A/N: Hello, lovelies! I've returned with a fic about Remus and a student he has during his time teaching at Hogwarts. And before any of you get any ideas, NO this is NOT about Remus SLEEPING WITH A STUDENT. That's an idea I'll have to mull over. Not sure I could do that to him…
Anyway, this idea came to me last night when I couldn't get to sleep but also couldn't bring myself to reach under my bed for my laptop and write it then.
Enjoy!
The ink splattered against my skin when I dropped my quill. How could I have not seen this before? All of the signs were there!
Cursing my sleep-deprived brain, I jumped from my seat in the library and gathered my things, shoving them into my bag. At this point, I didn't care about neatness; I needed to speak to Professor Lupin immediately.
Running through the corridors, I analysed what I had just come to realize. I hadn't even come across the information on purpose, but I felt as if I should have had this knowledge from the first day. Then again, would the friendship I had found have come along if I had known then what I know now?
Of course it would. I'm not an idiot.
Though, at this point I felt like one for not realizing sooner…
Finally, I reached the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. Out of breath as I was, my mind still had enough oxygen to come up with the answer to the riddle:
Voiceless it cries
wingless flutters
toothless bites
mouthless mutters
"The wind!" I gasped, bursting through the entryway and running up the stairs to my dormitory. I threw my bag onto my bed and was about to run back through the common room, but my legs stopped working.
It took my oxygen-lacking brain a second to catch up, and I had to throw my arms out to stop myself from obtaining a rather nasty bloody nose. I picked myself up off the floor, dusting off my robes, and thought for a moment.
What would Professor Lupin say if I barged into his office and demanded he listen to me? Would he laugh it off or would he throw me out? Or would he be the same kind, compassionate, agreeable man he'd been for months?
Deciding to risk my friendship with the professor, I sprinted from the room.
I skidded to a stop in front of Professor Lupin's office door and waited until I caught my breath before I knocked. After a few agonizingly long moments, the door opened and the shabby-looking man who had been there for me quite a few times opened the door. He looked confused, his still-blond eyebrows knitting together.
"Good evening, Professor," I said, still slightly out-of-breath but otherwise cheery.
"Good evening, Anna-Beth," he returned. "Is there something you need?"
"Professor, I realize it's very late, but I need desperately to speak to you," I said hopefully. He stared at me for a moment, but eventually moved aside. I scooted past him and made my way to my usual seat in front of his desk then watched as he stared out into the corridor, hands on his hips.
"Professor, I think you should close the door and listen to what I have to say," I stated. He turned to face me and cocked his head as he stared. Again. "Or you can stand over there, but the door should definitely be closed."
"That's against school policy, Anna," he said. "It would be seen as very inappropriate—"
"You're a very attractive man, Professor, but I'm not interested in men fifteen years older than me. I'm not coming on to you, but you will thank me when you hear what I have to say and the door is closed." Again with the staring! But alas, he finally gave in, shutting the door with a sigh and making his way over to lean against his desk.
Folding his arms over his chest, he asked, "What is it, Anna-Beth? An essay?" I sighed, wishing this was as simple as me needing help with an essay. When, back before this information was unveiled, I could have just waltzed in here, not caring that the door was wide open, and pored for hours over an essay, picking the brains of the intelligent man before me.
"No, Professor," I said. "But the topic did come up while I was writing an essay." He arched an eyebrow. "You see, I was doing my essay on Hell-Hounds and related canines, and my research pointed me in the direction of a certain lupine species that most people fear, and, well, you know me, Professor, I got carried away reading about that, and… That's when it hit me." I stopped talking, sure that he couldn't have missed it.
He didn't. He stiffened, and uncrossed his arms, letting one hand run nervously through his graying hair. He took in a deep breath and held it for so long I was scared he may faint, but then he let it out and chuckled.
"This is hardly a thing to laugh about, Professor," I said. "I don't have a problem with it, but some of the parents… That awful Lucius Malfoy… If some of them were to find out about this…" I let my voice trail away. Of course he knew what could happen.
"You're right, Anna-Beth," he sighed. "But I'm here as a favor to Professor Dumbledore, who has assured me that no one will find out. Of course, he underestimated some of the students here." At this, Professor Lupin smiled somewhat proudly at me.
"Well, honestly, if I wasn't such a bookworm this never would have happened. I just got carried away. I'm sure none of the other students are like that. Except that Hermione Granger. But she's far too busy with Harry Potter and their friend Ron Weasley to even suspect anything," I reasoned. I don't think he quite believed me, but he smiled anyway.
"So, is that it?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, you were right. Thank you for making me close the door." I laughed.
"I told you so, Professor. I think of everything," I teased. But then I realized something… "Are you okay with this? With me knowing?"
He scoffed. "I knew it would happen sooner or later, though I must admit I wish it had been later. I just hope this doesn't affect your abilities to pay attention in class. Not everyone in the Wizarding world is exactly fond of… my kind," he said, his voice growing sadder as he continued.
"Professor, I just want you to know that I don't look at you any differently," I told him. "You're still the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I've had in seven years. And you're an alright bloke."
"Thanks," he said sarcastically. I gave him a teasing smile. "I trust you won't say anything to anyone?"
It was my turn to scoff. "Of course not, Professor. I don't want you fired! Who would I bother every time I felt an essay wasn't up to par?"
"That's very true," he said, eyes smiling. "I doubt anyone would put up with your incessant worrying." I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to laugh.
Lupin POV
When Anna-Beth left, after fifteen minutes of our usual back-and-forth, filled with witty banter and sarcastic remarks, I made my way to my bed chamber. I wasn't sure what this meant, Anna-Beth knowing about my condition; she was the brightest witch in the school, aside from Hermione, perhaps, and I knew she would discover my secret at some point in the year.
But this was so early! We were barely past our winter break and she already knew! The fear that more students would find out was heavy on my mind as I lay down to go to sleep, and I found myself almost sick with worry. Hermione was soon to find out, and what would happen then? Would I return to the world I used to know before Albus offered me this job? Would I be forced to sleep in the cold, one-bedroom loft I had found on the outskirts of London, wandering through the city and searching hopelessly for odd jobs? Wondering where my next meal would come from?
I shivered. I didn't want to go back to that. I had few people I could turn to, apart from Dumbledore. Then again, he had introduced me to a few interesting witches and wizards like Molly and Arthur Weasley, a lovely couple who had been out of Hogwarts by the time I was eleven, and an Auror named Nymphadora Tonks, a cousin of Sirius Black…
Sirius. What I wouldn't give to have him out of Azkaban. Of course, that would never happen. The traitor had been the reason for the deaths of Lily and James, and even Pete. Innocent little Pete, whose only wish was to be like Sirius and James. Well, I suppose he's enough like James now, I thought morbidly. Dead.
Sighing, wishing my life could be like it was before I had to worry about Death Eaters or You-Know-Who or dead friends, I rolled over, punching my pillow into a more comfortable position, and eventually drifted off into a restless sleep.