Dana Diggory is led deeper into the depths of temptation as she forms an unlikely bond with her new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during a whirlwind of her final year at Hogwarts.
Little does she know that Remus Lupin's growing fondness fo...
DANA BLINKED, HER EXPRESSION dropping against her will as she stared at the boy before her. He knows. Patrick knows about Remus. The words rang repeatedly in her ears, vibrating over the lively crowd surrounding them.
"You can try to deny it, but I see the way you both look at each other. So, how long have you both been at it?" he questioned, casually tossing a couple of peanuts from a bowl to their left into his mouth.
Before Dana could stop herself, she jumped in, "Been at it—? Merlin, I don't think the students of Durmstrang heard you!"
Spotting an empty table, she grabbed the scruff of his polo shirt and dragged him over to it. Her initial instinct was to lie and tell him it was all a load of codswallop, but it looked like it was too late for that. So, she told him the truth, hoping by some miracle he'd be drunk enough to forget all about it by morning.
"Christmas? This has been going on since Christmas? Jesus, and here I was thinking it was just a mindless fling." Patrick said a while later, shocked. "I hope you know what you're getting yourselves into here."
She began to feel fretful, "Please, Pad, you can't tell anyone. If someone else was to find out—"
But Dana stopped, realising that he was smiling at her. That classic Patrick Finnigan smile which meant she needn't worry about a thing.
"Like hell would I do that. I'll always have your back, Diggory." he told her, and she knew in that moment that he truly meant it.
"What, so that's it?" she questioned, feeling dumbstruck that he wasn't giving her a lecture. "Not going to tell me how stupid I am, how wrong the whole thing is?"
"Come on, Dane, we both know you're not stupid." Paddy shrugged, surveying her dark flecked eyes with interest. "Practically every guy in our year's gone after you, even a few of the girls, and you barely bat an eyelid. Dear old Lupin must've done something right."
Dana slouched back, fingering the rim of her glass in thought. It was true. Apart from the occasional get together at common room parties, she'd never shown much interest in anyone before. Dating just wasn't her thing and she didn't like the idea of anyone getting too close. It was always easier to keep things simple that way. And yet here she was now, as far away from the word simple as possible.
The crisp air of the night entered Dana's lungs, nipping at the layer of hot skin underneath her collar. A light glaze of sweat glistened her neck from the humidity of the Three Broomsticks, and she welcomed the sudden coolness. It seemed to knock the haziness out of her at once.
