A/N: OK, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE READING MY OTHER STORY 'SHATTERED MIRROR', KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T GIVEN UP ON IT (THOUGH I THINK I SAID THIS IN AN A/N IN THE LAST CHAP OF THE STORY). IN FACT, THE NEXT CHAPTER IS ALMOST DONE! JUST A FEW TWEAKS AND IT'S UPDATE TIME! BUT SEE, I AM ADD AND WHILE I WAS WRITING THE NEXT CHAPPIE FOR SHATTERED MIRROR, OTHER IDEAS FOR ANOTHER STORY BEGAN TO FORM AND I JUST HAD TO WRITE THEM DOWN! :D SO READ AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

SO THIS STORY STARTS IN THE 'GOLDEN TRIO'S' THIRD YEAR AND WILL GO ON UNTIL THEIR SEVENTH...KINDA. YOU'LL SEE. THE STORY WILL BE IN 'PARTS'. SO FOR QUITE A FEW CHAPTERS, THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN THEIR THIRD YEAR. IN PART TWO, THEIR FOURTH YEAR, ETC. GET IT?

NOW THIS WILL BE A STUDENT/TEACHER RELATIONSHIP. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE STRICTLY EMOTIONAL UNTIL...WELL I'LL GIVE FAIR WARNING WHEN THINGS GET HOT AND HEAVY. HERMIONE WILL DEFINITELY BE OLDER WHEN SHE STARTS GETTING 'ACTIVE'. GEEZ THIS IS ONE LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE. NOW ON TO THE STORY!

OH AND ONE LAST THING! THERE WILL HARDLY BE CANNON SITUATIONS! ONLY MAJOR ONES!

DISCLAIMER: THE CHARACTERS AND CERTAIN SITUATIONS BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING ONLY!

Remus Lupin looked in the mirror and sighed. He knew that he had never been good looking, but he never knew he looked this bad. But then, he hardly looked in a mirror did he? If only the Marauders could see me now, he thought sadly. In his younger days, he had never looked this badly. He had even had the occasional school girl throw herself at him, and even women after he graduated. That, however, was no longer the case. His skin was no longer golden, it was gray and just plain sickly looking. His body was littered with many scars that he had acquired over the years. He was way too skinny to be considered healthy and there were bags under his green eyes. For being only thirty-two, his hair was already starting to turn gray. Well Moony, this is as good as it's going to get. The wolf inside him whimpered, sensing his melancholy. Without further ado, he continued to don his best robes for his new position. It felt as if it was only yesterday that Albus Dumbledore had found him in a pub drunk off his ass, as usual.

(Flashback)

Remus drunkenly raised his mug of Firewhiskey and took a long drink and burped. This was his usual routine. Any money he earned at all was spent in pubs, feeding his addiction to alcohol. Thirteen years were not long enough to take away the pain of his friends' passing. Nor the sting of Sirius' betrayal. The thought of the man caused Remus to emit a growl. That bastard had betrayed his friends, the greatest sin of all. How could he do that? He took another drink.

Suddenly, his keen senses picked up a scent that he hadn't smelled in years. Soon a shadow fell upon him and he growled again. He just wanted to be left alone. A chuckle followed that thought.

"You've been alone many years Remus. Surely thirty minutes of company wouldn't hurt?" said a teasing soft and fatherly voice replied.

"Do you mind if I sit down? Thank you," the man said and sat down without Remus giving a reply.

"What do you want Albus," Remus rasped.

"Well, I would like a glass of Butterbeer and some nice beef soup. Yes, I think I'll order that." Albus Dumbledore did just that. Soon after making his order, it came and the old man heartily dug into his meal. Remus growled once more in frustration and chugged what was left in his mug. Thank goodness he had ordered an Ever-Filling kind, because the minute the last drop left the mug, it refilled to capacity.

"Come and tell me what the fuck you want with me Albus Dumbledore," growled Remus. Though he didn't show it, Remus knew that Albus was surprised at his use of language. He was no longer the pleasant young man that was mild tempered and proper. His statement, however, didn't deter Dumbledore from finishing his meal. When he was done, he set his bowl aside and folded his hands on the table.

"Remus, I have come to offer you a position at the school. You would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, and be generously paid for it," he said. Before Remus could object, he continued, "You are very adept in this area Remus. We need you. The students need you. Harry needs you. I am sure that you have heard that Voldemort is rising rising once again, by now. Harry has already thwarted him twice and still Voldemort has not backed down. I fear that another war is not far off. Things will get ugly again Remus, and we need to prepare the students. Especially Harry."

(End of flashback)

Needless to say, Dumbledore managed to convince him to take the teaching position despite his best efforts to object. He tried using his 'lycanthropy card' in vain. "No one has to know." was Albus' response to that argument. In the end he won and set conditions. The first one was sober up.

That had been month ago. Now he was getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express once again, this time as a teacher. I suppose I could be doing worse. If Albus hadn't come, who knows where I'd be. He knew. He knew that he'd still be at the pub double drunk off his ass. Or dead. But here he was with a real job that paid good money and a decent place to live and good food. He looked at his reflection once again. Yes, I could definitely be doing worse.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as Ron fussed about not being able to find an available compartment on the train. One would think he's a spoiled little prince, she thought. After a solid ten minutes of walking around they stopped.

"I can't believe there's no room in this God Damned train!" yelled Ron.

"Language Ronald!" said Hermione exasperatedly. Harry wisely stayed silent.

Hermione looked around and happened to fine a compartment with just one occupant. A sleeping, male, occupant with a half-full bottle of what looked like Vodka on a little shelf next to him.

"Look, there's only one person in that compartment and he's asleep. I'm sure we won't be a bother if we go in," she pointed. Ron agreed enthusiastically and the three entered. After a moment of awkward silence, they started talking of things that they normally did. Mainly, Voldemort and Sirius Black. Two hours later, they lapsed into silence.

Minutes later, the train suddenly stopped and the lights began to flicker. The three looked at each other as the atmosphere began to freeze. A horrible feeling of fear, anguish, and despair filled Hermione and she began to quake. The feeling went down to her very soul. She noticed that Ron was pale and sweaty and so was Harry. There's something very unnatural going on here. One by one the lights went out on the train. Curious heads looked out of compartment doors but a sudden scream sent them slamming the doors shut and locked. More time passed and the negativity intensified. Their door suddenly opened and a hideous shadowy figure entered. Hermione sat staring at it, transfixed. A yell and a thump roused her from her stupor. She looked 'round and found Harry unconscious on the floor. Hermione looked around in a panic before her eyes settled on the still sleeping fourth occupant. Without thinking she rushed to him.

"Oh please wake up! Help us please!" she shook him violently. She was met with deep green eyes that darkened before they looked around. She heard him make a noise before she was shoved aside and the man whipped out his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" he intoned. Light burst from his wan and the shadow disappeared. The mysterious man looked around before he his eyes landed on Harry crumpled on the floor. He lifted him up on to the seat and sat down. Ron and Hermione looked at each other before they followed suit, their legs unable to support them. They were still shaking and apparently the stranger noticed because he reached into his robes and took out a bar of chocolate. He ripped the wrapper open, broke off two pieces and handed them to them. Ron was hesitant but Hermione wasn't. Something inside her screamed at her to trust him. She took a bite of the chocolate and a pleasant warmth spread through her and she smiled. Seeing her reaction, Ron took a bite as well and sighed in relief.

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. The stranger's eyes darkened again, she noticed and then he spoke.

"You're welcome. That was a Dementor. I have found that chocolate greatly helps any lingering effects of one." He smiled slightly. They then turned to Harry and waited in silence for him to come to. Eventually he did.

While Harry and, Professor Remus Lupin she found out, spoke she scrutinized him. There was something about him. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about him that seemed...strange. Oh well. He saved us and that's what counts. She put her strange feeling at the back of her mind.

A/N: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? A MUST OR BUST?