Dana Diggory is led deeper into the depths of temptation as she forms an unlikely bond with her new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during a whirlwind of her final year at Hogwarts.
Little does she know that Remus Lupin's growing fondness fo...
"LILITH, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE someone's head off if you're not careful!"
"Sorry!" she yelped, hopping backwards. "I don't understand how you both make this look so easy."
It was half an hour into their Defence lesson and she had almost hit Dana and Patrick in the face several times as she frantically tried to perform a stunning spell with no luck.
All of their usual desks and chairs had been waved to the back of the classroom and were replaced with blue crash mats whilst students duelled. Lupin stood at the front, simultaneously directing the class and correcting people's mistakes as they sent each other soaring into the air.
Yet again, he had been off sick for the first half of the week and was looking gravely ill as though recovering from an aggressive case of the flu. It was just like the last time, and Dana even noticed a couple of fresh cuts below his chin which he had been trying to cover up.
Most were grateful that he was back teaching them again, given that it meant they no longer had to deal with Snape in all his gloom and glory. Dana, on the other hand, had mixed feelings on the matter.
Something had switched in Lupin ever since he had covered for her that night in McGonagall's office, and Dana found that he could no longer bare to look at her— let alone speak to her. It was a good thing that they hadn't been able to carry out their last tutoring session whilst he had been off sick, and at this rate, she had contemplated sacking them off completely.
Bored of bracing herself for impact, Dana retreated back over from the crash mats where she found Lilith and Patrick discussing the Hufflepuff party that Cedric had been organising over the past few weeks. She was barely listening, her wand mindlessly twirling in her hand, when Paddy took the opportunity to disarm her, catching it swiftly.
"Show off." she said. "Give it back."
"For a date? Sure."
Dana rolled her eyes, impatient, "I'll be sure to ask Myrtle for you on my way to the bathroom. I hear she's free tonight."
He was grinning when she snatched the wand back out of his slack grip, elbowing him in the ribs.
"Mr Finnigan." a voice piped up behind them all. Dana immediately recognised it as Lupin's. "Perhaps if you put as much effort into your wand work as you do your social life, you may have mastered the Stupefying charm already."
"My bad, professor." Paddy said sheepishly, turning back to continue practicing with Oliver.
Lupin had them all demonstrate their progress so far, criticising their movements far harsher than usual and sounding more impatient than ever. Dana kept her mouth shut, avoiding him as best as possible. In all honesty, she thought he ought to grow up.
