THC
Hufflepuff
DADA Professor
Round 5, Year 8
Standard
Words: 1,291
Prompts: (Event) Bonfire Party
(Emotion) Jealousy
A/N Thank you so much to my wonderful teammates, without whom I wouldn't have had the inspiration to write this story. Also, this is an AU in which Remus Lupin is a professor during Tonks's seventh year at Hogwarts.
Remus Lupin was jealous. Not only that, he was furious at himself because he knew he had no right to be jealous. After all, Nymphadora Tonks was his student, so by law, he could not be in a relationship with her.
So, needless to say, the normally happy man was extremely grumpy.
Hogwarts was hosting a bonfire to celebrate the end of winter exams. The students would be returning home for the holidays the next day. Remus had originally been looking forward to the festivity, but that was until Tonks showed up with a student who Remus deemed not good enough for the young Hufflepuff.
Remus glared across the fire at Tonks and her date, not that either of them noticed their professor's sour mood.
Severus was sitting beside Remus and was suspiciously happy. "My, my, Remus. Seems like you have a problem on your hands."
Remus aimed his glare at Severus. "Don't start with me, Severus. I'm hardly in the mood."
"So I noticed," Severus mumbled with a wicked smirk. "Perhaps I could offer some advice."
"If you do, I swear I will pull a page out of Sirius and James's book," Remus growled.
That shut Severus up. Well, for the time being.
"It does no one any good to have you here when you're in a foul mood," Severus stated an hour later.
Remus took a swig from his glass of butterbeer, wishing it was firewhiskey. "Too bad. I'm staying."
"I would assume you're not going to leave until she does?" There was no need to mention her name; they both knew perfectly well who she was.
"I am not in the mood. Leave me the hell alone, Severus," Remus all but yelled, angered further when he saw the young man kiss Tonks. "He's not good enough for her. Why can't she see that?"
"And you are?" Severus asked with a quirked eyebrow. "Have you forgotten your furry problem?"
Remus was instantly filled with guilt and shame. "How could I when it's destroyed so much of my life?"
"Do you really want to bring that kind of shame and misery into Tonks's life as well? You know how to handle everything that has happened to you, but she sure as hell wouldn't know where to begin."
Remus sighed and put his butterbeer down. "You're right, Severus. And with that, I think I'll take my leave. Thank you for your enlightening words of wisdom."
Just as he was leaving, though, Remus saw Tonks pushing her date away, and, seeing red, he rushed towards them.
Nymphadora Tonks was frustrated. No, scratch that, she was pissed. With her parents, with Todd trying to make out with her in some secluded part of the castle, but most of all with Remus Lupin, who had played her heart like a damn fiddle.
Tonks specifically brought Todd to the party because she knew how much he displeased Remus. It was her plan to purposefully make him jealous so that he would finally make a move on her.
To say Tonks was elated when she saw the look on Professor Lupin's face when she showed up to the bonfire would have been a sore understatement. A thrill went up her spine every time she caught him glaring at them, but she played it cool and pretended not to notice his sour mood.
Tonks watched with interest as Remus and Snape had an intense conversation. After a few minutes of heated debate, Remus sighed and stood up to leave. Tonks was disappointed that he was leaving so soon.
However, her disappointment soon gave way to fear as Todd started groping her. She tried to push him off, but he clung to her like a leech.
"Let go of me, Todd!" Tonks exclaimed, desperately trying to get away from him.
Before she could even bat an eyelash, Todd was being yanked off of Tonks. She looked up, only to find none other than Remus Lupin holding Todd by the scruff of his shirt. Everyone in attendance stopped what they were doing to watch the commotion.
"I do believe Miss Tonks told you to stop, Mister Smith," Remus growled. "You will be serving detention with me for the entirety of the first month of next semester for your misconduct. Do I make myself clear?"
Todd's eyes widened in fear. "Y-yes, Professor."
Remus let go of his shirt. "Now, leave. I don't want to see you until next year."
Todd scampered away, not waiting to be told twice.
Remus turned to Tonks, concern etched on his face. He kneeled down in front of her and looked her over for any injuries. "Are you alright?"
Tonks glared at him. "I don't need you to protect me, Professor. I'm fully capable of protecting myself."
"That's clearly not the case, considering I had to rip him off you."
"Whatever," Tonks mumbled, then left before he could say anything else.
The next morning at breakfast, Tonks refused to even look at Remus because she was so furious with him. She glared at her plate, wishing her best friend had stayed for the holidays so that she wouldn't have to weather the misery of her shame alone. Also so that she wouldn't have to hide in her dormitory alone. She didn't want to risk crossing paths with her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Tonks knew she wasn't upset with her professor; she was quite thankful for what he had done for her the night before. She was angry at herself for putting herself in that situation. However, she took it out on Remus because he had been the one to save her at her weakest of moments.
As Remus was leaving the Great Hall, he stopped behind Tonks. "Miss Tonks, I would like to talk to you in my office once you've finished eating," Remus stated, leaving no room for her to argue.
"Yes, Professor," Tonks grumbled as she stabbed at a piece of sausage with her fork.
Remus winced but walked away without saying anything else.
Tonks took as long as she justifiably could to finish her breakfast. However, she knew that she eventually had to face her professor, so she left her unfinished plate at the window and headed to Professor Lupin's office.
The door was slightly ajar when she got there, so she knocked lightly on the frame. Remus called her in immediately. She closed the door behind her out of habit.
"Ah, Miss Tonks. I was beginning to think that you had blown me off," Remus said lightly.
Tonks was determined to look anywhere but at him. "The thought certainly came to mind."
Remus sighed and moved to stand in front of her. He gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "We cannot keep playing this little game of ours, Tonks."
Tonks's eyes shone with defiance. "I've no idea what you're talking about, Professor."
"I'm sure that isn't the case. However, even if it is, we need to stop dancing this waltz of ours. We cannot keep going on like this."
"With what?" Tonks asked innocently, batting her eyelashes.
"Don't make me say it, Nymphadora," Remus growled.
Tonks narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't call me Nymphadora. It is a ridiculous name."
"I think it's rather beautiful, actually," Remus said without thinking. When he realized what he said, he cleared his throat and said, "Last night at the bonfire made things abundantly clear. We are two flames dancing around each other. We cannot be together. It's best we stop whatever this is before we risk both of our reputations."
Tonks felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Your wish is my command, Professor."
She left the classroom in a hurry, not wanting him to see her cry.