Chapter 11
It would be a lie to say things were not awkward after the Shrieking Shack incident. But Remus and Violet had an unspoken agreement, and never mentioned it. Quite soon they returned to their normal routines, and back to their original joking and cheerful relationship.
On a warm day in June, Violet was trying to show Remus how to make the Wolfsbane potion, 'trying' being the keyword.
"Ok, so add the boomslang skin, then turn three times counterclockwise" She ordered.
And he promptly added the manticore skin and stirred twice clockwise.
"No! Don't do that!" Violet said.
"Erm, too late?" Remus joked, smiling. "Besides, it looks fine" He added nonchalantly.
"It's supposed to be a light green!" Violet reprimanded shrilly.
"Green, purple, what's the difference? Now, I add the toenail of slug now?" He asked, dropping it into the mixture.
"No-" Violet belatedly began, but too late, as the cauldron exploded, sending purple goop flying everywhere.
Remus laughed heartily. "It matches your hair" He choked out. Of course, Violet was soaked while he only had a gob on his forehead.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" She asked, wiping the goop off her arms. She reached into the broken cauldron, pulled out a handful of the stuff and flung it at him.
It missed.
"Your aim really need some work" He laughed.
Determinedly, she grabbed some more of the gunk and threw it at him successfully.
"Oh now your in for it!" He lunged for the cauldron, but Violet blocked him, and they were both sent tumbling to the ground. He sat up, but Violet remained, face up, staring at the ceiling.
He turned to her.
"Who do you dream about?" He randomly asked.
"What are you talking about?" Violet blinked, and sat up also.
"You said, at Christmas, when we had that fight, that you cried yourself to sleep because you were dreaming about someone." He looked at her dismayed expression. "I'm so sorry, Violet, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" He wrapped his arm around her, kissing her cheek.
She sighed. "It's OK. I'll tell you" She took a deep breath when someone knocked on the door.
They stoop up quickly.
"Come in!" Violet yelled absentmindedly, reaching for her wand and trying to clean up the huge mess.
And, in walked Albus Dumbledore.
"I hope I'm not intruding" He said good-naturedly, a twinkle (of course!) in his eye. "I was hoping to speak to Mr. Remus Lupin. He wasn't in his room, and the owner of this fine institution said he might be here"
Violet excused herself after quickly banishing the rest of the purple stuff. She knew what was coming, of course. Her third year at Hogwarts would be starting in September… and Remus would leave to teach then.
She sat in the kitchen staring into a cup of coffee for at least an hour, when Remus walked in.
"I was offered a job teaching DADA" He stated, leaning against the door.
"What did you say?" Of course she knew the answer.
"I'm going to take it" He said, walking over to her and taking a seat.
"That's really great, Remus. I'm really happy for you" She replied, trying to muster enthusiasm.
"I'm going to miss you" He said quietly.
She looked at him, and they made eye contact. She broke away quickly. She could never look into his eyes. They counted on her too much.
"I'm going to miss you too. More than you'll imagine" She added the last bit very softly. She hugged him (much too rapidly in both opinions) before going upstairs. Why she was always leaving him alone, she couldn't tell.