A Love Without Time (Remus Lupin)

Thirty-Six.

-Remus-
   
I promised Harry that I would teach him everything I knew about defending himself against Dementors, and that training started right after school resumed after the Christmas Holidays. I taught him a very tricky charm called the Patronus Charm, where you think of the happiest memories of your life and you blast silver light at the Dementor. Harry didn’t start off very well, which is what I knew would happen, and I had the chocolate ready to go as soon as Harry hit the ground.
   
“What were you thinking of?” I ask, as Harry ate some chocolate.
   
“The first time I rode a broom,” he says, sheepishly.
   
“Oh Harry, that’s not strong enough,” I told him.
   
Harry fainted again the second time the dementor came to him, as I was propping him back up, he explained to me that he heard his mother when she died. I felt my face sink at this news, “I see,”I said, sounding sad. 
   
“I heard my dad that time,” said Harry as he came to. “He told my mum to get upstairs, he took on Voldemort by himself.”
   
“You heard James?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious about that.
   
“Yeah,” says Harry. "Professor Greene told me that you knew my dad like she did."
   
“I did, as a matter of fact,” I admitted, “We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry, perhaps we should leave it here for tonight.”
   
“No,” said Harry standing up again, “I’ll have one more go. I’m not thinking about happy enough things is all. Give me one more go.”
   
I think he could tell that didn’t want to do this, but I let him anyway. “Expecto Patronum!” Harry bellowed, pointing his wand at the dementor. A silvery shadow came out of his wand, and it kept the Dementor back from him. I eventually stepped in and got rid of the Boggart. I told Harry he had done excellent and sent him off to bed, because it was getting late, I handed him a bar of chocolate and he turned to leave the classroom.
   
Before he left the classroom, Harry turned to me and said, “Professor Lupin, if you knew my dad, that means you knew Sirius Black, too, right?”
   
“What gives you that idea?” I asked, sharply.
   
“Nothing,” says Harry quickly, “I just know that they were friends while at Hogwarts, too.”
   
I felt my face relax. “Yes, I knew him,” I said shortly, “Or I thought I did.”
   
I shooed him off to bed then, not wanting to talk about my past with. Part of me wished Ellie hadn't told him anything, but he had already overheard so much, to deny it would have been crazy.
   
Ravenclaw versed Slytherin in Quidditch the first week after Holiday break. Slytherin won, but it was a very narrow win. This was good news for the Gryffindor team. They would take second place for the cup if they beat Ravenclaw. Oliver Wood saw this as a good thing and he kept scheduling more and more practices.
   
January faded into February with no change in the bitter, cold weather. Professor McGonagall still hadn't given Harry the Firebolt back yet. Worrying about the broom and trying to keep up with his school work was interfering with his lessons with me. He wasn't doing very well. Sometimes he would have a great night, and other nights he was distracted.
   
Ellie is concerned that Harry's friend Hermione Granger had bitten off more than she could chew with her classes. Harry told me that she was becoming more irritable than usual and she snapped at you if you tried to ask her a question while she was doing homework.
   
During the last Patronus practice before the Ravenclaw VS Gryffindor, Professor I told Harry he had done well enough that if there was another swarm of Dementors that he would be able to hold them and get back to safety, and that he should be proud of that.
   
Then I pulled out some Butterbeers and we drank them in silence, until Harry asked me what was under a Dementors hood. I told him the truth. No one knew. That anyone who had seen that had gotten the Dementor’s Kiss where the Dementor sucks out their soul. Then I told him that the Dementors have been given permission to give Sirius Black the kiss if he was caught.
   
The next morning I learned that night that Harry was given the Firebolt back. The Ravenclaw VS Gryffindor game that Professor McGonagall wanted Gryffindor to win was that weekend, so Harry was very excited about that. So, if Sirius Black sent him the broom, he didn't mess with it. That only made me wonder who it was from even more. It didn’t make sense.
   
That very same day Ron entered the boy’s dorm to see blood on the floors and Scabbers was missing. He accused Hermione's cat Crookshaks of eating him. Ellie was concerned that it seemed like that was the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Lyanna had told Ellie that the Weasley twins tried to make Ron feel better, reminding him how old Scabbers was and how he had been looking off color for ages. This only upset Ron more. Hermione also won’t listen to the facts, that the evidence that Crookshanks ate Scabbers was there, and she'd lose her temper if you brought it up.
   
Ravenclaw VS Gryffindor was a tough game. I sat next to Ellie in the stands and we watched the game together. Harry seemed distracted by the Ravenclaw Seeker, a fourth year girl called Cho Chang, the entire game. So much so that we saw Oliver Wood yelling at Harry about it. Harry caught the snitch in the end, winning them the game.
   
Ellie suspected that they were having a party to celebrate in Gryffindor Tower. We spent the night together in her room. We were woken by Minerva at nearly 3 a.m. and she actually seemed surprised by this. "Oh honestly you two," she sighed, "Get up, Sirius Black is in the Castle again. This time he almost attacked a student."
   
"Which student?" Ellie asked as she sat up, pulling the covers to cover her bare chest.
   
"Ron Weasley," Minerva answered. "We need you to help check the castle again. So I suggest you get dressed."
   
She closed the door leaving us. Ellie instantly stood up and began to search for clothes. "If he got to Ron that means that he was close to Harry." She paused for a second and she stopped and stared at the wall for a moment. "And Lyanna."
   
"They're okay, Ellie," I said quickly and I stood up. She blinked quickly and then continued to get dressed. We got dressed in silence and headed out.
   
"You check the Astronomy Tower, I will meet you there." She told me. "I need to go check on the kids."

-Ellie-
   
I quickly walked to Gryffindor Tower, and when I got there I found the entity of Gryffindor Tower sitting in the Common Room. I searched the room for blonde hair. I found my daughter sitting with George on the couch by the fireplace. They were sitting with the other Weasley kids except for Percy. Percy Weasley, however, stopped me when he saw me.
   
"Professor," he said, standing tall in front of me. "I figured you'd come by. I assure you that the tower has been searched and Black is not here."
   
I smiled as best as I could. "Thank you, Percy. I will just check on my daughter and I will be off then."
   
I started for my daughter then, she noticed me before I got to her and I saw her scoot away from George, like she didn't want me to see how close they were sitting next to each other. "Hi everyone," I greeted them.
   
"Hi Professor," Hermione Granger greeted me.
   
"How is everyone doing?"
   
"I was attacked," said Ron dramatically. "He had a knife."
   
"I'm sure that was very scary, Ron, but you're okay. And that's all that matters."
   
"I'll fight him off myself next time he gets in this castle," said Fred, who I knew was just putting on a brave act because I was here.
   
"Sirius won't know what hit him if he went up against you, Freddie," I tell him, going along with his little act. Fred smiled proudly. I turned to look at Harry, "How are you, Harry?"
   
He shrugs, "I'm okay."
   
"Good," I say, nodding. "Well, I am going to go check the Astronomy Tower with Professor Lupin, so I have to go. I just wanted to come make sure you're all okay."
   
I left them then, not wanting to leave Remus alone any longer. When I reached my classroom, Remus was still there. He was standing guard, waiting for me to arrive. "He's definitely gone." He assured me as I approached him.
   
"He is," I agreed, "He left as soon as Ron woke up."
   
"Are the kids alright?"
   
I nodded. "They are. Ron was dramatic, but this time it wasn't without reason. He did wake up to see Sirius standing over him with a knife. Lyanna was quiet. She was sitting next to George but she moved away from him when I approached them, like she didn't want me to see how close they were sitting to each other."
   
He smiled at that news, "They'll be dating by June."
   
I smiled at that, "I sure hope so. They'd be perfect for each other."
   
He reached out for my hand. "Let's go back to bed."

_____________________
Here's part 36!

I can't wait until they both find out Sirius is innocent! I want them to be reunited so bad.

And then I have some things planned that I can't wait to get to as well. I'm so excited and so ready!

-Emily Winchester.