The Secret Diary

Chapter Three: The Fool

"Professor Lupin!"

Breathless, Harry scurried out of the fireplace and halted in front of his old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Grinning broadly, Harry dropped his luggage and flung his arms around the man's waist, despite the small crowd in the Three Broomsticks.

"It has been quite some time, hasn't it?" chuckled Remus Lupin as his returned the hug and patted the boy's head. "And you're a good measure taller than when we last met. I hope you won't catch up to me this year, but the odds clearly are not in my favor."

Harry laughed and Remus sighed.

"Well, let's get something to eat before we head off to the castle," he said as he helped the boy gather his luggage and drag it over to the bar. "Two Butterbeers to start, Rosmerta."

* * * * *

The day had turned into a never-ending trail of food. After the healthy-sized meal in the Three Broomsticks, Harry and Remus arrived at Hogwarts castle in time to unload some of Harry's things in a simple bedroom adjacent to the Professor's and make their way down to the Great Hall to eat dinner.

"It's awfully quiet in here without all the students," noted Harry, between mouthfuls of some kind of exotic green bean.

"That it is," agreed Remus, despite the piece of meat he was chewing.

Severus Snape observed the two with disgust from several seats down the table. Sneering into his plate, he picked at his own food, appetite gone. Veritable swine, he thought to himself, those two should be flogged for their table manners.

"Really it's a crime, wouldn't you agree?" remarked Dumbledore.

The Potions master raised his head as the Headmaster addressed him. He hummed and nodded his head a bit in agreement. That's the way it worked with this man. Just smile and nod.

But the Potions Master preferred to leave out the smiling part.

Then there were the two buffoons a few feet away flinging green beans at each other with spoons. They didn't have a problem with smiling. In fact, they both had the same dumb, slightly-off smile that made Snape want to backhand each. How was it that Lupin was somewhat tolerable by himself, but with Potter in the picture, Lupin seemed thousands of times more vexing?

Look at that, giggling like giddy schoolgirls. Grow up, both of you.

"...Severus, I'm worried about you, are you coming down with something?"

"Forgive me, Headmaster. I'm feeling just a bit... distracted today."

"Of course. Do see me if there's anything at all I can do."

* * * * *

Harry looks so peaceful, Remus observed, smiling weakly. I wonder if he dreams of his parents... of his mother as often as I do...

Closing his eyes, he could see those vivid green depths just inches away from him. He would be vaguely conscious of her raising a hand to his face and smoothing over the tears on his cheek. A few exasperated sighs, a lovers' embrace... Oh, it was all so treasonous to think of...

..and with Harry sitting right there. It was despicable, really. Who the hell did he think he was?

A fool. A damned fool.

Harry stirred, flinched at something he was dreaming, and then lay still. Remus sat frozen the entire time. Could the boy know about his mother's past with his Defense professor? It seemed entirely unlikely. Harry was never one to take news of any kind quietly, and it seemed to Remus that the adolescent would probably have at least mentioned it out of curiosity. He starved for snippets of memories and knowledge about Lily and James. It broke Remus' heart to think of it. He rolled to his side and went to sleep himself. It was a long trip out to the cottage, and the Muggle train was surely taking its time getting to its destination.