REGECTION

PART ONE: REGECTION

I have made sure that I dress really nice today. Why? Because today is the day I ask out my crush:

Remus Lupin

As I walked up to him he was surrounded by his friends.

"Hi Erica." Chanted the boys, I'd know James Potter my entire life since our mums were tea buddies, but I'd met Remus Sirius and Peter in first year. We were friends, but I didn't spend all my time with them. Well here it goes, all or nothing.

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"Um Remus? Can I talk to you?" Erica said.

"Er….Sure." he said. Erica looked at the Marauders, realizing that she would have to ask with them present.

"Uh, I was um... wondering if you'd go out with me?" said Erica, spitting it out fast and blushing. Remus's eyes went wide and his face filled with color.

"Um, I'm sorry Erica but I erm...don't like you like that," stuttered Remus. She looked horrified, and Remus instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry," he repeated "Are you okay?

"Oh, yeah," Erica said trying to sound fine. "Yeah, sorry I bothered you, bye,"

There was silence amongst the boys as she turned and started to walk away before breaking into a run.

PART TWO: BUT

"Hey Remus?" Sirius said nonchalantly.

"What?" Remus snapped, the full moon was coming close.

"You're an idiot,"

"Yeah, why'd you turn her down?" James asked.

"You heard me. I don't like her like that," Remus said.

"You told us back in third year you liked her," James reminded him.

"So? I don't like her any more," asked Remus.

"Yet you still gaze at her adoringly," Sirius batted his eyelashes.

James started at Remus perpelxed. "If this is about the furry-"

"Yes it's about that okay!" Remus hissed at them. "Do you think she'd still like me if she knew? Do you? She'd be horrified. And even't if she wasn't there's still that chance that I could hurt her. Werewolves are meant to be alone," he finished dejectedly."

"Erica wouldn't care mate," James said. "She's pretty open minded,"

"It's takes a bit more than being open minded James," Remus glared.

"But last summer, when she came with her mum to tea, me and James slipped her Vertiserum," Sirius said. "And she said, and I quote, 'I'd love Remus no matter what,'"

"What did you ask her?" Peter asked.

James grinned. "Well we knew Remus liked her so we asked 'Would you love Remus unconditionaly?' It was iind of a joke really,"

"So mate you've just rejected what might be the only girl to love you despite what you are," Sirius said happily

"I know, I know." Remus muttered.

And as he walked away he thought, 'I love her to,'

PART THREE: Forbidden

Erica jogged around the lake as she did every night. She was usually pretty fast but today she went slowly, all her energy seemed to have been used on crying, sobbing really, over Remus' rejection.

She'd been so sure. So sure he felt the same way she did. But still all he wanted to be was friends.

As she ran Erica heard a voice. She slowed to a stop, only to find Remus Lupin muttering to himslef underneath a tree, Bob, Hogwarts' resident Giant Squid floating in the lake nearby.

"...Stupid...Worst decision in your life...you love her..." Erica shook her head. There was no way Remus was talking about her.

"...Erica Reynolds...Girl of your dreams..." Erica blinked. Okay, maybe there was a way.

"Remus?" Erica said slowly.

Remus' head jerked wround to look at her. he stood up quickly. "Erica...Oh god I'm sorry...I sholuld have said yes..."

That was all she needed to hear before Erica was in Remus' arms kissing him.

"I'm a werewolf," Remus said between kisses.

Erica paused for a second before kissing hima again, slowly this time. "I don't care," she whispered.

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PART FOUR: Death

Erica was only there for a quick swim in the lake. She was standing knee deep in the water when she heard a howl. Suddenlty she remembered and she looked to the sky. It was very nearly morning but the moon was still out. Erica's one thought was 'Remus'. To his friends he may be Moony, but to her he was always Remus...Her Remus.

What she never realized was that when the full moon came out he was pure Moony. Pure werewolf. A beast before a man, always searchiong for the meat his animal friends deprived him of.

The wolf was running towards her, but all she saw was her boyfriend of a year. "Hello Remus," she said with laughter in her voice. It was a game he was playing with her. The wolf growled, the hair on it's back stood up and it started to prowl towards her. "Remus?" she asked shocked. "Remus it's me, Erica," Fear sprung into her eyes along with tears. "Remus why are you doing this to me?" And then she realized this was her boyfriend and this was who he always had been. Somehow this only made her love him more, seeing what he had to go through , how he lost control. All control...

So, as claws ripped through her chest, and the sounds of hoofs, paws and rat claws rushed twoards her in the background, her only emotional was uncoditional love. It still showed in her eyes as she fell backwards, dead into the water the blood had turned red. Suddenly the sun dawned hitting Remus' face as the moon dissapeared and he changed into a man. dripping in water he fell to his knees, a grief beyond words filling his chest.

Golden sunlight now filled the grounds and twinkled off the blood and the water as if to speak Erica's last thoughts:

'It's ok, don't be sad. I only regret not saying goodbye...one last time...'