The Golden Quartet (Harry Potter x Reader x Cedric Diggory)

Third Year - Chapter 5

"This is the last time you will talk out of turn today, Ms. Granger. Or do you feel the need to let everyone know that you are aware of the answer because you seem to pride yourself on being an insufferable know it all. Fifty points from Gryffindor."

Her hand slowly sank down into her lap. You rubbed Hermione's back in comfort. The male half of the Golden Quartet looked behind to see you squeezing Hermione's shoulder and trying to make her feel better. Ron shook his head and spoke up before Snape could resume his teaching.

"Clearly Hermione 's the only one who knows the answer, you just won't call on her. Why ask a question if you don't want an answer to it."

Snape abruptly turned around with a sneer on his face that could curdle milk.

"Detention, Mr. Weasley. Sixty points from Gryffindor and if another member of your House so much as whispers another word out of turn, you will be losing all of your House points."

Draco leaned over his desk to whisper in your ear. "Told you it could be worse."

It did, in fact, get worse. Snape assigned two rolls of parchment on werewolves because he felt that none of you seemed to quite grasp the importance of being able to identify a werewolf. You weren't sure why the man was so invested in this particular lesson. You complained in the kitchen to Kreacher as you worked on the homework. You were looking through your textbook for more information, coming across the section on full moons. The thought hit you at once. You remembered watching Professor Lupin step in front of Harry and the boggart changing into the full moon very briefly. Not caring if the rest of your essay was good, you quickly scribbled a conclusion and begged Kreacher for two large mugs of hot chocolate.

The house elf was more than happy to complete requests. You had often asked Kreacher why he didn't just leave when he thought the whole Black family to be gone— you even gifted him a sweater when it shrunk in the laundry. But the now technically free house elf simply wore the sweater as if it was his uniform. Kreacher barely accepted the money you gave him when you decided that if he was to stay he needed to be paid like a proper employee. He only took one galleon out of the large amount you gave him so you started giving him one galleon a week— a compromise for both of you.

Kreacher handed you the two mugs of hot chocolate and you jumped down from the island. It was past curfew. The only reason you even came to the kitchens was because it was so close to the Hufflepuff common room— plenty of students did that and were always allowed, Professor Sprout turning a blind eye. But you had never ventured farther than right around the corner. This was an adventure for you. The castle was so quiet that you were sure you could hear a rat sneeze. You snuck through the halls of Hogwarts on tiptoe.

"Someone is out past curfew."

You gasped as you heard the spell of Lumos. The weird frozen pose you had put yourself in straightened out when you saw it was just Lupin.

"Professor, just the person I was looking for."

Lupin blinked twice. "(Y/N)? Did you not just hear me say you are breaking cur—"

"I know about your... monthly afflictions?"

You tried to come up with a phrase that wouldn't air out the man's business in the openness of Hogwarts. Lupin understood and ushered you towards his office that he had just come from. You both sat on top of his desk, Lupin picking at his frayed cardigan.

"How do you know?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Professor Snape's lesson wasn't exactly going for subtlety. Here."