Demorea knocked loudly on Arthur's door before she heard him reply: "Come in." She opened the door and smiled as he gestured for her to take a seat in front of his desk. He smiled hesitantly as he folded his hands together on the table.

"So, Demorea, how's Chet?"

"Fine." She replied, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Anything new?" She sighed.

"Are you about to give some kind of sexual education or something?"
"No, no, no...So, how're your studies?"
"Great, as usual. All Outstandings minus one Exceedes expectations."

"that's good...Really great." He took in a deep breath before looking out the window and turning back to her with a pained expression and she stared at him.

"Are you ok, professor?"

"Yea, I just....have something to tell you that I'm not sure you'll like.."

"What is it?"

"I..Umm....My wife isn't doing well. She's in St. Mungos and they don't know what's wrong with her......I'm resigning. I have to go home and take care of her. My children can't, and I want to be there for her and need to anyway." Demorea sat there for a moment, staring at her fee before looking up and replying quietly: "I can take it fine. If you have to leave for your wife than I have no place to say anything. If anything I admire that you want to help her...But how much longer do you have here?" Her voice had been steady until now, and Arthur could tell though she knew she had no place to be angry he was leaving for his ailing wife, she felt as though she was being left in the crossfire to burn without her beloved and trustworthy teacher, ever getting her out of trouble, and being there to comfort her the way her father would have.

"I'm leaving today, Dem. An old friend of mine, Professor Lupin is taking over my post." he smiled knowingly. "You'll like him. He's like me a bit but he has more similarities with you than I could ever have." She nodded numbly and stood from her chair, moving quickly to embrace him. Her tears were running down her cheeks onto his robe, hot and sadened. She didn't want him to know she was crying, because she felt selfish for being so upset when she knew he had to go....But he knew of her tears and sighed, closing his eyes as he embraced her back.

"Look, I know you have to go because of your wife...And I'm sorry I'm so selfish....But I'm really gonna miss you. Can't I still talk to you? You'll owl right? You'll keep in contact? you won't just forget about me?" She asked, her eyes glistening with tears for losing someone who had been by a landslide as close as her and her father had been. She was losing him all over again, Arthur could tell, and he hadn't having to be the one that broke her already so fragile heart. She'd need Chet to help through this, but Minerva had already informed him of their fight after he had taken Arthur's word and confessed his love for her.

"Dem, it's ok. I'll owl, of course. I wouldn't forget about you...We'll see each other sometimes. I'll come back to check in on everything and you can come by when term ends or weekends...As long as its a good day for Molly. Listen though, I know Chet can help you a lot with this so don't hold anomocity towrds him for confessing love for you at not the most appropriate time. He was nervouse, but he does love you." Demorea nodded and released her hold on her former professor and he sighed, wiping at his own eyes before they spilled over with unshed tears. He walked back to his desk packing up his stuff before looking up at her as she stood there, staring at his desk ildly.

"You know," he began, getting her attention. "You have the right to call me Arthur now." She smirked and nodded.

"I've always had that right." Arthur chuckled and nodded, putting his briefcase on the desk.

"Well now, I guess you have. You make your own rules, I know...But don't forget that I'll always be here to bail you out when you push Minerva too much or screw up with Snape. Perhaps your snogging bouts with Chet...But its our little secret, ok?" She smiled and nodded, huggin him once more before the clock rung quarter after and he jerked his head to the door.

Her fifteen minutes given by Minerva were up....

And she left without looking back...she was unable to.

A\n: While writing this I had the image of when Remus was packing his bags and Harry was angry and upset, yet he felt as Demorea and knew he could do nothing and that it wasn't his place. I couldn't shake the mental image, and hope you all enjoyed.

Please please please review, and drop by ANY ideas...I'm needing and appreciating them already.

P.S: our sermon at church really moved me today, so if ya'll are having problems with sharing your faith, get out there and don't give up. Jesus rewards our good works, and use his words as your tool. If your ever stuck, just open your Bibles...His word doesn't return void.

And a general messege, just have an awesome Sunday and even better Monday.

God Bless

Sarah