At the next Quidditch practice, it was a bright and sunny day, which was strange for October. We all rose up into the air and started warming up. Fred, George and I were flying up together, arguing.
"Just try one of our little inventions." Fred pleaded.
"Yeah, we need a guinea pig." George said.
"I'm not going to be your guinea pig, you bugger!" I said, throwing the Quaffle to Angelina.
"Why not?"
"You're going to kill me!" I cried, zooming around the pitch.
"No, we won't!" Fred followed me.
"Hey, why is Professor Lupin here?" George said, pointing towards the stands.
I looked out into the stand, and sure enough, Professor Lupin was sitting there, holding a cup of tea in his hands. We made eye contact, and he smiled, waving.
I raised a hand and smiled timidly back.
"Hello Professor Lupin!" Fred said gleefully, going closer to the stands.
"Good morning Mr. Weasley." he replied politely.
"Not to be rude, but why are you here?" asked George.
"I haven't seen Quidditch in a while, so I thought I'd come watch. It's a nice way to start off the weekend, don't you think?"
I went closer to the twins. "Hello professor."
He smiled and greeted me.
"HELLO PROFESSOR!" Ollie yelled. "COME ON YOU THREE, WE NEED TO PRACTICE."
"Well, enjoy yourself professor." I said. "Er, just a heads up we do tend to swear while practicing...."
"As long as it's not in my classroom." he winked.
I flushed and quickly flew back up. We started practicing, Alicia, Angelina and I throwing our Quaffles to each other and trying to score Ollie.
As I flew past Fred, he called out. "Looking nice from behind Finnigan!"
I whipped around fast and kicked his leg, causing him to slip off his broom slightly. "You little fecker!"
I hadn't realized we were close to the stands again, until I heard Lupin laughing loudly. I turned a bright red as Fred grinned with pride.
"FRED STOP FLIRTING WITH SARA!" Ollie screamed.
Fred winked at me and I narrowed my eyes.
"Watch yourself Weasley!" I waved my fist at him.
Soon enough, we finally finished practice. I was all sweaty and panting from how hard we were working. Noticing Lupin was still sitting in the stands, I decided to go talk to him. I steered my broom towards the stands. "Hello Prof- FUCK!"
I had forgotten to break my broom, and I collided into the stands, now sprawled awkwardly in between seats.
"Goodness, are you alright?" Lupin asked, rushing over to help me as basically the entire team roared with laughter.
"Yes." I said, attempting to pull myself out of the seats. "M'alright, I can get out."
"Are you sure?"
I realized quickly that I was completely stuck, wedged in between the seats with no way of freeing myself. "Er, I'm actually a bit stuck."
"What happened?" he asked, grabbing my arms and hoisting me up.
"I forgot to use my breaks." I said, embarrassed. I quickly grabbed my broom and stood straight.
Lupin chuckled. "Well, that was certainly the highlight of my morning."
"And it certainly wasn't mine." I responded, nonchalant.
Lupin started laughing even harder.
"I should, er, go get changed." I mumbled.
Lupin nodded and left, still laughing to himself. Merlin, how embarrassing.
I walked into the change room and right away, everyone started laughing when they saw me.
"What on earth happened!" Angelina gasped, as she bent over her knees, slapping them as she laughed.
"I forgot to put on my breaks!" I cried, annoyed. "It's not that funny!"
"But why did you forget to put on your breaks?" asked Harry, smiling mischievously. "Got nervous when Lupin was there?"
"What?" I turned a beat red again. "Merlin Harry, no! I just, forgot!"
Ollie was still laughing in my face as we walked back to the Common Room.
"I'm going to smack you if you don't houl yer whisht!" I said, my Irish accent coming through, as we stepped through the portrait hole.
"What's going on?" asked Percy.
I groaned as Ollie retold my fabulous morning.
Percy stared at me for a few seconds, before dying with laughter.
"Oh bug off all of ye!" I roared, grabbing my bag and walking out the portrait hole.
"Where are you going?" asked Ollie.
"Away from you lot!"
I started walking absent mindedly throughout the castle.
"Hello there, Miss. Finnigan." said a voice.
I jumped slightly in surprise, and turned around to see Lupin, standing in front of his office and leaning against the doorframe.
"Oh, hello." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.
"You look angry." he opened his door and gestured kindly for me to go inside.
I walked in with a sigh. "Oliver and Percy were making fun of me, for er, forgetting to put on my breaks."
He chuckled, closing the door behind him and walking over to his desk. "You must admit it was a bit funny though."
"Oh alright, maybe a bit." I mumbled.
"Sit, sit, would you like some tea?" he asked.
"Oh, no it's alright." I said, sitting down on the chair in front of his desk.
"I was about to make myself a cup anyway, it's no trouble." Lupin smiled.
I hesitated. The only professor I have tea with is Dumbledore and McGonagall. No one knows this, but I go to Dumbledore's almost every weekend to just chat. They're very into hot gossip.
"Sure."
He started making some tea, and I sat there in silence. I glanced at his desk, to see the essays he had us write for one of our classes.
"Sugar?" he asked.
"Yes please."
He handed me my cup of tea and I sipped it. There was something about it that tasted heavenly. I felt all warm and cozy on the inside.
"What are your plans for after you graduate?" he asked me, sitting down and leaning back in his chair.
I lowered my cup and smiled to myself. "I want to be an Auror."
"An Auror? That's impressive. It's incredibly difficult to become one." his eyes shone with interest.
"I know. But I got full marks on my O.W.L.S. I just need to do well this year and I'll be alright." I shrugged.
"That's very impressive indeed." he said, drinking from his tea.
We sat in silence for a few moments.
"If you don't mind me asking, but why is your Boggart a werewolf?" he asked, carefully. "Is it related to children's stories? Or did you personally have a run in with one?"
I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "I personally saw one. With my brother."
"You saw one?"
I nodded.
After a few moments of silence, I continued. "We were almost attacked."
Lupin looked at me. "Attacked." he repeated.
"Almost." I corrected. "My mother saved us."
"What happened?"
"Well, I was ten and my brother Seamus was six. We were playing out in the garden, and a werewolf came at us. We ran towards the house and me mam stunned him. The Ministry came right away and took him to Azkaban."
"I'm glad you both were okay." he said. "It's unfortunate when werewolf's can't control their actions."
"We were targeted." I said softly.
"What?"
"We were targeted." I repeated, tears glistening in my eyes now. "Seamus kept telling us that a man was standing near our garden and waiting. But every time me or mam looked out, he was gone. So we didn't believe him, until night time came and the werewolf came at us."
"Oh wow. I don't- I'm so sorry." he said. He truly looked sorry, as if he was connected to this story somehow.
I shrugged. "You don't need to say you're sorry." I scratched my cheek.
He checked his watch. "Well, I'd better get back to my papers. It was lovely chatting with you."
I smiled. "Thank you for the tea Professor."
I grabbed my bag and left his office. When I got back to the Common Room, Ollie and Percy weren't there anymore, so I went to go sit with Seamus and Dean. I wrapped my arms around Seamus' neck. "I never see ye anymore." I pouted.
"Get off me!" Seamus struggled out of my grip as Dean laughed. "We're playing Chess."
I leaned back and observed. I looked between the two boys throughout the game. I noticed how every time Seamus was thinking of his next move, Dean would look into his face with a small dreamy smile, and how Seamus always touched Dean's arm while they laughed. I kept these thoughts to myself and looked at my watch. "I think I'm gonna go around the castle."
"Mmk bye." Seamus said.
I went to Dumbledore's office. When I knocked on Dumbledore's office door, he said a loud "Come in!"
I walked in to see Dumbledore and McGonagall talking. Dumbledore looked at me and smiled. "Ah! Hello Miss. Finnigan! Here for our weekend chat?"
I nodded with a grin. I sat down in front of his desk and he made three cups of tea.
"Ah, why don't I go first." McGonagall said. "Harry Potter asked me to fill out his Hogsmeade form for him today, but of course I had to decline. I do feel truly bad for the poor boy, he really wants to go."
"Why didn't you?" I asked.
"It's not allowed."
"But you could be considered an authority figure, right?"
"But she's not a legal guardian." Dumbledore explained.
"Couldn't you have made an exception for Harry?" I asked. "You know what his family is like."
"It's safer this way, with Sirius Black on the run." McGonagall said.
Next, Dumbledore spoke. "I saw a third year Slytherin with a fifth year Gryffindor snogging in the corridor today. I won't reveal who."
I gasped. "A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? Together?"
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Oh please don't tell me the Slytherin was Mr. Malfoy."
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Oh thank Merlin." she muttered.
I giggled.
"What's on your mind Miss. Finnigan?" asked Dumbledore.
"Well, I don't really have any drama sadly, but er, I forgot to break my broom and I collided into the stands. Right in front of Professor Lupin."
As I had predicted, Dumbledore started chuckling, and McGonagall's lips twitched slightly. I had never actually seen her smile before.
"When will I get to see your smile professor?" I asked her. "I'm sure you have a dazzling one."
Dumbledore agreed.
"One day perhaps, when there's something worth smiling for." she said tartly.
"You mean when there's a Wizard in your life?" I asked her.
She shot me a death glare and I raised my hands in defeat.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Dumbledore called out.
The door opened, and Snape and Lupin walked in together. Snape noticed me and pursed his lips. He knew about our tea times but he did not approve.
Lupin looked around the room and looked slightly surprised to see me there, noticing my smile and the tea in my hands. He cocked his head to the side. "Do you just go around all day having tea with all the professors?" he teased. "I'm a little hurt."
I flushed slightly and McGonagall raised her eyebrows at me.
Dumbledore looked at me. "I think you should go back to your Common Room." he said kindly. "I do apologize, it had slipped my mind that I had an important discussion today with Professor Snape and Professor Lupin tonight."
I nodded. "Of course. Have a good night everybody."
"Good night Miss. Finnigan." Lupin said, as I walked past him.
McGonagall followed me out of Dumbledore's office. "What did Professor Lupin mean by that?" she asked, once we were back in the corridors.
I scratched my head. "I was walking by his office and he spotted me, and then asked me to join him for tea." I shrugged.
"I see." she was narrowing her eyes at me.
"We were just having tea!" I exclaimed.
"I didn't say anything." she looked at her stopwatch, and suddenly became curt. "Now go to your Common Room! Come on it's almost curfew."
"Alright, goodnight Professor."
"Goodnight Miss. Finnigan."
When I got back to the Common Room, Ollie was sitting on a sofa, writing eagerly.
"What plans have you got this time?" I asked, sitting next to him.
"Oh, you're talking to me again?" he asked, not looking at me.
"Yes you wanker, now come on, show me your Quidditch notes."
I snuggled into the sofa and hugged a pillow, as Ollie read out his Quidditch plans, as if it was a bedtime story.