Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I apologize for it being a little shorter than some of my others. As usual, feel free to leave me a review with your opinions or some constructive criticism.


Chapter 28: A Second Chance

Jessica Merton

An hour after falling asleep, Jessica woke up. The blue glare of the television screen illuminated the room with a dim light. She wiped some drool off of her chin and ran her fingers through her hair, but regretted it immediately when her fingers got snagged in the unruly tangles. Once she got her fingers untangled from her demon possessed tresses, she looked down at Remus and smiled. He had a very innocent appearance when he slept, which Jessica found utterly adorable. When she slept beside him, she often felt so warm and secure, but then again, she had started to find that, throughout this vacation, she'd been feeling this way for a while.

As if Remus sensed her looking at him, he opened his eyes and sat up. His hair stuck up on the side, and Jessica's fingers itched to smooth the adorable mess.

"What time is it?" he asked.

Jessica turned around and reached for the bedside clock. "It's a little after ten."

Remus rubbed his eyes and let out a very long yawn. "Is no one back yet?"

"I think we would have heard them come in. Chances are, they're not coming home any time soon." Jessica nervously played with the hem of her sweater. "I guess I should go on upstairs and head to bed."

Before she could leave, Remus grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down onto the bed. "Jessica, please talk to me. I need to know how you feel about me."

Jessica's heart skipped a beat, and she looked down at her lap, clutching at the materials of her skirt. She could try to play it off and say that she didn't know how she felt about him, but who was she fooling? The fact that she was always so consumed with thoughts of him told her that she looked at him as more than a friend and savior.

"Sometimes I wonder..."

Remus' hand slid down to gently overlap hers. "Wonder what?"

"I wonder if this vacation was a means to give us another chance."

"You mean another chance together?"

Jessica looked up into his light green eyes. He silently seemed to be encouraging her to continue. She nodded. "Yes, I feel that this vacation was a tool to bring the two of us closer. I thought that I could forget about what we had in the past, and that you and I could just be friends, but throughout this vacation, I started to find that I want more than that with you. At first, I was afraid to act on these feelings, because what if it ends up like it did before? But then I realized that some things in life are worth taking risks for. I feel that you're very much worth it, Remus. The fact that I can't forget seems to be a sign that, maybe, we deserve another chance."

She didn't get another chance to speak, for Remus's lips were suddenly on hers. She closed her eyes, sighing softly as he caressed her cheek. Her hands reached to roam through his thick hair. When she felt his tongue on hers, she gasped, savoring the taste of him. Even after three years, it was as if she had never forgotten that taste, and his warmth. After a few moments, he pulled her into his arms where her head rested against his chest as she listened to his heart beat.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. Your words made me realize that my feelings for you are genuine, and that I do love you. I promise that I'll do my best to make sure the relationship works this time, and not to let my curse get in the way."

Jessica wiped away the tears that had begun falling and smiled up at him. "We'll work through it together."

Remus embraced her, lightly caressing her hair and kissed the top of her head. Jessica felt an overwhelming sense of happiness that he reciprocated her feelings, and also wanted to give the two of them another chance. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat for a few minutes, before the door opened and James and Lily walked in.

"Sorry, mate," James said ruffling his hair. "We didn't mean to wake the two of you up."

Remus squeezed Jessica's hand and smiled at her, before turning to James. "You didn't. We've been awake for a while now."

"What's going on between you two?" Lily asked as she sat down on James's bed.

Jessica and Remus looked at each other and exchanged smiles before Jessica turned to Lily. "We actually decided that we're going to take another chance at a relationship."

Lily squealed and stood from the bed to go hug Jessica, then Remus. "I just can't believe it! I always said to myself that the two of you were stupid for ending it three years ago. I was about ready to lock the two of you in a room together until you came to the realization that you belong together."

Remus gave Lily a look. "You were really going to lock us in a room?"

"Not really, but I was thinking about it."

James sat down next to Lily. "I'm happy for you, mate. I have a feeling you two will work out this time."

"Thanks." Remus smiled and looked at Jessica affectionately. "I feel the same way."

Jessica couldn't stop grinning, yet she did feel a little shy, displaying her affection for Remus in front of James and Lily, so she stood up. "Hey, Remus, let's go outside for a little bit and give Lily and James some time alone together."

"You guys don't have to leave," James insisted. "We were just about to go to bed. You know the minute that I fall asleep, almost nothing can wake me up, except for Sirius's gaseous expulsions."

"Well, that's a lovely mental image," Jessica muttered, shuddering involuntarily. "I think I want to go outside for some fresh air, though."

The couple went outside onto the back porch where Remus sat down in one of the lounge chairs, and pulled Jessica onto his lap, where she rested against him. There was a cool breeze out tonight, but Remus's arms, which wrapped around her, and his body heat kept her warm.

"You're not cold, are you?" Remus asked while stroking her back.

Jessica shook her head. "I'm fine. It actually feels pretty good outside."

She would never have believed that they would be here again. If, two years ago, someone had approached her, and told her that Remus and she would pursue a relationship again, she might have laughed in their faces. Or, at least, waited until she was alone before bitterly laughing. The fact that he was willing to let herself get close to him all over again caused her heart to give a happy tug. Grinning from ear to ear, she buried her face into his chest and laughed lightly.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked, chuckling as if her laughter was contagious.

"Nothing, really. I'm just thinking of something silly, that's all." Jessica lightly caressed his smooth cheek.

Remus captured her hand and pressed it to his lips. "You think a lot of silly things, don't you?"

"My mind is full of silly thoughts," Jessica teased as she rested her hand over his chest.

The two of them remained like that for a little while, until it started to grow colder, then they went inside. Jessica was feeing rather exhausted now, and wanted to head to bed.

"I hope that Sirius and Sophia aren't loud when they come in," she said as she stretched and followed Remus upstairs.

"I have a tonic that I use, which helps me sleep through that sort of thing. I can give you some," Remus offered.

"Does it have any negative side effects?" Jessica asked worriedly.

"I haven't experienced any."

Jessica thought about it for a minute, before nodding. "Sure, I really don't want to be woken up by Sirius and Sophia coming in drunk."

James and Lily were both asleep when they walked into the bedroom. Remus quietly walked towards the bureau and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a small bottle. It was dark in the room, so Jessica couldn't see the exact color of it, and poured it into a small measuring cup that came with the tonic.

"It tastes horrible," Remus said. "About as bad as Robotussin."

Jessica grimaced as she took the small cup and peered down at the liquid. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it looked rather thick and was a very deep purple. Her mom was a Muggle, so she had experiences with their medicines, Robotussin being one of her least favorites. Pinching her nose, she tipped it upwards and swallowed it, shuddering as it went down.

"How can you drink this stuff? I'll never get the taste out of my mouth."

Remus chuckled. "It tastes bad, but it does work." He took some, as well. Jessica assumed that he was used to the taste, because he didn't have much of a reaction to it like she did. It didn't take long for Jessica to begin to feel drowsy as she crawled into the bed and moved over to give Remus some room.

"Wow, this stuff starts to work fast," she said tiredly as she closed her eyes.

Remus pulled the blanket over the both of them and pulled her into his arms, before the two of them fell asleep. Jessica could have sworn that she heard Remus say something, but the tonic had already taken effect, and she was in a very deep sleep, which would last for precisely eight hours.


Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. The next chapter may or may not feature a slightly explicit scene between Sirius and Sophia. I haven't quite decided yet, but I'll be sure to warn all of you if there is.