Chapter 37 The Crystal Ball
A/N: If you read chapter 36 prior to the morning of November 13, 2006 U.S. time, I have made a few adjustments to it. I have tried to smooth out some of the rougher phrasing and added a little bit to the very end. It isn't vastly different, just a little smoother I hope, with that extra little paragraph at the end. I wanted you to know in case you were inclined to re-read. Thanks, moony.
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By half past seven, Remus was so nervous that his palms were starting to sweat. He checked himself in the mirror once more, having just brushed his teeth, and eaten two Toothflossing Stringmints. He adjusted his dress robes, tugging on the ruff at his neck, and wishing they made dress robes as plain as their school robes. But at least his were a bit less ruffled than the ones Peter's mum had bought him.
Remus went back into his room and noticed Sirius and James seemed perfectly comfortable in their dress robes. They were huddled together, deep in conversation with Peter, who was absently pulling on his own ruff. Of course, being from wealthy pure-blood families, James and Sirius would have had many opportunities to get used to wearing the formal attire. But Remus had never worn anything so posh. He hoped Lindi didn't think he looked ridiculous, but apparently girls liked men in dress robes, so he would happily suffer through it. He checked his watch. It was twenty to eight; time to go. He slipped a couple more of the Toothflossing Stringmints into his pocket for good measure, and the four friends headed for the ball. They dropped James off in the common room to pick up his date.
James had gotten very lucky to get the date with Diana Murrow. Having waited until he found out Lily had already accepted the invitation from Hallam, James had been lucky there were any girls left to be asked. But Diana had recently broken up with her boyfriend of two years and found herself dateless. It was perfect really. Diana, a seventh year, was well aware of James' total infatuation with Lily, and not wanting to enter into a relationship so soon after her breakup, she had suggested the two of them go together. Yes, James had been lucky to get such a charming date. Not quite as lucky as Remus, but lucky just the same.
When they reached the Entrance Hall, it was crowded and noisy, as people met up with their partners. It was a lovely sight, with the girls in their different colored robes, quite a contrast to the normal black. Of course, most of the men seemed to be wearing basic black, with just a bit of color on the ruffs at their necks and cuffs. Some had even color coordinated the ruffs with their dates' robes. That was something Remus hadn't even considered. Of course, he didn't even know what color Lindi was wearing. He wondered if that would seem inconsiderate of him. Had he already made his first faux pas of the evening?
He, Sirius, and Peter made their way to the side of the staircase and waited for their dates to arrive. Remus hoped the girls wouldn't be long, so he didn't have time to get even more nervous than he already was.
Peter's date, a fifth year Ravenclaw named Lucy, was the first to arrive. She looked lovely in rose colored robes, and informed them that she had seen Leanna waiting in the common room.
"Leanna said to tell you that she and Lindi would be down shortly," Lucy told them.
"We'll go in and get a table," said Peter. James and Diana had arrived and the four of them went inside.
That left Remus and Sirius to wait for the girls—and wait. It seemed to take hours. Remus became more and more self conscious with each passing moment. He was so nervous; he wasn't sure what he should say when she finally came down. He remembered how he'd become so tongue tied that morning. What if he said something stupid, or worse, couldn't think of anything to say at all? What if he stepped on her toes when they danced, or spilled a drink on her?
"Nervous?" asked Sirius, grinning.
Remus realized he was tugging at his ruff. "A bit," he admitted, forcing his hands down to his sides. "You?"
Sirius laughed. "Nah, but it isn't my first date with the girl I've been in love with since I first laid eyes on her."
"Thank you, that makes me feel much better," Remus smirked and looked back towards the staircase. Sirius wasn't helping his nerves. Finally, Leanna appeared at the top of the stairs looking slightly annoyed in addition to absolutely stunning. Her royal blue silk robes swirled around her as she rounded the railing and floated quickly down the stairs. Sirius smiled at her appreciatively.
"It's about time," he said as he stepped forward and offered his hand. "And you look smashing, by the way." He leaned down and kissed her swiftly on the lips.
Remus was mildly envious of their situation, at the moment. While facing the first date and first kiss was terribly exciting, it would have been something of a comfort to have the same level of ease that Sirius had with Leanna.
"I'm sorry," Leanna said smiling. "I wanted to wait for Lindi, but she is taking forever. I finally told her she'd have to come down on her own."
"Is anything wrong?" asked Remus. Surely she wasn't having second thoughts.
Leanna rolled her eyes. "She is a nervous wreck. That's all. I've never seen her act so funny, and with Lindi, that's saying something."
"What do you mean, funny?" asked Remus.
"Just that Lindi doesn't usually pay that much attention to how she looks," Leanna explained. "But she has been getting ready for over two hours, ever since we got back from London."
"You went to London?" asked Sirius.
"Yes, Rosmerta took us to get Lindi some new robes. After Remus finally invited her to the ball, she wanted some," Leanna smirked playfully at Remus. "All term, she had been planning on wearing some of Rosmerta's old ones, but suddenly, they weren't good enough."
"So, what is taking her so long to put them on?" asked Sirius.
"Well, she has to get her makeup perfect, doesn't she? And her hands are shaking so badly, she kept smearing her mascara and having to start all over again. I know she washed it all off at least five times," Leanna rolled her eyes good naturedly again and giggled. Remus had to admit he was feeling well chuffed that Lindi was apparently so excited about going out with him. "And I told her if she doesn't make up her mind and leave her hair alone, it was all going to fall out, and she wouldn't have to worry about it anyway. Up or down, twist or braid…She's an absolute mess. You'd think it was her wedding day or something."
They laughed for a moment as Remus' excitement grew, but then Leanna looked at him much more solemnly. "You know, you really hurt her before," she said bluntly. "But she's been very happy since you talked, and she was so excited when you asked her to the ball. But right now, she is really nervous about this date. You better be nice to her."
Remus suddenly liked Leanna very much.
"You're scaring me, Leanna," said Sirius. "You sound like her big brother. Is there something I should know?"
Leanna swatted him on the arm and laughed. Remus had a wonderful image of the four of them double dating, once they managed to overcome the current tension between Leanna and him, and Lindi and Sirius. He hoped tonight would manage to diffuse it…assuming Lindi actually showed up. He noticed the Entrance Hall had become very quiet as the last of the couples entered the Great Hall. Where was she?
Just when he was ready to charge Ravenclaw Tower and drag her out, the distant sound of rapidly clicking heals drifted down from the staircase above. They came to an abrupt halt and he could hear a hissed, "Blast…bloody heels!" Then, the muffled sound of bare footfalls pattered on the flagstone floor. Someone was running down the long corridor. Shortly, he saw the swirl of blood red robes rounding the banister, and Lindi nearly flew over the far railing before managing to slow herself in her stocking feet. Her face rivaled the color of her robes when she looked down at the three of them watching her. She gracefully lifted her foot and replaced one of the perilously high heeled shoes, then the other, and smoothed her long hair back off of her face. So, she had decided to wear it down, Remus noticed. Good. He liked it that way, soft and inviting. A familiar pressure in his chest built instantly, making him feel the need to shout before his lungs exploded. She looked impossibly beautiful—and she was his date.
"Now that we know you haven't been stood up, we'll see you inside," Sirius said, and he and Leanna left Remus to wait for Lindi, alone at the bottom of the stairs.
He felt his mouth going dry and the palms of his hands grow moist as he stared at her coming down the steps towards him. Her smile grew wider the closer she came, and all Remus could think was, What on earth is this goddess doing here with me?
"I'm sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
For once, Remus was almost relieved to be in a rush. He absolutely couldn't think of a thing to say other than, You are gorgeous, or I'm the luckiest man on earth, or even worse, I really want to kiss you right now? Any of those things would only embarrass her and make him sound like an insanely lovesick berk. Take a deep breath and calm down, Remus.
"It's alright," he said. "You look—lovely."
"Thank you," she said, smiling demurely. "You do, too."
They stood staring at one another quite stupidly, as bashful as two painfully shy introverts on a blind date. Remus wasn't exactly outgoing, but he could usually carry on a reasonably coherent conversation, and he usually found it very easy to talk to Lindi. That was one of the things he liked so much about her. But suddenly, his fears were realized, and he couldn't think of a thing to say. Knowing they were actually on a date, all he could think about was kissing her. Sure, he had thought about it an awful lot, ever since he'd overheard Lily telling Lindi she should go out with him, but usually he could still function in her presence. But now he was afraid if he even opened his mouth the only thing that would come out would be, can I kiss you? When had he become so shallow? Come on, Remus. If you don't think of something to talk about, this is going to be an excruciating date and you won't get to kiss her!
Mercifully, he was saved by the sound of bells coming from the Great Hall. The Ball must be getting underway.
"We better hurry," he said and he extended his arm to her. At least that had come naturally, thank goodness, and she slipped her hand through and followed him into the hall.
Upon entering through the double doors, Lindi sighed excitedly and her grip tightened on his arm. "It looks so beautiful," she said softly, glancing around at the decorations.
It reminded Remus a bit of the Crystal Cove, the way everything glittered in the soft warm light. Crystal statues glistened against the back drop of the walls that had been draped in black velvety material. The night sky reflected in the ceiling was bright with gently falling snow that never reached the floor. Suspended in the air below the flakes were hundreds of sparkling prisms which cast colorful rainbows around the room. A large rainbow arced over a huge crystal sculpture of Hogwarts Castle, which stood as the backdrop for the dais upon which the staff table normally sat, but was now serving as the stage for the musicians. The popular band, The Hobgoblins, was to be headlining the ball, but for now, a small orchestra was playing chamber music softly in the background, as the last of the students took their seats.
Remus searched the many large round tables for his friends. He finally spotted them at a table tucked conveniently in a far corner, with a nice view of the stage. He led Lindi quickly past the glistening crystal statues that lined the perimeter of the Great Hall. They seemed to be depictions of prominent people or events from Hogwarts esteemed history, and were lit from within by the twinkling light of what must have been live luna flies. He decided it was a good thing Lindi had arrived too late to explore the decorations before the ball got started. This way, if he couldn't think of anything to say after dinner, at least he could take her around to look at them, giving them something to talk about, other than his all-consuming desire to kiss her.
They reached the table and when Remus pulled the seat out for Lindi, he somehow managed to ram it into Leanna's knee. Smooth, Remus, very smooth. Fortunately, he was spared the need to carry on a conversation when Professor Dumbledore stood to make his opening address. Remus didn't really pay that much attention, as he was too busy worrying that the evening wasn't starting off the way he had hoped.
He managed to get through the formal meal without any seriously gauche missteps, though next time he would order something a bit easier to eat with a knife and fork. What had he been thinking when he'd ordered the whole stuffed grouse? Luckily, his nerves had killed most of his appetite, so he didn't mind leaving half the meat on its bones, rather than continue to have the thing slip and slide all over his plate, knocking Brussels sprouts onto the white table cloth.
His conversation with Lindi continued to be basically nonexistent. She would look over at him expectantly, waiting for some brilliant opening remark and he would draw a complete blank. It was a nightmare from which he desperately hoped he would awaken soon. He was relieved when the dishes were finally cleared and the tables swept aside by the Headmaster, to allow room for the dancing. Oh no…the dancing…
Well, at least the music was so loud he couldn't be expected to converse about anything. Still, after he had stepped on her toes twice, he was so self-conscious that he would barely move. What on earth had happened to his perfect night? Could things get any worse?
Remus was well aware that the answer to that question was almost always yes. Professor Dumbledore approached the podium when the dance floor cleared after The Hobgoblins took their first break.
"After watching—and thoroughly enjoying—your lovely and enthusiastic dancing," Professor Dumbledore said, a look on his face that hinted at his amusement. "I would like to take some time now to look back. After all, the theme of our ball is 'Celebrating our History and looking forward to our future.' I would now like to see a celebration of that history, more specifically, our historical dance. Please join me for the Yule Waltz."
There was a great deal of groaning from the students, and they walked to the dance floor with little enthusiasm. As the dance progressed, Remus thought it might have been a great deal of fun if he had been more comfortable in his ability to dance it. But worrying about crushing Lindi's toes or cracking her skull with his elbow during the twirls took a great deal of the fun out of it. Apparently many of the others felt the same. As soon as the Waltz was finished, the floor cleared again, though the music continued. Remus and Lindi joined his friends at one of the refreshment tables.
Professor Dumbledore returned to the stage, undaunted. "I must admit, music and dance are two of my favorite things, and I hesitate to let these traditions die without a fight. Therefore, I propose a dance challenge—fifty points to the couple who best performs three of our most popular traditional dances. For those of you who have taken inter-house unity to heart, and are partnered with members of another house, that would be fifty points to each."
So, the Headmaster was not above bribery to get what he wanted. Still, he could have offered a thousand points and Remus would not have taken the challenge. He simply didn't know how to dance well enough, never having gone to a dance before in his life. He greatly regretted this fact when he saw the hopeful gleam in Lindi's eyes. He remembered that Lindi was supposed to be a very good dancer.
"I'm sorry, Lindi," he said, feeling more miserable by the moment. "I don't know the dances."
She smiled sweetly, but he knew she was disappointed.
Remus wondered why Sirius wasn't going to compete, but didn't mention it. It was none of his business. Still, fifty points for Gryffindor would have been nice, especially when the majority of those stepping out onto the dance floor seemed to be Slytherin, which made sense, really. It wasn't the only house with pure-bloods, who would be more likely to know the old dances, but it did have the greatest percentage of them.
"Look," said Peter. "Regulus is entering."
"That's your brother, isn't it?" Lucy asked Sirius. "Do you know the dances, too?"
"Yeah, I know them," Sirius said.
"Then you should enter," said Lucy. "Come on; you and Leanna can win both our houses fifty points."
"Oh, no," said Leanna chuckling. "I have two left feet. Lindi is the dancer."
"Great, Lindi and Sirius can enter then," said Lucy brightly. "We'd still both get fifty points.
A look passed between Lindi and Sirius and she glanced around awkwardly. "I'm not that good with a partner I've never practiced with," she said lamely.
"Lindi, you were giving us lessons," said Lucy, unconvinced.
"Well actually, Jeffrey was the one giving lessons; he'll probably win. I'm only good with someone who can lead me."
Sirius' brow cocked instinctively. Lindi didn't realize it, but she had just inadvertently challenged him. James must have caught it, too, and gave Sirius a final shove towards the fifty points.
"Well, Mrs. Black will be very proud if one of her sons comes home and tells her he won the traditional dance competition."
Sirius' grey eyes flashed. The prospect of forcing his mum to admit that Sirius was better at something than Regulus would be very enticing. The unintentional insult from Lindi and the chance at fifty points for Gryffindor combined to make an irresistible temptation for him. He looked first at Leanna. "Do you mind?"
"No, of course not," she assured him.
"Moony?"
"If Lindi wants to," Remus said. He turned and saw the flustered look on her face. She glanced at Sirius again. From her expression, Remus could tell that the confrontation between the two of them was far from forgotten. Maybe this common goal was what they needed to get past it.
"What do you say, Dellington?" Sirius said. "Shall we give it a whirl?"
She looked back at Remus for support. "Go on," he said. "I know you really want to dance, and trust me; this is the best offer you will get all night. Sirius is good. He won't cripple you."
"But I—," she started to argue. He detected a sad sort of disappointed look in her eyes that he didn't like at all.
"Come on, Lindi," said Lucy.
The conductor called the contestants forward, forcing Lindi's decision.
"Come on, Dellington. I don't bite," said Sirius, extending his hand. Lindi eyed him apprehensively for a moment then laid her hand in his and a sly grin broke on his face. "Well, not hard enough to draw blood, anyway. Do I, Leanna?" He waggled his brow.
It was hard to say whose face turned redder, but Leanna seemed to recover more quickly as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Sirius' booming laugh resonated through the room and Leanna smiled with satisfaction. Lindi, on the other hand, followed Sirius (actually, she was dragged) to the dance floor looking quite uneasy.
While Remus couldn't say he loved seeing Sirius clutching Lindi's hand, he was happy to see him joking with her again. He needed for them to get along. So he pushed the little twinge of envy to the back of his mind and tried to enjoy the dancing.
The competition began with a charming, very ancient dance with an Old English name he couldn't remember. In no time, Lindi's apprehension had clearly melted away and she was caught up in the music and movement, smiling and swirling around Sirius happily. For his part, Sirius led her expertly through the steps. She followed his lead as deftly as if they had been partners for years. They were a pleasure to watch, or would have been but for the flickering hint of jealousy that ignited in Remus' stomach each time Sirius' hand slid round her waist and pulled her in tightly.
The second dance only made Remus feel worse. This one was rather exotic, with much more bodily contact than the lively old folk dance from before. Remus watched as Sirius guided Lindi around the floor, pressed closely to him with a hand that was resting a little lower on her back than Remus thought absolutely necessary. Actually, it was on her bum. And while he was thinking about it, Remus really didn't see any need for Sirius to slam her back into himself quite so forcefully after twirling her. Remus noticed that it made Lindi blush, and Sirius smiled down at her roguishly, knowing he was making her uncomfortable and getting a kick out of it. Still, it made the dance quite sensual when watching and listening to the ethereal music. Dammit!
"They make good dance partners, don't they?" a voice spoke in his ear.
He turned to find Lily standing next to him. "Yes," he said, trying not to sound as jealous as he felt. "I think they will probably win."
"I think you may be right. It's funny, if you didn't know them, you'd never believe that they got on about as well as cats and dogs, off of the dance floor." Lily smiled at him perceptively, as if she had just read his mind and wished to ease his worry.
He felt ashamed of his jealousy, but he just couldn't help himself. Seeing Lindi out there with Sirius, he couldn't help but feel inadequate. She was so beautiful and elegant and full of life. She belonged with someone equally attractive and sophisticated, charming and strong and—whole.
"I saw you come in," Lily went on pleasantly. "You look so good together."
Remus blushed at her attempt to make him feel better. He hated to think he was so very transparent. He was supposed to be good at hiding his feelings. Of course, he hadn't really been trying.
"Thank you, Lily," he said. "And you look beautiful. Where is Hallam?"
"He's dancing with Celia," she said. "I'm afraid I have no idea how to do those dances."
"Me neither," he said.
"I think I want to learn, though. It looks like a lot of fun, don't you think? Maybe we can get Hal and Lindi to teach us."
"That sounds like fun," he said.
"Speaking of fun, are you having a good time?"
"Yes," he said automatically. But at the skeptical look on her face, he knew she wasn't buying it. Lily was a good friend to him, and suddenly, he didn't feel like pretending. The truth was, he wasn't having fun. He might as well be honest with someone, and Lily was probably a good person to start with. He really could use her advice. But he felt like such an idiot.
"What's wrong, Remus?"
"Nothing," he answered.
"Come on, Remus, tell me," she insisted. "I've waited too long to see the two of you together. I feel sort of responsible for your happiness." She smiled teasingly. "If you don't tell me, I'll have to go ask Lindi."
He smiled defeatedly. Lily really could be relentless—and a wonderful person. So he told her about his night so far. He told her about how he had hit Leanna's knee with the chair, stepped on Lindi's toes, and been tempted to go back to the tower and get his secret note parchment, just so he might manage a halfway intelligent conversation. Maybe if he was hidden behind one of the black velvet drapes, he could think of something to say. He even told her about the stupid messy grouse.
Hearing it out loud only amplified his horror. So he was more than a little taken aback when Lily seemed to be trying not to laugh after he was finished with the wretched tale. Didn't she care that he was botching up the biggest night of his life?
"I'm sorry, Remus," she said, fighting a grin. "But if you were any more adorable, it would be a crime."
He stared at her blankly. He was a clumsy, dull prat and she thought it was adorable?
Lily chuckled. "I just can't get over what she does to you. I've never seen you so nervous. It's really so very sweet, but you are making yourself miserable. I don't think you realize just how she feels about you," she smiled sweetly now. "She's crazy about you too, Remus. Now I want you to stop being so insecure and take her and—there is a broom cupboard out there with your names on it. Go find it, before you drive yourself mad and really do botch it all up."
Remus couldn't have stopped his face reddening if he'd used a freezing charm. He knew Lily was right, but how on earth was he supposed to get Lindi into a broom cupboard and snog her when he couldn't even talk to her. Sure, he'd almost kissed her—more than once, but it had just happened naturally. Well, actually, he had worked up the courage to get to that point, but this was different. Before, it had just been insane hope driving him. Somehow, faced with the reality that they were actually going to have a relationship, he just froze.
A drum roll sounded and distracted him. They were announcing the winners. It came as no surprise when Sirius and Lindi's names were called. A moment of applause and she was walking back towards him.
"Go on, Remus," Lily urged him. "I want to see you smiling the next time we talk." And she started across the hall to find her date.
When Sirius and Lindi reached them, Leanna hugged Sirius and told him what a wonderful dancer he was. Remus shook his hand in congratulations.
"You're going to have to teach me how to do that," Remus said. Sirius laughed.
"Think you could force yourself to practice?" he said.
"If I have the right partner," Remus said, glancing at Lindi, and she smiled.
Lily was right. He had to do something. He tried to ignore the pounding in his chest and the fact that Sirius and Leanna were still standing there.
"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" he finally managed to speak to her.
She blinked rather awkwardly, but nodded, and they made their way out of the Great Hall, winding their way through the flood of students heading back inside, now that the Hobgoblins were starting to play again.
Remus directed her up the stairs. As they headed down the first corridor in silence, he cautiously reached over and gently took her by the hand. When she smiled up at him nervously, but grasped his hand tightly back, a wave of confidence broke within him. Maybe he didn't really need to say anything.
He led her through the corridors and up more stairs until they were on the fourth floor of the castle. He had thought about taking her outside, but knew there would be others and he really wanted to be alone. He hadn't even considered an actual broom cupboard. That would be fine someday, maybe, but not for their first kiss. He wouldn't take her someplace he'd been with another girl. He wished he could take her back to the cove, but that was obviously not an option. He knew where they could go.
"Where are you taking me, Remus?" she finally broke the silence.
"It's a place we go when we don't want to be bothered," he answered. "It's a secret, so you can't tell anyone."
A little flicker of intrigue shined in her eyes. "I promise I won't. Erm…Does it have a toilet?"
"No," he almost laughed, and it felt good to break the tension. "Do you need one?"
She nodded, embarrassed. But he wouldn't get paranoid about the slight delay. There was a toilet just down the corridor. To his relief, she returned quickly and Remus couldn't help but smile when he caught a whiff of mint on her breath. That was very encouraging.
They passed a large mirror and Remus glanced around, listening for the sound of footsteps and pulled his wand. When he was sure they were alone, he released her hand and pulled the mirror away from the wall.
"Watch your step," he told her, as he held the frame open. He followed her inside and silently ignited the torches on the stone walls, then let the Mirror gently fall back into place. He stepped further into the wide passageway the Marauders had found in third year, and lit a fire in the pit they used to heat the damp space. He looked around and got the distinct impression that Sirius had set things up for a rendezvous of his own this evening. The bottle of elderberry wine sitting on the table they used for cards was the first hint. That was fine, so long as Sirius didn't show up anytime soon. If he did, he would just have to find someplace else (after Remus killed him!) He and Lindi had gotten there first.
He turned and looked at her, standing there in her formal robes. He wished he had someplace more elegant to take her, but she didn't seem to notice the rather dingy surroundings. She just stood, staring at him, waiting. She looked a bit like a scared animal, trapped in a corner, waiting to see if the man before her was friendly or planning to have her for dinner. He walked to her, desperate for the right words.
"Is this alright?"
She nodded, looking paler by the moment and he realized she was holding her breath. He reached out and took her hand, feeling it shaking and he smiled.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded again.
"Then breathe, Lindi. I want to kiss you, not give you CPR."
And the breath she'd been holding came out in a nervous laugh. Maybe he should have just told her he wanted to kiss her from the start of the night and saved them both so much anxiety.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nothing," he said, reaching up and smoothing her hair back off of her face.
She trembled and started breathing quickly then, and he feared she might hyperventilate. Maybe he should just hurry up and get this over with before she fainted.
But he didn't want to rush it. They were alone, with no one looking for them, no detention to get to, no curfew to make. They both knew why they were there and had come voluntarily. The only way he was not going to kiss her was if they really were cursed, and in that case, it wouldn't matter if he hurried or not.
She looked up at him and tilted her head slightly.
"What is CPR?"
Oh, for the love of Merlin…now we can talk? Why did he have to pick this moment to think of something to say that would get her talking? He almost told her to never mind, but Remus knew her well enough to know that if her curiosity was not satisfied, she would be distracted, and the last thing he wanted was to kiss her while she was wondering about bloody CPR.
"It stands for…er, I'm not sure. Circulo pulmonic respiration? Something like that. It's a medical thing that Muggles do when someone's heart stops beating or they can't breathe."
"Oh," she looked confused. "How could you give it to me?"
He smiled, not believing they were talking about this, now. "I would put my mouth over yours and blow air into it."
She looked positively incredulous as her face flushed. "You are making that up!"
"I promise I'm not. My grandmother and I witnessed it in the underground one summer a few years ago. So, it is real, but I really don't know that much about it." Now, can we please not talk about it anymore, and get back to what we were about to do?
"Isn't it amazing what Muggles come up with? I suppose if you think about it, it would be a very good way to get air into someone's lungs. I wonder how—,"
Remus put his hand over her mouth. "Lindi, please shut up."
Her face grew warm under his hand and he hoped he hadn't offended her, but bloody hell.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "But I really would like to kiss you." He pulled his hand away from her face before the heat coming off it burned him. Never in his fantasies did he end up practically begging her for a kiss, but dammit, if that was what it took, he'd grovel.
She looked mortified and buried her face in his robes and groaned—or was she giggling? Crap! He hoped he hadn't just completely destroyed the mood. But he had to do it; he knew how she could ramble when she was nervous. Of course, embarrassing or offending her wasn't going to help him. Way to go, Remus.
But she looked up at him, still clutching his robes in her fists, and there was a keen glimmer in her eyes.
"I'd like for you to, too," she said so softly he could barely hear her.
Ah, thank heavens, he nearly sighed
He reached up and took her face tenderly in his hands. Just do it, Remus, before you lose the chance. He swallowed hard, trying to force his pounding heart back down into his chest where it belonged. He leaned down, watching her as she watched him. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion. Lindi's wide eyes were unblinking as they stared at his mouth, drawing nearer and nearer her own. He might have laughed when her eyes started to cross just before she finally closed them, but for the fact that he could hardly breathe. He was really going to do it this time. But he paused for an instant, savoring the moment. He wanted to remember everything about it, the way she looked, all flushed and lovely; the way she smelled, all spice and warmth; the sound of the blood rushing in his ears, drowning out all other sounds; the little shiver that passed through her as his lips brushed delicately against hers. Then finally, at long last, he felt the warm, velvety softness of her lips pressed gently under his for one glorious moment of bliss.