Floating Candles - Professor Lupin x Reader [Fluff]
Synopsis: You're alone in the Great Hall before the holidays. Your crush joins you, just as lonely and just as melancholy.
Notes: Merry early Christmas everyone. (My queue posted this waaaay too early) Hope it's a great one ❤️💚
You sit alone at the dining table in the Great Hall, listening to the charmed Christmas carols drifting from their magical sources as candles float above you like enchanted stars. It's a beautiful setting, and while you're not technically supposed to be in here outside of dining hours, you had sneaked in to enjoy the quiet ambience, free of any other well meaning, rowdy students excitedly preparing for the approaching holidays. It was times like these that made you miss home, and it hurt your heart even more knowing you couldn't return to visit over the break this year. But Hogwarts was your home, more so than your real one now, and Christmas here on the castle grounds always put you in the spirit.
This morning, Professor Sprout had taught you all how to grow magical mistletoe (the dangerous kind, laced with Amorentia) and Harry and Ron had ended up kissing during a demonstration. That ended as you would expect-- with a lot of chuckles, applause, and lip scrubbing. In potions, Snape had finally conceded to the students begging him to teach the bottomless hot butterbeer spell, which was really quite simple, at the end of the day.
Now full of butterbeer and with love on the mind, you sit.
Defense Against The Dark Arts today had been the only slightly somber class, the day before holidays. Professor Lupin didn't seem right... he seemed almost melancholy, and it made you wonder why. You always thought a lot about the DADA professor; his hands, his scarred face, his little lip twitch, his passion, his playful mischeif. You had a bit of a crush on him. If only you could catch him staring at you as often as you stare at him. You use your wand to bring a couple of the snowflakes from above down lower, watching them fall in front of you and dissolve on your hand, turning to icy ash.
Suddenly, someone comes into the room, spotting you.
"(y/n)?"
You set your wand down, and look over to see Remus. He takes a seat beside you on the bench, facing away from the table.
"Shouldn't you be... off running about with your house mates? Burying gifts and such, casting charms on one another's Christmas trees? Or, if you're the Weasley twins, widdling some poor wizard's tree into a knockoff Nimbus 2000?"
You smile, ducking your head.
"I felt like being alone today, professor."
He goes to get up. "Ah. I apologize if I'm intruding--"
You reach for his arm and take it, then realize the contact, blushing and letting go. "No. You're lovely company."
He chuckles, relaxing back into his seat. "You're not obligated to say so just because I am a teacher. I can be a frightful bore sometimes. See, when I was a student, I would have given anything to tell Binns he bored me half to death."
"No, no. I could never imagine you boring me," you smile, "You've got the most wonderful stories I've ever heard anyone tell."
It's his turn to blush. "I thank you for stroking my ego, Miss (y/l/n)." He sighs contentedly, watching the candles above you float. "It is beautiful, is it not?"
"Very," you nod, "I've never felt more at home."
He stares at you as you look up, and bites his lip. "That's exactly how I felt, when I was in school. Daresay, I still do."
You move a little closer to him along the bench, and gaze down.
"Professor Lupin?" you ask softly.
He looks at you, his brown eyes gentle. "My dear?"
You place your hand over his. "Do you have anyone to go home to over Christmas?"
He takes your hand in his, and holds it.
"I don't need anyone. I've learned that over many years of my life, you see."
You bite your lip, look around, and slowly tilt your head up toward him. He looks a bit surprised, but doesn't move away as you seal your lips to his, dragging your thumb across his palm. As you part, you keep only a few inches between the two of you, lips barely grazing.
"Everybody needs someone."
He tilts your chin up, and kisses you again, eyes closing this time as he holds you to him for a moment. You two part, both utterly enamored.
The portrait of Godric Gryffindor down the way begins to applaud, and Rowena Ravenclaw behind you hushes him. Helga Hufflepuff is sniffling across from you and Salazar Slytherin is making a face. You blush, and Lupin scowls at the paintings.
"Not a word."
You turn to him, still smiling. "Happy Christmas, Professor Lupin." He leans over to bump his shoulder against yours.
"Happy, happy Christmas... my dear Miss (y/l/n)."