.Chapter 7.
Remus knew the moment she entered the room.
He had deliberately avoided watching the door, so he did not see her walk in. He couldn't quite say which of his senses had detected her presence. All he knew was that one moment he had been talking quite normally to Professor McGonagall, and in the next, the hairs on the back of his neck were prickling and of its own volition, his posture straightened slightly. His head turned, and there she was.
She was wearing dark blue robes, unpretentious and simple. Her dark hair was braided and wound up in a thick loop at the nape of her neck. She still looked a little strained, but she smiled when Dumbledore stepped forward to greet her and the action softened the tension in her features, giving observers an unexpected glimpse of the beauty which her habitual expression of wary exhaustion concealed.
Remus turned back to Professor McGonagall and tried to pay no more attention to the stranger, but he could not seem to resist watching from the corner of his eye as Dumbledore offered the woman his arm with extravagant charm, and began to lead her about the room, making introductions. Focusing on the Headmaster's genial baritone, Remus caught the words "Elena Greenstone . . . our newest addition . . . a lucky find . . . haven't had a competent Charmer on staff for twenty years . . . "
So, she was to be a teacher. He wondered how he felt about that. Before he had a chance to decide, he saw that Dumbledore was already steering the young witch towards him and Professor McGonagall, smiling as his eyes twinkled merrily. Unconsciously, Remus gripped the goblet in his right hand a little tighter.
"Minerva," the Headmaster said beneficently, addressing the older professor first, "I would like you to meet Elena Greenstone, a very gifted Charmer who was kind enough to agree to my request that she visit our school in a teaching capacity. Elena, this is Professor Minerva McGonagall, our Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts and the head of Gryffindor house."
Professor McGonagall smiled slightly, but her expression remained stern. She offered the younger witch her hand, and Elena took it. They shook firmly, holding one another's gaze, each taking measure of the other. Whatever McGonagall saw she must have liked well enough, because a moment later she nodded as though something had been confirmed between them. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Greenstone."
The new witch shook her head. "Just Miss Greenstone," she corrected quietly, "I have no official academic training."
Professor McGonagall's eyebrow quirked, and she shot a swift glance at Dumbledore, whose beaming smile did not falter. "Miss Greenstone is with us to instruct the students in ways of the Charmers," he said, pre-empting his colleague's questions. "Only this morning she was kind enough to give me a demonstration of her skills, and I could not fault them. I think she will be a fine teacher, and a welcome addition to our staff here."
Remus observed the exchange very carefully, unable to help noticing that Miss Greenstone had not looked once in his own direction. Whether this was the result of shyness or a show of deliberate hostility he did not know. Perhaps she had been told now of his affliction, and was embarrassed? Or even worse, afraid?
He would soon know for certain. He had a lifetime's experience in reading the emotions of strangers from the smallest flickers in their expressions. When you were a werewolf, it helped to know where you stood with people.
Then Dumbledore turned to face him, and the woman turned with him. She looked up into his face, and her expression immediately became guarded and a little uncertain. "Miss Greenstone, this is Professor Lupin. He's rejoining us here at Hogwarts after a year's absence as the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher, a position he'll be sharing with Professor Moody. Professor Lupin, this is Miss Greenstone."
Gravely, Remus extended his hand. "Miss Greenstone," he acknowledged, nodding slightly.
Her gaze flickered down to his outstretched hand. She hesitated briefly, then seemed to steel herself and slipped her hand into his. His fingers curled around hers, and he was astonished to feel the rough texture of callouses on her palm.
She lifted her gaze and looked at him directly, her blue eyes locking with his grey. "Call me Elena," she said quietly.
He nodded once. "Remus," he indicated to himself.
And that was when she smiled.
The lines of strain and wariness faded instantly. Remus's breath caught in his throat, and his heart lurched painfully. Beautiful…
Somewhere off the his right, he registered Dumbledore's low chuckle.
Turning slightly away from the pair he had just introduced, the old Headmaster addressed the rest of the room. "Esteemed colleagues, it is time for us to proceed to the Dining Hall where the students await the start of a new school year, no doubt with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Now, Professor Lupin, if you would be so kind as to release our new teacher, I intend to beg the role of her escort to the Welcoming Feast."
Remus and Elena dropped one another's hands so fast it was nothing less than comical. Remus was sure he could feel his face heating up, and his only consolation was that none of the other staff seemed to have noticed their small breach of conduct. If they had, they were doing a very good job of pretending obliviousness.
Elena, for her part, managed to keep her expression blank and fought back the urge to blush. With studied calmness, she turned to slip her hand onto Dumbledore's proffered arm, took a deep breath, raised her chin, and walked with him through the enormous oaken doors that opened into the Great Hall.