Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Lupin's Resignation

"Honestly, there's no way you fit all of this in your trunk last fall." I muttered, squishing hoodies and quidditch robes tighter into the sides of Fred's trunk to no avail.

"Course not." Fred shrugged from his spot next to me, where he had sat nearly motionless the past fifteen minutes, not helping me pack his things at all. "George and I made all of those prototypes, I wrapped them in socks at the bottom. Can't leave those behind!"

"Yeah, we have to have something to do all summer." George called from where he sat on his bed, drawing lazy loops of colors into the air with his wand.

"We might need Hermione. She'll know how to do that spell, what is it..." I thought for a moment before the door to the twins room burst open, revealing a disgruntled looking Harry Potter. "Oh, good, Harry, have you seen Hermione? The twins insist on bringing the entire school home with them-"

"Lupin's resigning." Harry cut me off, his glare could cut diamonds.

"What?" I said, already on my feet. "He can't! Why would he resign? Are they making him?"

"I don't know. I was going to see him before he left. Thought you might like to join, Lee said you were up here..."

"Yeah... Yeah, I want to see him."

"Go on, then, tell him we said bye." Fred nodded, flicking his wand at the overstuffed trunk a few times with no results.

"We'll be back." I laughed, "Or I'll send Hermione to you."

Harry and I scampered down the steps of the tower and headed to the third floor, to the classroom we had met in so many nights before.

"You two should be packing." Lupin announced as we entered, sounding amused, but without turning around.

"How did you know it was us?" Harry asked, before Lupin held up the twin's old map.

"Professor... Did they ask you to leave?" I asked, shyly, jealous of the way that Harry felt he could speak to Lupin, like they were old friends.

"No, Miss Olsen, but I figured I would save Dumbledore the trouble. Once word gets out, the letters will flood in by the hundreds. Parents won't want a werewolf teaching their kids." He smiled at the two of us, sadly, arranging the contents of his desk into small boxes.

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Harry whined. "Don't go."

"Please don't. There has to be something we can do."

Lupin shook his head. "It's for the best, I assure you. What happened that night can never happen again. It's too risky, and I should have known better."

Before Harry or I could interrupt him again, Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom.

"Hello, you two. Remus, your carriage is waiting for you at the gates."

"Thank you, Professor. For everything." Lupin gave him a small smile, picking up a few boxes and flicking his wand at the rest. "Goodbye, Harry, it has been a pleasure teaching you. I'm sure we will see each other again. Miss Olsen, would you mind terribly getting the door for me outside?"

I looked to Harry who gave me a shrug, starting after Dumbledore who was on his way down the hall now. I picked up one of the floating boxes from the air just to feel a little useful and joined Lupin on his walk outside.

"I wanted to congratulate you, Cassidy. On all of your hard work this year, especially with your patronus. I hope you'll keep practicing, because I know you're close." He looked down at me, a kind smile painted on his face.