"Study sessions"
-L.E
T+R, unbearable as ever
-Marlene
Teddy '77
-R.J. Lupin
Hogwarts greatest idiots
-Teddy
Remus 'steal your girl' Lupin
-Prongs
They walked back through the corridors, hand in hand, both smiling like mad people. Remus would occasionally stop in the odd alcove the enjoy the taste of Teddy's lips before returning to their strolling, smirking to himself. Teddy's heart fluttered with every touch of her skin against his. Desire burning in the pit of her stomach and head swimming with love. As they reached the portrait hole into Gryffindor tower their ease of movement became slightly stunted and awkward as Remus slowed them to a stop. He turned her to look at him gently, still holding her hand and looking intensely into her cool, ocean blue eyes.
"I- um, where are you- uh, where are you sleeping?" He bit his lip with anxiety and Teddy could tell it took all of his will power not to turn his eyes to his shoes.
She gripped his hand tightly and moved closer to him, stretching up to whisper in his ear.
"Wherever you are." She said with a sly smile.
Remus grinned and swiftly swept her off her feet, his hands gripping her thighs and quickly grunting the password to the fat lady. The portrait hole swung open and the two stumbled through it blindly, lips attached and hands groping at eachother wildly. They stupidly forgot that anyone else in the world existed and jumped at the sound of wolfwhistles and whooping from the other Gryffindor's residing in the common room, slightly drunk and grinning wildly.
"Well it's about time!" Sirius boomed.
"Finally!" James cheered. The girls all giggled. Remus and Teddy's faces went red with embarassment, still clinging to eachother. Teddy buried her face in Remus' chest and he held her tightly.
"Piss off you lot." He continued stumbling through the common room toward the stairs.
"Oi where d'you think you're goin?" Sirius called after them.
"We need to talk to you two!" Peter joined in.
"What are Malfoy's intentions with our Moony?!" James jeered.
"Oh Merlin." Teddy blushed intensely and wiggled her way out of Remus' grip, dropping to the floor gently.
"We'd better..." She said softly to Remus.
"Yeah, alright. I s'pose I can wait a bit more. Just a bit tho." He said lowly and she laughed. They turned to face the gang of friends seated around the fireplace. Remus wrapped his arms around Teddy's waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Sooo... When did this happen?" Mary asked, biting her lip to hold back a giggle.
"Ummm, Remus checked his watch on his wrist from over Teddy's shoulder. 47 minutes ago?"
"So you made up?" Alice asked earnestly.
"Yup!" Remus kissed Teddy's shoulder softly. "Better than ever."
They all grinned.
"Well come sit down idiots." James said happily, pointing to the empty armchair next to the couch he sat on with Lily laying across it, her head in his lap and a pleasant smile stained on her lips.
Remus sat comfortably on the armchair with Teddy on his lap, their limbs entangled and her head tiredly rested on his chest. He stroked her back softly and she hummed with contentment occasionally pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw. The gang was back together and happier than ever. They chatted happily and Teddy finally slept, in the company and comfort of their familiar voices.
When she awoke Teddy found herself curled up in the rumpled sheets of a Gryffindor bed. Glancing around at the red curtains she smiled to herself. She finally felt at home. She rolled over hoping to find the sleepy smile of Remus Lupin but found the bed empty.
She huffed slightly and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was wrapped in a soft woollen jumper which smelled ,comfortingly, of oak and coffee. She pulled back the curtains and found the rest of the dorm empty. Glancing at the clock on Remus' bedside table she found it was past 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning. This meant it was most likely James and Sirius were at Quidditch practice. Peter was probably with them, watching in the stands. Maybe Remus was with them, or in the library studying.
She rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of Remus' boxers over her underwear. She wasn't quite sure when she undressed, vague memories of last night filled her mind but it was all a bit bleary and tired. She was fairly sure she and Remus hadn't...shagged. Although she wouldn't mind if they had. She padded down the stairs in bare feet, shivering slightly with the cold. She found the common room almost deserted save for Mary, half asleep on one of the sofas a witch's magazine in her lap, and a mop of mousy brown hair poking over the top of an armchair turned away from her. She grinned at the sight and hurried over to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck from behind him and pressing a kiss to his head.
"Mornin' Moony." She said quietly, her voice raspy.
"Good morning Teddy." He responded with his ridiculously sexy, morning, gravely tone. He pulled her around him and into his lap where she curled up happily, shivering in the cold morning.
"You abandoned me." She whined pouting, and looking at him through her eyelashes.
"M'sorry m'love," he mumbled into her neck, rubbing her hip comfortingly.
"I didn't wanna wake you, y'looked so peaceful."
"Weirdo, no watching me sleep." She laughed and kisses his cheek.
He tipped her face up with a finger under her chin. He placed a soft kiss to her lips and pulled her ever-closer to him. She shivered again suddenly and he rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm her up.
"As much as I hate to say it, you need more clothes darlin'"
"Mmm don't wanna move." She mumbled sleepily, eyes closed again.
"Cmon then. He lifted her easily and carried her upstairs."
"Use a protection charm!" Mary called after them. They both laughed and Remus shook his head with embarassedly.
Once dressed the two spent the day enjoying eachother's presence. Reading in the common room, finishing off homework and talking. It felt so good to be together again, both had a constant smile on their faces. Their friends welcomed Teddy back happily, much to her amazement, and they settled back into normality.
"Ughhh I can't do this." Sirius whinged and threw himself back on the sofa dramatically.
"What's wrong now Pads?" Remus grumbled from his place on the big leather armchair, continuing to scribble furiously on the parchment in his lap.
"Potions." Sirius sighed.
"Have you still not finished that essay on Liquid Death?"
"Nope. There's no point. My draught practically blew up in my face. You and Evans were the only people to actually get anywhere close, other than slimy snivellus." He grumbled.
"You can copy off mine," Remus said exasperatedly, pointing to his satchel which rested against the coffee table.
"Yes! You're the best Moons." Sirius jumped up, immediately becoming far more chipper and practically skipped over to grab the parchment.
"Soooo... You and Teddy...." Sirius started slyly.
"Oh Merlin, what about it Sirius?" Remus' tone was gruff. He was fed up with all of the questioning from his friends. Since his and Teddy's reunion his friends had each taken their turn to interrogate him about every single detail.
"Nothing, nothing...only...you were a real mess after her...I worry about you Moony."
"Well don't. I was only a mess because I was without her. It was my fault in the first place for not listening to her...if I had only let her explain what had happened then maybe...maybe we never would've had to break up."
"Right, yeah...sorry."
"It's fine, I appreciate the concern Pads but there's really no need. You know Teddy."
"I thought I did..."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Remus was getting mad now. He knew what Sirius was getting at. The way she's been acting the last few weeks was...different. At her core though, she was still the same old Teddy.
"Hanging out with my brother, the Slytherins? I mean, I just thought...I don't know, I thought she was like me you know? I thought she didn't want anything to do with them or her family."
"It's not like she's running off to join the death eaters Sirius. She's allowed to be friends with Slytherins. He's your brother for god's sake!"
"Exactly! My brother! He grew up in the same home as me, I know exactly who he is and...and...well he stayed! He stayed there, he chose that life. After everything."
"You know he had no choice Sirius."
"Maybe...maybe so but....but she does! She has a choice. I thought she had made her choice."
"Playing in a band with them, being friends with them...it doesn't make her a bad person. I don't think any of them are bad people. Teddy wouldn't...she wouldn't do that."
"She wasn't just friends with them Moony and you know it."
"That, that doesn't matter to me."
"Maybe it should! You'd barely been broken up two seconds and she took the chance to go and scree half the purebloods in the castle!"
"Fuck you Black! Teddy and I have gotten over this, it doesn't matter to us. She wasn't the only one sleeping around! How come you can't get the fuck over it!"
"Because she could be bad Remus! She could be...she could be using you, spying on us, she knows about the society Remus and pretty soon...pretty soon we're all going to be out there, taking part in missions, plotting against bloody Voldemort. If she's using us, using you... It could end badly."
"Bloody hell! How paranoid can you be! She's Teddy, Sirius! A few weeks ago she was like a little sister to you. Just because she slept around and made some new friends doesn't mean she's now a bloody death eater."
"But-"
"NO! That's enough Sirius. I don't want to hear it. Leave Teddy alone. Leave ME alone! I can't believe you."
"Remus!"
"Fuck you Black."
Remus quickly left the common room, storming out of the portrait hole and trying to reduce his growing anger. Is face was hot, a fire burning in his core.
He was so angry he didn't even noticed when he practically ran into someone on the staircase. There was a slam as the person fell.
"Hey watch where you're goin'!" His voice was gruff and he finally looked down only to see a startled Teddy lying rumpled on the floor. Her eyes were wide with a glint of fear.
"Fuck, shit, Ted's I'm so sorry." He ran down the few steps she had fallen down and crouched on the floor beside her.
"Are you alright, I'm sorry I didn't even see you I was just-"
"It's fine." She smiled a strained sort of smile and Remus could tell she was hurt.
"Where hurts, I'll take you to the hospital wing, I'll carry you, here." He held out his hand and wound his arm around Teddy's small frame lifting her gently.
"No, no, Remus put me down I'm fine really."
He rested her softly on the stone steps and smiled weakly.
"Sorry, I'm being way over protective aren't I? Over compensating I suppose."
"It's cute." She tapped his nose and continued up the steps, heading in the direction from which Remus had come.
"Oh are you, you're going to the tower?"
"Uh, yeah...gotta finish my charms homework. I presume you've already finished it."
"Yeah, I...I was just going for a walk, you could come with?" He asked hopefully, inwardly praying she wouldn't go back to the common room where and frustrated Sirius awaited her.
"Nah, it's drizzling a bit and I'm cold. Gonna go warm up. Don't question it if more of your jumpers go missing."
"Hah, yeah alright, help yourself." He laughed and pecked her quickly before her hand slipped from his and she hurried up the stairs.
The next time Remus saw Sirius was at dinner that night. Sirius sat next to James and across from Peter. Remus sat across from Lily with Teddy next to him leaning on his arm. He avoided Sirius' eye, although it wasn't that hard. Sirius barely looked up from his plate the entire meal, sulking.
"What's wrong Pads?" James asked jovially giving him a poke on the arm.
"Nothing." Sirius mumbled. "Not hungry."
"Oh cmon no sulking Pads, I'm miserable enough already with bloody exams coming up."
It was true, May was drawing to a close far too quickly for Remus' liking and June drew ever closer, with it came exams.
"Oh God don't talk about it." Lily threw her head into her hands.
"Come off it Lils you know you're gonna ace them."
"I don't know...everything's so much harder this year. I thought owls were difficult but Newts are something else."
"Tell me about it." Teddy grumbled tiredly from beside him.
"Aw darlin don't worry." Remus kissed her head and wrapped an arm around her back, rubbing it soothingly.
Teddy stayed settled there, eyes closed and comfortable, until a tap on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.
"Can I talk to you Theodora." Teddy looked across the table and saw Sirius' hard gaze settled on the man behind her.
Regulus was shifting uneasily on his feet, staring hopefully at the back of Teddy's head. When she finally turned around to greet him she gave him a kind smile and silently got up, following him out of the great hall. She could feel Remus' eyes on her and turned back to give him a nod just before rounding the corner and losing sight of her friends.
"I haven't seen you since the concert." Regulus said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"Yeah, sorry Reg. I've been a bit..busy. school stuff you know?"
"Yeah, right, course."
"Yeah."
The air was thick with the tension of awkward silence.
"Look Theo, I just want to know. Do you love him?"
"What?"
"Remus. Do you love him?"
He looked so earnest, so sincere, his eyes glistened ever so slightly. She knew he was hoping she would say no. She couldn't quite get the words out the way she wanted to. She kept composing sentences in her head but every one seemed like it would hurt him.
"Regulus..."
He dropped his gaze and gave a nod.
"Yeah."
He kept his eyes to the floor and turned away, walking down the the corridor.
"Reg, please!" She called after him pleadingly. He was a good friend to her. She couldn't leave it like this, she couldn't lose him to this.
Running forward she grabbed his hand and pulled him around to face her.
"Did you ever, could you have-"
"Yes, another time maybe....we just, weren't right."
"Right...I love you Theodora. I don't expect anything. I want for nothing from you, except for you to know that. I love you."
She stood, locked in place, mouth too dry and head too flustered to form a word.
"Goodbye Theodora."
He turned again and she let his hand slip from hers. She watched him walk away, down the corridor and out of sight.
"Goodbye Regulus." She whispered to herself.