Dirty Mouth, Dirty Blood [h.g]

eight

8

Then:

"Professor Lupin?"

Carina peered her head around the corner into his room, eyes falling upon the man packing.

"Why are you leaving? You can't leave."

"Carina," Remus said sadly, "I have to. I could've hurt someone."

Carina knew he was talking about being a werewolf—she had known ever since the third month of school. The scars, the fact that he was absent every full moon—all the pieces were there. She had hoped others would have realized it too, but unsurprisingly she was the only competent student.

She had at least hoped Hermione Granger would have figured it out, and she did, but not until Snape practically spelled it out for her.

Shameful.

"So? I sent letters to all the wizards on the Hogwarts Committee, some containing means of persuasion, others blackmail. Most starting with 'don't you know who I am?' None of them should offer any resistance towards your continuing to teach here," Carina said adamantly.

"It wouldn't feel right for me to stay, I could've lost all control..." Lupin trailed off painfully, wincing with the memory.

"Oh, so now you decide to have morals?" Carina tossed her sheet of hair behind her shoulders, eyes blazing. "You want to protect us? Stay here. You're the best goddamn Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had, and if you want us to be safe you'd teach us how to be. You'd never hurt anyone, Professor Lupin, no matter how much you're trying to convince me of that. We- I need you here. Please..." Carina begged, "please stay."

"I'm sorry," Remus whispered, "really, I am. But the wheel will turn, and someone will come in my place. It will be okay."

"No, it won't," Carina shook her head, near delirium, "it won't! Professor, you know better than anyone what it's like to have to conceal who you are. I need you here!"

"Carina." Lupin's voice was stern now, and she looked up at him, feeling her world crumbling around her. "You will be fine. You are an exceptionally bright girl, and no matter what happens, you'll be fine."

Carina licked her lips, a nervous habit she had picked up from the Professor himself. "Even if it means my family turns against me? And everything I've ever stood for is tested again and again?"

"Yes," Remus nodded. "You are one of the most stubborn people I've ever met. No one will be able to convince you that you are any less than they are."

"Professor Lupin... I'm gay."

Now:

Carina sat under a tree in the backyard, fingers weaving in and out of her hair, pulling it into a Dutch side plait. Hearing screaming coming from the house, Carina tied her hair at the end, and stood up.

Fred and George ran from the house gleefully, Molly muttering obscenities behind them.

"Boys," Carina acknowledged, as they skidded to a stop next to her. "What did you two do this time?"

George avoided her question with a wave. "Nothing of importance. What are you up to?"

Carina shrugged, tucking a strand of hair she had missed behind her ear, annoyed. "Cloud watching, I guess. Now, Fred," she said, turning to the other twin, "do you want to tell me what you two did, or do I have to force it out of you?"

The twins gaped at her in surprise. Fred was the first to speak, "you can tell us apart?"

Carina nodded nonchalantly, though secretly she was thrilled that she had rendered them speechless. "You have higher cheekbones than George does."

George scoffed at this, "you've stared at us enough to know he has higher cheekbones than me? You guessed."

"No," Carina said calmly, "it was to my advantage to know which of you was which. Fred comes up with the plan and George implements it. If you have Fred alone doing nothing, you need to find out where George is quickly. And if you have George by himself doing nothing, you can breathe easy. This strategy has saved me from numerous pranks. And the cheekbones thing didn't take too long to figure out. Slytherins are very resourceful, after all."

While Fred laughed in astonishment, George rolled his eyes, "next thing you'll be telling us is that you can cast a patronus!"

"Yes," Carina said, narrowing her eyes, "do you doubt my word?"

"You've never given us a reason to believe it," George returned.

Carina smirked, before having her mouth stretched open to reveal a true smile, one she hadn't shown in a while. "I guess you're right. But I think I would be a good ally to you, if you let me be. Did you know you can get into the Ravenclaw common room just by answering a riddle? And I happen to be very good at riddles."

The twins' eyes lit up. "You didn't."

Carina nodded smugly, "I did. Here, take this. It's an enchanted mirror. First Saturday of school, seven o'clock. Ask for me then."

And with a flick of her braid, she was off.

When she got back to her room, she took the makeup off. Her cheekbones sunk in once more, bags under her eyes darkening substantially, as the reason for hiding her haggard state was gone, out with Potter and the Weasel.