Tutoring
First Episode from the Puppies at Hogwarts Series.
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin – and all their friends – are in their final year at Hogwarts.
Category: Romance/Fluff
Keywords: Sirius Remus Wolfstar Puppies History Tutoring
Rating: M
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
"Alright, Sirius, let's get ready and go to the library."
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"I mean, let's not go to the library."
"But... You wanted me to teach you, and-"
"You can teach me here."
"Here?" Here referred to splayed upon the quilted cover of Remus' four posted bed. "You want me to teach you here?"
"Why not?" Sirius shrugged his bare shoulders. "I'm comfortable here."
Remus wasn't convinced. He gestured at their surroundings; the curtains were drawn shut, and enchanted with silencing charms; the bedclothes were messed and the pillows tossed to the of of the bed; neither of the two were dressed above the waist, and their skin was slick with sweat.
"I can't tutor you in bed!" He was flabbergasted.
"Damn right you can't," Sirius replied slyly. "Because I know all there is to know. You're going to teach me history."
Remus sighed in defeat. He knew from past experience that Sirius would have an answer to anything he could come up with. "Alright. But sit up at least." He poked his head and shoulders out between the drapes and leant under the bed, and grabbed a text book and the stack of parchment from his trunk.
"Now." He settled himself with his notes in his lap, and saw that Sirius had dragged himself into an upright sitting position, his legs crossed. "Goblin wars of the early seventh century. That's what the test is on."
"Who were they?" Sirius interrupted curiously.
"What?" Remus blinked.
"These Goblin wars," Sirius explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Who were they against? Who were they fighting?"
"Goblins. They were fighting other Goblins." He didn't see where this was heading.
"The Goblins were fighting Goblins?" Sirius confirmed.
"Yes," Remus agreed, thinking if all else, he'd at least have taught him one thing.
"Goblins fighting Goblins-" Sirius said again. "Doesn't that make it more like Goblin rebellions rather than Goblin wars?"
"I suppose you could refer to them as that. If it makes you feel better." Clearly it did, and Remus started to continue. "These Goblin wars-"
"Rebellions," Sirius corrected.
"Rebellions, then," acknowledged the other. "These Goblin rebellions-"
Sirius interrupted again. "You're a great teacher, you know that Moony?" Remus looked a little flustered. "Much better than Binns – who looks like he's going to drop dead of boredom one of these days. Either that or I will-" This time it was Remus making the interruption.
"Ahem. Back to the Goblin wars."
"Rebellions," Sirius corrected again.
"If you insist."
"I do."
"Righto then. The Goblin rebellions of the early seventh century." Remus waited a moment, half expecting to be interrupted but nothing came – but Sirius was sitting practically at attention, and looking expectant. "Do you know what preceded them? Right at the end of the sixth century?"
"No, what?"
"More Goblin wars. The Goblin wars of the late sixth century. And then-" It had been too good to be true for Sirius interrupted again.
"The ones at the end of sixth century, were they ag-"
Remus decided to try and be pre-emptive, and corrected himself. "More Goblin rebellions – which ended with the death of the Goblin King Murtrat the sixteenth, who left behind a single son and heir-"
"Murtrap the seventeenth." Sirius hazarded.
"Yes! See Sirius, you do know some of this!" Remus was pleased. "But Murtrat the younger started to get older – and hadn't produced a son." He tried to ignore the fact that Sirius seemed to be edging closer.
"Maybe Murtrat the younger was-"
Remus interrupted Sirius adamantly. "He was not. No, historians think that during a childhood accident – well, let's just say that grandchildren were out of the question."
"Ouch."
"Yes."
"That would-"
"Anyway." Remus tried to stop the exchange before it degenerated any further. "He produced no heir, and even besides from that, he wasn't very popular."
"Certainly not with the ladies." Sirius remarked offhandedly.
"No, I guess not, but it wasn't all to do with-"
"Has anyone ever told you, Moony, what nice eyes you have?" Sirius shuffled over beside Remus, and peered intently into his face. "They're all hazel, and gold-like. Like a rich pumpkin soup."
"Er." Remus didn't entirely know what to make of that. "No, I must confess, no one has ever compared my eyes to pumpkin soup, nor any other type of soup. But-"
Sirius sighed and finished off the sentence. "Back to the history? Sorry."
"No problem. Back to Murtrat the seventeenth. All the members of the court started gossiping about who would be the next sovereign. Four young Goblins in particular – a duke and three barons – had it in the mind that they should be next in line. Now something you have to realise about Goblin culture is that they have hugely extended families, and an almost tribal system of loyalty. Most of the Goblin court would have-" Remus became uncomfortably aware of a hand on his left arm. It wasn't his. He stumbled with his words. "Most – erm. Most of them would have been related, and-" Sirius was looking innocently at him. "And would have been obligated to choose between any of a few distant relatives to give their support."
"You'd have made a great Goblin King, Moony."
Remus blinked. "What?"
"Beautiful features, and so clever – yes you are Moony, don't deny it!" Sirius shifted even closer, and reached up a hand and stroked Remus' hair.
Remus frowned, and leant away. "The goblins, Sirius, the goblins!"
"Later." Sirius leant over and kissed the other boy's neck.
"But the history!" Remus exclaimed, his voice a little higher than normal.
"Stuff the history," said Sirius as he reached his hand between Remus' legs.