Hey, Remus!

Maria dropped her hand from her face, her gaze locked on the man standing before her. He was staring at her just as intently, his brow furrowed in cautious curiosity. The dim light of the library cast soft shadows across his features. Familiar features. Too familiar. She took a step back, clutching the doorway as though it might keep her from fainting.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "No. No, no, no. This is not happening."
Remus tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable but polite.
"I'm afraid it is."
She shook her head vigorously.
"No. You're not real. You can't be real. You're... you're Remus Lupin."
Remus blinked.
"I... I am."
"No, you don't understand," Maria said, her voice climbing into a higher pitch. "You're a fictional character. From a book. From several books. And films! I've read them. I've seen them. You don't exist."
Remus frowned, stepping closer.
"Books? Films?"
"Yes, books! Films! The Harry Potter series!" She was waving her hands now, gesturing wildly as if that would explain everything. "Written by a now very polemic woman in my world, but that's beside the point. The point is..."
"The point is," Remus interrupted gently, "you're the one who doesn't exist."
Maria froze.
"Excuse me?"
Remus sighed and held up the book he'd been reading, the one with her name and face on the cover.
"I've been reading about you. Your life. Your story. It's all in here. Maria Duarte, nicknamed Mary, a struggling translator and teacher, former actress and singer, clumsy beyond belief, and..." He squinted at the cover. "Why are you wearing cat pajamas?"
Maria crossed her arms defensively.
"Because I wasn't expecting to be magically teleported into a haunted mansion tonight, thank you very much!"
Remus rubbed his temple, clearly trying to make sense of it all.
"This doesn't make any sense. Fictional characters don't just appear out of nowhere."
"Exactly!" Maria exclaimed. "So how do you explain you?"
They stared at each other for a long, tense moment before speaking at the same time.
"You're not real!"
"I'm very real, thank you!"
Remus raised his hands in a calming gesture.
"Alright. Let's... take a step back. I'll admit this is strange. You're telling me that I'm a book character in your world?"
"Yes!"
"And you're a book character in my world."
"That's what you say!"
They both paused, processing the absurdity of it all.
Maria groaned, pacing in a small circle.
"Oh God, I've finally lost it. I've cracked. This is it. The final mental breakdown. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long."
Remus, meanwhile, sat back down in his armchair and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. My life has been particularly strange."
"Oh, sure, your life has been strange," Maria shot back. "Werewolves, magic wars, friends coming back from the dead. But this? This is next level."
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"You do realize you're standing in a wizard's house, right?"
Maria threw her hands up.
"Exactly! And I shouldn't be!"
Remus leaned forward, studying her intently.
"Tell me more about these books. How much do you know about me?"
Maria gave a nervous laugh.
"Uh... a lot. Probably more than you'd be comfortable with."
Remus's lips quirked into a faint, wry smile.
"I doubt that. Go on."
Maria took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's see. You were born on March 10th, 1960. You were bitten by Fenrir Greyback when you were a kid. You went to Hogwarts, you were friends with James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. You were a Prefect. You became a werewolf, obviously, and then you taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for one year before Snape outed you, and you..."
Remus held up a hand, stopping her.
"Alright, alright. That's... disturbingly accurate." He ran a hand through his hair. "But how? How could you possibly know all of that?"
Maria shrugged helplessly.
"Because it's published. People all over my world know about you. There are theme parks. Merchandise. You're kind of a big deal, actually."
Remus looked horrified.
"Mer... chandise?"
"Oh yeah." Maria grinned, despite herself. "There's a Funko Pop of you."
Remus frowned.
"I don't know what that is."
"Count yourself lucky." Maria shifted in her seat, leaning forward with wide eyes, her hands animated as she explained. "Okay, look. You're part of a series of books in my world. But it's not really your story. It's about Harry. Harry Potter."
Remus blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"About Harry. The Boy Who Lived." He gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. "Of course. That makes more sense. Who would want to write anything about me?" His gaze turned quizzical. "But... books? About Harry? In the Muggle world?"
"Yes! Seven of them!" Maria nodded eagerly. "They start when he's eleven and go through his teenage years at Hogwarts. It's this whole epic story about him defeating Voldemort." She paused, biting her lip. "But here's the thing: we get to know all about you through those books too. And..." She winced slightly. "There are films."
Remus's expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief.
"Films?"
Maria nodded again, suppressing a grin.
"Yeah. Films. With actors playing all of you."
Remus blinked slowly.
"Actors... playing us?" He sounded as though the very idea was absurd.
"Yes. You're portrayed by a wonderful actor named David Thewlis. He does a remarkable job, really. Very... uh... distinguished."
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This is... a lot to take in." He glanced back at the book he'd been reading. "So you're saying that people in your world know about me through these books and films?"
Maria bit her lip, trying not to laugh at his bewildered expression.
"Yes. And through the website."
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"Website?"
"Oh, right," Maria said quickly. "You wouldn't know what that is. A website is... um... like a magical library, but on a screen. People can access information about anything. Including you. There's a whole official site that tells us everything about your life: your childhood, your Hogwarts years, your role in the Order of the Phoenix."
Remus frowned deeply.
"Wait. People in your world know everything about me? My private life? My... condition?"
Maria nodded slowly.
"Yeah... it's all in there."
Remus stood up, pacing the room.
"And this is public knowledge? For anyone to read?"
"Pretty much," Maria admitted. "But you're really popular! Most people love you. That's what I'm tryong to tell you. I told you, y«there's even merchandise."
Remus stopped pacing and turned to her, his expression a mix of shock and dread.
"What's merchandise?"
"Oh, right." Maria couldn't help but grin. "There are action figures. T-shirts. Bags. You name it. And..." She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "There's a Funko Pop of you."
Remus frowned.
"I still don't know what that is."
Maria bit her lip, stifling a giggle. "It's... well, it's like a little figure of you. Big head, tiny body. Kind of adorable, actually."
Remus raised an eyebrow.
"A miniature version of me? Why?"
"Because people love you!" Maria said, throwing her hands in the air. "You're a beloved character! I've got one in my car. A mini version. It hangs from my rearview mirror."
Remus tilted his head.
"Rearview mirror?"
"Right. You wouldn't know about that." Maria waved a hand. "I don't think you have a lot of knowledge about Muggle transportation. Well, your mother was a Muggle, but still... Anyway, the point is, people adore you. They write stories about you. That's what I was doing before I ended up here: writing your story."
Remus leaned back in his chair, looking utterly baffled.
"People... actually write about me?"
Maria nodded.
"We call it fanfiction. These particular ones are entire stories dedicated to imagining your life. What happens after the war, what could have happened if things were different." She softened, giving him a small, earnest smile. "Your story resonates with people. You're brave, kind, flawed. You've got a tragic backstory, sure, but people see the humanity in you. We root for you."
Remus sat quietly for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"I don't know if I should be flattered or unsettled."
"Probably both," Maria teased.
"That's... surreal." Remus chuckled softly. "And you wrte stories about me too."
"Oh, yes." Maria grinned, a bit sheepishly. "I've spent hours imagining your life. Filling in the gaps the books didn't cover. Giving you some peace."
Remus raised an eyebrow, his curiosity clearly piqued.
"Peace?"
Maria nodded, her hands fidgeting in her lap.
"Yeah. You know... after everything you've been through, I figured you deserved it."
His expression softened, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face.
"That's... very kind of you."
Maria cleared her throat, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I may have added a few other things, too."
Remus tilted his head slightly.
"Such as?"
Her cheeks flushed pink.
"Uh... maybe let's not get into that right now."
Remus slowly sat back down, rubbing his temples.
"Now, let me get this straight. You're telling me that I'm a fictional character in your world, portrayed by an actor in films, with my life story available to anyone, and I'm so popular that people make dolls of me?"
Maria chuckled.
"Pretty much, yeah. Well, of all the characters, really."
Remus groaned softly.
"I think I need a drink."
Maria couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Join the club. And hey, it's not all bad. You're a literary crush for a lot of people."
Remus blinked, taken aback.
"I... beg your pardon?"
Maria covered her face with her hands.
"Oh God, I wasn't supposed to say that out loud."
The corners of Remus's mouth twitched upward.
"A literary crush?"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Maria grumbled, peeking at him through her fingers. "It's not that weird."
Remus chuckled softly, the sound warm and rich in the quiet library. He found himself realizing that he knew what a literary crush was much too well.
"I suppose, given everything else you've told me tonight, it's one of the less surprising revelations."
Maria sighed, flopping back in the armchair.
"This has to be a dream. Or a hallucination. Maybe I hit my head while cleaning and knocked myself out."
Remus studied her thoughtfully.
"If this is a dream, then it's certainly a detailed one."
Maria shrugged.
"I do have a vivid imagination."
Remus smiled faintly.
"So it seems."
They sat in silence for a moment before Maria spoke again.
"You really don't know what a website is, do you?"
Remus shook his head.
"No. And frankly, I'm not sure I want to."
Maria laughed.
"Probably for the best. The internet can be a dark place."
"Internet?"
"Never mind."
Another silence stretched between them. Finally, Remus stood and began pacing.
"This is... quite a lot to take in. But if what you're saying is true, then..." He trailed off, staring at the book again.
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
He looked up, his eyes filled with quiet wonder.
"If I'm a character in your world, and you're a character in mine... then how do we explain this?" He gestured between them. "How did you get here?"
Maria bit her lip.
"Hey, you're the wizard here. I have no idea."
Remus sighed, sitting back down.
"Brilliant. Two fictional characters trying to make sense of reality. That's not confusing at all."
Maria giggled.
"Hey, look on the bright side. At least we're both crazy together."
Remus gave her a tired smile.
"Yes, well. If we're both mad, at least we're in good company."
Maria plopped into a nearby armchair, tucking her legs under her.
"So... what now?"
Remus leaned back, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
"I suppose we'll have to figure that out. But first..." He glanced at her pajamas again, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Perhaps you'd like to change?"
Maria groaned, burying her face in her hands.
"Oh, for the love of... I'm never living this down." She peeked through her fingers, her cheeks still burning. "I swear, if I knew I was about to be transported into a Harry Potter fever dream, I'd have worn something a bit more... dignified."
Remus chuckled softly, a deep, warm sound that seemed to fill the quiet library.
"You're right, you're probably never live this down."
Maria lowered her hands and gave him a playful glare.
"That's not helping."
He tapped his wand thoughtfully against his palm.
"Well, I suppose there's something I can do about it. Hold still."
Maria blinked.
"Wait, what are you..."
With a flick of his wand, a swirl of soft fabric shimmered into existence, floating gently toward her before settling over her shoulders. The transformation was seamless. Her Hello Kitty pajamas vanished, replaced by a set of elegant witch's robes in deep, forest green. The fabric was rich and smooth, embroidered with delicate, leafy patterns along the sleeves and hem.
Maria glanced down at herself, her hands running over the unfamiliar material.
"Whoa." She twirled slightly, the robes swishing around her. "Okay, this is... weirdly pretty. Like, I could totally rock this look at Comic-Con."
Remus tilted his head.
"Comic... what?"
Maria waved him off with a grin.
"Never mind. Long story. But seriously, this is gorgeous." She caught her reflection in the glass of a nearby cabinet and gave a little laugh. "It's like something straight out of a fairytale."
"Good," Remus said, his tone light but his eyes kind. "You fit the part."
Maria glanced up at him, her smile softening. For a moment, the surreal nature of the situation melted away, replaced by a strange sense of comfort. It felt... right.
Then she frowned, smoothing the robes nervously.
"Wait, you're not going to tell me these are someone's actual clothes, are you? I don't want to find out I'm wearing some dead witch's favorite robes."
Remus chuckled again, shaking his head.
"No, no. Freshly conjured. I assure you, no ghosts are attached to them."
Maria let out a dramatic sigh of relief.
"Thank God. I'd hate to offend some ghost by showing up uninvited in their wardrobe."
Remus's smile widened just slightly.
"You know, you're taking this all remarkably well."
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"I'm literally wearing magic clothes conjured by Remus Lupin in the middle of Grimmauld Place. Either I'm handling it well, or I'm having the world's most detailed mental breakdown."
Remus's expression softened.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here. Even if neither of us can explain how."
Maria met his gaze, her heart skipping a beat at the warmth in his eyes.
"Yeah," she murmured, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Me too."
And for the first time that night, the laughter felt real.