The office door closed silently on its own behind Harry.
The thick oak shut out all the hurried footsteps.
Douglas picked up the cup of milk tea that had already cooled a little and blew on it.
He shook his head with a smile.
"It seems the boy still hasn't had enough extracurricular activities lately."
"The Academic Affairs Office needs to work harder."
On the sofa, Sirius put the unlit cigar back between his lips and answered lazily.
"Don't worry."
"We'll fill his schedule with detentions."
He tossed How to Manage Your School aside and stretched, his bones giving a series of crisp cracks.
"But speaking of which."
He sat upright, the fire of gossip still burning in his gray eyes.
"What you said just now really was disgusting."
Douglas glanced at him without a word.
The smile had yet to fade from his face as he sank into the soft sofa.
"Did you two see his face just now?"
"As red as a boiled lobster, with his eyes wide as saucers."
"I bet Potions homework definitely isn't what's on his mind right now."
Lupin put down his carving knife and sighed helplessly.
"Can't you two leave him alone?"
"He's still just a child, Padfoot."
"A child going through... well, normal troubles."
"Troubles?" Sirius sat upright on the sofa and exclaimed theatrically.
"How is that trouble? That's youth!"
"Back when we were still at Hogwarts..."
"Stop."
Douglas raised a hand, cutting off the lengthy speech Sirius was about to launch into.
"I don't want to hear about your glorious youthful exploits of making the detention room your second home."
He picked up the forgotten letter on the coffee table and tapped it lightly with his fingertips.
"I'm more interested in this than Harry's teenage troubles."
Sirius's appetite for gossip was