An out of breathe Aveline Rosier and Remus Lupin arrived at the quidditch field just in time to see James Potter lifting the Quidditch cup surrounded by at least one hundred students. Upon realizing they had missed the entire game, the two had sprinted down from Gryffindor tower after quickly throwing on their clothes in a guilty haste.
"Excuse me guys," Remus called, grabbing Aveline by the hand and pulling her through the crowd.
After what felt like ten minutes they arrived at the front, the crowd parting like they were practically royalty.
"Ave! Moony!" Peter greeted, happily clapping with the rest of the group. "Where have you guys been? The girls and I were looking for you!"
"We decided to watch from the Hufflepuff stand," Aveline quickly lied, Remus nodding his head behind her. "Great game!"
"Great game," Remus repeated, still profusely nodding his head.
At that moment Sirius noticed the duo had joint them, the excited Gryffindor letting out a holler as he ran over, throwing an arm over both of them and greeting each with a kiss on the cheek.
"Quidditch cup CHAMPIONS BABY! GO LIONS!" He screamed, and a cheer erupted around them. "Where were you guys sitting?" Sirius asked innocently. "I was trying to find you in the stands and didn't see you with Pete."
"Hufflepuff stands," Aveline told him.
Sirius was giving her an odd look, his head tilted. She wasn't sure why she was staring at her so hard, when he reached forward touching a spot on her neck.
"What's this Ave?" He asked with a devilish grin.
"Stress mark! From the stressful game," she answered.
Sirius crossed his arms, looking at if he was on the verge of laughter. "Righttt. And I suppose those knots in the back of your hair are also from stress?"
She nodded, trying to avoid Sirius's gaze at all costs.
"So I guess the red marks on Remus neck are also from the stressful game," Sirius continued, turning to face Remus. "Merlin you two are like a horny pair of vampires, sneaking off as the game ended for a make out session behind the stands. Unbelievable," Sirius muttered though clearly was amused. "Don't think you two can fool me."
Aveline sighed in relief that, that was all Sirius assumed it was. Clearly Remus was relieved too, as he played along with it, telling Sirius to keep quiet. At the top of the world with laughter, Sirius agreed but wouldn't stop making jokes about vampires as if his life depended on them.
James was so far in his own world of glee, he probably hadn't even realized Aveline and Remus weren't sitting in their usual spots. The boy passing the cup off to someone else so he could pull Lily into a celebratory kiss.
"AVELINE!" James hollered and he was suddenly pushing through the crowd with Lily following him.
When he got to her he pulled her into a tight hug, nearly crushing her windpipe as he did . He pulled away, aggressively shaking her shoulders with glee.
"Thank you thank you thank YOU! This is all because of you, if you didn't forfeit that game," James voice cracked as he nearly was on the verge of tears. "GO GRYFFINDOR FUCK YEAH!" He suddenly hollered at the top of his lungs. "WOOOOO!"
The cheers continued and followed the group back up to Gryffindor tower where a wild and chaotic Gryffindor victory party was certain to take place.
These were the nights that the proffesor's would pretend not hear the thumping music and loud noises coming from the common room.
Aveline and Remus were following the crowd, when the boy suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting.
"Are we telling people?" he asked.
she tilted her head and confusion and the her eyes widened in shock.
"Tell people we had sex?!" she hissed, in a low tone, looking around to make sure no one was around to hear. "I mean I'm all for sexual liberation but—"
"No no," Remus shushed with a chuckle. "That we made things official."
"Oh."
"Personally," Remus began, his head tilting. "I think we should wait."
Aveline thought for a moment, biting her lip as she tapped her foot on the ground.
There was no reason they needed to hide their relationship. Half their friends figured they were practically dating, and truthfully Aveline was proud of herself for pulling a guy like Remus Lupin.
Though tonight wasn't about them, it was about James and his quidditch cup and celebrating till the morning sun began to rise. They were certain if they told their friends, the excitement would take away some of the attention from James. So, they decided to wait till a natural opportunity came to be where they could slip in the news.
After they came to agreement the duo headed up to the gryffindor common room, where blasting music could already be heard from outside the room.
They both knew that tonight should be about James, and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and didn't want to take the attention with news of their newfound relationship.
As they stepped in they were greeted by the familiar sight of people jumping on the coffee table, drinks in brown bottles already flowing.
An arm grabbed Aveline, pulling her into a dark corner with a harsh fling.
"Ow! Sirius!" she hissed, rubbing her arm in pain. "What was that for?"
Sirius was wearing his usual leather jacket, leaning one shoulder against the wall as he supposed a muggle beer. He was silent— which was odd for him as he eyed her up and down, his eyes narrowed.
The one thing about Sirius Black is that he was rarely ever silent, especially in an environment where the drinks were flowing and energy was buzzing.
"Where were you two just now?" Sirius asked, nodding behind Aveline to Remus who had joined them in the little corner.
sirius had a gift for seeing through people and their lies. Truthfully Aveline didn't know how the boy did it, but behind his don't-give-a-fuck facade there was a very intelligent boy with knack for observation and reading people as if they were wide open books.
It was one of the many reasons Sirius Black would one day make an excellent auror. Though for now, Aveline was cursing the boy in her mind and his insistence on knowing everyone's business.
"hm?" Remus answered, moving to stand behind Aveline so she was stuck between the two boys. "We just walk slow."
In response Sirius took a painfully slow sip of his beer.
"You two are hiding something," he concluded, pointing at them in a very accusing manner. "And this is different then when you guys sneak off to go make out in hallways and think we don't notice."
Sirius paused, eyes boring into Remus. The werewolf boy squirmed, breaking eye contact as he let out a cough.
"Listen Sirius, we are hiding anything. We are just here to celebrate James," Aveline told him. "Isn't that right Remus?"
"Isn't that right Remus?" Sirius mocked. He narrowed his eyes one more time, pushing past Aveline as he walked away. "Don't think you two can fool me, I've got my eye on both of you."
As the boy walked off Aveline let out a breathe, if Sirius thought they were up to something , he wouldn't rest till he figured it out.
"Why don't we just tell him?" Aveline said to Remus, turning to pop up at the boy. "Everyone knows we are practically together."
Remus snorted, clenching his jaw. "Well now the lad has pissed me off and I don't want to tell him."
"Oh come off it Remus, it's just Sirius being Sirius. He's harmless," Aveline said to him, nudging him in the arm .
"Harmless?" Remus deadpanned. "If he figures out your my girlfriend he'll tell the entire school."
And here they were again, Aveline crossing her arms as the familiar feeling of her stomach dropping sank in. She tried to tell herself it was nothing, but all she could think about was his insistence on keeping their relationship a secret.
"And what's wrong with the entire school knowing hm?" She snapped, and Remus eyes widened at her tone.
The boy was going into panic mode, trying to retrace his steps and words.
"Well nothing. Come on Aveline you know I'm only doing this because I want to protect you—"
She let it a loud cough, resisting the urge to roll her eyes as her jaw clenched.
"Here we again with you and the protection. Merlin Remus when will you get it, I don't care—"
"When will I get it?" He repeated in astonishment. "When will you get that life isn't as simple for me?"
Her heart was telling her to stop, to take a deep breathe and apologize for her outburst. Though Aveline Rosier was as headstrong as they come, and once something ticked her it was like the metaphorical barrier of reason that stopped her from saying stupid shit disappeared.
"Merlin's sake Remus, grow up—"
"Grow up? Are you hearing yourself right now Aveline? I don't want to fight, it's just i'm not sure—"
"I'm not sure either," she muttered under her breath.
"Are we seriously doing this right now?"
"Yes Remus," she snapped, her voice breaking as she did. "When will you realize that this isn't going to ever work out if we keep having this same issue?"
"There's no same issue—"
"Every single time we have gotten close to making us an actual something Remus, you run away or you hide, or turn your back on me. I've told you so many times— so many fucking times Remus— that I want to be with you because I love you and I don't give a fuck if you are a werewolf, or a vampire, or a snail—
"A snail?" he asked in confusion.
She sent him a glare before continuing as if she didn't hear him.
"— the point is I don't care. And I don't care what anyone thinks or says," she paused. "But Remus for the love of Merlin, I can't be with someone who isn't ready to tell the world we are together. I'm sick and tired of the hiding and kissing in dark corners— I can't do it ."
She was out of breathe, letting it a couple huffs as she looked up, awaiting his answer.
His eyebrows were knitted, in concern not confusion. His warm brown eyes studying her features so intently it was like he was still trying to understand her words.
Her words lingered between them, holding a level of unsaid conditions that were at the forefront of Remus's mind.
"I don't know," he whispered softly, looking down at the floor infront of him.
"Hm?" she encouraged.
"I don't know Aveline, how to have a relationship like that," he replied in a voice so quiet she had to strain her ears to hear. "I've always told myself, if I find love I'll have to hide it."
She reached forward, gently grabbing one of his hands, theirs fingers interlocking as Remus leaned a shoulder on the wall.
"That's my point Remus. You have to be willing to learn and you have to be willing to at least try," she told him softly. "I should apologize, I shouldn't have gotten so snappy with you earlier, I just get emotional then I act dumb."
Remus let out a soft laugh, followed by a sigh. His hand reaching up to find the side of her face.
His touch was always so warm, his thumb stroking her cheek as he gazed down at her.
"It's alright I can understand that," he chuckled. "I should apologize too, for making you feel like I'm trying to hide you. You aren't the type of woman any man would want to hide Aveline. I certainly don't want too, I just struggle."
She nodded, for a moment just studying the way his skin felt on hers, and the way her chest felt so light being this absorbed in his presence. Her eyes gazed up to his face, his crooked nose, those wide brown eyes, the way his eyebrows scrunched in the centre of his forehead.
"Thank you for saying that," she whispered to him. "Look at us Lupin, are we actually talking out our issues for once?"
He laughed, his face still painted with so much love as he looked down at her.
"I think we make a pretty good pair Rosier," he hushed, his hand moving down from the side of her face to the side of her waist.
"Not sure will ever be as good as James and Lily though," she joked, her eyes still glued to his.
"Please," Remus scoffed. "They got nothing on us "
She felt Remus's hand lace in hers, his strong hold pulling her behind him as he stepped then further into the room. She didn't question him, she simply trusted the boy to guide her, as her other arm moved to clutch his arm.
Life wasn't easy, especially for a werewolf wizard and his witch girlfriend with a bloody sun curse attached to her bloodline. They were messy, emotional, irrational — and every other word to describe two teenagers with hearts overflowing with love and the inability to mentally process the many things they felt.
Though as Aveline clutched his hand, the warmness spreading through her body, she felt like they could do it — together they could grow and learn and become better people little by little, step by step.