Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the common room when Gris came in. Hermione was doing her Arithmancy homework. Harry was polishing his Firebolt and Ron was reading Flying with the Cannons for the millionth time. She flopped down on the couch and flung her forearm over her eyes.
"Go see Padfoot, Harry," she said. He put down his broom and left the tower without a word. Ron gave Hermione the "ask her" look. Hermione put down her book and looked up at her cousin.
"Um, Gris?" she asked.
"What?" she asked, not moving.
"Did you and Professor Lupin have a fight?" Gris moved her arm and looked at Hermione.
"What makes you say that?" she questioned.
"Well, you two barely spoke in class today and you seemed kinda mad," Ron said.
"Oh it was nothing, just a minor spat," she lied.
"What was it about?" Hermione asked.
"Since when did that become your business?" Gris snapped. Hermione blushed.
"Sorry," she said, looking hurt.
"I didn't mean for it to sound like that," Gris said apologetically. "I just don't want to talk about it right now."
"Okay then," Ron said. Everyone went back to what they were doing until dinner.
They met up with Harry at the Gryffindor table later that evening. Gris seemed restless and jumpy through most of the meal. She hardly touched her food.
"Where's Lupin?" Harry asked, noticing the vacancy at the teachers' table.
"It's not a full moon until next week," Hermione said.
"He probably had a backlog of stuff to grade from Aidan," Gris said. "Speaking of, I need to go give him some stuff I did last week."
"Now?" Harry said. Gris had already gotten up.
"Yeah," she said. "Why not?" No one bothered to stop her. She walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and up to Lupin's office. She knocked twice.
"Come in," he said. She pushed open the door. Lupin jumped up in surprise and nearly knocked over his ink well. Gris smiled.
"Well?" he said, starting to shake again. She took off her robe and let it drop to the floor.
"I think I'm willing to try this," she said. She walked over and kissed the stunned Lupin.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"She's been gone an awfully long time," Hermione observed as they were sitting around in the common room after dinner.
"He probably just had to ask her stuff about the work she gave him," Harry said, unconcerned. Hermione turned a page in her book.
"It's your night to feed Padfoot," she said to Ron. He groaned as he got up from this game of wizard's chess with Seamus Finnigan. He picked up the sack full of food they'd saved and headed toward Gris's second floor office.
Her office was on the corner not very far from the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. She never kept her door locked. Ron pushed it open and Padfoot got up and shook.
"Here you go," he said, leaving the bag on the desk. The dog barked once and wagged his tail.
"I can't stay tonight," he told him. "I leave Seamus hanging in a game of wizard's chess." The dog gave a nod as Ron closed the door behind him. He looked down the hall. The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room was ajar. What harm would be done by taking a peek and seeing if Gris was still there. They were probably just talking if she hadn't already left. Ron made up his mind and quietly crept down the hall. No one was in the classroom area of the room when he pushed open the door. He made up his mind to check the office. That door was also partially open and Ron looked carefully through the gap. What he saw shocked him.
Gris was perched on Lupin's desk. Lupin himself was standing in front of her, his hands resting on her curves. Gris had herself propped up on her hands. Her hair cascaded down her back like water. They weren't just kissing, they were making out. They certainly didn't look like two people who had just fought. Ron stifled a gasp and ran back to Gryffindor.
Harry and Hermione were still in their same places when he came flying in.
"I think they made up," he said. They looked at him, confused. He took them into the corner and began to explain. He told them exactly what he'd seen.
"Are you sure it didn't look forced?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head.
"I'm going to tell Gris when she gets back," Hermione said.
"What? Why?" Ron asked.
"You were spying on her. She has a right to know," she said.
"She didn't tell us she was going up there to snog a teacher," Harry said.
"If you don't tell her, I will," Hermione wasn't going to back down.
"Fine, tell her. See if I care," Ron snapped.
"Would you want someone spying on you if you were doing that?" she questioned. Ron's ears turned pink.
"No," he said.
"I didn't think so," she said smugly. At that moment, Gris entered through the portrait hole. She didn't look any different than usual. She spotted the three of them in the corner and smiled.
"Sorry it took so long," she said. She looked at their faces. Harry looked hurt. Ron was biting his lip and shifting from foot to foot. Hermione was eyeing both of them angrily.
"What's the matter?" she asked. "Did someone get some bad news?"
"Ron was spying on you!" Hermione blurted out. Gris stopped in mid motion.
"Spying on me?"
"He saw you and Professor Lupin," she continued. Gris turned her gaze to Ron.
"What did you see?" she asked.
"The snogging…just a few minutes ago," he said slowly.
"Why?" she inquired. "Why did you do that?"
"I didn't mean to," he said. "I was just curious to see if you were still there." Gris's face remained blank.
"Well," she finally breathed. "You saw." She shifted her gaze to Harry.
"I suppose you have something to say as well?" Gris said. He just stood, looking like a kicked puppy.
"No," he said. "I don't." He turned and ran up to the boys' dorms. His reaction hurt Gris more than anything. Lupin had been right. They had hurt Harry.
At two in the morning, Gris felt something heavy fall on her bed.
"Go away," she muttered, pulling the covers over her head. Hermione pulled them back and glared at her cousin.
"What were you thinking?" she hissed. Gris grunted and looked groggily and the silhouette of her younger cousin.
"About what?"
"About this whole Lupin thing. Have you gone completely insane? He could be your father," Hermione snapped.
"Big deal. My real father could have been my mother's father," she grunted.
"You've totally destroyed Harry and you'll be in big trouble with Dumbledore. Student-teacher relationships are out of the question," Hermione ranted. Gris sat up and looked straight at her.
"I don't care what the rules say and I'm not interested in your commentary on my morals. Did you think I was stupid enough to not see I would hurt Harry? It's a small price to pay for him. He'll find someone else," Gris snapped angrily.
"He was going to ask you out tonight. He wanted to take you out next weekend," Hermione snapped back. Gris froze. She'd known he had liked her since his third year. They'd slept together during his fifth, but that had been the end of it. Nothing had ever seemed to go anywhere between them. Now it was clear that he'd been working up the courage to finally ask her out. Gris dropped her head into her hands and heaved a sigh.
"Why didn't you say something?" she asked.
"And ruin the surprise? Of course I didn't know you'd go and do with Lupin," Hermione answered.
"Well now I have to make up for this. I have to do something," Gris said.
"It's two in the morning. You can't do anything right now. Just fix it all in the morning," Hermione said.
"Okay. Now you go back to bed," Gris said. Hermione sighed and got back into her bed. Gris pulled the covers back over her face and settled into a restless sleep.
Wednesday morning was the only morning Gris had a 9 o'clock class. She had Herbology first thing. She moaned as she rolled out of bed. Her uniform was still in her office. Gris didn't feel like going all the way down there to get it. She had a dirty one in her trunk. She inspected it and decided it didn't look too wrinkled.
It was already 8:30 by the time she was ready and if she wanted to eat something, she'd have to hurry to breakfast. Everyone else was down in the Great Hall. As she was leaving Gryffindor tower, she heard a voice.
"Gris!" she turned. Harry was coming down the stairs on the boys' side, tying his tie. His unkempt black hair matched the tone of his voice perfectly.
"Get up late as well?" she asked.
"Yeah," he panted. "About last night," Gris held up her hand.
"Last night is over. If we lived in the past we'd forget to look toward the future," she said.
"Is that something they taught you in Auror training?" he asked.
"No, it's something my father taught me," she replied. Gris's father was Lord Voldemort. She'd fought and beaten him several times in her duty to protect Harry. Only a handful of people knew the identity of her biological father. It was something she preferred not to flaunt.
"Oh," he said. "Well, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," she sighed.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked. "I mean, why Lupin?" Gris looked at her shoes.
"Harry, there are things about the way people work that are hard to explain. Even I don't understand why I do what I do sometimes. I feel like I need to explore this and see what happens. I hope you can understand that," she said. Harry considered what she had said.
"Yeah," he said. "Explore all you want." Gris felt her heart congeal in her chest. It was disgusting.
"I'm sorry," she said. Before she could stop herself, she kissed him. He was surprised, but kissed her back. They made their way over to the chair where Gris sat in Harry's lap. She wondered what had made her do it. Maybe she'd gone crazy or something. Then she caught sight of her watch.
"Oh hell, it's 8:50," she said. Harry stopped.
"I'm gonna be late to Potions," he cried. Gris got up and grabbed her books. Harry was out the door right behind her. She would make it to the greenhouses on time, but she'd be cutting it close. It was 8:58 when she fell in step with her friend Alison LeClerq.
"Sleep in again?" the blonde Gryffindor asked.
"Yep," Gris said.
"I'm getting you a Rememberall alarm clock for Christmas," she said.
"Can't wait," Gris giggled. She and Ali took a table in the corner. They would be milking Venus flytraps today. Gris pulled on her gloves and dove right in.
In the middle of class, and owl came fluttering in to Professor Sprout. She took the note and read it. She crumpled it up and put it in the pocket of her robes. The stout professor strode over to Ali and Gris as they were happily chatting.
"Miss Granger," she said.
"Yes?"
"Professor Lupin has asked to me to tell you to go his office at lunch," she said.
"Am I in trouble?" Gris asked.
"He didn't say, but don't forget," she said and walked over to another table.
"What do you think he wants?" Ali inquired.
"Probably just to ask me about some of the stuff Aidan did. I gave him a lot yesterday," Gris said, acting unconcerned.
"I bet so," Ali agreed and went back to milking the plant.
Gris had fifth year Transfiguration next. She didn't have time to stop by her office and change. Her school robe would suffice. The message from Lupin had gotten her thinking. Did he really want to talk business? It was possible, but anything was at this point.
McGonagall noticed Gris's spacey mood and kept her after the class left.
"Are you feeling well?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Gris replied. McGonagall gave her a look.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with Professor Lupin returning, would it?" she questioned. Gris gulped and felt the blood drain out of her face.
"He asked about you when he came back. He seemed very impressed with you. I may be old, but I'm not dead. You realize student-teacher relationships are strictly forbidden in the rules. If anything is going on between you two that shouldn't, you're risking expulsion," she said firmly.
"Would you really expel me?" Gris asked quietly.
"It's in the rules. I can't make exceptions for my students," she said.
"Screw the rules! I've been bound by mindless rules most of my life. I don't need this from you. Expel me, banish me, while you're at it, kill me. That's the only way nothing more will happen. He's already pledged his love to me more times than I care to count," she exploded. McGonagall didn't even flinch.
"You are still very much your father's child," she said. Gris emitted a small squeak and ran out of the room. She ran to Lupin's office. By the time she got there, she was in tears.
"What's the matter?" he asked, jumping up from his desk when she came in crying.
"McGonagall just threatened to expel me. Then I lost my temper and she called me my father's daughter," she wailed.
"Oh dear," he said. He was one of the handful who knew who her father was.
"Come here," he said. He sat in his chair and took her into his lap. He kissed her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"She knows! I don't know how but she knows," she cried. Lupin put his cheek against the side of her head and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure you don't get expelled," he said. Gris picked up her head and rubbed her eyes.
"How?" she asked.
"I have my ways," he smiled. "You don't need to cry anymore."
"Okay," she said. Gris sniffed and wiped her eyes on her robe.
"Now, I had a few questions about this homework my predecessor assigned," he said.