AN!: Here. Have another chapter. i gotta be at my mom's house in like 3 minutes. my dad's yellin at me. aren't divorces fun? peace!
Lupin strode down the halls, his face hard and his step heavy
Lupin strode down the halls, his face hard and his step heavy.
-Damn women. They always have to nose into everyone else's business. - He thought angrily.
He stopped at the stairs to the astronomy tower and walked up, hoping to take points from some unsuspecting couple, but the tower was empty.
He inhaled the cool afternoon breeze. It was…calming somehow. He leaned against the wall, looking down at the grounds. The whomping willow seemed peaceful for once, though he knew better than to assume it would remain that way. It brought back memories of when he was younger. Prodding the hidden knot and sneaking into the Shrieking Shack, playing games with his anamagi friends, biting and scratching himself to keep from hurting others…
He sighed and fingered the bite mark on his neck. He would never be clean enough for her; never pure enough.
He watched the students that were out on the grounds as they were all heading inside for lunch.
He sighed again, turning to leave, when he saw one group of students heading the opposite direction.
He squinted, trying to make out who it was, and then groaned.
-Speak of the devil. –
It was Hermione, Draco, and the youngest Weasley, and they were headed towards the lake.
-I thought Madame Pince heard them break up. Why are they picnicking together? –
He noticed then that Malfoy was not escorting Hermione, he was escorting Ginny.
-Odd. – He thought, amused. –After the rivalry between Lucius and Arthur, this is indeed a unique sight. –
He watched for a while as they ate and conversed.
Ginny and Draco seemed get along quite well from what he could see, but Hermione seemed for the most part, lost in thought. He wondered what she could be thinking about. Him maybe? He left just as a pair of hazel eyes began to follow his retreating back.
She smiled to herself, or at least, she thought it was to herself.
"Thinking about him again?" Ginny asked.
Hermione blushed.
"Maybe," She admitted. "He was up in the tower a second ago. Watching."
"He so likes you." Ginny grinned.
"Who does?" Asked Draco.
"Professor Lupin." Ginny responded.
"Ginny!" Shouted Hermione.
"Really?" Exclaimed Draco.
"What?" Ginny said. "He won't tell." She turned to Draco. "Are you going to tell?"
"Tease, yes. Tell, no." He answered with a smirk.
Hermione shook her head.
"So…" Draco began. "Professor Lupin. He's the guy you broke up with me for?"
Hermione nodded sheepishly.
"Wow. I wouldn't have figured you to fall for a teacher."
"Oh shut up." She said. "I didn't fall for a teacher, I fell for a friend."
"Or at least that's her excuse." Added Ginny.
Hermione glared in her direction.
"Well, does he like you?" Draco asked.
Hermione shrugged.
"How should I know? He keeps changing his mind. One minute we're talking and having fun, and the next he's pushing me away."
"Well, he is a teacher. Maybe he doesn't want to get fired for dating a student." Draco ventured.
"There's no rule against it. I've checked." She stated.
Draco laughed.
"Ever the bookworm. Still though, do you know of any other student dating a teacher?"
"Well, no, but it still doesn't mean that you can't."
"That's not what I meant. Students don't want to be accused of favored grading, do they?"
"Like Professor Lupin would ever do that." Ginny countered.
"Yeah," Added Hermione. "He'd probably have someone else grade my papers if he even thought about grading unfairly."
"Still not what I meant." Draco said exasperatedly. "Maybe he's more worried about your reputation than his."
"I'm not 5. I can handle a little criticism."
Ginny shook her head. "I'm starting to see where Malfoy is coming from. I mean, you're known as a know-it-all. If you date a teacher, everyone is going to wonder how you got that title."
Hermione looked confused for a moment, until comprehension appeared on her face, and her eyes started to mist over.
"I see." She choked out.
"Hermione, we know you're not like that, but there are the Slytherins." Draco looked affronted. Ginny ignored him and kept going. "And all of the people you don't know very well or at all don't have anything to compare to."
"What? So they're just going to believe some random rumor naming me a slut?!"
"Yes. I'm not saying it's right, but it's likely." Ginny finished.
Hermione nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"Gotta love high school." She muttered.
She checked her watch and sighed.
"Time for class."
Draco frowned, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "What's high school?"
