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The first time it happened, Remus found it quite funny. Their class was revisiting everything they’d learned so far in preparation for their NEWTs. The four of them had originally registered for Divination as a bit of a laugh, but stayed for Professor Cadwallader (who always had snacks and didn’t tell off Peter when he fell asleep mid-lesson).
The day it happened, they were on tessomancy, which Remus quite enjoyed, really. Any schoolwork that involved drinking a nice cup of tea was alright in his book.
“Hurry up, Moony,” Sirius complained. “I’m bored.”
“I’m sorry I don’t feel like shooting Earl Grey like it’s firewhiskey,” Remus sniped back. “Some of us like to enjoy our tea.”
Sirius rolled his eyes, but didn’t pester him again, instead taking the time to conjure a parade of little paper birds which circled James’s head, pecking him. Remus stifled a snort behind a cough. He took two more long sips.
“Done!” he said.
“Fucking finally,” Sirius said. “I want to hear about my illustrious future.”
They swapped cups.
“Right,” Remus said, peering into the little porcelain cup. It honestly looked like a misshapen blob. Remus didn’t think he had the Sight. “Looks like…an acorn maybe? Unexpected money?”
Sirius scoffed. “Is there such a thing as a reverse acorn maybe? Unexpected poverty?”
“Oh shut up,” Remus said. “Do mine now. What’s in my future?”
Sirius glanced down into Remus’s teacup and smirked. “A big black dog.”
Remus blushed. Said dog nudged his foot under the table and waggled his eyebrows.
“It does not show that,” Remus said, laughing. “Be serious.”
“I’m–”
“Show what?” Professor Cadwallader had appeared at his elbow without him noticing.
“A big black dog,” Remus said, keeping his voice quiet in the hopes that James and Peter wouldn’t hear. “He’s joking.”
“A Grim?” Professor Cadwallader asked, concern coloring her voice. She reached for the teacup in Sirius’s hands, and looked intently into it.
“Oh dear,” she said, her normally cheerful face falling into a frown. “Mr Black was correct. It is the Grim.”
“Maybe it’s some other dog,” Remus suggested weakly. Sirius caught his eye and winked. On second thought, maybe he’d prefer it to be the Grim.
“One sighting of the Grim is nothing to be concerned about.” Professor Cadwallader sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as Remus. “But do be careful, Mr Lupin.”
She placed the teacup down with a clink and walked back towards her desk, still looking troubled.
“What was that about?” Peter asked, leaning over towards their table. “I haven’t seen old Caddy that upset in ages.”
“The Grim is in Remus’s future, apparently,” Sirius answered, before Remus could stop him.
Peter gasped. “Fuck, really? That’s–”
“Hang on,” James said, “isn’t the Grim a big black dog?”
“Why yes, Jamie, it is,” Sirius said smugly. “I wonder what a dog like that in Remus’s future could possibly mean?”
James guffawed loudly, starting poor Benjy two tables over so much that he dropped his tea cup. Remus shushed him, but couldn’t help the way his mouth twitched into a smile.
Sirius leaned around the table to whisper in Remus’s ear. “See, Moony? You’re stuck with me. Even the tea leaves say so.”
The second time was less amusing. Because the second time, it happened in front of the whole class.
Crystal gazing had been going abysmally for the sixth years. So abysmally that, after the second time Peter had gotten scared of the reflection of James he saw in the crystal ball and overturned the entire table, Professor Cadwallader had announced that she would be doing a demonstration during their next session.
That was all perfectly fine with Remus. He’d seen fuck all but his own face in the crystal ball so far, and was quite content to watch a few of his classmates get their actual fortune read. Probably Mary, who had been particularly keen on divination that year, or even James if James was in a particularly jovial mood that day.
Remus was considerably less pleased when Dr Cadwallader called, “how about you, Remus dear? Why don’t you come up next?”
Remus rose awkwardly to his feet, trying to inconspicuously shake out his left leg which had fallen asleep, and made his way to the raised platform at the front of the room to the muffled snickers of his three supposed-best friends. He settled himself on the little cushioned chair across the table from Professor Cadwallader and tried not to fidget. He could feel the eyes of his classmates on him and he did not like it. He surreptitiously– he hoped– wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers.
Shit. He had a suddenly horrible thought. What if Professor Cadwallader saw the full moon, saw something about his lycanthropy? Would she announce it to the class? He felt his pulse begin to race. He glanced towards his friends in a panic. Sirius was leaning over to whisper something in James’s ear. Were they planning a prank? Something class interrupting? Maybe they would save him from his fate.
Too late. Professor Cadwallader was staring into the swirling mists of the crystal ball and frowning.
“My dear,” she said, “I see the Grim.”
“Oh,” Remus said, relieved to hear anything that wasn’t I see that you’re a werewolf, “great.”
Utter silence. Sirius let out a barking laugh. The Professor shot him a stern glare before turning back to Remus.
“Mr Lupin,” she said, face somber, “I think perhaps you didn’t understand what I said. I saw the Grim. This is, in fact, the second time the Grim has been sighted in your future. It is a very grave sign indeed.”
Someone in the class gasped. Remus chanced a quick glance at his friends. James was whispering something to Peter, who was leaning against him, biting his own fist in what was very clearly a losing fight to stifle his laughter. Sirius, sitting next to them, was watching Remus. Their eyes met, briefly, and a slow smirk spread across Sirius’s face. Remus felt heat rush up his neck to his face, and he snapped his eyes back to Professor Cadwallader before anyone else noticed (hopefully).
Remus swallowed. “I’m sure it’s…fine”
Professor Cadwallader looked at him with what he was quite certain was pity and opened her mouth. But whatever she was about to say was drowned out by Peter’s sudden uncontrollable howls of laughter that echoed off the walls.
“Mr Pettigrew,” she thundered, surprisingly loudly. “This is not a laughing matter. Please tell us what exactly you found so funny.”
“Nothing!” Peter squeaked, “Nothing!
“Detention, Mr Pettigrew,” Professor Cadwallader said. “Mr Lupin, I will be speaking to the headmaster to ensure that extra care is taken for any threats you may face.
Remus could feel the stares of his classmates on him for the rest of class, and he couldn’t wait for it to end. When the bell finally rang, Remus scrambled to gather up his books. Sirius was waiting for him by the stairs, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed lazily.
“Future looking Grim, is it Moony?”
Remus rolled his eyes. “Merlin, how long did you take coming up with that one? Eating this up are you?”
Sirius grinned. “Absolutely.” He pried Remus’s books out of his hands, tucked them under his arm with his own books, and started down the stairs, glancing back at Remus like this was normal. Remus blinked, but followed him after a moment.
“What was Peter laughing at?” Remus asked. Sirius, Sirius, went a bit pink at that.
“Prongs uh, asked when I was buying a ring.”
Remus choked and tripped over his own feet. Sirius grabbed him with his free hand and steadied him before he could fall down any of the stairs.
“A ring?!” he hissed.
“You know,” Sirius said, smirking again, “since I’m so clearly your future.”
17 Years Later
“Uncle Moony!”
The door to Remus’s office burst open. Harry, face white, ran in and collapsed into the empty chair.
“Harry!” Remus exclaimed. “Aren’t you supposed to be in…” He checked the clock. “Divination?”
Harry gave a shaky nod. “I was.”
“What happened?” Remus asked. He rarely saw Harry so shaken. Harry, who hadn’t hesitated less than a year ago in facing down a basilisk.
“Professor Trelawney…she. She saw a Grim in my tea leaves,” Harry said, eyes wide. “She said it’s an omen of death.”
Remus heaved what he thought might have been the world’s biggest sigh. Not this again.
“Harry,” he said gently, “remind me what your godfather’s Animagus form is.”
Harry frowned at him in confusion. “He’s a big, black do–” His eyes widened in realization. “Oh.”
Remus smiled. “Not a Grim,” he said. Harry relaxed visibly, sinking back into the chair.
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. But then, Lavender said she’d seen a big black dog following me during Hogsmeade weekend,” Harry said. Remus narrowed his eyes– his husband had said he’d been working an extra shift that weekend. Sounded like they would have to have another talk about being over-protective. Harry continued, oblivious to Remus’s thoughts. “And Professor Trelawney just seemed so sure.”
“Yes, they always are, aren’t they?” Remus murmured wryly.
Harry narrowed his eyes at Remus curiously. “What does that mean?”
Remus laughed. “If I tell you, will you swear not to bring it up to Sirius? He always gets so smug about this.”
Harry looked intrigued, and nodded.
“Well, back in our sixth year…”