Beauty & The Werewolf

Chapter 3

Nuria never did get a chance to say anything to Remus at breakfast. He was up and off before she even finished eating. With a sigh she got up and went to her own classroom to prepare for her classes. She intended to teach the students a little about muggle games. She thought it would be great fun for them. But as she set everything up her mind kept drifting back to dazzling blue eyes, a scared face and light brown hair. She didn't want Remus thinking she was afraid of him because she wasn't. Fear wasn't part of the equation at all. Her problem was something else entirely.

Growing up Nuria didn't have many friends. She was mocked for being a muggleborn. She was also mocked for her looks, her less than fancy clothing, and for being a bookworm. She could often be found reading a book or working with different plants. She was a loner in many ways because of it. It made her shy and she had trouble talking to people. Especially if it was someone she liked and she really liked Remus. More than she probably should given how little she knew him. The only real friend she ever had was Rowena. And while the two often had conversations despite the cat's inability to actually talk it wasn't the same as having real friends.

She had no one to turn to, to ask for advice. She was stuck trying to decide what to do. She didn't want to be rejected, but she didn't want to go around wondering what if. Of course that negative voice in the back of her mind telling her, she wasn't pretty enough or skinny enough, or outgoing enough for a guy like Remus wouldn't shut up. The only time it was quiet was when she was talking to someone other than him. In his presence the voice was like a roar.

Rowena gently climbed up Nuria’s side and perched across her shoulders letting out a small chirp. She knew what her master was thinking and she wouldn't tolerate it. “I know I shouldn't, but how can I not think such things. The one time I put myself out there I got hurt. Devin crushed me. He made a big show of turning me down telling the whole school he'd never date a nerdy cow like me.” She almost teared up just thinking about it. The cat headbutted her softly and purred telling her that Remus wouldn't be like that. “You're probably right, but I'll never know,” she said softly just as students started pouring in.

Luna Lovegood was one of the first in the room and seeing Rowena she walked over. “You're cat is very beautiful.” She held out her hand. Rowena sat her paw in it and tried to shake like a person would. “She's very sweet too.” The cat let out a meep in agreement. “I bet she was a human in a past life. The way she acts is just like a person,” she mused.

Nuria chuckled as she watched the exchange. “Indeed she is Luna. She's my best friend. And she's most likely going to be helping out with today's lesson.” She had went through a lot of hard work to set this up as she wanted her first lesson to be something entertaining as well as educational.

“Oh goody. What are we learning about?” the young girl asked.

“We are going to be learning about a game called foosball.” Nuria waved her wand and a bunch of foosball tables were revealed. “Now the rules are as follows…” She went on to explain about coin flipping to pick who goes first, no spinning, no jarring, dead balls, and out of play balls before she split the students into groups to let them play. As the matches began she gave a brief history lesson on foosball. “Patents for similar table games date back as early as the 1890s in Europe. However, the origin of foosball started in 1921 by Harold Searles Thorton from the United Kingdom. He invented the game due to the popularity of football in Europe, known as soccer in the United States. The popularity of the sport was spreading so rapidly Harold decided to make a game that people could play in their homes. Since Europeans called the real sport football, Harold decided to call his new creation "Foosball".”

As the students played Nuria walked around making sure everyone followed the rules. Rowena even helped by watching Luna's game. Though that was more because she liked the young girl than anything. She did walk around a bit and swatted those that tried to cheat, but mostly stayed by her new friend.