serendipity - r. lupin

EIGHTEEN

Genevieve swallowed back down the beating heart that threatened to rise from her throat. He's still frustrated because of the full moon, he doesn't mean to sound this way.

"How can you criticise me for not telling you when you would do the exact same?" Remus scoffed, his voice still sharp.

"I didn't criticise you, let's start there," Genevieve said sternly. "I understand that you're feeling vulnerable right now, but do not take it out on me. I don't deserve that."

Remus didn't look at her, but she saw his eyes soften a fraction.

"I don't blame you, Remus. I would do the exact same thing. But if you didn't tell me because you thought I would be scared of you, or stop caring for you, than you are stupidly wrong."

It was after Genevieve said that when Remus looked at her. It was strange to to see him so... broken down. It was like all of the defensive barriers were coming down, and they would only be down for that night only, before they were built back up again. "I'm sorry," Remus rasped out, his feeble voice being consumed by the dark.

"Merlin, you must think of me as a monster," Remus exhaled, shame laced within his quivering voice.

"I would never," Genevieve said with confidence, encasing his larger hand in her smaller one. She hesitated in reaching her arms out but did it anyway, wrapping them around his neck carefully so she didn't agitate any of his wounds.

"Never in all my life would I think of you any less than human, Remus Lupin," Gen whispered softly into the nape of his neck, her every word spoken with truth.

In any other circumstance, Remus would have found himself blushing at the girls sweet words, but this was different. Instead he shifted in his place so he was more faced towards her and tucked his head into her hair. Although it hurt, he managed to loosely wrap his arms limply around her waist and her closer.

"Are you going to leave me?"

Genevieve brought Remus a little closer while still making sure it wouldn't hurt him. "Not at all."

"You promise?" Remus asked her, pulling away so he could look at her face.

Green eyes caught hazelnut ones, the golden specs she had noticed in his many times before being much more prominent now. Although she had noticed the golden specs before, she had never noticed the millions of stories written behind them. Now she did.

Genevieve reached up to cup Remus's jaw with both her hands, her thumb rubbing up and down on an old scar near his ear. "I promise with all my heart I will never leave you," she spoke earnestly, never once having to rethink her words.

"That's a big promise," Remus mumbled, bottom lip drawing between his teeth.

Genevieve grinned. "And one I intend to keep."

Remus didn't want to say anything more. He knew he need to, to explain somehow how he got into this whole fiasco but right now he was much too tired. So instead, he brought his forehead to rest on her collarbone in comfort, snuggling into her jumper that was warm from her body. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she brought her head to rest on top of his.

"You should really get some sleep, I can tell you're hurting," Genevieve told him quietly as she knew he was on the verge of sleep once again.