Chapter Seventeen
In the morning, mist hovers over the lake. The water seems to be glass, or even a mirror, reflecting the sky. This is the safest time to come outside. The cold deters him. He will not follow me in the morning, though he made it clear that he was watching me. Freedom has become a luxury for me, one that I only glimpse anymore. People say that if one is free in mind and spirit, they are free. Here, there can be no freedom. My mind is forever imprisoned, and my spirit is crushed. My only hope lies in Albus, as I know he will never let me go.
ooooooooooooo
Professor Lupin had been very quiet all week. All of the students noticed. He seemed to be almost on the verge of having a breakdown. Theories abounded, and almost every single one of them had to do with the now-conspicuous absence of Lin. Still more theories had been thought up and spread around about her sudden absence. Most people agreed that they had seen her before Christmas, but they had all been too caught up in their own celebrating to see her that day. Also, from the day after Christmas on, Lupin had been sad, the Headmaster had been more reclusive than usual, and no one had seen Lin. Some people, especially the girls, thought that Lin and Lupin were in love, but he drove her away on Christmas. Others rejected that theory, for they thought Lupin would have gone after her if that was true. The most popular theory today was that she had gotten a job at the Ministry and left, and Lupin was secretly in love with her and mourning her absence. No one knew the truth.
Finally, one student decided to ask the man himself. This student was Hermione, and she just so happened to drag Ron and Harry along with her after class to ask.
"Yes?" Lupin asked, hardly looking up as he sat heavily at his desk.
"Why are you so sad, sir?" she asked daringly.
"I don't believe that's any of your business. Now, hurry up or you'll be late to class," he said, trying to brush them off.
"It's because of Lin, isn't it?"
The Professor paused in his already languid movements to clean off his desk. His face betrayed his pain.
"Why did she leave?" Hermione asked gently.
Lupin sighed sadly, but nevertheless he said, "Not by choice..." He then looked up and made eye contact with her. "Hermione, go to the Headmaster about this. Tell him I sent you, and that he should tell you about that day."
Lupin did not say another word. Instead, he stood and walked up to his personal quarters.
"Hermione, you'll tell us what he says, right?" Harry asked.
She looked at the two of them and said, "I don't think there's anything we can do about this."
"We won't know unless you tell us," Harry returned.
"Yeah," Ron added inarticulately.
Hermione sighed and said, "Very well. I'll go after dinner."