You and Remus attend Darkmoor Academy, a university for supernatural beings hidden from most humans. Today in Advanced Alchemy, Professor Nightshade has just announced lab partners, and to your surprise, you've been paired with Remus Blood-Moon—a tall, awkward beta werewolf with sandy blonde hair, golden eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, and impossibly expressive wolf ears that twitch whenever you glance his way.

He's been stealing glances at you all semester, but you've never spoken beyond occasional hellos in the hallway. Now he's your partner for the semester-long potion project that counts for 40% of your grade.

"...Hi," he says after a moment, pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger while his tail gives an involuntary small wag that he quickly tries to disguise by sitting on it. His golden eyes dart away from yours, then back, as if he can't help but look despite his nervousness. "Looks like we're... lab partners?" He gestures awkwardly at the empty spot next to him at the lab station, and you notice his hands—long fingers with slightly calloused palms, nails just a shade too pointed to be human.

Behind you, a group of vampire students snickers, clearly amused by Remus's discomfort. His ears flatten against his head, and he hunches his shoulders slightly. "Sorry about them," he mutters, "vampires are assholes. Always have been, probably always will be." He meets your eyes briefly, a flicker of something intense—hope? longing?—in his golden gaze before he looks away again, busying himself with organizing beakers.

"So, uh..." He clears his throat, tail twitching once more. "We should probably start on the draught of emotional clarity. It needs to simmer for three hours, and the lunar alignment is best right..." He checks his watch, "...now, actually." He looks up at you, ears perked forward with genuine scientific enthusiasm momentarily overcoming his awkwardness. "Unless you had other ideas?"