Chapter seven- ghosts and gryffindors

Distractions, distractions were distractions, if it wasn't Remus then, it was Hagrid, and if it wasn't Hagrid it was another teacher. But now as Athena tried ever so hard to mark her homework for her classes, another distraction occurred.

A soft knock on the door, Athena sighed she'd never get the marking done at this rate.

She walked to her office door and opened it. Hermione granger stood in the door way, her cheeks a soft pink colour and littered with tear stains.

"Hermione" said Athena forgetting her frustration "are you ok?"

Hermione gave a small nodded.

"Why don't you come in?" said Athena standing aside "then we can talk properly"

Hermione hid her face behind the books she was carrying and came into the room.

Athena gathered up the piles of paper on the table and placed them on her already full desk; she sat down and indicated Hermione to sit as well.

"What's happened?" asked Athena she was trying to act concerned

"Ron and Harry hate me" sniffed Hermione

"They don't hate you" said Athena straight out "they're your best friends"

"Ron thinks that crookshanks ate scabbers" Hermione's eyes were turning red as tears escaped "and Harry blames me for having his firebolt taken away from him"

"Well the broom thing…from what I've heard was a very good idea of yours, it could have been sent by black" said Athena she smiled kindly "but I don't know who crookshanks and scabbers are"

"Oh" said Hermione "crookshanks is my ginger cat and scabbers is Ron's rat"

"Ok, so Ron's angry at you for your cat eating his rat?"

Hermione nodded

"Well he does have a right to be angry" Hermione's face turned to stone "but crookshanks was just doing what any other cat would have done"

Hermione smiled softly

"I knew you'd understand…Hagrid does as well…but" Hermione cut herself off

"You needed a women's opinion" said Athena proudly

Hermione nodded again

"Well I'm happy you came to me" said Athena she looked at the stack of paper

"Professor-"

"Athena!"

"Sorry Athena- are you a werewolf?"

Athena looked taken back "why would you ask that?" she said coolly

"Because I did professor Snape's essay and I looked at the Luna charts and well I think professor Lupin is one too. So-er- are you both werewolves?" Hermione asked hurriedly

Athena didn't know what to say "we are" she said flatly "but Hermione you are not to tell anyone!" Athena pointed a finger at her

Hermione nodded "I wouldn't do that" she said kindly "not to you or professor Lupin…you're the best teachers we've ever had"

Athena considered this girl in front of her she must have been the smartest girl in the school.

"And are you and professor Lupin dating?" she smiled afterwards

"You could say, we are" said Athena, truth was they were but without the dates.

"You two make a very nice couple" Athena smiled "I'm going to go now you seem like you need to get on with a lot of work" Hermione indicated the piles of paper.

"You have no idea" said Athena she showed Hermione to the door "stop by any time"

Hermione nodded and hurried away.

Athena didn't return to the piles of paper instead she went to the mantel piece and took a handful of Floo powder from the jar next to her sunflower.

She threw the Floo powder into the fire, and thought of Remus.

"Remus I need to speak to you" she called into the green flames.

A few minutes later Remus emerged from the fireplace

"Yes" he said cheerfully hands in pockets

"Hermione granger" said Athena

"What about her?" said Remus "is it about how awful her name is?"

"No, though Hermione is a nice name but granger" Athena shook her head, stay focused "she knows we're werewolves"

"You told her?" said Remus blankly

"No" said Athena "she worked it out herself"

"Can we trust her?"

"I think we can"

Athena walked hurriedly down to the Quidditch pitch she was running late for the match which was about to start in two minutes, she crossed the lawns and headed up to the teachers stands.

Remus saw Athena's blonde curls before her as her head came bobbing up the stairs; she saw him instantly and took the available seat next to him.

"Cutting it close?" he said

She nodded "sorry I only just finished my marking, only the third years to do tomorrow now" she said her eyes casting across the pitch.

The Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch and the stadium burst into applause.

The Ravenclaw team were already stood there.

The captains shook hands with each other; the teams mounted their brooms and kicked off from the ground.

"They're off and the big excitement of this match is the firebolt which Harry potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to which broomstick, the firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's world championship-" Athena smirked and looked at Lee Jordon who was sat in the front row with McGonagall.

"Jordon would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Minerva

"Right you are, professor- just giving a bit of background information. The firebolt incidentally, has a built in-auto-brake and-"

"Jordan!"

"Ok, ok Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal…"

Katie soared down the pitch and scored the first goal the Gryffindor's went wild. Athena cheered

"I thought you weren't suppose to have favourites" said Remus laughing above the noise

"Screw that" said Athena watch Harry diving for the snitch "we were both once Gryffindor's"

A bludger flew straight at Harry who veered off course missing catching the snitch, the Gryffindor supporters let out a loud disappointing echo of "oooooohhh"

George Weasley took out his feelings by hitting the bludger that almost hit Harry straight back at the Ravenclaw beater.

"Gryffindor lead by eighty points to zero, and look at that firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now. See it turn- Chang's comet is just no match for it. The firebolt's precision- balance is really noticeable in this long-"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Ravenclaw had scored three more goals now; if Cho Chang caught the snitch then Gryffindor would lose.

Every pair of eyes was on Harry and Cho as Harry dived down to catch the snitch.

"He's faking" said Remus carefully watching

"How do you know?" said Athena watching Harry soaring down

"I've watched his dad remember" said Remus

Harry pulled out the dive, a fake snitch grab. Remus held his hands up and shrugged as Athena raised an eyebrow at him.

Harry and Cho were above the pitch now, when Harry accelerated towards the Ravenclaw goalposts. He was gaining on the snitch, but then three black cloaked figures appeared, Cho screamed, Remus and Athena stood up from their seats both holding their breath as Harry performed the patronus charm, and caught the snitch. The dementors fell backwards.

The Gryffindor team attacked Harry with hugs. The Gryffindor supports fled from the stands and all cheered Harry on.

Remus and Athena came up behind the commotion.

"That was quite some patronus" said Remus in Harry's ear

Harry turned round to see Athena and Remus stood behind him both shaken and pleased.

"The dementors didn't affect me at all!" Harry said excitedly "I didn't feel a thing!"

"That would be because they-er-weren't dementors" said Athena "come and see-"

She led Harry out the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the pitch.

"You gave Mr Malfoy quite a fright" said Remus amused

Harry stared. Lying in a crumpled heat on the ground were, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, all struggling to remove them from long black hooded robes.

Minerva was bearing down on the four boys.

"An unworthy trick!" she shouted "a low and cowardly attempt and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to professor Dumbledore about this make no mistake! Ah here he comes now!"

Athena smiled what a great victory for Gryffindor. As the crowds headed back to the school for their party, Athena and Remus slowly wondered hand in hand back up the grass slopes.

They retired to Remus's quarters again, and spent the afternoon there.

Athena lay curled against Remus who had his arms up and hands behind his head

He sighed and Athena knew that sigh

"What's wrong?" she asked looking up at him

"I just can't help thinking maybe I should tell Albus that Sirius is a Animagus" said Remus he stared at the ceiling

"If you feel that its right" said Athena she propped herself up on her elbow one arm hanging over his chest, she saw his face screw up "but that's not just what's worrying you?"

He sighed again and looked at her "I betrayed Albus all those years ago what will he say?-" Athena went to speak "actually hold that-I'll tell you what he'll say he'll say he's disappointed in me for not telling him sooner and what a stupid boy I've been for going around the forest and Hogsemead at night as a werewolf-"

"Shut up!" said Athena sharply

"What?" he said raising himself up a little off the bed

"Just shut up" said Athena she smiled at him stupid man "yes Albus may be disappointed in you but that was over twelve years ago he's not going to blame you, if you did it now he might but not now"

Remus just stared at her mouth hanging open

"Now unless you are going to speak to Albus about this" she used a threatening finger "then I don't want any more moaning groaning or sighing about this because it's not your problem-do you hear me?-not you're problem" she lifted his chin and kissed him it took him a few moments to realise that they were kissing until he pulled away

"I choose the right girl here" he whispered leaning forward to kiss her

She leant back slipping out of bed he fell almost face down onto the bed "but I choose the man that keeps me in bed all day and almost makes me miss dinner" she pointed at the clock and started to dress.

It was about 3'oclock in the morning when Athena went storming up towards the Gryffindor common room, she met Minerva on the way.

"Are they still partying?" said Athena irritably

Minerva spoke the password to sir Cadogan and both teachers entered the Gryffindor common room that was filled with students.

"Now, really, enough's enough!" said Minerva tying up her tartan dressing gown

Athena frowned "I agree with Professor McGonagall, I can here you the floor bellow…Percy I expected better of you"

"I certainly didn't authorise this professors" said Percy puffing up his chest "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare-"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled "PROFESSOR I WOKE UP AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Athena and Minerva stared at him.

"Don't be ridiculous Weasley, how could he possibly have got through the portrait hole?" said Minerva

"Ask him!" said Ron pointing a shaking finger at the back of sir Cadogan's picture "ask him if he saw-"

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Minerva pushed open the back of the portrait and went outside.

The whole common room listened with baited breath

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor tower?"

"Certainly good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan

There was a stunned silence both inside and outside the common room.

"You-you did?" said Minerva "but- but the password!"

"He had 'em" said Sir Cadogan proudly "had the whole week's my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Minerva pulled herself back through the portrait and faced the stunned crowd of Gryffindor's and Athena. She was white as chalk.

"Which person" she said her voice shaking "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the most terrified of squeaks. Neville raised a trembling hand slowly into the air.

"Oh Neville" said Athena putting her head in her hands.

"Longbottom!" Minerva's voice had turned suddenly high

"We can deal with Neville later Minerva" said Athena she turned to the portrait of the men playing chess that hung in the common room "send word across the castle, wake the teachers and the headmaster tell Mr Filch to secure the entrances, we need to find Sirius black before he escapes"

The men playing chess nodded and stepped out of the picture frame.

"Minerva" said Athena turning around "find Albus tell him what's happened"

Minerva nodded and headed out the portrait but stopped mid way "what about the students?"

"the other students will be fine, we'll make sure their safe in their common rooms" said Athena quickly "I'll stay here with the Gryffindor's, send Remus I need to speak with urgently" she looked up at the empty portrait the girl called Violet stepped into the frame been nosey

Minerva nodded, and left.

Athena faced the Gryffindor's "wake anyone who's not awake, tell them to join the rest of the house in the common room" the prefects nodded and hurried off the check the dorms "everyone better get settled we're in for a long couple of hours"

The students sat around the common room talking nervously to each other. Silence only fell when a teacher would enter the room or a picture would relay a message to Athena.

Half an hour later the portrait opened and Remus strode in wand in hand wearing his dressing gown and pyjama bottoms. Athena stood up from the chair by the portrait, she been sat there wand pointed at the back on Sir Cadogan's picture.

"Are you alright?" said Remus he touched her arm, but Athena nodded at the Gryffindor's and they both stepped behind the portrait and out of site

"I'm fine" said Athena "any sign of him?"

"Nothing" said Remus "we've looked everywhere"

"I can't believe he attacked Ron"

"Why would he attack Ron though?" said Remus "why didn't he go for Harry?"

"He might have got the wrong bed" shrugged Athena

"Are you going to be ok here?" Remus asked her

She nodded and rubbed her arms it was a little chilli

"Do you want me to wait here while you go and get changed?" he said looking over her body that he loved so much

"No, I'm fine" she looked down at her navy shorts and blue t-shirt "I think I'm entertainment for some of the older boys"

Remus smiled, and kissed her forehead, none of the students could see them.

Athena walked back round the corner and found Parvati and Lavender waiting for her.

"Is there any news professor grey?" asked Lavender nervously

"Not yet" said Athena "professor McGonagall will tell us when it's safe again"

At dawn Minerva entered the common room, she whispered something to Athena before addressing the Gryffindor's

"It is an unfortunate event, that Sirius black has not been caught" the Gryffindor's groaned "however the fat lady is been reinstated to her job and will be guarded by security trolls…Mr Longbottom I'd like a word with you"

Neville got slowly out of his seat and was directed out of the common room by Minerva.

"It might be best that you try to get some sleep before breakfast" said Athena to the students "you've all got lessons tomorrow, so hurry along" she waited until all the students were in their dorms before leaving.

Athena and the teachers spent most of the next day during lesson hours securing the castle. Athena helped station the trolls outside Gryffindor tower, while the fat lady's portrait was re-hung in its place.