Hey everyone. This story was written for The Return of the Chocolate Frog Card, Summer prompts for the Seasonal Challenges Thread, and Build a Monster Workshop. I wrote for Body: spaghetti for the Build a Monster Workshop. For the Summer prompts I wrote for "Nothing beats a first kiss.". And for the Return of the Chocolate Frog Cards I wrote for (Bronze) Archibald Alderton and the task was to write about something going wrong. I hope you all enjoy Remus Lupin, Ladies Man.
How could things get his messed up on a date? I thought to myself as I watched the Muggle doctor wrap Marlene's ankles up. I had tried my best to make it a night she wouldn't forget. I guess I may have been trying to hard. But Sirius Black is a hard act follow and no one knew that better than me.
It had started out well enough. I picked her up at the apartment that she shared with James' girlfriend Lily. Looking back now I should have known something was bound to go wrong when Marlene almost fell down the stairs on her way down from upstairs. I covered my shock at having to rescue my date by saying the first thing that came to mind.
"You look beautiful tonight," I told her. Then I asked the question that was probably on everyone's mind. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied quickly a slight blush covering her face. "Thank you."
"Shall we go then?" I asked holding out my arm for her to take.
She nodded as she took my arm.
"Where are going?" she asked interest coloring her voice.
"You'll see," I told her told. "It's not that fancy but I think you'll like it."
"You're not going to tell me. Are you?"
I shook my head. "You're going to have to wait and see." I said as took the short walk towards the restaurant that I knew was one of her favorites. The Brewing Witch. I hadn't told anyone but it was one of my favorites too.
"Table for two under Lupin," I said as the wait stand attendant asked if he could help us.
"Ah, Mr. Lupin," he said gathering two menus and motion Marlene and I to follow him. "Right this way, sir, Miss."
He lead us to a table that was romantically light with the glow of several candles. A beautiful thing of flowers was the center piece of the table. I pulled out Marlene's chair for her pushing it in when she sat. I saw her grimace in pain hoping that I hadn't slid the chair over her foot or something.
"So what do you suggest I get?" I asked her pretending that I had never been her before. "I heard this was one of your favorite restaurants after all. You must have a favorite here?"
She seemed to be taking in the menu deep in thought. "It's so hard to choose and absolute favorite," she told me. "But if I was forced to it would have to be the spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs are as big as person's head and the best tasting thing in the world. See." She pointed out a nearby table that had order the spaghetti and meatballs. And true to what she had said the meatballs were as big as a person's head. "Maybe we can share a bowl," she suggested with a small blush coloring her face.
"That'd be a lovely idea," I told her as the waiter brought over a bottle of wine.
"We didn't order any wine," Marlene told the man.
"It's from the gentlemen at the bar," he informed us.
I groaned as I looked over. Who should be sitting at the bar but a grinning James, blushing Peter, and scowling Sirius. Marlene waved at the boys and called out a thank you in their direction. I quirked my eyebrows at her a blush of my own coloring my face.
"That was nice of them," Marlene said cheerfully as she poured a glass of wine for the both of us.
"Yes," I told her seeing Siriu's scowl in the reflection in the mirror behind her. "It was very nice of them."
"Are you ready to order?" asked the waiter.
"We'll share a bowl of the spaghetti and meatballs," Marlene told him with a smile.
I gave a nod at this still feeling the angry presence of Sirius behind me. I took Marlene's hand as the waiter went to put the order in for us. Sirius flagged down a waiter and got a table nearby us. I knew this wasn't going to end well for me. Or my date with Marlene.
The waiter brought out the bowl of spaghetti which ended up reaching the table just fine. We thank him as he left the table. Beginning to eat our dinner a light hearted silence took over the table. But no one was prepared for the moment our lips met over the piece of spaghetti we thought was actually two.
"Nothing beats a first kiss," Marlene smirked a slight pink coming into her cheeks.
The next thing I knew I was covered in spaghetti sauce and spaghetti as an angry Sirius had just dumped the bowl over my head. Marlene glared at him before calling for the check which I quickly paid.
"Way to go ladies man," I heard my friend call after me.
I walked Marlene back to her apartment apologizing profusely for what had happened during our dinner. Even though it was my fault that Sirius was being territorial over his ex-girlfriend.
"It's not your fault, Rmus," she told me as got to her doorstep. She stepped out of her shoes with a sigh of relief. "I had a fun time with you either way. Let's do this again next week?"
"Yes," I told her. Leaving her with a goodnight kiss before she could change her mind. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong but I still got a second date. I smiled as I walked home. Tonight was amazing.
I hope you all enjoyed Remus Lupin, Ladies Man.
