I have this worry that I may end this story too early as in the overall chapter count will be lower than I expected. But hopefully I won't, as I love Teddy and Anya. And Gunner. xD Gunner is so great. I just want to give him a big hug. (: Him and Madam Rosmerta make me laugh. I do feel this chapter is a bit... Filler-y. But hopefully enjoyable nonetheless.

Also, because I thought you should know, I sneezed and gave myself a nosebleed in the middle of writing this chapter. xD That is possibly the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me whilst writing. It would've been greatly if this was a really intense chapter and I could claim that the tension may give you nosebleeds.

A Harry Potter Fanfiction

THE WOLF AND HIS MOON

Ted Remus Lupin/OC: Anya-Jeanne Crafting

07. Startled And Confused

Teddy sighed in relief as he stared up at the hideous, ashen gargoyle guarding the headmistress' office, running his fingers through his feathery ebony locks before uttering the password Headmistress Quackenbush had left him. The gargoyle peeled away and as the young wizard made his way through the passage to the office, he wondered why he felt so relieved, so relieved that he had not run into Victoire on his journey through the Hogwarts Castle. Usually he would have been excited to run into her, to press his lips to hers, his hands feeling the dips and curves of her perfect figure, but at that moment, all he did was dread the idea of listening to her and her companions whine over their superficial problems and rave on about men and their male-centred antics.

He shrugged his shoulders as he came to the towering door that led to the circular office of the Headmistress, assuring himself that his anxiety over his very first auror investigation was the source of his bizarre feelings, and his love struck excitement over Victoire would return soon enough. Satisfied with his reasoning, Teddy's fingers grazed the doorknob, preparing to sweep into the room until a voice bled through the door, paralysing his movements.

"And with all these reports of suspicious activity back home, Headmistress, I am starting to worry for our safety." Anya's words flooded over him, his heart aching as her harmonious voice was drenched in vulnerable fear that he wished he could coo away with a soft embrace.

Although he knew it was wrong, Teddy pressed himself closer to the door, listening in on the conversation transpiring within, ensuring that he did not make a single noise to alert the pair to his hidden presence. He felt his gut twist with agony at the sound of the headstrong Crafting girl now filled with fright, her commanding voice quivering with dread.

"Anya, I promise you that you will be kept safe," Headmistress Quackenbush soothed kindly. "Both your mother and I will ensure that no one can hurt you."

"My mother can't protect anyone if she cannot protect herself," Anya sneered venomously, masking her fear with disappointed fury. "And how can I protect her if I am here?"

"Don't worry; you are an exceptionally smart student and your mother would not want your education to suffer on her part," She advised knowingly. "But if it helps calm your fears, I would be happy to allow you to check in with your mother every month, so long as you return to the school the same day or else suspicion will arise."

"Thank you, Headmistress. And if I find something has happened when I check–"

"Then I will take care of everything immediately and you will be excused from classes until the problem can be rectified. Now, the Welcoming Feast will begin soon, you should run along back to the Great Hall as soon as possible," The headmistress instructed sharply before her tone softened with care. "And please remember, your secrets are always safe with me, as are you and your mother, Anya."

Teddy's head spun into a vertigo of puzzlement, questions racing through his mind chaotically as his head pounded anxiously against his chest. Secrets? What secrets could she have to share with the headmistress? And what made her so terrified? She had not appeared that way when Teddy had approached her weeks earlier about the reports. Was she really that scared that something would happen to her mother if there was a creature about? There were no reports of direct attacks on individuals, only sightings and destruction of property, and the muggles seemed more ready to blame others for the occurrences than fear for their own safety.

The knob twisted beneath the buds of Teddy's fingers, tearing him from his swarm of questions as his eyes widened with fright, his tangles becoming a shocked ivory. He leapt back from the door and before Anya appeared in the threshold, he did the first thing he could think of. His build thickened, becoming that of an athlete as his fair skin became lightly bronzed. His eyes moulded into an almond shape, tinged dark chocolate to match his new shaggy hair in colour as it clung to his neck loosely. His plump lips thinned, his high cheekbones becoming less defined, his whole body moulding into a new form until recognisable as the figure of Samuel Wood.

Anya jolted back from the door, her crystal orbs wide as dinner plates in shock at the figure of her fellow seventh year standing before her. She quickly regained her composure, narrowing her eyes into slits as she folded her arms over her uniform-clad chest.

"What the hell are you doing here, Wood?" She snapped in irritation. "Did you actually follow me up here? Or am I blessed to find out that are you finally being expelled for all those nights spent in girls' beds?"

She arched an eyebrow at him impatiently as Teddy dared not open his mouth lest she recognise his voice as anything but that of Samuel Wood. Instead he forced his lips into a smug smirk that the Quidditch star often wore at Anya, attempting to behave as naturally as possible. She rolled her eyes and pushed passed him with a scowl.

"Just leave me alone, Wood, I'm not in the mood for your crap." She hissed over her shoulder before storming out of sight.

Teddy felt his whole body relax, his tensed muscles softened as his appearance slowly reverted to its natural one, his untameable mop of raven falling into his deep emerald eyes as he slumped his shoulders forward, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. As he turned to saunter into the headmistress' room, he jerked back, his heart leaping into his throat as he stared into the headmistress' sapphire orbs, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Mister Lupin, do you not know that eavesdropping is quite rude?" She prodded with a small smile on her rose-coloured lips before she gestured for Teddy to retreat with her back into the office. "I would hope that you do not intend to use that as a technique in your auror business."

Teddy smiled sheepishly as he followed Headmistress Quackenbush into her circular office, the walls aligned with animated portraits of previous headmasters, the room itself littered in an array of leather-bound tomes selected by Quackenbush herself. Her tall, slender figure was drenched in robes decorated in shades of deep azure blue, flawlessly cut sapphires slipped along the shimmer silver necklace laced around her frail neck. Her tumbling silver-tinged ivory locks were pinned up in a bundle of elegant curls, fully revealing her pallid visage to be dotted in several wrinkles that exposed her age. She gracefully swept around her gargantuan desk, perching herself upon her plush armchair as Teddy sat himself in one of the lavish seats across from her, unable to contain his embarrassment over being caught in the act of eavesdropping on her conversations.

"Now why, may I ask, have you visited me this evening, Mister Lupin? Surely you are not just here to imitate my pupils with your metamorphmagus ability." She teased gently as she rested her arms upon the desktop, lacing her spidery fingers together.

"I just wanted to discuss my role here and what access I will have to students and professors in my investigation," Teddy stated with a small, slightly strained smile. "And I assure you, I will not be eavesdropping on any others. I apologise for my actions, I am not sure what came over me."

"Not to worry, I understand. Miss Crafting is quite a brilliant young woman and any interest in her is completely understandable," Headmistress Quackenbush replied coyly, well-aware at the discomfort her words placed on Teddy, lightly chuckling at his expensive as he moved to deny her accusations, holding up a hand to silence him. "Let us not continue that topic any further, back to the matter at hand. I would be happy to allow you access to students in between classes and to sit in on classes to observe, only interrupting when necessary."

"Really?" He blurted in disbelief, although grateful that she was so willing to welcome his investigation into Hogwarts.

"Of course, you see, although I know that you cannot divulge the purpose of your investigation to me nor its details, I do trust that everything is done for the benefit of any of my students involved," She explained trustingly. "And I do know that Mister Potter would not have suggested your presence here unless it was absolutely necessary."

Teddy and the headmistress spoke for a little while longer, discussing his role in greater detail as well as his life after his years at Hogwarts, the conversation becoming more casual with each passing moment, Teddy almost forgetting the embarrassment he had experience at first. He was actually beginning to enjoy their informal exchange when she cleared her throat, changing the subject away from Teddy's taxing first year of auror training.

"I am afraid I have to leave, the Welcoming Feast will begin in mere minutes," Headmistress Quackenbush piped, glancing at the clock with a shake of her head. "You really do lose track of time the older you get. Will you be joining the students at the feast?"

"I'm afraid not, I had better find the other auror trainee who came here with me." Teddy admitted, remembering that he had left Gunner amongst the horde of returning students to locate Professor Plumly.

"Ah yes, Gunner Macmillan. Very well then, it is best that you do not leave him to get lost in the castle, particularly when the stampede of students is let out of the Great Hall following the feast." She replied with a chuckle.

"That's true, I'd best be off immediately in that case," He joked back, climbing to his feet as he spoke. "Thank you for your time, Headmistress, if my presence here or Gunner's ends up causing any problems with anyone, please do tell us immediately and we will sort it out."

With that, Teddy politely bid her farewell, swiftly making his way out of the room until her words halted him mere millimetres from the door.

"Before you leave, Mister Lupin, I advise you that it would do well for you to visit Professor Slughorn tomorrow." She mused puzzlingly before shooing him out of the room, his handsome features twisting with confusion at her ambiguous suggestion.

Rolling his eyes at her words, Teddy turned his back to the room, gently shutting the door behind him as he did so, only to nearly leap back into it with a startle at the short, curvaceous figure of Anya-Jeanne Crafting standing before him. He mentally cursed himself as he stared down at Anya in shock, irked that everyone seemed to be startling him at any given chance today.

Her thin eyebrows were drawn together over her sky blue orbs as they narrowed into a suspicious glare with her lips pursed together into a frown completely her irritated expression. Her arms were folded over her chest once more, but her hands were curled into tight fists, as if preparing to plough one through Teddy's fair visage at any moment. Even with her clear aggravation at his presence, Teddy could not help but find Anya utterly adorable, inspecting her features in awe, wanting nothing more than to run his fingers through her silken ebony locks, caressing her flawless fair flesh, pressing his lips to her plump, glossy ones.

Teddy physically shook his head, silencing the thoughts, disgusted with himself for thinking such things when he had a girlfriend, an exceptionally beautiful one who he was completely devoted to. At least he used to be. Anya's infuriated voice sliced through his frantic thoughts as she snarled up at him, her sleek wand held tightly in her right hand.

"You better tell me what on bloody earth you are doing here right now, Teddy, or I will make sure you regret it."