Chapter 3
The teachers preparing for a new year
Fransisca took the steps leading up to the castle in almost one long stride. She couldn't describe how much she was looking forward to this. But as she made to open the double oak doors they sprung open and out came someone she had only written to and seen once or twice in person, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Venara.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Fransisca.
"I was going to see if you were coming, as the matter of fact," replied the other woman. Fransisca had always looked upon her with deep envy, not because she had a certain unearthly glow in her pale skin, but because she did not look her 43 years of age. Fransisca hoped that she could look like that eighteen years into the future.
She cast a sideways glance at her as they climbed the steps once inside the castle. The other woman didn't look a day older than she did, there was not a scar, not a single flaw in her perfect creamy white skin, not a single broken strain of hair in that waist-long golden hair of hers. Everything was perfect about her, apart from the dirty headband she wore, a headband that had once been white, but was now covered by dust, blood and God knew what.
But what Fransisca envied most of all was Venara's temper. The woman remained calm in every single situation. Nothing seemed to neither scare her or anger her. But she seldom seen the woman smile, never seen her laugh.
Venara pushed open the double doors to the Great Hall and lead the way inside.
All the teachers were gathered in the Great Hall, but not at the teachers' table as they were when there were students present, but around at the different school tables in a way that the students would never imagine. Dumbledore was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, but he was facing away from the table with his elbows on the table.
Snape was sitting on the Slytherin table in a lotus position.
"Hope he doesn't break a wind," whispered Fransisca to Venara as they entered. "For the students' sake" she added when she saw that her little joke didn't catch on with the other woman.
"Welcome," said Dumbledore and made to get up, but Venara barely elevated her hand to sign for him to remain seated.
Fransisca noted that Snape's face turned frightfully pale and his lips tightened as he stared at Venara. She cast a glance at her and noted that she remained the same, why wasn't she surprised?
They both walked up to the headmaster and sat down at the same table.
"You summoned us?" said Venara.
"Yes, we have gathered to discuss the curriculum."
Fransisca frowned slightly, but Venara remained the same.
"I have made perfect plans and are not about to change them, sir."
"We are in a tight fit, not sure in which direction we are going to lean in sense of teaching" said McGonagall.
"The Ministry is still trying to interfere at Hogwarts" said Snape calmly. "You two are living proofs of that."
"With all due respect, Severus, I know where my loyalty lies" replied Venara.
"What the devil is that supposed to mean?" he sneered at her.
Dumbledore was about to say something, but Venara beat him to it.
"That means that I am not here to run to that poor excuse of a Minister Britain has for every single little detail. I will not contact him, that is not why I am here, I am here to teach the students of this school. That is why I accepted this job."
"Hear! Hear!" squeaked Flitwick.
Snape looked a little taken aback and Dumbledore looked more than content at the reply his Potions Master had received.
"It was not an attack at your past" she continued. "I know what lies buried in the past and I more than want to keep it buried in the past. What is done is done and I hold no grudge. I suggest that you don't either or anger and hatred will consume you completely. We will not see that happen, will we?"
There was a veil of silence that fell over the Great Hall until Dumbledore spoke.
"What we want to decide is whether we continue in the direction this school has always headed steadily throughout every year or if we should take a different turn."
"I can't see why" muttered Fransisca and all eyes fell upon her.
"I quite agree" said Venara. "I haven't crossed the ocean to breed an army, I crossed the ocean to teach them about the things they need to know. What they use those things for later is up to them."
The others turned their heads to Fransisca to hear what she had to say about it.
"Well, it's like Venara said, isn't it? We can not breed an army that will go out to battle. We cannot fill their heads with propaganda neither in favour or against the Dark Lord. What ever we decide to do the children are bright enough to make up their own minds. Bottom line is that if we try to do one thing the students may want to do quite the opposite. It is not in our job description to shape their minds. I say that the school should continue like it has in all years. No matter what we do they will be able to chose for themselves. It is illegal and immoral to fill their heads with propaganda. They have a natural fear for the Dark Lord and we really shouldn't do anything to increase that fear. These young boys and girls are one day going to be out there on their own and we shouldn't scare the living daylights out of them."
"Last time no one knew really what was going on, no one knew to what extent-"
"This is a school, Severus" said Dumbledore calmly to Snape. "This is not a recruit office for the Anti-Voldemort-Army."
Several of the teachers turned away to hide their smiles. Venara, however, remained as if nothing funny had been said at all.
"I am sure everyone appreciates why you have brought this up, even I lost a friend to the Death Eaters, that is still not a reason to change the curriculum. We have to act natural or a panic may break out, as Fransisca indicated. Who brought this up, anyway?"
"Fudge!" all the teachers chorused.
Venara looked at Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow. "I see, and how many is in favour of this?"
"Severus."
Venara looked at him.
"Overruled once again," he sneered.
Fransisca was tempted to say 'tough luck', but let it be.
"Severus also had a problem with hiring you" said Flitwick. "Can someone please cast light over why that would be?"
Fransisca knew that none of them would ask such a question if times were normal, but this wasn't normal times. She cast a glance at the person whom the question had been directed at and saw for the first time that she was smiling.
"Severus has never liked me or trusted me because I was the best female friend Sirius Black had. We all know about the tension between Slytherin and Gryffindor already in those days. And I also know that he desires the job for himself."
"That question was out of line" said McGonagall.
"Not at all, Minerva" said Venara. "They know that they can ask me whichever question they want and I will seek to answer adequately." She looked directly at Snape. "The fact that I left just before the Potters were murdered and didn't return till Lord Voldemort had regained his powers. I can see why he is suspicious to my intentions and my loyalty and that there is nothing I can say or do to ensure him."
"There is one proof" said a voice from over by the doors and before neither Venara nor Fransisca had turned a large bird soared through the air and landed softly on Venara's shoulder.
"Fawks" said Venara softly and patted the phoenix's breast.
This made Snape's face turn even more closed.
"Good enough for me" said McGonagall and the others nodded.
Finally Venara got around to look over at the door and the look that made her made her rise to her feet. Fawks took off and landed on Dumbledore's lap.
She stood like frozen to the ground as the man made his way over to her and threw his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him and Fransisca could swear she saw a tear in the corner of her eye as she whispered something into Remus' ear.
He whispered something back at her as he released her. He turned to the rest of them. "You told me to come.?"
"Yes, it's this matter of-"
A crash, as if someone had just broken glass, came from somewhere above the teachers. Before anyone could say anything at all both Venara and Lupin had got to their feet and bolted out of the Great Hall.
They both ran upstairs and found the same young man as Fransisca and the gang had met in Diagon Alley, Marco Tyler standing beside a broken window.
Venara looked him straight in the eye like a parent would look like a disobedient child. "Where are the others?" was the first thing she asked.
"You know that I respect you and that is why I stayed behind." He didn't turn his gaze. "There were no others."
Venara looked from him to Lupin. "Marco Tyler, the reason why you are here." She stepped over to the window and looked down. She then turned back to him. "Are you not a bit old for this kind of mischief?" With a flick of her wand she repaired the window. "I'll let this slide, but for further references we do not play football in the halls of Hogwarts."
There was a fragment of a smile in the corner of Lupin's mouth as the boy strode off. apparently he didn't want to know why Lupin was there although Venara had said it was because of him.
Venara released a sigh. "What are you smiling about?"
"You have matured an awful much since last we met."
"The only barrier I had was maliciously torn down when I was almost bodily removed from Britain. I regret that I left when I now see what has become of all of you. It pained me, the news of what happened at the Ministry last spring."
"That's why you're wearing black?"
"I am entitled to grieve like anyone else. I loved him as much as you did, I only wish he let me have a choice."
"It was for your own good, if the secret had reached Voldemort."
"Well, it didn't. Nor did it reach Pettigrew. I knew that he had framed Sirius for the murder all those years ago when I saw the picture of the Weasleys in the Daily Prophet. I could have done something, but I was denied the right."
"Dumbledore knows."
"Of course he knows, you nitwit, he's my granduncle."
He turned his head to face her and noticed that she was smiling. "So," he said and returned the smile. "Why have I been summoned?"
"Very funny, there is no need for you to mock the way I talk."
"They took you back, did they?"
"Naturally, they never turn their backs on one of their own. Never has, never will."
"Still wears that old headband. How long are you planning on wearing that?"
"Till his body is dust in the ground." She met his gaze. "But we have more pressing matters, will you please accompany me to the Shrieking Shack?"
He pressed the palm of his hand to his chest and pretended like he was shocked. "Why, Miss McStar, I thought we were going to keep this relationship at a friendly level." He felt his stomach do a somersault as he said it, apparently he felt more than that. The sudden anticipation of being completely alone with her and the mental image of him and her on the bed in the Shrieking Shack made his heart beat twice as fast.
No, he couldn't even touch her. If he brought that kind of shame down on her, if he violated her that way, even if it was voluntarily, he couldn't do that. He had to keep this to himself. The repercussions she could get were too severe for him to risk it. That was probably why Sirius hadn't made a pass at her either, that dog he was.
She smiled at him, as calm as ever, probably oblivious to what he had said or ignoring it. "There is a new werewolf at Hogwarts this year, Marco. I need for you to go with me down to the Shrieking Shack and make sure that what I have installed will keep."
Lupin looked a bit offended for some reason. "I trust you have heard of the Wolfbane Potion?"
She sighed. "It's no use, we tried. He is allergic to most things but himself. This is the only option we have."
"So, dropped the fancy talk now, have we?" he asked as they made their way back down the stairs.
"Who am I fooling? You'd see through me like I was made of glass."
"I told some of the sixth graders that they were in for a treat getting you to teach them."
"A treat?" She met his gaze. "Well, I will run them hard and I will teach them what they need to know in the spirit of true learning." She pushed open the front door. "I will be firm and I will give detention to those I feel deserve it, I will make no difference."
"He's not like James," said Remus with a smile as they made their way towards the Womping Willow.
"I hoped you were going to say that. Still." She looked towards the large tree. "I will let them know what I am all about."
Once they were inside the Shrieking Shack Lupin inspected the large cage she had constructed there.
"I know the twins" she said as an explanation to what it was doing there. "The Shack is so frail that a major wind will blow it to match-size pieces. Tell me that this is not a bad idea."
When Lupin was through checking and double checking the cage to drag out the time he had with her he finally met her gaze. "It's not a bad idea."
Why the hell did he had to have these feelings for her? Why did he care about her after all these years, after they both had probably changed so much? Nothing has changed said a voice inside his head. You loved her all those years at school and never dared tell her because you were afraid of what He would think about it. You were afraid that you would lose a friend if you became more than friends with her. If you had told her she may never have followed his advice and left. If you had told her you might not have been alone today.
He watched her looking at the cage. Her beauty was beyond compare, her waist-long wavy golden hair, her full blood-red lips and those intense emerald green eyes were enough to melt even the thickest iceberg. A man that couldn't fall for her couldn't have blood in his veins.
Then a thought struck him; what if she was married? What if she was married and had a flock of children? He had to ask. "So," he said and cleared his throat. "What happened to you after Sirius chased you out of the country?"
"He didn't chase me" she replied calmly. "I went back to my family with the children, stayed there for a while till I found an open post at the Ministry and took it. I was demoted because I stood up against the Minister and I had to work in some dusty old office where I worked for keeping all the magical beings satisfied, keeping them from rebelling against the Ministry. I was a success and received a presidency within that department, rest is history."
"So, you ever married?"
She found that an odd question coming from Lupin. She had always looked upon him as the subtle one, the calm and polite one, not one for plunging out with questions like that unless there was something behind it. She kind of hoped there were something behind it, but thought that was too much to hope for.
She had always kind of fancied him, had fantasies about him and hoped that he would notice her back in the school days. She could not have told him this because it was not only inappropriate for a woman in her society to do so, but because she was destined to marry someone else.
Well, she had resisted that man till the day he had died and now she was free as a bird. Still she feared telling him about this, it could scare him away from her. Few people knew what she really was, what title she held. If he knew she knew that would scare him away from her.
"No" she replied. "Never found the right one."
He nearly breathe a sigh of relief at those words. "Look, I-"
"We should go back to the castle" she broke him off. It pained her to do so, but she didn't want to get her hopes up as the conversation lead in a direction that just might do so. She didn't want to get her heart broken by someone as kind, gentle and attractive as Remus Lupin, the only one she had ever had this type of feelings for.
"Yeah, we should." He was a little taken aback by this sudden cold shoulder and drew the conclusion that she didn't like the direction the conversation was going, didn't like his questions, didn't like him more than a friend, why else would she cut him off so abruptly?
The walk up to the castle was done in painful silence from both parts.
When she saw him leave later that day, after dusk, her heart had never been heavier and she secretly hoped he would be back soon. Maybe then she would have the guts to throw aside everything and tell him exactly what she felt, even though that would been banishment, even if it meant giving up on everything and that her own father would turn his back on her.
Till next time.
The teachers preparing for a new year
Fransisca took the steps leading up to the castle in almost one long stride. She couldn't describe how much she was looking forward to this. But as she made to open the double oak doors they sprung open and out came someone she had only written to and seen once or twice in person, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Venara.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Fransisca.
"I was going to see if you were coming, as the matter of fact," replied the other woman. Fransisca had always looked upon her with deep envy, not because she had a certain unearthly glow in her pale skin, but because she did not look her 43 years of age. Fransisca hoped that she could look like that eighteen years into the future.
She cast a sideways glance at her as they climbed the steps once inside the castle. The other woman didn't look a day older than she did, there was not a scar, not a single flaw in her perfect creamy white skin, not a single broken strain of hair in that waist-long golden hair of hers. Everything was perfect about her, apart from the dirty headband she wore, a headband that had once been white, but was now covered by dust, blood and God knew what.
But what Fransisca envied most of all was Venara's temper. The woman remained calm in every single situation. Nothing seemed to neither scare her or anger her. But she seldom seen the woman smile, never seen her laugh.
Venara pushed open the double doors to the Great Hall and lead the way inside.
All the teachers were gathered in the Great Hall, but not at the teachers' table as they were when there were students present, but around at the different school tables in a way that the students would never imagine. Dumbledore was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, but he was facing away from the table with his elbows on the table.
Snape was sitting on the Slytherin table in a lotus position.
"Hope he doesn't break a wind," whispered Fransisca to Venara as they entered. "For the students' sake" she added when she saw that her little joke didn't catch on with the other woman.
"Welcome," said Dumbledore and made to get up, but Venara barely elevated her hand to sign for him to remain seated.
Fransisca noted that Snape's face turned frightfully pale and his lips tightened as he stared at Venara. She cast a glance at her and noted that she remained the same, why wasn't she surprised?
They both walked up to the headmaster and sat down at the same table.
"You summoned us?" said Venara.
"Yes, we have gathered to discuss the curriculum."
Fransisca frowned slightly, but Venara remained the same.
"I have made perfect plans and are not about to change them, sir."
"We are in a tight fit, not sure in which direction we are going to lean in sense of teaching" said McGonagall.
"The Ministry is still trying to interfere at Hogwarts" said Snape calmly. "You two are living proofs of that."
"With all due respect, Severus, I know where my loyalty lies" replied Venara.
"What the devil is that supposed to mean?" he sneered at her.
Dumbledore was about to say something, but Venara beat him to it.
"That means that I am not here to run to that poor excuse of a Minister Britain has for every single little detail. I will not contact him, that is not why I am here, I am here to teach the students of this school. That is why I accepted this job."
"Hear! Hear!" squeaked Flitwick.
Snape looked a little taken aback and Dumbledore looked more than content at the reply his Potions Master had received.
"It was not an attack at your past" she continued. "I know what lies buried in the past and I more than want to keep it buried in the past. What is done is done and I hold no grudge. I suggest that you don't either or anger and hatred will consume you completely. We will not see that happen, will we?"
There was a veil of silence that fell over the Great Hall until Dumbledore spoke.
"What we want to decide is whether we continue in the direction this school has always headed steadily throughout every year or if we should take a different turn."
"I can't see why" muttered Fransisca and all eyes fell upon her.
"I quite agree" said Venara. "I haven't crossed the ocean to breed an army, I crossed the ocean to teach them about the things they need to know. What they use those things for later is up to them."
The others turned their heads to Fransisca to hear what she had to say about it.
"Well, it's like Venara said, isn't it? We can not breed an army that will go out to battle. We cannot fill their heads with propaganda neither in favour or against the Dark Lord. What ever we decide to do the children are bright enough to make up their own minds. Bottom line is that if we try to do one thing the students may want to do quite the opposite. It is not in our job description to shape their minds. I say that the school should continue like it has in all years. No matter what we do they will be able to chose for themselves. It is illegal and immoral to fill their heads with propaganda. They have a natural fear for the Dark Lord and we really shouldn't do anything to increase that fear. These young boys and girls are one day going to be out there on their own and we shouldn't scare the living daylights out of them."
"Last time no one knew really what was going on, no one knew to what extent-"
"This is a school, Severus" said Dumbledore calmly to Snape. "This is not a recruit office for the Anti-Voldemort-Army."
Several of the teachers turned away to hide their smiles. Venara, however, remained as if nothing funny had been said at all.
"I am sure everyone appreciates why you have brought this up, even I lost a friend to the Death Eaters, that is still not a reason to change the curriculum. We have to act natural or a panic may break out, as Fransisca indicated. Who brought this up, anyway?"
"Fudge!" all the teachers chorused.
Venara looked at Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow. "I see, and how many is in favour of this?"
"Severus."
Venara looked at him.
"Overruled once again," he sneered.
Fransisca was tempted to say 'tough luck', but let it be.
"Severus also had a problem with hiring you" said Flitwick. "Can someone please cast light over why that would be?"
Fransisca knew that none of them would ask such a question if times were normal, but this wasn't normal times. She cast a glance at the person whom the question had been directed at and saw for the first time that she was smiling.
"Severus has never liked me or trusted me because I was the best female friend Sirius Black had. We all know about the tension between Slytherin and Gryffindor already in those days. And I also know that he desires the job for himself."
"That question was out of line" said McGonagall.
"Not at all, Minerva" said Venara. "They know that they can ask me whichever question they want and I will seek to answer adequately." She looked directly at Snape. "The fact that I left just before the Potters were murdered and didn't return till Lord Voldemort had regained his powers. I can see why he is suspicious to my intentions and my loyalty and that there is nothing I can say or do to ensure him."
"There is one proof" said a voice from over by the doors and before neither Venara nor Fransisca had turned a large bird soared through the air and landed softly on Venara's shoulder.
"Fawks" said Venara softly and patted the phoenix's breast.
This made Snape's face turn even more closed.
"Good enough for me" said McGonagall and the others nodded.
Finally Venara got around to look over at the door and the look that made her made her rise to her feet. Fawks took off and landed on Dumbledore's lap.
She stood like frozen to the ground as the man made his way over to her and threw his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him and Fransisca could swear she saw a tear in the corner of her eye as she whispered something into Remus' ear.
He whispered something back at her as he released her. He turned to the rest of them. "You told me to come.?"
"Yes, it's this matter of-"
A crash, as if someone had just broken glass, came from somewhere above the teachers. Before anyone could say anything at all both Venara and Lupin had got to their feet and bolted out of the Great Hall.
They both ran upstairs and found the same young man as Fransisca and the gang had met in Diagon Alley, Marco Tyler standing beside a broken window.
Venara looked him straight in the eye like a parent would look like a disobedient child. "Where are the others?" was the first thing she asked.
"You know that I respect you and that is why I stayed behind." He didn't turn his gaze. "There were no others."
Venara looked from him to Lupin. "Marco Tyler, the reason why you are here." She stepped over to the window and looked down. She then turned back to him. "Are you not a bit old for this kind of mischief?" With a flick of her wand she repaired the window. "I'll let this slide, but for further references we do not play football in the halls of Hogwarts."
There was a fragment of a smile in the corner of Lupin's mouth as the boy strode off. apparently he didn't want to know why Lupin was there although Venara had said it was because of him.
Venara released a sigh. "What are you smiling about?"
"You have matured an awful much since last we met."
"The only barrier I had was maliciously torn down when I was almost bodily removed from Britain. I regret that I left when I now see what has become of all of you. It pained me, the news of what happened at the Ministry last spring."
"That's why you're wearing black?"
"I am entitled to grieve like anyone else. I loved him as much as you did, I only wish he let me have a choice."
"It was for your own good, if the secret had reached Voldemort."
"Well, it didn't. Nor did it reach Pettigrew. I knew that he had framed Sirius for the murder all those years ago when I saw the picture of the Weasleys in the Daily Prophet. I could have done something, but I was denied the right."
"Dumbledore knows."
"Of course he knows, you nitwit, he's my granduncle."
He turned his head to face her and noticed that she was smiling. "So," he said and returned the smile. "Why have I been summoned?"
"Very funny, there is no need for you to mock the way I talk."
"They took you back, did they?"
"Naturally, they never turn their backs on one of their own. Never has, never will."
"Still wears that old headband. How long are you planning on wearing that?"
"Till his body is dust in the ground." She met his gaze. "But we have more pressing matters, will you please accompany me to the Shrieking Shack?"
He pressed the palm of his hand to his chest and pretended like he was shocked. "Why, Miss McStar, I thought we were going to keep this relationship at a friendly level." He felt his stomach do a somersault as he said it, apparently he felt more than that. The sudden anticipation of being completely alone with her and the mental image of him and her on the bed in the Shrieking Shack made his heart beat twice as fast.
No, he couldn't even touch her. If he brought that kind of shame down on her, if he violated her that way, even if it was voluntarily, he couldn't do that. He had to keep this to himself. The repercussions she could get were too severe for him to risk it. That was probably why Sirius hadn't made a pass at her either, that dog he was.
She smiled at him, as calm as ever, probably oblivious to what he had said or ignoring it. "There is a new werewolf at Hogwarts this year, Marco. I need for you to go with me down to the Shrieking Shack and make sure that what I have installed will keep."
Lupin looked a bit offended for some reason. "I trust you have heard of the Wolfbane Potion?"
She sighed. "It's no use, we tried. He is allergic to most things but himself. This is the only option we have."
"So, dropped the fancy talk now, have we?" he asked as they made their way back down the stairs.
"Who am I fooling? You'd see through me like I was made of glass."
"I told some of the sixth graders that they were in for a treat getting you to teach them."
"A treat?" She met his gaze. "Well, I will run them hard and I will teach them what they need to know in the spirit of true learning." She pushed open the front door. "I will be firm and I will give detention to those I feel deserve it, I will make no difference."
"He's not like James," said Remus with a smile as they made their way towards the Womping Willow.
"I hoped you were going to say that. Still." She looked towards the large tree. "I will let them know what I am all about."
Once they were inside the Shrieking Shack Lupin inspected the large cage she had constructed there.
"I know the twins" she said as an explanation to what it was doing there. "The Shack is so frail that a major wind will blow it to match-size pieces. Tell me that this is not a bad idea."
When Lupin was through checking and double checking the cage to drag out the time he had with her he finally met her gaze. "It's not a bad idea."
Why the hell did he had to have these feelings for her? Why did he care about her after all these years, after they both had probably changed so much? Nothing has changed said a voice inside his head. You loved her all those years at school and never dared tell her because you were afraid of what He would think about it. You were afraid that you would lose a friend if you became more than friends with her. If you had told her she may never have followed his advice and left. If you had told her you might not have been alone today.
He watched her looking at the cage. Her beauty was beyond compare, her waist-long wavy golden hair, her full blood-red lips and those intense emerald green eyes were enough to melt even the thickest iceberg. A man that couldn't fall for her couldn't have blood in his veins.
Then a thought struck him; what if she was married? What if she was married and had a flock of children? He had to ask. "So," he said and cleared his throat. "What happened to you after Sirius chased you out of the country?"
"He didn't chase me" she replied calmly. "I went back to my family with the children, stayed there for a while till I found an open post at the Ministry and took it. I was demoted because I stood up against the Minister and I had to work in some dusty old office where I worked for keeping all the magical beings satisfied, keeping them from rebelling against the Ministry. I was a success and received a presidency within that department, rest is history."
"So, you ever married?"
She found that an odd question coming from Lupin. She had always looked upon him as the subtle one, the calm and polite one, not one for plunging out with questions like that unless there was something behind it. She kind of hoped there were something behind it, but thought that was too much to hope for.
She had always kind of fancied him, had fantasies about him and hoped that he would notice her back in the school days. She could not have told him this because it was not only inappropriate for a woman in her society to do so, but because she was destined to marry someone else.
Well, she had resisted that man till the day he had died and now she was free as a bird. Still she feared telling him about this, it could scare him away from her. Few people knew what she really was, what title she held. If he knew she knew that would scare him away from her.
"No" she replied. "Never found the right one."
He nearly breathe a sigh of relief at those words. "Look, I-"
"We should go back to the castle" she broke him off. It pained her to do so, but she didn't want to get her hopes up as the conversation lead in a direction that just might do so. She didn't want to get her heart broken by someone as kind, gentle and attractive as Remus Lupin, the only one she had ever had this type of feelings for.
"Yeah, we should." He was a little taken aback by this sudden cold shoulder and drew the conclusion that she didn't like the direction the conversation was going, didn't like his questions, didn't like him more than a friend, why else would she cut him off so abruptly?
The walk up to the castle was done in painful silence from both parts.
When she saw him leave later that day, after dusk, her heart had never been heavier and she secretly hoped he would be back soon. Maybe then she would have the guts to throw aside everything and tell him exactly what she felt, even though that would been banishment, even if it meant giving up on everything and that her own father would turn his back on her.
Till next time.