Wesley tried to keep a straight face. She really, really, really tried. But she couldn't.

Sobbing in chocking bursts, the first year was clutching her chest, eyes welling with tears.

Professor Lupa. Her Runes Teacher. The beautiful, pretty lady who shared. She shared so much. Knowledge and little gifts and compassion. And she was HURTING. She was hurting so bad...

She hurt every month. And she grew hair. And she couldn't do anything fun for 3 days. And she couldn't look at the full moon and try to see the face. Because she would be hurting.

And people where staring at her. They where scared of her. But the professor didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault. She didn't do anything bad. She was a good girl. She was a nice girl. It wasn't her fault.

Wesley couldn't bear to look at the professor, to see her pain and fear. And her sadness.

Gasping for breath, the tiny girl crouched inward, her small frame shaking. If she was brave, she would have hugged Professor Lupa. But Wesley wasn't brave. She was a coward. And hugging never worked, it always turned out bad. Images of the friendly wand man flashed in her head. She had been so happy, then she had hugged him. Accidentally of course. And now he hated her. So Wesley wasn't going to hug Professor Lupa. But she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to.