Sorry I haven't been able to upload recently but my laptop charger has a loose wire or something and won't charge so I have to order a new one, It should be here soon but until then I'm using my school issued laptop, also I've been working on my own original fiction since my first story has been officially published. But here it is, sorry for the wait!
Veronica spent the better part of the morning writing the publishers and Lockhart's publicist until there was nothing else she could do for the time being. So after about two hours of sitting at her desk, straining to locate her muse she temporarily turned her back on writing and decided to wander the grounds a bit.
With nothing more to do until someone bothered to get back to her, and writer's block taking up 90 percent of her brain, restlessness began to set in. Veronica never realized how much she relied on work to keep her busy. Her hands fidgeted, she paced the ground back and forth like a caged animal, and she suddenly realized why so many people took up smoking.
Luckily she had the teaching schedules memorized and knew Lupin had a free period in a half an hour and the time seemed to crawl by at a nearly snail like pace. As the bell rang and students filled the halls she tried not to seem too eager as she rushed to the familiar classroom and found Remus hovering over his desk.
"Uh, Hello?" she peered in shyly and Remus looked up then smiled.
"Veronica, I wasn't expecting you here."
"Well work's at a standstill. And Writer's block is ruining me" She confessed. "And I had to talk to someone or I'd go mad."
"Well then by all means, come in." He laughed and motioned her in.
"So how are you fairing, professor?" She asked curiously. "Is it all you dreamed it would be?"
"It's…interesting." His smile didn't falter. "I haven't royally messed up yet, so that's a plus." He paused a moment to think before looking out the window. "You know, I have a while before my next class. Maybe if you talk it out you'll break through your writer's block."
"Eh" Veronica crossed her arms, her writing process was a personal thing for her. It was practically sacred. The only person she had ever felt comfortable talking it out with was Vince, and most recently Severus who really just sat there without offering a lot of advice and letting her figure it out for herself. Which was why he was perfect for the job.
But Severus was busy right now, so that option was out and it was eating away at her.
"Let's talk about something else, maybe something will spark inspiration" She suggested and he nodded.
"Alright, sooo." He shifted, not exactly full of topics for conversation. "May I ask something? If it's not too personal."
"Well that depends on what personal means." She responded nervously, wondering if she had mistaken this man for a gentleman.
"What is your relationship with Severus?" He inquired. "I don't mean to sound rude but from what I recall of him he's not exactly the…friendly type."
"Oh!" Veronica laughed with relief, "Well we're friends. Good friends." She nodded and sat at one of the desks.
"I was just wondering you see because…I overheard from some of the students, not that it's true, that you and Severus last year were…eh…"
"Oh, Oh!" Veronica blushed, "Oh that! Oh that's nothing, it's really a very funny story." She laughed. "You see Lockhart last year had taken it into his mind that Severus and I were…fond of each other." She began and Remus sat at his desk, listening with great interest.
"So on Valentine's Day he decided to send a silly letter to me signed with Severus's name on it. Well somehow it got into the hands of a student I guess because the next thing you know all sorts of stories are flying around about the two of us"
Remus's smile grew at the very idea and Veronica snickered. "Well with all the tension in the school I convinced him to let the rumors fly for a while, to take the edge off everyone and besides I thought they would die down in a week or two…but I guess not."
"I guess not." Remus agreed and Veronica pursed her lips curiously.
"Out of interest, what version did you hear? There're so many I like to keep track of who's thinking what."
Remus thought before making for the door and shutting it tightly. "Well, I don't want to embarrass you…"
"Impossible, I've been subject to so much embarrassment I'm immune" Veronica teased as he swallowed.
"Well, without getting into too much detail. It involved you, Severus, and a broom cupboard."
Veronica's eyes wondered to the ceiling. "Well that narrows it down a bit…did there happen to be a candle involved? Or a silk shawl?"
Remus's eyes widened and Veronica's pursed lips spread into a vicious grin. "Joking" She laughed and Remus's laughed in relief.
"Honestly though you mustn't believe a word of those silly rumors." Veronica assured him "Severus is a dear friend of mine, and we're very frank with each other."
She looked at the clock and smiled. "Speaking of which, I should get going?"
"Inspiration strike?"
"No, it's almost Severus's free period and I promised to meet him." She stood and began to make for the door. "I hope we can talk more soon."
"I feel quite the same way." Remus nodded and watched her go, his mind instantly returning to his work.
The bell rang once more and as students filed out of the dungeon class room Veronica slipped in and leaned on the wall waiting for the raven haired man to notice.
"Having fun yet?" she inquired and Severus sat at his desk with a sigh.
"Enlighten me, am I just an ill-tempered old grouch, or are these children legitimately getting dumber every year?"
"I'm going to say a little bit of both." Veronica approached the desk with a smile. "So I just got finished talking to Lupin upstairs."
Severus resisted the urge to grimace and instead rolled his eyes. "Oh?"
"I guess the rumors from last year aren't quite extinct yet."
The teacher groaned and winced. "Oh God, still?"
"And they're evolving if you can believe it" Veronica laughed. "I might just take one of them and write a romance novel instead"
"Oh no." Severus smirked. "At least wait until you're fifty to become a wash out."
Veronica laughed and leaned on the desk.
"So uh…" Severus thought. "What did Lupin have to say?"
"Not much, we didn't talk long since I wanted to come see you"
The remark sent a flood of smug satisfaction through the man. She like him more than Lupin, she prioritized him over Mr. Wonderful.
Spectacular.
"He told me the two of you went to school together." She added, making all satisfaction leave him in an instant. "Is that why you've been so cold recently?"
"Have I been cold?" He bristled.
"It seems so"
Severus was torn.
He didn't want Veronica to run to Lupin and leave him alone. But if she liked Lupin, and wanted to be his friend it would be cruel of him to keep her from it.
And she still didn't know about it.
Maybe if she knew she wouldn't be so keen to hang around Lupin as much. He pondered, the truth just on the tip of his tongue.
"I know you two might not have been very friendly in the past. But don't you think it would be silly to allow the past to intrude on the present?" Veronica broke into his thoughts with a soft, questioning tone.
He didn't answer and she stood with a sigh. "I'll leave you to your work, I had better get some writing done." She slipped out quietly and Severus watched her go, conflict brewing inside him.
