NOTHING GIRL || Remus Lupin

-Forty One: Nervous-

"There's no such thing as wizard cops." Remus said, rubbing the back of his head ruefully.

"There ain't no such thing as wizards." Jack added. When no one laughed, he gave his coffee a defeated look and turned back to Remus. "Moon Boy, ey Posh? You into all tha' Astronomy stuff then?"

Remus looked down at his tea, smiling slightly. Somehow he didn't think 'No, actually, I'm a werewolf' was the right thing to bring into the conversation. He locked eyes with Helia and they shared a secret grin.

"Something like that." He said.

..........................

"I was right, you know. We need to get you home."

Helia appeared as if from nowhere, grabbing Remus's arm and dragging him into the back garden. He followed, trying to keep the smile off his face. He was reminded suddenly of the night Helia had dragged him down to the Great Hall. He remembered the not-nearly-as-shocked-as-it-should-have-been expression on her face as they had landed in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. 

"Do you think Kyle's doing okay?" He asked suddenly, thinking of the sphinx that they had left in the haunted woods.

"He's fine." Helia said, frowning at a Google maps image of Remus's house on her phone so that she could properly envision it for travel. "In fact, he's great. He's been given a promotion."

"You checked up on him?" Remus asked, surprised.

Helia shrugged. "I was in the area. Apparently the clan wanted some more 'modern' riddles, and Kyle... Well, you know."

Remus did know. The only thing that lion was missing was a tramp stamp and a dyed black fringe. He was so angsty-teenager-in-a-dead-end-job that it gave Remus an uncomfortable feeling of realness.

"Is he enjoying it?" Remus asked.

"Secretly." Helia put her phone away at last, offering her arm to Remus. "I think he just likes the fact that he got promoted before his sister."

"I'll remember to put in a good customer review." he muttered.

Crack!

Seeing his home after so long was like a shot of reality through the dream he had been living over the last two days with Helia.

The cottage looked half asleep, his batman curtains pulled closed over the window to his room. Just seeing them made the corner of Remus's mouth turn up. They had apparated onto the small path outside, and Remus hadn't let go of Helia's hand yet. Something- a reckless, dangerous something- told him to keep holding on until she mentioned it. She didn't mention it.

"Oh." Helia slapped herself in the face with her free hand, signifying that she had forgotten something. She turned to Remus. "Give me your wand."

"Why?" Remus removed the two halves of his wand and held them out.

"Why do you think?" Helia tapped the broken wand with her own. "Reparo!"

Remus felt a piece of himself slot into place as his wand joined back up, an itch at the back at his mind easing slightly. "Thanks." He mumbled appreciatively.

At that moment, his father's face appeared at the window, breaking into a grin at the sight of his son. Remus felt Helia take a step back.

"I better go." She muttered. But that same something kept Remus holding her hand, keeping her their until the door opened and his dad emerged, followed by his mother.

Immediately everything about Helia went still. Remus looked over to see her face, and her pure look of panic. Get me out of here, her eyes begged, but Remus just grinned. Helia mouthed 'Sadistic bastard' at him, which only made his smile widen.