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“Ugh, how much longer do we have left? This is torture!”, Tessa whined, slamming her head into her hands and slumping down on the desk slowly. Next to her, her best friend Meg just rolled her eyes and continued writing her notes, used to Tessa’s outbursts.
“We’re almost done, now let me concentrate on this!”, she whispered, as she stared at their physics Professor in the front of the class, who kept explaining something Tessa had deemed absolutely and utterly boring.
“I really don’t know if I’m gonna survive five more minutes of this, Meg”, she mumbled.
“Oh come on, it’s literally almost over. And we have Lupin next, so I know you’ll survive.” Tessa sighed, but she knew it was true. Class with Lupin was always the highlight of any school day.
“D’you think he’s gonna talk about his wife again?”, she wondered out loud.
“Hmm”, Meg responded absentmindedly as she was preoccupied with taking notes. Tessa knew she would share the notes with her afterwards though so she really couldn’t be mad at her for ignoring her when she was the one keeping up their grades.
“I bet he will”, she continued mumbling. “He literally cannot stop mentioning her. I’m telling you, by the end of this month we will solve this mystery!”
The mystery of Professor Lupin’s wife was probably the greatest mystery their school had ever had – at least if you asked the student body.
Lupin was everyone’s favourite teacher. He was one of the younger teachers, always kind and fun, and he presented the material in a way that actually got students interested in what he was teaching – English and History, that was. And he always had an open ear for everyone, which made him popular immediately.
So of course it was no wonder that there was an insane interest in his personal life among his students. But mostly in his wife, really.
If there was one thing everyone who had a class with Lupin noticed even after just the first lesson with him, it was how much the Professor loved to bring up his wife. Gushing about her seemed ton be his favourite pastime when he wasn’t currently teaching, it was inspirational to see, really.
Still, the students didn’t know much more about his wife other than the fact that she existed. They didn’t even know if she was a she, for sure. The Professor kept referring to her as his “partner” or “spouse”, and general always talked about “them”, which lead a bunch of students to believe the person in question was actually male, or non-binary.
Tessa herself had been a firm believer that Lupin actually had a husband, and she still believed he was at least bi. No straight man dresses like that, she thought.
When she had tried to convince Meg of their teacher’s sexuality, she had told her she was being stereotypical and homophobic – which was how Tessa had come out to her as a lesbian, assuring her that she was really anything but, she just had eyes.
It didn’t matter, however, because the general conclusion everyone had come to was that Lupin had a wife and from the stuff he usually said when talking about his partner did sound like it was a she, Tessa had to admit. So, eventually, she had given up on her husband theory.
Just last week, Lupin had been talking about how his spouse took absolutely forever to style their hair in the morning, making the Professor run a bit late.
And the week before that, he had shyly interrupted two girls talking about lipstick in the break, asking them what kind of brand they recommended because he wanted to buy some for his partner.
And the week before that, he had made a fond joke about how his spouse was ‘somewhat of a princess’.
No, Tessa had to concede, it did sound like a wife after all.
She was abruptly snapped out of her thoughts by students packing up their things all around her and Meg nudging her arm. “Thank God!”, she exclaimed, quickly shoving her notebook into her bag, and springing up from the uncomfortable chair.
The two girls made there way out of the classroom and to the 2nd floor, where they had History with Lupin. They shared this lesson with some students from other classes, and quickly found their friends in the chaos. Jenny, Tom, and Henry were sitting in the first row, as usual.
Tessa groaned. “Why do we always have to be so close to the front?”
“Because it’s fun”, Jenny said in lieu of a greeting, giving Tessa and Meg a quick hug. “And it’s Lupin so don’t act like you mind.”
“She has a point, Tess”, Meg smirked.
The boys next to her laughed as they also greeted them and soon the five students were chatting about their upcoming weekend plans.
The doors opened just on time for the lesson to start, and Professor Lupin rushed in, a stack of books in his hands, a re-usable coffee cup balanced between them and his chest, and his standard brown messenger bag dangling from his shoulder. He was wearing a light vest under an old brown blazer, paired with some corduroy pants.
“Sorry!”, he muttered. “Sorry I’m late!”
He set down the books and coffee cup on his desk, took of his blazer and bag and pulled out some papers. Then he looked up, scanning the room and sending them all a quick smile as he started going through attendance.
Classes with Lupin always went by way faster than other classes, the time just flew by as they were all entranced by his gentle teaching and captivating storytelling.
Tessa shifted in her seat, wondering how long it would take Lupin to mention his wife this time. She didn’t have to wait very long.
She wasn’t even sure how Lupin did it so seamlessly, how he could be talking about some historical event in one second and then about something his wife had done or said in the next, something that seemed to have absolutely no correlation to it, but nobody ever really questioned it.
Now he had a soft smile planted on his face as he was telling them how his partner had apparently bought a new skirt and looks absolutely amazing in it.
Tessa narrowed her eyes. Sooner or later she would solve this mystery of Lupin’s wife, she was sure of it.
{♡}
Later that day, when the five of them were finally leaving the building, joking around and laughing, Jenny suddenly pulled on Meg’s arm, startling her and in turn stopping their whole group, everyone looking at Jenny in confusion.
“There!”, she exclaimed, pointing at a figure on the side opposite them, on the school’s parking lot. “Who is that? He looks ... hot. I’ve never seen him around here though?”, her face scrunched up in confusion.
Tessa followed her gaze, looking over at the stranger. He wasn’t very tall, but lean, and had long black hair that was styled perfectly. He wore a black leather jacket and platform boots, and stood next to a beautiful red motorcycle.
“Oh, wow”, Tessa murmured.
Henry frowned, looking at her. “What? I thought you were only into women?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but like, I can appreciate the vibe. This man looks right out of some sexy motorcycle photoshoot or something.”
Meg shook with laughter next to her. “Sexy motorcycle photoshoot? Seriously?”, she managed between giggles, as Tessa hit her arm in mock-offense. “Stop it, you’re being mean”, she whined. “Not my fault I’m not an expert at motorcycle photoshoots.”
They watched as the man shook out his long her and confidently marched towards the school, snapping out of their collective haze after he the doors had closed behind him.
“Well”, Tom sighed. “Looks like we have another mystery, guys.”
{♡}
They kept seeing the stranger around on most days after school, and after Jenny had referred to him as ‘hot motorcycle guy’ the name had stuck, and he was now one of their favourite topics of discussion when it came to their weekly gossiping sessions. He was almost as popular as Lupin and his wife when it came to the mysteries they tried to solve – but that was mostly Jenny’s fault.
They all had their little theories and ideas on who the man was and what he was doing at their school every day, as he was way too old to be a student, but they also knew for sure that he wasn’t a teacher.
But nothing could have prepared them for the truth.
It was an afternoon as any other, as the group of five left their school building, their heads already turning to scan the parking lot for their mysterious motorcycle man, when they saw someone they didn’t expect.
It was Lupin.
Lupin who was walking towards motorcycle guy, who was talking to motorcycle guy, who was – oh god, no! Could it be? Yes! – who was kissing motorcycle guy.
In plain sight, for everyone to see, in their school’s parking lot.
The five teenagers stared in absolute shock as they took in the scene, a series of feelings flashing over their faces. At first, Tessa was just shocked, before she felt a certain sense of victory and confirmation – she knew it! She had known Lupin wasn’t straight.
But the feeling was quickly replaced with anger as her mind caught up to what was happening. Lupin was kissing ‘hot motorcycle guy’. The same Lupin who was very much happily married to his wife.
Tessa stared at her friends, seeing the shock and anger reflected back at her.
Was Lupin seriously having an affair behind his wife’s back? Was he cheating on her, and so obviously as well?
But no, Lupin absolutely doted on his wife, she was his favourite thing to talk about. But then, what was happening here?
Jenny was the first one to break the shocked silence, pursing her lips angrily. “How dare he ...”, she muttered. “I’m gonna go over there and talk to him!”
Tessa nodded vehemently. “I’ll join you”, she said, her eyes darkening dangerously.
“Guys, you can’t just walk up to Lupin like that and scream at him or something, the guy is still our Professor!”, Tom tried to calm them down, but to no avail.
“Doesn’t matter”, Tessa said angrily. “He’s literally cheating on his wife right there!”
Her and Jenny took off, Meg and the boys right behind them as they stormed towards their teacher in rage, whose eyes widened in shock as he noticed the group of angry student coming for him.
“Ms. Gardner? Ms. Bowman?”, he asked in confusion, eyes fluttering back and forth nervously between the mysterious stranger and the students.
“We know what you’re doing!”, Jenny said accusingly, before the Professor could ask any further questions.
The man blushed as he looked up at the motorcycle guy, almost shyly.
“Well”, he chuckled lightly, “I suppose we weren’t really hiding it ...”
“No, you weren’t!”, Tessa exclaimed. “And frankly, Sir, it is disgusting!”
She watched as her Professor’s smile vanished, his face darkening as he recoiled in ... was that hurt?
The other man stepped closer to Lupin, tightening his arm around his waist protectively.
“Hey, now! Be careful with what you’re saying there because I” – but Lupin interrupted him, telling the man it wasn’t worth starting a fight with his students.
“I – I’m sorry that you feel that way, Ms. Gardner”, he said, his voice shaking, as he looked at Tessa. “I have to say I really didn’t expect this from you.”
Tessa frowned in confusion. What the hell was he talking about? Who wouldn’t be disgusted to find out their teacher was cheating on his spouse with someone else!
“Well, I think it’s disgusting! How can you just do that?!” – Lupin’s mouth opened as if to say something but Tessa continued, headstrong as ever – “How could you cheat on your wife like that?!”
There was a shocked silence as the teenagers stared at their teacher accusingly while his face distorted into one of utter confusion.
“I – sorry, what?”, he asked.
“Your wife!”, Jenny chimed in. “We all know how much you love her, you talk about her all the time! Does she know about this?”
Professor Lupin’s confused frown deepened as the man next to him started laughing suddenly, his whole body shaking with laughter. “Oh, this is just too good, Moons”, he giggled.
The students watched, dumbfounded.
“I – uh”, Lupin muttered. “Okay, so just to make it clear, you’re weren’t disgusted by the fact that I was kissing a man?”
Now it was their turn to frown as they looked at their teacher, confused. “What? No!”, Tessa exclaimed. “Of course we don’t care about that. I’m literally a lesbian and the whole school knows Henry is gay. But you’re cheating on your wife!”
Lupin’s face relaxed as he started to laugh too, first quietly and then louder and louder.
“This is serious!”, Tessa exclaimed, not understanding what was so funny.
“Nah, I’m afraid I’m Sirius”, the motorcycle man – most probably called Sirius – chuckled. Lupin broke out in new laughter.
“Ms. Gardner”, he asked, smiling fondly, “have I ever explicitly said that I have a wife? That I am married to a woman?”
“Well, no, but –”
“Yes?”
“I – the uh, you called her your princess? And the lipstick! And the ... the skirt!”
Lupin’s smile widened as he turned to look at the man next to him fondly.
“Ms. Gardner, Ms. Bowman, Ms. Thornton, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Brown, I would like to kindly introduce you to my husband, Sirius Black, who is very much a princess, and loves to wear lipstick ... and skirts”, he added, smirking.
The group of them stood there in shock, their eyes widening and mouth’s falling open. “So he’s ...”, Tessa stuttered, overwhelmed.
The other man – Sirius Black – grinned at them haughtily, as if ridiculing them for their wrong conclusion.
“He’s ... he’s –”
“I’m the wife, pleasure to meet you”