Chapter Nine

That very same day, Harry went to Lupin's office. When he was bade to come in, he walked in and said, "Professor?"

"Ah, Harry. I heard about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?" Lupin asked. Harry turned to see the weary professor sitting at his desk correcting papers.

"No. It blew into the Whomping Willow," Harry said sadly.

"I'm sorry," Lupin said sincerely.

"Did you hear about the Dementors, too?" Harry asked.

"Actually, I did. They've been growing restless for some time. I suppose that's the reason you fell," Lupin said.

"Yes...Professor, why do they affect me so...I mean, more than everyone else," Harry said.

"The dementors are amongst the foulest creatures to walk this Earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory, until a person is left with absolutely nothing but their worst experiences. You are not weak, Harry. The dementors simply affect you most because there are true horrors in your past, Harry, horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Lupin explained.

"I'm scared, Professor," Harry admitted.

"Well, I'd consider you a fool if you weren't," Lupin said reassuringly.

"I need to know how to fight them. You could teach me. You made that dementor on the train go away," Harry said.

"No. That was-" Lupin began to say. However, he caught himself, remembering not to tell anyone about Lin. "There was only one, and I am hardly an expert." Lin is.

"But you made it go away," Harry persisted.

"Very well. After all, the dementors seem to have a particular interest in you. I'll teach you, Harry, but after the holidays. For now I need to rest," Lupin said.

That was all Harry needed to hear. He turned to leave. As he left, he said, "Thank you, Professor."

As soon as the door was closed, Lupin took a deep breath. I almost told him. I need to be more careful, but how did she hide what she did?

ooooooooooooooooooo

For the rest of the weekend, Lupin saw nothing of Lin. Even Harry and Hermione, whom he asked on Sunday at dinner, had not seen her at all. Apparently, all of her luggage was moved out of Gryffindor Tower on Saturday just after the Quidditch game. No one knew where she was.

The story he heard from everyone was that she was studying for her NEWTs. Somehow, the entire student body knew about this, and apparently everyone believed it.

The question was: why was she avoiding him? He knew for sure she was not studying. She had just told him some of her darkest and most closely kept secrets, yet she was avoiding her now...Unless...

Maybe he had scared her away by holding her as she slept. After all, the last time she was intimate with a man- male- he tried to trap her in a dark cave completely cut off from the natural environment she couldn't live without. With an experience like that holding her back, it'd be nearly impossible for him to be as close to her as he wished.

...Wait...What?...Oh, what is wrong with me? She's older than my father!...I have to be more careful. I can't let this happen.

ooooooooooooooo

For the entire weekend, Lin never once took a step into Hogwarts castle. She spent the whole of her time outside, whether it was in the forest or by the lake. She got back in touch with her friends amongst the centaurs and other creatures of the forest.

In her heart, she knew that she was using this as merely an escape from Remus. Eventually, she would have to face it, face all of this. With another stretch of teaching in front of her, Lin would rather do that sooner than later. Just as she knew he was puzzled, she knew Albus would be the proctor of every written exam she would take. She also was quite sure that he would have the Hogwarts staff administer the practical tests. He would not let a Ministry official be so near to her and her abilities, lest they find out the truth.

All of that meant that Lin was presented with the perfect opportunity to test her new resolve: her DADA practical exam. They would be alone, except for maybe Albus; but she could ask him not to come to that exam quite easily.

That plan brought about a new question: what would she tell him?