The markings scattered his back, interlocking and over-layering to weave a tapestry of anguish and indescribable pain.
As she opened her eyes, the comforting smell of coffee and parchment filled her nose. For the first time in 5 years she had opened...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Harper lay on her bed in the girl's dormitory and stared up at the ceiling.
It had taken her a week of psyching up in front of the mirror and motivational talks from Sirius to finally have the guts to face Remus and admit what she'd been trying to bury.
Over the past week Remus and her had been growing even closer, if that was at all possible. The two were virtually inseparable, apart from when it came to the pranks which Harper refused to be involved in. However, she still couldn't sleep.
Since returning to school Harper had been plagued with the guilt of abandoning her mother. Whilst working on the map for the boys was a brilliant distraction for her during the long nights, she was now left to twiddling her thumbs and watching the second hand on the clock slowly tick by.
Harper lifted herself up from the bed and glanced around at the other girls. Everyone else was asleep.
She slowly stood up and made her way quietly down into the common room. Pacing back and forth in front of the fire, her mind wandered to her family. Her mother hadn't sent Harper a single letter since she left home. She had no idea what was going on. Did her family want to see her anymore? Did her mother even remember her name? Where would she go?
The door to the common room flew open and she turned to see a head of shaggy black hair burst through. He was quickly followed by other, equally shaggy-haired boys.
One by one they all rested on their knees, panting as they tried to catch their breath.
"Have a fun night?" Harper placed her hands on her hips. "Hey, Moony, look who it is!" James shoved his friend forward whilst the other three darted up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.
"Heeeey, Harp, what are you doing up?" He asked sweetly. "What did you do?" She folded her arms now. "Me? W-I didn't do anything!" He held up his hands. "Lupin." "We went down to the kitchens and bewitched all the food to turn bright green when people touch it..." he explained stepping forward nervously.
She laughed before it dawned on her, "how am I going to eat breakfast?" "Oh..." he realised, "I knew we'd forgotten something!"
"You're an idiot." She smiled at him. "Your idiot?" He ran his hands down her arms and held her hands.
"Unfortunately I can't back out now." She rolled her eyes. "As if you'd do something like that!" He held his hand over his heart and feigned injury.
"You're an arse." "You like it... you like my a-" "Shut up! Since when did you get so confident?" "I think it's exhaustion." He rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. "You're telling me."
Remus opened his droopy eyes and watched Harper. He scanned her face, observing the deep set dark circles and the low hung eyelids and the bloodshot eyes.
"You're either on drugs or you haven't slept in like a year." He pulled her down to sit beside him. "Sounds about right." "Which bit?" "Both."
Remus laughed and turned to face the dwindling fire. Harper yawned as she leant against his side and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked as he snaked his arm around her waist. "I am." "A little early in our relationship to be lying."
Harper sighed again. Or maybe it could've been a yawn.
"I'm worried about my mum. I can't sleep I'm so stressed. She definitely hates me and I'm definitely dead to her and the rest of the family. Merlin, I have nowhere else to go. She hasn't sent me one letter!" "Have you sent her a letter?" "...No..." "You're the bigger person, send her a letter." "I'm too stubborn."
Remus chuckled lightly, knowing all too well that her statement was true.
"You should get up to bed... And go to sleep." Remus reminded her as she closed her eyes, still leaning against him. "I could... But I quite like it here." "If you stay here that means I have to stay here." Remus grumbled slightly.
Harper sat up and looked him in the eyes, "Are you saying you don't want to be here with me?" Remus laughed, "I thinking more what people will do when they come down in the morning and we're sleeping here."
"Oh." Harper relaxed into her seat again, "We'll just have to wake up before them then."
Remus gave in. As Harper curled up into his side, he felt a growing sense of warmth within.
He fell asleep, in front of the fire, with a blanket over him. He fell asleep with Harper in his arms. He fell asleep to the feel of her heat beating and the sound of her small, uneven breathes. He fell asleep happy.
