To Trust In | r.j.l.

Chapter 5

Around mid-day, Elaine found herself constantly thinking about Professor Lupin and his class that was coming up. Trying hard to focus on her other studies, she just couldn't seem to shake the man from her head. He had made quite an impression, and Elaine was worried she made the wrong one. She could only hope he found her entertaining and studious, instead of annoying and bratty.

She tried to rationalize her behavior, pointing out to herself that she had just only met the man for a quick minute. Her mind didn't seem to care, as it was clouded with images of him and a replay of the encounter she had had with the professor. She sighed, and tried to focus on Professor Flitwick in front of her.

Professor Flitwick was definitely no Professor Lupin.

Elaine practically leapt out of her seat when the bell rang, signaling it was time for her last class of that day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Excited to officially see Professor Lupin in a class, as she had heard from whispers that he was "just brilliant", she grabbed her satchel bag and made her way to the DADA room.

When she finally made it to the door of the classroom, Elaine looked in to see Professor Lupin, standing slightly hunched over his desk, quickly looking through papers and sorting them. She took a second to drink him in, hoping her presence was yet to be known. He looked slightly red in the face, a little sweaty, but still had a bright smile on his face, as if chuckling to himself about a section of writing on the paper in front of him. He just looked beautiful.

Deciding standing in the doorway and staring at your new teacher is creepy, Elaine walked into the classroom and sat down at a desk in the second row, close to where his desk was. She didn't want to seem to attached, so she kept away from the first row. Hearing her steps, the professor looked up and smile gently at her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Levitt," he greeted her. Happy he remembered her name, Elaine responded;

"Good afternoon, Professor. How has your day been so far, alright?"

"Quite well, Miss Levitt, quite well. Those third years really are going to be a handful, aren't they?" He said with a soft chuckle. Elaine joined in on his light laughter herself, stating an "Oh definitely, Sir."

His eyes cricked when he laughed, his more mature eyes hidden behind the rolls of skin, but charming all the same.

At least Elaine thought so.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, until a group of friends walked in and took their own choice of seats about middle of the classroom. They all said a respectful "Hello" to the professor as they walked in and sat down, him returning the greeting with a slight nod of his head.

Soon the room was filled with a bunch of rowdy teenagers anxious to start the probably most popular class in the school. Considering last years Lockhart catastrophe, people were looking forward to having an actual teacher. When the appropriate time came, Lupin coughs slightly to get the attention of the room. And soon he has a whole group of students looking his way, and he looks slightly intimidated. More nervous than anything. Maybe it was because they were older, Elaine guessed.

A cluster of girls in the front row gushed anytime he even came close to looking their way, when it suddenly hit Elaine. Why, out of all people, would Professor Lupin ever look at her. There were so many beautiful people, not only in the school, but in the world. Why would he even look her way?

The way she was thinking he would was stupid.

She was stupid.

The perfect seeming man in front of her would never, ever, look her way. She just wasn't a crowd stopper.

As class started, Elaine seemed to sink into herself, avoiding his gaze and questions. The thoughts she had before embarrassed her. Firstly, they were highly inappropriate and unprofessional, and secondly, they were only fueling an imaginary situation that would never happen.

Why set herself up for disappointment?