❝there's no i in team❞

Fabian stopped his pacing when he noticed Professor Darcy approaching. “Yeah, just joking. Sorry, professor.” he sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. Though he was certain Darcy thought he was crazy for a number of different things, this wasn’t another one he wanted on his list. “…As long as you’ve watched me standing here, and no longer.” It was a joke answer, sure, but he actually didn’t know the truth. “Have you heard anything new?”

“That’s what I like to hear” Rob said giving Fabian a small smile, he had learned to tell the twins apart while on the Quidditch field, but it wasn’t hard to translate that if one was paying attention. “I don’t want to pretend to understand how you must be feeling, but know that some of the other professors and myself asked the headmaster about allowing visits, it would do her good, it would do you good, so just hang in there until it’s approved okay?” Rob’s best friend was a muggleborn witch, protecting her had been one of the things that had lead him to join the order in the first place, people would do anything for the people they loved. “You alright?”

Rita pursed her lips, surprised that he didn’t bite back at her comment. She hadn’t exactly had quite a confrontation like this before with him, so it was new territory for them both. She folded her arms and had to refrain from rolling her eyes too. Clearly, he hadn’t been informed of her drastic personality change. It was only a matter of time before someone filled him in with all the cold details, so why not give him a taste?

His voice was laced with worry, but it wasn’t enough for Rita to even bat an eyelid. Why would he leave, if he truly cared so much about her? Why wouldn’t he write, if he gave a shit? “Because they have a reason to be terrified, Robbie.” She stood up a little straighter and eyed him with confidence. “I’m Rita Skeeter. You’ve been gone a long time, clearly, you need an update.” Her words were venomous, far too much-repressed anger being put into them. “No one crosses me and gets away with it. And as far as that whole worrying brother act you’ve got going on? You can cut it out. I’ve been on my own for seven years and I don’t need anyone’s protection. I can handle myself.” 

It had been silly, almost childlike, to hope that the relationship between him and his sister would survive the test of time. Although he had to admit it had not being something as simple as they stopped seeing each other ‘cause one of them moved or attended boarding school, and more about Rob walking away and never looking back. Sure he could’ve handle things better, and all Rita -and most of those who knew who he really was- only knew he distanced himself from his family for his Quidditch career, but in reality walking away was also meant to keep her safe, he had been young and bringing her along would not have worked out, he would be dooming her.

“Because you are Rita Skeeter?” Robbie said starting to raise his voice, “no one crosses you?!” he shook his head, “so you turned into dad? is that it? no one crosses you...” he said again confused about how the girl he used to know was capable of saying such things, “I can see that, I- I can see you are more than capable, so you handling yourself is not what concerns me, but rather-” he didn’t even know what to say, “how exactly does people not get away with crossing you?” 

The days after accepting the teaching position were excruciating, there were moments when Robbie almost reached out to Dumbledore to tell him he was backing out. But he had fought the thoughts that told him he was going to make a fool of himself and now here he was, weeks after the start of the new term, and he was doing a decent job, well there were no complaints, so he assumed it was a decent job. Of course he wouldn’t have been able to do it without Anaïs, she had been a constant in his life since his life started to have any meaning. And now with the recent explosion at the muggle music store at Hogsmeade, and one of their students attacked, Robbie couldn’t be done with his workday any sooner, he finished his last class and headed for her classroom. He knocked on the already opened door, “Anaïs” Robbie called, “are you busy?”

Rita wasn’t blind. She’d sensed someone following her as soon as she entered the alley, but it wasn’t a new experience and she’d hand her hand drifting near her wand in case she needed to defend herself.

But what she hadn’t expected, was a voice cutting through the air like a knife, stopping her in her tracks and squeezing the air from her chest. She’d know that voice anywhere, but she hadn’t heard it in seven years.

No. It couldn’t be. 

And yet, as she turned and her eyes fell on him, she knew he wasn’t a figment of her imagination, even if he’d been many times before. Her big brother was standing before her, in the flesh, seven years after he’d abandoned her. Her mind raced, wondering what he could possibly be doing back. Had he finally come for her? Did she even want him to, after all the years she’d spent being angry at him? 

Her eyes flicked to see the trembling Gryffindor in front of her and her attention only made them shake more. Clearly, they weren’t trying to threaten her out of their own choice. With a single glare, they turned and ran past Robbie, not even bothering to look at him. Rita was terrifying enough on her own and she definitely didn’t need her big brother to save her like she was some damsel in distress.

She managed to compose herself enough to face him, the shock of it thankfully not letting it fully sink in just yet. She knew it’d hit her later on when she had the chance to actually comprehend what was happening. 

Eventually, she spoke, tilting her head to look him up and down with the best bored expression she could muster. She hated being caught off guard, but over the years she’d managed to perfect her fake attitude. “It’s funny. You look like someone I used to know. Pity you can’t resurrect the dead.”

He would be lying if he said he hadn’t expected some sort of confrontation when he first saw Rita again, he had after all left leaving her behind in the very place he was running away from. And no matter how much he told himself it was for her own good, that she would be a thousand times better if she stayed with their parents, that she would be protected, that only accounted for the evils of the world, not for what lurked at home. 

Still he had not expected to come face to face with her in an alley, after someone had tried to sneak up on her, wand ready. And what was even more shocking was seeing how his little sister managed to send that person scurrying away. Her words however hurt more than he could ever imagine.

“What was that about?” Robbie asked with confusion, he would deal with the bitter words she had spat his way later, she had every right to feel like that, but the rest, “why were they coming after you? And don’t lie, I saw their determination, they had their wand out” he said still full of worry, “but you know what’s even more concerning, why are they so afraid of you? Who are you?”

“Oh,” Remus exclaimed in surprise, feeling a tad foolish as he caught sight of who had snuck up on him.  He hadn’t expected to bump into anyone up on the hill, especially not a teacher - and a new one to boot.  So of course, it’d be his luck that Professor Darcy’s first impression of him would be of the idiot whose hand flew to his heart at a sneeze.

“It’s alright, Professor, it wasn’t your fault,”  he said, trying to reassure the older man as he offered him a sheepish smile.  “I guess all the ghost stories finally got to me,” he added, cocking his head towards the shack.

“And yea, a sixth year, actually,” he helpfully supplied, watching as Professor Darcy drew up a blank.  Not that he blamed him considering he’d only been there a few weeks and Remus wasn’t the type to get caught on a broom.

“I’m Remus, by the way.  Remus Lupin,” he added, politely holding out his hand.

Robbie took Remus’ hand giving it a firm shake, “I won’t forget your name again I promise” he said with a smile. Robbie felt slightly less bad about not recalling the student’s name, upperclassmen usually didn’t pick Flying if not interested in Quidditch, he had the odd one who wanted to be a HitWizard, but most student didn’t continue with Flying after the basic years. 

“So what’s that about?” Robbie said pointing to the Shrieking Shack, “I heard some rumours, but I don’t remember it from my student years, is there a story to it, like did something actually happened? or is it just a good old urban legend?” 

“So, the rumors are true then, I take it?” She had heard Robbie Skeeter or Rob Darcy - whatever he was calling himself nowadays - was coming to teach this year. She had just yet to see him in person, making this the first time she had laid eyes on him in almost ten years. He had aged quite well, that much she could admit to herself. Once upon a time, Willow had once had a childhood fantasy of her and Robbie and what they could have been. But, that had been so long ago. Before he had left his home (she had heard about it from others), before she had joined Voldemort, before Alex. It seemed like a lifetime away from where they were. She still held an amused look, “Are you serious? I will take a drink, but if you are going to sit, get me something stronger than a butterbeer.”

“Some of them are” Robbie said with a smirk, when he took the teaching position he had but one concern, and that was seeing his sister again after all that time, but then he learned about Willow also teaching there and a part of him was nervous about the first time he was to come face to face with her. The first weeks he had straight up turned around the corner if he even so much as caught sight of her, but there was no running, not anymore, not after he felt that was he had done his entire life. “Woah really? You hate my face that much?” Robbie scoffed feigning hurt at her words, but he motioned the bartender for an actual drink before sitting down, “I guess some things truly never change” like for example him breaking the rules for her. “So how long have you been teaching?”

So he did listen! Kitty was becoming increasingly aware that one of their newest staff members was awfully quiet with his random nodding here and there but she must have finally said something of interest to him. “Oh yeah,” she nodded. “She writes the hottest gossips in school. She has so many informants that sometimes even I am surprised how she has some of those info. But I guess that’s her thing, y’know. And certainly I’m not complaining.” She grinned happily. She knew Rita wasn’t the most virtuous person in the school but Kitty didn’t have a problem with that. No one had high morals around here anyway, at least she was owning up to it. “Also, please don’t call me Ms. Travers. Among all my names, I hate that the second. Kitty, will do, Sir.”

Robbie tried his best to keep a stoic face as Kitty began to fill him in, he could hardly believe the girl was talking about his sister. Rita had been such a sweet girl while growing up, Robbie had tried his best to, well raise her -he had ended up taking care of her even more so than their parents- into kindness and empathy. Who was this person Kitty was describing? “Is that even allowed? Like doesn’t it go against school regulations...” he asked trying to sound like his concern was coming from a professor point of view and not as if he was freaking out inside, “I mean I won’t take action, I don’t even think that’s my place, but I mean you are not complaining, but what about others? others must’ve complained right?” oh Rita what had she gotten herself into? “Kitty it is, but I do have to ask, what name you hate the most?”

There were people that once they came into your life their impact was so great that even if you tried you could never keep them away. Such was the case of Willow Mulciber, no matter how much Robbie had tried to extricate himself from her, their lives were so tightly wound that he could no escape her. The last place he had expected to see her was back at Hogwarts and yet there she was, teaching, of all things. Rob wondered if he had known she was part of the staff, would he have taken the position? most likely yes, his commitment to the order was greater than whatever had or not had happened between them. And yet every time he saw her he felt fifteen years old again.

“Hey” Robbie said approaching Willow with caution, “you want a drink? It’s gonna have to be butterbeer or pumpkin juice though, ‘cause technically we are still on the clock...”

hey, isn’t that {ROB DARCY/ROBBIE SKEETER}? {HE} is the {FLYING PROFESSOR} and I’ve heard they are {KIND-HEARTED AND LOYAL} but can also be {PERFECTIONIST AND DEMANDING}. i’ve heard rumours that they are part of the {ORDER}, and maybe that’s because they are {PUREBLOOD}? but who knows. they also look similar too {SCOTT EASTWOOD} but i don’t see it myself.