JULIET {remus lupin}

NINETY

When he arrived at Anne's small house she turned her back to him and stormed into the house, "you're late."

He sighed and caught her hand, "I'm sorry."

"Three hours late-"

He pulled her into him and kissed her forehead, "sorry, Annie."

"Shut up, Remus."

His relationship was a complicated one, Anne was a lovely woman, and he enjoyed the simplicity of their relationship. Her father had given him work on his farm, and now he made a bit of muggle money, and most nights he would stay with her, and he wouldn't be so lonely. He'd shown her where he lived, once he got enough money to make it a little nicer, but hid it with wards whenever his past caught up with him. Eventually, he had admitted to not having a telephone, and she had brought him one. She was head over heels, he knew that, and he felt awful. As nice as she was, and as pretty as she was, it wasn't the same, and he felt it never would be.

"Guess what I saw the other night?"

"What?" He asked, putting her kettle on the stove. Living as a muggle came more easily to him than he expected.

"A wolf."

Remus paused. 

"A big dog?"

"No, like a werewolf."

He forced a laugh and rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm serious, I did. I was trying to get to yours, but I got lost, as always."

"What time was this?"

"Around midnight. Two nights ago."

He sighed internally and rubbed his head, that had been the full moon. 

"You're mental," he grinned.

"I am not!" 

"Werewolves don't exist."

She turned around to get a mug and Remus pulled his wand out of his pocket, muttering "obliviate."

She turned around smiling and handed him two mugs, chattering away about the farm as he poured their tea. He felt guilty, but he couldn't have her talking to anyone else in the village. He doubted muggles liked werewolves anymore than wizards did.

 "I've been thinking," she said, sitting down. "We ought to move somewhere."

Remus tried to hide as he choked on his tea.

"What?"

"London, or somewhere. Wherever you like, really."

He tried to smile, "I'm happy here, for now."

The woman looked taken aback, "you told me last week you want to go, that you were thinking about teaching- or taking that job..."

"Yeah- er. I'm not really sure, Annie."

She stared at him blankly, "so it's me."

"What do you mean?"

"It's me you don't want to go anywhere with, you want to go alone."

"No, not at all. I'm just not sure yet."

"I'll go anywhere," she said quietly.

"Anne," he sighed, looking at her guiltily. "There's more to life than me."

She shook her head.

"There isn't, not for me. You've had your fancy school, your mates in London, riding around on a bloody motorbike, catching the train to Scotland every September. You've been in love, fell for the rich girl who was 'out of your league'," she said, directly quoting his words. "You've moved, and you still have the option to, you've got a job waiting for you. I've been here forever. There's been no one before you."