Title: Wipe Away the Tears
Author: Moon Gazer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Comments: This story is a bit darker than my normal works, and involves vampires, murder, death, ect. Also, I admit, I have taken some of the rules of vampire lore and twisted them to my own needs. This story is in no way a good reference to use for your own stories. Thanks to all the people who read this over for me, including my friends, and a few of my teachers. Blessed be!
"Alright, we'll be finishing up with Merlin tomorrow. Don't forget your
assignments." Serenite called out as her last class, a Gryfinndor/ Slytherin mix, filed out of the room. She had to question Albus's judgment about placing them together those two houses together in so many classes. She pulled out her wand and began to remove the many spitballs that now littered the walls. Using "Reparo" on a broken inkwell, she made a mental note to deduct five points from Slytherin for destruction of school property. Noting the ink spots on the floor, she sighed and mentally took five points from Gryfinndor as well, for retaliating.
"Last class of the day?"
Serenite glanced up, her face tense, before relaxing when she saw Remus standing in her doorway.
"Hullo, Remus."
"Hullo. I was wondering if you would accompany me on a walk to Hogsmeade, if you aren't too busy?"
Serenite's gaze wandered over to the pile of papers that were waiting to be corrected. She stood in silence for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, before shrugging.
"Why not? If you'll give me a minute, I'll go and get my cloak."
"Certainly. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."
Gathering her cloak, an emerald green affair with fur trim, Serenite hurried to the Great Hall. Seeing Remus, she called his name. He smiled and walked over to meet her.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
He held out an arm, and after a moment of surprise, she took it, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. From a side door, Snape saw the exchange and smiled to himself, before turning around and quietly exiting the hall.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"So.... how are you liking teaching at Hogwarts?"
Serenite glanced up at Remus and smiled. He was quite the gentleman, though thankfully, he hadn't tried to do anything like spreading his robes over a puddle. After all, some things were just too much, especially to a woman who was used to taking care of herself.
"It's.... interesting. I just wish there was some way to spice class up a bit."
Remus laughed.
"I think some of the students are still getting used to having a living teacher."
A smile continued to linger on his face as they walked on in silence. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked to be about 37, despite the streaks of gray that ran through his sandy brown hair. Compared to her own 5' 5" frame, she judged him to be about 6' 2". His eyes were a strange honey color that reminded her of the ring that ran around her own pupils. A rather good looker all in all, she decided, in an'understated elegance' sort of way, before shaking her head slightly to herself. Remus turned to look at her, a curious expression on his face. She grinned up at him.
"What?"
"Nothing really. Just caught up in an utterly insane train of thought."
"Oh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Serenite nodded, but didn't choose to enlighten him. Instead she tightened her grip on his arm and pulled him along.
"Come on. The Three Broomsticks will be serving supper soon and I'm starving. My treat, since you've been so nice about putting up with me."
Remus smiled and quickened his pace to keep up with her.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. It's been my pleasure."
The blond woman grinned and nudged his side slightly.
"Flatterer. But thanks."
Coming over the top of a hill, Hogsmeade came into sight. Serenite made a small appreciative noise in her throat at the scene before them. Autumn was now in full swing and the leaves were exploding in reds and yellows. Remus glanced at the sight, before returning his eyes to the woman beside him. Her bluish eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed thanks to the fast pace at which they had been traveling. A small breeze stirred around them, drawing his attention to the strands of hair that had escaped her customary braid. He resisted the urge to reach over and tuck them back, for which he was grateful when she turned to face him a moment later.
"Shall we?" She asked, proffering the arm she had disentangled from his when they had reached the top of the hill.
"Let's." He answered, taking her arm. They started down the hill in companionable silence.
Remus couldn't explain the sudden interest he had in the new History of Magic teacher. Really, he scolded himself, you've known her for less than two weeks and you're acting like you're in fifth year all over again. He could just imagine what James would have said to him if he were still alive. The black haired boy had delighted in holding a running commentary on his friends' love lives...or in his case, lack thereof. And Sirius... well, best not to go there at the moment. Then there was the fact that more than half of the school, professors included, were convinced that she and Snape were an item of sorts...life never was easy, was it? , he mused.
Serenite was wrapped up in her thoughts as well. Contrary to appearance, she hadn't been unaware of the covert looks that Remus had been sending her over the past week. And she hadn't lived for the past two centuries without learning a thing or two about reading emotions, especially ones so plainly exposed. Well, he was rather nice, she mused. Certainly not a second Jared, but that wasn't what she was looking for. Not anymore. Still, there was something about him that she couldn't quite place her finger on. Perhaps a talk with Severus would help clear things up. This decided, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. Besides, she mused, there was the matter of figuring out what to order for supper.
She entered the pub first, Remus holding the door open for her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, his golden eyes aglow. A small frown worked its way onto her forehead as she walked ahead of him. Golden eyes? That was it! She berated herself for not spotting it sooner. Waiting until they were seated in a secluded corner of the pub, she leaned forward on the table, minimizing the distance between them. A startled look crossed his face as she stopped, inches away from him.
"Serenite...?" he began.
She shook her head, interrupting him.
"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"
/I got a response from the man. He sat bold upright, his face rigid and body tense. As she watched, fear, disappointment, and wariness flashed through his eyes.
Sighing to herself, she pushed back a piece of loose hair, before reaching across the table. His fingers were tightly clutching the edge of the table and his knuckles were ghostly white. She brushed his fingers with her own in a comforting manner. He started, a carefully neutral expression shielding his thoughts. Cursing silently, Serenite increased the pressure on his fingers. She hadn't meant to scare him, but as usual, she had charged in without thinking, her subconscious scolded her with a decidedly Severus-like glare.
"Remus, it's ok..."
His eyes narrowed, but she thought she could see a slight loosening in his
shoulders.
"Really, I don't care. I haven't said anything to anyone but you either. I realized it only just now."
Her eyes met his and she silently entreated him to relax. Slowly, the guarded expression left his face and he unconsciously turned his hand over, holding hers.
To say that her question had startled him was more than an understatement.
Years of defenses had sprung up automatically. Years of hiding from Slytherins who taunted him for his odd looks; of hiding the disease from his friends for fear that they would desert him.
He had been jolted when she reached over and taken his hand, not expecting the contact. It had been a long time since anyone had touched him so gently. Assuredly, Albus would give him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, or a fatherly hug, but this was different. He glanced down at his hand, realizing just how tightly he was gripping the table edge. Lifting his gaze back up, he was startled by the intensity in her eyes. In the dim room, her eyes were a dark hazel blue, and he noticed for the first time, the gold ring around her pupils. She almost smiled, the corners of her mouth just scarcely pulled upward. He almost smiled back as she quirked an eyebrow at him, an expression he was sure she had learned from Snape.
"It's...it's alright, Serenite. You just...startled me."
She snorted in derision.
"Scared the hide off of you, you mean, pun intended. I shouldn't have blurted it out like that without thinking."
They were both silent for a moment. The quiet was threatening to become uncomfortable until Remus cleared his throat, looking at anything but Serenite. He noticed her hand still rested in his own and he pulled back slightly, stopping in surprise when her grip tightened. He risked another glance up at her and was once again caught in her intense gaze. He quietly cleared his throat.
"You don't mind?"
She shrugged.
"Why? Should I?" She continued to meet his eyes as she asked.
"Well...I might be...a... um..."
"Danger to me?" She finished quietly.
"Er...yes."
She chuckled slightly, pulling back her hand and leaning forward again.
"You're the DADA teacher, I'll see if you can spot it. It took Severus a few weeks, but he wasn't looking for it. Take a good look at me."
Remus stared at her in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
" Look at me. Or more specifically, look at my hair and eyes."
Remus blinked a few times, then shrugged. Leaning forward as well, he began to examine her eyes. A green-blue mix, with specks of a darker gray, and that ring of gold around the pupil, and they were, at the moment, looking highly amused. Not understanding, he moved his attention to her hair, hesitantly reaching out to take a piece between his fingers. She reached up, and pulled a piece out of the braid, to make it easier for him. He looked at the strand, noting the curious mix of colors, from a light brown, to gold, to near silver. For a moment, the thought that she might also be a werewolf crossed his mind, but he dismissed it a moment later. He would have smelled it by now. Reluctantly, he let go of the hair and sat back in his seat, shrugging in defeat.
"What am I looking for?"
Serenite sighed.
"Think about it. The gold ring around the eyes, the silver in the hair, obviously not a common human trait in someone my age...er...physical age."
Remus frowned. The silver hair was also common in elves, but a pure blood elf hadn't been found in over 500 years. Still...
"Elf?"
Serenite smiled.
"Quarter wood elf on my maternal grandmothers side."
"I don't see how that has anything to do with...well, you know."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I'll let you go easy on this one, since it isn't exactly taught on a regular curriculum. Wood elves shared the woods with werewolves for thousands of years. As a result, they developed immunity to lycanthropy. It was either that or be totally annihilated."
"And you inherited the immunity?"
"Yes. You could bite me, though I'd really rather you didn't since it hurts like hell, and it wouldn't have the slightest effect. Same goes for Sev, really, you could bite him with no effect, but I'm sure you already knew that."
Remus nodded in silence, digesting everything she had just said.
Serenite waited a moment, before laughing.
"Well, now that I've gone an thrown you into a state of comatose shock, what do you say we eat? I'm starving!"
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
"Harry! Over here!"
Harry Potter looked up as he entered the Gryffindor common rooms. His two
friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley had managed to secure coveted seats by the fire. Readjusting his backpack, he joined them, plopping down on one of the squashy chairs.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Harry, have you heard the rumors that are going around about Professor Snape?" Ron asked. The redhead looked torn between the need for gossip and the need to retch.
"Oh honestly, Ron. They're just rumors. They're probably not even true."
Hermoine sighed in exasperation.
"Uh...guys? What rumors?" Harry asked.
" Well, it's going around that Professor Snape and Professor Delalune have
known each other for a long time, and now they're.... ew...that's just sick! I can't say it! I mean...Snape? EW!!!!"
Harry watched, bemused at the redhead's behavior. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anymore out of Ron, he turned to Hermoine, waiting for her to finish the story.
"The rumor is, Harry, that she and Snape are lovers, or were and still are."
Harry stared at her for a few long moments, before bursting out laughing.
"Where did they get that from?"
Ron, who had by now, resumed a shade not quite so close to green, cut in.
"By Neville, of all people. He couldn't get to sleep, so he was going to Madame Pomfrey for a potion, and he saw Professor Delalune coming from the direction of the dungeons. At one o'clock in the morning!"
Hermoine sniffed.
"/I think you're just jumping to conclusions. Who's to say that she didn't just need a potion herself, or perhaps they were just talking."
Ron gave her a blank stare.
"Hermoine, really, who goes to Snape to 'just talk'? Besides, haven't you noticed how they're always hanging out together? Hey...do you think she's got him under Imperius?"
" Ron, I doubt that I could keep Professor Snape under Imperius against his own will." Harry interrupted.
"Besides," Hermoine added, " if you say that, then you're basically saying that she has him under her control as a sex slave."
Ron stared, amazed at what had just come out of her mouth, before turning green. With a moan, he picked up a book and hid behind its open covers. Hermoine looked over at Harry and shrugged. He gave her a small half smile back. Some things just never changed.
After about half an hour of silent reading, Ron set down his book, a puzzled expression on his face.
" Do you think that maybe...there might be something going on with them?"
Harry looked up at his friend. The fire highlighted the redheads face, and a puzzled expression was present.
Hermoine set down the quill and parchment she had been taking notes on, and looked up as well.
"Well..." she began, " I suppose it is within the realm of possibility. But I still think that we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Besides, it's not even any of our business."
She turned back to her books, leaving Ron to his thoughts again.
"Yeah," he began slowly, " It's impossible to see him confessing his affections anyway."
Hermoine raised an eyebrow, though her gaze remained on her books.
"That's not a prerequisite, Ron."
Ron gave her a scandalized glance, before turning to Harry to enlist his help against that madness that had, in his opinion, obviously overtaken Hermoine. Harry shrugged.
" I can't really see him doing that and not meaning anything by it. He's
too...intense, for a short fling." The black haired boy spoke slowly, choosing his words with care.
"You could see him 'confessing his affections', as Ron so brilliantly put it?" Hermoine asked.
" Actually, yes, I could." Harry replied in a serious tone. Then, noticing the alarmed looks on his friends faces, he added on quickly, " After a bottle or two of Firewhiskey, anyway."
Ron and Hermoine both relaxed, laughing slightly, and the three students returned their attention to their books.
Author: Moon Gazer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings and Comments: This story is a bit darker than my normal works, and involves vampires, murder, death, ect. Also, I admit, I have taken some of the rules of vampire lore and twisted them to my own needs. This story is in no way a good reference to use for your own stories. Thanks to all the people who read this over for me, including my friends, and a few of my teachers. Blessed be!
"Alright, we'll be finishing up with Merlin tomorrow. Don't forget your
assignments." Serenite called out as her last class, a Gryfinndor/ Slytherin mix, filed out of the room. She had to question Albus's judgment about placing them together those two houses together in so many classes. She pulled out her wand and began to remove the many spitballs that now littered the walls. Using "Reparo" on a broken inkwell, she made a mental note to deduct five points from Slytherin for destruction of school property. Noting the ink spots on the floor, she sighed and mentally took five points from Gryfinndor as well, for retaliating.
"Last class of the day?"
Serenite glanced up, her face tense, before relaxing when she saw Remus standing in her doorway.
"Hullo, Remus."
"Hullo. I was wondering if you would accompany me on a walk to Hogsmeade, if you aren't too busy?"
Serenite's gaze wandered over to the pile of papers that were waiting to be corrected. She stood in silence for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, before shrugging.
"Why not? If you'll give me a minute, I'll go and get my cloak."
"Certainly. I'll meet you in the Great Hall."
Gathering her cloak, an emerald green affair with fur trim, Serenite hurried to the Great Hall. Seeing Remus, she called his name. He smiled and walked over to meet her.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
He held out an arm, and after a moment of surprise, she took it, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. From a side door, Snape saw the exchange and smiled to himself, before turning around and quietly exiting the hall.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
"So.... how are you liking teaching at Hogwarts?"
Serenite glanced up at Remus and smiled. He was quite the gentleman, though thankfully, he hadn't tried to do anything like spreading his robes over a puddle. After all, some things were just too much, especially to a woman who was used to taking care of herself.
"It's.... interesting. I just wish there was some way to spice class up a bit."
Remus laughed.
"I think some of the students are still getting used to having a living teacher."
A smile continued to linger on his face as they walked on in silence. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked to be about 37, despite the streaks of gray that ran through his sandy brown hair. Compared to her own 5' 5" frame, she judged him to be about 6' 2". His eyes were a strange honey color that reminded her of the ring that ran around her own pupils. A rather good looker all in all, she decided, in an'understated elegance' sort of way, before shaking her head slightly to herself. Remus turned to look at her, a curious expression on his face. She grinned up at him.
"What?"
"Nothing really. Just caught up in an utterly insane train of thought."
"Oh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Serenite nodded, but didn't choose to enlighten him. Instead she tightened her grip on his arm and pulled him along.
"Come on. The Three Broomsticks will be serving supper soon and I'm starving. My treat, since you've been so nice about putting up with me."
Remus smiled and quickened his pace to keep up with her.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. It's been my pleasure."
The blond woman grinned and nudged his side slightly.
"Flatterer. But thanks."
Coming over the top of a hill, Hogsmeade came into sight. Serenite made a small appreciative noise in her throat at the scene before them. Autumn was now in full swing and the leaves were exploding in reds and yellows. Remus glanced at the sight, before returning his eyes to the woman beside him. Her bluish eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed thanks to the fast pace at which they had been traveling. A small breeze stirred around them, drawing his attention to the strands of hair that had escaped her customary braid. He resisted the urge to reach over and tuck them back, for which he was grateful when she turned to face him a moment later.
"Shall we?" She asked, proffering the arm she had disentangled from his when they had reached the top of the hill.
"Let's." He answered, taking her arm. They started down the hill in companionable silence.
Remus couldn't explain the sudden interest he had in the new History of Magic teacher. Really, he scolded himself, you've known her for less than two weeks and you're acting like you're in fifth year all over again. He could just imagine what James would have said to him if he were still alive. The black haired boy had delighted in holding a running commentary on his friends' love lives...or in his case, lack thereof. And Sirius... well, best not to go there at the moment. Then there was the fact that more than half of the school, professors included, were convinced that she and Snape were an item of sorts...life never was easy, was it? , he mused.
Serenite was wrapped up in her thoughts as well. Contrary to appearance, she hadn't been unaware of the covert looks that Remus had been sending her over the past week. And she hadn't lived for the past two centuries without learning a thing or two about reading emotions, especially ones so plainly exposed. Well, he was rather nice, she mused. Certainly not a second Jared, but that wasn't what she was looking for. Not anymore. Still, there was something about him that she couldn't quite place her finger on. Perhaps a talk with Severus would help clear things up. This decided, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. Besides, she mused, there was the matter of figuring out what to order for supper.
She entered the pub first, Remus holding the door open for her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, his golden eyes aglow. A small frown worked its way onto her forehead as she walked ahead of him. Golden eyes? That was it! She berated herself for not spotting it sooner. Waiting until they were seated in a secluded corner of the pub, she leaned forward on the table, minimizing the distance between them. A startled look crossed his face as she stopped, inches away from him.
"Serenite...?" he began.
She shook her head, interrupting him.
"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"
/I got a response from the man. He sat bold upright, his face rigid and body tense. As she watched, fear, disappointment, and wariness flashed through his eyes.
Sighing to herself, she pushed back a piece of loose hair, before reaching across the table. His fingers were tightly clutching the edge of the table and his knuckles were ghostly white. She brushed his fingers with her own in a comforting manner. He started, a carefully neutral expression shielding his thoughts. Cursing silently, Serenite increased the pressure on his fingers. She hadn't meant to scare him, but as usual, she had charged in without thinking, her subconscious scolded her with a decidedly Severus-like glare.
"Remus, it's ok..."
His eyes narrowed, but she thought she could see a slight loosening in his
shoulders.
"Really, I don't care. I haven't said anything to anyone but you either. I realized it only just now."
Her eyes met his and she silently entreated him to relax. Slowly, the guarded expression left his face and he unconsciously turned his hand over, holding hers.
To say that her question had startled him was more than an understatement.
Years of defenses had sprung up automatically. Years of hiding from Slytherins who taunted him for his odd looks; of hiding the disease from his friends for fear that they would desert him.
He had been jolted when she reached over and taken his hand, not expecting the contact. It had been a long time since anyone had touched him so gently. Assuredly, Albus would give him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, or a fatherly hug, but this was different. He glanced down at his hand, realizing just how tightly he was gripping the table edge. Lifting his gaze back up, he was startled by the intensity in her eyes. In the dim room, her eyes were a dark hazel blue, and he noticed for the first time, the gold ring around her pupils. She almost smiled, the corners of her mouth just scarcely pulled upward. He almost smiled back as she quirked an eyebrow at him, an expression he was sure she had learned from Snape.
"It's...it's alright, Serenite. You just...startled me."
She snorted in derision.
"Scared the hide off of you, you mean, pun intended. I shouldn't have blurted it out like that without thinking."
They were both silent for a moment. The quiet was threatening to become uncomfortable until Remus cleared his throat, looking at anything but Serenite. He noticed her hand still rested in his own and he pulled back slightly, stopping in surprise when her grip tightened. He risked another glance up at her and was once again caught in her intense gaze. He quietly cleared his throat.
"You don't mind?"
She shrugged.
"Why? Should I?" She continued to meet his eyes as she asked.
"Well...I might be...a... um..."
"Danger to me?" She finished quietly.
"Er...yes."
She chuckled slightly, pulling back her hand and leaning forward again.
"You're the DADA teacher, I'll see if you can spot it. It took Severus a few weeks, but he wasn't looking for it. Take a good look at me."
Remus stared at her in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
" Look at me. Or more specifically, look at my hair and eyes."
Remus blinked a few times, then shrugged. Leaning forward as well, he began to examine her eyes. A green-blue mix, with specks of a darker gray, and that ring of gold around the pupil, and they were, at the moment, looking highly amused. Not understanding, he moved his attention to her hair, hesitantly reaching out to take a piece between his fingers. She reached up, and pulled a piece out of the braid, to make it easier for him. He looked at the strand, noting the curious mix of colors, from a light brown, to gold, to near silver. For a moment, the thought that she might also be a werewolf crossed his mind, but he dismissed it a moment later. He would have smelled it by now. Reluctantly, he let go of the hair and sat back in his seat, shrugging in defeat.
"What am I looking for?"
Serenite sighed.
"Think about it. The gold ring around the eyes, the silver in the hair, obviously not a common human trait in someone my age...er...physical age."
Remus frowned. The silver hair was also common in elves, but a pure blood elf hadn't been found in over 500 years. Still...
"Elf?"
Serenite smiled.
"Quarter wood elf on my maternal grandmothers side."
"I don't see how that has anything to do with...well, you know."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I'll let you go easy on this one, since it isn't exactly taught on a regular curriculum. Wood elves shared the woods with werewolves for thousands of years. As a result, they developed immunity to lycanthropy. It was either that or be totally annihilated."
"And you inherited the immunity?"
"Yes. You could bite me, though I'd really rather you didn't since it hurts like hell, and it wouldn't have the slightest effect. Same goes for Sev, really, you could bite him with no effect, but I'm sure you already knew that."
Remus nodded in silence, digesting everything she had just said.
Serenite waited a moment, before laughing.
"Well, now that I've gone an thrown you into a state of comatose shock, what do you say we eat? I'm starving!"
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
"Harry! Over here!"
Harry Potter looked up as he entered the Gryffindor common rooms. His two
friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley had managed to secure coveted seats by the fire. Readjusting his backpack, he joined them, plopping down on one of the squashy chairs.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Harry, have you heard the rumors that are going around about Professor Snape?" Ron asked. The redhead looked torn between the need for gossip and the need to retch.
"Oh honestly, Ron. They're just rumors. They're probably not even true."
Hermoine sighed in exasperation.
"Uh...guys? What rumors?" Harry asked.
" Well, it's going around that Professor Snape and Professor Delalune have
known each other for a long time, and now they're.... ew...that's just sick! I can't say it! I mean...Snape? EW!!!!"
Harry watched, bemused at the redhead's behavior. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anymore out of Ron, he turned to Hermoine, waiting for her to finish the story.
"The rumor is, Harry, that she and Snape are lovers, or were and still are."
Harry stared at her for a few long moments, before bursting out laughing.
"Where did they get that from?"
Ron, who had by now, resumed a shade not quite so close to green, cut in.
"By Neville, of all people. He couldn't get to sleep, so he was going to Madame Pomfrey for a potion, and he saw Professor Delalune coming from the direction of the dungeons. At one o'clock in the morning!"
Hermoine sniffed.
"/I think you're just jumping to conclusions. Who's to say that she didn't just need a potion herself, or perhaps they were just talking."
Ron gave her a blank stare.
"Hermoine, really, who goes to Snape to 'just talk'? Besides, haven't you noticed how they're always hanging out together? Hey...do you think she's got him under Imperius?"
" Ron, I doubt that I could keep Professor Snape under Imperius against his own will." Harry interrupted.
"Besides," Hermoine added, " if you say that, then you're basically saying that she has him under her control as a sex slave."
Ron stared, amazed at what had just come out of her mouth, before turning green. With a moan, he picked up a book and hid behind its open covers. Hermoine looked over at Harry and shrugged. He gave her a small half smile back. Some things just never changed.
After about half an hour of silent reading, Ron set down his book, a puzzled expression on his face.
" Do you think that maybe...there might be something going on with them?"
Harry looked up at his friend. The fire highlighted the redheads face, and a puzzled expression was present.
Hermoine set down the quill and parchment she had been taking notes on, and looked up as well.
"Well..." she began, " I suppose it is within the realm of possibility. But I still think that we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Besides, it's not even any of our business."
She turned back to her books, leaving Ron to his thoughts again.
"Yeah," he began slowly, " It's impossible to see him confessing his affections anyway."
Hermoine raised an eyebrow, though her gaze remained on her books.
"That's not a prerequisite, Ron."
Ron gave her a scandalized glance, before turning to Harry to enlist his help against that madness that had, in his opinion, obviously overtaken Hermoine. Harry shrugged.
" I can't really see him doing that and not meaning anything by it. He's
too...intense, for a short fling." The black haired boy spoke slowly, choosing his words with care.
"You could see him 'confessing his affections', as Ron so brilliantly put it?" Hermoine asked.
" Actually, yes, I could." Harry replied in a serious tone. Then, noticing the alarmed looks on his friends faces, he added on quickly, " After a bottle or two of Firewhiskey, anyway."
Ron and Hermoine both relaxed, laughing slightly, and the three students returned their attention to their books.