Dirty Little Game ♠ Professor Lupin

Thirty: Days Gone By

Slytherins weren't going to keep this information to themselves. In an hour, the entire school will be talking about it and news will reach the outside of the castle the next day. Remus' career was over.

"I can't believe this guy was hiding something like that from everyone." Connor said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wonder if Dumbledore knew."

"What do you think will happen?" I asked, uttering the words unnaturally slowly, afraid that at some point my voice will break. I needed to know if any steps had been taken or if something would happen to Remus, without Connor getting suspicious.

"I don't know." The boy seemed unfazed as he stuffed scrambled eggs on his fork. "They'll certainly kick him out of school, but I hope they'll do more about it."

I so desperately wanted to just leave without explaining myself to anyone. I knew it was extremely unrealistic, which is why I sat patiently, sipping pumpkin juice because nothing else would go down my throat. I listened to Connor talking about how he suspected something from the start, how he felt something was wrong with the guy. I was barely holding back from mouthing off.

When we exited the Great Hall, Connor was surprised to see that we went in two separate directions: he walked to the gates, while I went to the stairs. "Not going to Hogsmeade?"

I shook my head. Something as insignificant as a trip to the town had entirely slipped my mind. "No, I'm not exactly in the mood."

"That's okay, we can chill in the common room or see the lake, it's quite hot today-"

"No." I cut him off. It was kind of him, but all I wanted to do was go to the third floor and be with someone that wasn't him. "I need some time for myself."

He struggled to mask his disappointment. His lips were pulled together in a thin line, forming a fake grin. "I'll see you later, then."

My legs carried me to his class on their own. I climbed two steps at a time on the stairwell, not willing to waste any more time. On the way, I had just one thought: I had to see him. Everything in between didn't matter. I had the full length of the class to muster enough courage to

"Remus?" I said quietly, knocking on the door to his private quarters. There was no answer. I got impatient. "I know you're there. I'm not leaving until you open."

After a brief moment of silence, the door's lock clicked and the door swung open by itself, allowing me to enter. The living area didn't appear to be the same as I remembered it, although the truth was I wasn't really there for a good few months. The shelves were bare, and the books were spread around on the floor, grouped in an unknown method. The sofa was in a completely different place, along the wall, and Remus was seated on it, stooped down, hands on his lap, holding a book.

He didn't even glance at me when I stepped in. His gaze was fixed on a book that I didn't recognize until I got closer. The cover was a navy blue with three beasts on it.

"I was horrified when I received this from you." he spoke, "I thought you had me figured out. I assumed that was your way of telling me."

I had no clue why he was bringing it up now, or why it was so significant to him to return to that point in time. But I wasn't going to interrupt him since this flat appeared to be a mess and it's resident couldn't be doing much better.

"Then you found me on patrol and acted like nothing had changed. We came here and- and I believed everything you said because it wasn't what I expected to hear."

This was something I couldn't go through again. His voice was filled with so much anguish that I couldn't take it. I didn't want to hear it or feel it again. It was the most grievous type of punishment imaginable. But I guessed I deserved that.