Author's Note: First off, sorry its been so long. I'll be updating more often I promise! The Original Version had this weird twenty questions thing that I decided I hated, so this version has that omitted. There are still questions, but its not a childish game. I also have a slightly different direction that a friend suggested. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Huge Shout to Ventari SylverFox and Lupinesence who have been such wonderful fans to follow this story and comment across both versions. You guys rock! Thank you to all my followers! Be sure to comment and let me know what you think, and if anyone has any suggestions for plot points please feel free to either comment them or PM me and let me now. Enjoy!
Happy Reading!
~Duchess MoonMoon13

Remus waited until Ivy was about halfway done with her pie before he distracted her. She was eating like it had been several days between her meals, and he suspected this was in fact the case, considering the stress the Ministry had handed her. It felt a bit odd, really. He wasn't uncomfortable around her. It almost bothered him, to think of how much he liked her already. It seemed shameful, in his chivalrous mind, to be so attracted to a young woman that was fifteen years his junior, but really he felt her soul was much older. He enjoyed the way her freckles were splashed so perfectly across her nose, the almond shape of her eyes, the way her eyelashes matched the copper tone of her hair. Her smile was unique too, and appealed more to Moony, who Remus attempted to keep quiet when dealing with the fairer sex. Her canines one both the top and bottom set were very pronounced, and she didn't show them much, but he'd managed to make her smile fully a couple times. She didn't seem aware of her beauty, which to him seemed unfair.

"So, why a bookstore?" he asked her, and the question made her eyes shine. "I like to read, and owning a library seemed a bit far fetched." she said, causing him to laugh. Ivy enjoyed the light that laughter brought to his face. His eyes, a deep and dreamy green, gleamed like emeralds. He had slight laugh lines around his eyes, and his smile set her heart to flutter. She began to worry that she was too naive in the ways of love, because of the butterflies she seemed to be feeling from being around him. Boys at school never paid her attention, or if they did it was never kind. They'd called her things far too unkind to repeat, but they're favorites included insults involved with mixed breeding and the old time name for a female dog. She'd decided long ago not to bother with the lot of them, probably around her third or fourth year. But now here she was, at dinner with a well educated and sexy man, who actually wanted to hear what she had to say. It almost made her not want to be mad at the Ministry. Almost.

"What is your favorite book? I noticed you had quite a collection, and many of them are scattered about so obviously you read quite often" she watched him as he sat back and thought. "Magic or Muggle?" "Both." He leaded his head to one side and squinted a bit. "Les Miserables and Hairy Snout, Human Heart" Ivy smiled. "I find reading Hugo very trying, but I love Hairy Snout. It taught me so much about my father, myself, everything I just wish we knew who wrote it." She looked down at her plate. "Trying?" he said. "Victor Hugo, trying? Alright madam, who may I ask would you prefer over him?" This took her back for a moment, because she didn't normally pick an author to adore they're entire body of work. "I honestly treat each piece of literature as you would a set of siblings. I think although they have the same parent, they are each they're own entity and deserve to be taken as such. That being said, I do not like the way Hugo writes. I do like Stephen King quite good, especially that most of his plots happen in Maine, and that's so very far away. I have enough monsters in my life here." He laughed at her monster comment. "I also like Jules Verne quite well."

He didn't reply right away, and Ivy seemed to shy back away, picked her fork up and poking around at the remainder of the food on her plate. "Why does the poster bother you?" she asked, her eyes never leaving her plate. Remus swallowed thickly. If he had the opportunity to catch and kill Sirius himself, at this point he may be ready to. He couldn't handle this situation, not now. "It was his fault..." he was almost whispering now "James and Lily were in hiding because of a prophecy about Harry bringing down Voldemort..." Ivy flinched hard. He'd forgot that barely anyone used that name. "Sirius told. He gave them up, and they died. He also killed our friend, Peter, along with several muggles who just happened to be standing by. He was in the pictures you saw in my home, but I can see why you wouldn't recognize him." Ivy watched him as he finished his story, a lone tear streaked down his cheek, catching on the ridge of a scar and running down his jaw. If she knew he wouldn't take offense, she'd reach and wipe it away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I can't imagine..." he smiled through his obvious pain at the memories she'd brought up.

"While we're on the subject, what happened to your parents?" Ivy could feel the color leaving her face, but it seemed only fair. "My mother and father lived a fairly hybrid life of muggle and magic. We had a family car, and they'd went out for dinner one night. A drunken bus driver missed a stop signal, slammed into the driver's side. Dad's neck was broken instantly and mum lasted maybe a day in the ICU. They were taken to a muggle hospital, not that magic could've helped." She could feel her own tears, but many more than Remus' one falling. She blinked them away and reached down on the table for her napkin, but before she could bring it back up to her face to dry her tears away, she felt his hand on hers. Her heart sputtered a bit, and she scolded herself. The last thing you need is a crush on him. Don't complicate things" she thought. His eyes traveled her face waiting for her to look up. "I'm so sorry" he said, and she knew he could actually mean it. So many people had no idea what it was like, to be happy one day and so utterly alone the next. Something else they had in common, she thought.

Remus changed the subject and they both seemed to cheer up a bit, sitting in the cafe until all the other customers had left. Mentally they were both justifying this as 'just trying to get to know one another', but really neither of them wanted to leave. Ivy was enjoying the attention, and for Remus it was nice just to have company. 'Extremely lovely company in a very lovely dress' Moony spoke up and he lightly shook it off. He hadn't been out with a woman in nearly three years. Once upon a time he'd fought his depression in bars with witches he didn't know very well. As it got easier to cope with his loss, he started actually dating, but lying about his scars got tiresome. His last girlfriend had been a sweet witch from Cardiff, with midnight black hair and equally dark eyes. She was educated in France, and only about two years younger than Remus, but didn't know him from school. They spent a few months together, but after a few times being intimate she'd asked about the scars crossing his body, and he was done lying. She had seemed to genuinely care for him, so he thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd be okay with it. She left without a word and he never saw her again. It broke his heart more than he was really willing to admit, so he decided to stay alone.

Ivy spoke to the waitress and he snapped back from his thoughts. "I'm sorry Clara, we'll be going now." Before he had time to protest, she paid the bill stood, waiting for him. He gave an arm and she took it, and they left, walking quietly though the streets until they came to a bench. "Its all a bit awful, isn't it? Having to do this I mean." he nodded, letting her speak about it. During the whole situation he was never angry for himself, but for the many young women (and men for that matter) who would be stuck with someone they didn't know, much less love, who may mistreat them, for the rest of their days. "I'm sorry" she said and he turned on his hip to look at her fully. "For what?" he asked her, genuinely confused. "My sister asked Professor Dumbledore for help, and he sent you." Remus felt anger flutter in his chest. "I still don't understand you're feeling like you need to apologize.'' Ivy sighed, closed her eyes and took another deep breath. "I just think you could do better." she whispered. His anger rose. How dare the world break this girl to the point that she thinks he is too good for her.

He took her hand in both of his and she looked up. She was obliviously fighting back tears. It hurt him far more than watching someone he'd just met cry ever should. It seemed their lives had intertwined so quickly that it was almost impossible to not hurt when she did. He wanted nothing more than to hide her from further pain, lock her away and never let anything else get to her. He didn't speak at first, but he thought about every option they had from this moment forward. There was in reality time to have one or two more days like they'd had to get to know one another before he chose to keep her or move on and let someone probably far more awful take her. Moony growled and Remus knew he really had no other option than to act right now. He didn't want her to be let down ever again, and worst case scenario they could always be friends who just happened to be forced into a marriage by their government. He could try to make her happy. "Ivy?" he spoke at last, and she looked up just as he moved to be kneeling in front of her. He kissed the tip of her nose and she blushed a deep shade of crimson. "Will you marry me?"

R/R?