'That looks so painful' Jenny said touching Remus' cheek gingerly.
They were in the hospital wing, Remus was stretched out on the bed and Jenny sat beside him, while Madam Pomfry hovered over them with her wand tuting and telling Remus how stupid he was.
Remus looked at Jenny intently, 'what's all this about Jenny?'
She withdrew her hand and looked sharply at her feet.
Madam Pomfry bustled away, leaving the two alone (which was rather tactful for her!)
Jenny opened her mouth to speak, but Remus stopped her.
'I should not have asked you to marry me, it was a stupid, foolish thing to do.' He said and smiled.
She breathed a sigh of relief 'I admit, that was what scared me most.'
He took her hand and laughed. She wondered vaguely if he had concussion.
'I'm sorry Remus' she said looking up at him
'Nothing to be sorry for Jenny' he said whole-heartedly.
Jenny stared wildly, looking for the healer 'Madam Pomfry, is he concust?'
'Hey!' Remus said laughing again.
Madam Pomfry appeared from her office 'Oh yes dear he's quite delirious.'
'Oh' Remus said.
Jenny now satisfied that nothing said here was going to make any difference, stood and headed for the Slitherin common room, where she could conduct her excuses for a later meeting, when Remus could remember it.
On the stairs down to the dungeons she met Severus walking up.
'Severus, I –'
'No need to explain Jenny' he spat at her 'it seems perfectly obvious that you've made your choice.' And he carried on walking.
Jenny turned and took his hand, pulling him back to her.
'The choice was made for me!' she pulled him towards her, pressing herself against him. 'If I don't patch things up with Remus I won't be able to come back next year, I haven't done well enough because of all this stuff that's been going on!' she wailed. ' I want you, I just have to pretend for the rest of term, its not long now.'
'Who made the choice for you?' Severus said finally putting his arms around her.
'Professor McGonagall' she replied.
He drew her closer to him and they kissed, until he gasped.
'What?' Jenny said looking at him cautiously.
'My nose' he said 'I think he broke it.' She laughed and kissed abnormally large nose.
'Get yourself to the hospital wing.' She told him
'We'll talk more later' he said over his shoulder and he disappeared into the light.
'That was a terrible thing to do!' Albus said later that evening. Him and Minerva were drinking tea in his office.
'I know' she said putting her head in her hands and sinking onto his desk 'I feel awful' then she laughed, 'Well it will keep her here at least. I know how her mind works' she gave as a reply to his confused stare 'she thought that by failing she could leave Hogwarts and be done with it all. But that's the last thing I want her to do.'
'Oh, why?' Albus asked nonplussed.
Minerva faulted, she had said too much – she had felt the need to tell someone and Albus had seemed the like the only person she could tell. Now she realised that the truth was not appropriate and that she would have to concoct a lie. Something she had never been good at.
'No particular reason' she bluffed 'she's a good student –'
'Really?' Albus interrupted 'I never saw that in her'
'She's a valuable accept to the school'
'I trust your opinion of course, you must see hidden qualities within her' he said taking a sip of his tea.
She breathed a sigh of relief and took a bite of her biscuit.
'All the same' he said 'very underhand of you' she felt her was about to reproach her when he said 'I'm impressed'. They smiled fondly at each other across the desk.
N/B: All right smart arse (snarkastic)! Thanks for the spell check. I changed computer recently and only have recent chapters to change and quite frankly can't be arsed. In future will remember Slytherin. Thanks.