Disclaimer--Nothing here belongs to me--It's for the love of the craft and intended only as flattery. Most of this scene is from PoA and belongs to JKR, who is a MUCH more accomplished writer than me.
Author's Notes--Hard as it is to believe, Ginny's second year is drawing to a close. *sighs* For those of you who are starting to wonder, SoA will be drawing to a close with Chapter 42.
I sHoW nO sHaMe--Sorry for the delay...hope you find this update anyway!
prarabh--I don't know if you'll find this, but thanks for your review of chapter 1! I appreciate it!
SeleneA--Thanks! :-) I hope you're still reading after the wait for this chapter. As for Lupin telling about Black...sort of. *laughs*
Bee11--Tempest was pretty unsympathetic, but I don't think she's a bad person over all...just kind of thoughtless about how it must feel to have a secret revealed like that. You're exactly right about Ginny being so used to Lupin she forgot how others would react. As for Lupin telling Ginny about Sirius...yes and no. *grins and shrugs* Hopefully that will make sense after you read it.
Adrienne--I know how you feel! *hugs* That was quite a wrenching scene! *shudders* Thanks...It's been great to have you so involved with this story...I hope you will be involved with the next one, too. *hugs* I wish I could give you your moment, but I don't really think so...not until the next story..Sorry! *sighs*
EEDOE--It is hard to muster up any sympathy for Snape at all...a temporary disappointment is nothing to ruining something Lupin loved so much. *sighs* I'm torn about Ginny as an animagi...but it does seem likely. I would love to have Lupin back as a teacher, but no matter what he does, having him back in the books would be good! Thanks for all your support...sorry I've been MIA for a while! *hugs*
Bill--I could say the same to you! You've really helped me develop these stories, and I can't thank you enough. I think Ginny's reaction was fairly obvious, and Colin wasn't as distracted as Tempest...I'm glad you think I did a good job with her. I hope you like how I handled Lupin and Black too. *hugs*
**********
Unable to speak, Ginny just shook her head without raising her face. Lupin stroked her hair reassuringly, the gesture surprisingly eloquent. "It's a very long and complicated story and, as much as I might like to explain, I'm afraid I don't have time. All you really need to know for now is that I forgot to drink the potion that controls my transformation last night. Consequently, I very nearly attacked yo--some students. If I'd bitten them--"
"They would have been infected," Ginny said, the words so muffled she wasn't sure if Lupin heard them or felt them.
"That's right," he said, still stroking her hair, as if to comfort himself as much as her. "Being a werewolf--"
//Is the stain of an innocent mistake that could kill anyone--or everyone--around you...the stain you'll spend the rest of your life trying to wash off.//
"If anyone--"
//Had their joy in life tarnished by the constant memories of a mistake they couldn't escape, Spent the rest of their lives haunted every step by the specter of atonement constantly whispering their darkest deeds...//
"I don't think I could live with myself." Lupin finished brokenly.
Ginny pulled away just enough to tilt her head and stare into into his eyes. "I wish..."
Lupin nodded. He could finish her sentences as easily as she could finish his.
"I did it--succeeded at the second step in Occulumency. I mean, I think I did--only for a second," Ginny said incoherently.
Lupin's eyes brightened. "Ginny!"
"You taught me."
"And being a werewolf helped prompt me to do that--so being a werewolf can't be all bad?" Lupin shook his head, but Ginny thought she could see the specter of a smile hovering about his lips.
"You may be a werewolf," Ginny said simply, "but a werewolf isn't you--if you see what I mean."
"You're a bit scary," Lupin said affectionately. "A girl your age...a concept like that.."
"I read it in a book my brother recommended." Ginny shrugged, fighting a smile.
Lupin shook his head again, proudly displaying his own smile. "Why doesn't that surprise me..?"
Ginny gave him the most innocent expression she could manage.
Lupin laughed, and it was an affectionate sound, an amazed sound, an ironic sound, an amused sound. "You didn't find Sirius Black's innocence in a book--even one your brother recommended."
Ginny stared. "Sirius Black's innocence?"
"Sirius Black was taken into custody last night, " Lupin said.
"And the Ministry found him innocent after--"
"Nope...they sent for the dementors to administer the kiss immediately," Lupin said with cold distaste.
"Then he's--"
"He would have been, but he escaped."
"How?" Ginny's head seemed to be reeling...it was all too much to take in...
"How did he escape from Azkaban?" Lupin said. Ginny made a horrible face at him and crossed her arms, but didn't insist on a real explanation.
"But how does escaping--again--mean he's innocent?" Ginny prompted eventually.
"Why he was apprehended makes all the difference," Lupin said pensively, his eyes seeing something Ginny couldn't. "He wasn't after Harry at all."
"Then--"
"He was after Peter."
"Who?" Ginny gave up and started rubbing her temples, eyeing Lupin from between her fingers.
"Peter Pettigrew--the wizard he murdered." Lupin said.
"You mean he didn't--"
"He didn't...he didn't kill Peter...or any of those muggles," Lupin said, and suddenly his whole face was alight.
"But where was Pettigrew--why was Black looking for him at Hogwarts?
"That would be the complicated part. Suffice it to say, I saw himself. And I wasn't the only one. You were right...Sirius Black is innocent."
"Uhhhh....." Ginny said weakly. "I don't know..."
"I know the feeling," Lupin said easily.
"Professor Lupin," Ginny said after a while, "would it bother if I didn't see you off? I'd rather not...I don't think I can...bear to watch you leave."
"It's not goodbye, you know," Lupin said gently. "Only farewell...and the school should be able to find me."
"They'd better," Ginny said flatly. "But..."
Lupin nodded. "Farewell, Ginny Weasley."
"Farewell," Ginny said softly, raising her hand in benediction as she walked away.
Author's Notes--Hard as it is to believe, Ginny's second year is drawing to a close. *sighs* For those of you who are starting to wonder, SoA will be drawing to a close with Chapter 42.
I sHoW nO sHaMe--Sorry for the delay...hope you find this update anyway!
prarabh--I don't know if you'll find this, but thanks for your review of chapter 1! I appreciate it!
SeleneA--Thanks! :-) I hope you're still reading after the wait for this chapter. As for Lupin telling about Black...sort of. *laughs*
Bee11--Tempest was pretty unsympathetic, but I don't think she's a bad person over all...just kind of thoughtless about how it must feel to have a secret revealed like that. You're exactly right about Ginny being so used to Lupin she forgot how others would react. As for Lupin telling Ginny about Sirius...yes and no. *grins and shrugs* Hopefully that will make sense after you read it.
Adrienne--I know how you feel! *hugs* That was quite a wrenching scene! *shudders* Thanks...It's been great to have you so involved with this story...I hope you will be involved with the next one, too. *hugs* I wish I could give you your moment, but I don't really think so...not until the next story..Sorry! *sighs*
EEDOE--It is hard to muster up any sympathy for Snape at all...a temporary disappointment is nothing to ruining something Lupin loved so much. *sighs* I'm torn about Ginny as an animagi...but it does seem likely. I would love to have Lupin back as a teacher, but no matter what he does, having him back in the books would be good! Thanks for all your support...sorry I've been MIA for a while! *hugs*
Bill--I could say the same to you! You've really helped me develop these stories, and I can't thank you enough. I think Ginny's reaction was fairly obvious, and Colin wasn't as distracted as Tempest...I'm glad you think I did a good job with her. I hope you like how I handled Lupin and Black too. *hugs*
**********
Unable to speak, Ginny just shook her head without raising her face. Lupin stroked her hair reassuringly, the gesture surprisingly eloquent. "It's a very long and complicated story and, as much as I might like to explain, I'm afraid I don't have time. All you really need to know for now is that I forgot to drink the potion that controls my transformation last night. Consequently, I very nearly attacked yo--some students. If I'd bitten them--"
"They would have been infected," Ginny said, the words so muffled she wasn't sure if Lupin heard them or felt them.
"That's right," he said, still stroking her hair, as if to comfort himself as much as her. "Being a werewolf--"
//Is the stain of an innocent mistake that could kill anyone--or everyone--around you...the stain you'll spend the rest of your life trying to wash off.//
"If anyone--"
//Had their joy in life tarnished by the constant memories of a mistake they couldn't escape, Spent the rest of their lives haunted every step by the specter of atonement constantly whispering their darkest deeds...//
"I don't think I could live with myself." Lupin finished brokenly.
Ginny pulled away just enough to tilt her head and stare into into his eyes. "I wish..."
Lupin nodded. He could finish her sentences as easily as she could finish his.
"I did it--succeeded at the second step in Occulumency. I mean, I think I did--only for a second," Ginny said incoherently.
Lupin's eyes brightened. "Ginny!"
"You taught me."
"And being a werewolf helped prompt me to do that--so being a werewolf can't be all bad?" Lupin shook his head, but Ginny thought she could see the specter of a smile hovering about his lips.
"You may be a werewolf," Ginny said simply, "but a werewolf isn't you--if you see what I mean."
"You're a bit scary," Lupin said affectionately. "A girl your age...a concept like that.."
"I read it in a book my brother recommended." Ginny shrugged, fighting a smile.
Lupin shook his head again, proudly displaying his own smile. "Why doesn't that surprise me..?"
Ginny gave him the most innocent expression she could manage.
Lupin laughed, and it was an affectionate sound, an amazed sound, an ironic sound, an amused sound. "You didn't find Sirius Black's innocence in a book--even one your brother recommended."
Ginny stared. "Sirius Black's innocence?"
"Sirius Black was taken into custody last night, " Lupin said.
"And the Ministry found him innocent after--"
"Nope...they sent for the dementors to administer the kiss immediately," Lupin said with cold distaste.
"Then he's--"
"He would have been, but he escaped."
"How?" Ginny's head seemed to be reeling...it was all too much to take in...
"How did he escape from Azkaban?" Lupin said. Ginny made a horrible face at him and crossed her arms, but didn't insist on a real explanation.
"But how does escaping--again--mean he's innocent?" Ginny prompted eventually.
"Why he was apprehended makes all the difference," Lupin said pensively, his eyes seeing something Ginny couldn't. "He wasn't after Harry at all."
"Then--"
"He was after Peter."
"Who?" Ginny gave up and started rubbing her temples, eyeing Lupin from between her fingers.
"Peter Pettigrew--the wizard he murdered." Lupin said.
"You mean he didn't--"
"He didn't...he didn't kill Peter...or any of those muggles," Lupin said, and suddenly his whole face was alight.
"But where was Pettigrew--why was Black looking for him at Hogwarts?
"That would be the complicated part. Suffice it to say, I saw himself. And I wasn't the only one. You were right...Sirius Black is innocent."
"Uhhhh....." Ginny said weakly. "I don't know..."
"I know the feeling," Lupin said easily.
"Professor Lupin," Ginny said after a while, "would it bother if I didn't see you off? I'd rather not...I don't think I can...bear to watch you leave."
"It's not goodbye, you know," Lupin said gently. "Only farewell...and the school should be able to find me."
"They'd better," Ginny said flatly. "But..."
Lupin nodded. "Farewell, Ginny Weasley."
"Farewell," Ginny said softly, raising her hand in benediction as she walked away.