love, lupin

sixty-five

Remus flushed,
"you never- she never-"

"Im kidding Remus." Lily told him and Remus smiled shyly.

"I like you." Jack told Lily who gave her a proud smile, "However, I do need to steal Remus for a private talk." The now blonde told the redhead who nodded.

"Okay." Lily said and she looked over at Remus and reached for the books, "For Sirius right?"
Remus gave her an incredulous smile,
"How'd you know?"

"I just always know." Lily shrugged and Remus handed her the books, "besides his name is on them."

Remus glanced down and smiled when he saw the names.

"Tell him I said thanks." Remus said, "And that I'll meet him tomorrow instead of today. Something came up."

"You're busy?" Jack asked with a frown and Remus lookee at her and he shook his head,
"Its okay." He told her and he put his arm over her shoulders to lead her away. "Thank you Lily."

Lily waved a goodbye.

Jack shrugged his arm off her shoulder and looked up at him with a frown.

"You got the news that we're going home for Easter and you were still going to go and meet him?" Jack asked, "Remus you know what going home early means."

"Jack we have ages to talk about it. I was going to find you guys after, I think we shouldn't tell our parents or The Dark Lord and that we should stay-"
"Remus, Evan sent a letter to him last night."

Remus felt a dizzy wave again at the news.

"Without waiting to speak to me?" Remus asked and Jack frowned,
"Why shoukd he have? We want this done quickly Remus. I want this done as quickly as possible."

Remus wanted to say that he doesn't. He doesn't want this to ever even happen. Now he couldn't avoid it.

"But-"
Jack walked more purposefully ahead and Remus followed on in silence.

"You found him? Oh.." Evan trailed off at the stoic expression on Jack's face and the withdrawn expression on Remus' face.

They were sat in the room of requirement and Remus took his place at the table no one sat at.

"Everything okay?"
"Remus wanted to wait until Summer." Jack spat and Remus didn't look up from his lap,
"Why?" Remus looked up and shrugged,
"I don't know. It's just that's when I was getting used to having to do it." Remus muttered and Evan frowned.

"We're made to adapt Remus." Evan told him and Remus looked down again, he couldn't bear the stares.

"Cut him some slack guys." Regulus spoke up, "It's not us that has to kill their friend. He's probably just in a bit of shock that he has to now do it sooner than planned."

Remus met Regulus' eyes and he gave him a thankful smile. Regulus nodded at him with a placid expression.

"So how are we going to do this?" Barty asked, "Of course its going to be in public, but are we going to Jack act up or is Remus just going to kill her?"
"Well act up of course. I want to be killed for a reason." Jack said as if it was obvious and Remus looked at her next,
"I haven't decided if its you Jack." Remus told her and she gave him a nasty look,
"I'm going to die either way Remus. You kill someone else, we've already made a pact that Evan will kill me aswell. You don't want go lose two of us now do you?"

Remus shook his head,
"How do you know I won't kill Evan?"

"You wouldn't kill him, Remus. Don't try and be funny." Jack said and Remus looked stricken by it and looked at Evan who was already watching him with raised brows.

"You don't know that-"
"Remus, you don't have to pretend you don't like him...we know" Barty told him and Evan hit his arm and Evan looked at the blonde with frown.
"You told them?" He accused and Evan stammered over his words, "what reason was there to tell them?"

Remus had flushed red in embarrassment.

"It just came up, we were talking about you and Sirius and-"
"Talking about me and Sirius?" Remus asked, "why?"
"We were wondering about stuff Wolfboy." Evan told him and Barty nodded,
"We were discussing whether you two were actually a thing." Barty handed,
"You could have just asked?" Remus spoke as if it was obvious, "there's no need to talk about it behind my back."

"Could we have though?" Regulus spoke up and Remus looked up, surprised.
"Well of course, you guys are my friends. I might not be with yiu all as much as I used to but you guys are like- like my family." Remus told them and he looked down, "you really are. And considering I'm not a big family person when it comes to Fenrir and Harlow, please don't take that lightly."

"Oh Remus you big softie." Barty cooed as he stood up and practically collapsed onto Remus in a hug. Remus caught him in a half hug before hw slid off his lap.

"Shut up Crouch. Just ask me next time, all of you." Remus said, "If I don't want to answer it then I won't and you can conspire or whatever then but don't just talk between yourselves and assume."

Crouch persistently hung onto him so Remus held him, complacentm

"Okay, so.." Evan started but Remus just gave him a sideways look, still not happy that he'd told all the others what he'd trusted to keep a secret. He shut up.

"Were not together if any of you are wondering." Remus told them, "we just, we're just friends who make out every now and again."
"And give eachother blow jobs." Evan interrupted and Remus gave him a nasty look.

"No way." Regulus spoke up, his stoic persona broken as he looked at Remus in disgust, "that's my brother man."
"Regulus don't say that, it's putting me off." Remus joked with a slight laugh and Regulus faked a gag.

"I have a question." Barty piped from Remus' arms and Remus looked down at him, "Is it big?"

Remus dropped him as there was an uproar from ghe others.

Remus watched them all with a smile.

"Are you happy Remus?" Jack asked from where she sat on the table and Remus smiled and nodded,
"Yes. I'm happy" Remus told her and she smiled down at him.

"I believe in you Remus." She told him and Remus grew cold. He didn't want her to. He wanted her to change her mind, to be on his side about this all but she wouldn't. She was willing to die for this.

Remus nodded and smiled no matter how much he didn't want to.

"That means alot Jack."