February 14, 1977
1:26 pm
Valentine's Day.
"One of the worst days of the year, in my opinion," Ophelia claimed. "It's so cheesy, did you see what Madam Puddifoot's looked like today? Disgusting."
"I think it's nice," Lily said.
The two girls were sitting in the great hall together, eating lunch by themselves. Alice was out in Hogsmeade with Frank, Dorcas and Marlene were on a date, and Mary was with Peter. Godric knew where the rest of the marauders were, but Lily and Ophelia were left alone. They went to Hogsmeade together for the day, but Ophelia forced Lily to come back to the castle after being there for a few hours, not being able to "bear the excessive cheesy shit."
"Of course you'd say that. You had about ten guys ask you out in the past week," Ophelia said. "And yet you rejected them all."
"You've had more than me ask you out! Besides, I don't need a boyfriend to enjoy the day."
"Then what's the point? It's Valentine's Day, you're supposed to be celebrating love and shit. It's repulsive."
"Only because you didn't celebrate it with anyone. You could've asked out Remus."
"As if," she scoffed. "We both know he doesn't fancy me back."
"You're an idiot, Ophelia Black, you really are," laughed Lily.
✩☾✩☽✩
February 15, 1977
1:47 am
Ophelia Black couldn't sleep that night, deciding to read instead of tossing and turning. She got up and scoured the girls' dormitory, but couldn't find anything interesting. She remembered a book Lily told her about earlier that day and realized the only way she could get it was if she went down to the library.
It was much past curfew, a risky venture, but she had nothing better to do, and getting detention from Filch certainly wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. She slipped on a pair of shoes and snuck out through the portrait hole.
Remus Lupin couldn't sleep that night, deciding to watch the, albeit unfinished, marauders map instead of tossing and turning. He noticed Ophelia's name, pacing around the girls' dormitory and walking down and out of the portrait hole. Where was she going?
He watched her until she got to the library, and deciding that he had nothing better to do, got a pair of shoes and decided to meet her there. If they were to get caught by Filch, he could merely blame it on prefect duties and slip away. Although Filch seemed to be unmoving, sound asleep in his office for the past hour.
He found her in the library, searching the shelves for a book, reading the titles, trying to find a particular one.
Hearing the noise behind her, Ophelia flipped around, pointing her wand in that direction. Upon seeing Remus, she lowered it and gave him a suspicious look.
"What are you doing here, Rem? Not following me, are you?"
"I was watching the map, saw you leave, and decided to come and see what you were up to," he said.
"Well, I'm trying to find a book, but it's not here. I'll probably just go back up to the common room and read something there."
"And waste a beautiful night like this? Filch is fast asleep in his office, he's not going to be around here anytime soon."
"And what do you propose we do?"
"Dance with me," Remus suggested.
"What?" Ophelia asked, unbelievingly.
"Ophelia Black, may I have this dance?" Remus held out his hand to which she took.
Remus pulled Ophelia through the halls of Hogwarts, twirling around.
In sync, the two stepped through the dark corridors, Ophelia's hand on Remus' shoulder, the other in his hand, feeling Remus' other hand gripped gently around her waist. Ophelia truly felt like she was floating as Remus hummed a simple tune. When she closed her eyes, she envisioned herself with a full orchestra, playing gorgeous melodies throughout the halls as the two spun around, feeling the nonexistent silk dress billowing behind her.
Music flowed around them like flower petals on a spring day, like water pouring down a waterfall. She felt a certain golden light flowing through her veins, fairy dust sprinkled on her nose that made her feel as if they were floating through the castle. Flowers of yellow, and pink, and white blossomed around their feet as the two passed under a great archway, wrapped up inside themselves, too afraid to bloom.
It was a true tragedy that the pair had existed upon each other, two individuals so fearful that the other wouldn't feel the same way, unknowing of the perfection they see inside each other. But they constantly prove each other wrong, on nights like these where light shines from their souls, illuminating the passion between them.
They yearned, yet truly feared this passion escaping from deep within, from saying something wrong, making a small mistake that would ruin everything. All they wanted was to be left gasping for more without having to run away from the terror of it all.
Ophelia rested her head on Remus' shoulder as they swayed across the stone floor, moonlight beaming down and illuminating their feet as they stepped in rhythm. The night was pure and reckless, and exhilarating. Remus' breath hitched every time they made eye contact, Ophelia's heart exploding when she saw his deep brown eyes, so full of a certain desperation.
Remus grew up knowing she was an angel, he just didn't realize it until the past year. Her deep brown hair, shining as bright as her smile. Her legs carried her as if she were a feather, dancing as if she were a fairy, gracefully leaping from flower to flower.
Ophelia watched Remus grow up with her. Watched as they got closer together throughout the years. He'll never realize just how much she watched him, learned from him, relied on him.
They saw each other, both ridden with insecurities, suffering from the seemingly incurable vulnerability.
When Remus heard her voice, it made him realize that maybe the world isn't all that awful. When she laughed, it's as if the world stops and all of his problems vanish. Moonlight beaming down on her glowing face when euphony escaped her lips. If he listened hard enough, he would be able to hear a siren, calling out for her sister to come home as she lured him in.
Ophelia truly felt at home with him, knowing that the dance they were dancing was so different from the normal waltz she had to learn from a young age. The normally stifling, suffocating dance that was forced upon her now made her smile with an unreasonable amount of joy.
"Where did you learn to dance like this?" she asked.
"My mother taught me when I was young," Remus explained. "We used to dance together in the kitchen real late at night. What about you?"
"I was taught from a young age too, but your story is much more endearing than mine. This is much more enjoyable than the dances I have to go to."
The pair reached the bottom of the grand staircase, stopping to catch their breath as they admired the flowers magically growing around their feet, blooming into beautiful blossoms.
Ophelia looked up at Remus, feeling the so common butterflies in her stomach that she got when she looked at him, completely unaware that Remus was feeling just as many fluttery feelings. She couldn't figure out where to look, both eyes sharing the incredible desperation in them, and once again making the mistake of glancing at his lips. Like last time, she wasn't able to tear her eyes away, and once again Remus immediately noticed this. But instead of smirking like he usually would have, he did the same. His heart rate sped up as he gently grabbed her jaw, slightly bringing her face up to his.
Ophelia felt a rush of an unyielding desire as Remus' lips intertwined with her own. In a rather shocked haze, she pulled back, only being able to mutter a simple, "Remus," as she looked up at him. Fear flooded his eyes as he stood frozen, unable to move at his absolute fatuity. How could he have been so stupid to think she actually fancied him back.
But as soon as Ophelia pulled away, just mere seconds before, she knew that she had made the worst mistake she had ever made. She took his jaw and pulled it to hers, kissing him with a crash of a wave, finally hitting the sand, lacing her fingers into his messy, brown hair. It was an intensity that felt like Remus was the only person in the dizzying world around them, clinging onto him as the only unmoving thing, her constant support in a world of utter chaos and destruction.
Their chests moved in sync when they pulled away, both shocked from what had just happened. They stared at each other, trying to process it all. Remus was the first to speak.
"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," he murmured.
"Believe me, I do."
"I really like you, Ophelia."
"Oh how much I've wanted to hear you say that," the pair smiled into each other as their lips touched once again, conveying so many unspoken feelings too complex to put into words. All they knew was that they had finally overcome their fears, swimming to the surface of chaos, gasping for air as they let themselves come undone in each other's presence.
a/n: dfklasjdgklashdfljdaslkfhjadjfga;ldksfjajdhga;ljfsd
so fun fact this chapter was actually what inspired me to write this whole book, its where I got the inspo to start it :))
it took me an unreasonable amount of time to write too so there's that
but it finally happened aslfkjsdflkhdgjsf
what's their ship name? ophelius? remelia? any other ideas?