Remus began tidying up the classroom as Harry left. Harry had really made progress on his patronus. James and Lilly would've been proud. It was a very difficult spell, and Harry was the second person to ask for help with a patronus, Liv was the first.

He sighed. Liv… He had mixed emotions about her.

He missed her. She'd been strangely distant since they got back to school. He'd kissed her last time they were alone together at New Year. He thought she'd want to spend more time with him after that, not less.

In some ways he was relieved Liv wasn't flirting with him. If they were caught, that could be very bad for both of them. He didn't exactly regret kissing her, but it probably wasn't a good idea to encourage intimacy between them.

And then he was confused too. Liv had blown up at him in his last class. He had to give her detention. What else could he do? He had to show some authority. But then she didn't even show up to detention.

He was beginning to worry about her. Remus had asked Flitwick and Snape if she had been turning in her homework to their classes, and they both said no and that she had even skipped several classes. He said she'd skipped detention with him too. Snape suggested he should put her in detention every night this week.

He might have tried, but Liv was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't at meals or in the corridor. He'd checked the hospital wing, she wasn't there. He'd even casually asked her friends who said they hadn't seen much of her either. In fact, the last time he'd seen her was when he gave her detention 6 days ago.

And why was Liv acting so strange? Was it something to do with him and what happened at New Year? Was it something to do with her dysfunctional family life?

He had to get to the bottom of things. He needed to ask her directly what was going on.

He sighed again. He left the classroom his mind in a million places. Minerva turned the corner.

"Remus, have you seen Potter," she asked hurriedly.

"He just left, he's heading back to the Gryffindor Tower." Remus paused. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Potter's Firebolt," Minerva said gleefully. "It's finally ready! Just in time for one final quidditch practice too. I can't wait to see the look on Filius and Severus' faces when they see."

She hurried off toward the Gryffindor Tower. That was definitely good news. He'd heard about the Firebolt. He felt a little more cheerful as he made his way down the corridor thinking about the upcoming quidditch match.

Liv had momentarily left his mind. But not for long. As he entered the grand staircase, he saw Liv two floors down.

"Liv," he called out to her.

She looked around and caught sight of him. She appeared to be in a good mood. "Good evening, Professor Lupin," she called up to him.

"I need to speak with you," he called back, taking the staircase down a floor.

Liv also took a staircase in his direction, but as she climbed, it changed directions at put her on the path of the opposite direction. "Damn these moving staircases. I'm still getting the hang of them," she said.

"Wait there, I'll come to you," he said taking another staircase to get to her. But it was too late. Liv got on another one in his direction.

"Hang on, I think- nope, that wasn't right," she said as the staircase took her a whole floor above him now. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"You skipped detention on Saturday," he said running up yet another staircase.

"I'm sorry, sir. I know I haven't exactly been myself the last few weeks." Liv tried again to get down to him. This time they ended up on the same floor but in different corridors.

"You still need to make up the detention," Remus called across to her. "Don't move." Remus took the next staircase down and up again coming to the corridor where Liv stood waiting. "I want you to come to my office tomorrow evening after dinner."

"Still need that gindilow tank cleaned out," Liv asked.

"No, I think we'll do something a little different for detention tomorrow. Can you come around 7 o'clock?"

"I'll be there," Liv said smiling. A staircase slid up to the end of the corridor. "I have to go now. If I don't make this staircase I'll be lost for at least another 20 minutes."

"But you will come this time," he asked as her staircase left the landing.

"I wouldn't miss it," Liv said.