((A. N. Chapter Twenty-one. Quite a busy chapter and one of my longest too. R&R please!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
Kate x))
Chapter Twenty-one
"Is it Defense first?" Hermione asked, buttering her toast at the Gryffindor table.
"Yep, Moony's favorite…" James yawned.
"Tired much?" Lily smiled, drinking some pumpkin juice.
He smiled at her before returning to his food, only to find Hermione and Remus in deep conversation.
"So Defense is your favourite?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Remus smiled "I love it."
"Have you ever thought of teaching?" She asked, for a split second forgetting who she was talking to.
Remus froze and gulped.
Hermione closed her eyes, silently cursing herself inside for making it awkward
"We need to go. " Lily said, standing
"Yeah… It's time for lessons…" James said, also standing.
The others soon followed suit and walked to the Defense classroom.
"Apparently, we've got a new teacher." Lily said as they queued up.
"Hopefully they'll do a better job than the last one," Remus said "What was her name?"
"No idea," James scoffed "But she was fit- firm! She was firm!" He said quickly, seeing the look that Lily was giving him.
Hermione smiled "Is Sirius always late for lessons?" She questioned.
"No… Normally, he never misses breakfast. Eats like a pig." James answered, looking up as the Slytherins slowly approached.
Hermione spotted someone who stood out from the rest. He had a very pale, sallow face, a large hook nose and greasy hair. Severus Snape.
She saw Lily stiffen slightly as she noticed him too and James put a protective arm around her.
James had a look of pure hatred on his face as he scowled at Snape, a look that Snape was happy to return as he walked over.
Hermione thought intently about what was happening. Then she remembered. He called Lily a… A that. Now she hated him.
"Potter." He drawled, glancing at all four of them with a look of disgust.
"Snape." He scowled, taking a step closer to Lily.
Snape hid jealousy that Hermione knew he allowed before glancing at her "So this is the new Mudblood?" He questioned, a small smirk forming on his face.
"Don't call her that." A voice said from behind him said shortly.
Snape span round.
James grinned.
Remus smirked.
"Black." He spat.
"Snivelius." Sirius said, a scowl gracing his handsome features.
"And what business do you have here? I was simply having a… Chat, when you rudely invaded."
"Oh, well, if you haven't noticed, they're my mates, so their business is my business. And it didn't really look like a chat. Will I have to tell our new professor that you were verbally harassing my friends?"
"I wasn't 'verbally harassing' them." He scowled.
Sirius shrugged "My uncle believes me."
"Your uncle's the new professor?"
"Yep." Sirius said, with an air of triumph.
"Pathetic." He said before walking away.
Sirius made a rude hand gesture at the back of his head before turning to the others.
"You alright?" He asked, though it was mainly directed towards Hermione.
She nodded "I'm fine."
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" James questioned.
"Uncle Alphard wanted me to have tea with him."
'Uncle Alphard…' Hermione thought 'That's who gave him money when he left…'
"Tea?" James grinned "You seriously went for tea?"
"Yes, I went for tea. Now get into class." He said, pushing him forward.
They walked in and sat at a row of desks.
At the front of the classroom, there was a man. He was rather tall and well-built; he had long, dark hair and stormy grey eyes. This man, without a doubt, was Sirius's uncle.
Hermione drew her eyes from him, being reminded too much of Sirius himself, and looked at the book in front of her. She flicked through the pages of the book, some defensive spells jogging her memory from earlier years.
"Quiet!" Alphard demanded, "Read through pages nineteen to twenty-one the break off into pairs to practice basic dueling. I will be walking around and watching. I am expecting some good duels, you are, after all, a N.E.W.T class. This will influence your end of year examination. The more you know, the better you will do. Now, read."
The class read before standing in going into partners. Sirius and James went together, Lily and another girl from her dorm and Hermione and Remus.
"So what did you talk to him about then?" James asked Sirius as they walked away from the desk.
"Nothing." He shrugged.
"Liar." James accused, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well," a deep voice said, the speaker approaching them "He told me about a certain girl."
James looked from Alphard to Sirius and smirked "Fantastic."
"And he also told me that he was hoping to go with her to the ball." A smirk formed on his face.
Sirius scowled at the two of them "Traitor."
Alphard shrugged "Your mate asked, so I told."
"You really like her, don't you?" James said seriously.
"It's... A crush. I'll get over it."
"Mate…" James began.
"The way you talk about her…" The older man continued.
"And look at her…"
"It's not 'just a crush.'" They finished in unison.
"Have you met any of his family before?" Hermione asked Remus as they walked off.
He shook his head "No. He left home in the summer and lives at James'. Alphard gave him some money when he left. He seemed the only one in his family that liked him."
"Oh… The Blacks… Pureblood, aren't they?"
"Yeah, but Andromeda's with Ted Tonks now, a Muggle-born. She's obviously been disowned."
'Tonks' parents…' She thought.
"Right then," Remus said, drawing his wand "Ready?"
"Yep." She smiled, drawing her own.
The two dueled, laughing whilst doing so and not noticing Professor Black walk by, stop and watch.
"Deprimo." Hermione said, forcing Remus to the ground.
Remus smiled up at her and took her offered hand, standing up.
"Nicely done, Miss Granger." He smiled.
"Ah, Mr Lupin, I'm sure I've already told you. The winner is only as good as their opponent." She grinned, putting her wand in her robes.
He chuckled softly "One day, I'll be the one saying that."
"Sure you will." She joked.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alphard could see his nephew with a look in his eyes. That look, Alphard had never seen in his eyes before. And he would do all he could to never see jealously in the eyes so like his own again.