Pride's Silent Howl | Remus Lupin

Chapter 9- Friction

December arrived faster than anyone could fathom. Athena and Remus maintained as much professionalism as they could. He didn't give her any special attention and she held herself back from asking him questions. But even they had their weak moments. He would occasionally glance at her during class or dinner. She in turn couldn't control her thoughts at times and would unknowingly spend hours thinking about him in silence. She blamed it on her curious nature, nothing more. Snape was officially off her back, for some time. She made it a point to not look at his direction in class. No eye contact, no conversation.

On the last day of school, a day before the Christmas holidays would begin, Athena woke up late.

Fuck winters. It was too cold to get out of bed.

Nevertheless, she missed most of her classes other than her last class, defense. However, unlike the first day of school, she wasn't in a state of panic because most of the professors and students were too busy preparing to go back home.

She made her way to the DADA classroom alongside her friends.

"I can't wait for Christmas." Squealed Hermione.

"Yeah, me too," Ron said.

"You seem sad. Don't want your friends to spend Christmas with you Won Won?" Athena teased as she pulled his cheeks.

"No. I do. Just my mum- she embarrasses me every year in front of the guests. Theres no tellin' in what comes out of her mouth." He replied.

At least you have a mom.

"Don't worry Ronald, we already know how you are." Replied Hermione.

"What does that mean?" He questioned looking confused.

Hermione and Athena giggled and entered class, hand in hand.

Professor Lupin gave them a short and easy test and promised the students that he would let them go early.

As Athena wrote her test, Professor Lupin took rounds around the class. Every time he would walk past her, she would tense up and forget her answers. Remus on the other hand would walk by normally, making no eye contact. It would seem normal to the naked eye. But only he knew that beyond his outer composure, the way his heart would race as soon as he'd get the slightest whiff of her scent.

Jasmine.

In about 15 minutes, everyone was done with their tests and handed it over to him. They all excitedly left class in the blink of an eye. Athena decided to stay behind for a couple of minutes to wish him a happy Christmas since they wouldn't be seeing each other for around a month. She would later come to realize that she shouldn't have bothered, and staying behind was probably the worst decision of her life.

"Ms. Sinclair. What brings you to stay behind?" He asked.

"I just wanted to wish you for the holidays Professor. You know since we- aren't uh I uh- since-."

"-Thank you. Happy Holidays to you too." He finished for her.

Taken aback by his sudden hostile behavior, she asked him the stupidest thing she could've asked someone at that moment.

"Why don't you call me by my first name?"

He gulped.

"It's not professional".

"You call Harry by his first name. I've never heard you call him Mr. Potter". She retaliated.

"It's different." He argued.

"How is it different?"

"Ms. Sinclair, I do not have to explain myself to you."

Wow. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.