Remus had of course vacated the scene soon after Black had kissed him again, which he was extremely glad to do. Obviously Miss Evans had not shown up and had found interest elsewhere, so Remus would shortly be there too.
It was time for damage control.
Giving a sigh, he clambered into his coach and rode over to the Forefield Estate when night had fallen. Magnificent lights were glowing at the entrance as Remus reached the door and knocked on the door. He peered through the window, where the maid was rustling toward the door.
"How may I help – oh, hello Mr. Lupin. Are you here for Miss Evans?"
Remus nodded, folding his hands behind his back and standing patiently at the door.
In a moment, Miss Evans was ushered towards the door – quite flustered – and then pursed her lips at the sight of Remus.
"Oh. Hello, Mr. Lupin." She said stiffly, her fingers curled painfully tightly around the doorknob.
"Good evening, Miss Evans," Remus said politely, sweeping off his hat in one motion. She nodded at him with her nose in the air. "I wish to speak to you."
"How urgent is it, Mr. Lupin?"
Remus contemplated for a second. "Direly important, in my eyes, Miss Evans, do you have the time?"
Her face was turning red slowly, as though battling with herself before huffing out a sigh and snapping open the door farther, stepping out of the way. "Come in. But please do hurry."
Remus realized that he didn't have much time or patience to dwindle with Miss Evans. Hastily taking a seat, Remus sat the edge of the chair quite nervously.
Miss Evans raised her eyebrows expectantly at Remus.
"You did not attend the Potter Banquet, as I see." He observed.
"Please, Mr. Lupin, of course you cannot expect me to visit such a place simply to have my footsteps followed by some desperate man and most probably, you as well." She examined, rolling her eyes.
"I would never follow you, Miss Evans, that would cause a disturbance for you and would get myself nowhere."
"You have already disturbed me, Mr. Lupin." Miss Evans said loftily, her voice airy.
Remus gave a sigh. "I have discussed matters with Black." He ignored the guilty pang in his stomach as he realized that he did not discuss anything with Black at all, he had only really been taken advantage of. Remus' main goal had been to tell Black to back off and yield, but that had somehow been dwindled away.
"Have both of you finally gathered enough maturity to end this joking?" She hissed, not bothering to keep the venom out of her voice.
"I don't think that there has ever been joking between us, Miss Evans–"
Miss Evans stood up sharply. "Until you realize that I am not a fool, Mr. Lupin, and that I haven't been oblivious to the childish games you and Black are playing, we have nothing more to converse."
Remus, despite his usually manners, remained seated. "Please, Miss Evans, do not make me eat my own words. Do take a seat, because there is more to this conversation than we are making it out to be."
Miss Evan's nostrils flared as Remus had just called her flaw. Obviously she didn't like being corrected, but nonetheless she sat back down so swiftly that Remus wasn't sure if she had even ever been standing.
"Then continue, Mr. Lupin, before you waste your time and I ask you to depart permanently." She spat, obviously thinking that this would make Remus consider his words.
Instead, he sighed again. "We are both adults, Miss Evans, and I believe that simply talking about this trouble would be much more mature than avoiding it. Black and I have merely not been getting along. While I do admit that the way we decided to handle it was immature, it is over, and therefore it is the past."
Miss Evans looked as though she was trying to find another reason that Remus and Black were bad business, but seemed to not think of any more. "Alright, Mr. Lupin, you have stated your case," She fiddled with her hands. "As long as there is no more playing around, I will be willing to try this again."
Remus smiled gently. "Thank you for your consideration, Miss Evans. I will try to visit you again tomorrow afternoon."
"Very well. You may take your leave."
Remus stepped out of the Estate, and returned to his own house.
---
"Remus… there's a man at the door for you."
"What?!" Remus called exasperatedly, his expression wild. His mother tutted at him.
"Use your manners, Remus!" She scolded, and then scurried into the other room. The maid answered the door.
"Oh, hello Mr. Black!" The maid said, blushing furiously. Black bowed down his hat and grinned toothily at her. Remus rolled his eyes and walked towards the door.
"Thank you," He said stiffly to the maid, who was giggling quite ridiculously. She straightened suddenly and cleared her throat before scampering back to the dishes.
Remus glared at him. "I do believe that no one invited you, Black." He muttered.
"Your maid seemed quite glad to make me welcome."
"The only reason that the maid seems so determined in allowing your presence is that most ladies seem to find some sort of part of you agreeable." Remus hissed.
"Are you dismissing me?"
"I'm calling you an incurable flirt, Black," He gritted out. "Now why are you here?"
"Oh, simply to converse with you." Black said innocently. Remus glowered.
"You loathe me, Black, I am sure of that and I think that you are too. Why would you spend your afternoon here?"
Black shrugged and smiled suspiciously. He leaned seductively against the doorframe, poising his foot.
"I guess I wanted to clear the air about something."
Remus did not invite him in or invite himself out to talk to Black, since then they would be alone, and that never ended well. He instead simply raised his eyebrows stiffly and wavered at the door.
"Potter is still allowed to seduce Miss Evans." He said, smiling wickedly.
Remus had expected an apology. Perhaps even an explanation for all of the unnecessary and one-sided kisses. But not a statement of such arrogance and smugness.
"And why is that, Black?" He snarled, his hand gripping the wall.
"Because you are not involved with her, as far as I understand. You are just friends. Potter still has a chance."
Remus refrained from smacking his head into his hands. "You grasp at straws, do you not, Black?"
"No…" He retorted immediately. "I simply use my intelligence to get my way." Black muttered with a hand raking through his sleeked-down hair.
"I can see that. Now leave our property." Remus commanded unyieldingly. Black sighed.
"You will soon see, Lupin."
"See what?" Remus said, despite his better judgement. He knew that Black was only saying things like this so Remus would have to ask what it meant, which of course boosted Black's ego and his inner cleverness. Remus hated having to ask questions.
"That Potter is better off with Miss Evans. Sorry Lupin, but the two of you don't fit. I think you'll find elsewhere, with someone different." Black promised with a soft smile.
"Oh really?" Remus answered loftily. "And who is that someone different, then?" He muttered.
Black laughed quietly. "You really don't know?"
Remus sneered at him. "Get to the point, Black."
"Me."
For a moment, Remus was flabbergasted and blinked about thirty times in two seconds, but then he realized that Black was actually licking his lips hungrily and he stopped.
"Y-You?" Remus stuttered, his hand on the wall suddenly slightly sweaty. He scowled all of a sudden. "What sort of games are you playing, Black?"
Black's face was sort of dazed over and no longer quite coherent looking. "I'm not sure," He mumbled. "But can I play it anyway?"
Again, he felt lips on his and this time – fingers curling in his hair, a raw sort of hunger in Black's kiss this time. Remus bit down a moan when Black started massaging his head and nibbling at his lower lip, feeling his back hit the doorframe. Remus' hands gripped the door behind him tightly, sensing that his head was being slammed against the wood. He whimpered slightly, out of both pain and pleasure.
He heard a crashing sound and a gasp, which definitely wasn't Black or himself, and shoved Black away, remembering that there was another presence in the kitchen.
Tearing himself from Black's lips but still feeling the tingly feeling on his mouth, he horrifyingly stared ahead, where the maid – oh dear god, the maid – was still standing cleaning the dishes.
Soap and porcelain plate shards were on the floor, swimming slightly in a puddle of water and bubbles. Remus' mouth was still gaping and closing repeatedly, until he felt a hand creep onto his back and he jumped.
Looking over, Black was looking at the maid as though he had been caught off guard, while the maid, whose eyes were bulging – almost protruding – still had her hand over the soapy mess like she was still holding the plate. Her cheeks were blushed and her mouth was open, even though she was completely silent.
"I – er, I cannot – I am ever so–"
"Quiet, Lupin," Black muttered. "I am not even sure that she is listening."
Remus sighed. "This did not mean anything!" He blurted out, everything inside of him dropping like a waterfall. He gulped nervously.
"I." The maid began speechlessly. "Er."
Black spoke up. "I can confirm what Lupin said," He said loudly. "It did not mean anything… Lupin nor myself is homosexual!"
Remus nodded mutely, not bothering to question to bring up the fact that Black had even confirmed the previous day that he was a homosexual.
"Just – just please, don't tell my family." Remus pleaded, his eyes desperate.
"Er – I am sorry for intruding, Mr. Lupin–"
Black held up a hand. "No intruding done, I can assure you."
The maid closed her mouth, moving slightly. Her shoes fell into the foamy water.
"I… I will not tell your parents, Mr. Lupin. I can see that this is nothing to be shared… and obviously a mistake…?" She asked somewhat hopefully, and both of them nodded vigorously.
"Er – excuse me, Miss, while I go bid Mr. Black goodbye and make sure he takes his leave." Remus said briskly, while the maid nodded and kneeled down to the water puddle to clean it. Black immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Remus dragged him out with a sharp expression.
The moment they stepped outside, Remus sighed and pushed Black down the steps.
"That is not going to happen again Black, do you hear me? You are no longer even thinking about visiting here ever again!" Remus ordered sharply, rubbing his temples.
"What?" Black asked casually. "We did it before."
"No," Remus corrected. "You did it to me before. And this time someone saw us. I never even wanted this."
Black sighed. "I do not–"
"No, Black," Remus said harshly. "I am expected to be with Miss Evans. This isn't even proper. It is not right."
Black sighed. "This is – you are right. You are not worth the patience or the time for my pleasure. Now the only reason I will ever set eyes on you will be for Potter." He muttered coldly, readjusting his tie.
"I never asked for your attention, Black."
Black sneered at him, not the usual husky and smug face he usually used on him.
"Besides," Remus said. "Let us face it. We do not find each other agreeable. We despise each other and the only reason you are pretending to not to now is simply because of Potter."
Black opened his mouth to retort, but then stopped, his snarl returning. "Yes. But it took you a while to find out."
Remus sighed, not wishing to fight back. "Are… are we still going to keep up this awful joking?"
Black wickedly gleamed. "Oh, yes. I will win, Lupin." He said rather threatingly.
"Please, Black, can you not be–"
"No. This has not even started yet, Lupin." He muttered, before stalking off without his usual sweep-in-his-step.
AN: THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU REVIEWERS. For those of you that are looking for a disclaimer, look in the first chapter. It already says there that I don't own the story - it doesn't just say chapter - it says story. I must say that I love all of you. A LOT. And not just because you read and review, it's because you read these stories for entertainment. You don't read the story for the simple sake of reviewing, you do it because you want to be entertained. And I write the stories because I want you to be entertained. Because I enjoy writing and you enjoy reading. And I love people who enjoy reading. I only write this for the sake of writing and for the sake of you. :D R&R!!