The day of the transfiguration exam had arrived, and Remus felt the weight of anxiety settle in the pit of his stomach. He had spent countless hours revising, but his mind felt jumbled with nerves as he sat down in the exam hall. The parchment and quill before him seemed like huge obstacles as he tried to focus on the questions in front of him.
The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to grow louder, echoing the minutes slipping away. Remus attempted to summon the knowledge he had worked so hard to acquire, but his mind felt blank. Doubt gnawed at him, and he struggled to recall even the most basic transfiguration principles.
As time ticked on, Remus found himself rushing through the exam, writing down fragmented answers in the hopes of salvaging some marks. Each line he wrote felt like a stab of disappointment, knowing that he was not performing at his best. He knew he could do better, but the pressure and his own nerves had gotten the better of him.
When the exam finally ended, Remus handed in his paper with a heavy heart. As he walked out of the exam hall, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had let himself down. The knowledge he possessed seemed to have abandoned him at the most crucial moment.
Outside, he was met by the concerned gaze of his friends, who had finished their exams earlier. They knew Remus had been studying diligently, and they could see the worry etched on his face.
"Hey, how did it go?" James asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Remus shook his head, unable to meet their eyes. "Not great, I'm afraid. I messed up some of the questions I knew I should've aced."
Sirius placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Moony. I'm sure you will have done fine."
But Remus couldn't shake off the disappointment he felt in himself. He had always been the responsible one, the studious one, and now, he felt like he had let everyone down, including himself.
As they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, his friends tried to lift his spirits, making light-hearted jokes and telling funny stories, but Remus couldn't bring himself to fully join in their banter. The weight of his perceived failure weighed heavily on his mind.
In the quiet confines of the common room, Remus watched the flickering fire. His friends sat around him, laughing and joking, but Remus's mind was elsewhere.
Peter noticed Remus staring into the dancing flames.
"Hey, Remus." Peter said softly, turning away from the others. "I'm sure you will have done great, Moony. You always do."
Remus managed a weak smile, touched by his friend's words. "Thanks, Wormtail."
Remus tried to join in the game of wizard's chess to take his mind off the exam, but it didn't work and he found himself making excuses to return to his dorm so that he could get some solitude and be alone with his thoughts.
"I'm okay. I'm just tired." He smiled, as he pushed himself to his feet.
Once out of sight, Remus raced back to his dorm and jumped into bed, cocooning himself in the blankets.
The weight of disappointment still clung to him, and he felt a mix of frustration and sadness welling up inside. He sank down onto his bed, burying his face in his hands as tears began to fall.
Feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable, Remus didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching the dormitory. But suddenly, the door creaked open, and he looked up to see Sirius standing there, concern etched on his face.
"Remus... Are you crying?" He asked anxiously, quickly closing the door behind him.
Remus's mouth fell open in shock. Had he really been caught crying? He quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve.
"No. I'm just having an allergic reaction." Remus mumbled.
"To what?" Sirius asked in response.
"Life." Remus replied, letting out a breathy laugh.
Sirius chuckled and slowly made his way over to Remus's bed and sat down.
Remus looked down, avoiding Sirius's gaze. He felt embarrassed that his friend was seeing him like this.
Sirius's eyes softened with understanding. "Remus, listen to me. You're one of the most intelligent and hardworking people I know. One exam doesn't change that. I think you will have done fine, but so what if you haven't? Even if you've failed, you're so much more than a grade on a piece of parchment."
Remus sniffled, trying to regain composure. "It's just... I need these grades. I won't make it very far without them. I think I've failed."
"You didn't fail." Sirius said firmly. "You had a rough day, that's all. It doesn't take away all the effort you've put in over the years. We all have our off days, and that's okay."
Remus finally met Sirius's eyes, finding comfort in his friend's unwavering support. "Thank you, Padfoot. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You'll never have to find out." Sirius replied with a small smile. "We're in this together, Moony. Through the highs and the lows."
"Thank you, Padfoot." Remus said, drying his eyes on his sleeve.
"Anything for my little Moony." Sirius smiled, ruffling Remus's hair teasingly.
Later that evening, Remus met Freya for a walk. They were supposed to walk around the lake, but the heavens opened and rain lashed down in thick sheets from the dark sky above.
They found themselves in an empty classroom nestled away on the third floor of the castle. The air inside was still, and in her presence, Remus was starting to forget about the awful events of the day. The faint scent of parchment and ink lingered in the air, and Remus and Freya sat opposite each other in a comfortable silence.
Freya conjured a delicate pattern of stars on the ceiling. It reminded Remus of the ceiling in the Ravenclaw common room.
Remus broke the silence. "It's beautiful." He commented, in a soft whisper.
The pair chattered in soft whispers for hours. All thoughts of exams and the outside world had disappeared from their minds. As the evening deepened, and the stars on the ceiling continued to twinkle, Remus finally began to feel at ease.
With a swift flourish of his wand, he traced an intricate pattern in the air, and a soft, ethereal glow enveloped his wand tip. With a confident flick, he cast the spell, and a shower of sparkling silver butterflies burst forth, their wings reflecting the starlight from above.
Freya's eyes widened in awe as the butterflies fluttered around them, their delicate wings creating a mesmerizing dance. She reached out her hand, and a few of the butterflies gently landed on her palm, their presence emitting a faint, soothing hum. The room felt alive with magic, wonder and enchantment.
Remus swished his wand again, and soft music began to play. Freya looked around trying to find the source of the music, but she could not see it.
Laughing together, they stood and twirled amidst the enchanting butterflies, their joy infectious.
As the last of the sparkling butterflies gently faded into the air, a charged silence settled in the room. The soft luminescence cast by their spells painted Remus and Freya in an otherworldly glow, their eyes locked in a shared understanding. The magical energy in the room seemed to hum with anticipation.
With a mixture of nervousness and determination, Remus reached out and cupped Freya's cheek in his hand, his touch as gentle as a whisper. Freya's breath caught, her dark eyes searching his for any sign of hesitation. Finding none, a shy smile curved her lips, and in that moment, their unspoken desires converged.
Without any words, without any hesitation, their lips met in a tender and hesitant kiss. It was a delicate connection, a moment suspended in time, as if the magic of the room itself held its breath. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the sensation of their closeness and the warmth of their touch.
They pulled apart, and Remus's heart raced as he looked at Freya. He stood a breath's distance away, and his heart pounded so loudly that he was sure that Freya would be able to hear it. The soft glow of the surrounding magic made her eyes twinkle, and Remus really wanted to kiss her again.
The air crackled with electric tension. Remus leaned in, and Freya met him half way. Their lips collided and moved against each others urgently. Remus placed his hand against her cheek and pulled her in closer. He felt her warm body against his and groaned into their kiss. He could feel Freya's hands in his hair, gripping his thick curls. It felt so good.
Remus lifted Freya up and placed her down so that she was sitting on one of the classroom tables before crashing his lips back on hers. Her hands found their way to his chest, feeling the rapid rhythm of his pounding heartbeat beneath her trembling fingers. She wrapped her fingers around the fabric of his jumper and pulled him closer so that they became a symphony of heartbeats and shallow breaths punctuating the silence around them.
Freya, sat on one of the classroom tables, could feel Remus between her legs. His excitement made her anticipations melt away, and she confidently pushed her body forwards so that their lower bodies collided. Their kiss broke apart for a moment and Remus let out a breathy moan, feeling her body pressed up against his.
His eyes frantically searched hers, asking silent questions. She gave him a smile and a nod, and he pressed his lower body against hers harder. Her eyes closed and she bit down on her lower lip. Remus was filled with confidence by her reaction. He kissed her hard and gripped her bare thigh under her skirt.
Freya's hands cupped the side of Remus's face as she deepened their kiss, and Remus's fingers continued their journey up her thigh. He felt nervous once he reached the top. He knew where this was going, and he had never done anything like this before. He felt vulnerable, although he trusted her more than anyone else.
He hadn't realised that he had become lost in his thoughts until he was broken out of them by her hands near the belt of his trousers.
"Can I?" She asked him, her hands hovering over the buckle.
Remus nodded, incapable of forming words. He closed his eyes as her fingers fumbled with the buckle, and then he could feel her fingers beneath his underwear. Remus leaned his head back, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.
"Freya." He whispered as she began to move her hand. He realised that his own hand was still frozen at the top of her thigh.
"Do you want me to...?" He asked, moving his hand slightly.
She nodded.
Remus kept his eyes locked on hers as he moved his hand between her legs. To Remus's surprise, it was warm and wet. Her eyes closed and her breath caught as his fingers reached their destination.
"Kiss me." She groaned.
Remus didn't need to be told twice. In an instant, his lips were back on hers. Their kisses were even more frantic this time, fuelled by the pleasure their hands were bringing each other. Remus's mind began to get hazy as the pressure built up inside him. He could feel her tugging on the bottom of his jumper, and he used his other hand to help her lift it over his head.
As soon as the cold air hit his chest, Remus regretted his decision. He froze, and Freya pulled away from his lips, a questioning look on her face.
Remus's cheeks burned as her eyes lowered, taking in the canvas of his skin adorned with a tapestry of scars. Each scar told a story, told his story. Freya's breath caught, her fingers gently tracing the pathways of Remus's scars, her touch a gentle reassurance that she was there, present in the moment with him, and that she didn't find his scars repulsive, that she didn't find him repulsive.
The room seemed to frozen in time as their unspoken connection deepened. Remus felt his vulnerabilities melt away. In Remus's scars, Freya saw not just Remus's past pain, but his strength, resilience and courage.
Freya met his eyes with tenderness, conveying a silent understanding. She leaned forwards and placed a gentle kiss over one of his scars, a gesture of acceptance and admiration. In that abandoned classroom, Remus felt his feelings confirmed.
He definitely loved her.