Howling at the Moon

7. A Different Man

One of the things Hufflepuffs aren't, is proper. So when Tahlia Tagared walked into her dorms to see Diondre getting dressed she was consumed with the idea of stealing the girls clothes, with nothing really to hold her back and no concept of foresight she went for it.

"Tahlia! Give that back!" Diondre yelled in surprise. She had to be at Transfiguration soon. McGonagall would have a fit if she turned up naked.

"I absolutely won't! You have to get it from me!" She said leaping out of the way of grabbing hands.

"God's sake Tahlia! I've got class in ten minutes" but Diondre was laughing.

Tahlia ran down into the common room with Diondre's robes and shirt, Diondre close behind her with nothing on but her skirt and a bra.

The younger Hufflepuff boys certainly got an eyeful. Tahlia didn't feel that was enough however and continued running into the corridor, if she thought that would stop the other girl she was sorely mistaken as she came tumbling out of the entrance after her.

Tahlia's laughing died down as she saw the beginnings of a disaster. Professor Lupin was walking along the corridor, his head buried in a book. Diondre, hardly dressed had her attention entirely on the girl that had run off with her clothes. Time slowed terribly as Lupin looked up at the noise. And then the collision happened.

The book went flying out of Lupins hands and he reached to grab whoever had smashed into him to stop them from falling, only to grab at bare skin.

Diondre was absolutely horrified, and she suspected from his face , so was he.

"Professor! Well holy shit this is embarrassing, haha, uh" She took a hopeful glance at Tahlia that she might save the situation but she stood staring at them frozen in shock. Lupin faired no better.
She crossed her arms over her chest feeling her neck going pink. "I mean, this is one of my most expensive bra's, I can't be too upset that it's been seen. Right?" She tried desperately. Twirling her body around to show him the back. It was bright yellow with lace flowers holding the whole thing together. It was her favourite.

"Uh, ye...yeah, I can see that logic." The professor stuttered, both girls were immediately reminded of Quirrel. Who had coincidentally also seen Diondre's bra (Long story). "I think it's best if you girls both return to your common room, and Tahlia if you could return Miss Gargoyle her clothes I'm sure everyone will appreciate it." He gave a small smile and walked swiftly off, leaving his book in the corridor.

"Everyone will appreciate it! How dare he! I think the Professor just called me ugly." Diondre glared wide eyed into the teachers retreating back. She was joking, trying to diffuse the awkward that still lingered. Tahlia let out a shy laugh, feeling guilty for causing a scene.

"Oh Diondre, I highly doubt he thinks you're ugly." She had seen the professor give the mostly naked girl a sneaky once over. "Here, clothes!" With the clothes returned they made their way back to the dorms, but not before picking up the forgotten book.

_______

After the excitement of the morning the rest of the day had been quite dull, McGonagall had given her a scolding for being late and a 30 inch scroll to do on turning a rat into a pigeon. Lupins book had been tucked away in her bag waiting to be returned, she would have waited until tomorrow to bump into him again and hand it back, but tomorrow was a full moon so she doubted he will be around. Besides, the book seemed important, it had a lot of informative text she was sure he'd use in his classes. After dinner had come and gone she made her way to his office.

"Come in," he answered after a few knocks.

"Hello Professor, don't mean to disturb you. You left this book in the corridor this morning." She pushed the book in front of her.

Remus really wished she hadn't come in this night, the full moon was really effecting him around her and he had a full week of the sexual tension build up he was experiencing. He'd even skipped dinner to avoid seeing the girl. The feeling of her soft body under his hands has been stuck there the entire day.

"Thank you Diondre, could you just place it down for me?"

She let herself into the office to put the book on his desk. She peeked curiously at what he was writing into a scroll. "What's that professor?"

"I'm planning a lesson on warewolves, if I'm going to continue to be a threat to these students it would be best if they know how to fare off an attack from me." He told her matter of factly, Diondre could tell how much his ailment pained him. She took a seat opposite his desk.

"What about the Wolfsbane potion?" She asks.

"Oh you know about that do you?"

"Yes, Snape is having us do an essay on it."

Remus let out a dry laugh, "of course he is. Well yes of course there's the potion but there's always the possibility that something could go wrong. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt anyone."

Diondre went to pull on his emotions but felt like she didn't need to, everything was there, plainly on his face. "Professor..." She got up and walked to his chair. Kneeling on the floor next to him she took both his hands. "You're not any less of a person for what's been done to you, to everyone here you're the best professor that's ever been in these walls. The people you've helped - I've heard Neville talking to his friends about all you've done for him - and what you've done for me... I just can't thank you enough. Nothing about you is going to change the person you are, and that is a good man." She let her honesty travel through her voice, it was important he believed her, this beautiful scarred man shouldn't be allowed to hate himself the way he does, Diondre couldn't imagine anyone stronger.

Remus looked down at the girl, she was so lovely, perhaps the loveliest thing he had ever seen. He wasn't thinking straight, the full moon was tomorrow. He removed one of his hands from her grip and brought it to her face. He sweeped his thumb across her cheek, she didn't move from him so he leant his face down to hers and kissed her.

Diondre jolted, she wasn't expecting that. Lupin leaned back in absolute horror realising what he had done. "I'm sorry, oh I am so sorry. I misunderstood the... Never mind. The full moon is tomorrow, I'm not acting myself, I am sorry Diondre. Oh god." He face was in his hands and he was rubbing at it vigorously. "Look what a few kind words does to me hey?" He was now standing on the other side of the room trying to get as far away from his source of shame as he could manage.

She touched her lips were his had been. She wanted them back. "Professor, I'm sorry for my reaction, it's just..." She searched for the right words. "It's just that I've never thought of you that way before."

"I know Diondre, I know. That was very foolish of me, it will-'

"I haven't finished talking." she butted in. " You see now that I have - thought of you that way. Well I'm not entirely upset about it. In fact, I want you to do it again." She began getting up from her place on the floor towards the teacher. And indeed her whole body was thrumming to a different rhythm, perhaps his would harmonise it.

"Diondre, no. I can't let you do this. I won't take advantage of my position. Can you just go? This shouldn't have happened, I shouldn't have done anything. I really am sorry." He wasn't looking at her anymore, instead he was staring at the corner of his ceiling, hoping to hear the door shut behind her. After far too long, it did.