I realized I forgot my disclaimer in the last chapter, so here goes. I do not own any parts of the Harry Potter universe including the characters. I am only borrowing them for some fun :)

But aside from that, thanks for the reviews and here is chapter 2!

Ch 2 Caught Sneaking

Ginny had been right in her assumption that she would be able to sneak out of the house. She didn't talk much to her mother during the day, since she was usually busy with some kind of work. Any discussions she usually had with her parents were during dinner time after her father came home. She knew she would be back before then.

Of course she did tell Ron all about what she was doing and where she was going. She knew Ron could cover for her. All her siblings had covered for each other one time or another.

At nine-thirty Ginny walked casually past the living room, where her mother was beginning to knit her first Christmas sweater of the year, and walked outside. She grabbed the broom, and was off to her first of something interesting.

She found Lupin's small cabin fairly quickly, and found him writing notes on a small notebook just outside his door. He looked up as she landed.

"Good you're here. You can put your broom inside and we can be off. You did ask you parents to be able to come here each day, right?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Yes, they said I can come," Ginny said, struggling to continue looking back in his eyes. It was still so darn hard to lie to him. It was always so easy with her mother.

There was a short uncomfortable silence. He can't know I'm lying, Ginny thought nervously. But Lupin looked back at his notes and continued writing. "Alright then."

Ginny sighed again and ran inside to put her broom away. She didn't want to risk asking her mother's permission for something like this. Ginny had known her mom to be too protective, and she couldn't bare the possibility of having to pass up an opportunity like this. There was also the fact she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be flying on her own. All her brothers had been allowed to fly by the time they were Ginny's age, but Ginny had not yet been given permission directly.

The day overall was uneventful. There wasn't anything to find when they did their search through Lupin's assigned area. There had only been an old soda can Lupin was afraid might have been a forgotten portkeye, but it was just an old can.

But the day still hadn't been boring. Lupin knew a lot about nonmagical creatures and plants as well as any magical creatures and plants in the woods. He taught her about deer when they spotted one bounding away from them, different varieties of magical fungi, and even a funny little creature that poked it's head up from the small pond called a grindylow.

Because of the uneventful findings, they finished early, and Lupin invited Ginny to come back to the house for the rest of the time for some tea. Ginny very happily accepted. It was only two in the afternoon, so she could still plan on another hour here.

"So what are you planning to do when you grow up?" Lupin asked casually after a sip of tea.

Ginny made a face. "That question gets so boring. Do you know how many people seem to ask me that? I guess I'm just planning to see what I like best when I get to school."

Lupin chuckled. "How about another subject then. How are things at home?"

"That's another boring subject," Ginny said quietly, starring into her tea. "Ron's all I've got left to talk to at home, and even he will be leaving next year."

The cabin was silent for a few minutes as the two took a few more sips of tea. "I've got a better idea of what to talk about," Ginny said, breaking the silence. "How have things been going for you?"

Lupin smiled. "Trust me, if you think your life is boring, you don't want to hear anything about mine."

"You can't say that. There has to be some interesting stories of things you've seen scouting the woods."

"Sadly there isn't as much as you think. What you saw with the unicorn is only the second time I've ever even seen one in the woods. But let me show you this." Lupin stood up and pulled a large old looking book from a shelf. "These are all old reports I've sent to the ministry and copied for myself. It shows all previous things of importance I have changed, fixed, cleaned up, or prevented."

Ginny and Lupin spent the rest of their time together looking at reports. Ginny curiously asked questions about several of them, and Lupin patiently and thoroughly answered all of them.

Before long, Ginny had been helping Lupin for a full week. Even on the most quiet days helping him was very enjoyable. It gave her one on one time with somebody, and she found she really liked talking to him. There was also the fact she was learning a ton.

He taught her about thins from simple charms to a few simple potions. Of course she couldn't use them, but he had still taught her the incantations and how they worked. Ginny also felt sure she would be top of her class in herbology, and care of magical creatures when she had those classes from her experience in the woods.

But on Ginny's seventh day of assisting, something terrible happened that Ginny had always had a slight fear might happen. She and Lupin had just finished for the day. They were both laughing about the event that had just happened where they both thought they saw a hurt white owl, but had only turned out to be a plastic bag caught in a bush. It was the first time Ginny had seen Lupin laugh like that.

As they came closer to the cabin, Ginny was able to make out a figure standing outside the house. Even from a distance she could make out her mother's red hair. Ginny's heart sank and she stopped laughing immediately, and slowed her walk so she was behind Lupin.

"Is that you Molly?" Lupin called. "I didn't expect to see you today. I must say it's a pleasant surprise."

Once they were close enough to have a conversation, Mrs. Weasly glared at Ginny. "I wasn't expecting to come here either, until I found out from Ron where Ginny was. I was getting frantic looking for her."

Lupin frowned and looked at Ginny with stern eyes. Ginny could not look at him no matter how hard she tried, and found herself looking at her feet. "I heard from Ginny that she had your permission to help me out each day."

Ginny felt her cheeks growing warm. She was definitely feeling terrible for lying to Lupin now. Over the last week she had found she liked and respected the man very much. And now she looked like a small disobedient child to him.

"Ginny, I think your mother and I are going to go inside to talk. You should stay out here while we do," he said in a very authorative voice that made Ginny's stomach churn again. He hadn't spoken to her in that voice before. Ginny could only nod as she stared at some dead leaves on the ground. In a few minutes her mother and Lupin were inside the house.

Ginny didn't know how long she sat by herself outside, but to her it felt like hours. Finally they both came out, and Ginny looked up. "Am I allowed to keep coming here?" she asked both of them.

"I've decided you can come back, but before that you're grounded for two weeks," her mother said angrily.

Out of habit tears came to Ginny's eyes, and she gave her mother her best pleading look. She hated to do her fake little girl act in front of Lupin, but she needed to do it now, while he was watching, so he would know himself she was allowed to come back. "Please mom, I'm really really sorry," the tears fell down her face. "Please let me come back tomorrow."

She slowly walked to her mother and hugged her. Slowly Mrs. Weasly patted her shoulder. "Alright, she said in a completely different tone. You can come back as long as it is alright with Remus. In the meantime I have to go back and start dinner. I'll see you home shortly. Please make sure you fly that broom carefully," she added.

Her mother said goodbye to Lupin, and dissaperated. Ginny hurridly wiped her eyes and looked at Lupin. "I can come here again tomorrow, right?" she asked hopefully.

Lupin was still giving her a very stern look, and Ginny had a feeling he wasn't too impressed with what he just saw.

"Please," she tried pleading. She had a bad feeling her pleading act had no effect on Lupin. But she could only try what she knew to try when she was trying to get something she wanted from an adult.

Finally Lupin sighed. "Alright, You can come here again tomorrow. But you are I are going to have a serious discussion before we start."

Ginny smiled in relief at his words. But at the same time felt a slight twinge of anxiety that she was still in trouble with Lupin. He didn't seem like he could forgive and forget as easily as her mother.

"So I'll see you tomorrow same time," Lupin said. "Just come into the house when you get here. I won't be quite ready to go out right away with you."

Ginny nodded, and grabbed her broom to head home. She couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive at the thought of Lupin scolding her about this for most of the morning. But it would be worth it to still be able to get out of the house. The thought of being grounded for an entire two weeks seemed so horrible.