Ethan stayed behind after class.
It was subtle. Everyone else packed up with the usual rustling of robes, murmured chatter, chairs scraping against the stone floor. He moved slower, waiting for the room to clear, careful not to look like he was waiting for anything at all. A few students gave him curious glances, he caught one girl whispering something to another as they exited, but he didn't acknowledge them. He didn't need rumors about favoritism floating around. Enough people already thought it strange that he was the DADA professor's son. No reason to feed it further.
When the classroom finally emptied, Ethan approached his mother's desk.
She stood there with one hand on a pile of scrolls, organizing them into neat stacks. Her dark hair, usually pulled back in a no-nonsense bun or pinned up with silver clips, was styled differently today. Looser. It framed her face more softly, letting her natural curls brush the sides of her neck.He tried to look for signs of anything off. Dark circles beneath her eyes. Maybe a stiffness in her movements. A slump to her shoulders. But she didn't look tired. Not exactly. If anything, she seemed... radiant. Lively. Like someone who had hit their stride after a long, uphill climb.
That, more than anything, unsettled him.
"You look different, trying something new?" he said after a pause.
She glanced up, her expression warm, but there was a distant gleam in her eye. "Yes, I thought to change my style up."
She touched it absently. "Seemed fitting."
"Why fitting?"
A faint smile. "New place. New responsibilities. New role. Sometimes you have to match the outside with the inside, Ethan. Helps with perspective."
He nodded, not sure he agreed, but there were more important things to ask.
"I wanted to talk," he said.
She set down her quill. "Of course. Everything alright?"
He hesitated. "Yeah. I just… was wondering how you're liking Hogwarts, as a professor."
She tilted her head slightly surprised, but she didn't brush it off. Instead, she leaned across her desk, arms crossing loosely. "Hmm. That's not something I though you were still rhinking about."
"I know. I guess im just worried you'd hate it."
She was quiet for a moment, considering.
"I like it," she said, at last. "Much more than I expected to."
He studied her. "Really?"
Her eyes drifted toward the windows, where pale light spilled in from the sky beyond. "Yes. At first, it was disorienting. The pace, the castle itself. Teaching in general… that part felt unfamiliar. And being around so many memories, it brought things back I hadn't thought about in years. But now…"
She looked back at him, and her smile widened.
"I enjoy it. More than I thought I would. The students are clever. Some of them far cleverer than they give themselves credit for. And the work, it's not easy, but it's good. Honest, rewarding work."
Ethan nodded slowly. It was honest, yes. But temporary. At least, it was supposed to be.
"Still thinking about going back?" he asked.
"To the Ministry?" She tapped her fingers thoughtfully against the desk. "That was always the plan, wasn't it? One year, then back to research. Back to the familiar routine."
"But?"
She chuckled, a light sound. "But... I'm not sure. Not anymore. This is different. Less... politics. Less posturing. It's just knowledge and learning and people trying their best. I'd forgotten how refreshing that could be."
He frowned. "The Ministry agreed to let you come here for a year. What happens if you want to stay longer?"
"They'll live," she said with a wry grin. "My position wasn't irreplaceable. No one's is, not really. I can go back if I want to. If I don't, well… I'll find something else. There's always something else."
This... didn't seem like the usual her.
She had always been someone who planned ahead. Who chose stability over chance. But now… now she spoke like someone drifting, unanchored. That subtle change in her tone, gentler, looser, matched the way she stood. As if she'd let something go and hadn't even noticed.
"You sound different," he said.
Her eyebrows lifted. "Do I?"
"Yeah. I mean, not in a bad way. You've been here only three months and you already sound like you're thinking about staying forever."
She smiled again. "Maybe I've changed. Maybe this place changes people."
Ethan didn't like that answer.
He sat down in the chair in front of her desk, trying to steady his thoughts.
"You're really doing well," he said. "The students like you. A lot. And I'm learning more in your class than I did in all of last year combined."
"Thank you," she said quietly. "That means a lot."
"But... I don't know. You haven't been too tired lately, have you?"
She blinked. "Tired?"
"Yeah. Just… with how much you're doing. I was wondering if it's been too much."
For a moment she looked thoughtful.
"No," she said, voice smooth. "I feel more energized than I have in a long time, actually."
"You sure?"
"I am. If anything, I've been feeling… sharper. More in tune with my teaching. It's like this castle knows how to wake things up in you. Buried things."
Ethan shifted in his seat. "Yeah?"
She laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, Ethan. You make it sound like I'm becoming another ghost in these corridors."
He didn't laugh.
"I'm just watching out for you," he said.
Her face softened. "I know. You always do. Ever since you were little."
That hit him oddly. The way she said it, as if it had always been this way, him protecting her. That wasn't right. She was the adult. She was the one who was supposed to shield him.
"I'll let you get back to your work," he said eventually, standing.
She nodded, her smile returning. "Thank you for asking, Ethan. It's good to know you care."
He hesitated a moment before turning toward the door.
As he walked away, he didn't look back. But her voice followed him.
"I love you, sweetie. I always have."