A Midnight Note

Yawning, Aurora lay back on her feather pillow, very tired from her busy day. She felt, though, like the old self she had thought was lost. Charms was all fine and dandy, but Defense Against the Dark Arts was where Aurora really shone. Although exhausted, she felt keyed up. She lay her cheek against her cool pillow and tried to calm down.

Thirty minutes later she still was nowhere nearer sleep. Aurora looked out her window and saw the large full moon hanging in the sky, looking at it reminded her of Lupin. He'll never be able to just sit and look at the moon like a normal person...He can't sit, maybe with a girl in his arms, and just stare at it, whispering things in her ear...For some reason this last thought made Aurora feel rather sad and jumping out of bed she put on her slippers. Making her way into the main room of her quarters, she shivered slightly, and grabbed a big, plaid blanket, wrapping herself up in it. Walking over to her desk, she picked up a piece of paper and a quill, and carried them over to one of the window seats. With the moon as her only light, she began to write.


Dear Remus -

I thought I'd write you a quick note to let you know how the first DA meeting went. I missed having you, as did the students.

Aurora paused, talking quietly to herself "'I missed having you'...maybe a little too personal?" She decided that adding that the students missed him to made it less so.

There was a large turnout - 97 hooligans in total! We worked mainly on Shielding Charms, and had a lot of fun cursing brick walls...much easier than having them curse each other, and less work for Madam Pomfrey! Harry, obviously, is very good, although I was pleasantly surprised at how many students are just about at his skill level. They must have a very good DADA teacher.

She stopped again, chewing thoughtfully on her lip, but didn't erase anything.

Next week, when you're there, we can probably tackle more offensive work. I didn't have the courage to deal with ninety-seven students cursing each other all at once! As it seem to be rather late, I will sign of for now. Hope to see you soon!

She signed the note simply not having the energy to decide between Yours Truly, or any number of other possible salutations. She folded the envelope in half, and scrawled Professor Lupin across the front of it. Aurora rose up from her window seat, groaning at her stiff joints, and walked over the her desk. Opening a drawer she pulled out a small, deep purple pouch, and took it, and the letter over to her fireplace. Opening the pouch she sprinkled the letter with some of the light green powder that lay inside of the bag. Almost immediately the letter sprouted small red wings. Aurora softly spoke the words, Remus Lupin to the letter, and flung it into the fireplace. It hovered for a moment, and then sped up the chimney. Yawning, Aurora walked to her bedroom, pausing to look out a window. Good Night, Professor Lupin, she said softly, and crawled back into bed.

***

Lupin was lying on a rug in front of his fireplace, dozing on and off, when something hit his nose. What in Merlin's name? He jerked upright, and saw, lying in front of him, a letter. It was on light blue paper, had small red wings fluttering on its side, and his name written across it in a flowing script. Remus placed a paw on it, which caused the red wings to dissolve away, curious as to who would be sending him letters in the middle of the night. Using his paws and teeth, he managed to get the letter open, and glancing at the bottom of it, his stomach gave a little jolt when he saw who the letter was from. He read it through quickly first and then slowly again, digesting every word. She missed me at the meeting!...Oh course, that could mean she just missed having a fellow teacher there, not me in particular.....But then again she could have missed me....She thinks you're a good teacher! And, old man, she hopes to see you soon!' Remus read the letter a few more times, then lay his head down near it, his breathe making it flutter softly as he drifted off into a sleep filled with with dreams more pleasant than he had had in a very long time.

Breakfast

A few days later Aurora sat eating her breakfast in the Great Hall, all the time scowling heavily at the letter that lay in her hand. Stupid, stupid fools! I'll go to their cursed hearing the day Dumbledore uses a self-spelling wand! She flung the letter back on her pile of mail, still seething with rage until she happened to come upon a letter addressed to her in familiar writing. Sigourney! Aurora opened the letter, written on bright crimson parchment, from her younger sister, twenty-six year old Sigourney Knightly.

Darling!
If you are even reading this letter I will be amazed! Don't get mad now, but father refused to let me use Bogart, every bit of correspondence has to go through his stupid old owl. He says that this is for increased protection against You-Know-Who, but of course it's just because he doesn't want any of us to write to you! But we've fooled him, the old humbug. My personal CB has taken matters into his own hands. He gives Father all that rubbish about how you've gone to the dark side etc, etc, but really he sends the letters to you himself! So, when you write me back, please send it to my FIANCEE. Yes, you did read that correctly! My hand is now adorned with a sparkling little emerald, date to be announced!! Mr. and Mrs. W have been wonderful, and Mother is over the moon. Father...Well lets not talk about him.
You'll be happy to know that the theatre is going great guns (Mother was trying to explain what exactly a gun' was the other day. Apparently it's some kind of killing device...and I always thought Muggles were so tame!). We are staging a series of Muggle plays right now, using only their techniques! Everyone gets a great kick out of the funny things they use. Of course we're a little more used to them, but you should see the laughs we get when a telephone is on set, or when we use ropes to pull up the curtain! Next weeks production is called A Streetcar Named Desire, and I've convinced my FIANCEE (I can't help the capital letters!) to be in it! So now he goes around yelling all day, very amusing....although if he did it at work I'm not sure that the goblins would be too happy!
Enough about me. I want to know how my big sister is feeling! Yes, I know, you don't like to talk about it. But as your sister (and I hope, your best friend) I think I am entitled to know. So please tell me. If not, I will force you to be in our next Muggle play! (It's The Producers and Sky is directing. She is an absolute jewel!). I hear that Mr. R.L Lupin is back as Dark Arts professor. How is he? Some of the girls have told me he's rather delicous.....A tortured soul (which happens to be in a rather nice body) in need of some care and attention....
I better go, my FIANCEE has just arrived and I must go greet him. You know, you ought to fall in love, it's really quite wonderful.
Your sister and LOYAL friend,
Sigourney
PS. Fudge was here again the other day. I refused to even look at him.
Aurora finished reading the letter, feeling much better. Her raven haired sister was one of the few persons Aurora really talked to much any more, and a letter from her was always welcome. Sigourney was the actress of the family, a social butterfly and now soon to be married. My baby sister, married! Mother will be in heaven with a wedding to plan..... Oh, I have to get a gift for Sig...Merlin, I wish I could go home to see her...

Aurora was beginning to feel a bit depressed again, when she looked up and saw Professor Lupin coming into the Great Hall. He looked tired, his shoulders were stooped a bit, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he was very pale. Still he stopped to talk to the students, smiling even at the Slytherin table. As he walked towards the teachers table Aurora had to agree with Sigourney that there was something about him that made you want to look after him. A little of Madam Veena's Fern's Juice would really be very good for him. Oh, and little drop of Worm's Root...Oh for Merlins' sake, you're not his wife, you silly girl! By now Remus had made his way to the head table, and taken a seat beside Aurora.

Professor Lupin, it's good to have you back! Aurora greeted him, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. He's only been gone for four days, Knightly!

Hello Professor Knightly, he replied, feeling much better just looking at the Charms teacher. Defense a little too much for you was it?

Ha! Not in the least, compared to making apples levitate, the Unforgivable Curses were a walk in the park.

Uh huh, well maybe we should trade jobs then.

Oh no, she replied, with a shake of her golden hair, you're far to popular to be replaced. All I heard when you were gone was Professor Lupin lets us do this' and Professor Lupin always say this.'

Remus laughed and shook his head, although it pleased him that he was well liked. He noticed that she had a Daily Prophet sitting in her pile of mail. Changing the subject he nodded at it, Anything interesting in the Prophet today?

I haven't looked at it yet. You can have it, if you want She handed him the wizardry worlds main source of news.

Remus glanced over the first page and then turned to the second page where he saw a headline that caused him to glance sharply at Aurora. Another Unexplained Dementor Attack screamed the headline. He hurriedly read the first paragraph.

In a report unconfirmed by the Ministry of Magic, three Dementors were reported to have attempted to kiss an unidentified person. Witnesses say the Azkaban guards tried to Kiss the female victim sometime between 2:00 - 3:00am on Sunday morning. The attack occurred in Ipswich, near the mansion home of....

Remus broke off reading and, trying to keep Aurora's attention away from himself, he slowly drew his wand out of his robe pocket. Raising it just above the top of the table, he said Abeo Articularis and the offending article changed into a harmless advertisement for Love Potions by Patilla Fodoria. Remus breathed a silent sigh of relief, remember what had happened to Aurora the last time he had mentioned a Dementor in her presence.

Unaware of what was occurring beside her, Aurora turned her head to look at Lupin. So, what earth shattering news has the Prophet reported today?

Remus turned the pages of the newspaper, Mmmm nothing much...Oh wait, here's something. Aurora leaned over his arm as he read her the headline, Hogwarts Alumni Wins First Pro Game.

It's Oliver Wood! Aurora said, looking at the moving picture beside the article. It showed the beaming Scot being flown around the Puddlemore United Quidditch pitch on the shoulders of his teammates. Talking mainly to herself, she said , I thought Bingo had said he was going to keep Wood on the reserve team until last year. I wonder if Fa- She broke off as she realized Remus was staring at her with an amused expression on his face.

You seem very up on the details of the Puddlemore, Professor.

she said, focussing on the plate of breakfast in front of her, I must have read it in the Quibbler.... Her voice trailed off.

Lupin doubted very much that she had. The Quibbler was known for writing such articles as Krum Says He Isn't Dating Natalia or 100 Most Beautiful Quidditch Players, but they rarely printed any news of note. He let the subject drop, though, as Aurora seemed more interested in eating her breakfast than disclosing where she had come across her inside knowledge of Puddlemore United.

A few minutes later, Aurora spoke up, sounding pensive, You know, Remus, I think I ought to have been a Quidditch player.

He raised his eyebrows, I didn't know you were that good.

Oh, no, I didn't mean that I could have played. I just think I would have been less, she paused, searching for the right word,

For a few seconds Remus didn't say anything. He saw she was absentmindedly fingering an envelope that bore the seal of the Ministry of Magic. And, for the first time, he noticed the small dark circles under her eyes, and the tense expression around her lips.

he said finally, I expect that at this moment, if you were a Quidditch player, you would be eating breakfast in your million Galleon mansion, with more Firebolts than you could every use, preparing for a game in which a million adoring fans would be screaming your name. And likely you'd wish you were a teacher at Hogwarts, eating breakfast in the famous Great Hall, he added the last part quickly, with the illustrious Professor Lupin.

She turned her head, and looked at him, taking in his own tired eyes, and his understanding expression. Well you know, she said softly, I think I really would much rather be sitting here talking to the illustrious Professor Lupin, instead of listening to all those adoring fans..

Remus looked at her hastily, and realized she was completely serious. He didn't take his eyes away from hers, and for a few moments they didn't move. In those short seconds something passed between them, a feeling they had been trying very hard to hide....Then a soft tinkling of bells filled the Great Hall, announcing the start of another school day. They both jerked slightly, looking out at the room, as though surprised they were still there. Aurora grabbed her mail, and stood up. She looked down at Lupin.

Well, I, uh I have to be going... Aurora said, feeling oddly warm.

Remus stood up quickly, and looked down at the girl standing very close to him.
Right, uh, you, you have a nice day, Professor Knightly...Aurora... He wondered if he had tied his tie too tightly that morning, it seemed to be choking him.

Yes you too.... she paused awkwardly, Remus..could I have my paper back?

Your paper...? Her Prophet, you idiot, give her the Prophet! He thrust the paper in her direction, speech failing him.

Thanks...Bye then.. She turned slowly to go.

Lupin managed to say goodbye, and he watched her walk down the Hall towards the main doors. What in Merlin's name just happened! She did just say wanted to be talking to me? TO ME?! Calm yourself down, you've got to go teach a class. Merlin, but her eyes.....How's a person supposed to teach when they feel like this? All I want to do is run down after her and gather her in my arms.

Aurora herself was having a hard time getting to her own class. She could feel Lupin's eyes on her back as she walked out of the Great Hall, which seemed to have grown a lot longer than it normally was. Oh my Merlin, there is no way I can walk out of here, my knees are simply not going to hold me up! This is absolutely ridiculous, why do I want to run back to him? Knightly, would you get a hold of yourself! Don't think of the way he looked at you...Oh Merlin, I think I'm going to have to sit down...

Both Aurora and Remus were so caught up in their own disturbing thoughts that they failed to notice the Headmaster and Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts eating their own breakfasts at the long teachers table. As Professor Lupin left the Great Hall, Dumbledore looked down the table at Hagrid, who nodded his head, a small smile visible through his great beard. Dumbledore smiled slowly back and nodded his head in return The both sat back in their chairs, a satisfied expression on their faces.