𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 (1) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐕𝐈𝐈. 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

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"It's official!" Murphy groaned, marching down the hallway with Edith at their side, a deep frown on their face.

"Snape should never teach Dark Arts. He's rubbish." They continued, a dark red blooming from the roots of their hair, the anger clear enough in their eyes. Murphy hauled their bag further up their shoulder.

"Agreed." Edith chimed in, "Professor Lupin's a much better teacher. Hope he gets a bit better soon, must be a nasty cold. He looked awful at the practice."

At Edith's compliment, the red disappeared from Murphy's hair with a shake of their head, the iconic bright yellow highlights returning only seconds later.

Murphy walked closer to the girl, their chin perched on her shoulder, a grin across their lips.

"Someone's getting attached~"

"I'm not attached."

"Fond of then?"

"Only in a friendly way."

At her words, Murphy snorted.

"I'm serious, Murph. I just want to get this year out of the way and start looking at what's next for me, is that so much to ask?" Edith's words were clipped, an underlying annoyance pathed behind them.

At the tone, Murphy's humour sobered up. "You seriously don't feel anything towards him?"

"I don't know him!" Edith let out an incredulous laugh.

"Do you want to?" Murphy asked quietly, a haphazard glance over their shoulder wasn't needed, but they did so anyway. The hallway around them was silent, besides the few paintings adorning the walls.

"That's... what kind of a question is that?"

"An honest one. You can tell me, y'know. If you do. I won't judge, I'd never judge."

"I'm not involved with my Professor."

"I never said you were. I asked if you wanted to know him better." Murphy straightened up, their hand around her arm bringing the two to a halt.

"I... I don't know him." Edith shrugged. "I don't know what I feel. I didn't feel anything, at least, I don't think I did. But after the Boggart, the meet ups we've had for chess lessons... we talk, a lot. With tea and jumpers on. I feel like we're past that point. That strict ruling of Professor and pupil. I feel like we're friends."

"Does he feel like me?"

"No. You're.... warm from the inside out, he's like... kindness reincarnated as a person." Edith's explanation felt shoddily put together, but truly, no words could describe the feeling inside when she met eyes with Remus Lupin.

"What's stopping you?" Murphy asked, and true to their words, Edith could find no judgment in their tone.

"We're.... no, it would never work. He's a teacher, I'm a pupil."

"You're nineteen years old." Murphy reminded.

"That doesn't matter. Why are we even talking about this? He doesn't care, and even if there was a world where he did, its completely... unimaginable. This isn't a novel, Murph. People don't... find each other like this."