The Little Flower (Remus Lupin) ✓

ten

Rosalie ran down the halls of Hogwarts, her bag hanging from her arm, hitting her legs with each stride she took while in her other hand, she held the DADA book, which kept slipping from her sweaty hands, making it hard for her to keep a hold-off. She wasn't much of a runner and found herself getting tired very quickly. Groaning every time she found herself in front of a new set of stairs, walking up them was bad enough, but spirting up them made her hate stairs more than before.

"Nearly there..." She mumbled, attempting to give herself motivation.

With her last few strides, and lack of control of her movements she stumbled into Lupin's class.

"Sorry I'm late, professor!" She exclaimed to a surprisingly empty room. "What?" Her breath was heavy as her eyes scanned the room, no students. "Shit, wrong room!" Frustrated she tried to look through her bag for her timetable.

"No, you're in the right place," Remus' voice echoed throughout the empty classroom, causing Rosalie to look at him. He stood only a few meters from her, she noticed he looked slightly more scruffy that afternoon, dark, large bags laid under his eyes, which themselves looked drained and red. However, his light smile to her immediately brightened up his face.

But Rosalie wasn't one to talk at that moment in time, her hair was messy and the sweat on her face caused her hair to stick, making it thicker than usual. Displeased with her hair Rosalie became annoyed as she tried to remove it from her face, but found it difficult as one hand held a large heavy book, while the other was holding her bag. Remus stared at the struggling witch for a moment, almost amused by it all, before deciding to help.

"Here, why don't we put these down," He suggested, taking her book and bag out of her hands. "and just move these," he looked down at Rosalie, before taking his hand close to her face and slowly started moving pieces of her hair out of the way.

"That's better," He smiled down to her as her face was now clean of her hair, she gave a nervous laugh, seeing how close she was to him. Her breathing had steadied as she looked up to Lupin, a warm smile always on his lips.

"Eh, thank you..." Rosalie muttered, her stomach churning as she took a little step back from him.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to help Professor Snape with," she paused for a moment, an instinct kicking in, stopping her from telling the truth of sorts "uh..." He raised an eyebrow to her, "a project." She finally finished the sentence, nodding with an awkward smile plastered on her face.

"Yes, he let me know in advance that you would be late."

"Good, good..." She didn't understand why she was suddenly so uncomfortable next to the professor, maybe it was something to do with her stomach, it felt weird and she was confused by her own actions. Why was she hiding the fact she was making a potion for snape? Ignoring the thoughts, she changed the subject.

"So where is everyone?"

"I dismissed the class early," he commented, walking away, his voice trailing off, leaving the question partly unanswered.

"Oh okay, did I miss anything importa-" She cut herself off, only now noticing the large object that stood in the middle of the room.

"Is that a boggart sir?"

The professor stopped in his tracks, his head hanging low, he was hoping she wouldn't know what it was, after what happened with Harry not many minutes before she arrived, he was dreading what she was going to see. Taking a deep breath he turned, a forced smile on his face.

"Yes, it is." He reluctantly answered. In an almost awe state, Rosalie walked up to the boggart, it was a large dark wardrobe, that held a much darker truth.

"Was this the practice that the class did?" She wondered.

"Yes..."

She placed her hand firmly against the door, her eyes closed as she tried to imagine what could emerge for her.

What was her biggest fear?

"M-may I try it, Professor?" She was nervous. Not knowing what her own fear was, was a fear in itself.

Reluctantly Lupin nodded to her, worried laid deep in his eyes as he slowly made his way over to the boggart.

"Do you know the spell to counter a boggart?"

"Riddicukus," she mumbled.

"And...?"

"Laughter..." Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. She found it hard to find anything funny when her unknown biggest fear was about to be in front of her. "I'm ready."

Remus' eyebrows furrowed together, he didn't want to go through with it, he was sure a dementor would come out of it, just like her brother. However, he didn't feel right to deny teaching her.

"Okay. 3, 2, 1..." With one last breath from both of them, he opened the door quickly. For a moment nothing happened. A tense silence grew between them as they waited. Rosalie held her wand high, her eyes never leaving the darkness from the cabinet, which, only seemed to grow darker as an eerie noise started to ring in her ear.

The young witch clenched her teeth, while her professor's eyes widen at the sight that laid before them. Harry, her younger brother, crawled out of the cabinet, a hand on his bleeding chest. His glasses crocked and his hair dirty. He crawled to her, whining in pain.

"Help me..." He muttered, pain evident in his voice. Rosalie stared down at her younger brother, who now laid on his back, a large wound in his chest, blood everywhere. She tried to reply but found herself stuck in shock. She couldn't help her younger brother as he died in front of her.

'ROSALIE HELP US!" Another voice shouted, her eyes sprung up to see the rest of her friends. Fred shouting to her as they all laid wounded on the floor.

"I-I can't...I d-don't," tears streamed down her face as her words more became sobs. "I don't know what to do..."

As she tried to reach for her brother, Lupin intruded. He couldn't watch anymore. His arms pulled her behind him while he stood tall in front of the boggart.

"HERE!" He shouted, protecting Rosalie who was still frozen from fear, tears constantly falling making her eyes red and nose full. Her bottom lip wobbled slightly as her breathing became short and fast.

"I d-don't know what t-to do..." She whispered, her own heart-shattering at the images of her brother and friends dying.

Remus turned quickly after removing the boggart, he looked down at her, she looked broken. Without thinking he took her into his arms, wrapping them around her tightly, trying to protect her best he could.

Her emotions or actions did not change at the action of the professor, instead, she only laid her head on his chest and allowed herself to keep crying.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay."

That was the last thing said between them as he held her in his arms.