric reached into a drawer and pulled out a phial of a deep blue potion. "Drink this. It's a restorative; it should take the edge off the exhaustion."
Remus took the phial with a grateful nod and drained it in one go. A wave of guilt washed over him. Damn the full moon, he thought bitterly.
Once Remus had departed, Harry stood by the door, watching the man's retreating back with an anxious expression. Even with Remus's attempts to mask it, the boy had sensed something was very wrong.
"Is Mr. Lupin going to be okay?" Harry turned back to Alaric. "He's been a ghost all day. He nearly stepped on a Bursting Potato while we were weeding."
Alaric watched the shop door swing shut and glanced at the calendar on his desk. He knew exactly why Remus was in such a state. Yesterday had been the full moon. Remus had spent the night as a wolf, and the subsequent days were always a gauntlet of physical and mental collapse.
"Don't worry about Mr. Lupin," Alaric said, reaching out to ruffle Harry's already chaotic hair. "Focus on your own hurdles. How is the Blood-Replenishing Potion coming along? Have you finished the assignment I left for you?"
At the mention of Potions, Harry's face instantly twisted into a mask of misery. He wondered, for the thousandth time, when exactly he had told Alaric he was "obsessed" with this subject. He certainly didn't remember saying it.
While Harry moped over his cauldron, Alaric made a mental note to adjust the schedule. It seemed only humane to grant Remus a few days of "administrative leave" around the lunar cycle. Working in a house of homicidal plants while recovering from a werewolf transformation was a recipe for a very short career.