eleven muggle star tours
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'PRONGS, HURRY UP.'
'I'll be two minutes, I just need my Advanced Potions –'
'Mate, you've probably just misplaced it in the dungeons, you can borrow mine,' Remus sighed, leaning against the doorframe and tapping his foot impatiently. 'C'mon, this is the first time I haven't made us late for something in years.'
'I need that textbook, though, Moons,' James protested. His voice became muffled as he crawled under Peter's bed. 'It's got all my extra notes from Dad and all those spells and –'
'We're going to miss the Portkey at this rate,' Remus interrupted. 'Come along.'
'If I don't find it now, I'll never find it,' James groaned, letting his head drop to the floor.
'And that's why you should put your name in your textbooks. Now please, can we go?'
'All right, all right!'
'Watch your he–'
'OUCH! Awh, my head,' James whimpered as he retreated from beneath the bed.
Remus shook his head in pity. 'I tried to warn you.'
'Stupid bloody beds,' James muttered, grabbing his suitcase. 'You'd have thought that of all the magical things in this place, the beds would rise to avoid you hitting your head.'
'Maybe it's something we can invent when we leave,' Remus suggested as he followed James down the staircase with two suitcases in tow. 'Can you imagine? Miss and Messrs Paws, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs present the ... buoyant bed.'
'We'd become millionaires!' James chuckled. 'But, uh, why do you have two cases?'
'Oh,' Remus shrugged, 'one is Paws' case.'
'Mate,' James teased, nudging Remus in the side. 'You're wrapped around her finger.'
'Shut up,' Remus replied with a roll of his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile. 'Have you said goodbye to Lily?'
'Oh, she left yesterday,' said James as the two boys hauled the three cases out of the portrait hole. 'It's her sister's birthday tomorrow.'
'I thought they didn't like each other.'
'They don't,' James said shortly with a shrug, 'but you know what Lils is like. She's always, always, the bigger person despite how stubborn she is, and she still loves her family whether they call her a freak or not.'
'Prongs, I think we have a thing for girls whose families don't like them,' Remus remarked.
'That's why we have to love them with all our heart.'
'You're such a cheese, dear Merlin.'
'Lily loves it!' James shouted as he raced down the castle stairs, his suitcase banging every step.
Remus shook his head. 'Lily does not love it.'
By the time the pair reached [y/n], Sirius and Peter at the Portkey outside the Three Broomsticks, the former was already deep in discussion with the latter regarding the film the group had decided they would watch after they arrived at Remus' house. There was a cinema in the city centre just a short walk away from where the Lupins lived on the outskirts of Cardiff, and the friends couldn't wait to explore the village outside the Welsh capital during their Easter holidays once more.
'Oh, thank Godric, you're here,' Sirius sighed, standing up from his seat – well, his suitcase.
'I hope they make Leia a good character,' [y/n] rambled. 'She's probably the only decent female character in the comics, I don't want the Muggles turning her into some sex symbol.'
'These two nerds haven't stopped prattling on about this stupid Star Wars film we're going to see,' Sirius complained, rolling his eyes as Peter began a new conversation about droids.
'Don't call it stupid yet, Pads,' said Remus. 'Give it a chance first.'
'I don't know, Moons,' James grimaced. 'Lily said all the Muggle nerds are massive fans of it, and should know what they're like.'
'Yeah,' Remus replied. 'I'm the son of one.'
James and Sirius watched in confusion as Remus turned his back and wandered over to [y/n], snaking an arm around her waist and planting a kiss on her head.
'Moony, mate, your mum is not a nerd,' James argued, following his best friend's footsteps. 'She's hot!'
'Oh, not this again,' Remus moaned. 'Where's this bloody Portkey, anyway?'
'Here,' [y/n] answered, holding up a worn carriage tyre.
'Do you maybe fancy sharing it?'
'No, I think I'll go and take a solo trip to your parents,' [y/n] said. 'You lot can walk.'
'I'm not walking to bloody Wales. Let me put a hand on that thing,' Sirius demanded, 'it'll be leaving any second now.'
Each Marauder placed a hand around the tyre and after making sure they were all also attached to their suitcases, they only had to wait a handful of seconds before they were sucked into an invisible hole. [y/n] felt the nape of her neck being tugged from behind like she was a puppy being picked up the scruff of her neck. Her whole body lurched forwards and then she was spinning, spinning, spinning; it didn't seem as if it were going to end. She'd been on the teacup ride with the boys in that summer fairground by near Peter's house but this was a million times worse.
Just as [y/n] felt as though she was about to regurgitate her breakfast into the whirlpool she was caught in, the group crashed with a thud and crack and bang onto the the wooden slats ride outside the front door of the Lupin cottage.
'I feel sick,' Peter wheezed, doubling over on the decking they had landed on.
'I must say, I'm rather impressed,' a voice commented from beside them in a wooden rocking chair, and [y/n] looked up from the floor to see Lyall Lupin folding up his newspaper before discarding it on the table. 'I was expecting the Portkey to turn up on its lonesome, or with two of you attached maximum. But all five of you?'
'Hello to you, too,' Remus replied shaking his head and lending a hand to Peter. 'And you wonder where my sarcasm comes from. What's for tea?'
'Haven't a clue,' said Lyall. 'One of your mother's concoctions, probably.'
'You can make your own food if you don't like my concoctions!' Hope's muffled voice carried through the window.
Lyall rolled his eyes with a light smile before his sight landed on [y/n]. The girl took a side-step behind James in the hopes of avoiding any embarrassing questions about how she was now dating this man's son, but her attempts were, as always, in vain, as James wandered off, following Sirius' tail into the kitchen.
'Ah, [y/n],' Lyall grinned, standing up with open arms. '[y/n], [y/n], [y/n].'
'Dad –'
'Now, now, Remus. I'm talking to my future daughter-in-law.'
Remus hid his head in his hands in shame. 'Oh my God.'
Peter struggled stifle a giggle at [y/n] and Remus' equally horrified expressions and instead, resigned himself to the kitchen. Lyall stepped forward and took [y/n] into a one-armed hug.
'We always knew it would happen eventually,' he told her. 'Hope has the baby photo album out already –'
'Dad, please,' Remus pleaded, a pink flush creeping up his neck. [y/n] found herself giggling.
'I think she's already planned your wedding,' Lyall continued, ignoring his son's protests.
'Oh, Dad, I'm begging you,' Remus sobbed dryly, before pointing at [y/n]. 'I'm so asking Padfoot if he has baby photos of you.'
'He's just jealous that my family didn't love me enough to keep embarrassing baby photos of me,' [y/n] laughed with Lyall as Remus marched through the front door. 'He'll get over it.'
'You're always welcome here, y'know,' Lyall said, placing a hand on [y/n]'s back and guiding her into the house. 'I know the Potters nabbed you and your brother before we could, and Hope's been very bitter about that, but it's brought her and Euphemia closer than they ever have been. I guess you have two sets of parents now!'
[y/n] was too scared to talk out of fear that the tears blubbering at the rim of her eyes would spill. Eventually, she smiled, 'Thank you.'
'Mam, where's your copy of The Shining?' Remus called from the sitting room at the back of the cottage. 'Sirius doesn't think books can be scary!'
'On the bookshelf by the cabinet!' Hope shouted back, her head in the oven as she slid a tray of food into the electrical appliance.
'Thank you!'
'It's literally impossible,' [y/n] heard Sirius ranting. 'You can't have a jump scare in words.'
[y/n] rolled her eyes. He'd never understand. The only reading he had the attention span for were picture books. James was no better, although he did read textbooks for fun, the nerd, and Peter was only particularly fond of comic books. Perhaps that's why she found Remus was usually on the same wavelength of thought as her; they each had a peculiar view on the world, but they saw it most similarly.
A quiet slam brought [y/n] out of her daydreams of her boyfriend, causing her to jump and put her hands up defensively.
'[y/n], bach!' she beamed, throwing her arms out. 'I need to steal you! Remus, watch the oven for me, love.'
Remus stuck his thumb up, too focused on scanning the bookshelf to provide a verbal response, oblivious to the fact that his mother was dragging his girlfriend up the stairs.
'How's your mother?' [y/n] asked as she let Hope take her hand and guide her to the master bedroom. 'Remus said she fell poorly.'
'Oh, you know how it is, love,' Hope said with a wave of her hand. 'She's been on her own for decades ever since Dad died in that mining accident so thinks she's fiercely independent and doesn't need any help. I've asked her to move here or at least go into a care home but she won't have any of it.'
'Who doesn't love a bit of family drama,' [y/n] attempted to laugh.
'Well, actually,' Hope started, disappearing among the clothes in her wardrobe, 'this involves my Mam.'
'Ooh, do tell.'
'Right, I want you to turn around so I can get this bloody thing out,' Hope instructed, and [y/n] did as she was told. 'Now, this little – well, big – garment used to be my mother's. She's a big fan of a very famous designer – Christian Dior, I don't know whether you've heard of him – but in the late fifties, just before I met Lyall, he made this beautiful gown that Mam adored. Obviously we had nowhere near the amount of money to by it, especially with it being custom made for the wife of the guy that makes cars in America, but my Mamgu was a whizz with a sewing machine.
'So, Mamgu made it from scratch for my Mam and she loved it to pieces. Then Mam passed in on to me when Lyall and me got married, and I was told to pass it on to my own daughter,' Hope explained. 'Unfortunately, I don't think it's the right colour for Remus.'
[y/n] laughed heartily, still with her back turned to the woman. Hope rustled with the plastic covering keeping the dress safe and [y/n]'s heartbeat sped with anticipation.
'I've considered you a daughter since you lot started coming here in your school holidays,' Hope declared, causing [y/n] to go giddy, 'and when Remus wrote to say you were finally his girlfriend, things couldn't have been more perfect. I know Euphemia might have adopted you, but you're just going to have to have two mums now. So, here –' A pair of hands spun [y/n] around. '– this is yours.'
[y/n] gasped. In front of her hung a beautiful silk, silvery, steel-blue ballgown. The girl examined it up and down, from the straight-across neckline, to the four bows that framed the slightly raised front of the dress, evidently to show-off the wearer's shoes. There wasn't a single out-of-place crease amongst the pleats of the bell-shaped skirt and [y/n] fell in love with it the more she looked at it. She reached a hand out to feel the smooth fabric and was utterly delighted at the delicate touch beneath her fingertips.
'It's ... I – I have no words,' [y/n] stammered.
'It's stunning, isn't it?' Hope smile. 'It's an absolute lush dress.'
'And your grandmother made it?' [y/n] quizzed, snapping her head around excitedly.
'Like I said, she was a whizz with a sewing machine.'
'I'm in love with it,' [y/n] breathed, taking the bottom of the dress into her arms. 'Are you sure I can have it?'
'Definitely,' Hope reassured her, just as a faint ringing from downstairs could be heard. 'You may not get the chance to wear it any time soon, but when the time comes, pass it on to your own daughter. Keep the story rolling.'
'MAM!' Remus yelled from the foot of the stairs. 'FOOD!'
'COMING!' Hope shouted back. 'Come on, then, bach. We don't want your chips turning to charcoal.'
Hope left the room and her light thuds could be heard on the stairs. [y/n] took the ballgown in one more time and squealed quietly to herself. She stole one more glance as she closed the bedroom door and thanked whatever Gods that may have been out there that she was granted two mothers when the one she was given to refused her love.
'Padfoot, mate, come help lay the table,' James demanded from the kitchen.
'I can't now,' Sirius complained. He was perched on the arm of the river-blue sofa in the sitting room, seemingly reading a book, but holding the cover so that it folded around the spine of the pages in such a way that it made [y/n] wince. 'I'm just getting into it!'
'Pads,' Peter whined.
'All right, all right,' said Sirius, huffing as he put the book down, dog-ear marking the page. [y/n] winced again. 'I know my presence is in high demand but you don't need to be so persistent.'
The seven individuals took their places in the kitchen – six at the table and one serving the food. Hope proudly presented a plate in front of Remus before dancing around the rest of the table's occupants.
'Mam, we're legally adults, why do I have dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets in front of me?'
'I thought I'd treat you,' Hope grinned, placing a head in her hand and she took her seat. 'It's all you used to eat when you were little, and I'm sure you don't have many chicken nuggets and chips in Hogwarts.'
'I'm sure Dumbledore would be thrilled to know that you provide better meals than his House Elves,' Remus said, biting the head off his dinosaur.
'It was the first thing you complained about when you came home after your first year,' Lyall recollected.
'I'm not twelve anymore, though.'
'Yeah, Mrs Lupin,' James contributed. 'We are all grown, strong men –'
'Rawr!' Sirius growled childishly from the other end of the table. 'I'm a big – Moony, what's this called?'
'A T-Rex.'
'I'm a big T-Rex!' Sirius exclaimed.
'Rahhh,' [y/n] imitated, walking her own triceratops-shaped nugget across the table.
'Yeah,' Peter said, shovelling a mouthful of chips. 'Strong men.'
'You lot had better hurry up if you're going to see this film,' said Hope as she stood up to refill her glass with water. 'Do you need a lift down?'
'We were going to walk down the back lane,' Remus explained. 'It'll probably be quicker. I doubt there'll be anywhere for you to park.'
'You be careful down there,' Hope warned, turning on the tap. 'It's a lush walk in the day but when it's dark you don't know what stupid fuckers could be down there.'
'Language, love,' Lyall mused. 'There're kids here now.'
'But do you know how many people come barrelling down that lane at sixty miles-per-hour?' Hope cried. 'Just the other day some twat of a drunk driver was –'
'Mam, we'll be fine,' Remus reassured her. 'We're magic, remember?'
'I still worry,' Hope sighed, pinching Remus cheeks and rubbing his nose. 'You'll always be my little Remmy.'
'Mam, geroff!' Fits of giggles ensued around the table as Remus' freckled face turned redder by the second. 'I'm getting changed before you lot bully me any more.'
After twenty minutes of getting ready, including fifteen minutes of yelling at Sirius to put his book down, the five friends finally left for the cinema.
'You have enough money?' Hope asked, straightening Remus' jacket.
'Yes.'
'And change for the phone box in case you get in trouble.'
'Yes.'
'You look after everyone, now,' said Hope. 'Are you sure you can't convince Sirius to leave his wand behind?'
Remus shrugged his shoulders and threw his hands in the air. 'We tried, honestly. Now let me go or we'll be late.'
'I love you, Remmy-kins! Stay safe my little honey-badger!'
Remus waved enthusiastically as he wandered down the garden path before linking arms with [y/n] and following the boys beyond the gate and down the country lane.
There was a lot of playful pushing, shoving and tripping as the friends made their way to the small cinema in the city centre. It was a short walk but long enough to amuse themselves without getting bored or taking things too far; Sirius' wand was snatched from him on more than one occasion and Peter walked into almost every lamppost that they passed.
'I think the people down the road are having fish for dinner,' James declared suddenly, twitching his nose.
[y/n] smirked at Sirius' rolling eyes. 'Really, Prongs?' she asked. 'Could you explain what you mean by that? Dog-Star looks slightly confused.'
'Stags have a better sense of smell than dogs, didn't you know that, Pads?'
'Yes, all right,' Sirius sighed. 'Thank you for that lovely piece of information you definitely haven't told me seven-hundred times, Prongs.'
'Right, we're here,' Remus announced, placing a hand on the glass door. 'Some ground rules.'
'Moony, hun, I take Muggle Studies,' [y/n] attempted to reassure him. 'I'm fascinated by Muggles, I know how they work.'
'Rule number one,' Remus continued, 'no use of the word Muggles. It's not in their dictionary, they'll look at you like you're an alien.' He moved out of the way for a young teenage couple to make their way into the building. 'Rule number two: no mention of magic, or Animagi or anything like that. Rule number three: I do all the talking –'
'Moony, I grew up in a Muggle village, I know what – oh.' Peter saw the look on Remus' face and remembered rule number one. 'I'll just shut up. I'm awkward with strangers anyway.'
'Just try and be normal,' Remus begged.
'We're as normal as it gets,' Sirius pouted.
'Mate, your wand is tucked behind your ear.'
'Oh, shit, sorry.'
'Come on,' James groaned, bouncing on his tip-toes agitatedly, hands stuffed in his pockets. 'It's freezing.'
Remus opened the door and the five walked in.
Sirius, [y/n], James and Peter had never been surrounded by so much electrical equipment in their life. Sure, they'd run errands around Peter's home town and used the television and cooking appliances in Remus house, but this was something entirely different. There were bright lights shining down from the ceiling and big screens with several movie trailers playing at the same time. Sirius found himself attracted to the vending machines in the corner of the entrance hall and pressing the various buttons, meanwhile [y/n] wandered over to the big number six hung on the wall, illuminated by bright blue sparks. She was entirely mesmerised by the coloured light, so much so that she was oblivious to James and Peter sneaking past to loiter around Remus as he paid for their tickets, intrigued by the cashier's machine and the drinks dispensers behind the desk.
'[y/n]!' Remus hissed. The girl snapped her head in his direction to see him frantically pointing to his hair.
'What –?'
He started pointing between [y/n] and his hair which prompted her to pull a strand of her own map into her eyesight. Her hair had gone a striking electric blue, much like the lights she'd just been staring at. She covered her head with her arms and used all the will in her body to change her hair colour back to its usual [y/h/c] and upon receiving a pair of thumbs-up from James and Peter whilst Remus retrieved their tickets, she let out a sigh of relief.
'Let's go,' Remus said, nodding his head in the direction of screen seven, two pots of popcorn in his arms. 'Sirius, stop pressing the buttons or you'll break the machine.'
'I'm coming, I'm coming.'
'How exciting,' [y/n] gasped as she sat in the dark room, the flashing lights of the adverts on the screen lighting up the room sporadically.
Remus shushed her, but squeezed her hand gently.
The room plunged into further darkness and the screen in front turned black. Suddenly, a roll of drums filled the room and [y/n] grabbed her chest as her heart raced. Remus sniggered to himself, watching the 20th Century Fox logo fade off the screen. He put an arm around [y/n]'s shoulders and pulled her close. The screen went black again, with the exception a blue writing filling the centre of the darkness:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...
✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩
'IS THAT WHAT a religious experience feels like?' Sirius' eyes were wide and his jaw dropped in astonishment. 'You're really telling me Muggles did that without magic?'
Peter looked very pleased with himself for introducing the franchise to his best friends.
'Shh,' Remus scolded as Sirius received stares from the Muggles around them for his odd use of language.
James opened his mouth to speak but all that escaped was a timid squeak.
'Moony, love, I think I'm leaving you for Han Solo,' [y/n] proclaimed before slurping the lasts of her Coca-Cola through her straw. 'Or Leia.'
'Honestly, me too. To both.'
'But how didn't they use magic?' Sirius continued, bounding ahead of the group and walking backwards, wand in hand. 'Like they – shzoom shzoom – and – zam – and weeeeee –'
'Padfoot!' Peter yelped, trying to extinguish the fire that hard started on his jumper sleeve after red sparks shot from the tip of Sirius' wand. 'If that was a lightsaber I wouldn't have an arm left.'
'And if you're not careful, you'll get a Howler from the Ministry for performing magic in front of Muggles,' Remus warmed in a hushed voice. 'Prongs, you all right mate?'
'I am,' James said formerly. 'Just worried.'
'Worried?' Sirius repeated. 'How can you be worried? You've just gone through a life-altering experience!'
'Exactly,' James said. He checked both sides of the road and led the group to the pavement on the opposite side. 'See, Lily said that people who like things like Star Wars in the Muggle world are considered top-tier nerdy.'
'And?' Peter asked. 'We're not from the Muggle world.'
'But Lily is!' James cried. 'Merlin, I like it and she's going to think I'm a nerd! I'm not a nerd, I'm a Quidditch star! I'm going to play for England when this stupid war is over! Paws, tell me I'm not a nerd.'
[y/n] was stunned when James decided to shake her by her shoulders violently, but laughed. 'Honestly, Prongs, you're the biggest fucking dork I know,' she chuckled, patting his head. 'And Lily still loves you.'
James let out a quiet sob as the others tackled him in hugs, reminding him that they loved him too. Sirius held his face and kissed both cheeks while Remus ruffled his hair, Peter tackling his torso in a suffocating hug. Their laughter slowly faded out as they left behind the bustling chatter of the crowd on the shopping street and they made their way down the wooded lane that winded down to Remus' cottage.
'Do you really think there are things like that going on the universe?' Peter asked, looking wistfully at the sky.
'Maybe,' Remus said, taking hold of [y/n]'s hand. 'I'd like to think there is.'
'So would I,' Sirius added. 'I'm bored of our family reusing names, it'd be nice to get inspiration from a galaxy far, far away.'
'At least Andy was slightly original,' [y/n] pointed out. 'Nymphadora is hardly conventional.'
'Poor kid can't spell it though.'
'Poor kid is also only five years old.'
'So is Nymphadora a constellation or a star?' Peter asked.
'Neither,' the twins replied simultaneously.
'Ted wasn't a fan,' [y/n] furthered.
'Said it was just a way of making it sound like you followed old-fashioned traditions,' Sirius continued.
'And Andy wanted to leave traditions behind.'
'So they settled for an even older-fashioned sounding name.'
'I still think it's groovy,' James contributed.
'You sound weird when you use Lily's words,' Peter commented, ducking under the rogue branch hanging over the entrance to the Lupins' garden.
'He's not wrong though,' Remus said. 'Maybe something funky as a middle name or something would be all right. Can't have anything boring.'
'Like John,' Sirius teased, nudging Remus in the side. The latter stuck is foot out and tripped Sirius up.
'Coming in, Paws?' James asked from the door. 'Or are you going to see how long it takes you to break your neck standing like that?'
'What?' said [y/n] snapping her vision from the sky to the direction in which James' voice came from. 'Oh, you lot go ahead, I'll be back soon.'
Sirius threw an arm each around Peter and James and pulled them into the house, talking rapidly about the comparisons between Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort. [y/n] found a spot in the garden around the side of the home, away from the trees and the noise and the artificial light that would ruin her view. She lay down and searched the shimmering sky. She wasn't much of a stargazer – there were only three constellations that mattered to her, after all.
Unbeknownst to her, Remus had remained outside and watched as she examined the sky. She was trying to find something, and the solemn look on her face worried him that she wasn't having much success.
'You doing OK?' Remus asked, lying on the grass next to [y/n].
'I guess,' [y/n] replied, not moving any other muscle in her body.
Remus placed his arms behind his head like the girl next to him. 'What're you doing?'
'Looking for Reggie.'
'You're not going to get much luck looking up there,' Remus commented, before adding in a mutter, 'unless You-Know-Who has expanded his horizons to outer space.'
'But we should all be out tonight.'
'What do you mean?'
'Sirius, Reggie and I,' [y/n] explained. 'We're usually all in the sky at this time of year.'
'I still don't get you.'
[y/n] pointed at the skyline slightly to the right of them. 'Can you see those stars on the horizon? The brightest one – that's Sirius.' She moved her hand right above their heads, pointing directly behind them. 'You probably can't make it out because you never paid much attention in Astronomy, but the Big Dipper is there, somewhere. So that's me – Ursa.' She then turned her attention back to the south directly in front of them, guiding Remus' hand so he could follow. 'And there should be Regulus, but I can't quite make him out.'
'Is it a star or a constellation?' Remus queried, looking intently.
'A star,' [y/n] replied, 'but it's almost like all the light has been sucked out of him.'
'Well, it's got to be there somewhere,' said Remus determinedly.
'It's like some stupid metaphor,' [y/n] sighed. 'I don't know why I can't find him, he's the brightest star in Leo.'
'The lion,' Remus said proudly. 'See, I do listen.'
[y/n] giggled and cuddled into Remus' chest. 'You know, it's because of that I was certain he'd end up in Gryffindor.'
'Because he's named after the lion star?' Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. 'I don't think it works like that, love.'
'Look at Padfoot and I!' [y/n] exclaimed. 'Dog-Star and Bear-Star not only in name but Animagus form, too! It only made sense for Lion-Star to be a Gryffindor.'
'Bear-Star, Dog-Star and Lion-Star,' Remus repeated in a distasteful tone, eyebrow raised.
'What?' [y/n] said defensively, a smile finally forming on her face. 'Our creativity in nicknaming only improved once we'd met Prongs.'
Remus chuckled silently as the two lay quietly for just a few moments, watching the stars shine in the dark blanket of the night sky. [y/n] finally tore her wondrous gaze from outer space and set her vision on Remus, the expression on her face unchanged. She nuzzled her nose into is neck and started kissing the bare skin.
'Are you OK there?' Remus asked, snaking an arm around [y/n] and bringing her closer.
'Mhm,' [y/n] hummed between kisses. 'Maybe – we should – go to bed.'
Remus propped himself up on his elbows despite [y/n]'s groans of protest. 'I don't mind staying here. It's quite nice stargazing.'
'But Remmy,' [y/n] said, copying her boyfriend's actions, 'you don't know what dark creatures of the night may come and get you.' She teasingly walked two fingers up his thigh.
'Just to remind you,' said Remus, stopping [y/n]'s hand before it travelled too far up his leg, 'I am one of those dark creatures of the night.'
'No you're not,' [y/n] sung before positioning herself over the bottom half of Remus' legs. 'I can prove it.'
Remus' deep sigh broke the playful atmosphere as he looked away sharply. 'Look, [y/n], I know you're trying to be nice but ... Let's just be realistic, like, y'know ... Are you sure you want me?'
'Moony,' [y/n] said firmly. 'Moony. Remus, look at me.' She clasped her hands around his face but he kept his eyes closed. 'I'm in love with you, OK? In love. You listening?'
Remus nodded his head. 'I love you, too,' he sighed in relief.
[y/n] kept hold of Remus' face in her hands as she leant in towards him and rubbed her nose against his. She pulled away when he didn't reciprocate the action.
'Come back,' Remus whispered, lifting one hand around [y/n]'s cheek to bring her lips to his.
It was short and sweet at first. They pulled apart after the brief moment of contact and after studying each other's faces, they seemed to simultaneously come to the realisation that they really did love each other. Remus' other arm found itself dragging [y/n] on top of his lap, closing any hint of a gap that was between them. It was strong and passionate and fiery and [y/n] thanked all the lucky stars in the sky above them that she was able to share moments like these with the boy – the man – that she loved.
'Maybe –' Remus said as he gasped for breath between each kiss. 'Maybe ... Maybe we should go to bed. Y'know. Play some video-games.'
He winked.
'Yeah?'
'Yeah.'
It took them two minutes to get to Remus' bed, another fourteen minutes to decide that, yes, they were going to do this, a swift thirty seconds for jeans and jumpers to be discarded on the floor, and another two hours before they actually fell asleep.
✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩ ∘ ⋆ ∘ ✩
REMUS LOOKED BEAUTIFUL in his sleep, [y/n] decided. She'd been staring at him for the last half an hour deciding whether or not she should wake him or leave him finally have some rest. Her decision was made when a herd of stomping footsteps could be heard making their way across the landing and down the stairs.
'Prongs, don't you dare push me!'
'I wouldn't dream of it! Padfoot would though.'
'No, no, n–'
There was a loud rumble as, apparently, Peter rolled down the stairs.
Remus was yet to stir.
[y/n] climbed over the sleeping body, careful not to brush too close, and slid off the bed. She retrieved her pyjama shorts from their clinging position on the back of Remus' desk chair and shuffled her feet into her bear-faced slippers. She picked up the burgundy hooded jumper that was strewn on the carpet and threw it over her head, brushing the creases out of the golden lion printed on the front. Remus wouldn't mind, [y/n] reminded herself. She and the boys had been stealing jumpers from him since they were twelve.
She checked her reflection in he mirror on the back of the door briefly, pulling the neck of the jumper away to check for any bruises. She sighed in relief when there was no hint of purple marks on her skin. Remus had been very careful; it would have been very hard to hide a werewolf's nip for the rest of her life.
'She awakes!' James shouted as [y/n] trudged down the stairs.
'Shh,' she hissed, hoping her sneaking around to leave Remus sleep hadn't gone to waste. 'He's still sleeping.'
'Well, the lazy butt needs to be getting up if he wants any breakfast,' Hope declared as she danced around the kitchen. 'I'll chuck some sausages on, that usually gets his attention.'
'Have fun last night?' James teased, wiggling his eyebrows at [y/n] over his cup of orange juice.
'I haven't a clue what you're on about,' [y/n] replied, turning her furiously flushing face away from her brother's glare.
'Well, you were awfully quiet coming in last night,' Peter commented. 'It's almost like you were sneaking around.'
'We didn't want to wake anyone,' said [y/n] coolly, although her voice threatened to reach squeaking-pitch.
'Morning, all,' Lyall greeted, stretching his shoulders back. 'Can I have a cup of coffee, Love?'
'Do you have legs?' Hope retorted sweetly.
'Yes.'
'Then make one your bloody self.'
Hope flicked a piece of bacon off the spatula into her husband's face and smiled innocently. Lyall chased his wife out of the room, threatening to rub the grease on the bacon in her hair.
'Ah, Mr Moony,' James exclaimed, 'welcome to the land of the living! Can we take your breakfast order?'
'How come you're not taking my breakfast order?' [y/n] protested, sending a pout in James' direction. Beside him, Sirius looked as though he were about to throw up.
'Looking at the state of Moony's neck, it seems like you've had enough to munch on already.'
When Remus sunk in his chair and leant his head back to take a power snooze at the breakfast table, he revealed several purple nicks under his chin and around the side of his neck. There was one big bruise positioned above his Adam's apple. Peter was snickering mercilessly.
[y/n]'s hair flashed through a wide variety of colours has her emotional state transformed from shocked, to proud, to embarrassed, to flustered.
'Merlin, Remus, I'm so sorry.'
Remus waved a hand to dismiss [y/n]'s worries. ''S fine, love,' he said. 'All part of the fun.'
James looked ready to throw a fit as banged his hands on the table and leant back on his chair, laughing uncontrollably as he watched Sirius reach for his knife subconsciously.
'I hope we won't be seeing our mini Marauder too soon,' Peter wound up. 'Oh, but you're both so sensible.' He reached out a hand and tapped [y/n]'s sympathetically. 'We know we can trust you.'
Remus chuckled quietly with his eyes closed, clearly still elated from the night before. [y/n] was ready to die on the spot. They had been sensible, but she didn't anticipate the provocation she'd receive from her best friends regrading her sexual exploits.
'I am ashamed,' Sirius muttered, shaking his head. 'Utterly ashamed.'
writing hope's character is honestly the easiest thing being welsh and all i absolutely love her
(if there's any welshisms/wenglish you don't understand, let me know!)
also remember that dress it'll be important in a few years i have a plan, it's a real dress called 'du barry' by dior