Aurelia straightened her dress and fidgeted nervously while the teachers of Hogwarts spoke quietly behind her outside the Great Hall. The students had arrived at Hogsmeade station and were making their way up to the school.

"Miss Warrington?" Professor McGonagall tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"When Professor Lupin has finished dining you can escort him to his classroom and then to his rooms," she glanced behind her at the numerous Professors who were whispering in hushed tones and throwing furtive glances in Aurelia's direction. Professor McGonagall gave a sharp jerk of her head to an alcove farther away.

"I feel that it's only fair to warn you that many of the professors are…squeamish about Professor Lupin teaching here, despite Dumbledore's assurances they are still rather nervous. They may not treat you as kindly as they have in this past week when Professor Lupin arrives." McGonagall's expression became rather nervous looking as she examined Aurelia and she glanced over her shoulder once more.

"Professor McGonagall, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"Professor Snape has expressed his distaste for Lupin being here-"

"I don't care what he-"

"And you," McGonagall said looking at Aurelia past her square spectacles.

"I haven't spoken to him since I met him my first day here! How can he-?"

Professor McGonagall waved her hand impatiently and firmly grasped Aurelia's arm.

"It has nothing to do with you. Professor Snape and Professor Lupin where students here at the same time. They were in opposite circles and never got along. It's difficult to explain, Miss Warrington and I doubt I'm the person to do it. Just do what you can to…avoid confrontations with Professor Snape. It will be for the best."

"Headmaster Dumbledore!"

Both woman turned to see the twinkling blue eyed wizard sweep majestically into the hall.

"Forgive my tardiness, professors. I was in a rather intense game of Exploding Snap with Peeves. Needless to say he's a rather terrible cheat. Lemon Drop Professor Sprout?"

"Oh, thank you."

"Minerva I expect to hear from you about Mr. Potter by the end of the evening I want to see if the young man is alright."

"Of course, Albus. I'll be sure to inform you when he arrives."

"Miss Warrington, I assume everything is in order," said Dumbledore seriously peering down at Aurelia through his half-moon spectacles as he walked past.

"Everything is taken care of, Headmaster," Aurelia said smiling nervously.

Dumbledore gave her a wink with a reassuring smile and swept into the Great Hall with a colorful flourish of his robes. The professors all fell eagerly behind him but Professor McGonagall did not move.

"Aren't you going in?"

"Oh no. I wait for the first years to be sorted but the other students come in first. Professor Lupin should be along any moment now. Just wait here. Breath dear, I don't have the time to catch you."

"What was that about Harry? Has something happened?"

Professor McGonagall's face twisted and her eyes darkened in anger.

"Dementors attacked the Hogwarts Express before it reached Hogsmeade station. Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead telling me that Mr. Potter fell ill."

"Did Professor Lupin say anything else?"

"No, but I want Madam Pomfrey to look him over before the feast."

Both women looked down the stairs beneath them from their place on the half balcony when they heard the doors below them open with a great groan. A dark silhouette was cast along the window beneath them and as the caster of the figure moved closer the shadow became clearer. It was a cloaked man with a tall incredibly lean stature. When the top of his head appeared it was covered in mousy brown hair and he was dressed in shabby robes.

"Professor Lupin!" called Professor McGonagall and Aurelia noted there was an undercurrent of affection in her voice.

The mousy haired man turned and smiled faintly at the sight of McGonagall before lightly tripping up the stairs to greet her.

"Professor McGonagall, lovely as ever," the man said pleasantly.

"This is Miss Aurelia Warrington, Remus. She's the one Dumbledore wrote to you about."

The man's tired gaze fell on Aurelia and she stared smiling pleasantly back at him. She noticed that his mousy brown hair was peppered with flecks of grey and that a series of faint scars fell across his cheeks. He had kind but piercing grey eyes that seemed wiser than his age, and very sad.

"Hello, sir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," and Aurelia extended her hand forward to the Professor.

Lupin took it easily enough and was surprised when Aurelia gave his hand a firm shake while looking at him directly in his eyes. Her presence did not match her young age; she seemed to be a rather unearthly thing to him and he could not help but notice the maternal kindness in her eyes. Yet as kind as they were they had seen much more than nineteen years should have contained.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Warrington," said Lupin smiling pleasantly down at her.

She's rather tall for a young woman isn't she? Harry is at least a head shorter…

"Please, call me Aurelia. In these circumstances I doubt formality is necessary."

Lupin chuckled slightly and McGonagalls brow jerked sharply to her hairline.

Definitely not the way I was expecting a nineteen year old girl to speak.

"Please follow me, Remus. Your seat is at the table and Dumbledore would like a few words," McGonagall lead the way but Remus waited for Aurelia to go first. When she didn't move he started to speak but she cut him off with her hand.

"I don't dine in the Hall, it's for professors and students only."

Remus nodded past his curious expression and returned Aurelia's goodbye as she turned and walked rather slowly down the hallway, she cast a quick glance behind her shoulder but Lupin had gone already.

Aurelia ate dinner in solitude and read by the fire only returning to the hall when the clock struck eight. She walked rather quickly to the hall, eager to see the intriguing Lupin again.

"These are your quarters here, Professor. They have been placed next to mine for convenience but other than that I won't disturb you," Aurelia promised as she opened his chamber doors with a skeleton key, she turned to hand it to Lupin and she ignored the desire to grab his hand when his fingers brushed hers. Lupin ignored the touch as best as he could but he had already felt the softness of her hand, the warmth of it.

Moony growled.

How long had it been since a beautiful woman had been close to him and known his secret? Never.

"It would hardly be a bother if you visited" Lupin interjected honestly as he looked around his room. It was furnished with dark wood panels and a large table that ran the length of the room. Several bookcases were scattered around the walls and his view could see some of the grounds and the lake.

"Through here is where your bed is and your bathroom," Aurelia said gesturing with a hand to a arched wood door. It was enforced with flat black iron like all the ancient doors of Hogwarts were, but these seemed stronger and more durable. Strong enough to perhaps stall Moony.

Moony growled in a tone that dared Lupin to challenge him.

Lupin laughed and Aurelia looked at him.

"Have I got something on my face?"

"Nothing's wrong with your face…" Lupin assured and he truthfully couldn't find a harsh feature about her.

A young woman as pretty as her must be in love with someone already, she's too young, too whole-

"What?" Aurelia said somewhat sharply, "Is the bathroom a problem?"

"The last time I was here I had to share everything with boys, including bathrooms."

Aurelia looked slightly startled and then made a disgusted sort of face that scrunched her nose in a manner that Lupin found quite attractive.

"Oh, that's rather…repulsive now that I think of it. Well, no worries these rooms are for your own particular use."

"It's a relief to know, thank you," said Lupin pleasantly.

Aurelia smiled and as Remus crouched to examine a row of books on a low bookshelf she wandered to the fire place and stoked it with a poker. She turned to look at Lupin and seeing his slight frame she added another log. He was so thin he looked as though he could barely hold his own body heat.

"Your things should be in here already, excuse me."

Aurelia swept past Lupin to open the door to his room and he caught the faintest of sweet perfumes- he stopped himself when he noticed Aurelia paused suddenly in the doorway of his bedroom. The room was shaped like an octagon with many of the corners acting as shelves and narrow windows on nearly every wall. Her brow furrowed.

Those shelves could be a problem…

"Is something the matter?" asked Lupin as he poked his head in past her and he acted against the instinct to let his nose skim the length of her shoulder.

For Merlin's sake, Moony she's a child!

A very pretty one…

"-about those shelves. I would hate to have to pick out splinters from your hands if you went a little wild during your transformation."

Lupin froze slightly at her mention of his lycanthropy and Aurelia frowned slightly as she slowly turned to look over her shoulder at him.

He's rather close isn't he? Aurelia wasn't complaining, not really.

"I'm sorry. But I would rather have you embarrassed than hurt," she said gently

"No, don't apologize" Lupin said honestly, "I'm afraid that I'm the one that is being rude. I'm simply not used to…it… being dealt with in such a...forthright manner. Especially with a woman," he added somewhat self consciously looking into the fire behind him.

"You mean…you've never told anyone...close to you? In that sense?" Aurelia asked truthfully surprised. He was handsome in a the sense that it wasn't all you could see, it added to the great charm he had about him.

Lupin smiled without mirth at the innocent expression in her wide brown eyes.

"If the world was as kind as you I would have…maybe. I'm too dangerous-"

"You're a gentleman," Aurelia countered.

"-Too poor-" Lupin insisted

"-Money doesn't matter," she scoffed.

"-Too old-" he maintained

"You age like wine."

Lupin laughed this time with authentic enthusiasm and Aurelia glowed at him as she turned down his bed.

He looks his young age with a laugh like that…

"Please, I can do that. You're not my maid," Lupin protested as he walked over to set down a pillow she had taken in her arms.

"You've made me feel more than welcome here. I would hate to keep you from sleep too."

Aurelia glared playfully as she looked about but smiled faintly and touched his shoulder as she past. It trailed along his front till it reached his other shoulder and her fingers gently gave away. It was surprisingly affectionate and a rather wizened gesture. Like something an old coupled would do…

"Goodnight, Professor," she whispered softly.

"Goodnight, Miss Warrington."

"Please, Aurelia," and the door shut softly behind her.

"Aurelia," he whispered faintly as if tasting her on his tongue.

Remus fell asleep in his first soft bed in years.

Moony stayed awake and waited for her.

There was a faint knocking sound that he tried to ignore but it was persistent and highly annoying. He rolled over and was surprised at the softness that he was laying on, at the warmth. Something shook him slightly.

"Professor? Professor?"

Remus was suddenly very alert.

"Aurelia?"

He peered through his tired fogginess to find two round eyes kindly peering down at him. Aurelia held a large steaming goblet that she regarded with distaste. His eyes narrowed at the smell and the muddy liquid whose contents bubbled threateningly.

"It almost looks like Polyjuice Potion."

"Hopefully it doesn't taste that way," Lupin sighed.

"Snape warned me and said that you would have some trouble keeping it down at first," Aurelia said apprehensively, "He also said that sugar made it worthless."

Lupin regarded the goblet in Aurelia's hand with a rather weary expression on his face and when it bubbled at his glare they both jumped and looked at one another.

"I'd offer to chug it with you but-"

"I appreciate the gesture," and in one swift motion Lupin took the goblet and made an effort to swallow it all in one large gulp. It was like rubber and vinegar mixed with slime and cockroach. Aurelia saw his panicked expression and put a towel to his mouth.

"Lupin you have to swallow!"

Lupin gagged and struggled as he pitched himself forward on the bed. Aurelia tilted his head back and Lupin gulped with a great struggle and coughed past the bile that rose in his throat.

Aurelia grabbed the tea she had brought in and handed the cup to Lupin.

"Here, there's no sugar but it may-"

Professor Lupin was already gulping down the hot liquid despite the fact that it burnt his tongue. Aurelia examined him with a frown on her face after he had finished the tea and gave off a few coughs she took the tea cup from him and firmly pushed him back down against the bed.

"Go back to sleep, Professor," Aurelia said softly rubbing his shoulder, "I can wake you for lunch if you'd like. You'll have to take more then, I'm afraid."

Professor Lupin grimaced and he shuddered slightly.

"Thank you," then he blushed slightly, "That was definitely not one of my finest moments."

Aurelia laughed and shook her head.

"I can't even hold that potion without wanting to throw it out the window. I can't imagine what it tastes like. I would say that you took it quite valiantly. Go back to sleep, you still look the undead. Merlin knows your pale enough…"

She turned to leave and it took Remus a moment to realize that she had been holding his hand. So softly in fact that he hadn't even noticed.

His palm tingled where her fingers had been.