Remus moved carefully through the crowded pub, trying not to spill his newly refilled drink. He was heading for one of the only open seats but quickly changed his direction as he saw the door of the pub open. Sybil Trelawney entered.
Damn, Remus thought to himself. He'd told her he wasn't coming down to the pub for New Year's Eve. He ducked down a passage and up a staircase. Maybe he could hide on the second level of the pub until she left. He had come up the wrong staircase though, finding a corridor for lodging. A young couple was eagerly kissing by one of the doors, fumbling with their key.
"Oops, wrong door," the girl said. They backed up, bumping into him. His drink sloshed onto his front making a mess of his clothes. At that moment the door they were trying to get into opened. He turned to apologize for them but froze.
"Liv?"
She looked surprised too. "Did you come to see me or did I just get lucky," Liv said with a little grin.
"I was just down at the pub for a couple of drinks," he said, gesturing to his empty glass and soaked clothes.
"I think the liquid is supposed to go in your mouth," Liv said teasing him.
"Oh is that how it's done," he said sarcastically.
Liv smiled. "Do you want to come in? You can get cleaned up if you want to."
He hesitated for a moment. Was this a bad idea? He was a little buzzed, not a good state for this sort of decision making. But he did need to clean up. He decided to go in, just for a little while.
"I thought you were spending the holiday with your parents," he said as she closed the door behind him.
"I did, for a few days anyway," she said. "But I left early for obvious reasons."
Remus wondered if she run away from home like Sirius had once done. "Why are you up here and not downstairs for the party," he asked.
"I might run into another student down there. I'm supposed to be having a miserable holiday with my overbearing, pure-blood parents tonight."
Remus nodded. "I'm hiding too, from someone downstairs."
Liv smiled. "In that case, you can join me for dinner up here if you like. I ordered room service, it should be here any minute."
There was an awkward silence between them. He realized the last time they'd seen each other she'd kissed him. He couldn't forget a kiss like that. It was obviously his turn to make the next move.
"Alright," he said. "I think I will join you, for a little while." If he had to choose to spend the evening with Liv or Sybil, that was easy.
"The bathroom's through there. If you hear the room service, take the tray and tip him for me, will you," she said tossing him a coin. "I have to get back to my call." She went to kneel by the fireplace and tossed some floo powder into the flames and leaned in.
With her head in the flames, he couldn't see who she was talking to, or hear what she was saying. He set his empty drink down and looked around for the toilet.
Remus went into the bathroom and took off his clothes. He was able to clean them with his wand easily, but he still smelled like beer. While he was here, he might as well have a quick shower. It might help him sober up a little too. He heard a knock at the door while drying off. He heard it again and realized Liv must still have her head in the fireplace. He wrapped himself in a towel and collected the tray from the man at the door.
"Remus," Liv said as he set the tray down. She did a double take, realizing he was in a towel, and blushing a little. "Pass me that file on the bed, will you?"
He passed her the file, and she passed it through the flames to whoever was on the other end. He wondered what she was up to.
"There, all done for now," she said, her head coming out of the flames. "Thanks for getting the door." She got up, eying him in the towel again. How had he managed to find himself in this position twice?
"I think I'll clean up a little before I eat. I've been in the fireplace all day," she said. "Do you, um, want your things before I go in?"
This was a clear invitation to set the tone of the evening. Remus wondered what would happen if he said no… He shook himself out of it. What was he thinking? She was 17 years old, a full 16 years younger than him, and she was his student no less.
"I think I'll get them…" he said.
"Ok," she said simply, trying to mask whatever she was feeling. He collected his things and she closed the door to the bathroom.
He sighed. "Don't even think about it," he told himself as he stripped off his towel to get dressed. But he was thinking about it.
"Um, hi," a voice said from behind him. He whipped around, covering himself. It was coming from the fireplace. He saw the head of a young woman with dark hair floating in the flames. "Uh, this is Liv's room, right," the young woman said in an American accent.
"Yeah. Um, hang on," he said gathering his things. When he was out of sight of the fireplace he pulled on his boxers. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Liv? There's someone in the fireplace for you."
Liv opened the door wearing comfortable shorts and only a bra on top. It was his turn to stare this time. It wasn't just because Liv was half naked now too. Did she have a tattoo on her chest?
"What did you say," she asked.
"Oh, um," he stammered, almost forgetting the reason he'd knocked. "There is someone for you in the fireplace."
She rushed over to the fireplace pulling on a t-shirt. "Rosita, what do you have for me," she said, sticking her heard into the fireplace.
He again couldn't hear what she was saying once her head was gone. This was turning out to be a strange evening. He got dressed properly and Liv turned around a moment later.
"I have to take this," she said. "But you go ahead and eat. I don't know how long it will be, sorry. On the bright side, you get to watch my ass for a while." She winked and her head disappeared into the flames again.
He ate a little, and he did check out her ass once or twice. He looked around the room and found her pocket watch on the bedside table. Remembering what Minerva had said about Liv lending it to her, he stretched out on the bed and examined it. There seemed to be nothing odd about it. He turned it over in his hands slowly, looking for clues about Liv. At some point, is eyes felt heavy and he drifted off to sleep.