Chapter One: Young Love

"Young love is sacrifice,

Young love is tough . . ."

"Young Love" by Gavin Degraw

The moon, little more than a sliver in the night sky, lit up the forest spread over the land below it. Within the woods, a shadowed figure raced beneath its entanglement of limbs. Fallen branches snapped under its feet as it raced onward. It was late January and frightfully cold that evening, yet the form wore only a light jumper, jeans, and trainers. A few strands of the girl's honey curls clung to her forehead coated in perspiration. She had been running since the sun had vanished beneath the horizon. Now, as she looked up to the sky with evergreen orbs, she saw that the moon was high above her head. Her limbs cried out in pleas of exhaustion. She had never run so far in her entire life. Although, that was not a great span of time; she was only sixteen.

Her gaze turned back to the forest. All around her was blackness. Every direction seemed to be identical. A long sigh escaped her lips as a puff of smoke. She had not accounted for getting lost when she had set out on her journey. Then, a small light barely noticeable from where she stood caught her eye. Immediately, she raced towards it. There was not a moment's hesitation in her steps, and there was no doubt within her mind that it was not her destination.

As she stood at the edge of the forest, she could have screamed for joy. Laid before her eyes was a group of houses. Each varied in size and shape. The home nearest her was the only one which she cared to look at. It was an old fashioned two story brick with a glassed in patio facing her. Inside the patio's glass walls, there hung a wooden swing long enough to fit three people. Presently, it was only occupied by one.

A young boy sat with his back against one armrest, and his legs stretched along the length of the swing. A book rested upon his lap, but his mind was obviously elsewhere as he stared at what seemed to be nothing. Sandy blonde hair hung over his eyes with a boyish charm. Not able to stand idly by a moment longer, the girl stepped forward.

Snap!

Her gaze shot downward to find a broken branch beneath her trainer. Her eyes turned back to the boy, who now stood on his guard. He had risen in such a rush that his book had toppled onto the ground before his feet. Cautious and guarded blue-green eyes searched the trees. His hands had shot to his back pocket. Her heart called out to him as she stepped into the pale moonlight.

In what seemed one motion, the boy placed the wand back into his pocket, raced to where she stood, and captured her in his arms. "Elaine, what are you doing here?" he questioned fervently. There was no space between them, not even room to breathe. "Are you alright? You're as cold as death?" All his questions poured out in a single breath. "How long have you been standing here?" His hands shook as they roamed over her shoulders, hair, and face. All things he thought he had seen the last of months ago.

"Remus," she spoke as he continued to fluster over her. His eyes still did not meet her own. "Remus!" Her cry caused his hands to finally still, framing her face which was numb from the cold. "I- I ran away." She took his hands into her own. "I know we had a plan. We promised we would wait until they couldn't stop us, but I couldn't stay there." Her eyes did not meet his as she spoke. She had been weak and foolish and tears came to her eyes at the thought of what could unfold in the next moments. "I just couldn't stay there."

Remus wrapped her in the warmth of his arms once again. The heat from his body spread through not only her body but her heart. "Everything is alright now." For a moment they stood in silence, all their past feelings of loneliness forgotten. It had now been replaced by the desperate need to stay together. "Let's go inside and get you warmed up."

She gently tried to pull away from him. "No, I can't stay. They must have realized I'm missing by now." Her words came out in a rush. "I don't know how long it might take them to catch up with me, and this will be the first place they check."

"Elaine," he spoke gently. "Please come in. At least, let me help you. Once we get you warmed up then we will take it from there. Okay?"

At that moment, nothing sounded more inviting than sitting in front of a warm fire: startling orange flames dancing within the hearth, heat washing over her with the tenderness of a lover's hands. Finally, Elaine allowed a sigh to pass her cold, chapped lips. "Alright, I'll come inside," she quietly spoke, "but only for a moment." Without a word, Remus led her out of the frigid cold and into the welcoming warmth of his home.

There was but one light within the contents of the Lupins' kitchen. The couple passed by the doorway which led to the dining hall and continued to the living room. A large fireplace washed the room in warm tones and shadows as the flames danced to and fro. On one side of the hearth, there was a large weathered couch and on the other were two chairs. Elaine sat on the floor before the hearth, allowing the heat to engulf her. Warm wool glided over her shoulders as Remus draped a blanket over her. Beautiful emerald eyes like grass sparkling with morning dew watched him as he sat on the ground in front of her.

"I've missed you," she plainly stated.

The corner of his mouth hinted a smile. "I thought that would have been obvious."

"I know, but you know me," she half-laughed. "I always state the obvious." A shy smile spread across her face as she tucked a loose curl behind her ear and chose to look at the floor rather than at him.

His hand slowly rose till it cupped her freckled cheek. Her skin, no longer chilled by the night air, had turned pink by the heat of the fire. Meek forrest green eyes stared up at him from under dark lashes.

It had not been long since they had last met, but ever since then Elaine had found herself forgetting his face. Time and time again, she would have to look at his picture, which she kept underneath her pillow, in order to recall the exact color of his eyes or the unique curve of his lips. Now, as she stared at him, she could not fathom how she would be able to forget such things.

Within moments, they were in each other's embrace. Their lips moved together in an affectionate kiss. All the pain brought about by their recent separation poured into one kiss, consuming them. Elaine immediately began to feel the burn of the kiss on her chapped lips. Slowly, she pulled back but refused to fully rid herself of his embrace. In the safety of his arms, she sat and listened to the steady beat of his heart. But the happiness and content, just as she had predicted, was gone with the echoing sound of a knock upon the front door.

Immediately, the pair's attention was caught in trying to distinguish the forms outside. The light illuminating the front door revealed at least two figures standing there. Nothing was recognizable about them through the stained glass window of the door. Nevertheless, Elaine's blood ran cold. "I have to go," she whispered in a panicked voice, her pulse beat deafeningly inside her ears. "If that's them, they can't find me here." She pushed his arms away and began to move around him. She continued to crawl until she reached the bar dividing the kitchen from the living room. When she turned back, she was not shocked to find Remus beside her. "We'll wait until my parents come to answer the door. They'll turn on the light, and it will keep them from seeing us when we leave," he explained taking a firm grip upon her forearm.

Another set of knocks sounded throughout the room, and it was only a matter of moments before the couple heard footsteps upstairs. Then, a light was flicked on which lighted the stairs leading to the second level and the front door. "Now," Remus quietly ushered. Without a word, the couple managed to slip out the door and onto the patio. Elaine continued outside without a slip in her step. "Where are you going?" Remus asked.

"I can't stay here. They can't know that I was here." She tried to pull her arm away, but he wouldn't release her. "I have to get out of sight!" Finally, she managed to pull her arm free. The moon and star above watched as the two teens vanished into the trees.

"Where are you going to go?" Remus inquired once they were sure to be out of sight.

"I don't know." Frantic, she continued walking into the woods. Her hands gripped her tangled mass of curls as though threatening to pull it from its roots. "I have an aunt who lives in America," she spoke more to herself than to anyone else. "Maybe I can go there."

"How are you going to manage getting a ticket to America if you barely managed to get here before your parents?" Remus inquired keeping in step behind her.

A frustrated growl passed her lips. After her marathon through the woods earlier that morning, Abigail was at her wits end both emotionally and physically. "Don't you think I know that, Remus!" She collapsed against a nearby tree. "I don't know what to do." She wiped at her glassy eyes and looked back to him. "What am I supposed to do? I am so exhausted."

Without a word, Remus came, sat beside her, and took her into his arms once again. After a moment, he pulled back to have her rest her forehead against his. "What am I doing?" she asked quietly. "I should have stayed home where I belong. I should have waited until you graduated. Then, we could have been together without all this."

Remus was about to reply saying that it was not her fault and that they would work it out, but a sudden sound froze his words upon his lips. "ELAINE!" a voice shouted. The voice carried all around them through the trees. Again the voice called, "ELAINE!"

"That's my father," she gasped standing and grasping the hard bark of the tree. "How far do you think they are?"

He rose and studied the trees before turning to her. "They're already in the woods," he spoke shooting his eyes between Elaine and the woods leading back to his house.

A small hand grasped his arm turning his full attention on her. "Remus," her voice had taken on a new calmness, making his blood run cold. "Please, listen to me. When, they take me, and it is no longer a matter of if but of when, we will not go back to our new house. They will uproot everything again and find a new place to live. We won't know where one another are, but there may be a way to fix that."

The gears in Remus' mind clicked together and what she intended was evident. "We don't know all the facts about that," he plainly stated. "It's something we need to seriously think through."

"Are you saying you haven't thought about it?" Elaine questioned further. "Because I will be the first to admit that I have."

"Of course I have thought about it, but I don't want this to become something you may regret later on," he explained. His eyes refused to meet hers; instead they searched the woods behind her.

"ELAINE!" her father called once again. His voice was nearer. Remus knew they had but moment before they would be joined by her father.

"Remus." His name was barely a whisper upon her lips. As her fingers intertwined with his, he turned his full attention back to her. Her other hand came up to frame his face. "We've known one another our entire lives. I cannot bear the thought of living without you in my life." Green eyes searched his. "I love you. I know it may sound childish, but I know that I always will, forever."

He pulled his hand from her grasp and watched a shadow pass over her eyes. "You have thought this through completely? Once it is done, there is no changing it." Even as he spoke he was surrounding her with his arms once again. One arm wrapped around her waist whilst the other cradled her head.

"Yes, I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life." Her voice was once again little more than a whisper. "I love you, silly git." Unshed tears sparkled in her eyes.

A smile spread across his face. Even in times such as that, she was cracking jokes and calling him names. "I love you too." Slowly, his head lowered to hers. After planting a light kiss upon her lips, he moved to the crook of her neck. "I love you." His voice was bare audible to his own ears. His lips glided over her neck. "My Elaine."

"ELAINE!"