The Stars and Forbidden Cigarettes | Professor Remus Lupin

Officially Met

The rest of the two-hour block passes by excruciatingly slowly, and when the hourglass at the front of the room finally bottoms out, the rest of the class excitedly packs their bags and leaves. Through the stained windows, Reverie can clearly see that the sun had almost completely set, and her stomach is audibly aware. Oliver looks back at Reverie, silently asking if she wanted him to wait, and she waves him off. Just as Oliver nods and slings his bag over his shoulder, Professor Lupin exits his office and begins descending the stairs. Oliver hurries out of the door before Lupin spots him, nervous that he'll remember him as Reverie's tardy accomplice.

Once Lupin reaches the last step, it's just the two of them, and Reverie notices that he has one hand in his pocket and is running the other through his hair: whether it be in tire or annoyance, she wasn't sure. Reverie stands straight against the side of her desk, and Lupin stands a meter away, now with both hands in his pockets, and finally meets her golden brown eyes.

"Miss Castill, now that we've officially met, I feel it appropriate to say that I find our numerous meetings greatly tiring."

"Sir, if I had known your position, I would've at least attempted to act with some more propriety. But, with all due respect, you never corrected me. In fact, you never said anything. And you never apologized," Reverie retorts.

"Attempted? Professor or not, propriety should be a given! Baffled as I might've been, what superior would I be to explain myself to a student so viciously offending my character?"

Reverie scoffs. "Did you keep me after class to explain to me my role in society? I think I am quite aware of my role, Professor. I am not a child. I am not ignorant."

"No, but your behavior today begs otherwise. I came to Hogwarts with no intention of being a punishing professor, but neither a pushover."

"How do you expect me to respect you when you seem to not have an ounce of empathy!"

"Empathy over a rat? No, I'm not going to apologize over a rat that you then proceeded to find unscathed. If you hold it as the root of your disrespect, so be it. Do not expect from me, however, any more respect than I am shown, Miss Castill. I'll only ask you to not be tardy to Wednesday's lesson. Timeliness twice a week shouldn't be impossible."

Reverie realizes he isn't aware of her placement in his N.E.W.T. level course and opens her mouth to inform him, but before she can say anything, he cuts her off.

"Miss Castill, if you don't have anything to say apart from further berating my character, I kindly ask you to go," he says with finality and looks down at his papers.

As much as she loves Defense Against the Dark Arts, she can't help the anger that begins bubbling within her, towards the course, him, and the embarrassment he's caused her. But, she forces herself to turn around and walk out of his classroom, and, looking out at the sky, she finds that any sliver of light that might've been still visible before is now fully gone, and that the moon sits alone, a starless night.

Once the door slams behind her, Lupin sets his papers down and leans on his desk, letting his head hang. He'd offered to teach for Dumbledore and James, not for discipline and a foolish young girl whose hard-headedness directed towards him has unfortunately landed her squarely into Lupin's jurisdiction for discipline. And isn't this what McGonagall had told him to do? Put disrespectful or misbehaving students in their place? If so, he is already much too exhausted one day in. He sighs and pushes his hands into his vest pocket, where his fingers meet a thin chocolate bar and another small paper box that he slightly recoils from. Pulling out the chocolate, he unwraps it and takes a bite, leaning against the table in the center of the room and looking straight at Reverie's now empty seat. He shakes his head, pushes off the table, and begins making his way out of the classroom and towards the Great Hall.