The month passed quicker than I expected, and many hours of long, hard study and not much fun later, I found myself standing outside Professor Lupins office, hurriedly checking my appearance for what Audrey would instant must have been the hundredth time in the last hour.
Hair? Check. Robes? Check? No crumbs on mouth? Double check. Seductive smile? Sigh, not this time.
Putting away my mirror, I knocked loudly on Professor Lupins office door, taking a moment to admire the golden plaque that read "Professor R. J. Lupin" as it glistened softly in the waning sunlight.
"Come in," called back a voice that I knew too well.
I entered the room, closing the door behind me.
"Good evening, Professor Lupin," I said pleasantly, taking in his appearance. His hair was slightly dishevelled, as though he had run his fingers though it a few times. I liked it though, it suited him, and made him look younger, closer to the age I knew he must be.
"Ah, Faylinn," he said as he stood up from behind his desk, beckoning for me to take a seat, "If you would just take a seat, I just need to grab some files."
I sat down in a comfortable chair across his desk, looking around the office while he pulled down a folder from one of the shelves behind his desk. It wasn't as cluttered as the other teachers' offices, but it was neat and very homely. There was a large wooden trunk on one of the shelves to my right which was labelled 'boggart'. I grimaced slightly; remembering how much I had been teased back in third year about the form my boggart assumed.
Lupin sat down again, setting the folder on his desk.
"I'll try not to take too much of your time, Faylinn, I can imagine you must be very busy with study," he said.
I smiled warmly, "Oh, I don't mind Professor, take as long as you need."
Seriously, I thought, as long as you need…
"Okay, so how are you finding the classes? Are they interesting, too difficult...?" he inquired.
"They are great, definitely interesting, and I wouldn't say they are too difficult," I answered truthfully.
"Was there anything you found particularly interesting or worth while?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Well," I thought for a moment, taking slightly longer to answer because of the intoxicating effect of being alone with someone so handsome, "I liked the class on patronus."
"Ah," said Lupin, smiling knowingly, "Yes, I particularly liked that class myself. You cast a very strong patronus. I imagine you must have found a very happy memory to use to cast the charm?"
"Yeh," I said, smiling apologetically, "Um, the memory of the day it was announced that Lockhart was leaving, actually."
Lupin chuckled good-naturedly, "Yes, I've heard a few people talk rather fondly about that day."
My heart fluttered slightly; I made him laugh. Oh, I love it when he laughs…
"Now, about the homework," he said, as he flicked through the folder he had taken down from the shelf earlier. He came to a stop at a page that had my name written at the top.
"Your marks are all excellent," he commented, looking up briefly to smile encouragingly at me before returning to study the list, "Nothing of concern. How have you been finding the homework?"
"It isn't hard or anything, it's just –" I hesitated, not wanting to criticize him, but he nodded, encouraging me to continue, "well, it's just a lot, really. More than other subjects."
"Mmm, yes, I understand that," he said, absentmindedly stroking his chin with the tip of his quill (an act that made him look positively gorgeous, I might add), "But I'm sure you appreciate that it is needed, given the Lockhart, er, fiasco."
"I understand," I said quickly, "but it's just a lot of work, you know, I mean, its NEWTs and we just have so much work to do, and so little time to, you know, enjoy ourselves," I added with a shrug.
"I've had that from a lot of students… I'll see if there is anything I can do about," he offered, "Now, is there anything you wanted to add, and comments about the class, my teaching style, anything?"
Other, I thought to myself, than how hard it is to focus on the class when you're standing up there looking so gorgeous, you mean?
"Not really, but it's just great to finally have a decent DADA Professor," I said honestly, enjoying the genuine smile and twinkling in Lupins eye in response to that statement.
"Thank you, Faylinn," he said softly, "That means a lot to me. Just before you leave, if you don't mind, I just have one more question."
"Yes?" I asked cautiously, wondering where this was headed.
"I've notice, and please forgive me if am wrong," he said hastily, "but you seem, ah, slightly reserved in class. I've spoken to some other Professors and they have reassured me that you are very involved and active in their classes, but I never see any of that. I've also noticed that you seem, for lack of a better word, and again, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you do sometimes seem intimidated by me in class. I mean, I would hate to think that I make you uncomfortable… could you perhaps explain or correct this?"
Oh dear… bloody hell, I thought, taken aback by the frankness of his question. Am I that obvious? Reserved? Maybe because I'm too scared to actually say anything in case I embarrass myself… intimidated? No, I believe that would be just being temporarily dazzled by your smile…
"I, um, I –" I stuttered not really knowing what to say. The truth, for obvious reasons, was out of the question.
Professor Lupin watched with polite curiosity, and raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"I, I'm –" I searched my brain desperately for some kind of answer, "I'm shy," I said finally.
"Sorry?" he asked politely, still watching me curiously.
"I'm, er, shy… around new people," I said. Well it's wasn't a blatant lie… I can be shy… sometimes, though generally around people I have a hopeless crush on, not strangers, "I'm more comfortable with the other professors because they've been teaching my since first year…"
Professor Lupin smiled, "Ah, okay. So it isn't anything personal?"
Oh yes, I thought, it's very, very personal…
"No, Professor, not at all," I said, smiling guiltily, "You were worried?"
"I admit I was slightly worried that I had done something to offend you. I'm glad it isn't the case," he said, "Well if you've nothing more to add, I daresay you're eager to get a start on the essay I set yesterday."
"Oh," I said, standing up and smiling slightly, "I've finished that already, actually."
"Already?" he asked, looking taken aback, "Impressive."
"Thanks," I replied as I followed him to the door, "Audrey insisted –"
"PEEVES!"
An angry voice cut me off; I recognised it at once as belonging to Filch. It seemed to be coming from above. It was followed immediately by a ground-shattering bang from above, and the very walls of Lupins office shook. There was another loud thud; this it come from inside the office. I gasped, startled by the sound, jumped back and hit Professor Lupin forcefully in the stomach with my elbow and he fell down onto the floor.
I turned around frantically to apologise, but froze mid-spin when I realised what had made the loud thud.
The boggart trunk – it had fallen off the shelf when the office shook. And it was open.
Frozen, I watched in horror as two very bony and wrinkled hands reached out from the trunk, followed swiftly by the one of the most horrific, yet oddly beautiful, witches I had ever seen. Her elbow-length black hair was a wild tangle, her skin was deathly white and stretched taut across her face, making her inky black eyes extremely prominent. She wore exceptionally old-fashioned and worn out black robes.
I was terrified; I knew exactly who she was. She had haunted my childhood dreams for years. The witch held out one of her horrible hands, and in it was a single shining red apple. She was offering it to me. I didn't take it, I just stared, vaguely aware that behind me Professor Lupin was quickly rising to his feet.
I reached fearfully for my wand, my hands trembling, but the boggart-witch was quicker; she pointed her wand directly at me and cried,
"Imperio!"
The spell hit me before I could react, and I was immediately over come by a sense of light-headed peace.
"Eat the apple," I heard a coarse voice demand.
"Thank you," I said dreamily, "I like apples."
I took the apple from the witch and bit into it immediately, ignoring the voice in the back ground screaming, "Faylinn, don't!"
And then, everything was black.
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