I DESERVE BETTER THAN THAT.

"LOVE, if you keep pacing, you're going to wear through the floorboards," Sirius said, watching Danica as she anxiously walked the length of the Shrieking Shack again and again.

Danica took in a deep breath and came to a stop right in front of him. Sirius was sitting on the edge of the bed that was still broken, his back against the headboard.

"I think... Rem is onto us," she mumbled. "I - I don't know how. But he was asking me about you. Acting like he knew I knew you."

Sirius' forehead creased with worry as he slid off the bed. "What was happening? What'd you do that could give it away?"

"I don't know what I did," she said, leaning her head back to look at the ceiling. "We were just working on the Patronus Charm. Everything was fine until then. He was he normal-ignoring-me self."

"Hold on," Sirius said, getting an idea. The corners of his mouth turned up. "What animal did your Patronus take the shape of?"

"Well, it was two. A wolf and a dog. The dog looked just like you, actually."

She didn't understand why Sirius was grinning so brightly all of the sudden. Or why he looked so damn smug. He came closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You so love me," he said teasingly.

"Well, yes, but get over yourself," Danica scoffed. "What's the form your Patronus mean?"

"Most Patronus' are a reflection of a persons innermost qualities. But a Patronus can also reflect the falling into eternal, unchanging love for someone," he revealed, still grinning charmingly. "And you, my sweet girl, must dearly love me and Moony."

Danica couldn't help but blush at the realization. Sure, she'd told Sirius that she loved him, but to know it ran so deep that it affected her Patronus was eye opening.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed," he cooed, cupping her cheek. "Want me to make you feel better?"

With his free hand, he waved his wand and conjured his own Patronus. Danica watched with wide eyes as two creatures sprung from his wand. One was a giant wolf, it matching hers exactly.

The other was a small, fluffy kitten — not even a full grown cat.

"Must be what your Animagus would be," Sirius said, his lips brushing her ear from behind. "Looks like a Ragdoll. Something tells me Moony's would be the same. As for the dog, he's always had that."

For just a moment, she watched in awe as the wolf chased the cat around the room, finally catching it and playfully pushing it onto its back.

"What's that mean?" Danica asked in a quiet voice.

"I means," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "That the three of us were made for each other — no matter how stupid Rem is. And that you'll never get rid of me."

She smiled and covered his arms with her own. "I'd never want to."

☽︎

Both Danica and Remus acted as if nothing had happened during their private lessons. Dan made sure not to let on that she now knew what the meaning of her Patronuses were. And Remus acted as if when he privately cast his own, he didn't have an additional cat bounding along beside a silvery dog. And he never once again accused her of consorting with Sirius Black, too afraid to offend her again.

Besides, as the end of the term grew nearer, so did the NEWTS, which Danica was woefully unprepared for. There wasn't any time in their private lessons for awkward moments and uncomfortable discussions, because Remus was as determined as ever to see her graduate.

As of now, they were practicing nonverbal Bombarda Maxima, as she'd finally perfected the verbal form. Professor Lupin had various targets scattered around the room, and right now, she was aiming at a barrel.

"I know you can do it," Remus was saying from his position behind her. "You almost had it last time."

Danica rolled her eyes. The barrel had shook halfheartedly, not blown up as she wanted.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," he said, narrowing his own at her. "You can do this, Danica. Just concentrate and be more precise with your movements."

But it was so hard to concentrate with him standing right behind him, his hands on her hips as he guided her to the correct stance. But she pushed her lust to the back of her mind and glared at the barrel, picturing someone she hated. She was picturing Pettigrew — well, Scabbers, as she didn't know what Peter really looked like.

Without opening her mouth, she moved her wand and thrust it forward, thinking hard on the spell. And a second later, the barrel exploded.

Well, more like it splintered and fell apart, but it was something.

Danica perked up. "I did it!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Remus said, hugging her from behind, picking her up off the ground a bit.

She giggled as he twirled her around before setting her down. Danica smiled brightly up at him, getting lost in his beautiful eyes for just a moment.

"Thank you, Professor," she murmured, seeing how his eyes fell on her lips.

"I knew you could do it, Sweetheart," he said softly.

Danica practically melted at the term of endearment, missing when he'd call her that. Then she noticed that her hands were still flat against his chest and his were on her waist.

The tension between them was palpable, and Remus found himself leaning in. But Danica closed her eyes and turned her cheek, making him frown.

"I can't let you kiss me if you're just going to go cold again," she murmured, stepping out of his hold. "I deserve better than that."

"You do," he said, feeling ashamed. But his patronus has changed everything in his mind. Then Remus reached for her wrist and pulled her close once again. "Let me do better."

Then he pulled her into a gentle kiss, and it took her breath away. And Danica melted into him, feeling the warmth radiating off him as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Remus poured as much emotion as he could into the kiss, trying to convey that he wasn't going to push her away again. He was done denying himself the love he so craved from her, especially when he knew he couldn't ever stand to love Sirius Black again.

Danica whimpered as he nipped at her bottom lip before sliding his tongue deeper into her mouth. She slid her hands along his lean waist, seeking out the hem of his button down shirt, which she began untucking from his trousers so that she could really feel his skin.

He sighed into her mouth when she traced along his torso. But then Remus grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands back before pushing her back against his desk, letting her slide on top of it. He stepped between her legs, hiking her school skirt up around her hips.

"Rem," she breathed out as he began kissing her neck. She couldn't help but let the nickname she only used around Sirius when speaking of the man. "Need you."

"You've got me. All of me," he promised before licking from the collar of her school shirt up to her ear, making her tremble. "I promise."

"No," she said, sliding her hand down between them, seeking out the slowly hardening bulge in his pants. "I need you."

He groaned and rested his forehead against her shoulder, rutting into her hand. "I have a class in five minutes."

"Cancel it," she said, pulling him back into a kiss.

Remus laughed at that and shook his head. "You are one bad influence, Sweetheart."

"Only because I can't get enough of you, Professor," she said, toying with his tie. "Not when I finally have you."

He rolled his head back and groaned, debating on if he really wanted to cancel class. But he could hear Snape learning of it and questioning him about it, especially when he missed class so much already around full moons.

"I can't," he decided before sweetly pecking her lips. Then he kissed her quickly again and again, making her giggle. "Go before I give my sixth years a show—"

"Merlin!"

At the sound of Percy's shocked voice, Danica and Remus parted like they'd been burned, looking at the open door in horror.

"Perce," Danica murmured while sliding of the desk. "It's not..."

But Percy's face was growing redder by the second with fury. And he raised his wand to attack Professor Lupin, only for Remus to silently disarm him.

"You can't attack a teacher!" Danica exclaimed.

Her brother cut his wide eyes to her. "Says the one that was - that was — I must tell the headmaster."

"You can't!" she said, rushing to his side.

Remus was no help, looking shamefully at the ground and prepared to lose the only good job he'd ever have. Besides, Percy was Danica's brother, and only she could fix this.

Danica desperately grabbed Percy's hands, staring at him with tear-filled eyes — she was terrified. Of losing Remus. Of being expelled. Of her brother hating her.

"Percy, it - we were just—"

"You were fornicating with a professor!" he hissed.

"Oh, don't call it fornicating," she scoffed, shaking her head. Then she sighed heavily.

"Mr. Weasley—"

"I don't want to hear a word from you," Percy spat, glaring at Remus. "And here I thought your were a good, upstanding teacher. You're abusing your power to seduce students—"

"He didn't seduce me," Dan cut him off. "We - we met before. That night Mum got onto me for sneaking out at the Leaky Cauldron. He didn't know I was going to be his student."

Percy blinked at her in disbelief as she kept going.

"And, he hadn't abused his power. He's spent all year pushing me away, truly. But - but the term is so close to being over, Perce. Just please, don't tell anyone. Don't tell Dumbledore. Remus would get fired."

"Professor Lupin deserves to get fired," he said stiffly. "You are too blinded to see that he is taking advantage of you."

Tears slipped down Danica's cheeks. "Percy, please—"

"No, Danica," he said, ripping his arm from her hand as he turned to leave. "It is my duty as Head B—"

Danica didn't know what came over her as she pointed her wand at her brother. And she hardly realized she was saying the incantation for the memory charm they'd learned in their second year. But Percy froze, his eyes glazing over as she tore the memory of him walking in on them from his brain.

"Danica!" Remus exclaimed while rushing over, unable to believe she'd done that. "What've you done? If it's not performed properly, you could—"

But the spell was over and there was nothing he could do. Danica wiped the tears off her face after lowering her wand.

"Professor Flitwick worked on it with me when I repeated third year," she mumbled, keeping her eyes on Percy, who slowly turned around, that dazed look still in his eyes.

Slowly, he blinked once, twice, a third time before snapping out of it. And then he looked at Danica with a smile. "There you are. Oliver asked me to fetch you. Something about Hogsmeade, but I told him you wouldn't be interested."

Danica scrunched her face up, pretending that everything was normal. "I'll pass unless you're there to keep between us. You know I only like him at parties."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "You and your parties. Anyway, come on. He's with the twins and on the way to the Great Hall. It's almost lunch time."

"Right," she said, her voice uneasy. "Just give me a second to wrap things up with Professor Lupin."

Percy smiled and nodded to Remus before going to wait in the hallway, closing the door behind him. Danica released long breath and turned back to Remus, neither quite knowing what to say yet.

"Perhaps we should lock the door next time," Dan murmured, trying to ease the mood. Then she noticed Remus' distraught face. "Unless you're about to say it can't happen again. And in that case, fuck you."

Already figuring that's where he was going, Danica turned, ready to storm out of the room without even bothering to grab her bag. But Remus caught her waist and pulled her close, her back pressed to his firm chest.

"Though your brother is proof enough of why I've been denying us of this all year, I fear I've truly given up on staying away from you," he said, his lips brushing her ear. She closed her eyes, relishing in his close touch that she so craved. "I'll see you later, Sweetheart. I love you."

She turned on her toes and reached up to kiss him softly while cupping his cheeks. "I love you too, Remmy."

☽︎

Claudia couldn't get a serious sentence out of Danica as they sat in the library, working on Claudia's potions homework. Dan had already finished her. But her mind was far too concerned with thoughts of finally having Remus to herself.

"Spill," Claudia finally gave up, closing her textbook. "Is it the guy from Hogsmeade or Professor Daddy?"

Danica rolled her eyes at the ridiculous nickname. "It's Remus."

She raised an eyebrow. "Not calling him Professor Lupin? We're making progress."

"We're making a lot of progress," she admitted, blushing. But when Claudia began wiggling her eyebrows seductively, suggesting that they'd slept together, Danica swatted her arm. "Not that kind of progress."

"Yet."

She shared an excited smile. "Yet," she repeated, refraining from giggling like she wanted to. "And only because Percy walked in."

Claudia's eyes went wide as saucers. "Shit! He's gonna murder Lupin. And get him fired."

"I may have... used a memory charm on him," she murmured, feeling a bit shameful for having to do it.

"I've no clue why they teach that to us when we're in our second year. It's very irresponsible," Claudia said, shaking her head. "But at least you and Lupin are safe for now."

"I suppose. I do need to thank you, though," Danica said, grabbing her friend's hand. "This thing between me and Remus. It's... it's so big and dangerous. And you've been the best friend in the world for keeping it a secret. I know how much you love gossip."

Claudia squeezed her hand. "You know me. I'll always be in your corner and look out for you. That's what a Hifflepuff's designated Slytherin is for. But if Lupin dare hurts you, I'll end his career."

"Oh, I trust you will."