Charms class seemed to move by at a snail's pace, and even though Flitwick dismissed us ten minutes early, I still felt as though I had been in that classroom for years. I quickly shoved my book and other supplies into my bag, eager to get out.

"Violet," Professor Flitwick said, tugging on my robe to get my attention. "Could I please have a word with you, in my office?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, feeling my sudden burst of enthusiasm slowly deflating.

"Oh, don't worry," he said, leading the way into the back room. "You're not in trouble or anything. I just have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

"Alright," I said, taking a seat in front of his desk. His desk and chair were considerably shorter than normal, so he could fit in them. The top of his desk only came up to my knees when I was sitting across from him in my normal-sized chair.

"You seem a bit down," said Professor Flitwick. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said. "I just… Have somewhere I need to be, that's all."

"Oh," he said, grinning. "I see. Well, I'll make this quick, then. Violet, as head of your house, it is my responsibility to look out for your best interests, and guide you in any way possible. So I feel like I have to ask…"

Oh shit…

"How many N.E.W.T.s are you planning to take?"

Thank goodness, I thought. "I'm not really sure, Professor."

"Well, I highly recommend taking as many as you feel comfortable with," he said. "I know you were considering taking over your muggle-family business. Is that still a possibility?"

I nodded, "I'm kinda leaning that way, but I'm still not sure."

He nodded back, "Still, it's a good idea to take the exams, in case you change your mind later on."

"I know," I said. "Which ones do you think I should take, Professor?"

"Charms for sure," he said, without hesitation. "You're brilliant in class, Violet. Simply brilliant. And, if I were you, I would defiantly take Potions as well. It's always been one of your strongest subjects. You do relatively well in Transfiguration, Astronomy, and Ancient Runes… You've always excelled in History of Magic, but a N.E.W.T. in that subject is almost useless these days. But if it's something you enjoy, you should go for it."

I sighed, "So, you think I should take all of them? That doesn't really help me narrow it down, Professor."

"Why narrow it down?" he asked. "You're a very bright witch, and if you study hard, you could do well on all of those tests."

But I'm sick of studying! I wanted to scream at the stubby man. "Thank you for your confidence in me, Professor, but I just don't think I can do it all. Not anymore, at least."

He sighed, "It's a shame, what happened to you. You could have done so much with your talent…"

"With all due respect, Professor," I said, trying my best to hide my slight irritation. "I've never been happier. I feel like… Like I can finally live with myself. And that's more important than passing the N.E.W.T.s; at least, it is to me."

Unsuspectingly, Professor Flitwick smiled at me, "Violet Carroll, you really have grown into an outstanding young woman. No matter what you decide to do, I want you to know that I'm proud of you." He held out his hand, and I shook it gratefully. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick," I said. "I'll consider your advice."

When I returned to the dormitories, Jeff quickly assisted me in picking out an outfit. For afternoon tea, Jeff selected a pleated brown skirt and a loose-fitted cream sweater. I donned my Christmas pearls and a brown headband, grabbed the tin full of tea, and set off for Professor Lupin's office. I entered without knocking, which had become my habit. The old phonograph was spitting out scratchy, 1920s swing music.

"Ah, ten minutes early," Professor Lupin said, smiling at me as I entered his office. "Right on schedule. Did you bring the tea?"

"Yeah, right here," I said, placing the decorative tin on the desk.

"I'm heating up the water in the other room," he informed me. "We'll hear the kettle whistle when it's ready. Oh!" He gasped excitedly turning the volume up on the phonograph. "This is a good song. Do you know how to dance?"

I shook my head, "No, I don-."

"Well, it's never too late to learn," he said, pulling me forward. "Not that you're short on time."

"P-professor…" I stammered nervously. For the moment, that was all I could come up with. Why was dancing even more frightening than anything else I'd ever come up against? Couldn't I just battle another boggart? Or have brunch with my stepmother?

"Granted, I only know a few steps, myself…" he admitted. "At any rate, you're supposed to put your hand on my shoulder."

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, placing my shaking hand on his shoulder.

"Of course," he said, resting his strong hand on my waist. He reached down and grabbed my other hand, lacing our fingers together. "Just follow my lead."

"Alright," I nodded. I shouldn't be worried, I told myself, his gentle touch calming me down. It's just dancing. Besides, he seems so excited…

In one abrupt motion, we were gliding across the floor of the cramped office, dancing around the furniture. I kept my eyes on my feet, hoping that if I watched what they were doing, I wouldn't trip.

"Don't look at your shoes," Professor Lupin said softly. "Look at me. Don't worry about stepping on my feet."

"Right…" I said, laughing nervously. I shifted my focus up to his face, studying his features as we moved about. This close, I could see each scar clearly – I even found a few I hadn't noticed before – and I resisted the urge to reach up and trace them with my fingers. Why was everything about him so mesmerizing?

"And every once in a while, you throw in one of these," he said, letting go of my waist and twirling me around. I felt like a ballerina; smooth and graceful. It wasn't a feeling I was used to. I was smiling when he pulled me back, holding my body closer as we continued to move.

This is so nice, I thought. Why was I so apprehensive?

"Then, if you're feeling brave…" he said, smirking as he dipped me, tightening his hold on my middle as he gazed into my eyes.

I gasped, holding onto the front of his tweed jacket. My heart pounded wildly, Maybe this had something to do with it...

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I won't drop you."

"I know," I said, giving in to the urge to caress his face.

I jumped out of my trance as a loud whistle pierced the air. I held my hand over my heart as a voice in the other room screamed, "It's tea time!" Together, the two of us fell to the floor, landing in a tangled pile. My skirt flew up, and I blushed feverishly as I hysterically tried to pull it down, hoping that Professor Lupin didn't see my girly, bunny-printed panties.

If he did see them, he didn't mention it. He stood up, cringing with pain. "Sorry about that. The tea kettle is a bit obnoxious."

"I… I think my heart just stopped…" I mumbled, pushing myself up into sitting position. "Are you alright, Professor?"

"I'm fine," he assured me, offering me his hand. "Are you?"

"Yeah," I said, allowing Professor Lupin to help me up. "I've had worse falls than this. I did play Quidditch for four years. This is nothing."

"Have a seat," he said, pulling a chair over for me. "I'll be right back with our tea."

"I said, 'it's tea time'! Hurry up!" the kettle shouted, letting out another, louder whistle. Lupin and I both threw our hands over our ears, wincing with pain.

"We heard you the first time!" he screamed once the sound had subsided. He grabbed the tea-tin off of the desk and disappeared into the back room.

That was quite an adventure, I thought to myself, rubbing the arm I had landed on. So much for being a graceful ballerina. But it was nice while it lasted.

"Here we go…" Professor Lupin said, returning to the office carrying our tea on a tray, along with a plate of cookies. "I'm sorry I dropped you, Violet; even after I told you I wouldn't."

"Don't worry about it," I said, pouring the tea from the delicate pot into the mismatched cups. "You fell too, so it doesn't count."

"Thank you," he said, lifting his cup and saucer off of the tray. He sipped the tea thoughtfully; I couldn't tell if he liked it or not.

I, however, made no attempt to hide my love of peppermint tea. My first cup was gone in seconds, and my second cup shortly after that.

"Professor, could… Do you think I could ask you about something?" I said, nibbling on one of the cookies.

"Of course," he said, setting his cup aside. "Is something troubling you?"

"No," I said. "Well, sorta… Not so much 'troubling' as 'bothering', really…"

"What is it?" he pressed. "You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know…" I said, clearing my throat. "It's just… I was wondering… I mean, it occurred to me today… What are you doing with me?"

He looked rather confused, "We're having tea, Violet. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"What? No…" I said, shaking my head. "That isn't what I meant, Professor. I meant what are you doing with me… You know, in the general since."

He nodded slowly, "Oh…"

"I'm sorry," I said, reverting back to staring at my boots. "That was a stupid question. You don't have to answer that. I'll shut up now."

He placed his hand under my chin, tilting it up and forcing me to look at him, "Why would you ask something like that?"

I sighed, trying to avert my gaze, without any success. "I don't know," I confessed. "I was just thinking… Out of all the students here… I'm just not that special in comparison."

He sighed, "It's not like I intended to fall in love with a student, you know. This wasn't something I planned; in fact, I tried to pretend it wasn't happening, at first."

"Falling in love," I repeated, not paying much attention to anything he said after that.

"Well… yes," he said, getting up to pace across the office. He stopped at the window, looking at the dreary, snow-covered grounds outside. "I know that probably isn't something you want to hear from a shabby old werewolf, especially at your age. You're young; you have your whole life ahead of you. I understand if you don't want to tie yourself down-"

"No, Professor," I said, practically jumping out of my chair. "That's not what I meant." My hands quivered as I latched onto his arm, "It's just… you've never said that to me before. No one has ever said that to me before. Not like this, anyway."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest, listening to the sound of his heart while he sobbed quietly.

"I love you," I said, feeling my eyes tear up as well. "I think I have for quite some time, actually… Oh, please don't cry, Professor. If you cry, I'm going to cry, and then we'll just be a big blubbering mess."

He laughed, stroking my hair fondly, "Alright. Just… let me hold you for a moment."

I closed my eyes, "Take as long as you want; I'm in no hurry."