𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐄, discontinued

━━ nineteen

Even though she had spent her holidays there, she hadn't truly let herself enjoy her new home. With Harry problems and ❛ family ❜ problems ( if you could even call them that ) she felt guilty that she hadn't fully appreciated what Lupin had done for her. She made a mental note to go see him in his office later.

"How are you doing with that, by the way?" Harry asked.

She warmly noted her friend's concerned face. She didn't ever think she would have missed Harry's overprotectiveness so much, but it was nice to have him back. And she needed to talk about it.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. So I'm a Rosier, okay. But what do I do with that information? What can I do? There isn't anything to be done."

"You could try find out which one? That would be something."

She found herself shaking her head, "It wouldn't change anything. Draco said they're all dead anyway."

"It could change something. Maybe they──your parents──aren't as bad as you think. I mean, isn't that what your whole Slytherin agenda is about? That they're not all horrible?"

A small laugh escaped her, "Nicely put. I'll think about it."

"Trust me, if Ron can be a semi-pleasant pureblood, then so can you."

"You really do have a way with words," she said.

"Well I am the Boy Who Lived," he deadpanned.

"And you never let me forget it."

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━━ Mila's talk with Harry had helped. It was stuff that had either been said to her before, or that she had thought to herself, but it makes a huge difference when it comes from someone who knows you as well as you know yourself.

Harry had assignments to work on ( and really, so did Mila ) but she left him to it and went to find Lupin. There was probably a low chance that he would be in his office on a Saturday, of all days, but Mila held steady with the youthful assumption that teachers were only ever in a class or in their office. ( Besides, it was Remus Lupin. )

His office was exactly where she found him.

He looked up from the piles of paper on his desk, "Mila. Are you alright?"

"Course I am. Can't a girl visit her best friend's godfather's best friend who also happens to be her teacher when she feels like it?"

"Well, when you put it that way," he joked before gesturing a hand to the chair opposite him. She took a seat, and Lupin anxiously ran a hand through his hair, thinking Mila had come in for a whole different reason than to ❛ visit ❜.

"I'm sorry for putting you in that situation yesterday. I had no idea your boggart would be so..."

"Embarrassing?"

"I was going to say upsetting."

He was surprised when she smiled, "It actually worked out for the best," she said.

"How so?"

"Bridges were mended, dates were set, houses were momentarily united. The list could go on," she mused.

"So I suppose I should say, you're welcome?" Lupin asked.

"For that," Mila nodded, "And for the holidays. I forgot to thank you for those."