Aline isn't sure if Professor Snape is trying to appear unapproachable and unfriendly, having his classroom in the dark and dreary dungeons, but she soon knows for sure. She knocks on the classroom door, and a gust of wind nearly slams her off her feet as the tall and brooding man stares down at her.

"Miss Lupin." He drags out every. Single. Syllable. "Classes for Fourth Year Gryffindors are not until Friday."

"Sir, I need your help."

"I am in the midst of teaching a class."

"It's an emergency."

"-which will have to wait another twenty-two minutes."

"Please, if I could."

"Twenty-two. minutes."

The door slams in her face, and Aline is forced to lean against the cold stone walls of the dungeons for what seems like an eternity until all the seventh-year students file out. They all seem to be staring down at Aline, mocking, teasing, and laughing behind her back. Aline instantly hates it.

Finally, she rushes inside and stands beside Professor Snape's desk. He seems to tower over her, and his whole face is in an ever-displacing sort of expression.

"Yes, how may I be of assistance today?"

"I am sorry for interrupting your class," Aline mumbles, crossing her legs. "I need a vial of Wolfsbane. Please."

"Wolfsbane is only for full moon cycles."

"I think I am already transforming. I felt myself becoming a wolf.

Professor Snape flicks his capes and strides around the desk. "Impossible. What you are experiencing is likely your sympathetic nervous system on high alert, most commonly known by others as being nervous."

Aline swallows, feeling him sizing her up.

"Follow me," he snarls.

They enter his storage room, where he summons over a ladder, climbs up, and flicks through some glass things on a higher shelf. He hands her a green vial.

"Valerian tincture. Twenty drops with a glass of water every night for a duration of two weeks should be sufficient." He glares at her. "Goodbye."

She understands why Lupin told her not to become too comfortable around this particular professor. It seems she really has no interest in being kind to anyone, least of all werewolves. At least he is helpful. Remus said he would be helping her with her symptoms, and she decides to try and be at least cordial with him.

-x-x-x-

Aline spends the rest of the week eating her meals in the far corner of the courtyard and not interacting with anyone. Ellie hates it, but bites her tongue. She'd rather be with her first-year friends, but sticks by Aline as a sign of understanding.

Aline is too embarrassed to speak to anyone. She finds the last seat in the back row of every class and is the last to come in and the first to leave. She feels worse when she spots Harry out of the corner of her eye. She knows she hurt him, but she's dragging the apology out further and further.

One night, she's tired from the noise and climbs up to the astronomy tower to take a well-deserved break. She wonders sometimes if she loves the moon and stars so much because she's a werewolf or because she's interested in the universe.

She breathes in the night air, exhaling deeply. Then suddenly, she's aware of someone else standing in her presence. She turns her head to see Harry Potter at the far end of the tower, gazing up at the night sky.

She swallows.

Then she makes her way over towards him.

"Harry?"

"Aline."

The way he says her name makes her throat tighten and her stomach do backflips. She rubs her hand along her neck. "I didn't know you were interested in stars."

He shrugs. "It's a place to be alone."

"Listen. I'm sorry," she says. "Sorry for what I did in the common room that time. It was an accident, but it was not fair to you. I hurt you." The words make her feel sick to her stomach. She meets Harry's eyes breifly to catch him staring straight at her, and her cheeks heat up.

"I..." he begins. "It's okay."

"No. It's not."

"Trust me. I've been through worse."

And they stand like that in silence, both glaring up towards the stars and stupidly catching glances at each other, each quickly turning away.

"You're related to Remus Lupin," he states finally. "That day after the reaping, Professor Dumbledore called us to his office, and he called him through the Floo."

"Yeah. He's my dad." Aline said, feeling the icky feeling on the tip of her tongue as she did.

"Dad?" Harry said it slowly and deliberately. "You and your sister, Ellie..."

"Yeah."

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Only I know Remus pretty well. And he never mentioned having a daughter. Or two."

Aline swallows, knowing he is so close to the truth of her past. "He's..." She decides that if Harry doesn't discover the truth, his smart friend Hermione will, and then it's far better if the truth comes from her. "We're adopted."

"Oh." Harry stutters. "I-I see. I didn't know."

"You wouldn't."

"Remus, Professor Lupin, used to teach at Hogwarts," Harry said. "He was the best man I'd ever come to know. He felt like...my father."

Aline smiled. "He feels like my father too. Sometimes."

Harry holds the silence. "And your real father?"

Aline exhales. "Listen Harry. There are things about my past. Things I don't share with anyone."

"Why?" he presses.

"Because they're—you wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Harry is standing closer to her now. "I am adopted too. My Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are...quite the characters."

Aline smiles. "You're Harry Potter. You're perfect-"

"Am I?" His eyes sparkle green in the light of the moon. "I'm just a boy."

"Still, I'd prefer not to talk about my family."

Harry stills. "I understand. Sorry for pressing."

"No, no trouble at all." She sighs. "This tournament. I can't imagine what I'm going to do. I've only just come to Hogwarts, and now I'm expected to represent it."

Harry looked at her. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes."

"That night. Dumbledore told me that someone—you know who—is trying to meddle with the magic at Hogwarts. Trying to get to me."

"Voldemort?"

"Yes. And I don't know why, but we were both chosen for a specific reason."

"I hardly know any magic. I can't see why I would be selected for this tournament." Aline tightens her fists. "I want to stop it all. I want to get out."

"Me too. But we need to work together. Me and you. And Fleur and Viktor. We are going to get to the bottom of this. This is all wrong."

"Thank you." Aline feels her body relaxing, relieved for the first time in a while.