Severus was in his lab, taking inventory. He would need to place an order if he had to brew Wolfsbane Potion every lunar cycle for Lupin. He still didn't like the idea of a werewolf teaching here, especially that werewolf. Lupin had been a prefect, but had done nothing to control Potter and Black. As a result, Black had played a rather morbid practical joke on Severus as a boy. Severus had never forgiven any of them. And Dumbledore continued to cast Potter as some sort of hero, claiming Potter had saved his life. That pompous coward hadn't had the fortitude to see the task through and that made him a hero? Ridiculous.
And now they were saddled with some blathering American in addition to a werewolf. This was shaping up to be a stellar year. Especially with her spouting some sort of girlish nonsense about wanting to discuss antidotes with him, as if she understood the subtleties of potions. She was probably just sucking up to them all, trying to make a good first impression. He despised that kind of pretentiousness.
He noticed his stomach growling and glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was nearly time for supper. No wonder he was hungry. After washing, he headed up to the Great Hall.
As was customary during the summer break they dined at a single table set in the center of the room. He preferred the head table because then he could take his usual seat on the end and only have one person with which he might have to converse. When he entered the Great Hall, he saw, with a sense of dread, the only seat remaining was across from Athena. Wonderful, he would have to listen to more of her giggling and small talk. He took his seat without acknowledging the others at the table.
He glared disapprovingly at her when he heard that she was prattling on about how amazing the castle was. Unfortunately, she seemed to be ignoring him as she answered various questions from the other professors and his effort was wasted. He made it through his potatoes and then realized the meat needed salt. He glanced across the table and saw the saltcellar just out of reach, next to Athena. He momentarily considered eating it as it was, just to get away from the table without talking to her, but he realized that was childish.
"Athena," he said shortly, trying to get her attention. "Athena," he called a bit louder. First she was rude by not returning the salt to the middle of the table, now she was being more discourteous by ignoring him. Once he finally got her attention, he prodded, "The salt?"
She looked at him a moment before completely registering what he had asked. "Oh, yes, of course, I'm sorry," she said cheerfully before handing him that salt.
He was careful not to meet her eyes and was relieved when she went back to answering one of Irma Pince's questions. He found her cheerfulness nauseating.
When she finished answering Irma's question she turned her attention to Severus. "I was asking you about your papers on antidotes before. I was hoping you would have time to discuss them before classes start."
"I will see if I can find the time, but it is unlikely. I have only recently returned to Hogwarts and I have to inventory and reorder supplies. I expect this will take most of my time before term."
She sounded disappointed when she replied, "Oh, well, I hope that you do find the time, but I understand the students must come first." She then turned her attention back to the others.
Severus was pleased to be allowed to finish his meal in peace.
The staff had assembled in the staff room to await the arrival of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. They would only have a few minutes for quick introductions before the Arrival Feast. The only one missing was Minerva, who was waiting for the first-years.
Dumbledore entered accompanied by a somewhat haggard looking wizard. "Everyone, this is Remus Lupin, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. More formal introductions will have to wait until after the feast." He then quickly introduced the rest of the staff.
Severus grunted when he was introduced, and everyone in the room was aware of the tension. Of course, everyone except Athena had been on staff when the two of them were students together and knew there was bad blood between the two of them.
After the sorting and new staff introductions, they enjoyed a nice dinner. Athena had Filius Flitwick on one side, Pomona Sprout on the other, and delighted in telling them how they did start of term at Reese.
"Well, we don't have houses, so there is no sorting. Our students are assigned fourth year mentors and their dorm rooms are nearby. Students are assigned the mentors and roommates based on personality," she explained.
Severus glared down the table, alternately at Remus and Athena. He began to wonder if that woman ever stopped talking. She seemed to be constantly chattering about something. After dinner he looked forward to the peace and quiet of his quarters. Let the rest of the fools congregate in the staff room. In particular, he didn't want to be near Lupin. He still couldn't believe that Albus had hired him, especially given his past involvement with Black. No matter what Albus thought, Severus couldn't help but see that werewolf as a liability. He wondered how long it would take before Lupin made contact with Black, now that his old friend was on the loose. This was most decidedly a dangerous situation and he would have to be more vigilant than ever.
Remus was not surprised that Severus did not join everyone in the staff room. He was almost positive that he was the reason why. He knew this would be a tense year. Severus knew what he was, and that was dangerous knowledge for that man to have. The other professors would keep the knowledge secret, but Severus would surely find a way to let it slip, and the parents would react badly to a werewolf teaching their children. He decided to introduce himself to the new professor, what was her name? Angela, no, that wasn't it. Athena, that was it. "Excuse me, Athena? I'm Remus Lupin. I know the rest of the staff from my time as a student, but I don't believe we've met."
She shook his hand. "No, I think it's safe to say we haven't. Athena Bainbridge, I'm on exchange from America. I'll be teaching Muggle Studies this year. Nowhere near as exciting as Defense Against the Dark Arts, though."
"Well, I hope that it's not that exciting. I had quite enough excitement with the dementors on the train, though something tells me we'll be seeing more of them this year. I will admit from my own days as a student that it can get quite interesting, generally when something goes wrong. I've heard I have my work cut out for me after last year." He found he was running out of things to talk about. He had never been particularly good with talking to women. James and Sirius had always been better with women. "Well, I suppose I had best go unpack and get ready for class tomorrow. It was nice meeting you and I look forward to working with you."
She smiled at him. "Same here." She leaned closer and whispered, "It's nice to see another young face here. I was feeling a little out of place with the rest of the staff being so much older."
He smiled back, but her comment had knocked him slightly off balance. "Yes, it is nice to have someone near my age here. If you'll excuse me." As he walked away, he was wondering if she had been flirting with him. It wasn't something that happened to him very often.
Severus was reading the Daily Prophet in the staff room. There was no update on Sirius Black's whereabouts. It had been nearly two months and the incompetents at the Ministry still had no idea where he might be hiding. He looked up when the door opened and Remus and Athena entered. They seemed to be sharing a particularly humorous anecdote as both were laughing.
"He didn't?" she asked.
"Oh, yes. It was one of the funniest things I've seen," Remus replied as they moved over to the tea service. He poured a cup and handed it to her before pouring one for himself. "Cream and sugar?"
"No, thank you, I take it straight."
Severus clenched his jaw and scowled as he watched them continue to laugh with each other. A part of him wondered if he was the butt of their jokes. They sat on the couch on the far side of the room, talking quietly to each other. They were clearly flirting with each other. Did she not see what he was? Could she be so dense that she didn't realize he was a werewolf?
His scowl deepened as she placed her hand on Lupin's knee, laughing at his latest joke. He got up, made great show of folding his newspaper, tucked it under his arm and stormed out of the staff room.
Athena and Remus stopped talking as Severus made a production of leaving. "What's up with him?" she asked.
"Severus has always been a bit uptight," Remus replied before taking a sip of his tea.
She thought this was strange given the fact that this was Remus's first year teaching. "How would you know that?"
"We went to school together. As I'm sure you've noticed, we didn't get along well. Still don't, once you get down to it."
"Why is that?" she asked gently. Remus was such a gentle man. She couldn't imagine him doing anything to raise that amount of animosity in anyone.
Remus shifted nervously. "I was in Gryffindor, he was in Slytherin, there's not much more to it than that. I'm sure you've noticed those two houses don't get along well."
She wasn't quite sure this was the whole truth, but didn't want to push him. "I've seen it a little. I don't exactly have much in the way of a Slytherin presence in Muggle Studies."
He chuckled softly. "No, I expect not. That's not really a Slytherin area of study."
She could tell that he seemed distracted and took his hand in hers. "Remus, what is it?" she asked gently.
He smiled somewhat sadly at her. "Nothing you should worry about." He looked into her eyes, contemplating his next move and trying to find a way to change the subject back to something more pleasant. "I was wondering if you would be interested going to the Three Broomsticks for dinner this weekend. It's not much, but it's away from here. I'd understand if you said no," he said quickly.
She squeezed his hand with gentle reassurance. "Remus, you can stop babbling. I'd like to go with you. It would be nice to have someone give me a tour of Hogsmeade. I didn't see much the day I arrived and haven't had the chance to head down there yet." She smiled warmly at him.
"Well, good. It's a date," he said nervously. He couldn't believe that he had asked her and he was even more shocked that she had accepted.
Athena stared out her window, lost in thought. Scotland wasn't so bad. It reminded her very much of home in Vermont. The one thing she did miss was the close friendships. Minerva and Albus treated her like a daughter, but she could understand given their positions. The others were tougher to understand. Severus didn't seem to have much interest in socializing with anyone. For the most part the rest of the staff was significantly older than she was and she had a hard time relating to them through the age and cultural differences. Remus was the bright spot in her days. He was warm and compassionate and she was very glad that he was here. Without him, it would definitely be much lonelier for her.
Her attention shifted back to the world around her when she thought she saw movement at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She knew that the Forest contained many strange creatures, but could it be?
She slipped out of her room and maintained a dignified pace while in the castle. Once outside, she jogged to the edge of the Forest, just to the right of where she had seen the movement. Moving quietly through the trees, as she had been taught, she listened for the song. Tonight would be the night they sang. They always reveled in the blackness of a new moon night. When the wind changed direction, she could hear the song coming from ahead, just to the right of the direction she was headed.
She pulled her skirts tight so they didn't get snagged on a tree branch and moved closer to the singing. From the shadows she could see more than a dozen Dryads dancing and singing in celebration. This was the Dryads' night of celebration, the one when it was least likely a human would be in the woods.
Athena smiled at the memories of her grandmother inviting her to New Moon Celebrations. That had always been the best part about visiting her grandparents' house. Every time her mother had announced a visit, Athena checked her calendar to see if there would be a new moon.
After watching for a few minutes, she quietly slipped out of her shoes and stockings, joined the song and stepped out of the shadows. The Dryads stopped their revelry and peered at her, on the verge of fleeing. Several tense moments passed before one of the Dryads stepped forward. "Who are you, human, that knows our song and dares to add her voice to ours?"
Athena stood her ground, knowing better than to back down. "I am Athena, granddaughter of Lumea, from over the sea. I have been taught your ways since I was a girl. I love and respect Mother Earth and all her children. I would be honored if you would allow me to join your celebration."
She hadn't noticed one of the other Dryads coming up behind her and sniffing her. "There is a faint smell of Mother Earth about her," she sniffed loudly at Athena's head and shoulders, "though she has no tree."
The leader appraised Athena, circling her, trying to assess this human's claim. She noted the intruder was appropriately barefoot. "You are one of them, yet you ask to join us. You know the words, but do you know more?"
"I love and honor Mother Earth's ways. I am far from my home and wish to pay homage to her on this, the Holy Night, as I would with my Sisters at home. My heart and voice cry out to praise her. Had I known Dryad lived in the forest, I would have come sooner. I wish to call you Sister and celebrate her with my new Sisters." Athena could only hope that her sincerity would be believed. The Dryads at Reese had accepted her, but they knew her grandmother. These Dryads had no reason to believe her or let her join their celebration.
The leader stepped closer to her. "I am Medea. I believe you are sincere. Taca says you are of Mother Earth so you may join us." A wide smile broke out on Medea's face. "Welcome, Sister Athena."
The others came forward to welcome her to the group as they continued their song and dance. They celebrated well into the new day, singing praises to Mother Earth for her continued good will and the strength of their trees. As much as it pained Athena, she had to excuse herself from the celebration around 3AM in order to catch a few hours of sleep before classes. She promised to return to the Forest and tell them of her homeland. Since Dryads were bound to their trees, they loved to hear tales of other lands and there were so few travelers in the Forbidden Forest.
Those few hours of sleep were the most peaceful Athena had experienced in the last two weeks. The New Moon Celebration had cleansed her mind of her troubles. Life at Hogwarts really wasn't that bad.
Remus could hardly believe his luck. How long was it since he had been out on a date? It didn't really matter. She was funny and charming and was leaving at the end of the term. There would be no long-term commitment. He surveyed the clothes in his closet. They were all quite shabby. Well, she didn't seem to mind and there was nothing he could do about it anyway. At least he had enough money to take her out for a respectable dinner.
They had decided to meet in the entry at six o'clock, when all the students should be at dinner. While not forbidden for teachers to have relationships, it would keep the student gossip down. Besides, if it didn't go well, the less people knew, the better.
He paced nervously waiting for her to arrive. He was afraid that she had discovered what he was and decided to stand him up. It happened to him quite frequently. Since asking her out, he had debated whether or not he should tell her. There was a reasonable likelihood that she would figure it out on her own, but he hoped to get to know her a little better before telling her. After all, if Albus could overlook the fact he was a werewolf, there was a chance that she could, too, once she got to know him. He would tell her if it looked like it was getting serious.
As the clock struck six, he looked around, hoping to see her descending the stairs. The chiming stopped and he still didn't see her. Five minutes passed and he began to think that her friendship had been too good to be true. He was too depressed by this thought to eat and was heading back to his office when he heard her voice call from above, "Remus, wait. I'm sorry I'm running late." She was running down the stairs straightening her cloak. "Miss Patil came by my office to ask a few questions and I lost track of time. Next thing I knew, I heard the clock chiming. I hurried her out of my office and got here as quickly as I could. I'm terribly sorry."
He was happy to see her. "I'm glad you made it, though I must admit, I thought you might have changed your mind."
"Now why would I do that? It's not every day a handsome man asks me to dinner." She offered him her elbow so he could escort her to the village.
He couldn't believe she had just called him handsome. "Oh, I've been stood up on more than one occasion. I've actually grown quite used to it," he tried to reply glibly. He took her arm and escorted her out of the castle and down the path to the village.
"Well, I'm not the type of person that stands someone up. I think it's terribly rude. Besides, I don't see why anyone would stand you up. You're funny, charming and all around great company."
"Thank you," he replied. He was glad the sun was setting and she couldn't see him blushing.
During the pleasant walk to the village they talked about anything and everything. They swapped anecdotes about being students, she shared numerous stories about teaching at Reese, and he told her about a few of the odd jobs he had held since graduation. Even the presence of the dementors at the gate did not dampen their spirits too much as they hurried past.
"Horrid things," she said after they passed before changing the subject to something more pleasant. "Why is it that you haven't settled into a career yet?" she asked.
"I just haven't found the right job yet. Perhaps I have now. I rather enjoy teaching," he replied trying to gently change the subject. They had made it to the village and were window-shopping.
"Your students seem pleased with your classes. They were talking about that Boggart for quite some time. Though, if I had seen Severus as they described, I think I would do the same." She laughed softly.
He chuckled along with her. How wonderful it was to hear her laughter, especially since she was laughing with him and not at him. "Yes, it was hard for me not to laugh too much at that sight. A part of me thinks he deserves it for how he treats his students."
"He teaches a very serious subject. About five years ago we had a death in a Potions class, so I think his seriousness is prudent."
He didn't want to talk about Severus. "Yes, well, I suppose you're right. I take it you have Quidditch at Reese?"
"We do, though the American system is a bit different. We have more Wizarding schools, so each school fields three teams of varying skill levels which compete against each other." She then launched into an explanation of how the teams were organized into leagues and how Reese didn't have Houses and the other small differences between their two countries.
Dinner was extremely enjoyable. The conversation was pleasant and she had offered no judgment on his lack of a steady job. The only downside had been when the dementors made their rounds through the pub. Athena had graciously offered to pitch in for a nice bottle of French wine, well, two bottles, as they were finishing up a sweet desert wine. Now that the meal was winding down, Remus picked up the bottle and divvied up the last bit of wine. His speech was slightly slurred as he said, "That was an excellent selection to go with our dinner."
"Thank you. Father has a substantial wine cellar and took great pride in educating me on the finer points of wine. That's one of the things I miss about teaching, having a nice bottle of wine with dinner."
"Well then, perhaps you would join me for dinner next Friday and we can share another nice bottle of wine?" He knew that Saturday would have been more convenient, but that was too close to Halloween, and it was more likely they could have a quiet dinner on Friday.
She smiled and reached across the table for his hand. "That would be very nice." She heard the clock chiming and checked the time. "Goodness, is it ten o'clock already? We should probably get back."
He rose to help her to her feet, but found his own stance a bit unsteady. He was not alone and they broke into a giggling fit as he nearly fell over trying to help her to her feet. "I guess I'm not used to so much wine," he joked.
"I noticed, but I won't hold it against you," she replied.
He wrapped his arm around her as they walked out of the Three Broomsticks. It was only partly for the mutual support. He felt her snuggle against him and it felt good to have a woman in his arms.
They walked with a slight weave as they left town, heading for the castle. Athena looked up at the clear sky. "The moon is beautiful tonight, don't you think? I love a nice walk on a moonlit fall night, especially full moon."
He involuntarily stiffened at talk about a full moon. "Yes, it's very lovely." He hated what the moon did to him.
She noticed him stiffen. "Did I say something wrong?"
He looked into her eyes. "No, I'm sorry, just a slight chill from the breeze. Why don't we try to walk off some of this wine? As you said it's a beautiful night." She leaned back into him and he could feel her arm wrap around his waist. He felt a momentary pang of guilt about not telling her his secret, but he had long ago learned how much that could change any friendship. Perhaps next Friday he would tell her.
It was nearly eleven when they finally reached the castle. They were laughing and joking and at the same time trying to convince each other to keep quiet. As they approached the front steps, she said, "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
"The pleasure was all mine." He attempted a flourished bow, but stumbled and nearly fell instead. "It's been a long time since I've had a quiet dinner with a lady."
"I think I'll take that compliment," she answered as she laughed softly. She swayed slightly, still feeling the effects of the alcohol.
"Then I'll bid you goodnight, Athena. Same time on Friday?"
"Yes," she replied. She was waiting for more, but Remus started walking for the door. "Remus," she called out as she followed him.
He turned back to face her. "Yes?"
She wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his head down for a passionate kiss. At first he was shocked and didn't know how to respond, but he quickly regained his composure and returned the kiss. When she pulled away, she said breathlessly, "Goodnight, Remus. Same time Friday. I won't be late this time."
He stared in shock as he watched her climb the stairs and pull the door open. Before going through the door, she turned to face him and gave him a wave and a smile. What a glorious evening this had been. He couldn't remember ever being this happy.
Severus had noticed the absence of his colleagues at dinner. He didn't like it one bit that Athena was consorting with a werewolf. He assumed they had gone to the village for dinner. At least he hoped that's what it was. Thankfully, it wasn't full moon, so she shouldn't be in any danger.
As it got later and they still weren't back, he became more concerned. He wasn't sure if it was because of any protectiveness he felt towards Athena, or a desire to see Lupin miserable, probably the latter. He proceeded up to the Astronomy Tower, as it gave the best view of the grounds.
At first the only movement he could see was the dementors patrolling the school boundaries. After half an hour, he could see the two of them walking back toward the castle. They were laughing and having a good time. He could tell they had their arms wrapped around each other. Lupin had clearly not told Athena that he was werewolf. That man was too irresponsible. Severus gripped the battlement tightly, turning his knuckles white. He became even more furious when he saw her call Lupin back to give him a rather passionate kiss goodnight.
Severus turned from the edge of the tower and hurried towards the entrance to the castle, black robes billowing behind him. He would confront Lupin tonight.
A/N: Thank you very much for taking the time to read and review.