Forbidden | Remus Lupin

5. Gossip

Dinner had passed rather quickly. The meal mostly consisted of Ruby teasing Poppy about Remus. She had even filled in Darcy about the Remus situation, so he was teasing her too. Poppy was an embarrassed mess.

"Think of it this way," Darcy posed, making excitable hand gestures with his fork still in his hand. "You'd have absolutely gorgeous children!"

Poppy rolled her eyes, taking a bite out of a piece of ciabatta bread.

"Guys, he's our professor," Poppy argued for what felt like the one millionth time. "He wouldn't like me anyway, regardless if he was a teacher or not."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," chimed Ruby. "I've seen the way he looks at you in those DADA classes. He fancies you!"

Poppy sighed. She was getting nowhere with these two. They wouldn't let it go. Poppy understood that they only wanted her to be happy but it annoyed her. She did, in fact, like Remus and her friends rubbing it in didn't help her cause.

Her almost-immediate feelings for the professor remained as a surprise to her. Never had she felt so drawn to someone. It was as if something deeper, beneath the surface, was dragging her toward him.

Poppy finished eating. She stacked her books up into a neat pile and picked them up, clutching them to her chest.

"Off to see your future husband, huh?" Darcy teased with a wink causing Poppy to groan in frustration.

"Shove off, Darcy," Poppy remarked. "But yes, I'm going to my tutoring session with Professor Lupin."

"You mean a-" Ruby began to correct, but was cut off by Poppy who knew exactly what her best friend was about to say.

"No, Ruby. Not a make out session."

Both Darcy and Ruby laughed as she walked off out of the Great Hall.

Most of the school were still eating their dinner, so the halls were relatively empty. Poppy enjoyed it when it was like this. She relished in her alone time. As she made her way to Remus's classroom, she recalled wandering these halls in her first year. Initially, the staircases and hallways had seemed confusing to her. They were daunting and she always wound up late for class. She never thought she'd be capable of navigating her way through Hogwarts as if it was second nature, but here she was.

Remus's door was closed upon arrival. She lifted her fist, giving the wooden door a light tap with her knuckles. Only a second later, the door swung open to reveal Remus at his desk. He had a stack of papers and a quill.

"Professor Lupin?" She asked, stepping into the classroom, not wanting to disturb him.

"Poppy, I'm glad you made it," he greeted, standing up from his chair, before adding, "It's Remus when we're alone, remember?"

Poppy nodded and closed the door behind her. She then shuffled her feet along the floor up to Remus's desk.

"How's your evening been, Poppy?" Remus asked sincerely as he pulled out a chair for her.

Poppy's mind cast back to the teasing Darcy and Ruby had done.

"It's been okay," she replied with a soft smile, trying not to blush.

She placed her belongings down onto the corner of his desk and sat down. He sat down next to her, looking into her eyes.

"Just okay?" He questioned to which Poppy gave a simple nod in response. "Friend troubles?"

Poppy averted her gaze, replying with a small chuckle, "Yeah, something like that. They like to tease me over silly things."

She took out her parchment, textbook and a quill in preparation for the session, ensuring they were neatly placed onto the fine, wooden table.