Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or his world. I just play with them sometimes, but I always put them back where I found them.
A/N: I have good news, and I have bad news. The bad news is, my classes are now over for the semester, so I won't be getting to make myself daily delicious breakfasts of teriyaki salmon or chicken Kiev for the next few weeks. The good news, however, is that this means I'll be able to write and update more often. My goal is going to be at least one new chapter per week.
Shameless self-plug: I am putting the final edits on the first chapters of a new fic that will be a companion piece to One Kiss From You. For the wildly unobservant, that's what you're reading right now. Or at least, what you will be reading in about two lines. Please add an Author Alert, so you can be updated when that is posted! Enjoy!
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As Harry watched the last of the Gryffindors file out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, he realized that he'd never really had a disciplinary conversation with Lupin. He turned to his professor and friend, wondering which he would be today.
"Come with me, Harry," Lupin requested, lifting his own tattered bag and books and moving toward the door.
The halls were still as they took the familiar path to the Defense Against the Dark Arts' teacher's office. Without the usual murmur of conversation, their footsteps echoed through the long corridor in a way Harry associated with being out of bed after hours. He tried to think about anything that could keep his mind off of Ron and his potential jealousy. He watched the portraits as they passed. He recognized a few, but after his first few months at Hogwarts, the moving portraits had become just another part of the castle, and he'd never paid much attention.
When they reached Professor Lupin's office, Harry stood in silence as Lupin retrieved a black leather flask from the bottom drawer and took a long pull. He shuddered in disgust, then took several steadying breaths.
"How many days, sir?" Harry asked without thinking. He hoped he wasn't over-stepping bounds as a student, but Lupin's response reassured him.
"Reamus, please, Harry. In this room," he gestured to his small office, "we are friends."
"Yes, sir," Harry replied automatically. "Err…sorry. Reamus."
Lupin smiled in good humor. "And it is three days until the next full moon. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you."
Lupin gestured that Harry take the seat across from his desk, and they settled in. Harry wondered what was going on. He did not seem to be in trouble, but didn't understand why else he would be in Lupin's office.
"Now then," Lupin began, "why don't you tell me what's been going on with you and Ron this week?"
Harry stared at Lupin, unsure where or how to begin. "I'm…not sure what you mean," he mumbled evasively, not quite meeting his eye.
"We can start with the incident yesterday during Professor Flitwick's class," Lupin offered gently. "Or, perhaps with the black eye you're sporting today."
Harry gulped, knowing that there was no way he could escape this conversation. But still, he had to try. "Erm, Professor McGonagall will be expecting me in class, won't she? Perhaps now isn't the best time—"
"Of the school faculty, I am the most likely to be able to relate to your situation. We have been…keeping a close eye on you this year, my dear boy." He held up a hand at Harry's astonished expression. "Closer than usual, even. The past years have not been easy for you, and we recognize that a boy of your age may need someone to talk to. Someone—well, someone like a father. Obviously, the two most likely candidates for that role are—well. We don't need to discuss that right now.
"Not only am I the youngest of the faculty, but I also have more of a personal relationship with you. Nothing you tell me will get you in trouble, Harry, I promise you that. And missing class for something like this will not hurt you in any way this year. If ever you need me, I implore that you come talk to me."
"Er, well, thanks," Harry said in surprise. He'd had no idea that Dumbledore was having him watched so closely. After what he'd told Harry at the end of the previous school year, he wasn't too surprised that Dumbledore himself wasn't volunteering for this. It made a certain amount of sense, choosing Lupin. He had been Harry's father's friend in school, he was a member of the Order, and he was someone Dumbledore trusted. Harry contemplated telling Lupin everything. This was a man he could trust with his life. Did trust with his life, and that meant Hermione's as well, certainly? Yet, just that morning, Harry and Hermione had decided not to tell anyone, and he would feel as though he was betraying her trust if he didn't talk to her first. "I'm…not sure this is something I can talk about with you," he hedged. "I'll have to talk to—to the other person—people, people involved."
Lupin raised an eyebrow, but nodded in understanding.
"We've opted to keep it a, a sort of secret, you see," Harry continued, trying not to offend Lupin, but still tell him no. "And I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't talk he—to them before sharing it with someone else. I appreciate your concern, R—Reamus, really, but it's not just my story to tell, you see."
"I most certainly understand," Reamus replied with a proud smile. He rose from his seat, and Harry followed suit. Lupin walked around the desk to where Harry stood, clapping a hand firmly on his back. "You wouldn't be your father's son if you didn't put absolutely everyone before yourself. You wouldn't be you, Harry."
Harry felt himself growing pink at the blatant pride in Lupin's voice. It was so similar to the tone Sirius had regularly used in speaking to or about him that a lump formed in his throat at the very thought. He so often forgot that Reamus had also been close to his father and mother in their youth, had known them as they were falling in love. Perhaps that was why he said what he did next.
"Erm, there is one thing, though."
"Yes, Harry?"
"When you were all in school, and my mum and dad got together, er…did Sirius ever mind?"
"Ah."
Lupin's reply sounded a touch too knowing for Harry not to add, "Not that it's the same situation, at all, as a matter of fact. It's just…there's someone. A—a girl, and Ron's…well, not really pleased, you see."
"Yes, I do understand." Lupin perched on the corner of his desk for a moment, looking at Harry thoughtfully, as though he was deciding what to say next. "Well, the situation with your parents was…unique. I believe you are aware that your mother was not quite as—shall we say—impressed with James' antics as many of the other girls were?"
"She thought he was a git," Harry clarified, remembering all too well Snape's memories he had seen in the Pensieve the year before. "More than likely, because he was," he added darkly. It still disappointed him to know that his father had been that way.
Lupin sighed. "He did have the propensity for very git-like behavior, I will grant you. He took far too much pleasure in tormenting certain other members of the student body, especially the Slytherins. But your father was at heart a very true and loyal person. Being with Lily— Well, I personally believe that's what turned him into the very mature man he grew to be. No one is the same person in school that they are in life. We all grow out of some very silly habits, in time.
"But when James and Lily became a couple, the situation was a bit different. For one thing, it wasn't just Sirius and James. Peter and I were there, too, so even if Sirius did see James less often than he had before, well, he had us. I know it was difficult for him, though. It was around that time that Sirius left his mother's house and moved in with the Potters, so it really was like losing a brother to Sirius."
Harry was reminded forcefully of how many times Molly and Arthur Weasley had taken him graciously into their home and their family, never once asking for anything in return. He had to admit that the Weasleys were more of a family to him than he'd ever had, and he'd always thought of Ron as his brother, of Molly and Arthur as his surrogate parents. He wondered if Lupin knew the parallels he was drawing between his father's life and his own.
"But what really makes it different, I think," Lupin continued, eyeing Harry carefully, "is that Lily had never been a part of our group before. We were only losing James, not James and Lily. And after their honeymoon period was over, and they began to spend time with all of us again, it was more like we'd added a limb to our little family tree. For Ron, he's losing two of the people who have always been beside him, and what's worse, he may feel he's losing them to each other."
The exceptional description of the difference made Harry extremely uncomfortable. He fidgeted on the spot, playing with his shirt hem as he quickly said, "I never said anything about it being Hermione."
"Neither did I, Harry," Lupin said, grinning conspiratorially. "I had naturally assumed you to be talking about his younger sister, Ginny. She was in here earlier this week, asking me about a boy."
"Why did she come to you?" Harry asked, before realizing it was not his place. "Erm, I mean, why not to McGonagall or another girl?"
"Well, as I have with you, I have a very close relationship to the Weasley family, and Ginny was concerned about her parents' views on a certain young man she has been seeing. And given my," he hesitated, "circumstances, I think she hoped I would be less inclined to a judgment based on prejudice than her family would have been." The lightness in his voice made Harry very sure that Lupin had indeed been anything but judgmental in dealing with Ginny.
"Oh. Interesting."
"Indeed, it was," Lupin replied, nodding thoughtfully. "Though I can't say I'm at all surprised. Of all the Weasleys, and especially as the youngest, Ginny has always been far more rebellious than her brothers. If I recall correctly, in fact, I think she's taken after Bill Weasley more than any of the others. She was concerned at her family's feelings on her beau being of a different house." Lupin looked at Harry meaningfully, but Harry wasn't sure what the look was supposed to convey.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Harry leapt out of his seat, horrified to have completely missed Transfiguration. "Professor McGonagall!" he exclaimed, grabbing his backpack. "She'll kill me!"
"It's quite all right, Harry," Lupin said reassuringly, as the sound of footsteps filled the corridor outside. "I'll send her an owl explaining the situation, and I'm sure she'll let you make up any work that you missed."
Sure she will, Harry thought sourly, in detention.
"If you say so," was all he said aloud. He hoisted his book bag across his shoulders and made to leave the room.
"Professor," Harry stopped at the door, suddenly realizing something. "if you knew Ginny's boyfriend is in a different house, than why—"
"Young love rarely encounters life's simplest obstacles. Luckily enough, there is always someone else to have a go with you. If your young lady does not object, my door is always open to you, Harry."
Harry knew, from the tone in his voice, that the question that had occurred to him would not be answered today.
"Erm, yes," Harry said, backing into the hallway. "Thank you, sir."
Lupin smiled warmly as he closed the door behind him. Harry realized that, whether or not he'd known before Harry had walked into his office, Lupin somehow knew about he and Hermione. He had to talk to Hermione, straight away. Luckily, they did not have afternoon classes that day, giving them the chance to begin their weekend a bit early. Harry thought of what his weekend could hold, now that Hermione was his. He knew, of course, that they couldn't be overt, but a few stolen kisses here and there would certainly make the weekend worth it. He grinned at the innocent fantasies now brewing in his mind as he made his way into the living sea of students making their way down to lunch.
When he entered the Great Hall, he saw Ron sitting by himself, across from Ginny. He sat down next to Ron hesitantly, and to his great surprise, Ron turned to him immediately.
"McGonagall wanted me to give this to you," he said gruffly, thrusting a slightly bent roll of parchment into his hand and turning quickly back to his kidney stew.
As Harry took the offered parchment, a seam opened along the length of it at his touch. He rolled it open gingerly, immediately recognizing Professor McGonagall's own handwriting.
Mr. Potter,
Please come to my office at your nearest convenience.
I believe you have the afternoon off from classes.
M. McGonagall
Though he had known this would happen, Harry stifled a groan as he read the curt message. He could almost hear Professor McGonagall's pinched tone rising from the notice. At least, he supposed, if he had an afternoon detention, he wouldn't have to cancel the first Quidditch practice of the year that evening. With his sense of apprehension for the evening growing, Harry realized that he would have to be playing the role of Quidditch Captain for the first time in practice tonight. With Ron in the mood he was already in, Harry was concerned that he would try to undermine his leadership during practice, not the sort of thing that would hold the team together at the beginning of the school year.
Harry sighed, filling his plate with rice and a generous helping of kidney stew. He sipped his pumpkin juice leisurely, not wanting to finish eating before Hermione arrived from wherever she was. He sent a sidelong glance at Ron. He had been keeping his temper well throughout the day. Harry began to feel a bit of hope that Ron's reaction earlier in the morning had been an extreme, even for Ron.
"Hey, Ron, where i—"
"McGonagall."
"Oh."
Harry returned his full attention to his plate, his momentary spark of hope having been put out by Ron's short response. Without much else to look at or anyone to speak to, the other Gryffindors being farther down the table, Harry looked up at Ginny to start conversation. Ginny, however, did not appear to be looking into the immediate space, but was rather staring vaguely across the neighboring tables at nothing in particular.
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Professor McGonagall dismissed her Transfiguration class seconds before the bell rang, but as Hermione and Ron got up to leave, she held up a hand to them, indicating that they should wait. As they approached, she was signing her name to a short note, which she rolled before either had a chance to read it and sealed it with the same charm Umbridge had been so fond of the year before. Rather than flying off to its recipient, however, McGonagall handed the rolled parchment to Ron.
"Mr. Weasley, would you be so kind as to give this to Mr. Potter?" she asked as she held the message out to him.
Ron, who had been caught off guard by being given a reason to speak to Harry, couldn't think of an immediate response. He stared at her blankly, his mouth openly and closing repeatedly until she finally noticed something was off.
"I trust you do know who Mr. Potter is?" she snapped, her lips growing thin. "Or do I need to send someone else with his detention notice?"
Ron blushed scarlet to the roots of his hair, and fumbled to offer his hand before Professor McGonagall could say anything else scathing. He took the note and shoved it into the side pocket of his bookbag, mumbling an apology.
"You may go, Mr. Weasley," she snapped. "Miss Granger, if you will stay for just a moment longer?" Hermione nodded mutely, wondering what else she could possibly have to say.
Ron looked at Hermione awkwardly, then said bracingly, "I'll, erm, wait for you then, shall I?"
"That's—that's alright," she responded, hoping to avoid an afternoon of his sulking. "I'll see you at lunch." She watched Ron leave the room without looking back, and looked back to Professor McGonagall with a small sigh.
"Miss Granger," the older woman began in a tone much softer than her usual curt manner, "I'll make this quick." Hermione nodded again. "I know that a professor is hardly the person a young lady would like to speak to about such things, but—that is—if you ever need someone to talk to about this situation with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, I hope you know that my door is always open to you."
The sentimentality apparent in her most adored instructor's voice set Hermione's heart on edge, and she nearly burst into tears on the spot. She had seen Harry and Ron fight over the years, but she herself had always been someone they would both talk to, not the catalyst for the whole mess. What she wouldn't give for someone as understanding as McGonagall to help her through the ordeal, but she had promised Harry that they would keep their relationship private, and if she couldn't keep her word to Harry, then she didn't deserve him.
"Thank you," she replied, fighting back the choking sob that threatened to erupt out of her chest. "Thank you, Professor, but I think this might just be something I have to take care of by myself." She sniffed delicately, her breathing shaky.
"But you don't, my dear," she said quietly, smiling slyly at Hermione in a very girly and very un-McGonagall-like way. "Isn't that the whole point? Perhaps you feel you can't confide in anyone else, but you most certainly won't be by yourself in this matter.
"I've taught all of the Weasleys, and each was as hot-tempered as the next. If anything, they get more voracious as they've come along. I'm sure the youngest Mr. Weasley will come around in due time, and you'll all be just fine. Perhaps even better than before. Dumbledore's been saying it for years, that there's nothing quite like love to bind people closer together."
Hermione looked up at Professor McGonagall, her eyes wide as she realized the implied knowledge behind her words. "But how—"
"I was young once too, you know," she replied, smiling softly. "A long, long time ago, it's true, but there are some things that just never change in the life of a young witch. Now, go on to lunch, before they're missing you."
Hermione stopped at the door and turned to say quietly, "Thank you, Professor. Even though I can't—I mean, even though we're not supposed to tell people about it, you've no idea how much it helps to just know that—that you can—" She broke off as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall."
"You're very welcome, Miss Granger."
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A/N: Tune in next time for a weekend full of sneaky fluff! Also, for those of you who have added a Story Alert, you may also want to add an Author Alert. I am doing final edits on the first chapters of a companion piece to One Kiss From You. It is entitled Brother to Dragons. As I hinted before, it will be the same story, told from the other side of the coin. While the romance and plot can be a stand-alone, there will be many references from OKFY that will make much more sense if you read them both together. If anyone can send me a private message (so as not to ruin it for others) with who you think the story will be about, you will get a sneak-peek of the first chapter!
I usually do a favorite review mini-award here, but sadly, Chapter 11 received no reviews. This makes me a sad coconut, and sad coconuts, as we all know, don't write as prolifically as happy, ego-bolstered coconuts :(
So, in a blatant attempt at bribery, all signed reviews (reviews I can respond to with a PM) will get a sneak-peek at the fun fluffy goodness coming in Chapter 13! That means a preview of the next chapter will go to ALL SIGNED REVIEWS for this chapter.
Again, don't forget to add an Author Alert, as I will be posting a new story, based around the elements of One Kiss From You, from another, blonder perspective ^_^
Rock on, keep reading, and as always, review!
cj596