"Wow," said Audrey, looking awestruck. It was the first weekend of the new term, and I had finally found the time to tell Audrey about my uncle's thoughts on Sirius Black, though leaving out any mention of Professor Lupin. I was not sure I wanted to talk about that, or that he would appreciate me spreading news about his previous suffering and connection with Black amongst the students.
"I know," I replied, looking around the common room to make sure no one was listening. I noticed Harry enter the room along with the rest of the Quidditch team, and wondered vaguely if he knew just how connected to Sirius Black he was.
"Listen –" I said, turning back to Audrey, "Do me a favour, don't go spreading around what I've just told you. I don't know how much Harry Potter knows, I'd hate for him to find out about Black from rumours circulating around the school."
"Of course," she replied, nodding, "Do you reckon he already knows? We could ask Hermione Granger, she'd be smart enough not to tell him we asked anything."
I frowned slightly, looking over at Hermione. She was surrounded by books, and looked positively exhausted.
"That girl studies too much. And she's only in third year!" I said, shaking my head exasperatedly, "Anyway, have you noticed she hasn't been anywhere near Potter and Weasley lately? I think they've had a fight… probably best not to ask her."
"Really?" asked Audrey, looking surprised, "No, I hadn't noticed. Well, if that's the case, yeh, I guess we shouldn't…"
Audrey's voice trailed off; her eyes were fixed on something right behind me. I turned around, and saw Oliver standing there grinning goofily, still in his Quidditch robes.
"Er, hello, Oliver," I said, raising an eyebrow. He rarely ever approached Audrey or me.
"Hi," he replied, and then he looked straight at Audrey, who blushed slightly, "Umm, Audrey, could I possibly have a word with you? Outside the common room?"
"Sure," she said, looking slightly taken back, thought pleased.
She smiled at me nervously and followed Oliver out of the room. While I waited for her to return, I took out the picture of Professor Lupin and his friends and looked at it. I had not shown it to Audrey, and I was not planning to, but part of me really wanted to ask Professor Lupin about it, and to tell him about my uncle's opinion. He seems to hold Black guilty; in our first class back after the break, one of the students had asked him about how Black could have entered the castle. He seemed slightly flustered by the question, and knowing what I did about his past, I knew it must be because Black was once his best friend.
Of course, and my heart fluttered slightly as I thought about it, I wanted to ask him whether he realised he was the one who named me. It was such a surprise for me when I read that line. I had always loved my name; I loved the way it sounds, and the fact that it was suggested to my parents by my favourite uncle, but now that I know it was suggested by my favourite teacher and the subject of a long-lasting crush, I love the name even more.
And then there was the issue of Rose Wilson, his beautiful girlfriend. It made me sad knowing they had both been so saddened by the break up, and the curiosity as to why he had broken up with her was eating me up in side. But seeing as how I had hardly spoken a word to Professor Lupin since the boggart incident, unless you count those awkward moment in class when he would ask me a question (and even though Audrey said I had stopped blushing, doesn't mean I'm not still embarrassed), I could hardly ask him such personal questions, especially not ones that might upset him.
Hearing the Portrait open, I looked up from the photo to see Audrey hurrying towards me, looking positively ecstatic. I hurriedly put the picture away.
"What did he want?" I asked eagerly as she sat down besides me.
"He's asked me on a date!" she squeaked excitedly. "Next Hogsmeade weekend!"
"Congratulations!" I replied enthusiastically, all thoughts of Professor Lupin pushed to the back of my mind, "I don't believe, this is so out of no where! Fill me in! What did he say?"
"That he's liked me for a while now, but he wasn't sure how I felt, but he realised that he had to say something soon, since the year was coming to a close and he won't have much chance after that!"
"Wow," I said, "Impressive, he's very good at hiding it, isn't he? I mean, I would never have guessed…"
"I know!" she replied, beaming, "He is really busy though, you know, with Quidditch practise - he's training five evenings a week – he said, so he won't be able to spend much time with me before the cup was over, but that he would be free on the Hogsmeade weekend and that he'd be flattered if I would go with him!"
"That's like, what? Two weeks from now, right?" I asked.
"Yeh, I can't wait!" she said excitedly, but then her expression became more serious and she said, "Come on, we really need to finish this essay!"
I smirked, rolling my eyes. If I had just been asked out by someone I've liked for ages, I would have given myself a break from homework… but no, not Audrey.
- - -
The following Saturday, Oliver some how managed to become Audrey's 'study-partner' for the day, so I was quite alone as I made my way from the common room to dinner. It was just as I was day dreaming of hexing Snape for setting us a killer assignment that I heard muffled footsteps behind me. I turned around, and as I did, I heard someone I could not see shout something, and immediately felt something warm brush across my forehead. I gasped, clasping my hand to my forehead. Then there was the sound of more footsteps, this time mixed with giggling, and then silence.
Muttering furiously under my breath, I conjured a mirror to see what damage was done.
"Argh!" I cried out furiously. The words "I love Lupin" were tattooed across my forehead in bright, glittering pink ink,
"Merlins beard! Stupid thugs!"
After trying several times to remove it and failing, I stormed up noisily to the Hospital wing, though making sure that my fringe was covering the worst of the damage.
The hospital wing was empty when I arrive, except for one bed, which had the curtains drawn around it.
"Madam Pomfrey?" I called out, looking towards her office.
She quickly came out from her office.
"Good evening, Faylinn," she said, when she saw me, then she frowned slightly and asked, "What's that you have on your forehead?"
"That's why I'm here," I said resentfully, "Some fool thought it would be funny to plaster this message on my head. Somehow, I'm not laughing."
Madam Pomfrey indicated for me to sit on the bed, and then she approached me and pulled back my fringe. When she saw what was written, she laughed.
"It's not funny!" I said, my face feeling distinctly hot.
"No, of course it isn't dear," she said as she examined the writing, though she looked amused.
"You know it's your fault, Madam Pomfrey, don't you?" I muttered, careful to keep any accusation out of my voice, "How could you have let Malfoy hear you telling Professor McGonagall? Malfoy, of all people!"
"I'm sorry dear – and do try not to move too much please." she muttered, not taking her eyes off my forehead. She conjured a large jar from the shelf behind her and then asked, "I assume he was punished?"
"Oh, yes," I replied smugly, pausing to enjoy the memory, "Yes, I got him just before the Halloween feast. He was trying to embarrass me in front of a large crowd, so I gave him detention, and I convinced Hagrid to take him up too. He made him spend four hours bathing those horrible Blast-ended Skwerts. Hagrid tells me he had quite a few burns and cuts before he was allowed to leave."
"Ah, yes, I remember seeing him here just before the break," replied Madam Pomfrey, now dabbing a thick purple liquid across my forehead.
"And Professor McGonagall gave him detention too; she told me Professor Lupin took him up for it. I, er, never found out what he had him do, though. Probably nothing too horrible though, he's too nice for that, I think."
"You didn't ask?"
"I did, but Professor McGonagall didn't know…" I said.
"I meant Professor Lupin," she said.
"I, er, well, you see, um, I didn't want to, um, bother him…" I muttered very unconvincingly.
"You're not shy to talk to him, are you?"
"No!" I said defensively, though truthfully I knew that she was spot on the mark.
"He told me you've been avoiding him."
"What do you expect me to do? The whole school, more or less, knows what happened. He probably hates me because of it," I muttered sadly. The thought had been haunting me, though admittedly less so lately.
"Nonsense, he doesn't hate you," she said, "He really values you as a student, actually."
"Really?" I asked hopefully.
"Yes, but he's worried that he has ruined your relationship, he seems to think that you blame him, or that you are angry with him."
"Of course I don't!" I replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "He's a great teacher – my favourite actually. It's just a shame that this had to come between us."
There was a moment's silence, in which I mentally weighted the delight of having kissed him with the torment I had received, and was still receiving from the school. Part of me, the honest part, knows that I enjoyed the kiss too much to regret that it happened.
"Do you know who did this to you, then?" she asked as she dried off the purple liquid and started applying a clear, shimmering gel.
"Ouch, that burns, miss!" I said, grimacing.
"Nonsense!" she replied bossily.
"Anyway," I said, adapting to the pain, "I didn't see who it was, but it isn't the first time. Someone hexed me a few days after the news spread too… I think it must be one of his little fans." I added, scowling slightly.
"Stop frowning, Faylinn," she reprimanded me again, "And what do you mean by fans?"
"Fans!" I said, empathetically, "Other than all the teasing, I've been bombarded by all these girls who were really jealous and have crushes on Professor Lupin."
"Really?" she replied, looking surprised, finally looking me in the eye, "You mean to say that students are crushing on Professor Lupin?"
"Yes," I replied, conveniently leaving out that fact that I was one of them.
"And what did they ask?"
"If it was true. Some of them looked pretty sour, too. Some even ask for details, whether he was a good kisser and stuff."
Madam Pomfrey chuckled lightly, "And what did you say?"
I smiled cheekily, "At first I just pretended I wasn't able to pay attention because of the poison, but then they started to get annoying so I told them I wasn't the type to kiss and tell."
"Oh, and why didn't you just answer them directly?"
"What?" I asked incredulously, "If I told them he was a great kisser, then I'd be teased even more, and if I told them he was horrible, well, I don't think he would have liked that – I mean, who would? - especially since it isn't true."
"Not true, you say?" she asked, "No, I didn't think so, you did seem to enjoy that kiss."
"Sorry?" I asked suspiciously, "How do you know that I enjoyed it? I thought you weren't watching?"
"Of course I was, dear,"
I stared at her in disbelief. She watched? Oblivious to my reaction, she simply started drying my forehead with her wand.
"But Professor Lupin told you not to watch!"
"That looks like it's all fixed," she muttered about my forehead, then said, "I had to watch, I'm the matron here."
She conjured a mirror so that I could check my reflection. Other than the fact that I was blushing slightly and frowning, my face was back to normal.
"Besides, back when he was a student here, he didn't seem to mind so much. The number of times I caught him kissing in here when he was meant to be resting –"
"That's quite enough, I think, Poppy," said a hoarse voice from behind the curtained-off bed besides me.
I gasped, dropping the mirror from shock. I know that voice… Oh no, no, this can't be… please don't tell me Professor Lupin just heard me talking about his fan club and Madam Pomfrey saying I enjoyed the kiss…
"Remus?" asked Madam Pomfrey, sticking her head between the openings of the curtains, "I thought I told you get some sleep?" she asked sternly.
"I woke up when Faylinn called for you," he replied.
"Have you been listening?" she asked.
"I tried not to… but then I heard my name come up," he said, almost apologetically.
Oh, bloody hell, I thought, my face burning red, my heart racing. How much did he hear?
"Did you hear about your little fan club?"
"Ah, yes. That was rather, er, unusual," he replied, sounding embarrassed.
"Did you know about it?"
"No, actually, I had no idea. I never thought my students would ever see me, er, that way."
"You've always under-estimated yourself, Remus. You're as handsome now as you ever were, and you have a wonderful personality –"
"Poppy, please," he said, sounding even more embarrassed.
"Alright, alright, now, I want you to get back to sleep, okay? You need rest," she said seriously.
Madam Pomfrey pulled her head back out of the curtains and turned to look at me. She blinked a few times and then said (rather loudly, I might add), "What are you blushing about, girl?"
I glared at her and whispered furiously, "Not so loud! And why didn't you tell me he was here? You just let me embarrass myself –"
"Nonsense, you haven't –" she started loudly.
"Shhh! He can hear you!" I whispered, and then added in an audible voice, "Anyway, thanks for your help Madam Pomfrey, but I need to go to dinner."
"You're welcome, and do try to stay out of trouble, won't you?"
Trouble, I thought bitterly as I left hospital wing, between her, boggarts and Draco Malfoy it's all I seem to be having this year.
Author's note – I just wanted to point out, in case my readers get the wrong impression, that this fic will not involve any actual, full on student-teacher relationship, where they start dating and stuff! I just can't possibly put Lupin in a position where he does something so recklessly immoral and illegal! But I hope you can enjoy the story anyway. :D