The assistant | Remus Lupin (on pause)

Hogsmeade (3)

I still felt bad and embarrassed even when Remus had made it clear he put it in the past.

We walked down the path towards Hogsmeade, it was just as foresty as it had been the first time I strolled there as a child.

I remembered walking there when I was a child. Trying to find that other boy who ran away too fast when he found out I was in a different house than him. 

Him and Harry seemed to have many similarities.

Remus's hand nudged mine as we walked. I looked up from my all consuming guilty thoughts to see him smiling. A small smile that would've been bigger but the cut at his lip was still raw.

"I'm not mad at you Maeve." He whispered, so none of the children would hear. 

Them hearing about a teacher relationship would make things messy. Especially since it was just blossoming into something beautiful.

Something beautiful I felt I tainted with my preemptive anger. It was a rational reaction, but I still felt bad.

I should've been put in Hufflepuff.

"I still feel bad," I looked away from him to look at my hands, which were now fiddling about with each other, "I wish I could make it up to you."

Remus laughed a bit and took my hand, although he set it down when he saw students staring at us.

Harry especially raised a curious brow at us, Ron looked at Harry with a bit of confusion, whereas Hermione looked between us and nodded approvingly.

I couldn't help but smile towards them. Even if two of them didn't know the reason why I was smiling.

"How about this," Remus leaned down, mind you he is abnormally tall, to whisper by my ear, "we can sneak off at some point ... to have a moment to ourselves, maybe at the Three Broom Sticks."

I looked up too fast and both our heads collided. In better terms, I hit my head onto his. Well my head hit his nose.

Remus stumbled back and I stopped walking to watch him. Blood began to trickle down his nose as he held his head up. He wiped a bit from his lip using his thumb.

And I couldn't help but thinking about how ruggedly handsome he— NO NOT AGAIN!

I must have a problem, finding him attractive even though he could be covered in blood and dirt.

Harry and his friends ran over to us, "Professor?" He asked unsurely as he gave me a side eye. Now Harry would have another, more valid reason, to hate me.

"I'm sorry." I inhaled sharply.

Hermione looked towards Harry and Ron, "You two should run up ahead with Professor Lupin to get him a napkin." She clapped her hands assertively and the boys didn't question her. Even Remus seemed to cower over her rule.

For only being fourteen Hermione was a tad bit scary.

Remus wiped some off the blood from his nose on his sleeve and walked towards me. "Don't forget, the Three Broom Sticks." And Remus did the last time I expected him to do, especially in front of students.