More Questions for Lupin
Who: Cora, Lupin
Where: Lupin's Office, Hogwarts
When: 15 October 2008
Synopsis: Lupin neither confirms nor denies that he was the werewolf attacker of
Cora, Jeoffrey and Lupin. Cora, as is predictable, takes this for confirmation.
Chronology: Cora continues to beat her head against the wall about the Werewolf
attacks.
Logger: Cora "Raging Ball of Brown Fur" Petit

Hogwarts Castle - Lupin's Office(#886RAJh)

     Bookshelves line the walls of this cluttered office, full to overflowing
with books, scrolls and piles of loose paper. The topics covered by said books
are varied, but mostly center around Charms and the Dark Arts, with a smattering
of other topics. More books and papers are stacked around the perimeter of the
large wooden desk that dominates the space. The chair behind the desk is on
wheels, but otherwise straight backed and wooden, with only a single flat
cushion tied to the seat. The desk's surface is less cluttered than other parts
of the office, with much credit for that going to two boxes perched on either
corner in which numerous papers have been 'filed'. It does, however, hold the
room's only decoration, a number of small pictures in cheap frames. On the other
side of the desk are two non-rolling wooden chairs with no cushions at all. The
office's single window is situated in the wall behind the desk, directly
opposite the door to the
corridor, while a break in the wall between some of the shelves leaves an
opening for a small fireplace. In one corner is another door, firmly shut. A
number of boxes, cages and other oddly shaped items have been stacked wherever
floor space permits. A coat stand takes up some space next to the door.

Contents:
Lupin
Obvious exits:
Out

It's shortly after classes have gotten out on this Wednesday, and the day is a
dreary one outside. The weather's a touch on the cold side, complete with the
constant drone of a steady drizzle. Cora comes down towards Lupin's Office after
getting out of her last class, and pauses a minute to smooth her skirt a little.
Then she raps on the door, and waits as patiently as she can.

Lupin is in the process of collecting his things together for his eventual
journey home, but his lack of enthusiasm for the procedure is palpable and may
have something to do with the weather. In any case, he is more than happy to
cease what he's doing and turn toward the door. "Come in."

Cora pushes open the door, and steps inside. The door's closed behind her, and
she nervously runs a hand through her long, uneven, raven locks of hair, pushing
them from her face, "Do you have a minute, Professor?" she asks, as politely as
she can manage.

One of Lupin's hands is half-hidden, partway inside the worn leather bag
currently resting on his desk. He resumes his interrupted motion, stuffing in
the papers he was holding and then setting the bag down atop the others to
shield them from view. "Certainly, Miss Petit. Would you have a seat?"

Cora hesitates a minute, before finally taking a few strides towards a chair and
settling down in them. She glances around the office some, but stays quiet for a
moment or two. Her right foot bounces against the floor, a bit nervously, as she
silently mulls over whatever she is thinking about. Then eventually, she sighs,
"This is a bit awkward," she finally says, "But I think Firenz was trying to
tell me that I should ask you about some of the questions I've got regarding our
attack." She gives a shrug, "So ... here I am."

Lupin sinks back into his own desk chair as Cora finds a place on one herself.
During the wind up to her question he makes a small place for his hands on the
desk by carefully pushing a pile of papers to one side. And then he waits. And
waits still a few beats after she finishes, looking lost. "I'm sorry... I seem
to have come in in the middle somehow, and I'm not sure what you're talking
about. Quidditch?"

She shakes her head a bit at the confusion shown and spoken by the Professor,
"Oh goodness no, not Quidditch," she says, a bit too fast, "It more has to do
with the night we were all attacked," she pauses here, chewing a bit on her
lower lip, "How come the Ministry hasn't done much in practically four years."
She hesitates again, and decides against amending her comments, for the moment.

Lupin runs a thin hand through his grey hair, his confusion not much relieved by
Cora's additional explanation. "Were you there when we were attacked by the
snakes?" he asks, brows drawn together. "I didn't think... maybe that's not what
you're asking about either. I don't remember being otherwise attacked in company
of students."

Cora sighs a bit now, and the sound is a bit of exasperation, and a bit of
frustration. She shakes her head, "You're terribly good at this you know," she
finally says, a touch of hard anger in her tone, "But I really wish you would
stop feigning innocence here. If you were the one that attacked me, and Winthrop
and Feldspar, can you just admit it? It certainly would explain a lot of
things."

Lupin drops his hand out of his hair, the initial look of hurt in his eyes
quickly drowned by offense, which is in turn just as quickly washed out by a
carefully blank expression. "Miss Petit," he says, his voice well controlled, "I
will kindly ask you to remember that I am not a mind-reader. It is an
unfortunate fact that there have been many times in the past which I or students
at this school have been attacked. Simply because you had a particular incident
in mind which your oblique hints did not recall to -me- does not mean I was
attempting to avoid discussing it. Is that clear?"

Cora's jaw stiffens a bit, "You are still dodging the question, Professor," she
points out, perhaps a bit unnecessarily. Her fingers fold against each other
then, and she shrugs, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to believe. No one
answers any questions around here, and the Ministry ... they are always more
interested in covering things up it seems, than real answers." She moistens her
lips, "I just want the freedom to discover what really happened. No one wants to
support that. Not even you, it seems, and I figure, that of all the Professors
here, you would. Unless, you have something to hide." Her tone's not quite
accusatory, but it borders on it.

Lupin smiles a bitterly amused little smile. "Of course I have something to
hide. I have a great many things to hide, in fact. And in spite of my long
relationships with both our previous and current Ministers for Magic, I can't
tell you I have any great faith in the Ministry or their ability to get much
done quite a lot of the time." His own somewhat rigid posture relaxes somewhat.
"But I don't really see anyone preventing you from attempting to find out what
happened."

Cora either misses some of the bitterness in Lupin's words, or chooses to ignore
it, "Right. Well, sorry to have wasted your time then," she says, getting back
to her feet. "I have to go ... torment people," she says peculiarly, then moves
to head towards the door.

A look of mild curiosity flits across Lupin's face, though he refrains from
indulging it. "If I may note, Miss Petit -- I do know who bit me, and why, and
it's done me very little good. As far as I know, he's still out there. Don't
torment -yourself- overmuch."

Cora reaches for the doorknob, "We all do what we have to do, Professor," she
replies back, pulling the door open. "I'm assuming you'll want the door closed
behind me, so you can get back to your ... whatever?"

"Leaving." Lupin supplies. "And yes, you may close the door as you depart. Thank
you."

Cora turns briefly, and blurts out, "You know, if you and Snape /ever/ dare to
recruit new test subjects from the student body again, I will be there, and I
/will/ stop you. One way or another." The rage beneath her surface is just
barely held in check. She's shaking visibly from it.

"Clearly a Gryffindor," Lupin says wryly. "Good day, Miss Petit. Remember to
close the door."

Close? Close the door? She does her best to slam it, and then storms off to find
her next, unfortunate victim.



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