DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'The Twilight Saga' or 'Harry Potter' or any of the characters (except for Livvy, she's my creation). They are the property of J.K. Rowling & Stephenie Meyer.
Later on in the Gryffindor Common Room, Jacob turned to Hermione and said, "We're dating now?"
"I had to think of something to shut Livvy up. She was disrupting the class", Hermione explained. She never once looked up from the book she was studying.
"So you told her a lie? Brilliant work, Hermione", Ron replied sarcastically.
"It wouldn't be a lie if it was true", retorted Hermione, finally looking up from her book to glare at Ron.
"Say what now?" Jacob and Ron said at the same time.
"Hear me out: it's quite obvious to a lot of people that Livvy has a thing for you, Jacob", began Hermione and Jacob barked out a laugh.
"It will never go anywhere, believe me. That girl is trouble", argued Jacob.
"Which everyone also knows, except for Livvy. So the only way to keep her from making any sort of move on you is to pretend like you're dating me", Hermione continued to explain to Jacob.
"I would gladly pretend date you, except for one thing…" Jacob told Hermione and then looked towards Ron, who looked confused at first but then he started to blush a deep crimson.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob could see Hermione blushing as well. Ron spoke first, "Why are you looking at me? I have no problem with this! It's just for pretend…is it hot in here?"
Jacob tried not to laugh as he said, "I just wanted to be sure. I've been noticing several things…"
"What things? There are no 'things'! Hermione and I are just friends, right?" Ron squealed.
"Absolutely just friends", Hermione agreed breathlessly and then hid her face behind her book.
"Alright, then; you two are just friends and Hermione and I are only pretending to date just to keep Livvy from sinking her claws into me", Jacob clarified.
"Sounds fair", Ron said in his squeaky voice and then coughed and repeated what he said in his normal voice.
"We'll have to lay some ground rules…" Hermione began to say to Jacob over the top of her book when Harry, who was sitting by the fire reading a Quidditch magazine, yelped.
Hermione, Ron, and Jacob all looked over at him and asked him, "What?"
"It's Remus!" cried Harry, pointing into the fire.
"Who?" questioned Jacob, as he ran over to Harry with Ron and Hermione in tow.
Jacob looked into the fire and had to quell a yelp of his own. For in the middle of the fire sat a head. It was the head of a man with longish, shaggy gray hair and a weathered but kindly face. He was smiling at the four youngsters.
"I trust that this young man is Sirius's American nephew", Remus said with a glance towards Jacob.
"Yes, Professor…I mean, Remus", Harry replied.
"I don't mind being called 'Professor', Harry. It was a job I enjoyed the most out of any job I had ever had", Remus told Harry with a smile.
"Remus used to be our Defense against the Dark Arts professor, before it was revealed that he's a werewolf", Harry explained to Jacob.
"Well, join the club", Jacob said to Remus.
"He's a werewolf as well?" questioned Remus, looking shocked.
"He's a different kind of werewolf. The moon holds no sway over him. He can change at will", Hermione explained to Remus.
"I've heard of your kind; Shapeshifters. Though I never expected that I would see one in all my life and yet here you are, at Hogwarts. You must understand that not many people will understand your…condition", Remus said to Jacob.
"I kind of figured that out already", Jacob said, looking towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a passé look.
"Still, it's important that you stick with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They're a good lot of kids. I trust them to watch out for you", Remus continued to say, looking pointedly towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"You don't have to worry, Remus, Jacob is safe with us", Harry reassured him.
"Good, now I must get to the real reason why I'm here: there still has been no sighting of Sirius. We have looked everywhere. There are Order members scowling every inch of the country and so far, there has been no hair or tooth to lead us to where he is. It is as though he simply vanished into thin air", Remus informed the youngsters.
"How can that be?" Hermione asked, confused.
"He's one person. He had to have left some trace…" Ron added.
"I know, but there is nothing to go on. Our only answer could lie with the house-elf, Kreacher, but he hasn't been seen either", Remus replied with a shake of his head.
"It's maddening. How can a house-elf and one man, most specifically a man wanted for murder, just vanish?" Harry mused aloud to himself.
"I don't know, Harry, but I suspect that Dark Magic is involved. If that's the case, then you four best be looking after yourselves. If Death Eaters are involved, then it can prove to be a tricky case. Lives can be lost in the blink of an eye, so I warn you to not get yourselves in any sort of trouble", answered Remus, giving all the youngsters a heavy look.
"We'll try, Remus", Harry told their old professor.
"You'll have to try harder. I know you three. I know the sort of trouble you can get into. Jacob, I'm counting on you to be the voice of reason with these three", Remus said, looking towards Jacob.
"You can count on me", Jacob reassured Remus.
"Good, now get to your homework, all of you. I expect P's on all your O.W.L.s", Remus ordered in a lighthearted manner.
"What are you, my mother?" Ron retorted then with a laugh, Remus's head was gone from the fire.
"You know there's no chance you can keep us from getting into trouble", Harry said to Jacob.
"Oh, yes, I know. I may be the voice of reason, but I'm also the devil on your shoulder rubbing my hands together with an evil glint in my eye", Jacob told Harry with a cocky smile on his tanned face.
"See, I knew there was a reason I liked you", Ron said, clapping a hand on Jacob's shoulder.
* Can Remus count on Jacob to keep Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of trouble? Can Jacob abide by Hermione's ground rules? Will the whole dating sham go up in flames? Find out when we return with our story in approximately two weeks from today!