Just Like Stupefy

JUST LIKE STUPEFY

I. Forewarned

Professor Remus J. Lupin looked at all the assorted contraband on his desk. Even with the threat of Sirius Black, most of Hogwarts life still stayed the same. He had confiscated several love notes and chocolates and various other little reminders of student hormones. It was definitely Valentine´s once again.

He sighed as he picked through a few pieces of the chocolate and took one for himself. So it was a weakness of his. That was a year-round thing and had nothing to do with romance or, at this moment, a lack of it. Damn but it was hard trying to be romantic with someone while being a werewolf. Most people wanted those romantic walks under a full moon, which he couldn´t accommodate.

He looked up as he heard a knock at the door. It was unmistakably a Weasley with the bright red locks. Red was yet another Valentine's favorite because it denoted passion. If it was the twins, he would have said a passion for mischief. It wasn´t them, though, but the youngest and only girl, Ginny.

"Come," he said and watched as she made her way across the classroom.

He, like most of the school, knew she had a thing for James and Lily´s son Harry. The others probably didn´t know that together the pair was almost a complete visual recreation of his parents. Sometimes Remus would have to remind himself that he wasn´t seeing his old friends.

"Here are my parchments, sir. Thank you for giving me extra time to do my homework," she said shyly.

"You´re welcome. I will assume this work is simply top notch, especially since I gave you extra time to do it."

She laughed nervously, looking at him and then quickly looking away.

"So, will you now be going Valentine´s crazy with the rest of the student body?"

Ginny blushed wildly. "I don´t think so." She couldn´t tell her professor of the embarrassment that happened on Valentine´s Day last year.

"So no plans with Harry?" he questioned conversationally.

Ginny shook her head and admitted sadly, "He doesn´t like me. Not the same way I like him."

"He´s just a boy. Give him time, and he might come around," he said in consolation.

Ginny doubted it. Her young heart hurt with love for the boy, and he didn´t even seem to notice that she was alive. To him, she was just his best friend´s younger sister.

Seeing the sad look on her face, Lupin tried to comfort her. "Don´t worry. It will happen in the right time and the right place, even if it´s not with Harry. It might be someone else you never even knew you liked until it hits you just like Stupefy."

"Is it that easy? Can you really find someone you like that actually likes you back?" she blurted hotly. "Is there someone like that out there that likes you?" Ginny´s hand flew to her mouth when she realized what she´d asked him.

"Loving me is a little more complicated than that, Ginny," he said evenly. "It´s also not something that is appropriate for me to discuss with you."

She paused and then said, "Oh well, if I´ll find my own Valentine one day, you will, too. Right?"

She blushed furiously again. This wasn´t the way to talk to her teacher. Ginny had to get out of the room and walked quickly to the door.

"Ginny!" Lupin called after her.

When she sheepishly turned, he threw a bag of chocolates to her, which she caught surely in her hands. "Happy Valentine´s Day."

"Happy Valentine´s Day, sir," she said with a small unsure smile before leaving the room like her head was on fire.

II. Stunned

Ginny had been very popular with the boys since her fourth year in Hogwarts. She´d gotten over Harry, and dated Neville, Michael, Dean, Colin, and even Draco once just to be rebellious. She was currently single, though, and it was Valentine´s Day. Molly in typical doting mother form invited Ginny over for tea so she could fret about her daughter´s unattached status.

"Do you have any plans for tonight, dear?" Molly asked in her best mothering voice.

Ginny put up her hands to make her mother stop before she could get started. "I am going to a party tonight, and I am sure there are plenty of single Wizards. Everything is under control."

"But..."

"Mother!" Ginny warned back and continued sipping her tea. Looking around the kitchen, she cast her eyes on an old parchment from her student days. It was a Defense Against the Dark Arts paper on which she had gotten high marks.

"I just found that. You were always good at Defense," Molly said proudly.

Ginny nodded, remembering the Valentine´s ten years ago that she´d written that paper. It seemed like ages! "I´ll need it in case any of the men at the party are beasts!" she quipped.

After leaving her mother´s house and getting ready for the party, Ginny arrived alone but in high style. She laughed, danced, and made all the overtures of having a good time. Inwardly, though, she thought the party was lame.

Ginny left the people and went over to the table of party treats. Spying a particularly tasty chocolate morsel, she reached into the bowl only to collide with the long fingers of a man who was reaching for the same piece.

"Ginny!" he said in surprise.

"Remus!" she said and sounded genuinely happy to see him. "I was just thinking about you today."

"You were?" he asked in disbelief.

"My mum found one of my old papers from your class. I remember giving it to you on Valentine´s Day, and you shared some chocolate with me," she said with a laugh.

"Perhaps this is history repeating itself," he said, handing her the piece from the bowl.

"I don´t have any papers to give you this time, but I´m all about dancing and pleasant conversation."

At his hesitation, Ginny urged, "Come on! You could do worse. I know I have." She looked at several of the other men at the party.

Giving in to her, Remus danced with Ginny and found himself enjoying her company. She was right about the pleasant conversation, and everything about the party, which he hadn´t until that point been enjoying, seemed to improve. After several dances with her, however, he begged to stop.

"Why? Are you tired of me already?" she teased.

"No," he protested with a smile. "It´s time for a chocolate break."

"Oh, now that´s something I can fully support," Ginny said enthusiastically.

She found them a pair of seats in a private corner and a huge bowl of chocolates. There they both fell into easy discussion and chased several pieces of chocolate until Ginny paused and stared down into the bowl.

"You´re cute when you´re blushing," Remus observed softly.

"I´m blushing?" she squeaked.

"Uh-huh," he said while nodding. "Mind sharing your thoughts?"

"I just remembered something you said to me once," she said, sneaking a glance at him.

"What was it?" he said, wondering what he could have ever said to her to bring such a pretty blush to her cheeks.

"Sometimes finding the right person is so unexpected it hits you just like Stupefy."

It was his turn to blush. "It´s true."

An awkward silence engulfed them until they both reached into the bowl at the same time, again brushing fingers as they reached for the same piece of chocolate. As they paused to look at each other, they entwined fingers.

"Remus," Ginny said softly.

"Yes?"

"Stupefy."