3 September 1993

Remus looked up from the table he was working at in the staff quarters. Professor McGonagall had just appeared in the doorway, her eyes glinting.

He sighed, putting down his quill. "Professor—"

"Two days," McGonagall said sternly, crossing her arms where she still stood in the doorway.

"Professor, it's not—"

"Two days," she repeated, sweeping forward and standing over his table. "It's been two days, Remus, since you promised me you would keep things civil."

"I was not the one who was uncivil," Remus said immediately.

McGonagall stared down at him over her square spectacles, looking quite unimpressed indeed. "So you didn't instruct Neville Longbottom to dress his potions professor in a vulture-topped hat and a green skirt?"

"No—well, I did, but—"

"Remus, I must say, I'm quite disappointed," McGonagall shook her head. "Really, I expected better of you—"

"Minerva," Remus rose to his feet. His former professor's first name felt strange in his mouth—but at last, he had her attention. She blinked at him, eyebrows raised. "Regardless of what I said or did, Neville's greatest fear was always going to be Severus. And in order for the Boggart-Banishing Spell to be effective, he was always going to have to turn his Boggart into something ridiculous. Short of denying Neville the opportunity to face the Boggart—which, considering his mindset about wand work coming into my classroom, would likely have done more harm than good—what could I have done? Given the choice between embarrassing a colleague and embarrassing a student, I chose to embarrass the fully grown man who really ought to know better than to treat a thirteen-year-old boy the way that he does."

Minerva stared at him through piercing green eyes for several moments, her expression unreadable. Remus shuffled his feet, but he stubbornly held her gaze, breathing heavily.

Then— "Did you convey this to Severus?" Minerva asked. "Your reasoning, I mean. The story I heard from him at lunch portrayed the incident in a very different light."

Remus sighed, retaking his seat and shaking his head. "Of course it did," he muttered. He glanced up at the deputy headmistress. "And no, I haven't spoken to him. Forgive me, but I didn't much fancy a chat with the man after he blatantly mocked Neville's abilities in front of him, while I was present."

At this, Minerva frowned. She took a step closer to his table. "What?"

Remus arched an eyebrow at her. "Severus left that part out of his story, did he?"

"What did he say?" Minerva asked—and Remus was sure he heard a note of real anger in her voice.

"He advised me—in front of the entire third year Gryffindor Defense class, mind you—not to entrust Neville with anything difficult unless another student is hissing instructions in his ear," Remus said coolly.

Minerva let out a strangled noise of outrage, and Remus looked at her in surprise. Her face had turned pink with anger.

"Unacceptable—completely unacceptable," she said furiously. "I cannot believe—why, the absolute barbarity—!"

"Minerva," Remus would have laughed had he not been so taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor. "Are you—are you all right?"

Minerva looked at him sharply over her spectacles. "Quite," she said curtly, straightening her shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to have a word with our potions master before his classes this afternoon."

Remus shook his head, startled. "I—Minerva, you don't have to—"

"On the contrary," Minerva interrupted, eyeing Remus shrewdly, "I most certainly do. For the fact that you, a Hogwarts professor of three days, understand the duty you have to your students better than a man who has worked here twelve years speaks volumes."

Remus watched, stunned, as Minerva headed toward the staffroom door. Then, at the door, she paused, staring at him over her shoulder for a moment.

"It's been too long since the last time I heard students this excited about Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said softly.

She looked at Remus for a second longer, and he felt his face heating up. Then, she turned and swept out the door, emerald robes rippling behind her.


Author's Note:

'Tis a short one, I know! The next chapter will be longer :)

In other news, thank you all so much for 400 reviews! So much love

Ari