Lupin's True Love Returns

Carey Ann Lupin

Story Summary:
Eighteen years have passed since Veronica was at Hogwarts. The Memory Charm is failing and Veronica is beginning to remember the times of fun and horror at the school. As a teacher she knows how to make class fun. She learned a lot while away including how to fight. Will she be able to teach Harry all she has learned or will she have to bring others in to help

Chapter 20

Chapter Summary:
It's amazing how much anger is still between Severus and Veronica after what happened to Sirius. What happens when they decided to do battle at the first Staff Meeting of the year.
Posted:
03/04/2005
Hits:
376
Author's Note:
You know as well as I do that it wasn't Harry's fault or Severus' fault that Sirius died. I jsut needed someone to blame...


August 20, 1996

Veronica hurried into the staff room. Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout looked up from their notes.

"Good to see you getting settled in, Professor Lupin." Professor Flitwick levitated a cup of tea over to Veronica's seat.

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick." Veronica placed her notebooks on the table. "I thought I was going to be late."

"You were one of the only students who showed up for class early." Professor Sprout turned back to her notes.

Professor McGonagall laughed. "Yes but usually we found her in the arms of Remus. More than once I had to break them apart. I'm so glad that the two of you finally got married."

"Aren't we all?" Severus stepped into the room. "Professors."

"Ah, Severus." Professor Flitwick glanced between Veronica and Severus. "Ready for the new year?"

"As long as I don't get anymore accident prone students, I'm ready." Severus sat across from Veronica. "Good morning, Veronica."

"Severus." Veronica's eyes narrowed slightly. She opened one of her notebooks, picked up her self-inking quill, and began jotting down notes.

"Are you ready for the dunderheads that we call students?" Severus leaned back in his seat.

"The students are not 'dunderheads' as you so kindly put it and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from calling them that." Veronica's eyes narrowed a bit more.

Professor McGonagall glanced at Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout before looking back at Veronica and Severus. "Um... would the two of you like to take this discussion outside?"

"I'm not discussing anything with him, Professor McGonagall, since there is nothing to discuss." Veronica turned back to her notes as Hagrid, Firenze, Madam Hooch, Madam Pince, and Madam Pomfrey stepped into the room. She glanced up at the sound of hooves against the stone floor. "Firenze?"

Firenze caught Veronica as she launched herself at him. "Miss Croft, it is good to see you again, my friend."

"I was married last month, Firenze. Didn't Hagrid tell you?" Veronica smiled as Firenze stood beside her chair.

"I suppose you married young Mr. Lupin." Firenze smiled as Veronica nodded. "And now you have returned to teach here as is your destiny."

Veronica smiled again. "I don't know about the destiny part but I'm going to be teaching History of Magic."

Slowly the chatter died down as the rest of the teachers filled the room. The last person to step into the room was Dumbledore. All talk stopped as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"Oh good. Everyone is here." Dumbledore glanced around the room. "At least everyone who is coming anyway." The group laughed except for Severus who barely cracked a smile. "I would like to introduce our two new teachers. First we have Mr. Kurt Wagner, who has agreed to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Kurt moved from the shadows and into the light Veronica squealed slightly as Kurt moved toward her. "Didn't think to tell us at Harry's party?" Veronica motioned to the empty seats beside her.

"Hello." Kurt squeezed Veronica's shoulder before he sank into the other empty chair beside her.

"Now for the new History of Magic appointment. Please welcome Mrs. Veronica Lupin." Dumbledore motioned to Veronica. "I'm sure that most of you remember her as Miss Croft form her time here as a student." Several of the professors nodded as Veronica smiled from her seat. "Now onto business. I understand that we have a whole new curriculum for History of Magic. Perhaps you could explain, Professor."

"Of course, Headmaster." Veronica climbed to her feet. "First let me welcome Kurt to the teaching staff. I'm glad you're here." Veronica shuffled through her notebooks. "I'm sure many of you have noticed that several shipments of books have arrived over the last few days." Several of the Professors nodded. "I had a bit of difficulty trying to figure out how to approach the subject of history given the fact that our last professor is a ghost. I decided that it was best for me to draw on my own experiences. You see even the most studious student may become easily distracted during a history lesson. I can attest to that having the friends that I did. I figured a way in my first years of teaching to be able not only to teach history but make it interesting enough for the students to remember for the tests and quizzes that I often gave." She flipped through the notebook with one hand. "I decided in order to get the kids to learn history I would have to get them involved with the retelling of it. I managed to perfect it within three years of establishing it at my first job."

"You need to get to the point." Severus rolled his eyes.

"And you need to shut your mouth." Veronica glared at Severus. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, the students will learn about history by reenacting it."

"What exactly does that mean?" Professor McGonagall leaned forward in her seat.

"Instead of them just reading from the books, I plan on having them take part by giving them particular parts to play during history." Veronica smiled as several of the professors laughed. "I know it sounds silly but let me assure you it has the desired results. Let me give you an example. While I was teaching in the United States, the children had to learn about the Civil War, or the War Between the States. This was considered a major part of their history lessons so I made up little cards with red and black writing on them, such as maimed-missing leg or death after battling infection. I gave these cards out at the beginning of each battle we studied and the kids got an idea of what exactly it was like to be in the Union or Confederate armies. After we studied a battle I gave a test on it. You'd be surprised how many actually passed. Those that didn't were often assigned some sort of extra credit project that was based on the lesson. I have yet to have a student fail my class."

"This method actually worked?" Severus scoffed slightly.

"It worked better than intimidating and terrifying the students so much that they couldn't learn from their mistakes." Veronica practically growled at Severus as the other professors moved away from them.

"I do not intimidate my students!" Severus jumped to his feet and glared at her.

"Maybe not the Slytherins!"

"There are students at this school who can't seem to handle the pressure!"

"If you're talking about Neville, then you'd best think again!" Veronica's voice rumbled with a suppressed roar. "And if you mean Harry, then you'd best prepare for war!!"

"Veronica." Kurt tried to pull Veronica away from Severus as Firenze tried to pull her back by holding onto her shoulders.

"He's been asking for it ever since..."

"Just keep telling yourself that he's not worth it." Kurt's voice slowly began to calm Veronica.

"You're right, Kurt. He's not worth it." Veronica turned to Dumbledore. "Please excuse me for a few minutes, Headmaster."

"Of course, Professor.' Dumbledore motioned to the door. "Perhaps you should take Professor Wagner or Firenze with you?"

"No, Headmaster. I just need to be alone for a while in order to cool down." Veronica gave Dumbledore a tight smile. "I can't do that while I'm discussing the problem." Veronica opened the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

Veronica closed the door firmly behind her. She barely made it outside before she screamed. She stalked down the steps and toward the lake. Once there she screamed again, scaring the birds from the trees. She flopped down onto the grass and leaned against the large beech tree. She stared out over the lake for a few moments before jumping to her feet again. She quickly transfigured her robes into a pair of black sweats and a green t-shirt. She stretched her muscles to loosen up. Quickly she began walking along the lake. Before long she was jogging swiftly along the deserted banks. She finally returned to the entrance of the castle and returned her clothes to normal. She walked up the steps and made her way to the staff room. She quietly opened the door. The room was empty except for Dumbledore.

"Your few minutes turned into an hour." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he motioned to the chair beside him.

"I'm sorry but I needed a bit more time to cool off, Albus." Veronica dropped into the seat. "I didn't mean to disrupt the meeting."

"You didn't disrupt anything. This was the most interesting meeting I have attended in quite a while." Dumbledore chuckled. "Several of the others will tell you the same thing. I'll tell you now that there is a poll going as to when you and Severus are going to maim each other. I've got the whole month of November."

"Shame I couldn't have finished my tirade. You would have lost the bet." Veronica smiled as the staff room door opened.

"So why don't you share the rest of it with me?" Remus placed a hand on Veronica's shoulder.

Veronica cringed slightly. "I take it that you heard?"

Dumbledore climbed to his feet. "I believe that is my clue to leave."

Remus waited until the door closed behind Dumbledore before sitting in the vacated seat. "Declared war on Severus?"

"He started it."

"You can't use James and Sirius' excuse."

"He was insulting every House but Slytherin."

"You know better than to let him get under your skin."

"I guess I haven't quite forgiven him about Padfoot."

"The way Severus made it sound you were trying to hex him to death."

"Not really but if I could have gotten to my wand then he just might have had a few hex marks on him."

"Come on. Let's take your notes back to your quarters and catch up on the week." Remus climbed to his feet and picked up half of the notebooks.

Veronica sighed as she climbed to her feet and picked up the rest of the notebooks. Remus gripped Veronica's free hand as they made their way to her quarters.


Author notes: I had a lot of fun writing this. I had to ask AnitheSiriuslover if it was okay for Kurt to be the DADA professor. She thought it was a great idea.