My first one-shot. Please read and review!
Ashley Hugh sat alone in the Hogwarts library studying, as she usually did on a weekday evening. Well, trying to study was probably a more accurate description. She had not written a word for her transfiguration essay in the last fifteen minutes, and there was only one reason why. It was always the same reason: the Marauders.
There they were, sitting together some seven meters away from her, apparently studying, but Ashley suspected that it was a façade, well, for most of them anyway. There could be no doubt the only reason they were all there was because fiery redhead Lily Evans was seated a few tables away, occasionally glaring daggers at one Marauder, the good-looking, arrogant Quidditch hero James Potter.
And if James Potter was in sight, then one could be certain that another, equally well-known Marauder, the haughty Sirius Black was not far behind. He was, by general consensus of the female student population, the hottest piece of work to ever set foot in Hogwarts castle: and let there be no doubt that he knew it too.
Both said Marauders seemed to be almost idolized by the third Marauder, Peter Pettigrew. Though he was not quite in their league of cool, there was no messing with him – not when he was so well connected.
And then, last but not least, there was Remus Lupin. Just the mention of his name was enough to make Ashley's insides tingle. He was well-known as the kinder, mature Marauder, typically responsible for the more well thought out pranks. He was not quite as adored as Potter and Black, but had a steady following of his own.
And he was the exact reason why Ashley spent most of her time in the library. Tall and devilishly handsome, when he was not running a mock with his friends, he was in the library studying, and one could count on the fact that Ashley would be there too, pretending to study, but really just treasuring the time she spent covertly looking at him.
Unfortunately for Ashley though, he seemed oblivious to her constant presence. She was not too upset by the fact though – she was used to being friendless, used to being more or less ignored by her dormmates. To the rest of the school, she was just that quiet fifth year loner. She doubted whether Lupin even knew her name: he was an extremely popular sixth year, after all, and she was just a no-body.
Ashley sighed softly and looked away from Lupin (who she suspected was the only one of the four actually studying). She looked down at her parchment, intending to get back on track with her essay, only to realize that she had unconsciously scribbled Lupin's name across her paper. She suppressed a giggle at her own infatuation (well, she could hardly laugh out loud when she was sitting alone: it would look ridiculous). She reached out for her wand to erase the words, but before she could reach it, someone appeared abruptly at her side.
"What you laughing at, Ash?"
It was Rita Skeeter: the notorious Hufflepuff seventh year with a mouth that even Dumbledore could not control.
"Er, nothing," said a startled Ashley, unconsciously pulling her incriminating piece of parchment towards her.
"Nothing?" asked Rita disbelievingly, "Nothing doesn't make people laugh."
She paused and watched her suspiciously; Ashley gripped the parchment tighter and dearly wished that Rita would just go away. Unfortunately, Rita noticed this suspicious behavior and hastily pulled the parchment out of Ashley's hands.
"Hey!" cried Ashley anxiously, "Give that back!"
But Rita was much taller than herself, and she held the parchment up high, out of Ashley's reach as she read, in a horribly wicked voice,
"Remus Lupin."
Ashley froze while Rita's eyes widened with excitement.
"You don't likeLupin, do you, Ash?" she asked eagerly.
"N-no," stuttered Ashley, knowing she couldn't even fool Pettigrew with her performance.
"Ohh, yes you do!" exclaimed Rita ecstatically, the elaborate curls on her head bounced up and down as she nodded vigorously, "And I'd say loopy Lupin has a right to know, don't you think?"
"No!" cried Ashley nervously; she looked positively horrified, "No, Rita, please, don't tell him!"
She grabbed Rita's arm to stop her from walking away, but Rita pushed her roughly to the floor and almost skipped away.
"Oh, Lupin!" she could hear her sing as she approached him.
Ashley hurried to her feet, though it felt like her insides had been left behind on the floor, expect for her heart which was beating frantically.
She fixed her gaze on the Marauders' table; Rita was bending over showing the parchment to Lupin while she explained something, her expression one of evil delight. The other three were
listening too, and then, as one, they all looked around at Ashley, and she knew at that moment that Rita had just told them.
Ashley had eyes only for Lupin – he was looking at her with polite surprise and even a little embarrassment written all over his face. She could hear his friends laughing in the background. Feeling her face grow incredibly red, Ashley quickly grabbed her things, summoned her parchment from Rita's accursed hands and ran as fast as she could out of the library and all the way to her bed, where she hide, as she often did, in the refuge that only her curtains could offer.
- - -
"Ashley?"
The voice resonated through the silent dormitory. Ashley recognized it as the voice of her dormmate, Miranda. Though Ashley would not call her a friend, she was by far the most civil to her of all her other classmates.
"What?" she replied dully from behind her curtains.
"It's almost eleven o'clock, aren't you going to get up?" her heard her reply.
Ashley groaned inwardly. She knew she should get up soon – she had a large pile of homework waiting for her.
"Yeh, I'm getting up, thanks, Miranda."
"Okay, I'll see you at lunch," she replied.
A moment later, Ashley heard the dormitory door close and she knew she was alone, so she slipped grudgingly out of bed. There were only two words on her mind at the moment.
He knows.
She was absolutely horrified. Lupin was her first serious crush, and now he knew. She could not just shrug it off like other people could or pretend it was nothing… she had never had enough social interaction to develop that kind of skill. As it were, the thought of her crush knowing that she liked him made her dread the thought of even eating in the same Great Hall as him.
She felt ashamed as she remembered the way his friends had been laughing when they found out… she knew she would not hear the end of this; they would give her a hard time, she knew they would.
And then there was Lupin – the look on his face! So surprised – embarrassed even – to know that she liked him! As if the cool, popular Marauder would ever return her feelings. She was just that quiet lonely nobody.
She supposed this meant the end of her time spent in the library, silently watching him. She would surely miss that.
Sighing softly, she had a quick shower, gathered her books and climbed down the stairs to the common room. If there was one thing she could be sure of, it was that there was no way the Marauders would spend such a nice Sunday morning in the common room, and so she had no problem going down stairs.
As she expected, the common room was empty but for a number of students, and Lupin was not of them. She breathed a sigh of relief, but rather than stay and study in the common room, Ashley made her way outside; the weather was too gorgeous to resist, and she thought she owed herself something pleasant after what had happened the previous evening.
The grounds were alive with the sounds of students playing, laughing, or just simply chatting. Ashley, having no friends of her own to join, made her way towards the lake; there was a large beech tree there that she loved to sit under, though she was rarely able to as there was almost always someone else sitting there. The Marauders, in particular, seemed to have taken a liking to that tree.
At the moment though, the tree was free and Ashley happily sat down in its shade. She did not immediately take out her books; instead she enjoyed the scenery, allowing it to distract her from her worries. But then, a voice from above her knocked her back in to reality.
"Sirius, wait! Don't –"
Completely startled, Ashley looked up just as a large amount of water landed on her head – completely soaking her hair and top of her robes.
She gasped as she realized what had just happened, wiping the water out of her face with her hands. She could see students all around her looking at her and laughing – some of them very cruelly, and she felt herself blush furiously.
She looked up again to see who had done this too her and to her horror, she saw Potter, Black and Pettigrew all sitting some three meters above her in the tree, laughing hysterically. Lupin was there too, but he was climbing down the tree and so she couldn't see his face.
She left the tears forming quickly in her eyes; they had done more than soak her, and they had wounded her pride and deeply hurt her – especially Lupin. He was meant to be the decent one…
She stood up hastily, grabbed her bag and, blinking back her tears, ran to a quiet and isolated patch of bushes and trees, just near Hagrid's put.
She collapsed on to the ground just behind a bush, well hidden from view. She wiped away her tears bitterly, and pushed her soaking fringe out of her eyes, hardly daring to believe what had happened.
Lupin pranked her. Her! In front of no less than twenty students, even though he knew she liked him. She was completely shocked by this – humiliated even. She had expected no less of his friends; they had a reputation for such a thing. But for Lupin to do it, to take advantage of a younger student he knew had feelings for him? It was completely unlike him.
She bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry, and then, she heard them… voices.
"She ran this way, I saw her!"
Ashley held her breath and pushed herself closer to the bush. She knew that voice – it was Lupin! She hastily – and as silently as she could – lay down flat on her stomach and slipped under the over lying branches of a nearby bush.
"Are you sure, Remus?" replied the voice she knew belonged to Potter.
"Yes, I'm sure!" replied Lupin. He sounded slightly urgent.
She heard the bushed rustling around her and she sat stock still, not wanting to be found.
"She must have keep going, Remus," she heard Black say. He sounded a little annoyed. "Anyway, why are we even looking for her?"
"Because you just dropped a massive bucket of water on her head, you prat!" replied Lupin, "What did you do that for, anyway? You knew that bucket was meant for Snape."
Ashley's heart fluttered slightly – so he hadn't intended to soak her!
"So?" replied Black indignantly, "I wasn't going to wait all day for Sanpe, when he probably wasn't even going to come! What's got you so agitated anyway? We don't even know that girl."
"Sirius, you are so thick sometimes…"
Ashley did not recognize the voice immediately, but she was pretty sure that it was Peter Pettigrew.
"What? What's going on, why are you three all looking at me like that?"
"Sirius, that was the girl who likes Remus!" explained Potter.
Ashley was started to feel distinctly hot in the face at those words.
"Oh," she heard Black say dully, and then, more emphatically, with a lot of realization in this voice, "Ohhh…"
"Yes, Sirius, exactly," said Lupin, sighing deeply, "Now she probably thinks I had something to do with it – and somehow I don't think that will make her feel so good."
"Oh man, Remus, I'm sorry, really, I didn't recognize her –"
"It's alright Sirius, really, it wasn't you fault…"
"I'll make it up to you, really, Remus. When I see her I'll tell her you didn't have anything to do with it."
"Thanks."
"Hey, guys, look, it's Lily… let's go sit near the lake..." Potter said suddenly.
"You guys go ahead," said Lupin, "I'll join you in a bit."
Ashley heard three sets of footsteps set off and she started to feel a little panic stricken – what was Lupin planning on doing? What if he found her, lying under a bush, with dirt sticking to her wet robe and hair?
"Way to go, Sirius," she heard him mumble.
She turned her head ever so slightly, and she could see his feet on the other side of the bush – he was walking in her direction.
He sighed loudly – he was less than a meter away from her now – and then, without warning, he kicked the bush Ashley was hiding under. Having not expected that, Ashley gasped, and then quickly clasped her hands to her mouth when Lupin jumped back away from the bush in shock.
"What the…?" he muttered.
Ashley held her breathe as she saw his feet approach the bush. He stopped, and then knelt down, his hands touched the ground first, followed quickly by his head. Ashley's eye opened wide as they made contact with his. He looked thoroughly surprised, though pleased.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked, smiling kindly.
Ashley felt like her heart had skipped a beat, but she quickly jumped up to her feet, trying to act cool, as though she had not just been found lying in the dirt, covered in water, soil and dry leaves. She shrugged her shoulders and said –
"Nothing."
But she avoided looking at his eyes, and could feel a blush spread across her cheeks… Remus Lupin himself was standing in front of her, and he knew how she felt about him. She knew she must look so horrible at that moment…
Before she could say anything else, Lupin started walking around the bush and came to a stop right in front of her.
She started at him in bewilderment. What on earth was he doing, she wondered.
He seemed to sense her bewilderment, and one of his hands flew up to his head and he nervously rubbed his neck. This surprised Ashley even more. Remus Lupin – the Remus Lupin – was acting nervous?
"Er, Ashley –"
Ashley stared – he knew her name!
" – I just wanted to explain what happened, just before. I didn't mean –"
"It's okay," she said shyly, "I heard you talking to Black... I understand."
"Oh," he said, looking surprised, "You heard it all?"
"Yes," she said, her blush deepened. She was really talking to Remus Lupin!
"Well, I mean, I wanted you to know I'm really sorry… and well, here, let me just –"
Ashley watched him hold up her wand and aim it at her. A moment later she was completely dry and clean again. She smiled shyly as she ran a hand through her now dry hair.
"Thanks, Lupin."
"Call me Remus," he said, flashing her one of those charming smiles of his.
It was almost enough to make her knees buckle, he was just so nice, and so – gorgeous. At that moment, she wanted more than ever to just run her hands through this hair and let her lips meet his…
"Er, okay, R-Remus," she said timidly, "Um, well, I guess I , er, better be getting back to the castle now…"
Lupin looked a little disappointed when she said this.
"Um, can you stay for a bit?" he asked quickly, "I want to ask you something."
What on earth could he possibly want to ask her? She had no idea – unless… Unless he wanted to ask her if what Rita showed him was real!
"What is it?" she asked nervously.
"You know yesterday" – Ashley's eyes widened in horror – "was that true, what Rita said?" he asked curiously, "I mean, do you really, um, likeme?"
There was so much emphasis in the way he said that last word – he sounded almost incredulous. Ashley felt herself blushing for what must have been the hundredth time that day. She did not say anything – indeed she did not think she could. She simply looked at the ground, fidgeting with her hands, wishing the ground would swallow her up. What was he trying to do? Make a point of how foolish it was for her to like him, when he could never like her back? She felt so foolish at the moment… she had never had the best self esteem, and this certainly was not helping. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hey, Ashley, what's wrong?" Lupin asked, sounding concerned.
"Why do you have to rub it in?" she mumbled miserably, hastily wiping away her tears, "Yeh, I like you… but I didn't want Rita to tell you, it's not like I actually thought I would have a chance with you. You're like, the height of cool, and I'm just some lame no body…"
She allowed her voice to trail off, still without looking at him. She couldn't take it anymore – she had to get away from him before she embarrassed herself even more. She stepped forward quickly to get away, but he stopped her by grabbing on to her arm.
"Let me go, please," she pleaded.
Her voice was shaking and tears were streaming down her face now.
"Please, just let me go, I get it, Lupin, I do, seriously…"
"No, you don't," he said softly, but firmly.
Ashley felt her lip trembling. Couldn't he see how much he was hurting her?
She tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but he was too strong for her, so she gave just gave up.
"Why won't you let just me go?" she asked miserably, still not looking at him, "Haven't you embarrassed me enough?"
"Because I haven't yet asked you what I wanted to ask," he said gently, "Do you know what next weekend is?"
"N-No…"
"It's the Hogsmeade weekend."
Ashley wondered why on earth he was sharing this information with her.
"And, er, well, I was hoping maybe you would want to go with me? You know, on a date?"
Ashley froze. She suddenly felt cold, and she finally looked up at him. He was watching her sadly… and yet, hopefully.
"W-what?" she stuttered.
"You heard me," he replied calmly, "I want to take you to Hogsmeade, on a date. What do you say?"
"Are you serious?" she whispered, her heart now beating frantically.
"Yeh, I am."
"Really? Seriously?"
He laughed, "Yeh, seriously."
"Why?" she asked incredulously.
He smiled sheepishly, "Well, I've had a bit of a crush on you, actually…"
Ashley couldn't believe her ears, surely she was hearing wrong…
"You? You like me?" she whispered.
"Yeh," he said, actually blushing slightly, "So what do you say? Is it a date?"
Her face broke out in to a massive, relieved smile. She couldn't believe it. Remus Lupin liked her. Her! Ashley Hugh!
"I – of course!"
Lupin beamed ecstatically, "Excellent."
He extended his right hand forward and wiped the last of tears from her face. Ashley shivered at his touch.
"I better go, I promised my friends I'd meet them, they'll be wondering where I am," he said gently, "I'll talk to you later tonight, okay?"
Ashley nodded happily, but Lupin still did not leave. He was watching her curiously, looking like he was debating whether or not to do something.
"What is it?" she asked curiously.
"Um, well, it's just… can I, well, you know, kiss you? Just a quick one," he added quickly.
Ashley felt herself blushing again, and felt the butterflies in her stomach do a kind of dance. But she did not answer him. Instead, she stepped forward and kissed him on the lips. He seemed surprised at first, but he kissed her back. It was quick, chaste kiss, but it still made her heart flutter.
He smiled shyly and said, "Er, well, I'll see you tonight, then. Bye!"
"Bye, Lu – Remus," she said.
She watched him walk away, her mouth stretched into a delightful smile. Once he was out of sight, she turned away and walked back to the castle, humming happily to herself. Really, who would have thought such good could have come from the hands of Rita Skeeter, of all people?