Chapter Text
There’s only so much nostalgia Elías could take.
It looked the same, sounded the same, the noisy crunching of frozen grass under his feet making a smile curl over his lips. It even smelled the same - pine. It smelled so much of pine and the smoke rose over the hut before he knocked on the ratty door, arms moving behind his back, heels lifting as he grinned wide. He hadn’t seen Hagrid in five years but he could only hope that he hadn’t forgotten that stupid little kid that came to visit him more often than not.
The door opened, and immediately a hulking figure froze.
“Merlin - Elías?! Is that you?!” he bellowed and it takes no time for the wizard to stride over and lift the man in his arms, laughing loudly. “It is you! What are you doing here?!”
“Hagrid! Ow, ow, ow!” he laughed, stumbling once he was back on his feet, giggling a bit as his hand rubbed his lower back. “Shit, Hagrid, you still got a mean grip - I’m here to say hi! I - didn’t Dumbledore tell you?”
“Tell me what?” he asked before sudden barking interrupted them inside the hut, making Elías grin, quickly moving forward so Fang could reach him, the drooling mutt jumping all over him. “Fang! Fang, down, boy! Aw, you put mud all over him!”
“It’s fine! It’s fine,” Elías smiled, petting the dog with enthusiasm, his good mood vibrantly shining on his face. “I have to change for the sorting ceremony anyway,” he shrugged, looking up at Hagrid. “If Dumbledore didn’t tell you - I’m here to stay.”
He stood up straight, beaming at Hagrid while the half-giant welcomed him inside.
“Here to stay, huh?”
“Yes,” Elías stepped into the hut and let Fang drool over his shoes. “I’m the new Astronomy Professor.”
“I’ll be honest,” Professor Burbage chuckled as Elías finally settled down to eat lunch, pants full of mud and probably with a chipped tooth thanks to that ungodly muffin Hagrid had offered him. “I didn’t expect you to fill this particular gap, Mr Fernández.”
“Is that so?” he asked, reaching for the pitcher of water, one eyebrow lifted as he glanced at the empty spot where he should’ve been.
“We all know you should be teaching potions,” Professor Vector huffed and Professor McGonagall quickly interrupted.
"That position is taken, Septima," she sighed. "And although I agree that Mr Fernández is an excellent portioneer, he did not apply for it."
"Severus could've taken the position in Defense, couldn't he?" Septima replied, frowning, and Elías looked intensely into his cut of chicken and potatoes instead of paying attention to the discussion around him. He was the only man at the table, too, surrounded by older, more experienced witches who had taught him back when he had been studying at Hogwarts, just five years prior. "Who is the new Defense professor, anyway?"
"Mr Remus Lupin," Hooch spoke up from over the rim of her goblet and, immediately, Pomona let out a loud laugh which she immediately covered with her hands. "No, no, laugh! I did, as well! This is Minerva's worst nightmare!"
"Don't think so," Charity said softly and a grim mood took over the table for a moment. "A bit - funny, isn't it? That he came to Hogwarts when Sirius Black br -"
"I'd rather talk about anything else, Charity," Professor McGonagall spoke, adjusting her glasses as she took a healthy sip of her goblet. Elías stayed quiet as she set it down on the table. "Remus Lupin is not an unruly teenager anymore - he's an adult who's had a very complicated work life and someone who happened to be free to take this job, which he's always been good at, might I remind you."
"I'm starting to feel out of the loop here," Elías finally broke his silence, laughing a bit nervously. "Who is he?"
"Oh, of course! You two never encountered each other - of course, you're twelve years apart," Pomona giggled, nudging him, the smell of fresh dirt wafting to his nose. "He was a dear student of ours, years ago. Used to be James Potter's and Peter Pettigrew's best friend, yes he was!"
"And Sirius Black's," Minerva added with a soft sigh. "We all know how that ended."
"Right," Elías murmured, swallowing. "So uh… James Potter as in… Harry Potter's father?"
"Yes, indeed," Pomona nodded. "The four of them were inseparable! Best friends. Got into all sorts of trouble, gave Minerva double her workload!"
"And then Black betrayed them," Hooch added, voice hard. "I suppose once a Black -"
"That's enough," Minerva cut in, the table going silent. "I suggest you stop talking about this at once. Petty gossip is allowed only when it doesn't involve the betrayal and murder of multiple people. Do I need to be on guard for when Mr Lupin arrives?"
"No, Minerva," Hooch replied, now softer. "Pardon me. That was… I'm sorry."
Elías just poked at his potatoes, eyes wide, wondering how the fuck he'd gotten right in the middle of it already. He'd taken the job because of Dumbledore, but had Dumbledore known -
No. No, he couldn't possibly know. He hadn't told Dumbledore everything . It was impossible to. There was too much.
Well, at least he hadn't been told to fill the Divination position.
"Wait, wait, what ?" Elías babbled as he looked over to the board in front of him, the poster filled with the scribbles of the professors gathered around him. "Holy shit, I get to pick?"
" Language , Mr Fernández," McGonagall scowled, making him flush with embarrassment. "Good to know you haven't changed at all, hmm?"
"I won't swear in front of the kids. Promise," he gave her a little nervous grin. "But - for real, I get to pick my rooms? Why don't we all haul in a tower? I always thought you did!"
"We like more privacy than that," Vector chuckled, amused, stirring her tea as she sat on the couch. The furniture in the professor's lounge was astonishingly nice. Or well, would be, if it wasn't a depressingly drab grey. "There are a few available - near the Slytherin dungeons, if you're the nostalgic type. Or closer to the Astronomy tower, if you're more practical."
"Oh," Elías murmured, eyes wide as he saw the spots she mentioned. "Those are nice… as, he- ck ," he quickly corrected at McGonagall's narrowed eyes. "Alright, I'm going for the Astronomy tower. I like heights. And I'm not really a Slytherin anymore."
"Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin!" Vector replied, laughing, giving him a welcoming grin.
Despite her smile, though, Elías couldn't help but ponder her words; an echo of Hooch before, and the betrayal of Sirius Black.
The rooms were adequate.
They were more than adequate, in fact - a little lounging area with two couches and a coffee table, shelves for him to fill with books to the brim, a fireplace big enough for him to comfortable brew a potion or two and, of course, his bedroom area. It was a bit smaller than the lounge, and smaller than he'd expected but it only made it cozier. His bags were there already and he sighed as he realized he needed to unpack them.
The view was the best part of all, though. The biggest window saw to the lake and the edge of the forbidden forest, the wide expanse of the back of the Hogwarts terrains. He sat for a moment on the pillowed edge of the window, transfixed, a little something in his chest, making his throat clog.
He loved Hogwarts so very much. It made something expand inside him, to be back within these walls, here to stay . He would miss his parents, he'd miss Spain and the beach and the friends he'd made on the small coastal town where he'd settled; nd perhaps he hadn't made any friends during his seven years in Hogwarts, and maybe he had been mildly bullied here and maybe he had felt lonely, so very lonely, with visions of death and impending war in his head but -
But the castle meant safety. And his parents were safe, as well. Dumbledore had promised him protection, the same way he'd offered protection to so many others. Now he was here - he had a stable job, he had a few friends in the Hogwarts staff and soon he would be able to start working towards… something .
Anything. Anything but the butchering he'd so often see behind his eyelids.
Elías began to unpack, the first thing being his record player, which he had already tinkered with so it would tap into the magical energy within the castle. He let music play as he unpacked - physically, without magic. It was a tedious task but if he had no rush, he'd rather do it by hand.
He was halfway through his second bag when he heard a knock on his door, making him stand quickly, a wave of his wand turning the volume of his record player down. Behind the door, in the hallway, stood Albus Dumbledore himself, eyes twinkling from behind his glasses.
"Headmaster," Elías said, surprised to see him before the sun had set. "Is everything alright? Come in, come in!"
He took a step back, letting the elder wizard in, closing the door after him. Dumbledore said nothing, but he took in the state of his quarters- shelves filled by now, his notes spilled over the coffee table, a cup of coffee sitting there, his bags halfway done from the open bedroom door.
"I see you're making yourself at home right away," he smiled, watching Elías with kind blue eyes. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"
"Very much so," he laughed quietly, rubbing his arm. Dumbledore always made him feel like a child, sometimes in a good way. Other times… "I've been unpacking."
"I can see that," he chuckled, head leaning in a bit. "Any news? Anything that disturbed your peace?"
Elías frowned, awkwardly shifting his weight from one leg to another. "Uh...not really, Headmaster. It's - it doesn't always happen at once. Normally if it's a big thing, it'll be over time. And then suddenly I'll have the full picture. Most of the time, the things I see are not really important. Like songs. Or pieces of movies. Or half of a headline about the biggest pumpkin batch on a town I immediately forget the name of."
"Yes, yes, so you've said…" Dumbledore hummed, eyes still on him, intense and reading. "Today, though - have you got...anything?"
"Not...really," Elías confessed dumbly, shame and inadequacy washing over him, cheeks turning a rosy pink. "J-Just… the whole Black thing. I already told you that he won't try and kill Harry Potter."
"It's still not a risk I'm willing to take, I'm afraid," Dumbledore replied, voice kind, a bit condescending, if Elías thought about it. "He's a dangerous individual. And Mr Lupin is here on pure coincidence. I'd still like you to keep an eye on him, though."
Elías looked up at him, eyes wide, swallowing hard, "You - you want me to spy on him? No! No, I'm not - I'm not spying for you! Or for anyone! I don't do that!"
"I know, I know, I'm not - it wouldn't be like that , Elías," he quickly responded, hands moving to his shoulders, warm and soothing. Elías found them anything but. "Just - as I said. Keep an eye on him, hmm?"
The younger man wanted to reply, say anything else, but Dumbledore simply smiled and nodded at him before walking out, making his heart sink to the bottom of his feet. Maybe Lupin was here for Dumbledore to keep an eye on. To make sure he had nothing to do with the Potter's betrayal.
But if so - was Elías here for protection, or for Dumbledore's ulterior motives as well?
The thought left him a bit breathless and he felt the edges of anxiety trying to engulf him. Instead of letting it take over, though, he quickly turned up the volume of his record and began to wave his wand for some semblance of order within his wardrobe. His clothes were in place, his toiletries, his testosterone inside his nightstand and his astronomy charts hung by the fireplace. He finished by putting his favorite knitted blanket over the back of one of the couches, sighing, thinking of going quickly to shower and change before the feast when the door to the hallway opened and Elías was left staring at a scarred, tall, blond man that made his heart jump to his throat.
There was silence, for a moment, the man watching him with increasingly coloring cheeks and Elías realized that this was, indeed, Remus Lupin. He'd probably confused his room with McGonagall's office. Or with his own office - or hell, he'd thought these quarters were empty.
"I am so sorry ," he began, his green eyes wide as he began to profusely apologize. "I thought - Professor Flitwick told me - it's the closest quarters to my office, I thought -"
"It's okay! It's okay, don't worry! I get it!" He laughed, facing him now and okay , he's - fuck, he didn't think about Lupin being this handsome. "I just arrived, too. Three new professors, it's normal for something to uh, yeah, don't sweat it."
Lupin gave a little embarrassed laugh, shoulders bunching up. He wore a worn sweater and pants with some holes in them - Elías didn't think it was a fashion statement and he felt nauseous as he realized that this man was indeed a werewolf.
Wizarding society wasn't very nice to magical creatures.
"I'm Elías Fernández," he introduced himself, stepping forward and thrusting his hand out, a smile on his lips. "I'm the new Astronomy professor. So… sorry for taking these rooms first. But I've to climb a lot of stairs," he laughed.
Lupin looked surprised at his hand, almost startled into stepping back. He glanced at it, then at Elías, then swallowed before shaking it. His grip wasn't firm and his hands were calloused. He has plenty scars on the back of it, over his knuckles and fingers.
"Remus Lupin, new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," he introduced, watching Elías now. "You're...American?"
"Spanish," he corrected, laughing as he let his hand fall back down. Lupin was tall, and he had to tilt his chin up to look him in the eye. "The accent is just muggle stuff. I learned English before I came to England to study at Hogwarts."
"Ah, I see," he replied, eyes running over his features, studying Elías' features, looking guarded. "When did you arrive?"
"Just this morning," Elías hummed, looking over his shoulder at the room. "Freshly unpacked. It’s strange to be back at Hogwarts from such a different perspective."
"Yes, ah…" Lupin looked extremely uncomfortable, rubbing his surely clammy hands on his pants, swallowing. "And Dumbledore… told you… uh…" he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "... about me?"
"Yes," Elías replied, leaning his hip on the back of his couch, arms crossed but face open. "He had to let the whole faculty know. Are you okay with that?"
"Am I - excuse me?" He wheezed out, his green eyes wide, breathing a bit hard. "I - and you're - you're alright with working with - with a werewolf ."
"Well, I don't know you, I have no idea if I'm gonna like working with you, but I'm pretty sure you become a wolf only once a month, opposed to one of our coworkers who is an ogre twenty four hours, seven days a week," he scowled a bit, thinking of having to work with the one teacher who had crushed his dreams. "So yes, Lupin, I'm alright with you."
He looked stunned, like he'd taken a bludger to the head and didn't know where he'd fall, so Elías gave him a small smile, nodding at him.
"You don't scare me, Professor Lupin. No more than McGonagall, thats for sure."
That drew a laugh out of him; tiny, small thing as he rubbed the back of his neck. His hand was shaking, though, and he looked too pale. Elías was sure Lupin thought he was either a fool or he was lying. He didn't blame Lupin for the assumption.
"Well, I suppose I should go find a new place to settle, then," Lupin finally spoke, giving Elías a kind, small smile. "It was nice to meet you, Professor Fernández."
Elías was too surprised at the title itself to even say goodbye as the Defense professor walked away, waving softly at him, and for the first time he realized that he was a professor at Hogwarts .
"Professor. Professor Fernández. Professoooor Fernández. Gods, that sounds so fucking stupid," he giggled to himself, rubbing his face, sighing. "Well, at least she won't come for your ass here."
The Sorting Ceremony was, by far, the most disorienting thing that had happened to Elías today. Hagrid sat beside him, Pomona on his other side, both chit-chatting idly with him and each other through the shouts of the Sorting Hat. Elías was reeling at the fact that he was sitting at the end of the Great Hall, watching the tables where he'd once been, eyes on the Slytherins. He clapped hard whenever a student got sorted into his old house, grinning widely, Pomona nudging him with a little smile. She'd always treated him and his brown thumb the kindest, even when it landed him in the hospital wing. He liked plants - plants didn't like him . His poor begonia was probably still crying in his windowsill back at home.
"Harry isn't here yet," Hagrid whispered over to Elías and Pomona. "Did something happen?"
"Minerva told me that she was checking Mister Potter after the dementor accident," Pomona murmured back and Elías winced. "Dementors, truly….what was Dumbledore thinking?"
"Dumbledore knows best," Hagrid replied gruffly, sitting back on his too-small chair.
Did he truly, though? Elías didn't dare voice his concerns but he agreed silently with Pomona. Dementors near kids and teenagers, the happiest yet most sensitive people on Earth, was not a good move. Elías didn't want to think about how rusty his patronus was, so he merely took his goblet full of mulled wine and busied himself by clapping for another Slytherin kid.
The Dementors had already attacked one kid. He only hoped that Professor Lupin would teach the fifth years how to defend themselves. And maybe stock on sugary treats. Ah, maybe Elías should stock on sugary treats as well. For the kids, of course.
"Ah, there they are!" Hagrid grinned as the last kid walked to the Gryffindor table and Potter and a girl walked into the Great Hall. For a moment, Elías felt the ground fall under him, swallowing hard, guilt clogging his throat. Potter looked so small. What was he, twelve? Thirteen? And this kid was supposed to save the entire Wizarding World? "He's grown up so much…" Hagrid said, a bit sniffly, making Elías smile softly, his hand patting the half-giant's arm. "You'll like him, Elías!"
"If he's friends with you, I'm sure I will, Hagrid," the Astronomy professor replied, sending Hagrid his biggest grin just as Headmaster Dumbledore stood, moving towards the podium.
Once again, Elías felt out of his own body as he stared at Dumbledore's back, not his front. To be a teacher, instead of a student.
"Welcome!" Dumbledore began, arms spreading wide, his beard and tunic shimmering under the tenuous candlelight floating around the Great Hall. “Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"
"Mister Potter fainted in the train," Pomona whispered to Elías, the new professor pursing his lips. "I wonder if the dementors will be kicked off the -"
Dumbledore cleared his throat, making Pomona shush, all eyes on the Headmaster. “As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.”
"Oh, so it wasn't his own choice," Elías murmured, watching Pomona as she seemed a bit ashamed of her presumptions. "Makes sense. The Ministry is much more paranoid than the Headmaster is."
“They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds,” Dumbledore continued, “and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors,” he finished.
"What the hell was the Ministry thinking?" Elías whispered to himself, hands tightly gripping his napkin and, to his own surprise, Lupin finally spoke up - on Hagrid's left.
"They're scared of Black."
Pomona gave a nervous little sound, reaching for her pumpkin juice and Elías looked over at him, his dirty blond hair falling over his green eyes as the werewolf watched his empty plate.
"They should be scared of the consequences of their actions," Elías replied, a bit gruffly. "And act rationally. That's why I pay taxes,” he joked with a bit of a laugh.
"Double taxes, then?" Hagrid asked him, surprising Elías and making him look up. "You live as a muggle, don't you?"
"You do?" Pomona butted in, head leaning closer, making Elías smile, a soft chuckle loosening his tongue.
"Fortunately, no. I only pay the Ministry of Magic. It's agreed with the Muggle authorities. Don't worry, Hagrid, I don't pay double taxes. I do, however, pay with muggle money. So this weekend, you invite on the Three Broomsticks."
Hagrid grinned back at him and Elías returned the gesture, happy to have his only childhood friend back - and to have his childhood nightmare on the other side of the table, well and far away.
“On a happier note,” Dumbledore continued, interrupting his thoughts, “I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year!"
"Oh no," Elías mumbled, looking a bit queasy. "I don't have to make a speech, do I?" which prompted Pomona and Hagrid to start laughing.
"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," the Headmaster introduced, and Remus Lupin stood to nod at the students, who gave a rather unenthusiastic applause except for three kids at the Gryffindor table - one of them being Harry Potter. Elías had to smile a bit, seeing the trio hollering, rowdy and young. It was cute, especially when Lupin sat down with a small bashful smile.
"As to our second new appointment... Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs," Elías choked on his drink at the wording, eyes wide. "However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”
At that, the Gryffindor table erupted into a ravenous racket of applause, making Hagrid blush fiercely, his cheeks a ruby red as he smiled brilliantly and watched his hands. Elías found himself clapping just as hard, smiling at him, so happy that others saw his friend for the wonderful man that he was. When Elías glanced at Dumbledore, he saw him beaming as well.
"And last but not least - we all know about Professor Sinistra's wonderful pregnancy and her decision to step down," he began, making some Ravenclaws holler. "Thus, I have found a substitute for her in Professor Fernández! Please, give him a warm welcome!"
Elías stood, shyly waving his hand, and some Slytherins seemed to recognize that he indeed wore green and silver, because they clapped a bit harder than the rest of the Great Hall. Hagrid was the loudest, though, and Elías found himself blushing furiously, sitting down quickly.
"Well, I think that’s everything of importance,” said Dumbledore. “Let the feast begin!”
And on that note, the feast began.
Elías happily served himself a full plate and began to talk to Hagrid, Pomona busy with Flitwick as he inquired about the new Fanged Geraniums she had recently planted.
“Those kids sure love you, Hagrid,” Elías grinned at him after a healthy sip of his drink, watching the half-giant blush and preen a bit. “Was that Harry Potter?”
“Yes, and his best friends, Ron and Hermione. The three are inseparable,” he explained to the other wizard. “They’re much like you, Elías - coming to visit me, keeping me company. A bit more sparse, but I can’t complain when they’ve filled in a gap so big.”
Elías gave him a sad little frown, swallowing a mouthful of carrots before replying, “I’m sorry I don’t send many owls. You know I don’t have one - perhaps if I could send you some normal mail, or if you had a phone…”
Hagrid just laughed, his huge hand slapping over Elías’ back, making him choke a bit and he heard a laugh to Hagrid’s left. “Don’t you worry, Eli! I’m just glad you’re back here, friend! And now we both get to be on this side of the table!”
“Yeah, it… feels surreal,” he rasped, cleaning the sauce on his chin with the napkin. “Everyone’s treating me already like a colleague when five years ago it was Mr Fernández, put down that book ! It’s strange, not gonna lie.”
“Ah, but you’ve always been a bookworm, aye? You’ll fit right in!”
“Thanks, Hagrid. I hope so,” Elías replied softly, something akin to hope blossoming between his ribs. If he truly did fit in as a professor… well, it’d be nice. He never did fit in anywhere - wizarding or muggle. Maybe this could be a nice change, even if there was no one close to his age. The closest one was Lupin but Elías had an inkling that he kept to himself.
Conversation stalled as everyone gladly ate the feast spread on the table, but soon Elías was roped into a conversation with Vector and McGonagall, the two asking what he’d been doing before being hired by Dumbledore, which Elías shyly replied with, “Ah… I’ve just been studying.”
“Studying?” Vector repeated, surprised.
“Muggle studies,” he followed up. “I got a college degree - advanced muggle education.”
“Oh, and what did you study?” asked McGonagall, delighted. “Anything related to Astronomy or ah, perhaps the sciences?”
“Music, actually,” Elías revealed, a proud look on his face, making Flitwick jump in his seat and quickly turn to him. “I’ve learned a lot -”
“Good for you, good for you! I knew it! I knew you’d listen to me, boy!” the Charms professor exclaimed with delight, making Elías flush. “I bet you’re excellent now! You should play something for the choir sometime! I’m sure the students would love it!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Elías let out a wheezy little giggle, rubbing his nose. “I uh, voice didn’t improve much but I know how to fully play guitar and bass now. And actually, piano and some trumpet. Not to a high skill, but I can play it.”
“Delight, delightful!” Flitwick grinned, making Elías realize just how many eyes were on him at the table. “Do you all remember him? The star of my choir!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t - the star, I - I wasn’t even officially in it -” Elías tried to appease, looking at Hagrid for help but the half-giant was of no aid.
“Do you remember that song he used to play? The fun one, with the uh, glitter and gold?”
“Oh, Gods, please, don’t,” Elías bemoaned as Pomona nodded, his eyes drifting to Lupin, who looked mildly amused and slightly interested in the topic. “You’ve all known me since I was eleven, this is not fair. I was a kid, I had no idea what embarrassment was.”
Dumbledore announced right then, as he stood, that it was getting late and that it was best for the students to head to bed, making everyone start to pick themselves up, the prefects and Head Boy and Girl moving towards each table with intent of guidance.
“You were good, Elías, and I bet you’re even better now,” Flitwick tutted, making the Spaniard flush as he was approached by his old professor. “You studied it, right? So you must be good!”
“I studied it because I liked it, not because I was good,” he mumbled to himself, adjusting his malachite necklace over his shirt. Pomona would’ve interrupted had it not been for the three children rushing to Hagrid, almost running Elías over.
“Congratulations, Hagrid!” the girl with the bushy hair, probably Hermione, squealed as the three of them paused in front of the groundskeeper and Elías took it as a sign to leave, walking beside Flitwick, Lupin and Vector.
“I would, though, enjoy you coming by choir practice,” the Head of Ravenclaw spoke up after they left the Great Hall, his eyes and tone earnest as he looked up at Elías. “You were one of the good ones, Professor Fernández.”
“I -” Elías swallowed, hand running through his recently cut hair, looking bashful. “I’ve brought my instruments, so, um… it’d be a waste not to use them, I suppose.”
“That’s a good lad,” Flitwick laughed, hand slapping his side before Elías mumbled a goodnight to everyone and parted from the group to the Astronomy tower. Before he did, though, he glanced at Lupin and found him curiously peering at him, as if trying to decipher him. When their eyes met, though, he flushed with embarrassment and waved at him to make up for being caught, Elías waving back.
Lupin - his eyes... were just very pretty.