Sky Above//Remus Lupin

☽nineteen☾

I sit in my office playing wizard chess with Ron.

"Knight to E5," I say. The Knight moves to its destination.

Ron looks at him smugly. "Queen to E5."

Ron's queen goes over to my knight and whacks the knight with her chair. Ron grins.

"I'm older than you. I should be better at this," I remark.

Ron laughs. "You've always been rubbish at wizard chess."

"And I've always been better at quidditch," I counter.

"Not for long," Ron argues.

I chuckle. "Who was captain for three years? Who won the Quidditch cup?" I tease.

"Maybe we don't do this the night before my first game," Ron offers.

"Ron you are my favorite youngest brother," I start. Ron groans. I smile. "And as my favorite youngest brother you know I will be honest with you. And honestly you have nothing to worry about."

"You really think so?" Ron asks.

I nod my head. "I really do. You've been practicing like crazy." Ron smiles. "Now I think it's your bedtime. You do have a big day tomorrow."

Ron nods his head. "Night, Tams."

"Night, Ron."

As I'm cleaning up the chessboard Ginny walks into my office. She looks upset.

"What's wrong Ginny?" I ask. "I thought you were at that party of Slughorn's."

Ginny sits down in one of the desk chairs. "I was."

"Did something happen there?" I ask.

Ginny shakes her head. "No. Before with Dean."

"Did he try something? Did he hurt you? I can get him expelled or beat him up myself," I offer.

"No. No, it's just..." Ginny sighs. "He's just so overprotective."

I sit down on the edge of my desk. "What's he done this time?"

"We got into a row. He just always wants to do everything for me," Ginny tells me.

"And you told him you didn't like that?" I ask.

"And he insisted that he was doing nothing wrong," Ginny tells me.

"You know if Dean is annoying you that much you can always end things with him," I offer.

"I don't know if I want to," Ginny confesses.

"Then all you can do is try and work it out without constantly getting into rows," I tell her.

"Do you and Lupin fight?" Ginny asks.

I laugh lightly. "I don't think we even see each other enough to fight. I'm sure if we spent more than a few days at a time we would find something to fight about."

"How do you do it? How do you stand being apart constantly?" Ginny asks.

I smile. "Because I love him and I know that it is just for right now. As much as it scares me and I don't want it to happen everything with Harry and You-Know-Who will come to a boiling point. Once You-Know-Who is gone for good Remus and I can be together. Actually together." Ginny nods. "Don't even worry about Dean right now. You've got a match against Slytherin tomorrow."

"Ron has been stressing about it all week," Ginny tells me.

"He was in here before. He was annoyed he wasn't invited to Slughorn's dinner so I thought some wizard chess would cheer him up," I tell her. "But like Ron I think it's your bedtime."

Ginny stands up and smiles. "Yes Mum."

I pretend to be offended. "Now that is just rude to Mum."

Ginny laughs. "Night Tams."

"Night Ginny."

I spot Ron and Ginny sitting with Harry and Hermione in the Great Hall. I smile as I sit down beside Harry.

"How are my favorite quidditch players doing?" I ask. Ron looks at me and I can tell he is nervous. "That good huh?"

Lavender Brown walks up to Ron. "Good luck today, Ron. I know you'll be brilliant."

"I'm resigning. After today's match, McLaggen can have my spot," Ron states.

"Have it your way," Harry tells him. He pushes a cup of juice towards Ron. "Juice?"

"Sure," Ron says.

Luna, with a large lion head strapped around hers, sits down next to me. "Hello, everyone. You look dreadful, Ron. Is that why you put something in his cup? Is it a tonic?"

Harry slips the liquid luck vial back into his pocket.

"Liquid luck. Don't drink it, Ron," Hermione tells him. Ron drinks it anyway. "You could be expelled for that," Hermione tells him.

"What are we talking about?" Harry questions.

"Come on, Harry, we've got a game to win," Ron tells him.

Ron and Harry shake hands before standing up.

I smile at my sister as she stands up. "Good luck Ginny."

She smiles and nods before following after the boys.

"I think sometimes you lot forget that I'm a teacher," I joke. Hermione doesn't laugh. "Come on. Let's go cheer them on."

I guess the Liquid Luck is working. Ron hasn't missed a single block. Gryffindor absolutely crushes the Slytherin team.

While the Gryffindor house celebrates their win I have rounds. I can hear the cheering and music as I walk past the Gryffindor dorm. Suddenly Harry comes out of the door looking around.

"Everything alright?" I ask.

"Have you seen Hermione?" Harry asks me.

I shake my head. "No. What's wrong?"

"Hermione saw Ron and Lavender Brown snogging. She just took off," Harry tells me.

"Come on. She can't have gone too far," I assure.

Harry and I find Hermione sitting on the spiral steps of the tower. I look at Harry worried as I hear Hermione sniffling. Paper birds are fluttering over her.

She looks up at Harry and I when she hears our footsteps. "Charm spell, I'm just practicing."

"They're really good," I tell her as I sit beside her.

Harry sits down on the other side of Hermione.

"How does it feel, Harry? When you see Dean with Ginny? I know. I see the way you look at her. You're my best friend," Hermione says.

I wrap my arms around her tightly.

We hear laughing and running coming towards us. Ron and Lavender are the source.

"Oops! I think this room's taken," Lavender.

"What's with the birds?" Ron questions.

Hermione stands up. "Oppugno."

The birds chase Ron off down the hall. Before smashing into the wall around him. Ron walks away. Hermione sits back down and leans on Harry's shoulder as she cries. I wrap my arms around her.

"It feels like this," Harry states.

Hermione cries herself out rather quickly. Harry and I take her back to our room and tuck her into bed. I stand in the hallway right outside her door with Harry.

"One good bludger to the head might knock some sense into Ron" I remark.