Lupa | Teddy Lupin

Chapter 23 - Worse for Wear

"Hey my love." Teddy dumped his book bag on the floor and sat opposite Maddie, who was chewing the tip of her quill. Maddie smiled in recognition, which was more than Teddy expected if he was honest, given how absorbed the girl often became in her work.

"What are you doing?"

"Astronomy." She replied gently. "What do you need to do?" She met Teddy's eyes, an indication that he had her full attention. 

"A study on a book about magic for muggle studies. We're just doing theoretical stuff on how fables have formed their idea of magic today. It's quite interesting really, and although the magic is inaccurate it's a good book." He added.

"What's it called?"

"The Hobbit, but the writer has a whole series of magic books. Different magical species would definitely not live in harmony like this though."

"Ah nice, it's a classic." Maddie remarked and Teddy gave her a grin, a twinkle in his eyes as the changed to a soft brown. "What?" she asked, knowingly.

"This is just nice. We haven't just talked about nothing in so long, and I've missed you." He admitted and his friend gave him a fond look. 

"'M sorry. 'Ve just been a bit stressed lately, 's all." She said quietly and he raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't know that. What's been going on?" 

Maddie sighed and looked at Teddy. She had been spending most of her time in the library, he knew, but he also thought she was doing alright. 

"I don't know... it's just like I don't really know. That's stupid, I know, but it's like there's something there but I don't quite know what it is, and there's just so many small things there too, d'you know what I mean?" She paused, knowing she wasn't making much sense. She hadn't met Teddy's eyes, but she could feel his eyes burning in at her. 

"It's good to talk about this stuff you know." He eventually said, after a silence so long that she'd actually returned to her astronomy, but look up at her friend.

"Yeah." She replied softly.

"Please, will you talk to me when you feel you have to?" He pleaded gently. Coincidently enough, he'd actually been talking about his own feelings in the common room late a night earlier that week, with none of than Harry Potter himself, and he couldn't believe the weight that had been lifted of his shoulders following that night. 

His godfather had seemed to understand, and although Teddy had not acquired the years of experience that his godfather had, Harry had honestly explained to him that he struggled a lot in his fifth year too. He hadn't said why or what degree, and Teddy was sure that his issues, which had included O.W.L.s and Ruth Gilmour amongst various other small and silly things, did not compare to a fifteen year old's who had fought and had to fight Lord Voldemort. Nevertheless, he was grateful to Harry for listening and providing small insights into Teddy's problems.

Maddie had nodded her head in response to Teddy and turned quiet again, getting on with her work.

"You've been in the library a lot this year." Teddy commented, bringing out his copy of The Hobbit, which was highlighted and scribbled on, yellowing at the edges. He would have to make sure Madam Pince didn't see. 

"Yeah. We've got these exams called O.W.L.s see Ted." She grinned and he rolled his eyes, murmuring something like 'overachiever' which led to Maddie accidently kicking his book bag over, and ever so unfortunately spilling out the contents of it. Maddie grinned, unapologetic and Teddy rolled his eyes, and with a breath of a spell set things right again.

"That's pathetic you know. I can tell you're so not the daughter of a Marauder." He huffed and she gasped in mock offense.

"Says the boy who literally let me take the entire blame for causing our text book pages to burst into paper swans in DADA last week." She accused and Teddy shrugged.