Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

Sixty-Seven

"All that, and for what? What would you gain out of all this? More responsibility?" Lily asked.

"That, and freedom. Freedom, I'd gain so much. I could go days without punishments and not get called out for slouching or having a single hair out of place. It would be me against the world." Aries grinned.

"And you'd be able to have Remus." Alice giggled, burning a slight pink blush.

"And him too, I'd have more than enough to be happy. Leaving my parents would mean I could follow my dreams, or dream at all actually." Aries nodded.

The group of girls wondered onto many different topics of conversation after that. Topics of Muggles, baking, fashion, and landed on career options.

"I want to be an Auror. They do so much to help, putting bad wizards or witches in Azkaban and making the wizard of and Muggle world a better place." Lily announced.

"Me too, actually. I've always wanted to use my magic for something useful, something to help the world. Becoming an Auror and fighting evil is exactly what I want." Alice agreed.

"I'm hoping to become a famous musician, I've got a band and we've been playing together for weeks. We're even thinking about playing with not just the wizarding world but for the muggles too, speaking as a half blood." Honey announced.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Honey." Alice said sweetly.

"Ben is trying to figure out whether he wants to keep going with the band and stop being in Quidditch, or leave the band and keep going on for a Quidditch career. Either way we won't be seeing much of each other." Honey frowned.

"Well, I've seen him play, He's a really great Quidditch player. But he doesn't smile like he does when he's with the band. He's happier singing and playing instruments than flying around on a broom." Alice said, catching the group by surprise.

"I guess, he does seem happier. Since I'm in a band too, we're already seeing less and less of each other." Honey muttered, kicking a rock into the water.

"You can always take a break, you know. We're fifteen and still in school, we have time." Marlene shrugged.

"Then why does it still feel like we're already gaining all this pressure?" Aries asked.

"Probably because our professors aren't going light on the assignments." The group shrieked at the unknown eavesdroppers but relaxed a bit once they saw it was just the Marauders.

Aries on the other hand was having an interior screaming match with herself, to stay and ignore Remus or walk away. With the feeling of eye on her she chose the latter and stood.

"I have to get going, I'll see you lot later." Aries excused herself, walking away from the two groups, ignoring the sympathetic stares from her friends.

Remus on the other hand had enough as he walked after her, she might've been sly and fast to try and ditch him, but he wasn't about to give up so easily on her. "Aries" He called for her, only to have it be ignored.

He decided it was best with physical contact as he made it to her and gently locked her against the wall, "What is going on?" Remus asked her as she struggled against his grip.

"Nothing, just let it be." Aries tried, avoiding his eyes as she struggled harder.

"I can't just let it be, I'm your boyfriend-"

"Not anymore." She cut him off, his heart stopped for a second, he could've sworn his legs would've given in if he wasn't stabilized against the wall. 

"W-what?" He managed to whisper out, his hands unlocking her as she straightened out his uniform.

"We can't do this anymore, Remus. We can't be together for right now, I don't expect you to wait for me. It has nothing to do with your furry side, I just can't do this. If you really want to understand, tell Sirius I'm almost seventeen, he'll explain." Aries told him quietly before side stepping his body and walking towards the library.

The only thoughts in Remus's head in that moment were revolving around the fact that him and Aries were no longer. If he never felt more than just a liking towards the girl, then why did he feel like his heart was being ripped out of him the farther away Aries got?

________

"I don't understand why she broke it off?" James asked himself as Remus laid facedown on his bed and Sirius was laying on his own bed face up.

"What did she say?" Peter asked, "When she said you two were done, did she say anything else?" Peter added.

"She said, tell Sirius I'm almost seventeen and he'll explain." Remus muttered sadly.

"Tell me? Seventeen is months away, why would she need to be thinking about turning seventeen? Mother always thinks ahead but the only reason why she would need to be thinking about coming of age is for-..." Sirius stopped as he sat up with widened eyes.

"For what?" James asked.

Sirius turned to Remus with a sad expression, "For arranged marriage." He admitted.

Remus looked at Sirius when he heard those words, "Arranged marria- why on Earth would she agree to something like that?" Remus frowned, clearly upset by this.

"Well of course she didn't agree to it! You know how my parents are, when you become of age, you have to be arranged for marriage, it's all about blood purity and money!" Sirius explained.

"And she's ok with that?" Peter squeaked.

"No, she's not...that's what she meant, when she said she had a plan of escape. She meant she had until seventeen to get out and away from 12 Grimmauld Place. But what is she waiting for?" Sirius asked himself.

"I don't know, mate. But your sister is seriously a mystery." James muttered.