Author's Note: I know I'm everywhere. Anyway, just want to say hi to Brittany, that is if she's even reading this and that I'm bored.
Chapter One"Good afternoon, class," Professor Lupin greeted. "Now, since I am sure that all of you know what tonight is, I am giving you today to do whatever you want. Talk, practice, do anything you like as long as you remain under control," Lupin said as he sat at his desk.
Everyone did know what that night was, it was the full moon, and everyone knew that Lupin was a werewolf, just like they knew not to go near the Shrieking Shack during the full moon. It was the Golden Trio's last year at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore had hired Remus Lupin as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, daring anyone to comment on his choice. Some had, the Malfoys being one, but in the end, Dumbledore won and Malfoy was sitting in class, surrounded by his usual cronies.
Upon Lupin's finish, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger went up to his desk, eager to talk to him. He smiled weakly at the group and said, "Hello. How are you today?"
"My back hurts, Ron is annoying me, and I'm bored," Hermione answered bluntly.
Remus looked at her as though she had just sprouted green horns. "All right. I was expecting more of a 'I'm fine, thank you'."
Ron shook his head and laughed, "George decided to get back at Hermione for all her meddling in his plans, so he had Fred send him some Truth Serum and he put an entire bottle in her drink this morning. Now she has to tell the truth for the entire day. So far it's been bloody hilarious."
Mrs. Weasley had finally put her foot down and forced George to come back to Hogwarts for his final year. The joke shop was still open, though now Fred ran it until George graduated. Next year, Fred would have to return to school to finish as well. Hermione just glared at Ron and said, "I hate the fact that you find my pain and embarrassment amusing."
"What's happened so far?" Remus asked.
"Ron's been asking me questions all day. In Potions, Snape asked me what I thought of him, and then took fifty points away when I told him the truth," Hermione answered.
"What did you say?"
"She said that he was a stupid, greasy git," Ron replied, startling Remus.
Harry shook his head and asserted, "Actually, she said that he was letting old prejudices rule his life and career. And then he asked how he was prejudiced."
"And you brought up Harry?" the older man questioned.
"Yeah, and how he always treats the Slytherins better than the Gryffindors," Hermione added.
"You have to tell the truth for the entire day?"
"Yeah. Watch, Hermione, who is your favourite male from my family?" Ron inquired.
"Bill. Because he's nice and would never torment a friend by asking them stupid questions all day long."
Harry laughed while Ron looked put out. Remus commented, "And I thought my day was going horrible."
"At least I don't have to turn into a wolf when the sun goes down," Hermione answered. "How are you holding up?"
Remus put his head in his hands. "A bit worn down, but I'm sure I'll survive."
"Is there any way we can help?" Hermione asked.
She couldn't hear his answer though, for suddenly, Draco Malfoy, who had apparently heard their entire conversation, yelled out, "Granger, what do you think about me?"
"You're a handsome but idiotic prat," she answered calmly.
Malfoy's face reddened slightly, though he stopped Crabbe and Goyle from ganging up on the young woman. Instead, he said, "No, leave the Mudblood alone, I want to have some fun with this. Granger, what size shoe do you wear?"
"Seven and a half," she answered as she rolled her eyes.
"Mr. Malfoy, please quit asking Miss Granger questions," Remus inputted.
Malfoy looked as though the last thing he would ever do would be to take an order from Remus Lupin, but responded, "Just one more question, Professor. Granger, what man do you fancy?" His smirk said he knew already but that he wanted to embarrass her.
Hermione just stared at him, her eyes wide, knowing that if she said anything, it would be the truth. Luckily, Remus stepped in, "Mr. Malfoy, that is not an appropriate question and you know it. Please turn back to your own activities."
"All I did was ask her a question. Who do you fancy, Granger?"
Quietly, she mumbled something that only the three surrounding her could hear clearly, and then asked, "Professor Lupin, may I be excused? I'm actually not feeling that well, maybe George put something else in my drink this morning."
Remus just nodded mutely and watched as the girl gathered her things in left. He knew that she wouldn't be going to Madam Pomfrey though, they only place she was going was to her room. The Slytherins booed as she passed, upset that they had lost some serious blackmailing information, all except for Malfoy, he just sat there grinning like the idiot he was. The other Gryffindors, the males at least, made as though to attack the Slytherins for mocking their friend, but that idea was put to bed when Remus called, "All right, everyone, back to your own devices or I'll start subtracting points."
The Gryffindors sat down, and many of the Slytherins started talking once again, Malfoy wasn't finished though. He asked, "Protecting your territory, Lupin?"
Remus looked up from the paper he had been grading to state, "I don't know what your talking about, Mr. Malfoy. But I would appreciate it if you would show me the proper respect of a teacher, I know you can do it, I've heard you with Professor Snape often enough."
Malfoy only shook his head and said, "I don't know why you bother to hide it. Everyone knows about the mudblood and the half-breed."
Ron and Harry both moved to attack the blonde, but Remus grabbed their arms, stopping them from doing any damage. So Harry quickly mumbled a spell taught to him by Hermione, hoping nobody would notice. Then aloud, he replied, "Why don't you go bother someone your own size, Malfoy? That should leave you with some elementary kids in town."
Malfoy growled, "I'd shut that mouth of yours, Potter, if you knew what's good for you."
All at once, the Slytherins were attacking one another, Goyle tackling Malfoy to the ground. The girls were hitting each other as much as the boys were, while the Gryffindors just stood on the sidelines watching. Remus sighed and asked the two boys, "So which one of you did it?"
"Professor, we didn't do anything," Ron protested.
"That, I highly doubt, Mr. Weasley. Why else would the Slytherin half of the class start attacking each other so randomly?"
"Maybe they are just that stupid."
"Mr. Weasley, please stop insulting your classmates and release them from whatever spell they are under."
"But I'm not doing anything!"
"Harry, would you please release them from the spell," Remus ordered.
Harry shook his head and stood his ground. "No, not after what they were saying about Hermione. It's not her fault that she has to tell the truth, and they shouldn't be using that to humiliate her. She already gets enough of that from them."
Remus shook his head. "Harry, you can't just go about throwing spells, you're Head Boy. Hermione is a strong young lady, I'm sure that she doesn't let words bother her."
"I don't care if I'm the King of France, Hermione's my best friend. And if words really don't hurt her then why did she run out of here so quickly? I'll tell you, because she didn't want to have to deal with their tormenting any sooner than possible."
"She could have run because she had just admitted that she fancied me, Harry. Maybe she didn't want to have to deal with what I would say," Remus supposed.
"Remus, she wouldn't be completely upset about what you would say. It would hurt, you rejecting her, but you would have got it done with in one sitting, whereas they would drag it through the mud as long as they could," Harry retorted.
But would I have rejected her? Remus thought. Wait, what am I thinking? She's at least twenty years younger than me; I would have had to refuse her. To Harry, Remus said, "Harry, you have to release them or else I'll be forced to report this to Dumbledore, and I don't think you would want him to know about this. "
Harry looked like protesting again, but decided against it at seeing the steely glint in the old werewolf's eye. He shook his head and released the spell, causing all the Slytherins to freeze in their movements. Malfoy was the first to respond, kicking Goyle off of him and demanding, "What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
There were murmurs of confusion, everyone trying to find out what had happened. Everyone was silent when Remus stated, "I am sorry to say that for your inappropriate behavior in class today, I am deducting one hundred points from Slytherin. Please remain quiet for the rest of class, you may leave when dismissed by me."
Ron and Harry left to go talk with Dean and Seamus, leaving Remus to his thoughts. She fancies you, you idiot. Go and find her. She's twenty years younger than you, so what? She acts like she's older than you, no one in her year could even try to keep up with her, but you talk to her often. She's eighteen, she's legal, and Dumbledore would probably be thrilled that you found yourself a girl. She's rational and intelligent, she is the head girl; she would know how to help you during your transformations. She knew you were a werewolf during her third year but didn't tell anyone; she's trustworthy and loyal. She's pretty, you can't deny that, and she's strong. How many times has she helped Harry with Voldemort? And you love her; you know that, Dumbledore knows that, she probably even knows that on some level. Go get her, prat.
Hermione was down at dinner that evening, though it was obvious that she had been crying, and to make it worse, every so often a Slytherin would slink over and say something, earning a curse from either Ron or Harry. All the girls looked at her sympathetically, for all of them had fancied at least one teacher or coach in their time at Hogwarts, granted for most of them it was Lockhart, Oliver Wood, or Cedric Diggory, but they still knew that it wasn't the greatest feeling. Ginny was trying her best to distract Hermione, which wasn't working too well, and Remus was staring at her.
At the end of dinner, as Hermione and Ginny were leaving, the older girl risked a look at Remus, though quickly went back to paying attention to her friend when she saw that he was looking at her so intensely. Hermione then went to her common room with Ginny while Remus went to his office to prepare for his transformation.
That night, Hermione was walking along the pond, thinking about the new school year and all that was happening. George was wreaking havoc, with the help of his supplier brother, Voldemort was growing stronger, and Dumbledore seemed to be growing weaker. Everything was changing, people were dieing, the fate of the world was on the line, and it was all in the hands of her seventeen year-old friend, Harry Potter.
She was broken from her thoughts by a twig snapping. She spun around quickly, knowing that it wasn't she who made the noise. "Who are you? What do you want?" There was no response though. "Is anyone out there? Say something, anything," she demanded. Unfortunately, the noisemaker didn't say anything, instead it pounced her.