Time took the marauders back to Hogwarts and allowed no time for a single thought to cross Remus Lupins mind that wasn't exam related.
With the Quidditch cup finals approaching, this meant the school was buzzing with anticipation and excitement. The match, was of course between Slytherin and Quidditch, Aveline able to ignore the jealously in her chest of pure excitement for James.
Of course, she was cheering for Gryffindor and when the day of the match arrived she was tucked into the boys dorm room, Remus's head in her lap as she painted a lion on his cheek.
"Stop moving!" She complained, holding his head steady in her hands. "This is like painting a toddler."
"The paint is cold," he bickered back , and Aveline rolled her eyes in a very Sirius like fashion.
"You poor baby. Do you want me to light a fire and warm the paint just for your skin princess?" She argued back, and a dangerous grin flickered over his face.
"Yes," he deadpanned.
As Aveline rolled her eyes again, before continuing to paint she heard Remus let out a genuine laugh, and she fought the urge to smile at it.
Everyday Remus seemed to be getting better, yet still she could see the grief that lingered in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. His friends tried to keep life as normal as possible for him, they didn't walk on egg shells around him but made sure they checked in on him when the timing was appropriate.
Aveline had taken to writing Lyall every couple days to check in with him, the stubborn man living alone in Lupin cottage. Remus and Lyall hadn't spoken since the funeral, which though wasn't long ago was an abnormal amount of time for the Lupin men to go without a letter between them.
Though Aveline didn't want to intrude, every time she brought it up with Remus he'd shrug and brush her off, perhaps mutter something under his breathe that he'd write the man a letter tomorrow— a promise he never fulfilled.
It was as if with Hopes passing, a wall was built between the two men in which neither party knew how to dismantle it .
Perhaps it was due to the fact Remus eyes took the man back to his grief, or the fact that Remus had never known his father without his mother, but it seemed it was easier for both to run from their relationship as if not facing it would heal their wounds faster.
Remus was watching Aveline's concentrated face, taking in the scrunch of her freckled nose and the way the way her breathe and hair tickled him where it touched. The opal necklace was dangling from her chest in his face, and he found his fingers moving to play with it.
The boy suddenly sat up, messing up Aveline's paint.
"The paint! Lupin if you don't sit back down—"
He cut her off by closing the space between them and laying a kiss so delicately on her lips she was shocked by the softness of the action. This was different then the usual way he kissed her, this was sincere, from a place of so much love it made her cheeks flush a deep red, and as he pulled away staring in her eyes , Aveline wasn't sure what to say— her brain suddenly spiraling in a storm of pink lights and fireworks.
"Well now the lion is really going to be messed up," she said, overcome with awkwardness by the silence and attempting to fill it with her ramble words. "I better fix that lion, the game is in like —"
"Aveline," his voice was gentle like pouring warm honey out of a bottle into a cup of tea.
"—30 minutes, and we better leave in 15 so—
"Aveline," he said again, his voice just above a hush as his hands found the side of her cheek.
Her face was so red now she was certain she was a tomato. She usually didn't get this flushed around the boy, but there was something in his voice today that sent her into a state of frenzy.
"—so we get good seats—"
"Look at me love," he whispered, his voice so soft she felt like she could melt and listen to it forever.
He placed a finger under her chin, delicately tilting her head up so she was looking into his eyes.
Aveline physically felt something in her chest— a pulling, a longing, an explosion— she couldn't derive exactly what it was but she knew it made her wish she could spend the rest of her day listening to his delicate voice and staring into his warm eyes.
"I love you Aveline," he said, and though he had told her these words before this time felt different, like they were standing on the edge of a cliff barely hanging on. "And uh I know this is horrible timing, and I'm selfish for even asking you this and you have every right to yell at me and never talk to me again, and I should be asking you in a better way and with flowers and—"
"Remus," she cut him off, with a get to the point expression plastered on her face.
"I've been thinking lately about how short life is and I know this is so selfish of me but I want you to be my girlfriend," he rushed. "Only if you want of course."
He waited, nervous but her silence and the unreadable expression on her face.
"No," she suddenly deadpanned, and looked down at the paint pallet in her lap, pretending to dip her brush in one of the colours.
.
"Oh!" Remus squeaked, his heart dropping. "That's okay, of course I understand, you didn't have to say yes of course, but you knew that because your a uh strong woman and uh yes that's totally uh cool. I mean of course I'm sad but that's okay and um I should go now."
He rambled on for what felt like ten minutes in his mind, before looking up and seeing an amused expression on her face , the girl holding back pure giggles.
"Remus I'm kidding. Consider that revenge for kissing me and then ditching me without explanation."
His heart leapt, a grim crawling over his face. "So is that a yes?"
"Hmm I don't know," she sighed, fighting back a grin as she made a big show of tapping her finger with her chin. "After all you've put me through Lupin, you might have to get on your knees and beg."
Her tone was playful, clearly joking as Remus rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, the boy jumped off the bed, getting down on his knees and clasping his hands together.
"Aveline Rosier, beautiful perfect angel woman light of my life prettiest pretty girl to ever exist," Remus began in a very dramatic tone. "Will you do me the absolute honour of letting me be your boyfriend?"
A grin so wide was spread across Aveline's face that she truly could not hold back. yet still the girl scratched her head dramatically as if she was really thinking of his question.
"Boyfriend hm?" She asked him, moving to sit on the edge of bed where the boy still knelt in front on his knees.
At this height they were almost eye to eye, Remus's head slightly tilted up as she reached her hands forward, placing them on the back of his neck.
"Boyfriend," he confirmed with a nod of his head.
It was clear she was killing him, the boy looking just about ready to spring forward and kiss her as she trailed her finger down the side of his jaw. He moved his hands till they rested on her hips, fighting the urge to pull her off the bed and right into his lap.
"I think I'd like that," she whispered.
"You'd think?" He asked, a smirk on his face as he leaned forward, their noses now nearly touching.
"I'd think," she confirmed, and before she could get out another word the distance was closed as Remus tackled her in a kiss, pulling her right off the bed and into his lap.
It didn't take long for Remus to be on top off the girl, trailing kisses down her neck as her back was on the floor of the boys dorm. He kissed up to her ear till she out a giggle at the ticklish feeling of his lips.
The sound was like music to his ears, as he pulled himself away to take a good look at his girlfriend with her blonde hair sprawled out around her on the floor, her shiny white teeth grinding up at him.
"We are gonna be late for game," Aveline hushed, her hands playing with Remus's hair as she made no move to get up. "We better get going," she barely whispered, as she pulled the boy back in for a kiss, her hands trailing up and down his chest.
"Yes," Remus spoke. "We better."
It took everything in him to stand up, but he did, offering her a hand to help her up.
For a moment they both just stood there, staring at each other with a look that had enough tension to start a fire.
"We should go now," Aveline whispered, yet she took a step forward till once again they were nearly touching noses.
"Aveline," her name fell out of his mouth as something that was more prayer than speech, as she reached her hand to the side of his cheek "Game starts in five minutes," he added, yet his hands found her waist and he was pulling her till their bodies were flush.
"James will be so upset if we miss the game," she muttered, their mouths so close every breathe she took had been in his body.
Her hands began finding their way to the buttons of his shirt, and suddenly they were kissing again, thoughts of the game starting in five minutes long forgotten.
She barely even noticed that her back made its way to Remus's bed, or that his shirt had been long forgotten on the ground. Her mind too focused on the desire to get him closer, to taste every single part of his lips till she was drowning in his scent.
Remus suddenly pulled away, the girl trying to pull him back only for the boy to strongly resist.
"Is this what you want?" he spoke gently, reaching out and brushing a hair out of her face softly.
In answer she nodded, trying to pull him back in for a kiss only for him to resist with a chuckle.
"Aveline," he warned, though his tone was light and playful. "I want to hear you say it."
"Yes," she whispered. "This is what I want."
At her word, it was like whatever holding Remus back had been removed, and suddenly she was attacked with a kiss so passionate it was like his lips were trying to taste her soul.
Fumbling inexperienced hands led to Aveline's bra being thrown across the room, clothes forgotten at the floor as they were tossed aside like mere rags.
It was slow yet somehow rushed, as kisses on the lips turned to kisses down the stomach, and suddenly the electric feeling of two unclothed bodies colliding was the only thing either party could think about.
Neither of them were sure how long it lasted— could've been minutes, could been hours, but they did know as a final wave of pleasure swept through them, and they collapsed in a heated tangle of limbs the same realization hit both of them—
"Oh shit ," Remus muttered as he glanced at the clock, seeing the amount of time that had passed.
"James is going to kill us."