Episode Sixty Eight
Gwen decided the best way to deal with her problems was to face them. For perhaps the first time in her life she felt a strong sense of grasping her own destiny. After class with the seventh year students on Friday she asked Harry to have a conference with her.
"I'd like you to meet me in my office after classes today." She said.
"Of course." He replied. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He was excited and nervous and scared all at once, all jumbled together.
When he arrived at her office the door was slightly ajar. Her name was stenciled on the window in gold letters: Assistant Professor G. LeFey. He pushed it further open and was relieved to see that Gwen was the only one occupying the small room, seated behind her desk with parchments rolled out in every direction.
"Take a seat Harry." She said without looking up.
He closed the door quietly behind him and eased into one of the two oak chairs that had been added to her office by a grumbling Filch earlier in the week. He watched as she finished grading the last roll of parchment. It was strange to be sitting across from the woman he loved in a professional capacity. She was being so damned professorial.
"Can I ask why you asked me here?" He started.
She looked up aiming to glance at him casually. She was wearing silver rimmed glasses that slipped down her nose. Her intent gaze over the top of them was not achieving the right effect. She slid them off and laid them on top of the parchments.
"I wanted to speak to you about our relationship."
Finally, he thought. She saw immediately the effect her words had on him and she continued before he could speak. "It simply won't do."
He almost gagged. "Won't do?" He sputtered.
She took a deep breath. She was the professional now, she needed to start acting like it. "I'm sorry Harry, but I'm your professor now."
"Assistant." He corrected.
"Regardless." She said softly. "We can't carry on like we used to."
"We haven't carried on since before the summer."
"I know, but you've been…" What was the right word? She didn't know. "Harry, this is so infuriating."
"You're telling me." He said the shock finally setting in.
"We can't act like we used to."
"You can't act like you don't care."
She looked away from him. This wasn't going at all as she had planned. "Listen Harry, you know damn well I care. It's just that it would be totally inappropriate for us to be seen together. You're my student. This complicates thing inexplicably."
Harry looked at her stoic. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Gwen…" He started.
She looked at him severally. The mention of her name was almost blasphemous. She hadn't meant to anger him, but her appearance did just that.
"God damnit." He yelled. "We said we'd be friends. I agreed to that in lieu of having a romantic relationship with you. You said you needed time to sort things out. I figured the summer, when you didn't owl me once, had given you more than enough time to figure out what you wanted with your life. I guess I was mistaken. Don't worry Miss LeFey. I won't be bothering you again."
He stormed out of her office, slamming the door behind him. Gwen dropped her head to the desk and tried to out pound the raging migraine attacking her temples. Oh Harry, she thought to herself. What have I done?
