⚯͛ Unfortunate - Remus Lupin ⚯͛

9.

Maeve needed to think, she needed to have quiet to be able to process what she just read.

Where to go?

But that wasn't even a question in Maeve's mind, she already knew that her little secret cubby next to the library was perfect.

She walked up to the wall next to the library, looked around to see if anyone was looking, and quickly slipped through the wall.

She quickly walked up the stairs, her heels loud on the stone. When she got to the window sill she took off her shoes and sat down, crossing her legs underneath her.

She pulled out the letter that was folded up in her pocket and re-read it for what seemed like the fifth time.

Dear Maeve,

We are writing to inform you that we have recently been invited to a dinner at the Malfoys in the Christmas holidays. Some attending the dinner include several Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself. He informed us that following this dinner you and a few other Slytherins of your age will receive the Dark Mark.

We are very excited to know he already thinks highly of you enough to give you this honour. You have made us very proud.

Love,
Mother and Father

Maeve let out a shaky breath and put the letter back in her pocket.

This is okay. Why was she freaking out? This is what she's wanted all along.

Her head sharply turned to the stairs as she heard footsteps. Who was it? She didn't think anyone else knew about it.

She saw Remus Lupin emerging up the stairs and the only thought going through her mind was: of course.

He was holding a box of muggle cigarettes in his left hand. His pale blue eyes widened when he saw her. She then realised she probably looked a mess, she was about to cry and her hair was loose and messy as she had basically run through the hallway to get here. She re did her hair as he began to speak.

"Sorry," Remus said quietly, "I uh...I come here to smoke sometimes."

"Can I have one?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah I guess," He came to sit next to her on the window sill. "May I?"

She nodded slightly, he was closer so only now had she noticed the pretty fresh cut that started above his eyebrow and went across his eye all the way down to his jaw. He had a few bruises as well, as if someone had beat him up.

"What the fuck happened to you?" She asked as he made himself comfortable on the window sill.

"Okay, let's make a deal, I'll give you a cigarette if you don't ask any questions. Okay?" He asked.

"Deal," She shrugged.

"Can I open the window?" He asked.

"I mean sure, but wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Yeah, but that's the fun," He smirked at her, "stand up while I do it though, it wouldn't be fun for you if you fell through."

She laughed slightly and gestured to him to open the window as she stood up.

Remus swung the large windows open which caused a cool chill to rush past them. He sat on the window sill, now with his long legs dangling over the edge of the window. She came to sit on the other side and instead leant on the bit of wall that made the arch over the window. She spread her legs out over the window sill, but it was so big that her feet still didn't touch his legs.

"Now give me one," She said, handing out her hand.

"Sure," He reached in the box and grabbed a cigarette, "these are muggle cigarettes though, just warning you."

"Fuck off, I'm not my friends. Just give me it," She grabbed it off him, "I've smoked before."

"You have?" He failed to mask his surprise, "But..."

"Yeah yeah, they're muggle made but at the end of the day I like smoking and I think that's all that matters," She said.

"If that's the case, I do actually have a muggle lighter as well," He raised an eyebrow.

"Now that I've never tried," She said.

Maeve then impulsively moved so she was sitting the same as Remus, and moved so they were now only inches apart. Her legs dangling down from that height was exhilarating.

As he fished in his pocket for the lighter, she looked out at the view. It was incredible. They were looking out onto the grass in front of the courtyard and then by that was the black lake. The moon was just starting to rise, but it was only a small crescent which told her that -

"It must have been a full moon last night."

"Yep," He nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable suddenly.

He finally fished out a small metal contraption that must have been the muggle lighter. Muggles were so inventive, she couldn't understand how they did all this stuff without magic.

She watched as he held the cigarette between his two fingers and flicked something on the metal thing so a flame appeared on the top of it. He, with what seemed like lots of experience, placed the cigarette between his lips and lit it with the lighter. The edge of it glowed red and he put the lighter down. He then took the cigarette away from his lips and exhaled, his eyes closing in bliss.

It was entrancing. Like seriously, in that moment she felt like she could watch him for the rest of her life and never get bored. Just watch him. He was so beautiful.

"Now light mine," She said quietly.

He turned to look at her and without hesitation grabbed the lighter. She held the cigarette between her lips as he lit the end of it. She inhaled, feeling the warmth and the taste fill her up and then exhaled the smoke.

"Thanks," She said, coughing slightly.

They sat there for a moment, a comfortable silence settling over them. And then-

"Why were you upset before?" He asked

"I wasn't."

"You looked upset."

"I thought we said no questions." She laughed it off.

"We said you wouldn't ask questions to me, so..."

"I'm fine," She gave him a look.

"No you're not," He said, "but okay."

"Okay," She said, putting the cigarette between her lips again.

"Okay," He shrugged, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

"Stop," She glared at him, trying to fight the smile growing on her face.

"Okay," He was met by another glare, "sorry I'll stop now."

Another silence, they both had another smoke.

"Have you ever wanted to get a tattoo?" She asked after a second.

"Well...I've never really thought about it, isn't it supposed to hurt?"

"Yep," She nodded, looking down at their swinging feet.

But the pain of the tattoo she would get in the christmas holidays was the thing she feared the least.

"You know, you're not too bad, Iverson," Remus said as he looked out at the view.

"Likewise, Lupin," She smirked as she looked out as well, "likewise."