The Talisman of Monguk

Chapter 11: Encouragement

One week later, the sixth year students filed into Snape's dungeons for Potions class with stunned looks on their faces. In their six years at Hogwarts, no one could remember having a substitute in this class. But today, instead of Professor Snape, there was a young woman in dark blue academic robes, standing at the front of the classroom. The students took their seats, eyeing her with curiosity. However, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's faces sported broad grins as they recognized Angela.

"Please take your seats," Angela announced. "Professor Snape has been called away on business and has asked me to fill in for him today. My name is Miss Hawkins."

At this, the students exchanged quizzical looks and began to whisper among themselves.

Catching snippets of their murmurings, Angela responded, "As you've already surmised, I am related to your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. She is my cousin. So, now that we have that out of the way, please settle down."

The discussion and murmuring continued. Angela glanced about the room with a look of frustration. She sighed.

Ignoring them, Angela plunged on with the lesson. "Today, we begin a series on plant poisons and their antidotes. This will appear on your final exam, so I'd advise you to pay attention."

She walked to a desk in the front of the room on which she had arranged several items: an aquarium full of salamanders, several plant specimens, a variety of potion ingredients, and a crystal beaker half-filled with a clear liquid. She held up a plant specimen.

"Note the lobed leaves and the flowers shaped like hoods or helmets along the stem. Can anyone tell me what this is?"

A hand shot into the air. It was a girl with bushy brown hair and an eager face.

"Yes, Miss, please state your name and give me your answer."

"Hermione Granger," the girl replied. "It's monkshood or aconitum napellus. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous."

"Excellent, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor!" Angela announced, noting the insignia on Hermione's robes. "It's nice to see that someone has been reading her lessons."

Hermione beamed back at her. Several other students cast annoyed looks in her direction.

"Mudblood know-it-all," hissed Draco Malfoy, half under his breath. "Of course, I would expect a half-blood professor to favor her."

Angela overheard him and shot him a look of reproach. "Mr. Malfoy, do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"No," Malfoy said, sniggering to his friends.

"No, Ma'am," she corrected.

"No, Ma'am," he mimicked in a half-mocking tone.

She cast him an icy glare and turned back to the class. "As Miss Granger has stated, this is monkshood. It is also known as aconite or wolfsbane. It is extremely poisonous, but also has medicinal value, as is true of many natural toxins. Here, I have a poison made from extract of monkshood. It is so deadly that even a few drops diluted many times over are fatal."

To demonstrate, she added two or three drops to the liquid in her beaker and swirled it to mix the contents. The fluid in the beaker turned vermilion. Then she reached into the aquarium and pulled out a salamander. She filled a dropper with some of the red liquid and dripped a few drops into the creature's mouth. The salamander squirmed in her grasp for a moment or two and then died. Several of the students gasped and the murmuring stopped momentarily.

She continued, "Fortunately, a common household ingredient can nullify the effects of this poison. Who can name it?"

Again Hermione raised her hand.

"I see that Miss Granger knows the answer. Would anyone else like to venture a guess?"

Angela looked around the classroom. Those students still paying attention, stared blankly back at her. And once again, the volume of the whispering began to crescendo.

"All right then, Miss Granger," Angela said with a sigh of resignation.

"The antidote for monkshood contains sugar," Hermione replied.

"Correct again." Angela continued, "I have brewed the antidote for monkshood and will now add some to my solution." As she did, the liquid in the beaker turned a pale shade of pink. "If I've brewed this correctly, I should have neutralized the poison. Shall we test it?"

With dismay, Angela surveyed the room. Many students had stopped paying attention altogether. Several of the students in the back of the classroom had even abandoned the hushed whispers and were conversing audibly.

Angela approached the aquarium, reached for a salamander, and then abruptly withdrew her hand. She turned and faced the class, raising the beaker with a flourish.

"Oh, Dragon droppings!" she muttered under her breath, as she raised the beaker to her lips and took a deep draught.

A gasp of alarm rippled across the room like a wave. Every eye was now riveted on Angela. Harry Potter jumped to his feet and prepared to rush to her aid. Angela grimaced with disgust and then lowered the beaker with a triumphant smile.

"I'm glad to see that I finally have your full attention," she said.

A weighty silence permeated the room. The students were all staring at her, wide-eyed, holding their collective breath. The only sound heard was the soft rustling of the salamanders as they scuttled for cover under the moist leaves in the aquarium.

"As you see, I'm still alive. The antidote worked." Then she smiled at Harry and continued, "I'm also relieved to see that chivalry is not dead. Ten more points for Gryffindor."

"You can't do that. You're not a real professor," protested Malfoy.

"Can't I?" Angela retorted. "I just did."

She followed with a brief lecture on other poisonous plants. This time the class watched with rapt attention, taking notes.

"I have several other poisonous specimens here. Here is one with shiny black berries. Who can name it?"

Hermione's hand shot straight up.

"Anyone besides Miss Granger? Anyone at all?" she probed.

A boy with a round face in the front row timidly raised his hand. Angela nodded at him and smiled encouragingly.

"It's atropa belladonna or nightshade," he replied in a barely audible voice.

"Correct! And what is your name?"

"Neville Longbottom, Ma'am."

"Very good, Mr. Longbottom. And can you identify this specimen?" she asked, holding up a stalk with gray green leaves and pendulous purple flowers with spotted throats.

"Yes, it's foxglove. My Gran grows them in her garden," he replied with a grin.

"Excellent! It is foxglove or digitalis purpurea. It seems that you know Herbology, Mr. Longbottom. That should help you in Potions class, since many potion ingredients are plant-based."

At this, the class erupted into giggles and guffaws. Neville's ears turned bright red and he sank down into his seat with a sheepish grin. Angela motioned for the class to come to order.

"I have complete confidence in Mr. Longbottom," she rejoined with a wink at Neville. "Shall we move on?"

She continued, "Nightshade, or Belladonna, is extremely toxic. Eating any part of the plant can produce symptoms such as blurred vision, confusion, and even coma. The foxglove may be a common flower, but from the leaves, we extract a potent toxin. This poison can make the heart race or stop it completely."

She concluded, "Today, you will be brewing a simple antidote for a mystery poison that I have here." She held up a phial containing a sickly green liquid. "The instructions are on the board. The ingredients are here on the front desk. You will have until the end of class, when we will test them on the salamanders. Please begin."

Malfoy smirked and raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Ma'am, if you're so sure that Longbottom can handle this, why don't you test his antidote on yourself?" he asked sarcastically. Several of Malfoy's classmates sniggered.

Noticing the look of embarrassment on Neville's face, she replied, "An interesting suggestion. Perhaps I will."

As Angela wandered the room, the students pulled out their cauldrons and began working on their potions. As the end of class neared, they began bringing their antidotes forward for testing. Neville Longbottom was one of the last to finish. The whole class watched as he turned in his sample flask.

"Well, Mr. Longbottom, what do you think? Shall we use the salamanders? Or shall I test this on myself?" Angela inquired.

Neville blanched. He pointed a shaky finger at the aquarium and timidly whispered, "Salamanders."

While the entire class looked on curiously, Angela reached for a salamander and administered a drop of the poison, immediately followed by a drop of Neville's antidote. The salamander squirmed in her hand, completely unharmed.

"Well done, Mr. Longbottom," she replied, smiling at him and replacing the salamander in the aquarium.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Much later that afternoon, Snape entered his dungeon office, having just returned from his business. He walked to his desk and began looking through Angela's notes, when he heard voices in the hallway outside. He froze, listening.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I am hopelessly in love with him," said Angela's voice from outside the door.

Snape heard the lock click and ducked behind the bookcase out of sight. The door opened and Angela stepped into the room, followed closely by Ravena. They did not see him or seem to notice anything amiss. As they continued their conversation oblivious to his presence, Snape listened with interest.

"And has he given you any indication of his feelings for you?" Ravena prompted.

"Not in so many words. Oh, he's polite and kind, but he's never kissed me or done anything like that. In fact, he's been a perfect gentleman."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," quipped Ravena. "So have you told him how you feel?"

"Well, I tried, but I can't." Angela sighed hopelessly. "You see, I believe that he has another lover. I stumbled upon a photograph and some letters among his belongings."

From behind the bookcase, Snape's eyes opened wide with surprise and his jaw dropped. But seconds later, his expression melted into a calculating sneer.

"Have you asked him about her?" inquired Ravena.

"Oh, right, and admit that I'd been snooping around in his personal possessions."

"Well, have you ever actually seen her around him? Or heard him mention her?" Ravena probed.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't."

"Then perhaps, she's just an old flame," Ravena encouraged. "Don't we all have tokens of past loves that we foolishly keep? Do you still have those lovely poems that the Muggle boy wrote for you? What was his name?"

"Oh, you mean David," Angela replied with a giggle. "That was ages ago. Yes, I suppose that I do. They're probably down in the bottom of my trunk somewhere. I'd forgotten all about them."

"So you see, it's probably nothing at all."

"Speaking of past loves, do you still have those love letters that Giovanni sent you?" Angela asked with a snigger.

"Oh yes!" replied Ravena with a mischievous laugh. "They are safely hidden away where no one will ever find them. I couldn't risk letting Mother get her hands on them. I'd hate to think what she would do, if she read them." Ravena shuddered.

From his hiding place, Snape raised his eyebrows and leaned in closer.

"So what do you intend to do?" Ravena inquired, returning to the original subject.

"What can I do? I'll just pine away for him as I have these past months and wait for him to make a move," Angela replied sadly.

"Oh, come now! You're good at Potions. Why don't you just brew up a love potion and slip it his tea?"

"What? I want him, but I won't resort to trickery to get him."

"Well, why not? That's what I would do, if I could brew anything more complicated than a cup of tea," Ravena rejoined. "In the game of love, we women need to use all our feminine wiles. That's what they're for."

Hearing this, Snape's eyebrows shot up again. His lip curled into an appreciative smirk. Angela simply sighed and shook her head.

Ravena continued, "All right, then you'll just have to get his attention the old fashioned way. You have a good figure. You just need to show it off a little more. Get rid of those baggy unflattering clothes that you always wear. Try a more alluring look. Let me have a look at your dress."

"That's all right. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I'll never be fashionable like you, Ravena. I can't pretend to be something that I'm not."

"Suit yourself," Ravena replied with a shrug. "But if you change your mind, I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks. I'll think about it."

Ravena looked around the room as if noticing it for the first time. "This is a rather gloomy place," she remarked. "I don't know how Severus can stand it."

"It rather suits my mood these days," replied Angela, gazing at the endless jars of pickled things lining the shelves. "I'm almost done here anyway. I just have to put away a few things and finish my note to Severus. I expect him back shortly."

"Then I should let you get back to work. It was so nice to see you today," Ravena said, giving Angela a peck on the cheek. "And good luck with Remus," she added in a whisper too quiet for Snape to overhear.

"Goodbye, Ravena," Angela answered, returning the kiss.

Ravena left the room, closing the door silently behind her. Angela walked to Snape's private stores cupboard and began replacing the potion ingredients that she had removed for the day's lessons. As she worked, she hummed a melancholy tune.

With her back turned to him, Snape crept silently out of his hiding place and swept toward the door. He opened it and then shut it with a snap, as if he'd just returned. Startled, Angela spun around to face him, a look of surprise on her face. In the process, the monkshood extract slipped from her grasp and fell to the stone floor with a crash.

"Oh, my," she gasped. "I'm so sorry."

She bent down, pulled out her handkerchief, and started mopping up the spill. Snape strode to her side, took her arm, and pulled her back to her feet.

"Please, allow me," he said gallantly.

He waved his wand and uttered a Repairing Charm. The glass jar reassembled itself and the contents flew back inside. He caught the jar in his hand and replaced it on the cabinet shelf.

"Thank you," Angela replied.

She turned from him and walked to the sink. She began rinsing and wringing out her handkerchief, which was now stained pink. It was then that she noticed the cut on her hand. She must have sliced it open on the glass, while mopping up. Snape saw her studying her palm and walked over to look.

"It's nothing," she said, hiding her bleeding hand behind her back.

"Nonsense," he rejoined, grasping her hand and pulling it toward him. She opened her palm reluctantly, while he examined the cut.

"Really, it's not worth bothering about," she protested.

He gave her a look that told her it would be useless to argue with him. He walked to the stores cupboard and returned with a phial. Then he grasped her hand once more, pulled her in close, and held her hand fast. She winced as he dribbled a few drops from the phial on the cut. She drew a sharp breath. The potion bubbled and burned in the wound, but then stopped as the cut healed over.

Snape pocketed the phial and bent forward examining her hand more closely. He caressed the scar with his finger, still gripping her hand tightly in his. He was standing uncomfortably close to her, his face mere inches from her own. His greasy hair fell forward, as he looked down over his hooked nose at her.

"Thank you," she replied, nervously pulling her hand away.

She backed away from him and walked to his desk. "I've covered the lessons as you requested. The classes went reasonably well today. I've left you a few notes and the student's scores."

Angela handed the notes to Snape, who looked them over.

"Longbottom got full marks?" he inquired incredulously. "Are you certain that Miss Granger wasn't whispering instructions in his ear?"

"Miss Granger was not sitting anywhere near Mr. Longbottom. I watched him make the potion and I assure you that he did it on his own."

Snape stared at her with disbelief.

"It is true," she insisted. "Perhaps he just responds better to a gentler...hand."

Snape studied her for a moment or two and then spoke. "I heard about that little stunt you pulled in class today. You certainly have a flair for the dramatic," he remarked frowning.

Angela laughed. "Ravena tells me that I was the talk of the school all afternoon."

"I certainly hope that it wasn't an attempt to throw your life away out of some misplaced affection for someone so unworthy of your attentions," Snape warned, raising his eyebrow suggestively.

Angela gazed back at him with a bewildered expression, and then blushed, as his meaning dawned on her. "So my feelings for him are that obvious?"

"Like crystal," Snape sneered.

Not wishing to discuss this with Snape, Angela changed the subject. "I assure you that my 'little stunt', as you put it, had nothing to do with him. It's just that I don't possess your commanding presence in the classroom. And I find that an element of surprise, a little shock now and then helps to keep the class on task. It worked brilliantly. By the way, I was in no real danger. I brewed the antidote carefully and your supply of monkshood extract had lost most of its potency. You really should replace it."

Snape surveyed her with a look of disbelief. Then he strode to the supply cupboard, took out the bottle of monkshood extract, and sniffed it. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her with admiration. Rather pleased with herself, she smiled back.

"And the nightshade?" he inquired, tossing the monkshood in the trash.

"Oh, that's just fine."

Snape removed the phial of green liquid and sniffed it as well. Apparently satisfied, he replaced it on the shelf, looking a little annoyed that he couldn't disregard those scores.

"It seems that I've left my class in good hands today," Snape remarked smoothly. "Thank you, Angela."

"I was happy to return the favor, after your help with the Wolfsbane Potion. So, if that's all, I really must be going."

Snape hesitated for a moment, but then pressed, "I wondered if you might be persuaded to stay for tea?"

"That's very kind of you, but I've just had tea with my cousin Ravena. In fact, I have just enough time to prepare for tonight's meeting. I'm on patrol and have a few things to get done beforehand. Another time, perhaps?" she replied, picking up her briefcase and heading for the door.

"Of course," Snape said, with a look of disappointment on his face.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

That evening, the Order of the Phoenix was again assembled at Grimmauld Place. It was the first meeting after the waning of the full moon. Lupin was talking with Prudence Crutch and Mad-Eye Moody when Angela entered the kitchen. He excused himself and crossed the room to meet her.

"Hello Angela."

She turned toward him, studying his face closely with concern. He looked paler and thinner than when they'd last met.

"Hello Remus. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he replied, trying to sound convincing. Then he added hopefully, "Will you be staying for dinner tonight?"

"I'd love to, but I can't tonight. I'm on patrol with Kingsley. We have to leave right after the meeting."

"Oh, with Kingsley." He could barely hide his disappointment. That familiar line appeared on his forehead, the one he had when he was concerned about something.

Before he could say anything further, their conversation was cut short. Albus Dumbledore had entered the room. It was unusual for Headmaster Dumbledore to personally attend a meeting of the Order. When Hogwarts was in session, he typically sent his instructions by emissary. His personal appearance signaled something extraordinary. Sensing the change, all conversation abruptly ceased and everyone took his seat.

"Greetings to all," Dumbledore began. "I'm sure that you are all wondering why I have come here today. I'll not keep you in suspense any longer than necessary. Remus, please bring me the map."

Lupin strode to the corner of the room and pulled a parchment from the pile of scrolls. He opened it up and laid it out on the table in front of Dumbledore. The parchment appeared to be completely blank. Dumbledore the raised his wand, uttered a strange incantation in the Goblin language, and plunged his wand tip down on the parchment. A blinding blue light burst forth from the map. The members of the Order fell back away from the table, shielding their eyes. Then from the center of the map, where the wand touched it, lines began to appear on the scroll. The blue light faded. What was once blank paper now contained a drawing surrounded by strange writing. Dumbledore bent over and examined the parchment closely.

"Hmmm," he said pensively. "It is as I expected. Severus, Alastor, and Remus, come and look. Tell me what you make of this."

Snape, Moody, and Lupin began to study the scroll.

"It is a map!" exclaimed Moody.

"Obviously," sneered Snape. "I seem to recall that you had some past experience with hidden maps, Lupin. I find it rather odd that you couldn't make it work. You're been trying for what? Months now? It seems reputation isn't everything."

"As I've said before, I'm not that familiar with Goblin spells," Lupin replied, wrinkling his brow and studying the map.

"Not just any Goblin charms either. Very rare and ancient ones," Dumbledore rejoined with a twinkle in his eyes.

"But what is it a map of? A vault in the catacombs?" Moody conjectured.

"I don't believe so," replied Lupin, concentrating hard. "Look at these markings here. I've seen these somewhere before." He put his finger to his lips and appeared deep in thought. Then after a moment, he replied, "Of course. These were the markings on the door of the vault at Gringotts. This is a map of vault seven hundred nineteen."

"Precisely," said Dumbledore with a smile. "And what else do you see on the map?"

All three men bent down over the parchment once more.

"There appears to be a hidden compartment in the corner of the vault," drawled Snape.

"These markings here, do you know what they mean?" Lupin asked Dumbledore, pointing to the writing on the border of the map.

Dumbledore leaned forward and examined the parchment over his spectacles. "It appears to be an ancient Goblin text. The translation, although imprecise, goes something like this, 'You will find what you seek, if you heed the signs and call Monguk.'"

Angela gasped. "Those were the exact words of Snogblod's warning."

A look of comprehension crossed Snape's face. He smiled most disagreeably. "It appears that you two retrieved the wrong map. The real map is still in the vault," Snape simpered, eyeing Moody and Lupin with contempt.

"Unfortunately, that is the case," said Dumbledore. "It explains a lot. This scroll is merely a pointer to the real map. Voldemort must know or at least suspect that we do not have it. That is why his Death Eaters have been watching Gringotts, seeking opportunity to enter and fetch the true map themselves."

"So that's what they were up to on Halloween night," exclaimed Lupin.

"Yes, I believe so," answered Dumbledore. "And that is why we must return to that vault and recover the map as soon as possible. We have one advantage in that we now know its exact location."

"But how are we supposed to get back into the vault without Snogblod's letter of permission? You can't just go breaking into Gringotts. There are too many protections," protested Moody.

"Perhaps you could obtain another letter from Snogblod," mocked Snape.

"I'm afraid that would be impossible," Dumbledore replied sadly. "You see, Snogblod is dead, murdered. His body was recovered yesterday in an alley behind the bank."

"Without his letter, how will we get in?" said Tonks.

Molly jumped to her feet. "But we do have his letter! I'm sure that I saw it when I was cleaning in here last week...Now, where did I put that? It's an old bit of parchment, isn't it?"

She ran over to the corner and started rummaging through the pile of scrolls. At last, she pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from the bottom of the pile.

"Here it is!" she yelled in triumph.

"Molly, you are a treasure," Dumbledore said, smiling.

"Oh, nonsense!" she replied, blushing.

"Remus, are you feeling well enough to return to service?" Dumbledore asked.

"I am," he replied.

"Good. Then I will need you, Alastor, and any others willing to accompany you on this mission. I warn you that it may be dangerous. Exercise extreme caution."

The rest of the meeting proceeded with the usual business and typical requests for volunteers for patrol duty, but Angela didn't hear any of it. She kept stealing worried glances at Lupin. When the meeting adjourned, she approached Lupin and seized his arm.

"Are you sure that you're feeling up to this?" she asked.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," he replied bracingly.

Kingsley's deep base voice was heard from across the room. "Hey, Angela, are you ready to go?"

"In five minutes," she replied and turned back toward Lupin.

Lupin instinctively reached out to take her hand, but thinking better of it, stuffed his hands in his pockets. Then he added, "Listen, now that I'm feeling better, we really should resume those dueling lessons. I owe you one on advanced shielding spells. How about a week from Saturday? Say, about two o'clock?"

"That would be lovely!" She forced a smile. She cast a furtive look toward Kingsley, who was growing visibly impatient. "Well, I really should go. Take care of yourself. And please be careful." She flashed him a worried look.

"Good night, Angela."

"Good night, Remus."

Slowly the members left Grimmauld Place, leaving only Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Molly and Arthur Weasley in the kitchen.

"Angela's not staying tonight?" inquired Molly.

"No, she's on patrol duty with Kingsley," he replied hollowly.

"Kingsley," echoed Moody. His eyebrows arched. "And you're ok with that?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Lupin replied, feigning indifference.

"Oh, come off it! I've seen the way you look at each other. I don't need my magical eye to know that something's going on between you two," Moody retorted.

"It's obvious to everyone," Tonks added. "Angela could hardly keep her eyes off of you all night."

"Well, there's nothing going on between us," Lupin insisted.

"It's a shame. She's such a nice girl," Molly encouraged.

"And she's an excellent cook too," confided Arthur. Then, catching a glimpse of his wife's frown, he quickly added, "but not as good as my Molly."

"She has quite a fine figure." Moody chortled.

"I don't know how you'd know that considering the baggy clothes that she usually wears," Tonks replied with a disapproving glare.

Moody didn't answer her, but turned back toward Lupin. "So have you snogged her yet?"

"What?"

"He means have you kissed her yet," Tonks offered.

"I know what he means. I just don't think that's any of his business." Lupin was rising to his feet.

Moody continued. "Well, you can be sure that Kingsley's been thinking about snogging her. And if I were younger, I'd be snogging her too and doing more than that if she'd let me."

Lupin was angry now. "Don't talk about her like that! She's a lady!"

Moody laughed triumphantly. "Ha! So you do love her!"

"No, I don't...I..." The anger drained from Lupin's face. He sank into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. His voice softened. "Of course, I love her. I think about her all the time...the way her hair smells...the way she moves. She's intoxicating! I've never been so happy or so miserable in all my life."

Moody let out a low whistle. "Mate, you've got it bad."

"If you love her and she obviously loves you, then what's the problem?" interjected Arthur.

Lupin rose to his feet and paced to the fireplace. He ran his hand through his hair. He turned to face the others. "I'll tell you what the problem is. Look at me! I'm a werewolf! What if I hurt her? And the wizard community has shunned me for most of my life. How could I subject her to that? Thanks to those anti-werewolf laws, I can't even find work to support myself, let alone a wife." He paced back to his seat and sat down, burying his head in his hands. "To give in to my feelings now would be irresponsible."

"But doesn't she know that you're a werewolf?" prodded Molly gently.

"Yes, I told her months ago," Lupin replied.

"Then she must already know all this," Molly encouraged, "and yet she still loves you."

"You don't understand. I've been through this before. It's hopeless!" he said miserably.

"Wait a minute, Mate! You had a girl before and you never told me?" Moody pried.

"Yes," Lupin replied, glaring at Moody.

Moody whistled again. "So it's once bitten, twice shy, is it? She must have been something!"

"She was. Sandra was beautiful." He smiled wanly at the memory of her. "We met the summer before I started teaching at Hogwarts. We corresponded by letters all that year. When I left Hogwarts, I went to be with her. Things became serious and we planned to marry. But then it began to happen. The whispers. The disapproving looks when we passed. Her friends avoided her. She began to have doubts. The final straw happened one night, when she saw me transform. She couldn't handle it. And she walked out on me," Lupin said with a wounded look. He dropped his head and just stared down at the floor.

Molly put a comforting hand on Lupin's shoulder. "Maybe things will be different this time, dear."

Lupin shook his head. "Angela's better off without me."

"And you think you'd be better off without her?" Moody asked, gripping Lupin's shoulder bracingly.

"No, of course not."

Then Arthur ventured, "Sirius would have counseled you to pursue Angela."

"I'm sure he would," answered Lupin. "He always was rather reckless."

"Yes, he was," Moody chortled. "Sirius would have snogged her himself long before now. And Angela would have clocked him with those Muggle moves of hers."

Moody chuckled. Tonks laughed too. Even Lupin had to smile.

Moody continued, "As I recall, Sirius wasn't the only reckless one in your gang. I've never known you to back away from a challenge. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say."

"I have to agree," said Molly. "And you really should talk with Angela. If you ever hope to have a relationship with her, you're going to have to discuss these things. See what she has to say. And if you want dinner before midnight, I'm going to need a hand."

Molly moved off into the pantry. Tonks followed her. There was a loud crash and Mrs. Weasley's voice was heard above the clanking dishes.

"No, dear, why don't you sit down. I'll get Arthur to help. ARTHUR!"

Arthur leaned forward and whispered, "If you want my advice, I say, go ahead and kiss her. And if she kisses you back, it'll be the last decision you'll ever get to make." Then he got up and followed his wife into the pantry with a "Yes, dear."

Dinner was on the table in no time. Between mouthfuls of food, the conversation turned to Dumbledore's news and the upcoming mission. Lupin was strangely silent.

At one point in the discussion, Moody turned to him and said, "So what do you think, Remus?"

"I'm sorry," Lupin replied. "What were you saying?"

Moody chuckled. "Mate, I hope you're going to be more attentive during this mission."