What Was Foreseen...

CHAPTER 2

Sibyll couldn't ever remember encountering anything such as this. For the first time in her life, she couldn't turn to her crystal ball for answers. She couldn't gaze into the milky orb and peer into what was to be regarding her current situation. She felt so utterly helpless and ...normal. It was a scary feeling, really. Sibyll never knew what it felt like to be a normal woman with normal feelings, going through the same things other people dealt with. She wasn't sure she liked the feeling -- no, not at all.

As she prepared the next morning for her classes, she wondered how in the world she was going to approach Remus Lupin and make him understand. What Sibyll felt wasn't normal, though. She knew just by seeing the man face to face that she was right and that they were meant for each other. What wouldn't leave her alone was the look in his eyes. He held a mystery behind those eyes, a secret of some sort, and she knew that it was a secret that they were meant to share together. His eyes were lonely, she was sure of it, and she was the one to break through that rough exterior to the demons that lurked inside.

That day, she spent more time out of the North Tower than she had ever done in the past. She meandered through the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lupin and the mystery that shrouded him everytime he came near, drawing her into some sort of trap. As the day faded, she considered dining yet again in the Great Hall. Could she risk the ridicule? She knew Minerva would be suspicious that something was happening; only something special could induce Sibyll's dining in the Great Hall. Yet, Sibyll knew that Remus was worth the pain of Minerva's taunting.

Sibyll returned to her classroom to prepare for dinner that evening. Apparently her handsome stranger did not appreciate the rich green and pearl colors she wore the night before, so something different must be done to appease his tastes. If only she knew what those tastes were...she would crystal gaze again before dressing. The difficult part was clearing her mind; her inner eye was clouded with thoughts of the handsome Professor Lupin. After fifteen futile minutes of attempting to crystal gaze, Sibyll decided that she would try baby blue and pink tonight.

She pulled her hair back with a large piece of pink ribbon, into an unruly ponytail at the base of her neck. Then, Sibyll removed her pearl-framed glasses and placed her pink ones upon her face. The finishing touch was a set of baby blue dress robes. They were dressy, to be sure; however, these robes did not afford the extravagance of lace and frills, only billowing satin layers. As Sibyll peered at her reflection in the mirror, she was certain that Professor Lupin would not neglect to notice her this evening.

She carefully made her way down to the Great Hall, and bumped into Headmaster Dumbledore before she realized that she hadn't bothered to put on a pair of shoes. Luckily, her robes were long enough that they hid her bare feet. "You are blessing us with your company for a second night, Sibyll? To what do we owe this occasion? Does it have something to do with a new addition to our staff room?" Dumbledore's eyes smiled as he whispered this to the uncomfortably shy Divination professor. "I will see what I can do about seating arrangements, Sibyll. I'm glad to see you venturing out of your tower at last."

As Sibyll walked into the Great Hall, she realized that Albus Dumbledore was good for his word. The seating had been arranged so that she was seated to the left of Professor Dumbledore (and the Headmaster was directly between Minerva and Sibyll, which was a great blessing), and to the right of Professor Lupin. Sibyll took her seat, and watched as the students and professors entered the Great Hall. Suddenly, like a brick, a disturbing thought hit her: what would she talk about with this man whom she had met only once before, whom she had seen in her crystal ball, whom she had been dreaming about for weeks. The only safe topic she knew was in her area of expertise: the weather and astrology.

Confident, Sibyll waited for Remus Lupin to be seated next to her. She smiled at him as he took his seat, and he returned her smile; however, the dark mystery remained as his lips parted to greet her with a simple hello. Stunned at the sound of his voice and the sight of his soft lips parting ways to allow air to pass, Sibyll was sure she was going to faint. She stopped to take a drink of water, then turned to Remus and said, "The weather is lovely tonight. It is perfect weather for stargazing. In fact, there will be a beautiful full moon in a week or two that I am most anxious to see..."

In an unexpected rush, Remus turned toward Sibyll, looked past her, and gave Professor Dumbledore his apologies. Remus wasn't feeling well, and was off to rest before the next days classes. Sibyll, however, was not going to see this as a moment of defeat. Her inner eye could not possibly be mistaken, and she'd have another opportunity to speak with Remus. Maybe she should take a little time for research for an appropriate topic, since astrology and divination seemed to bother him so...