Dirty Little Game ♠ Professor Lupin

Twenty four: The Right Thing to Do

My parents made an appointment with my supposed husband for the day before Valentine's Day. Yes, you heard me right. They decided when, where and who I would meet. Nothing has changed.

Samuel Grifford surprisingly turned out to be an older guy. I use "surprisingly" because my parents never considered marrying me with this age difference. I mean, the guy wasn't fifty years old, he was probably even younger than Lupin. It reminded me that I didn't even know how old Lupin was.

We met at the Three Broomsticks where he was already waiting for me. I couldn't find him in a mass of people. I had no idea what he looked like and he didn't stand out from the crowd in any way. He had dull black hair, a symmetrical but boring face, and was not much taller than me. It would be enough for me to put on shoes with a thicker sole and I could literally look down at him.

He shook hands with me and placed the order for the both of us without asking me. He started with the most cliché compliment there was on the planet - that I looked pretty today. Thanks, if you saw me everyday you'd say I look at least divine.

"So" He began in between sips of his soup, "What it is you do?"

What answer was he expecting from me? I didn't even try to fake-smile. "I'm still learning. I'm in the penultimate year."

He looked up at me. "I thought you were graduating this year."

"I don't know what my parents told you, but apparently not everything is true."

"Evidently." He muttered as he returned to consuming the soup. It annoyed me. Either you eat or you talk to me. I wasn't some house elf to be spoken to in a hurry.

"And what do you do?" I asked, curious about how valuable of a suitor my parents had sent me.

"I work in the Department of Magical Transportation, I am Assistant Adviser of International Transfer." He responded in one breath.

It sounded familiar. "Isn't the Adviser of International Transfer your father?"

"Yes. So what?"

"Nothing." It was clear how ambitious he was. He have certainly earned the job, he didn't get it through his father's contacts. Unquestionably.

Our conversation didn't get any better over time. We talked about his work, my results at school, my plans for the future and what he thought about them. He believed that the position of a medic was very noble and, most importantly, well paid. However, he noted that he himself didn't trust women working in this profession and wouldn't allow his wife to occupy such a position. In general, it would be best for his wife to take care of their house, as there is so much to do there.

The more words came out from this man's mouth, the more repulsive he appeared. I didn't fool myself into thinking that the man selected by my parents would be a good match for me, but I didn't expect the standard he presented to be so low.

At parting, he said he had a nice time in my company and will look forward to our next meeting. I couldn't say the same.

As soon as I left the inn, Connor found me. "How is it that I've been here since nine and haven't seen you till now? Were you hiding from me?"

I winced. "I wasn't hiding. But you were certainly tracking me."

"You wish." He laughed, then he put his arm around me. "Where are we going?"

"To the castle." I didn't feel like going to any other Hogsmeade attractions.

"Already? You're really in a bad mood." He didn't argue with me and directed us along the main street. "Oh, for me to be so perceptive too..."