Sometimes the sun was too bright. Sometimes, the sun needed to be blasted out of the sky. Sometimes, people talked too damn loud.
Beckett groaned as she cane to, her eyelashes fluttering over her cheekbones. There were a few gasps and someone threw themselves onto her. She groaned again.
"Oh Merlin oh Gosh are you okay?" Lily nearly screeched, and Beckett turned her face away from hers. Too damn loud.
"What happened?" She asked. Somebody was holding her hand. The fingers over her skin tightened.
"You got hit by some new spell the bloody bastards made." Someone else said.
"James?" She asked, peeling her eyes open again. Everyone was there, crowding around her bed. "Oh God, I'm having quidditch flashbacks."
Sirius laughed, and Peter looked predictably lost for a second before he laughed too.
"So, how are you feeling?" Lily asked.
Beckett hummed as the red head pulled back.
"Like I've gotten my first hangover, maybe? Not really sure, I've never woken up drunk before." She responded.
"Well, technically, when you have a hangover you're sober-"
"Shut it, Black." Beckett said. Sirius held his hands up in surrender. Beckett remembered the hand wrapped around hers and looked over.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Remus whispered. She grinned, then winced slightly.
"Damn this girl is tough." James said. "Still smiling after all that. I guess you finally found the right bird for you, Moony." Remus shrugged.
"Why does Remus need a tough girl? They have no confidence in you." Beckett said, directing the last part at Remus.
His ears were pink and he wouldn't meet her eyes. She frowned and looked around at the other Marauders.
"Well?" Sirius looked away, whistling and Peter looked constipated. James cleared his throat.
"Maybe you should tell her." He said.
"Not yet." Remus said sternly.
"Uh-Oh. This isn't going to turn into some chic-flic, is it?" Beckett asked.
"No. Definitely not." Remus reaponded.
"What's wrong with chic-flicks?" Lily asked.
"Everything." Beckett and Remus said together.
Lily giggled and Sirius said,
"You two are cute." To which he got thumped over the head by James and glared at by a half-awake Beckett.
They sat around and talked for a while more before Beckett fell asleep again, her mouth hanging slightly open and her eyes flitting back and forth under their lids.
Rlbcrlbcrlbc
"So, that was the worst week of my life." Beckett said the next weekend as she dropped into the spot next to Remus in the Great Hall.
"Beckett!" Lily exclaimed. "They finally let you out?"
Beckett nodded, a delighted smile crossing her face when she saw the broccoli cheese soup.
Remus noticed and started filling her a bowl with it. She blushed when he passed it to her and thanked him.
"You two are too damn cute." Sirius said. Beckett raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you sure you're not gay?" Remus choked on his tea.
Sirius glared jokingly at her. "Ha ha ha, very funny."
Beckett shrugged. "Everyone else seemed to think so." Then she turned to Lily.
"So are you dating James now?" It was Lily's turn to choke.
Her face turned bright red as she stammered.
James shook his head at Beckett, his face saying, don't go there...
"Why not?" She asked anyways.
"Well, um, I just, er, you know-"
Beckett raised an eyebrow at her.
"He hasn't asked me to yet!" Lily bursted suddenly, before darkening even more.
James' face lit up with hope and curiosity as he turned to look at her over Sirius.
"Lily?" He asked.
She peered at him between her fingers. "...yes?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked.
She groaned and put her head on the table, giving him a thumbs up. Beckett laughed and Sirius laughed and Peter fell off the bench.
"Shipped." Beckett said, before gasping.
"What?" Remus asked.
She giggled, "Nothing, nothing."
"What was it?" Sirius asked, grinning evilit as if he knew where she was going.
"Well... it's just- when you mix 'James' and 'Lily' you eaither get 'Jilly' or 'lames'" and then her and Sirius dissolved into a fit of childish laughter. James' face turned red as well, but more from anger as he glared at Sirius.
"I'm hurt! You've turned on me, Beckett Click!" Lily announced.
Beckett shrugged, taking a bite of her soup.
It was finally starting to warm up outside, even though the grass was still cold with melting snow.
Beckett and Remus walked together around the edge of the Black Lake, Beckett thankful to be outside for the first time in a week.
Their hands were entertwined as they walked slowly, fitting together like a zipper.
"So, there was something you needed to tell me?" She asked in her soft voice, that wasn't too pushy but still firm. Remus couldn't help but think she would be great with kids, and that made his ears burn just at the thought.
He sighed. "Yes."
She didn't push him as they continued to amble around in silence; simply waited for him to after up his courage.
He wasn't sure if he ever would.
It only took about fifteen minutes. Only.
Taking a deep breath he stopped, but didn't look at her. "Please, don't think of me as a different person. I'm still the same Remus I was yesterday, and the day before that, and all the other days before that." He said, pausing.
"Well then you have nothing to worry about, because I've loved you all those days, too."
"And I- Merlin I don't know how to say this. I'm- I'm scared."
Beckett's face softened as she stepped in front of Remus, placing her small hand against his cheek. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not scary, I barely reach your shoulder." She said.
"But after I tell you, you might be scared of me." He whispered, as if someone might overhear.
"I won't be." She whispered back. "I'll stick to you like a- There really isn't a good simile for that. Sorry."
"Do you promise not to run and scream if I tell you?" He asked.
"Remus."
"Beckett."
"You fold your socks." She laughed. "Who could run screaming from someone who folds their socks? It can't be that bad."
He didn't say anything.
"Would you feel better if I pinky promises not to run away?" She asked, holding up her pinky. He looked at her for a moment before twisting his pinky around hers. She grinned at him.
"Here, I'll even turn around." She said, twirling to face away from him. Her blonde hair fanned out and caught the sunlight like thin gold.
"I've learned that it's best to get scary things over and done with quickly. When I was a little kid, I was terrified of spiders. Like, I would rather jump in the lake again- that's a story for another time- than ever see a spider.
"On my first day of fifth grade, we were sitting at our desks and listening to the teacher talk about stupid things. History, I think. And this little spider came down from the ceiling, right in front of my face. It was so close I could see all the little red eyes it had and how disgustingly fuzzy it was. Terrifying. But I didnt want to embarrass myself, so I didn't jump out of my seat or anything. Actually, I was so scared I don't think I could have even said anything. Anyways-"
"I'm a werewolf." He said, so quietly he thought maybe she wouldn't have been able to hear him, and he would have to say it again. But she didn't keep talking, so she must have heard him.
"Can I turn around now?" She asked.
"Are you going to hit me?" He gulped. Her shoulders shook and he hoped it was with laughter and not something else.
"No."
"Hexes?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I left my wand up in my dorm."
He frowned. "Actually, that makes me feel worse. You really shouldn't go places without your wand-"
"Goodness Remus. You're like a little old, worried grandma. Can I turn around now?"
"Yes..?"
She turned around and he braved himself for the disgusted and terrified expressions, but he didn't even have time to see her face before she stepped towards him. He tensed, thinking maybe she was going to hit him.
But then her arms wrapped around his midsection and she was hugging him tight.
"You-you arent scared of me?"
"No. I was scared, for a second. But that was when I thought maybe you were gay and we're going to say this wasn't going to work out." She laughed, all innocence and happy Beckett-like.
"Wait-" Remus said, suddenly remember her earlier words. "Did you say you loved me?"
She shifted in his arms and he had a feeling she was blushing.
"Serious? It-"
But then Sirius jumped out from behind a bush a few yards away and yelled,
"YES?!" Beckett shrieked and would have fallen over if Remus hadn't been holding her.
"He's got the worst timing." He said.
"Actually He has the best timing." Sirius said gleefully, running over.
Beckett pulled away from Remus and jabbed a finger at Sirius, glaring.
"Now he," She said, "is terrifying."
"What were you guys talking about?" He asked.
"Well-"
"Remus' furry little problem." Beckett said, before making a sound of realization. "That's What James is always talking about when he says that!" She giggled. "Clever. Lily always thought you had a badly behaved rabbit."
"Oh, you finally told her?" Sirius said.
"At first I thought he was going to tell me he was gay." Beckett said, laughing.
Remus blushed again, looking away. "Se asked me if I was coming out of the closet."
Sirius cackled with laughter. "'Mom, Dad. I'm a werewolf. Don't freak out, it's okay. I'm still the same old boring Remus. Just sometimes I turn into a big, fluffy, dog. Also, I would appreciate it if you would be willing to cook all my dinners raw from now on, preferably steaks." He bent in half, the laughter coming out in heaving breaths now.
Beckett tried not to laugh, she really, really did.
But in the end they ended up leaning against each other to stay up straight as they laughed.
"Oh come on, you two. It wasn't that funny."
"It was!" Sirius said.
"Perhaps you should consider going into comedy." Beckett replied, standing up straight. She was all business now.
"Nah. I'm going to become- what was it? A homo?"
Remus sighed as Beckett fell over laughing.
"I told you!" She choked out. "I told you all!"
"Sirius, hobo. Hobo. Not homo." Remus corrected, grabbing Beckett's hand and h acing her up. But she just collapsed into his side, unable to stop laughing.
"Oh, yeah. That. What did I say?"
That sent Beckett into another round of laughter.
"Ok, I think you lied earlier. You are kind of scary." Remus said.
She punched his arm, reigning in her laughter as they headed back up towards the school.
"I knew he was gay." She said.
"What?!" Sirius shrieked. Remus looked over at his friend.
"Yeah. I believed you."
They walked the rest of the way up the hill in silence but stopped in front of the doors.
"Now what?" Remus asked.
"Well. We get Sirius a boyfriend, obviously."
"But I'm not gay!"
"You say that now. Just wait until you meet my friend from back home."
"Should I be worried?" Remus asked.
"Nah. He's not my type."
"Which is...?"
"Hmm. Blonde, nerdy, werewolf, apparently."
Remus gaffawed and Sirius laughed.
"Just wait, you." Beckett said to Sirius as she pushed the doors open.
"For what?" He replied. "What am I waiting for now?"
"When you realize."
Fin.
