Wednesday, 16 March 1977
"This is a bit stalkerish," Raj commented, as he sat next to Lena at the Hufflepuff table during their free period. Ava was sitting with Marlene and Maggie was chatting to Zoë.
"It is not stalkerish," Lena disagreed as she worked on her drawing of Remus who was sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"You're right. It's more creepy than stalkerish."
Lena shoved him playfully. "Shut up."
Raj shook his head. "I refuse to stop teasing you until you do something about it."
Lena added the scars to her drawing of Remus' face. She didn't want to erase or ignore any part of Remus. She loved every part of him.
"That's not really what friends do."
"You're right," Raj replied. "It's what true friends do."
Lena rolled her eyes.
"And do you know what else true friends do for each other?"
"Feed each other?"
"Yes. But they also warn their friend when their crush is coming."
Lena's eyes widened and she tore her eyes away from her sketch to look at Raj., "What?" she cried.
Raj grinned, rising from his seat. "Remus is walking over here right now."
Lena closed her sketchbook shut as Raj walked away and Remus sat down next to her.
"Hi, Remus," she smiled with a slight blush.
"Hi, Lena," Remus smiled back.
The pair stared at each other while smiling without saying anything for a bit.
Remus tugged on his ear and scratched his neck before breaking the silence.
"I wanted to talk to you about something… So, I've been— Well, I wanted to— Um, what I mean to say is—" Remus said quickly, unable to finish his sentence.
Smiling softly, Lena reached out and took his hand in both of hers and squeezed it. She didn't say anything to Remus but she looked at him and her eyes were bright and full of understanding, even though she had no idea what he was attempting to say. One look from her was all he needed to be brave.
"The thing is," Remus swallowed, "I've fancied you for quite a while now and I was wondering if you'd want to go on a date with me."
Remus didn't want to look at Lena's face as he waited for her to answer, one that could be a rejection. But he couldn't look away. He liked looking at her.
Lena's cheeks grew pink and she smiled widely. "Definitely! Do you want to go this weekend?"
Remus grinned back at her.
Saturday, 19 March 1977
"Ow!" Ava cried as a jumper hit her in the face.
"Sorry!" Lena cried back. "Why didn't I pick out what I was going to wear last night like you told me to?"
"Because you never listen to us," Maggie laughed.
"Oh my God, what should I wear?" Lena said, collapsing on her bed.
"How about red?" Zoë suggested. "You always look nice in red."
"I shouldn't wear red though because it usually represents love and I don't want Remus to think I'm in love with him or anything."
"Even though you are in love with him," Ava said, raising her eyebrow.
This time Lena purposefully threw a jumper at her friend.
"Hey!"
"Wear your green jumper," Maggie said, as she pulled on her boots.
"I can't wear my green jumper!" Lena cried. "Remus is going to think I'm trying to match his eyes!"
"Remus has green eyes?" Ava said.
"Yes, and they're gorgeous!" Lena gushed.
Ava shook her head smiling.
"You're going to wear your white v-neck jumper with the blue stripes on the cuffs, neck, and the bottom," Gwen said.
"But—"
"No buts, Lena. Don't overthink it."
Gwen was right. Lena had been overthinking things. She and Remus were still the same people. They would still talk about what they normally talk about. They would still do what they normally do. They still liked being around each other. The only difference was that they were now doing all the things they usually did on a date rather than a pair of mates hanging out.
Remus and Lena were sitting across from each other in a booth in the Three Broomsticks drinking butterbeers. Neither of them had stopped smiling since the date had begun.
"What do you think they actually put in butterbeer?" Remus asked suddenly.
"I suspect butter," Lena said and laughed.
"Yeah, but there's definitely something else in it, though. It doesn't taste like melted butter," Remus laughed.
"Are you saying you've drunk melted butter?"
"I am, but I didn't plan on telling you on a first date."
Lena grinned at the prospect of a second date. "May I ask why you drank melted butter?"
"Curiosity and five Sickles."
"Now that's always a good reason to do something."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Did it at least taste good?"
"No, it was bloody awful and that's why I know butterbeer doesn't taste good because of butter."
"It's got lots of sugar. That's why it tastes so good."
"I can't argue with that logic."
Lena smiled. "I don—"
Lena was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Remus and Lena looked away from each other for the first time in an over hour to inspect the source of the noise. They looked towards the middle of the room to find Rosmerta chastising Sirius, who knocked the glass off the table. He wasn't alone, though. Peter and Janmes were sitting with them. They all had guilty looks on their faces, partially for the broken glass and partially for spying on Remus and Lena.
"I didn't realize they were here," Lena commented, biting back a laugh.
"Neither can I," Remus said and pointed. "I think your friends had the same idea though."
Not far from the table James, Sirius, and Peter sat at were Lena's friends. Gwen, Maggie, Raj, Alex, Ava, and Marlene were sitting at a circular table and had been glancing at Remus and Lena.
Lena shot them a look and mouthed to them. Really?
Lena looked back at Remus. "Wanna go somewhere where less people are spying on us?" Lena asked with a smile.
Lena blushed at Remus' response.
"I'll go anywhere as long as it's with you."
"Please stop feeding them."
"But I want to know if birds like Bertie Bott's!"
"But they're so… freaky," Remus finished
"I'll protect you from the birds," Lena said, trying and failing to hide her amusement.
"It's not funny," Remus pouted as they sat on the bench by the pond.
"You're right. It's not," Lena said smiling.
"For some reason, I'm having trouble believing you," Remus said with a light laugh.
"I will prove it to you by not feeding them anymore."
"I appreciate that."
Lena smiled and looked down, suddenly feeling shy as she decided to tell him something.
"I'm really glad you asked me out," Lena said quietly. "You probably knew that, though. My crush on you wasn't actually subtle."
Remus gently grabbed her hand. "I'm glad I asked you out too. And that you said yes. And, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't realize you fancied me. I thought you only liked me as a friend."
Lena's cheeks were tinged with pink as she looked at him. "I thought you only saw me as a friend," she admitted with a laugh. "That's why I was so upset when you gave me the pen. Someone had told me that guys don't get girls that they fancy pens."
Remus let out a light laugh. "I think we were both a bit blind."
Lena smiled at him. "I think you're right."
Remus wrapped an arm around her and Lena rested her head against his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, just happy to be in one another's company.