Monicola’s face remained straight. She would not look at Lupin. She could not look at Lupin or she would risk getting a detention.
“Ms. Hardcrow, what is wrong with your face?” asked Professor Benton with a tone that clearly stated he did not really want to know.
Monicola shook her head. “Nothing, sir, it’s just a bit of a stomach ache.” Okay, so her face wasn’t completely straight but at least no one could tell she was bursting to laugh as hard as she could.
“Lupin, I hate you right now!” she hissed as soon as Benton’s back was turned.
He shrugged. “All the better reason for me to do this…” and he blew out his cheeks and stuck his tongue out, resembling a roasted pig. Monicola snorted so hard she had to cover her nose to make sure nothing was blown out.
The moment class ended, Monicola ran from the room, and a shriek of laughter burst from her lips as soon as she reached the corridor. She got many worried looks from passing students and ghosts.
“Why were you doing that?” she asked Lupin when he joined her, laughing just as hard.
He shrugged. “You’ve been looking tense lately so I wanted to loosen you up.”
“It’s Binns,” she groaned irritably. “All class long he’s staring at me like I destroyed Christmas!”
“Would you like me to deal with it?”
“What are you going to do,” she said, raising an eyebrow, “kill him?”
“No, this…” and he started poking her gently in the sides.
Monicola shrieked again. “This is not helping the problem!” she gasped, trying to get away.
“No, but it’s making a hell of a new one,” and he continued to tickle her all the way down to the Great Hall.
“Oh, dear lord!” Sirius cried when he saw Lupin and Monicola running into the Great Hall, laughing uncontrollably. “Look at them!”
“Padfoot would you give it rest?” James said exasperatedly. “If you don’t like it, why don’t you trying chumming up to her? You’re doing no good just sitting hear and fuming!”
Peter mumbled, “I don’t think he should.”
“Why not?”
“Sirius, you don’t hold a card to Lupin when it comes to charm.”
This, needless to say this did not improve Sirius’ mood. They watched Lupin ask Monicola something, seeing her nod approvingly. He then came toward them, looking pleased about something.
“What’s got you all smirking?” asked James.
“Nothing,” Lupin said hurriedly, wiping the grin from his face. He started piling food on his plate but Peter pulled it away.
“What did you ask her?”
“It was nothing serious, really,” he said quietly. “I just asked her to go to Hogsmeade with me.”
Sirius suddenly stopped chewing. “Why the hell would you do something like that?”
“She’s never seen it before so I offered to give her a tour.”
“You sure do offer a lot of things, Moony. Assisting her with homework, giving her a shoulder to cry on…”
Lupin frowned. “When did I ―”
“I saw you, cuddling in the corner when Binns thought she killed him,” Sirius spat, standing up now. “It seems to me that you’re acting a lot more than friends.”
“So what if we are?” said Lupin, standing up as well. “It’s none of your business what we do together!”
Sirius’ eyes squinted. “What have you done together?”
“Do you not get the meaning of ‘None of your business’?”
“Is there a problem?” asked a crisp voice. Professor McGonagall was standing just behind Lupin, looking ready to distribute detentions.
“No, ma’am,” Lupin and Sirius said together and they sat down, not looking at one another the entire lunch.
***
“What was the argument about yesterday?” asked Monicola as she and Lupin trudged in the snow toward Hogsmeade.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” he said aggressively.
Monicola rolled her eyes. “If it had anything to do with me, just say it!”
“Look, don’t try to ―”
She took his chin in her thumb and index finger, making it almost impossible for him to speak.
“Listen to me,” she said slowly. “Just tell Sirius there is nothing between us, and there will never be anything between me and him besides a yard or two. Alright?”
Lupin nodded, pushing her hand away. This didn’t make him feel any better. He had feelings for her and wanted something other than a few laughs with her. It was quite clear that she wanted to stay friends.
Monicola dragged him to almost every store, pressing her face in the windows and buying at least one thing from each of shop. One of their last stops was the Three Broomsticks. They went inside the warm inn and sat at a table in the back.
“What can I get you?” asked a young woman in sparkling blue heels.
Lupin turned to Monicola. “What do you want?” Monicola shrugged.
“Surprise us!” she said excitedly.
“A surprise you shall get,” said the woman and she went back to the counter. A few minutes later she brought back two tall glasses of a foamy, amber liquid.
“What is it?” asked Lupin nervously.
“It’s a surprise.” She winked and walked away.
“Cheers,” Monicola said, holding up her glass.
“Here, here,” replied Lupin and they both drank deeply.
They finished their drinks and asked for another round and then another when they were done with the second. After her fourth glass, Monicola’s speech got worse and was hiccupping occasionally.
“We can’ ― hic! ― go back to the castle drunk like this,” she said, attempting to stand up but falling right back in her seat.
“We? I’m not drunk.” Lupin stood up and found that the room was spinning. “Okay, so maybe I am, but I can’t let anyone see me like this. I’m a prefect, did you know?”
“Fine.” Monicola stood up, balanced herself and took his hand. “We’ll have ― hic! ― to w-walk it off.”
They wobbled to the door and outside where most of the students were heading back to Hogwarts.
“This way,” said Lupin, pointing down the rode. “I want to show you something.”
They reached the Shrieking Shack and sat in the cold snow, Monicola still hiccupping.
“Why d’you ― hic! ― bring us here?”
“Promise to keep a secret?” asked Lupin, leaning closer to her. Monicola nodded. “I’m a werewolf.”
“Wow!” Monicola cried. “That’s ― hic! ― amazing!”
Lupin sighed. “Yes I know. This is where I come every full moon, so I don’t hurt anyone.” He pointed to the rickety building with pride.
“Cool…hic!”
“That’s why we can’t be together,” he continued, gaining a sad tone. “Werewolves and vampires, they don’t mix.”
“Who says we have to ― hic! ― mix?” she said worriedly.
“We just can’t be together.”
“Oh.”
He sighed again. “We better get going.” He took her hand and lifted her to her feet. They walked back to the castle and collapsed in the squashy chairs in front of the fire in the common room.
“That was fun, Lupin, thank you,” said Monicola sincerely.
“You’re quite welcome.”
She leaded over and kissed him on the cheek and then fell asleep on his shoulder, snoring loudly.
Something very hard hit Lupin across the face.
“What happened!” he cried, jumping up. The room spun again but the spinning came with a throbbing, incredible pain in his temples. “Ow! What the hell happened to me?”
Someone laughed so hard they started choking. “You were pissed beyond all recognition, mate!” they gasped. “You look terrible!”
“Thank you, Prongs,” Lupin mumbled, sitting back down, massaging his head. “That makes me feel so much better.” He looked around. Monicola was gone.
“She’s in bed,” said Sirius, answering his question before he could ask it. “I think she sleepwalked all the way up the stairs.”
“Yeah, she was mumbling about the Shrieking Shack as well,” offered Peter.
“Oh, damn it!” said Lupin, suddenly realizing what he told Monicola.
“Watch your damn mouth; there’re first years around,” snapped James, still sniggering.
“I told her about my ‘furry little problem’!”
They all went silent. Peter was the first to speak.
“Why the hell would you do that?” he asked incredulously.
“I was drunk, idiot, I wasn’t entirely aware of my actions you know!”
***
The next day, Lupin’s head was still pounding but he ignored it and searched for Monicola. She was in the library, using an open book as a pillow at one of the tables. He touched her lightly on the arm. She lifted her head but a page was stuck to her face.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked hurriedly, sitting down across from her.
“Shh!” she hissed, pulling the page off her face. “My head is killing me; please speak softer!”
“Sorry, I just have to talk to you about what I said at the Shrieking Shack.”
“The who?”
“The Shrieking Shack. Remember? We were sitting on the ground…you kept hiccupping…”
“Oh, yea!” she said. “Okay, go on.”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
She nodded. “I do, and I swear I won’t tell anyone. You keep my secret, I’ll keep yours.”
“Good.”
“Lupin, what about the other thing you said?” she asked slowly.
“Huh?”
“You said that we could never be together because we we’re a werewolf and a vampire. That gave me the idea that you wanted to be together…”
“Oh, I “ I “ I didn’t mean anything ― it was just the ―”
“Lupin, you’re not making any sense.”
“I was drunk Monicola…I―I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Oh, alright,” she said expressionlessly.
Lupin swallowed and said, “So you won’t say a word?”
“No, Lupin! Who would I tell?”