A/N: I am so so sorry! I know, you can hit me now. I HAVEN'T UPDATED FOR THREE WEEKS! It's just that I recently started college, and things have been pretty hectic, what with me having to get used to college life and the assignments and all…
Here we go…
Chapter 20
Pansy snuck into Professor Greenleaf's office.
She was serving detention with the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, cleaning the windows she had splattered with pink goo earlier. With a rag, no less.
Pansy Parkinson was not going to take that lying down.
So when the professor had stepped outside for a bit, Pansy seized her chance.
The Slytherin girl started rifling through the desk. She tossed aside a dead flower and a bunch of parchments.
Aha.
Pansy's eyes glinted as she picked up an old photograph. In it were a much younger Professor Greenleaf and a handsome young man with great hair.
The girl turned the photo over, hoping to find something.
Her jaw dropped. She had not been expecting something of this magnitude at all.
But, not that she minded.
Pansy quickly duplicated the picture and put everything back. When Professor Greenleaf reentered the classroom, Pansy was back at work.
She didn't clean those windows without a certain flair, though. In her mind's eye, she could already see the headlines.
Headlines that would get the teacher kicked out.
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Whispers permeated the hallway outside the Great Hall the next morning. Someone had mysteriously tacked up a picture.
A picture of Professor Greenleaf—with a man identified as Sirius Black.
The professor pushed through the crowd, ignoring the stares, to see what was going on.
When she saw the photo, her hand flew up to her mouth.
A look of horror, pain, and sorrow flashed in her eyes—and for the first time, stayed there.
Her students—the very people she'd taught Defense Against the Dark Arts to for nearly a half-year—began to edge away from her.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione (they were all OK with each other again) came down just then. Their eyes widened at the sight of the display.
Harry felt something inside of him tear apart as Professor Greenleaf's slim frame started to shake. He had long since given up on her—it was far too impossible—but she had become like a sister to him. She'd become like family. Like Sirius.
And it pained him to see her cry.
"'Always and forever, Sirius'," Ron read from the back of the picture. "Whoa. You went out with Sirius? Sirius?"
"Shut it, Ron," Hermione snapped. "Now's not the time."
Harry awkwardly put a hand on Professor Greenleaf's back and patted it, not really knowing what to say. To his great surprise, the lovely professor threw her arms around his neck, making him even more flustered.
In a single quick motion, Ron tore the picture off.
"The damage is done, though," he said. "Within five minutes, everyone'll know."
"Let's take you back to your office, Professor," Harry suggested. "We'll just bring breakfast to you. You shouldn't be facing all those people right now."
Professor Greenleaf didn't rail against the idea, so solemnly, they walked her there.
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"Did you see that display?" Draco asked Hermione the moment the door to their classroom closed behind them.
Hermione nodded wordlessly.
She was very worried about the professor. When she, Harry, and Ron had gotten her to her office, the woman had assured them she was fine, but Hermione could see she wasn't. Her green eyes were hollow and sad, and all the energy seemed to have drained out of her. Hermione wondered if she'd even mustered up the strength to teach.
"What did you think?" Draco pressed.
"That it was a horrible attempt to slander a perfectly good person," she spat. "'A servant of the Dark Lord'? Just because she and Sirius were together once? That's so ridiculous."
Draco was quiet for a moment. Then he revealed his thoughts. "I think they're right."
"WHAT?" Hermione was appalled. "Are you mad? This is Professor Greenleaf we're talking about. Besides, I thought we were clear about Sirius being innocent?"
"I don't mean because of her being linked to Sirius," Draco responded calmly. "I have been thinking for a long time. And I don't think this woman is to be trusted."
"You—"
"Granger, where did we have our first encounter with the Dark Lord's traps?"
"The Defense classroom," Hermione replied. "And?"
"Where were we almost stabbed to death by knives?"
"The…Defense classroom." It was clicking in her brain. But she knew it was impossible. It had to be. "It's got to be a coincidence, Malfoy."
"You said it yourself. That was a Muggle method. Hermione, did the professor ever tell you anything about her lineage?"
"She was a half-blood…raised in a Muggle household," Hermione almost whispered. She'd realized something else.
Draco's voice became sharp. "You know something else, don't you? Something incriminating."
Hermione mastered herself. "Professor Greenleaf is my friend. And I trust that friendship."
Draco let out a snort of disgust. "Oh, for Merlin's sake! You know, you and your little friends are so easily duped. All that woman had to do was shimmy into the scene with a little charm and you sucked it up. Like you ALWAYS do."
Hermione's eyes had narrowed. "So we're stupid for trusting a friend, is that what you're saying?"
The blond boy sneered. "You can't always trust friendship, Granger. It'll only let you down."
"I'm sorry if you've never had any real friends, but don't say anything about mine!"
She struck a nerve. Draco's eyes clouded over with an emotion she'd never seen come from him before—hurt.
"You know, I'm glad I never did." With that, he stormed away, leaving Hermione stricken with guilt as she watched his back go farther and farther away.
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In the Defense classroom, things were not going well for Professor Greenleaf. Her students were surveying her with narrowed, distrustful eyes. It was more than she could bear.
She finally stopped trying to teach.
"I can see that we're not going to go anywhere today," she announced, doing her best to keep the shake out of her voice. "Alright. You're all dismissed."
As the sixth-year Ravenclaws filed out (practically ran for it was actually more appropriate), Professor Greenleaf could hear their conversations.
"No wonder, she never bothered to teach us anything important—"
"You-Know-Who's woman, I tell you! Dumbledore's really losing it—"
And the most painful of all—
"Poor Harry! I mean, he looks up to her so much—"
Professor Greenleaf shut the door, blocking it all out.
"Difficult time, isn't it?"
The professor whirled around to see a kindly old man sitting at her desk.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
The Headmaster smiled, a bit sadly. "We've all been through this. He's been through this."
A tear trickled down her cheek. "I don't want to remember it all anymore!"
"You couldn't have hidden from your past forever." Dumbledore rose to make his exit. Producing a tissue out of thin air, he handed it to Professor Greenleaf. "I think there are certain people who need to know, don't you think?"
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A/N: THANKS BE TO GOD, WITHOUT WHOM I'D STILL BE IN DEPRESSION…
A scene here was inspired by the Taiwanese TV drama Peach Girl.
And to my loyal and patient and wonderful reviewers:
Rani singala- I think it's kind of the other way around. :) Thanks:)
Ehlonna- Thanks:) Yeah, I loved that line too—it was totally priceless. :D
Rose, Cold-eyes-for-you, future movie maker, The Lady of the 4leafed Clover, Red and Gold, queenofthelameos, Sacagawea, - Thanks:)
Stephanie Miss- Your wish is my command. :)
Kurisu- Thanks for your concern. :) Sorry if you thought the last chapter was a bit thin—I was using it to establish how good Draco and Hermione's relationship (not yet in the romantic sense, though) has become, before…the fight. :)
Zandra Phillips- Wow, a kindred soul:) Thanks:)
Harry fan- Wow…wee. Thanks a lot—I'm so honored. :) I'm a long way from becoming the next J.K., but thanks so much for the encouragement. :)
Goodybad- Ouch! I know how that feels—I've got loads of homework already, and I'm only in my third week of college. How am I supposed to survive the year:))
Next up: Tying up the loose ends…and a confession. ;)