serendipity - r. lupin

FORTY

"There's no point in trying to deny it," Toby said before she had even started to talk, looking up at the sun. "You may be unaware, but it's clear to everyone else that you are head over heels for him."

"I'm not unaware about it," Genevieve whispered. There was a deafening silence before she spoke again. "I think... I think I've known for some time now that I'm falling for Remus. That I have fallen for Remus." Those words had been denied by Genevieve for so long that it felt strange to hear them roll off her tongue so effortlessly. The words left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth, as if her body was telling her 'you shouldn't have said that' and was punishing her for it. "Or I could just be having one of those silly little crushes that'll be gone in a few days," she laughed off her sudden revelation.

"Silly little crushes are little for a reason," Toby said. He turned to study her blushing face. "And your crush has lasted for a very long time."

"Silly little crushes can last for a long time, actually. Take Amos Diggory, for example. I was obsessed with all the way through third year."

Toby had to hold back a snort. "Good one," he applauded her, but stopped when he noticed she wasn't laughing along. "You are joking, right?" He gawked, jaw hanging low and eyes wide. "Please tell me you're joking."

"We all have our dark moments," Genevieve muttered under her breath, cheeks turning even more red.

Toby couldn't help but choke out a mocking guffaw that seemed louder while out in the empty atmosphere. "I can't believe you!" He exclaimed. "Of all people, Amos Diggory! I can barely stand to be in the same common room as him!"

Genevieve buried her face deeper into Toby's scarf out of embarrassment. "He has a nice smile! And nice hair. And gorgeous grey eyes. And—"

"—Are you sure you're not over him?" Toby laughed even more. Genevieve pressed her rosy lips into a firm line in order to stop her from rambling on, making sure to accompany that with a glare. "Oh, don't look at me like that," he taunted with a fake pout, "You brought this upon yourself."

Genevieve held up her middle finger to him.

Toby gasped at the crude gesture, but his attention was quickly leaded elsewhere. His eyesight slowly swivelled to around Genevieve's figure, his lips curving into a sadistic smirk as he figured out who the approaching blob was. "Oh, I can't wait to tell him this," he cajoled excitedly under his breath.

After fixing Toby with a hard glare, Genevieve turned around and smiled almost instantaneously as she watched Braldey approach them, hugging himself for warmth yet still wearing a face of happiness. "Hey Good Sir," she said, offering him a small curtsy.

"Hello M'lady, Toby ," Bradley greeted with a grin, his voice melancholic and as sweet as honey. He frowned, however, when he looked at Genevieve. "Are you bright red because of the cold or because of something Toby said?" He asked, glancing between the two in confusion.

Before Genevieve could answer for herself, Toby had already started speaking. "Did you know that Genevieve here had a crush on Amos Diggory all the way through third year?" he said, hoisting himself off the ledge of the wooden bridge and snaking an arm around Genevieve's shoulders innocently.

"What!" Braldey gasped loudly, hand flying up to cover his gaping mouth. He quickly composed himself and tried his best to smile. "Well he's certainly... a guy."

"See," Toby started, "even Bradley has nothing good to say about him."

"That's not true!" Bradley stuttered, his sentence sounding like one big word because of his Irish accent. "I think he's very charming, and characteristic, and very proud of himself—"

"—Forget I ever said anything," Toby cut Bradley off. "I'm just happy that you have better taste in men now," he said to Genevieve. "She just admitted to liking Remus," he whispered to Bradley.

"Oh my Merlin!" Bradley exclaimed happily, his hands flying to cover his gawking mouth. "You finally admitted it!" He sudden opened his arms wide and encased her inside of them, bringing her into a warm embrace that she couldn't but laugh into. "This is the happiest day of my life!"

"I highly doubt that," Genevieve giggled.

"I'm not joking! This, Genevieve Lewis, is the most amazing moment I have ever experienced," Bradley exclaimed, hands wafting around theatrically in the air as Toby ducked them with great skill.

She smiled.

✧･ ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

A warm heat hit Genevieve's face as she entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Her cheeks were still rosy from spending so long outside, but she no longer felt the same numbness in them as she did only a few minutes ago. She walked deeper into the common room to see the Marauders lounging around on the sofas in front of the fire as per usual.

"Hello boys," she said, sitting herself down next to Peter without an ince of graciousness.

"Genevieve Lewis, remove that scarf from around your neck before I explode it," James fumed almost instantly as soon as he caught sight of her, his face scrunched up as he began scrutinising the knitted object.

"What?" Genevieve questioned on confusion as her eyes darted to the scarf she had forgotten she was wearing. "Oh!" Her usual red and yellow stripy scarf was traded out for a black and yellow scarf belonging to Toby.

"How dare you bring Hufflepuff affiliated items in here while we train to annihilate them for the next Quidditch match—"

"Calm down, you big idiot, I'll take it off then!" She cried theatrically as she watched him pace before the fire. "Honestly, it's not like the scarf is going to come alive and choke you, James," she said as she unwrapped Toby's scarf from around her neck.

"Don't be too sure, Genny. Those Hufflepuff lot are ruthless, especially the girls," Sirius contended.

"Whose scarf is it?" Remus asked. He was sat on the floor with his back up against the arm of the sofa Sirius was sitting in. He didn't look up at her, instead his eyesight kept itself focused on the book sitting in front of him.

"Toby's," she replied. "I got cold and he ever so kindly lent me it."

Remus nodded in acknowledgment, but he didn't look up from his book. Genevieve knew he wasn't reading it though, as his hazelnut eyes stayed fixated in the centre of the book.

"Were you two together while we were in Transfiguration?" Peter questioned.

"Yep. We both have a free period at the same time."

"Since when were you two so close?" Remus asked. It was taking him a lot to keep his voice from sounding bitter. He flipped a page.

"Since I nearly blinded him, I suppose. Now, enough with the interrogation," she insisted. "It's already wearing me out."

And so everyone conversed instead of questioning her. Everyone except Remus. He only sat quietly and flicked the pages of his book without actually reading the text.