Disclaimer : all characters belong to JKR. We only borrowed them to make
this story. We are not gaining any benefit from this, except the pleasure
of writing.
1.1.1 Professor Trelawney's last chance
Part one : where is he?
Sybill Trelawney sat in her tower room in the North Tower, gazing absentmindedly in her crystal ball. She hadn't been herself lately. Really. She didn't know why exactly, but it wasn't that the spring was in the air. Her thoughts wandered… she was musing about the man of her dreams. So handsome, so nice and oh – so unattainable. Well, Remus Lupin did not have the same feelings towards her, that she knew. Why ?
Often, she used to fantasize about him; how she'd meet him in a deserted corridor. He would throw himself at her and start to kiss her feverishly. He would gently stroke her body with tender hands and kiss the back of her neck… yes, that is what she fantasized about, being in a deserted corridor with Remus. But this was only a dream.
She started to gaze in her ball again, just to divert her thoughts from the man that did not want her. Oh, it broke her heart to see him going any lengths to avoid her, after she had declared her love to him. How stupid she now felt and how humiliated. In fact, she'd rather lock herself in her tower room for the rest of her life, but even she knew that that would not be a solution. She had to pick up the pieces and start to have a life again. She ought to.
"Professor, shouldn't we clear away our stuff ? It is almost time?", the voice of her student Belinda Broom said. Oh heavens, she really had lost the plot this time. She nodded and when finally the last student had gone down the silver staircase, she took a few deep breaths. It was about time to go to the Great Hall for dinner. With a little nervous smile, she took her bag with the tarot cards and the miniature crystal ball. Now she went down the silver staircase herself. She strode, like always it almost seemed like floating, through the corridors until she reached the Great Hall.
She paused for a moment in the doorway and saw everyone was present already…except for her (well, not really her, she thought wryly) Remus. Quickly she hovered to her usual place. The chair across the table was empty. "Remus not there yet?", she informed, in a quasi-uninterested voice. Her neighbour, Professor Severus Snape answered her with a slight frown : "He is feeling a bit under the weather today, so he decided to skip his dinner". Sybill decided not to give in and started to ladle out some pumpkin soup. However, she could not prevent her hand trembling a little, and unsurprisingly, she made a stain on the damask tablecloth. "Something wrong, Sybill?" Professor Vector asked, looking at her with an inquisitive expression on her face. "Well, it is full moon tonight, so I am a bit more sensitive to vibes than usual, and it always makes me a bit jumpy", she answered. It wasn't a complete lie. "Oh, in that case, you really should visit Severus, he must know lots of potions to make you more relaxed", the Professor said, smiling friendly. Snape pursed his lips. He clearly didn't want her to visit him in his spare time.
During the dinner, Snape started to grow more and more impatient. The dessert was hardly on the tables when he excused himself and left the Great Hall. Sybill watched him disappear…it must have something to do with what Vector had said earlier… Would Snape ??? She stood up and decided to follow him. "I'm done. Can't eat no more. Besides, I've about 80 rolls of homework waiting for me", she announced, and left the Hall with great dignity. As soon as she had gone out of prying eyes, she started to walk faster… quickly she descended the stairs, trying hard to make not a single noise. She assumed Snape had gone to his dungeons, she could not tell why but she was quite sure about this. Soon, her presentiments turned out to be correct, she heard the sounds of a bubbling cauldron. The door to his office turned out to be locked, so she bent to peek through the keyhole. She just saw how he filled a beaker with some smoking concoction and took his wand. She heard him say "finito flammatio", at which point she saw the fire under the cauldron suddenly go out. Now he turned around and headed for the door… she ran away as fast as her feet would carry her and tried all the doors she passed on her way. Finally, the door that concealed Argus Filch's torture instruments turned out to be unlocked… he must have forgotten to lock it after his weekly visit to Hogsmeade. She eased in and hid herself in a cupboard full of nasty smelling metal chains. She left the cupboard door ajar, so she could catch a glimpse if he came past.
She had been just in time, for no sooner had she settled herself in the cupboard, or she heard him walk by. She waited for a brief moment, only to get enough distance between them so he would not hear her, if she acted silently. Then she went after him, thankful that she wore her slippers that night in stead of her high heels. She made sure to stay in the shadows, thus prevent herself from being seen in case he would look over his shoulder. The dungeons were much resembling a maze, she thought, but full of twists and turns to hide herself. Suddenly, Snape made a sharp U- turn into another corridor, and was soon climbing stairs. As quiet as she could, she followed him. Finally, they reached the third floor, where Remus' room was. "I knew it!", she cheered in silence. "Of course this had to do with him!" And yes, Snape knocked on Lupins' door. He seemed not to wait for an answer, but headed straight in. She hurried to get to the door and peek through the keyhole. Unfortunately, it was quite dark inside and the only thing she could make out was Snapes bum, as he was bending to put the contents of the beaker into something that was placed on the ground… well, she really took no interest in his behind, that was for sure.
Suddenly, Snape turned around and headed for the door… again, she was forced to flee. She thought to be safe behind a big chest, but Snape's voice shattered the silence of the empty corridor. "I would not do it, if I were you", he snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You might become very, very disappointed. No, you don't need to be afraid he'd hurt you, but that is about all I can guarantee you. Oh, whatever! It is your choice, Sybill, after all, who am I to advise you in matters of the heart?" The last bit sounded embittered. Professor Trelawney was petrified and it took her a while before she came to her senses. She heard his footsteps die out.
Would she enter the room? How did Snape ever notice her presence, now she'd been so careful? Her head spun…..but she knew there was only one thing she wanted, no matter how much Lupin had embarrassed her…. Well, embarrassed… there had been no one else around at that time, and he would never ever tell somebody, she knew that for sure, he was way too much a gentleman to do so…but still, she'd felt humiliated when he said she might as well give up trying to seduce him, for he really did not feel the same way about her. Remus had taken her hand into his and his brown eyes had looked gravely into hers.
"I know very will it will be very hard for you to accept this, Sybill, but I just do not feel for you what you are feeling for me. Please don't make matters worse, and leave me alone. The sooner you can forget about me, the better. There is no way I can answer your feelings". Oh yes, he had been gentle, friendly, nice and even understanding…. Why hadn't he been mean and nasty, why hadn't he yelled at her? It would have been so much easier…. Not this friendliness, this sympathy…. It hurt her so much more. Maybe she should try to forget him….but now he was ill, and wasn't this a chance? Oh, how she would care for him, how she'd pamper him…..maybe it would be enough to make him realize that she was Miss Right after all. Maybe he would feel so grateful that he fell in love…. Maybe he was just scared of falling in love, that could have been the reason for his rejection….. yes, she would enter the room…. It felt like her last chance.
1.1.1 Professor Trelawney's last chance
Part one : where is he?
Sybill Trelawney sat in her tower room in the North Tower, gazing absentmindedly in her crystal ball. She hadn't been herself lately. Really. She didn't know why exactly, but it wasn't that the spring was in the air. Her thoughts wandered… she was musing about the man of her dreams. So handsome, so nice and oh – so unattainable. Well, Remus Lupin did not have the same feelings towards her, that she knew. Why ?
Often, she used to fantasize about him; how she'd meet him in a deserted corridor. He would throw himself at her and start to kiss her feverishly. He would gently stroke her body with tender hands and kiss the back of her neck… yes, that is what she fantasized about, being in a deserted corridor with Remus. But this was only a dream.
She started to gaze in her ball again, just to divert her thoughts from the man that did not want her. Oh, it broke her heart to see him going any lengths to avoid her, after she had declared her love to him. How stupid she now felt and how humiliated. In fact, she'd rather lock herself in her tower room for the rest of her life, but even she knew that that would not be a solution. She had to pick up the pieces and start to have a life again. She ought to.
"Professor, shouldn't we clear away our stuff ? It is almost time?", the voice of her student Belinda Broom said. Oh heavens, she really had lost the plot this time. She nodded and when finally the last student had gone down the silver staircase, she took a few deep breaths. It was about time to go to the Great Hall for dinner. With a little nervous smile, she took her bag with the tarot cards and the miniature crystal ball. Now she went down the silver staircase herself. She strode, like always it almost seemed like floating, through the corridors until she reached the Great Hall.
She paused for a moment in the doorway and saw everyone was present already…except for her (well, not really her, she thought wryly) Remus. Quickly she hovered to her usual place. The chair across the table was empty. "Remus not there yet?", she informed, in a quasi-uninterested voice. Her neighbour, Professor Severus Snape answered her with a slight frown : "He is feeling a bit under the weather today, so he decided to skip his dinner". Sybill decided not to give in and started to ladle out some pumpkin soup. However, she could not prevent her hand trembling a little, and unsurprisingly, she made a stain on the damask tablecloth. "Something wrong, Sybill?" Professor Vector asked, looking at her with an inquisitive expression on her face. "Well, it is full moon tonight, so I am a bit more sensitive to vibes than usual, and it always makes me a bit jumpy", she answered. It wasn't a complete lie. "Oh, in that case, you really should visit Severus, he must know lots of potions to make you more relaxed", the Professor said, smiling friendly. Snape pursed his lips. He clearly didn't want her to visit him in his spare time.
During the dinner, Snape started to grow more and more impatient. The dessert was hardly on the tables when he excused himself and left the Great Hall. Sybill watched him disappear…it must have something to do with what Vector had said earlier… Would Snape ??? She stood up and decided to follow him. "I'm done. Can't eat no more. Besides, I've about 80 rolls of homework waiting for me", she announced, and left the Hall with great dignity. As soon as she had gone out of prying eyes, she started to walk faster… quickly she descended the stairs, trying hard to make not a single noise. She assumed Snape had gone to his dungeons, she could not tell why but she was quite sure about this. Soon, her presentiments turned out to be correct, she heard the sounds of a bubbling cauldron. The door to his office turned out to be locked, so she bent to peek through the keyhole. She just saw how he filled a beaker with some smoking concoction and took his wand. She heard him say "finito flammatio", at which point she saw the fire under the cauldron suddenly go out. Now he turned around and headed for the door… she ran away as fast as her feet would carry her and tried all the doors she passed on her way. Finally, the door that concealed Argus Filch's torture instruments turned out to be unlocked… he must have forgotten to lock it after his weekly visit to Hogsmeade. She eased in and hid herself in a cupboard full of nasty smelling metal chains. She left the cupboard door ajar, so she could catch a glimpse if he came past.
She had been just in time, for no sooner had she settled herself in the cupboard, or she heard him walk by. She waited for a brief moment, only to get enough distance between them so he would not hear her, if she acted silently. Then she went after him, thankful that she wore her slippers that night in stead of her high heels. She made sure to stay in the shadows, thus prevent herself from being seen in case he would look over his shoulder. The dungeons were much resembling a maze, she thought, but full of twists and turns to hide herself. Suddenly, Snape made a sharp U- turn into another corridor, and was soon climbing stairs. As quiet as she could, she followed him. Finally, they reached the third floor, where Remus' room was. "I knew it!", she cheered in silence. "Of course this had to do with him!" And yes, Snape knocked on Lupins' door. He seemed not to wait for an answer, but headed straight in. She hurried to get to the door and peek through the keyhole. Unfortunately, it was quite dark inside and the only thing she could make out was Snapes bum, as he was bending to put the contents of the beaker into something that was placed on the ground… well, she really took no interest in his behind, that was for sure.
Suddenly, Snape turned around and headed for the door… again, she was forced to flee. She thought to be safe behind a big chest, but Snape's voice shattered the silence of the empty corridor. "I would not do it, if I were you", he snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You might become very, very disappointed. No, you don't need to be afraid he'd hurt you, but that is about all I can guarantee you. Oh, whatever! It is your choice, Sybill, after all, who am I to advise you in matters of the heart?" The last bit sounded embittered. Professor Trelawney was petrified and it took her a while before she came to her senses. She heard his footsteps die out.
Would she enter the room? How did Snape ever notice her presence, now she'd been so careful? Her head spun…..but she knew there was only one thing she wanted, no matter how much Lupin had embarrassed her…. Well, embarrassed… there had been no one else around at that time, and he would never ever tell somebody, she knew that for sure, he was way too much a gentleman to do so…but still, she'd felt humiliated when he said she might as well give up trying to seduce him, for he really did not feel the same way about her. Remus had taken her hand into his and his brown eyes had looked gravely into hers.
"I know very will it will be very hard for you to accept this, Sybill, but I just do not feel for you what you are feeling for me. Please don't make matters worse, and leave me alone. The sooner you can forget about me, the better. There is no way I can answer your feelings". Oh yes, he had been gentle, friendly, nice and even understanding…. Why hadn't he been mean and nasty, why hadn't he yelled at her? It would have been so much easier…. Not this friendliness, this sympathy…. It hurt her so much more. Maybe she should try to forget him….but now he was ill, and wasn't this a chance? Oh, how she would care for him, how she'd pamper him…..maybe it would be enough to make him realize that she was Miss Right after all. Maybe he would feel so grateful that he fell in love…. Maybe he was just scared of falling in love, that could have been the reason for his rejection….. yes, she would enter the room…. It felt like her last chance.