you are loved. - r.lupin (ft. THE s.black)

begin again

5 months later and Remus still didn't know what to do. He'd gotten Caroline to agree to go out with him months ago but he doubted that she even remembered, it was so long ago. 

He just didn't have any free time and when he did, he always talked himself out of it because he thought that he would embarrass himself.

From the end of October to the end of May, Remus and Caroline had become friends, not best friends but not just acquaintances. At this point, it seemed as though Severus had a better chance at going to Hogsmeade with Caroline instead of Remus because Severus would actually have the courage to take her out on a date. 

"Right, no regrets, no regrets," Remus mumbled to himself as he attached a letter to a school owl, which would be sent to Caroline. He thought it best to do as she asked, to owl her a time and day, although he could've told her in person because they lived very close to each other.

"Bring this to Caroline Pettigrew," the sandy-haired man instructed the barn owl. It flew off and Remus called out to it. "WAIT! SHIT! COME BACK!" The owl continued to fly away, as if he knew what Remus was trying to do and he wouldn't let Remus be a pussy. "Fuck," Remus grumbled.

It was set in stone now.

---------------

"Lumos," Remus whispered. The tip of his wand lit up like a flashlight and he held it in front of him as he walked behind Caroline.

They'd decided to take one of the passages that James had discovered during their time at Hogwarts, which would lead to the cellar of Honeydukes. Caroline already had her wand lit and she'd been down this passageway with Sirius many times so she knew where to go but she didn't talk about it, in fear of making their date awkward.

"This reminds me of the time when I brought you down that passageway of the Whomping Willow for my birthday. That was so pathetic," Remus chuckled. Caroline let out a small giggle and she glanced back at Remus. 

"I didn't think it was pathetic."

"Really?"

"I thought it was sweet," she answered. "It was nice that you wanted to share those things with me. I know you hate being a werewolf and the fact that you wanted to talk about it with me and tell me all about it, I don't know. It kinda made me feel closer to you in a way."

"I still go there for my transformations." That was all Remus could think to say. 

"Is it the same?"

No. It wasn't the same, Remus wanted to answer. James and Sirius and Peter aren't there so it's obviously not the same. It's harder and it hurts more and I hurt myself more, it's awful.

"Yeah, it's pretty much the same," Remus huffed. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence and they finally reached the cellar of Honeydukes. The two ventured into the front of the store and didn't bother to buy anything.

"So, The Three Broomsticks?" Remus asked. 

"Yeah," Caroline agreed.

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(I can't write about the entire date because there's not enough time so get off my back)

Everything had gone pretty well so far. Remus was suddenly shaking his head, completely hating his past self for not being able to take Caroline on a date sooner.

The two walked hand-in-hand in an empty corridor at Hogwarts, just walking around so their date didn't have to end. Eventually, Remus came to a stop in a random hallway and he turned to face Caroline.