Ever since that day, you haven't talked to Remus. You wanted to, you really did, but he told you he would tell you one day, and you still waited for him. Even though you haven't been in school in nine years, and everything was very overwhelming and stressful for the entirety of the wizarding world, you still held out hope. You felt absolutely horrible for Remus, though. Three of his best friends died, and one of them is in Azkaban for killing one and selling the others out to the Dark Lord.
You would have gone to see him, but you didn't know where he was or if he even wanted to see you. You realized that yes, it was ten years ago, and yes, you may sound desperate and needy, but you couldn't get over Remus at all. You did try a couple of years ago but it didn't work out for you. Now you worked as a wizarding representative in the muggle's government office, which basically means you collect important news and information from the Minister for Magic and relay that news back to the Prime Minister and vice versa.
It was an important job, yes, but it was definitely an easy one. It paid good money, too. Most days you just went around to department heads asking if they had anything of importance to tell the Prime Minister, and most days there was nothing. You quite literally got paid semi-large amounts of money to walk around the Ministry of Magic building five days a week, every week.
Today was one of those odd days that you knew you should be at work, even if there was no real need for it, and decided to go into Diagon Alley instead. You needed to stock up on some potions supplies and some other stuff, so why not spend a day getting paid to shop?
You'd gotten everything else you needed, and all you needed now was your ingredients. The shop was completely empty, save for the old man at the cash register. While you looked around the store for some bezoars the door opened and it signaled the bell. You aid no mind to whoever entered the shop, but grabbed whatever else you needed and went to the cashier.
You stood and pulled out your coin purse to pay, when you heard a familiar voice. "Edmund, where are your valerian roots? Did you move them again?"
His voice was slightly deeper, but it was definitely Remus. You froze up, and Edmund, the store owner and man behind the register, excused himself to show Remus where they were.
He came back not long after, and Remus was now standing behind you with his own potions ingredients in his arms. You paid and made small conversation with Edmund, as you've known him for quite a long time. He knew your parents, who were basically potions masters themselves. You put your things in a reusable bag, something that the muggle world taught you, and turned to walk out the door. But you, being your clumsy self, decided to walk straight into Remus.
He was stunned himself, but you seemed to be downright embarrassed. Who wouldn't? You just walked straight into the chest of the man you were intentionally trying to avoid so you wouldn't have to make conversation and tell him you spent 10 years waiting for him because you were in love with him after spending one lousy summer with him a decade ago. He seemed to notice it was you and managed to catch your arm even with potions in his arms.
"Y/n? God, I haven't seen you in-" You cut him off for dramatic effect.
"Ten years. It's been ten years, Remus." He smiled lightly and moved to pay for his things and you stood at the door. For what reason? You didn't know. It's been ten years, he probably has a girlfriend by now, why are you still standing there like an idiot?
You were thinking so hard that you didn't notice Remus paid and was coming to you. "Y/n? Y/n, can you hear me?" He was laughing when you snapped yourself out of the trance you put yourself in, but recovered quickly. "Want to go for something to drink?"
You nodded and flashed a nervous smile as he led you out and through the busy street. You both stopped at a pub you couldn't see the name of and both sat down at an unoccupied booth. After you both ordered, Remus asked a question. "What do you do for work?"
You picked at your fingernails, a bad habit you've had since you were young, before you answered. "Muggle-wizard communications. Anything big that happens here that can affect the muggle world, or anything big over there that can affect us, I communicate it between both Prime Ministers. Most days I just walk around and ask the department heads if they have anything that needs reporting, most days there's nothing."
"Ah, so that's why you're spending this fine Wednesday shopping instead of working." You both laughed a bit before it got quiet.
"If there's nothing to do there, why should I be there, right?" The atmosphere turned awkward between the two, before Remus jumped into the topic that was both on your minds.
"So about… that day." He rushed. You perked up, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Yeah, about that." You responded.
You proceeded to take a large swig of the drink you ordered and continued. "Look, this might sound weird, or something, but I still haven't given up. I mean, I've tried, but nothing's worked. And I know how long it's been but, why didn't you tell me anything?"
The hazel eyed boy sighed and hung his head. "I didn't mean to hurt you in any way, Y/n, I promise. I just got scared, and I have a secret. I didn't want you to find out and think differently of me back then. But now, it is so much harder for me to live because I don't have my friends with me, the woman I love hasn't talked to me in years, and the secret I keep won't let me get a job." He hung his head again and you reached across the table to take his hand.
"You know, Remus, I'm right here. If you need me, or a place to stay, or anything at all, you can come to me." He smiled in thanks and you finished your drinks in a comfortable silence.
After that you spent the rest of the day together walking around Diagon Alley. It was nice, and you were able act like the kid you once were for a day. Remus felt happy for the first time in what felt like forever to him. He laughed for the first time since Harry's first birthday, before he was hiding in caves with the werewolf that turned him.
He decided that he would keep in contact with you, no matter what. He needed you in his life, you were a ray of light in the darkness that had been consuming him. A light that he had only gotten a glimpse of in 10 years.
He apparated you both to the door of your apartment, which bordered on the fully wizard/fully muggle community. "I had a lot of fun today," He said bashfully.
"Me too, Rem." You giggled, the heat of running down an alley from a particularly angered pixie still on your cheeks as you smiled. He laughed as he pulled a leaf out of your hair from the autumn breeze, dropping it onto the hallway.
You averted your gaze to the floor before looking back up at Remus. "Listen, I really liked today. I want to do this more often, if you'd like."
He offered. You didn't have to think twice before you grabbed both of his hands and got up onto your tiptoes and pressed your lips to his cheek. "You know where I live," You whispered before you got back onto the balls of your feet and smiled at his blush.
"I'll see you soon, then." He smiled and started walking back down the hallway. You bit the inside of your cheek as you stepped back into your apartment, closing the door and pressing your back against the solid surface as a happy, relaxed smile fell on your face.