Love, Lupin

Part Twenty-Nine

The last day of school always held so much excitement throughout the castle's walls. Bobbie had imagined herself feeling extremely different on her last day of Hogwarts. She imagined her and her friends pulling tons of pranks around the castle, and roaming every inch of the building one last time to hold onto the memory of it.

She never expected to be sprinting toward her defense professor's office before taking off for the train. She never expected to fall so irrevocably in love with a man nearly twice her age in the matter of one school year.

When she had woken up that morning Remus was missing from his bed. She was meant to be packing her trunk and heading for the train with her friends, but she had to see her professor one last time. Bobbie breathlessly entered Lupin's office, beaming as she saw him standing near his desk. Her smile faded as she saw him packing everything in his office. Usually the teachers left all their supplies in their offices until the next term. "You've been sacked?" Bobbie gasped, and Remus snapped his gaze toward where the girl was standing at his entrance.

"I've just resigned," he whispered, busying himself with stuffing items into his satchel.

"Remus you can't do that, what about the legislation?" she knew how hard it had been for him to keep a steady job his entire adult life.

"The legislation can piss off! I can't be anywhere near this castle after what I did to you," he sighed.

Bobbie moved to stand in front of Remus, grabbing him by the collar of his robes. "Look at me! I am fine, Rem. More than fine after last night."

He peered down at the girl, wishing things had been different between them. He would give anything to tell her how he truly felt about her. How she was the reason for the air in his lungs, the thick blood that coursed through his veins. "Last night was one of the most amazing nights I will ever live, but I will never forgive myself for hurting you. I was a selfish man thinking I could have you for even a moment."

"W-where will you go?" she whispered, loosening her grip on his robes.

"I'm not sure," he shrugged as he turned away to continue packing his things. "But please just forget about me, after today you will never see me again - trust that it's what is best for you."

Bobbie let out a huff of defeat. She was unsure of what else she could do to convince him to stay. If not for her, for himself. He would destroy himself, everything he worked his entire life toward over this. She silently stared at her professor as he continued to pack his things, willing him to reconsider. "Goodbye Remus," she whispered, clutching onto the strap of her pack before turning to leave him be, only turning when she heard him call out her name.

"You were like my very own Riddikulus charm, making everything in my life better and taking away my biggest fears."

Bobbie shot the man a toothy grin before tucking out of his office and sprinting to the train platform, his parting words heavy on her mind.

"There you are, we nearly took off without you!" El said as Bobbie pushed the door of their train car open. She shrugged saying she forgot one of her bags inside before plopping onto the cushioned seat.

"Tell the girls what you heard Georgie," Fred nodded to his twin.

"Wilson heard from Edmund that Lupin is leaving Hogwarts - for good."

El gasped at the news, while Bobbie did her best to act surprised. "Why would he leave, he was an amazing teacher." A frown spread across the girl's lips as she thought about how the younger students wouldn't get to be taught by him. In his short while at the castle he touched the lives of so many, and it felt like a waste for him to go elsewhere.

The remainder of the train ride passed quickly, the students arriving at the platform in no time. Bobbie and her friends collected their luggage, waiting for the train cars ahead of them to clear before they exited. "Promise to keep in touch, all of you?" El asked as she circled her arms around both of the twins.

"Write tons and visit lots, alright?" Bobbie agreed, pulling her friend into a tight hug. The group went their own separate ways, Bobbie giving Mrs. Weasley a kiss on the cheek before apparting home with her little sister.

Both of their parents wouldn't arrive home from work until later so they grabbed whatever snacks their hands could reach before going to sit together in their yard. "How does it feel to be done with school?" Hermione asked, popping a crisp into her mouth.

Bobbie shrugged, a thoughtful look pasted to her face. "It feels weird, honestly. Almost like reality hasn't set in yet."

Hermione was silent for a moment, studying the side of her sister's profile. "How does it feel to leave Lupin?" Bobbie whipped to face her sister with large eyes, asking her how she knew. "I didn't truly know until just now, but I had a hunch. You two moped around that castle for the better part of the second term and he looked at you like he was ready to get down on one knee at any given moment."

Bobbie blushed at her sister's observation, shaking her head. Leave it to Hermione to find out about her secret affair with her professor. "You must think poorly of me."

"Did you love him?"

"With everything in me," Bobbie confirmed. "But he's leaving Hogwarts because he can't live with the fact that he hurt me, and he told me I would never see him again."

Hermione's lips twisted at her sister's pain and she reached to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

They sat like that for the better part of the afternoon, Hermione willing her sister to spill details about her secret love with their defense professor.