Chapter Text
"Know, I shouln' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," Hagrid said as he joined Harry, Ron, Hermione and Grace by the Black Lake the next afternoon. It was the last Hogsmeade trip of the year, but the four of them didn't feel like going, instead Harry, Ron and Hermione joined Grace at her favorite spot by the Black Lake. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an everythin' – but guess what?"
"What?" they asked, pretending to be curious for Hagrid's sake.
"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"
"Oh, Hagrid's that's wonderful!" Hermione smiled. Grace elbowed Ron in the ribs, giving him a look to shut up as he was close to laughing.
"Yeah... can't've tied him properly," Hagrid told them happily, looking around the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds," Grace's eyes widened, remembering last night, "but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."
"What?" Harry asked quickly.
"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" Hagrid asked, his smile fading. "Well, I know that yer know, Gracie, but er – Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin' ... thought everyone'd know by now. Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see," Grace's heart fell and she felt sick. She knew immediately what was happening. She stood up from the floor and ran to the castle, not bothering to listen to Hagrid finish.
Grace pushed pass the younger students as she made her way to Remus' office. "MOVE!" She shouted, pushing a group of older students who stayed behind out of the way. She swung the door opened so hard, it banged on the wall behind it and she ran up to his office. Grace stood there in his doorway, shaking her head as she watched him pack.
"Hello, Gracie," he greeted, his back to her.
"No," she shook her head. "You can't be leaving!"
"I'm afraid so," he sighed.
"It's not fair!" she shook her head, feeling the tears sting her eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong!"
"I forgot my potion, last night, Grace," Remus sighed as he placed some books in his trunk. "I don't even want to think about what –" he paused, looking at her, then he noticed the bandage around her left wrist, and he paled. Grace frowned and looked down, then started shaking her head.
"This wasn't you! I promise, Remus! I tripped last night and I fell on my wrist funny," she told him, but Remus shook his head.
"It shouldn't have happened at all," he sighed. "I could've hurt you, or worse..."
"Would it be so bad if I was a werewolf too?" she asked in a small voice, and Remus dropped the book he was holding, and glared at her.
"Don't even suggest it Gracia Venus Black-"
"But-"
"No!" He snapped. "I would rather die, than have you experience the life of a monster-"
"You're not a monster!" she told him, glaring at him. "You, Remus John Lupin, are not a monster!"
"But I turn into one," he reminded her sadly. He took a deep breath as he looked at her. That determined look in her grey eyes reminded him of the same one Sirius had when they were younger, when he told Remus the same thing.
"I told you once and I'll tell you again," Grace started, "I wouldn't care if I was a werewolf, because then you won't have to go through the full moons alone."
"And I will remind you, little niffler," Remus started softly, with a small smile, "that the sentiment, and having you waiting for me in the morning is all that I need to get through the night."
"I don't want you to leave," she said sadly, walking to him.
"I know," he sighed.
Grace wrapped her arms around him and hid her face in his chest, he smiled and returned her hug. "You're our best Defense teacher," she mumbled. Remus didn't say anything in return, he simply held her, resting his chin on the top of her head.
"You're acting as if you won't see me in two weeks," he teased lightly, pulling away, and she rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of which..." she started sheepishly, and he narrowed his eyes at her before returning to his packing. "You may have a visitor waiting for you when you get home..."
Remus was about to ask what she meant when saw a name enter the room on the map. "Hello, Harry," he greeted, placing something in his trunk. Grace turned around and saw Harry leaning against the doorway. "I saw you coming," he added with a smile, and pointed to the map that was open on his desk.
"Hagrid said you've resigned," Harry said, watching Remus pack. "It's not true is it?"
"I'm afraid it is," Remus sighed as he opened up his desk drawers.
"But why?" Harry asked. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?" Grace pulled Harry away from the door, and Remus pointed his wand to the door, and it closed.
"No," he shook his head. "Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives," he started. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard," Grace scoffed as she started helping Remus pack his things. "So he...accidentally let it slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."
"Git," Grace hissed.
"You're not leaving just because of that!" Harry protested.
"By this time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents and they will not want..." Remus smiled ruefully. "Well, they won't want someone like me teaching their children, Harry."
"Bunch of hogswallow. They're all a bunch of ignorant bints who know nothing," Grace hissed.
"And after last night," Remus continued, giving Grace a pointed look. "I see their point. I could've bitten you, or Grace and that must never happen again."
"It was one slip-" Grace started.
"And it only takes one slip," he sighed. "Grace, I could've bitten you, or worse... if something happened to you I would never forgive myself."
"But you're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry told him, and Grace nodded in agreement as she folded one of Remus' jumpers. "Don't go!"
Remus let out a sigh and shook his head as he continued to empty his desk drawers. Grace placed his jumper in his trunk and started folding another, she didn't want him to go more than anyone else in the school but she understood where he was coming from. She just hated that it came to this...
"From what the headmaster told me this morning, you all saved a lot of lives last night," Remus started. "If I'm proud of anything, Harry, it's how much you've learned. Tell me about your patronus."
"How d'you know about that?"
"What else could've driven the dementors back?" he asked, a proud smile on his face. That was when Harry told Remus what happened, and Grace sighed sadly as she noticed that everything was almost packed.
"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," Remus said. "You guessed right... that's why we called him Prongs."
"I thought you all meant a giant shrimp," Grace muttered, making Remus laugh.
"You might need your hearing checked, Grace," Harry teased and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Prongs, Prawns... it's easy to get them mixed up," she shrugged.
"As I am no longer your teacher, I don't feel guilty about giving this back to you," he said, pointing to the map. "It's no use to me, and I daresay, you four will find uses for it," Remus pointed to the map and said: "Mischief Managed," and the ink faded and the map folded up. Harry grinned as he took the map from Remus' desk.
"You told us that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would've wanted to lure us out of the castle... you said they'd have thought it was funny..."
"And so we would have," Remus answered, leaning down to close his trunk. "I have no hesitation in saying that James and Sirius would have been highly disappointed if their children had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle," he teased, giving them both a small smile.
There was a knock on the door, and Harry quickly stuffed the map into his pocket as the door opened. Professor Dumbledore walked in, not surprised to see Harry and Grace there, and he smiled at Remus. "Your carriage is at the gate, Remus."
"Thank you, headmaster," Remus nodded as he grabbed his suit case and took his cane, a beautifully carved one that Grace had picked out for him a few years ago for his birthday. "Well, good bye, Harry," Remus smiled at Harry. "It's been a real pleasure teaching you. I know we'll see each other quite soon if Gracie has anything to do with it," he teased lightly. "Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage," he assured Dumbledore, who nodded. Remus turned, giving Harry and Grace one more smile before leaving.
Grace sighed sadly as she leaned against Remus' old desk, and Harry sat in the chair. She knew she would see Remus over the summer, but she liked having him at school, and she regrets not spending more time with him when she could have.
"Why so miserable, Harry? Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked them quietly. "You should be very proud of yourselves after last night."
"It didn't make any difference," Harry replied bitterly. "Pettigrew still got away."
"And Dad is still seen as a criminal," Grace added.
"Didn't make any difference?" Dumbledore questioned quietly, shaking his head. "It made all the difference in the world! You two helped uncover the truth, a broken family has now been brought back together, and an innocent man has been spared from a terrible fate," he told them.
Grace shrugged. She knew he was right; the learned the truth and her dad is alive, but it still didn't sit well with her. She still felt like she could've done more, that she should've done more to make sure Pettigrew didn't get away. Grace pushed herself from the desk and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I'm going to go find Neville," she muttered, then slipped behind Dumbledore.
"Miss Black," Dumbledore called for her, and she turned to look at him. "I know it must not seem like it at present. However, you knowing the truth was a greater, heavier shadow being lifted than that of what exoneration would be." Grace only stared at the headmaster and nodded numbly before leaving.