Another one, just because it was already written and revised so why not?


Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban Timeline

"I Hold the Moon"

ooo

"She closed her eyes as if she were closing a book, as if she had taken all of him in,

after reading his face and fingers and limbs and mouth like a story."

- She Loved Him Like Literature, Michael Xavier

DEMENTORS

The meeting dragged on for much longer than Nora had hoped for and her head was pounding by the time Percy finally wrapped it up.

Mentally drained, she left the Prefects carriage, did a quick stop to change into her uniform, then went chasing down her friends. As it turned out, they were only a few compartments down, Emma and Julia with their heads huddled together, catching up on all the back to school gossip, and Liam sitting quietly by the window whilst lost in a history book. They looked up as the door slid open and immediately Emma flew off her seat and threw her arms around Nora's neck, nearly sending them both tipping backwards.

Nora chuckled, "Missed you too, Em!"

"It's about time," Liam said, hooking a finger on the edge of his book to save his place, mouth curving in a sideways smile that lit up the dark blue of his eyes. "We were starting to worry."

Emma and Liam were twins, which was ironic because, though they shared the same overall physical traits, they couldn't have had more opposite personalities. While Emma was bubbly, hyperactive and loud-mouthed, her brother was cool and collected, almost distant at times. Both were Ravenclaws, however on very different sides of the spectrum. Emma was arrogant and confident about her cleverness, and she always made sure to stand out in class. Liam, on the other hand, mostly kept a low profile, choosing to ace his homework and his exams to prove himself instead.

Nora grabbed the vacant spot next to him. Across from her, Julia beamed. She still hadn't changed out of her muggle clothes so she was looking very relaxed in her ripped jeans and crisp t-shirt. Her chestnut-brown hair was loose, framing her pretty face and dark slanted eyes.

"How were the holidays?"

"Brilliant," Julia answered, reaching out to scratch behind Ophelia's ears when the cat jumped onto Nora's lap. "Mum and dad took me to Japan to visit my uncles and we all went to watch the match between Tengu of Toyahashi and the Thunderlarra Thunderers."

Nora's interest piqued. "I heard about that from Charles. He said it was a good one."

"Freaking outstanding, that's what it was!"

A true Gryffindor in every way possible, Julia's passion for Quidditch rivalled that of Oliver Wood. Her fierce dedication to her team had earned her the title of co-captain last year, one of her proudest achievements so far. She was easily the best Chaser on the team. Her ultimate dream was to join the Holyhead Harpies after graduating.

"I'm sure it was," Nora said with a smile. "Tengu won, right?"

"Well obviously!" Julia puffed her chest out with pride. "Their Seeker's bloody fantastic, fast as a Snitch. Twenty minutes into the game and the bugger had his hands on it."

Liam's head came up from his novel again. "That's rather disappointing, isn't it? I mean, wouldn't you have preferred they lost so you could see the famous burning of the brooms?"

"Why on earth would I want to see that?" Julia asked, eyeing him oddly.

"Leave it to you to be more interested in the ritualistic aspects of Japanese culture than on the actual game," teased Nora, bumping Liam's shoulder. He bumped her right back.

"I happen to know everything there is about Quidditch already."

"Except how to play," Emma pointed out.

"I'm a genius, not an athlete."

All three girls rolled their eyes. Liam was quite possibly the only boy in Hogwarts who wasn't a big fan of Quidditch.

"Well, now that you're here…" Emma leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye and launched into a rousing and spirited tale about her summer fling with Nick, her very tall, very handsome neighbour.

Nora had met the twins during her first year. Back then, they were always alone, mostly ignoring everyone else. She remembered hearing someone say it was because they were orphans. Their parents were muggles and they'd died in a car accident right before school started. It had tugged at her heart because Nora could relate to what they felt, perhaps not in the same way but similarly, and so she had made it her mission to become their friend.

Around the following year she then met Julia. Some older Slytherins had cornered Nora in the courtyard and at the time she was very small and too shy to stand up for herself. Julia, who was passing by, saw that she was in trouble and without even a second thought jumped in to defend her. Naturally, Julia fit in seamlessly with the twins, quickly finding a kindred spirit in Emma, who was as loud-mouthed and abrasive as she was. They had all been inseparable ever since.

"I was quite bummed to break it off really," Emma finished her story with a sigh. "But what else was there to be done? He's off to university this fall and I'm in Hogwarts. It would never work."

"You don't know that," Julia argued, shaking her head. "He could come home for the holidays, and you're almost finished with school anyway. Just admit that you didn't fancy him as much as he fancied you."

"I did fancy him! He was proper fit."

"Looks are hardly foundation for a long-lasting relationship," Liam added in his two cents.

"And what do you know of relationships? You've never even dated anyone," Emma fired at once.

Nora settled against the cushions, closing her eyes while listening to them. As much as she enjoyed her brother's company, she had missed her friends terribly over the summer, missed Liam and Emma's incessant bickering and Julia's headstrong opinions.

Sensing Liam inch closer, she opened her eyes and eyed him warily.

"He did it again?" Liam asked as he swept her hair from her cheek with a frown.

Nora brushed his hand away. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing." Liam cast his gaze to the side, jaw working oddly. "I wish you'd just come live with me and Emma."

"I couldn't possibly impose on your grandmother like that," Nora said.

"That's a lame excuse and you know it. Granny'd be thrilled if you did, the woman adores you."

That made her smile a little. The twins' grandmother, Granny Rose as she preferred to be called, was the sweetest old woman in the world. Every year she invited Nora and Tristan over to spend Christmas with them in their tiny, cozy house by the sea, where they would crowd around the kitchen table to eat and listen to her stories.

"Maybe I would if it was just me, but I have Tris to think about," Nora reminded Liam.

"Then bring him too, none of us would mind," he suggested without a heartbeat.

"I can't do that, Liam. Your house barely has any room for the three of you, much less five people. We might make it work for a few days but not long term. And it's not like it's as easy as grabbing Tris and leaving."

"So what, you're stuck in that awful place until he's seventeen? You won't last that long, Nora, not the way it's going," Liam said angrily. Touched by his concern, she covered his tense fist with her hand. Of her friends, Liam was the most complex one. Hard and standoffish on the outside, yet incredibly kind on the inside.

Something suddenly caught her eye over his shoulder. There was movement outside the window. Nora narrowed her eyes trying to make out exactly what it was. Liam noticed and glanced over his shoulder too.

"What is it?"

The train started to slow down before she could answer.

Julia checked her watch. "We can't possibly be there already, can we?"

Still curled over Nora's thighs, Ophelia raised her head, wide alert. Setting the cat down on the bench, she went to the door and slid it open. Several heads were sticking out of the compartments doing the same. She scanned each one of them hoping to see Tristan but no such luck.

The train halted out of the blue with a violent lurch. Nora cursed, scrambling backwards into Liam's chest as he bolted to his feet, gripping her by the upper arms to keep her steady. The lights above their heads flickered, then died, plunging everything into darkness.

"Oh, fuck! I read a book that started like this once! We're all going to die!"

"Don't be daft, Emma, no one's going to die." Nora could've sworn she heard Liam's eyes rolling. "Power just went out. The train must be having some sort of malfunction."

"The character who says that always dies first!"

"This isn't a bloody book, is it?"

"Quiet, all of you," Nora hissed, using Liam for balance while she drew her wand out. The tip lit up and shed silver light over the compartment. "Julia, can you see anything through your window?"

There was no power outside either, Nora realised after Julia had used her hand to wipe a spot on the foggy glass.

"I think someone's boarding the train," Julia said, voice shaking slightly with apprehension.

Nora squared her shoulders. "All right, you stay here while I find out what's happening."

"Are you mad?" Liam tightened his grip on her when she tried to leave. "You've no idea who got inside! It could very well be Sirius Black."

"I can handle Black if it's him," Nora argued impatiently. There was no time to waste in pointless arguments when a criminal could potentially be attacking them. "I've got to find Tris, I'm not letting my brother on his own!"

Stubborn as he was, Liam persisted. "If you're going, then I'm coming too."

"Fine. You search that way and I'll search that one." He opened his mouth to argue again, but Nora didn't give him the chance to. "Look, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. Besides, I'm Head Girl, so do as I say." She turned and stepped out of the compartment. "Lia, let's go."

"Yeah grand, take the bleeding cat with you," Liam grumbled under his breath as he walked away in the opposite direction reluctantly.

The whole train was freezing and the further Nora ventured the colder it seemed to become too. That was odd because not even a minute ago it had been pleasantly warm. Rubbing her arms and wishing she'd remembered to bring her cloak along, she went from compartment to compartment to check on the students while looking for her brother. She was relieved that most seemed to be doing fine. Terrified, yes, but holding on surprisingly well.

Midway through the Gryffindor side of the train, Ophelia started growling and hissing, every strand of fur standing on its end as she pressed her tiny body closer to Nora's ankles. It wasn't long until Nora realised why.

There was a hooded figure a few doors down, covered by a black billowing cloak. Rattling breaths echoed in the empty corridor, a gruesome and terrifying sound that filled her with dread. All at once, every painful memory from her childhood, every fear and every horror came crashing over her. Flashes of green light. Cruel strikes across the face. The bite of the belt. Heavy panting in her ear. A never-ending nightmare that threatened to drive her mad… Nora fell to her knees, clawing at her chest in panic. Her head was spinning, her eyesight slowly fuzzing at the edges. She couldn't breathe. It was cold, so cold. She was suffocating, drowning in a dark, bottomless pool of ice...

Ophelia leaped forward with a snarl in a valorous attempt to defend Nora. The action drew the creature's attention. It turned its ugly head toward them just as a silver beam of light burst from inside the compartment and sent it scurrying away.

Power stuttered back on once the dementor was finally gone. The temperature slowly began to rise as the train reeled back to life, resuming journey.

Shaken up, Nora dropped her face in her hands, struggling not to cry. She wanted to retch, to scrub her skin until it was red and raw. All those memories… she could still see everything, feel everything…

"Are you all right?"

The voice startled her because of its deep cadence. It wasn't a student's voice. Looking up, Nora found an older man standing in front of her. He was very tall and a little on the lanky side, though his shoulders were wide under his brown tweed jacket. A few threads of silver peppered his light brown hair and he had a friendly face with hollowed cheeks, a straight nose, a strong jaw darkened by a five o'clock shadow.

The man smiled and offered his hand. Nora blushed when she realised she'd been staring for quite some time, hesitating for a second before letting him help her to her feet.

"Thank you." She tucked her hair shyly behind her ear. "It caught me by surprise to find a dementor in the middle of the train…"

"As it should've," the man said. Again, the depth and warmth of his voice rippled through her. "They were never meant to come aboard."

"There was more than one?" Nora paled. If facing one was traumatic, she couldn't even imagine a hoard of them. "What were they doing here?"

"Searching for Sirius Black, I believe."

"Oh... At first I thought it might've been him assaulting the train, but he wouldn't be dumb enough to do something like that, would he?"

The man chuckled good-naturedly, "I don't think so, no. No need to worry, Miss…"

"Cavanaugh," Nora added.

"Well, Miss Cavanaugh, even if Sirius Black was indeed aboard this train, I have a feeling this little lady would've done her best to protect you." The man glanced down at Ophelia, who wouldn't stop head-butting his ankles with her plumed tail stuck in the air like an enamoured kitten. "Not any ordinary cat, is she? A kneazle, a very clever and brave one at that too. I wasn't aware they were allowed at Hogwarts."

"Ophelia's only part kneazle," Nora explained, observing her cat's unusual behaviour with a frown. "That's odd, she's not usually this friendly with strangers."

The man only smiled mysteriously. As he began ruffling through his pockets, she couldn't help but think that he had a great smile. It was very… whimsical. And pleasantly warm. Made her want to smile back.

"Eat this—" He handed her a small-sized chocolate bar. "It'll make you feel better. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should have a word with the driver."

He bowed his head, brushing past Nora while she nibbled half-heartedly on the candy and watched him disappear down the corridor. When Ophelia meowed, tail still stuck in the air, she shot the cat a look. "You're a flirt, you know that?"

Ophelia tilted her head to the side, mismatched green and blue eyes blinking innocently.

Inside the nearest compartment, the one that had captured the dementor's attention at first, Nora found an uncomfortable Ron sitting next to Hermione, who had her arm wrapped around a grim-looking Ginny, and Tristan trying to coax Harry into eating a piece of chocolate.

"Nora," Tristan breathed out, clearly relieved to see her.

"Oh no, you're so pale!" Nora kneeled in front of him, smoothing his hair away from his forehead, then reaching out and doing the same for Harry. He was sweaty and warm to the touch. "You both are!"

"Harry fainted because of the dementor," Tristan explained, eyes bright with worry flickering between his sister and his friend. "It was horrible. I was so scared."

"We all were," Hermione added, rubbing Ginny's arm.

"It was like that thing sucked all the cheerfulness out of us," Ron said darkly.

"It did in a way." Nora moved off the floor to sit next to her brother. "Dementors feed on happy feelings until all you're left with is pain and sorrow. Finally, when there's nothing else to feed on, they swallow your soul."

Five sets of eyes widened with horror. Ginny went even paler if possible, and for a second there Nora thought the girl was going to be sick. When Ophelia brushed against her legs, Ginny squeezed the cat to her chest like one does to a favourite teddy bear.

Nora glanced down at Harry's hunched form, noticing his pinched eyebrows and deep frown. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry blinked, as though waking from a dream, and shook his head. "I heard… well, I thought I heard screaming right before… y'know…" He squirmed uncomfortably. "But they say no one screamed…"

"I swear no one did," Tristan said hurriedly.

"I know." Nora gave his hand a quick pat before reaching over and squeezing Harry's. "Listen, sweetheart, it's normal. Dementors make you remember your worst memories by reaching deep into your subconscious and pulling out every bad thing you tried to forget. It's very painful for people who've gone through traumatic experiences in the past."

Understanding passed over Harry's face. "Oh... does the same happen to you?"

Nora swallowed dryly. She wanted to lie, but she didn't think it would be fair to him. Even though it was difficult for her to admit weakness, she wanted Harry to at least know he wasn't alone.

"Yes," she said at last, sitting back and gathering her hands on her lap.

The gentleman who helped Nora with the dementor returned shortly after. He paused by the doorway a moment, inspecting the people in the compartment.

"I haven't poisoned that, you know…" he told Harry, nudging his head toward the chocolate.

Harry shoved the whole candy in his mouth, chewing quickly. Almost immediately some colour rushed to his cheeks. Nora took another bite off hers, then gave the rest to him.

With a satisfied nod, the man sat down next to her.

"I have more if you'd like," he offered. Nora met his gaze for a second before looking away with a blush. He had incredibly profound eyes.

"Thank you, that's okay."

"Well, I'd like some," Tristan chimed in without an ounce of shame. She swatted him lightly on his arm. "What? He offered!"

"Not to you! Really, Tristan, where are your manners?"

"Oh it's quite all right," the man chuckled cheerfully, pulling out another small-sized bar from inside his jacket for Tristan. "I always carry a few spare with me. You'd be surprised how often chocolate comes in handy. By the way, we'll be arriving in ten minutes."

They all nodded in silence. The only sound in the compartment was the rain tapping against the window and Tristan as he gnawed at the candy. It didn't surprise Nora in the slightest when Ophelia wriggled free from Ginny's vice-like hold to find a new resting spot on the gentleman's lap. He dutifully scratched under her chin while she purred like a freight train.

His leg brushed softly against Nora's with the wobbling of the train. She could feel how warm he was from the simple contact, and her stomach knotted nervously. It was weird, she thought, having someone older sit next to her on the way to school.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione called softly.

Of course, Nora realised. He was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She'd been so shaken up that she hadn't even made the connection.

"Are the… dementors," Hermione uttered the word in a whisper, as though the mere mention of the name would summon back the ghastly creatures, "really gone?"

"Yes," Professor Lupin nodded. "They've done what they came here for."

"What if they come back?" It was Ginny who asked this time.

"I wouldn't worry about that for now."

The compartment door suddenly slammed open. Julia appeared in the entrance with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed in a very McGonagall sort of way.

"Can't believe you're just sitting here like nothing's happened," she berated Nora. "We were worried sick, we thought you'd gotten yourself killed by Sirius Black or something! Liam nearly tore apart the train looking for you!"

"There was hardly any need for that," Nora argued self-consciously.

Julia pulled a skeptical face, then shouted over her shoulder, "Oi! Over here, I found her!"

Soon the three of them were inviting themselves inside. Julia sat down next to Professor Lupin, who kindly moved over to make some space and was now uncomfortably pressed against Nora, while Emma and Liam squeezed into the other bench.

"Bloody hell, Crowley!" Ron jabbed his elbow in Emma's ribs, trying to push her off him. "There's not enough room for you lot!"

Emma jabbed him right back. "Why don't you leave then, Weasley?"

"Leave? We were here first!"

"So what? You can't call dibs on a compartment!"

Liam rubbed his temples with a sigh, "Why are you arguing with a thirteen year old?"

"Because she acts like one," Tristan joked.

"Don't make me hurt you in front of your sister!"

Next to Nora, Professor Lupin coughed in his fist in a way that sounded a lot like a laugh. Amused, she glanced at him sideways. He met her eye and smiled in a guilty-not-so-guilty sort of way that she found adorable.

"I'll go," Ginny offered, squeezing her way out from between Hermione and her brother. "I should check on Fred and George anyway."

"Oh!" Nora turned abruptly in her seat, knee bumping with Professor Lupin's. "Could you please tell them to stop trafficking Stink Pellets? School hasn't even started for Merlin's sake. Did they stock up over the holidays? Where did they even get the money? I thought Mrs. Weasley had cut off their allowance after the last stunt they pulled."

Ginny barked a laugh, "Yeah, she did, but they convinced dad to slip them some money before leaving."

"Those two…" Nora shook her head with a small smile. "I can't keep covering for them. Percy's already given me an earful about playing favourites in the Prefects meeting this morning."

"That's because Percy's got his wand shoved up his—" Lupin cleared his throat with a pointed look toward Julia, who grinned sheepishly. "Sorry there, sir. But you'd agree with me if you knew him."

"Imagine spending a whole summer with him after he got his Head Boy badge," said Ron, annoyed. "It's gotten to his head, thinks he's the bloody Minister or something."

Liam snorted, "Bet that's gone well with the twins."

"George said they tried to shut him in a pyramid," Harry added, making Nora laugh as she pictured it.

"I would've paid good money to see that," Tristan said with a smirk.

"Me too!" Emma laughed.

Soon the train was pulling into Hogsmead station, and they were all scrambling out of the crowded compartment, pushing and shoving their way through the equally crowded corridor to get to the nearest exit.

As Nora was climbing off the train, someone bumped into her hard from behind. She stumbled clumsily on the small step and her foot slipped on the wet floor. Her heart jumped to her throat for a second, but a hand suddenly grasped her firmly by the elbow and steadied her.

"Careful," said Professor Lupin, his voice right next to her ear, his warm breath ghosting the hair there. "It's quite slippery."

Nora tilted her head up towards him. Rain pattered against his face, rolled down his cheeks, collecting in his long eyelashes like tiny teardrops. He had scars; three long lines, one of which crossed the bridge of his nose and nearly caught his eye. For a moment, as they stood in the dim golden light, she thought he looked dramatic and romantic, like a hero from one of her muggle novels, and her heart lurched violently in her chest.

"Nora, c'mon! Hurry up!" Julia called from up ahead. She and the twins were already at the edge of the platform where the path leading to the stagecoaches began.

Professor Lupin relinquished his hold on Nora's elbow, but she hesitated before joining her friends. If he'd gotten to Hogwarts like they did, it was safe to assume he would probably be going to the castle the same way.

"Would you like to ride with us? There's room in our carriages." He seemed surprised by the invitation. Nora briefly wondered if maybe she'd made a mistake by addressing a teacher so candidly. But when he smiled her worry settled.

Julia and the twins weren't too enthusiastic about the company. Liam, especially, glared daggers at the man all the way to the end of the path. Either because he was wary of strangers or because he genuinely didn't like Professor Lupin, Nora couldn't tell.

The stone path opened into a small clearing where all the stagecoaches were waiting for the students. The coaches were pulled by Thestrals, haunting creatures that resembled winged horses with skeletal bodies. Most people couldn't see Thestrals as only those who had witnessed death could, and they were often misjudged due to their scary appearance. Some wizards even said they were bad omens. As for Nora, she knew the truth. There was nothing bad or evil about them; they were peaceful and gentle beings.

The closest Thestral released a breathy snort, walking over to nudge her. Smiling softly, she brushed a hand down his muzzle. The Thestral's coat was cold and damp, though soft under her palm. Pleased with the affection, he made a few more eager noises.

"Greedy little thing, aren't you?" Nora chuckled, giving the Thestral one last pat before climbing aboard the carriage after Professor Lupin. They sat side by side again, legs touching softly.

The ride was awkward and quiet at first. Across from them, Emma started squirming uncomfortably. She was never adept to staying quiet for long, Nora thought. Usually she spent the whole way to the castle gossiping nonstop.

Eventually Emma surrendered to the urge to break the silence. "What happened after you left?" she asked Nora.

"Yeah." Also curious, Julia leaned forward, elbows over her thighs. "Did you end up finding out why we stopped in the middle of nowhere?"

"Dementors were searching the train," Nora answered, feeling sick just thinking about her run-in with them.

"Dementors?" Liam echoed worriedly. "Please don't tell me they came after you."

"One almost did," she supplied reluctantly. "Professor Lupin chased it away."

All eyes turned to Lupin. Nora felt a little bad for throwing him under the spotlight, but if he was bothered at least it didn't show.

"Did you cast the Patronus Charm to do it?" Liam asked. Clearly curiosity had won over his apparent dislike for the man.

"I did, yes," Professor Lupin nodded. "It's the only way to effectively repel a dementor."

"Will you be teaching it to us?"

Nora, as she studied his profile, saw amusement flash over Lupin's face. "That depends now, doesn't it?" He gathered his hands on his lap, raising an eyebrow. "What year are you in?"

"We're seventh years," Julia answered.

"Ah." Lupin stole a quick glance down at Nora, lips twitching when she immediately looked away, embarrassed of having been caught staring again. "It would seem you're in luck, then. Casting a Patronus isn't normally part of the curriculum, but I've been tasked with teaching it to you this year."

Emma, ever the gossiper, perked up with interest. "Were you really? Because of the dementors?"

"Of course, why else?"

"It was Professor Dumbledore's idea, I imagine," Liam said in a primly, almost arrogant manner. "We've had an unfortunate lack of proper teaching in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I'm sure you've heard all about your disastrous predecessor. Lockhart was honestly useless. We spent most of his classes reading passages from his books or listening to him talk about himself."

"He was a poor excuse for a teacher," Nora muttered.

"Devilishly handsome, though," Emma countered with a cheeky grin.

"Was he now?" Lupin laughed, again looking down at Nora, who couldn't help but cringe with embarrassment over Emma's brazenness.

It was refreshing to meet an adult who was so charismatic, Nora decided. Especially one who was also a teacher. Most grownups tended to talk down to them or act condescending. It made her even more intrigued about him, and she wished she was brave enough to ask him about his age. By the threads of silver in his hair she would guess he was maybe around forty, but he had a relatively youthful face and his eyes held a certain boyish sparkle that gave her doubt.

More at ease in the presence of a stranger, Julia, Emma and Liam continued to chat quietly. Nora heard Emma mutter the name Caito a few times always with worried looks in her direction, so she did her best to tune out the conversation and for the most part kept to herself. Next to her, Lupin did much the same. Occasionally he would push his sodden bangs out of his eyes or tap his fingers idly on his thigh. Nora kept her stare on the window, pretending she wasn't keenly aware of every tiny movement, every bump of his leg against hers as they staggered through the iron gates of Hogwarts.

Two dementors were standing guard over each side of the gates. Like hellhounds, the winged boars sitting atop the columns added to the eerie atmosphere. The dementors, with their billowing cloaks fluttering in the wind, looked as though they would swoop in to devour them at any second. Nora slumped back in her seat with a shudder, feeling a familiar cold sickness wrap around her heart. The Thestrals seemed to share the sentiment and picked up the pace.

"Are you cold?" Professor Lupin asked upon noticing Nora's shivering form. "Here—"

He shrugged out of his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. She expected it to be as soaking wet as the rest of their clothes, yet it wasn't. It was surprisingly dry. Toasty warmth enveloped her, sending a more pleasant shiver down her spine.

"I cast an impervious spell on it," Lupin explained. "It should keep you warm."

"Thank you," Nora said, blushing when he smiled again.

Giddy, she grabbed the ends of the cloak and pulled it tighter around herself. It smelled amazing, of oakwood and books, and something musky that was decidedly male. The heady smell left her head spinning.


So, Nora and Remus meet in this chapter - yeih! I just love writing scenes with Remus in it. I think he's such a great character and so much fun to write. He's such a fun and cool teacher. And I feel like, as a man, he's genuinely kind and sweet, an old-fashioned gentleman really, which is why I wrote this final scene where he gives Nora his cloak.

Nora's already crushing but can you blame her? *wink-wink*