Sirius's son

Grim and Hogsmeade

The next few weeks passed in a blur of classes and homework. Rigel had decided to take advantage of the fading summer day and take a long walk around the lake. Eliza agreed while Hermione was busy doing her muggle studies homework, and Harry and Ron were doing their divination homework.

They walked to the furthest point from the castle (a good three miles) before resting on the shore. Rigel pulled out a half-finished painting of the Hogwarts castle while Eliza just watched him. He loved the lake more than any other place on the entire grounds; he thought nothing could ever take away from its beauty, even the Dementors who could be seen outside of the school boundary. Professor McGonagall had told them that the route was safe and she said that the Headmaster had charmed the whole of the grounds so they would be safe to walk around the lake.

"It really is beautiful, isn't it, Rigel ?" Eliza said with a content sigh.

Rigel mumbled a yes while working on his sketch.

"It's a great sketch, you should put it in that scrapbook when you've finished," Eliza said. 

Rigel nodded; he had started putting his best sketches into a scrapbook that Hermione had bought her for his birthday.

The two spent the next few hours in comfortable silence, it was broken occasionally by Rigel asking a question or making a comment. They were just considering returning to the castle when they heard a rustle in the bushes behind them, they both stood up and Rigel pulled her wand out.

They stood there for a few moments in anticipation before the bush moved and Professor Lupin was facing them looking very surprised to see the two Gryffindor's there.

"Ri...  Miss Potter, Mr. Black what are you two doing here?" He asked, looking at Rigel and Eliza.

"Hello, Professor Lupin, we were just spending some time out of the castle and I suggested taking a day off," Eliza answered.

Lupin looked considerably uncomfortable by their presence.

"Well, you really shouldn't be wandering off on your own." He said looking around at the surrounding foliage as though looking for someone.

"We checked with Professor McGonagall sir, she said it was fine. We're headed back now though, do you want to walk with us? Oh, and I wanted to ask you about that chapter on..."

"No!" Said Professor Lupin firmly, Rigel could tell that she instantly regretted how harsh it had sounded, Eliza flinched, the back of her neck turning beet red.

"Oh, sorry Professor I just..." Muttered Eliza, rubbing her neck sheepishly.

"You two head back to the castle, I'm looking for ... Potion ingredients." Without another word he turned and headed back into the wood with his wand out.

Eliza waited until he was well out of earshot before turning to Rigel.

"I think you might be right, Rigel, he just doesn't seem comfortable around us. Especially you." 

"Oh thank God someone agrees with me" Rigel breathed out.

The duo made their way back to the castle and Hermione wasted no time in telling Harry, Ron, and Hermione what had happened.

"I told you he was odd!" Said Ron looking delighted that he had noticed something before Hermione had.

"No, he's not!" Said Harry, in defiance; Rigel knew that Harry really liked Professor Lupin, as did the rest of the school (with the exception of Snape and the Slytherins).

"Harry he's a good teacher," Eliza argued. "But he seems to avoid Rigel a lot."

The following evening Rigel sat on his own by the lake painting the castle, it was dusk but not dark enough for him to be in any trouble. The Defence lesson that afternoon had followed the same pattern of Rigel being ignored as the previous ones and even Harry conceded that something wasn't right. Rigel just wished he knew what he had done wrong.