"You know, I'm quite sure I went to school with you."

She hadn't spoken much beyond a yawn until they'd gotten their luggage and seats in the end compartment. Remus settled into the window seat while Morgana perched herself up next to him. He stared down at her curiously. She had left maybe an inch of space between them, despite the entire compartment being empty. Part of him felt quite cornered by the much smaller woman.

"You look a bit young for that," he replied. She laughed.

"Of course I do. We don't age right, though some of us better than others," she shot back with a waggle of her eyebrow at him. He smiled weakly and ran a hand through his hair, recalling the grey flecks that seemed to multiply every time he caught an eyeful of himself in a mirror.

"Well I did. I remember you, Potter, Pettigrew, and Black. I suppose I'm about 4 or 5 years your junior. I'd be turning a ripe old 30, if I aged that way anymore," she continued, looking up at him with her twinkling purple eyes. As much as he tried to rack his brain, he knew he'd never seen anyone like her in his time at Hogwarts.

"Well of course you didn't. I didn't look this way then," she motioned to her face, and then her body. Remus did not look further down than her collarbone, where a necklace hung on a dainty silver chain that disappeared below her shirt.

"And I was in Slytherin, you would've had no business knowing me. I only ever saw you in the library, we studied near each other a lot. I just remember that you've always had this one," she reached out and touched the scar that extended from under his eye to the bridge of his nose. He stiffened at her touch, her fingertips were a bit cold but soft. She recoiled, but didn't lose her smirk.

"You were a little less worse for the wear then. Still handsome, though," she added, patting his leg with a little laugh. He couldn't help but flinch a little when she touched him. It was like a tiny electric shock every time. And he wasn't accustomed to physical contact. Or compliments.

"Dumbledore's compassion for you inspired my compassion for change in the underground," she said more quietly, another yawn escaping her. Remus felt his cheeks warm a bit, unsure how to respond. She smiled at him.

"Care if I take a short nap? I don't snore, I swear."

She'd fallen asleep shortly after. And in sleep, Remus Lupin supposed she looked much less like an intimidating queen of a nation of werewolves and vampires and more like a young woman who was going to pretend to be his much better looking half for a year. She was nestled up on his shoulder draped in his travelling cloak, which had been returned to him by her house elf in such pristine condition he'd had to check the tag inside to make sure it was his. He watched out the window as the train finally began to depart from the station, the students hurrying along into compartments of their own. Remus was surprised the commotion of the kids hadn't woken her, but she seemed to be a heavy sleeper. They'd exchanged rings, small black bands that would connect them. It felt heavy and uncomfortable on his finger, he'd never cared for jewelry and he'd certainly never so much as entertained the idea of being married before.

He was surprised when she jostled slightly and whispered "be asleep."

He obeyed, closing his eyes and leaning on the glass, her ring clad hand draped over his, which in turn held his wand safely hidden as she pulled part of his travelling cloak onto his lap.

"Well, this is the only compartment left," Hermione said, standing ambivalent in the doorway while Ron and Harry caught up to her.

A man and woman were fast asleep beside each other by the window, covered in the same travelling cloak. Harry shrugged, and they all quietly filed into the compartment, shutting the door gently behind them.

"Who do you reckon they are?" Ron asked in a whisper, settling down across from them and eyeing them both.

"RJ Lupin and MJ Lupin," Hermione answered, pointing up to their luggage on the rack above them. Ron furrowed his brow.

"You think they're professors?" he asked. She shrugged.

"They must be. They wouldn't be on the train if they weren't," Harry said quietly, recalling the conversation he'd had with Mr. Weasley before they'd departed. There would be extra security, everywhere. Somehow Harry doubted two sleeping professors were really going to help him much.

Ron perked up at the sound of the food trolley coming down to their compartment.

"Should we get them anything?" he asked as he waved down the cheerful woman pushing the trolley. Harry eyed them both, they were still fast asleep despite the conversation going on around them. He handed Ron a couple of galleons.

"Grab them some sandwiches and pumpkin juice," he answered. Ron obliged, coming back with a mountain of food and setting two sandwiches down and two bottles of pumpkin juice next to the sleeping couple.

"Bit of an age gap between the two of them, don't you think?" Ron commented, unboxing a chocolate frog and admiring the card.

Hermione looked at them both for a moment.

"I suppose so. She's very pretty," she added, admiring the woman's long glistening hair.

"He must be our defense teacher, look at all his scars," Harry added.

The train was coming to a halt, so suddenly it knocked the food from Ron's lap. Hermione looked out the window.

"We're not close to Hogwarts yet, why are we stopping?" she asked, looking around out the window into the darkness. The lamps above them in the compartment dimmed and a cold swept over the whole of the train. Harry got up to check outside the compartment, but the door slid open in front of him before he could touch it. He began to stumble back, holding his head.

The travelling cloak flew off, and while Morgana caught the falling boy, Remus stood up to the dementor standing in the doorway.

"None of is hiding Sirius Black in our cloaks, move on," he commanded. The dementor stood pondering him for a moment.

"You heard him, monster. Be gone!" Morgana stated firmly as she picked Harry up into her arms with ease. The authority of her voice seemed to strike the dementor more deeply, and it began to drift away. Remus turned to Morgana.

"Is he okay?" he asked, eyeing Harry and taking stock of the other two frightened students.

"He will be fine. His heart rate is through the roof but it's slowing. I can handle it here," she answered, placing Harry down in a seat. He was already stirring. Though Remus didn't yet trust her, he needed to alert Dumbledore and check on the rest of the train.

"I'll be right back," Remus said finally.

"I know, dear," she replied with a smile, kneeling down in front of Harry and grabbing the discarded travel cloak. She dug through a pocket and pulled out a bar of chocolate from inside. Remus left the room, looking both ways down the aisle for any more dementors before moving to the conductor's cabin.

"What was that?" asked the frightened girl as she hurriedly picked up all the discarded belongings and food that had fallen.

"A dementor, a guardian of Azkaban. They are terrible creatures," Morgana answered, watching Harry carefully as he opened his eyes.

"What happened? Is everyone okay, I heard screaming," he said, trying to stand up. Morgana pushed him gently back down with a hand on his leg.

"No one screamed, Harry," the girl answered. Morgana was breaking off pieces of chocolate. She handed a large piece to Harry and two smaller ones to the others.

"Eat this, it will make you feel better," Morgana stated to him, her hand still on his leg. He looked her in her strange purple eyes for a moment. She smiled a little to him, attempting to pacify his blatant unease. He took a bite of the chocolate, a bit of color returning to his face.

"Thank you, professor," he said, daring to look at her again. She rose, her eyes moving slowly out to the doorway, where Remus appeared a moment later.

"They're off the train and we should be moving again soon," he announced. Morgana handed him a bit of chocolate but he waved it away.

"Everyone in here okay?" he asked, looking at each of the kids eating their chunk of chocolate.

"Eat the chocolate, Remus," Morgana insisted, locking eyes with him. That little twinkle, it forced his hand out and he took a small piece, eating it quickly.

The train began to slowly bustle forward again, and both Remus and Morgana retook their seats. Harry was now sitting beside Morgana, who continued to eye him as he bit into his chocolate.

"So you are professors then?" Hermione asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Morgana glanced at Remus and then to her with a small smile.

"Yes, yes we are. My husband and I will be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts," she answered. Remus smiled weakly, choosing to look out the window as the billowing smoke from the train began to clear. Husband. He didn't want to laugh.

"You must be a Weasley," Morgana added suddenly, looking at Ron. He nodded, a little confused.

"I know your father, from the ministry. Still has a fondness for those muggle trinkets, I'd expect," she explained. Remus looked over to her.

"Oh yeah, he does. Got a cuckoo clock last Christmas he's right obsessed with," Ron answered. Hermione furrowed her brow at Morgana, who merely chuckled a little.

"Professors Remus and Morgana Lupin," she offered her hand to Hermione and Ron, Remus following suit.

"Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley."

Harry offered his hand, she took it quickly.

"Harry Potter."

"I don't think there's anyone in the wizarding world who doesn't know who you are, Mr. Potter," Morgana answered, letting his hand go so Remus could take it. As soon as he let go, Morgana took Remus's hand and laced her fingers in it. His arm stiffened for a moment and then relaxed. He wasn't used to as much physical contact as he'd received from her in the last few hours from anyone in his life.

"Hey!" the compartment door flew open again and two more students flowed in, a red headed girl and a boy with a toad in his hands. They both stopped when they laid eyes on Morgana and Remus.

"Sorry," the boy said, stepping more quietly in and closing the door gingerly.

"What was all that? Why are those things being let on the train?" the young girl asked Hermione while stealing glances at Morgana, who continued to smile pleasantly at the two new additions.

"Ginny, Neville, these are our new Defense professors," Hermione said, letting them shake hands.

"The dementors are going to become an unpleasant fixture at Hogwarts until the ministry is able to find and capture Sirius Black," Remus said, offering to speak finally.

"We'll be arriving soon," Morgana said suddenly, standing and drawing Remus to his feet as well. She motioned above her head, and their luggage disengaged it's locks and began to float to the door. Hermione watched her in awe.

"We'll see you all in a bit," she added, her luggage leading the way out of the compartment together.