"Checkmate," said Ginny, leaning back in her chair with a smile. Harry groaned theatrically.
"She-devil," he muttered, "What is it with Weasleys and chess?"
"What is it with Potters and hero complexes?" Ginny shot back, rearranging the pieces on their sixty four squares. Harry grinned.
"Got me there."
Ciad slid from the sleeve of his robe and hissed softly. Harry nodded and said something in reply, and the acid green snake hissed in agreement. Ginny glared at him.
"It really freaks me out when you do that. Can you teach me Parseltongue?"
"Of course I can't! I don't even know how I speak it, how the hell would I know how to tell someone else how to speak it. When I speak Parseltongue, I can't tell the difference between it and English."
Ginny pouted, but then brightened.
"Can you teach me Swahili, then?"
Harry looked nonplussed.
"Ginny, I can't speak Swahili."
"Maybe you can," Ginny pressed, "Only it sounds like English, because…"
"Sir?"
Harry spun, wand in hand, to find Remus Lupin standing in the doorway. He exhaled gustily.
"Lesson number two, Mr Lupin. Always knock on the door of someone who's spent their entire life fighting Death Eaters. I could have hexed you."
"Sorry, Professor," Remus stepped back, looking embarrassed, "It was just, I was outside the door because I needed to talk to you, and I couldn't help hearing." He bit his lip, "Are you really a Parseltongue, sir?"
Harry paused, looking quickly at Ginny, and then nodded.
"Yes Remus, I am. But don't worry, I'm not a Death Eater. It's merely a gift that I received from someone. I'll go into further detail in tomorrow's lesson on the Unforgivables. But in the meantime, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Remus shuffled uncomfortably.
"Is it about your… condition?"
Remus looked amazed at the teachers insight, but then nodded.
"I… Well, I don't know how you know about that, and at the end of the day, I'd rather not find out. I was just wondering if, well maybe, you knew anything to…"
"Help you?" Harry prompted gently, "Well, Remus. I may be able to do something, but I'll have to think about it, and make some arrangements. By no means can I cure you completely, neither can I prevent your transformation, but I believe I can make some arrangements. I'll let you know."
Remus gave him a look of pure gratitude, and gave a shy smile.
"Thanks, Professor. Thank you so much."
"No problem," he replied, giving the boy a smile, "I can see what a nice lad you are. I am not prejudiced towards you for being a werewolf, and you are not prejudiced toward me for being Parseltongue. We are equals. Good night, Remus."
Reemus turned to go, but Harry added,
"Oh, and tell Messrs Black and Potter that they should not be in the kitchens at this hour."
Harry and Ginny both laughed at Remus's shocked expression, and turned their attention to an ancient piece of parchment on the chess board. Not just any piece of parchment, but a very familiar map.
They watched the dot labeled 'Moony' pelting along the corridor to the kitchen, pausing there for a few moments, and then to run again, followed by two other dots labeled 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs'. The three reached Gryffindor tower, and the two defence teachers followed their progress through the portrait hole, only to be met by another dot, this time one by name of 'Lily Evans'. Dots 'Moony' and Padfoot' sidled away, leaving 'Prongs' to face Lily's wrath. Harry and Ginny turned and grinned at each other.
"Young love. Sweet, eh?"
The two joined each other in a strangely evil cackle.
"Please teach me Swahili!"
"No."
Yeah, I know it's really short, but I felt I had to have a bridge between the first lesson and the Unforgivables. That'll be the next chapter, by the way, and it'll be a lovely long one, hopefully posted by tonight or tomorrow.
I still haven't had any suggestions for a new title. The current one is lousy, please give me your ideas!
Thanks to Bobkat2007, IamSiriusgrl, IhateHarryandHermioneshippers, tweets, angelburninginheaven, lifeiscrazy, reighost, gabbie, shniz, Harrysbestfriend, Nightwing509 & Chyp