This chapter follows the events (sort of) in the original book. Meaning the Hogsmeade weekend and Harry's conversation with Professor Lupin. Only in my story Lierin joins them.

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Chapter 13

Interlude

Ancient Magical Artifacts and Defence Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favourite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Heartilly and Professor Lupin.

Draco just couldn't forgive Professor Heartilly the fact that she'd changed him into a crystal statue (he found out because the Gryffindors wouldn't let him hear the end of it) and he choose to forget the fact that the only one he could really blame for that was himself. Professor Lupin's main sin was the fact that he was as poor as a church mouse. No one else seemed to care though that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed for his next few lessons were just as interesting as the first, and Professor Heartilly's lessons were just as exciting.

Most students were fond of Care of Magical Creatures as well, after learning how to take care of Pearlypods they were spending their lessons on more interesting creatures. Harry, Ron and Hermione expected that Professor Heartilly had something to do with it, and they were grateful that Hagrid had decided to listen to her so he wouldn't confront them with some hideous creatures.

Only Potions and Divination scored very low with the students. Potions of course wasn't a surprise, with the vindictive Potion Master and his vile nature. But who could have imagined that Divination wasn't very well liked by the students. Who wouldn't like to be able to predict the future? Actually, Harry, Ron and Hermione wouldn't. Hermione even went so far as to drop out of class. She thought it was a waste of her time since it wasn't an exact science and most of it was just guessing. Harry and Ron took a disliking to it because this year Professor Trelawney had chosen Harry as the student who would tragically die by the end of that year. Every class had one of those 'ill-fated' students, but none of those predictions ever came true.

At the start of October, Professor Heartilly seemed very excited about the approaching Quidditch season and she had asked Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor team, if it was okay that she would attend their training sessions. Of course Wood gladly obliged her. Though lately she hadn't been sleeping well at all- nightmares kept harassing her but she never could remember what they were about- this didn't prevent her from training with the Gryffindor students.

It did require a lot of pain relieving potions though, because she couldn't fly one hour without tremendous bolts of pain shooting down her leg. But, sometimes- if her leg would allow her- she would even train with the team taking up her old position as a Chaser and she laughed when she heard the Weasley twins whisper that she was 'bloody brilliant' on a broomstick. Soon she spent a lot of her free time on teaching Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell her own invented 'Charging Bull' manoeuvre. The excitement of it all pushed her fascination for Serena Romero and the Goblet of Might to the background.

Oliver Wood was thrilled to say the least and he soon named the Charging Bull their new secret weapon.

But soon the students also had something else to look out for, their first Hogsmeade weekend was coming up together with the Halloween feast . Only teachers were allowed to go to Hogsmeade on a regular base, but for students it was a highlight in their school year. On Halloween morning Lierin paid a visit to Remus. She knew what Hogsmeade was all about and since she didn't need anything, she decided to spend some quality time with her 'brother'.

"You shouldn't be teasing Snape so much," said Remus with a twinkle in his eyes as he was looking at her stuffed vulture hat. When Lierin had found out about Neville's Boggart in her brother's class, she had erupted in a fit of laughter and had laughed for hours on end. She couldn't resist of course and didn't plan on letting Snape live through it. She had been shamelessly making fun of him by appearing at dinner with that dreadful hat a couple of times. Much to the amusement of the students of course.

"Oh come on Remus, the greasy git deserves it," said Lierin but she couldn't repress a blush staining her silky cheeks. Remus noticed and he smiled.

"Are you keeping something from me?" he asked inquisitively and Lierin broke their eye contact as she started to blush even more. Should she tell him? Should she tell Remus that a month ago she and Snape had kissed each other and that she didn't know how to deal with it? Or worse, should she tell Remus she was dreaming about Snape kissing her again....and again.....and again? It was all so very confusing, even for herself.

When she had first come back to Hogwarts she had expected that she and Snape would continue in the same spiteful way as they had before, and at first they had. She couldn't deny however, that his lips placed on hers had felt deliriously good and that she very much wanted a continuation. And the evening he had told her about Serena Romero, he seemed so very vulnerable. Somehow it seemed as if she was suddenly much more aware of him. Whenever she was near him, she could feel the energy in his powerful, athletically built body that was intensely male. An intensity that was, for lack of another word, sexual. When he was near her, all of her senses were off beat and that was what unnerved her about him, his powerful sexuality and the effect that it had on her. No, he wasn't what you would call incredibly handsome, but there was something about him that attracted her to him like a moth to a flame, even though she was very well aware of the fate of a moth.

She had always claimed him to be a stuffy, greasy git who never took the liberty of a refreshing shower, but now she noticed that his hair wasn't greasy because he didn't wash it, but that his hair was oily due to the damps of his potions which settled in his hair and skin while he taught Potions day in and day out. The same potions that gave him that incredibly masculine scent which made her senses twirl.

"Now I definitely know you're keeping something from me," said Remus with a chuckle when he noticed that dreamy look in Lierin's eyes.

" Oh Remus, just let it rest okay?" said Lierin, obviously annoyed.

"Hmm, have you heard from Charlie lately?"

"What? Oh, no. Not recently."

"So, I guess that means the goblet is still safe?"

Hearing him mention the goblet made Lierin grasp at her golden necklace.

She pulled it out and watched the large ruby dangle at the chain. Funny how she hadn't thought about that dreadful thing for a while. That must be because of her sleeping problems and her 'issue' with Snape. She wondered if Dumbledore would allow her to stay at Hogwarts during the summer holiday because at this rate, it didn't seem likely that she would find the counterpart for the Goblet of Might before term was over.

"Yes, it's safe for now. Though Charlie did say that a young man was showing a peculiar interest in the goblet. According to him, this young man has visited the museum at least every day for weeks on end."

"Sssh, someone's out there!" Lierin didn't ask how Remus knew. He was a werewolf after all so he probably had better senses than her.

"Harry?" Remus called and soon the small figure of Harry appeared at the threshold of his office, looking quite depressed and alone.

"What are you doing? Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade. Hello, Professor Heartilly," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice. Lierin smiled endearingly at him.

"Why don't you come in? We were just about to enjoy a cup of tea. Can I interest you in a cup of tea as well?" Remus said, looking around for his kettle.

"All right," said Harry awkwardly. Remus tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.

"Sit down," Remus said, taking the lid off a dusty tin.

"I only have teabags I'm afraid- but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"

Harry looked at Professor Lupin, whose eyes were twinkling and Professor Heartilly couldn't stifle a laughter.

"How did you know about Professor Trelawney's predictions?" Harry asked.

"Professor McGonagall told us at dinner," said Lierin as she took the liberty to pass Harry a chipped mug of tea.

"You're not worried, are you?"

"Ehm, no not really."

"Good, back in my old days at Hogwarts she was always predicting my death and since I never took her seriously, her predictions became more and more gruesome. I still have to get ripped apart by a werewolf," Lierin said cheerfully and for some reason that made Professor Lupin choke on his tea.

"You were a student at Hogwarts as well?" asked Harry.

"Certainly, and so was Professor Lupin. I graduated eight years ago, I was a Chaser in the Gryffindor Quidditch team you know."

"No wonder you are so great with a broomstick. Did you really invent the Charging Bull yourself?"

"I guess, kind off. It was more of an accident really. I was flying straight towards the opposite Chaser, who was in possession of the Quaffle, I was merely trying to get her to chicken out on me, making her move out of my way but she didn't. So, we were about to collide when I tried to stand on the broom, I did that a lot in those days, Charlie called it 'broomsurfing'. Anyway, I was standing on the broom and decided to jump over the other Chaser, so when she was nearing on me, I kicked the broom forward, jumped over the Chaser and landed on my broom again. In the meanwhile, the broom had knocked the Quaffle right out of her hands and Charlie was able to snatch it out of the air. He named that manoeuvre the 'Charging Bull' ever since."

"Wait a minute! You were in the Quidditch team with Charlie Weasley?" asked Harry in shock.

"The one and only. He was my best friend in those days, we were inseparable."

"I have to tell Ron!" said Harry, obviously impressed and he drank a bit of tea.

"Say hello to him then. Well Harry, it was great seeing you in a less formal way, but I really have to go now," said Lierin and she smiled warmly at him.

"If you need me, you know where to find me." Lierin said to Remus, who nodded indicating he understood what she was trying to tell him. No one but Remus knew about it, but Lierin had taken a liking to passing her time in the Owlry. Most of the time it was a peaceful place where she could marvel at the beauty of Hogwarts' surroundings. Ever since she didn't sleep well, she went up there trying to straighten her thoughts. She often thought about her life, about Remus, but also about Snape, why she was at Hogwarts and what would happen next.

A tender friendship had built between her and an especially beautiful white snow owl. At one point in her visitations to the Owlry, the white female owl had decided to keep Lierin company whenever she seemed particularly sad and when she wasn't too tired from delivering letters. She was the only snow owl at Hogwarts and Lierin often wondered who she belonged too. She was easy to track when the owls came to deliver post to their owners, but the white female was lightning fast and was often gone again before Lierin could determine who her owner was. Though she was pretty sure that she belonged to a Gryffindor student.

Lierin got up and was about to open the door when the door opened for her. Snape came in, carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped when he noticed Lierin. An odd expression entered his eyes and it struck him again how beautiful she looked. He didn't want to, but his mind drifted away to the afternoon he had been so bold to kiss her, and she had kissed him back! Kissing her like that had completely unsettled him. He had never experienced such passion from just one kiss, never been attracted to any other woman with the intensity that he was attracted to Lierin.

But it wasn't merely attraction. No, it went far beyond that. Yes, Lierin was a very beautiful young woman but there was something more. Maybe it was her spirit and how she challenged him? He didn't know and he certainly didn't dare to find out, for he was sure Lierin had just been caught up with the moment when she had kissed him because she couldn't be attracted to him, could she? Still he couldn't get rid of the feeling- no, the knowledge- that somehow Lierin belonged to him. Looking into the eternal depths of her eyes the thought occurred to him that a man could get lost in those eyes. HE could get lost. Forever. The sexual electricity between them crackled in the air now they were in the same vicinity as each other, but soon the spell was broken by Remus. Curse that man!

"Ah, Severus," said Remus, smiling, "Thank you very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Snape walked passed Lierin, who took advantage of the situation to fled the room with flushed cheeks, and set the goblet down, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.

"I was just going to show Harry my Grindylow. I don't think we'll have much trouble with him, not after the Kappas," Remus said pleasantly, pointing at a tank with his slender hand, a tank that contained a sickly-green creature with sharp little horns and long, spindly fingers.

"Fascinating," said Snape, without taking the dignity to look at it.

"You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Yes, yes, I will." Remus said.

"I made an entire cauldron full, in case you should need more."

"I think I should probably take it again tomorrow. Thank you very much, Severus."

"Not at all," said Snape while backing out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.

Remus didn't seem to notice and drank the potion. But Harry did notice the unpleasant look on Snape's face.

"Disgusting. Well Harry, I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later."

"Right. No wait. Uhm, could I ask you a question Professor? Do you remember that day we fought the Boggart?" started Harry, Remus smiled in understanding.