Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 44 - First Day Jitters

"Neville, I'm really sorry, but I don't have an extra telescope for you to borrow."

The first day of classes went by about as normally as they could have. In fact, it had been so normal that Selene could have forgotten about much of the chaos that was going on around her – that Umbridge was lurking around Hogwarts, that Voldemort had returned, that her godson was being treated like a basket case. Yes, Selene could almost go back to enjoying teaching again.

Of course, nothing lasts forever.

"T-That's alright, Professor," Neville said disappointedly. The poor boy had forgotten his own at home, meaning that he had no way of stargazing with the rest of the class. "I'll figure it out."

Selene smiled at him pityingly. "I'll keep a look out for one anyways, but you may have to owl your grandmother to tell her to send yours along."

Neville groaned. "I had kinda wanted to avoid that."

"Sorry, Neville," Selene said, hiding a chuckle.

"Thanks anyways, Professor," the anxious-faced boy said, turning to trudge out of the classroom.

Selene waited for Neville to be completely clear of her classroom before she stepped out herself, wandering aimlessly down the many stairs of the Astronomy tower to the main floor of Hogwarts. Students were milling about, some chatting with friends in the corridors, others making their way to class. A couple were playing Exploding Snap in the entryway, but ceased to do so at the sight of Selene walking past them. She pretended not to notice them. She didn't feel like dealing with it.

Selene really wasn't heading in any particular direction, so she was surprised when her feet somehow led her outside of McGonagall's office.

"Selene?"

The door was ajar, and Professor McGonagall was just inside, poring over a sheet of parchment on her desk, her glasses perched on the edge of her nose precariously.

"Hi, Prof – Minerva," Selene said, hesitating. "Before you ask, I really don't know what I'm doing here."

McGonagall regarded her for a moment, before gently taking her glasses off and setting them on her desk, beckoning Selene to come inside and take a seat in a chair across from her.

"How has your first day of classes been so far?" McGonagall asked, waving her wand in the air and conjuring a steaming tea kettle and a couple of teacups to set themselves before the two women.

Selene didn't have the heart to tell her she didn't particularly like tea.

"They've been fine," Selene said, taking a cup just to feel the warmth in her hands. "Perfectly normal, in fact." She wavered for a moment between being polite and being honest. She chose the latter. "When exactly did 'normal' become so... unusual?"

To Selene's surprise, McGonagall chuckled. "Do you truly consider the times we are currently living in to be 'normal'?"

"No, I suppose not," said Selene ruefully. "Honestly, I just expected the Umbridge woman to burst into my classroom shouting about my inadequacies before having me arrested for harboring my husband from the Ministry."

McGonagall raised a severe eyebrow. "Ah. I was wondering when we'd breach the subject of the Pink Terror."

"The Toad-Woman?" Selene said, with a broad smirk. "Minerva, how long are we going to have to put up with her?"

"The length of the school year, I expect," McGonagall said dryly. "Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professors typically manage at least that long."

Selene's smile began to fade from her face, and she wrung her hands. "If she stays the whole year, I don't think that I will be expected to."