Rose approached the dark figure by the tree who had its head in its
hands and was muttering.
"Um." Rose cleared her throat. Lupin stopped muttering to himself and turned to her,
"Oh." He looked at the ground. Rose went to sit down beside him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She said. Lupin didn't look up and stayed silent for a moment. Rose waited for him to speak.
"I." Lupin began at length, "I just. thought. well, I mean it's not something you generally bring up in conversation is it?"
"I suppose not."
"I generally don't tell people because. they don't really want to know me. Well except the Order." There was a long silence before Lupin spoke again,
"Why did you come to find me?" He said. Rose felt her cheeks deepen.
"I just, erm, wondered if you were okay. You just ran off and you didn't turn up the next day so."
"But I nearly attacked you! It was all my fault." Lupin added, half to him self.
"What do you mean?"
"Snape," said Lupin, "he makes this potion every month for me. It makes me less dangerous as a werewolf and I forgot to take it, I forgot it was full moon. How could I have been so stupid?" He put his head in his hands again and groaned. Rose looked around awkwardly. She'd never been very good at comforting people. What were you supposed to say in situations like this? But she didn't need to say anything as Lupin carried on, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.
"Maybe it's just best if I stay away." He said quietly.
"What? Leave? But-"
"This shouldn't have happened. If I forgot this time I could forget again. It's too dangerous."
"There's something I have to tell you." Rose twisted her fingers nervously. Lupin looked up at her expectantly, but Rose's expression changed when she saw his face properly, "what happened?" Half of Lupin's face was covered in blood and bruised.
"Oh," Lupin lifted a hand to his face and winced, "I. don't really remember. I must have run into something." Rose decided it best not to explain it had been the door. Best to try and forget what had happened last night.
"Does it hurt a lot?" She asked.
"No it's fine." Said Lupin, but winced again. Rose, not knowing what else to do, put an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.
"Doesn't look fine." She said quietly.
"Honestly it's all right. Just a bit sore that's all."
"Look at me." Said Rose. Lupin turned his face to hers. "Oh yeah. The way you winced just then, just a bit sore."
"Okay it's very sore." Admitted Lupin. Rose smiled. "We can clean it up for you."
Lupin smiled at her gratefully. They sat looking at each other for a moment. Even through the blood and bruises she could see the handsome face and his green eyes shine in the sunlight that was let through the treetops above them. Slowly they moved closer together and then she felt his lips brush against hers. She felt her heart jump. It felt as if they stayed like that forever.
A while later they emerged from the trees hand in hand into the early afternoon sunlight. They didn't say anything but walked in a comfortable silence. As they approached the house Lupin stopped,
"Erm, are they still fighting?" He asked cautiously.
"Afraid so."
"Don't you think we should try and do something?" Rose laughed,
"Oh, you mean like before? Oh, but that didn't exactly work did it? They just sat in there sulking the whole time," they both laughed at the look on Clara and Sirius' faces as they had emerged from the room even more, if it was possible, annoyed with each other. Lupin looked thoughtful for a moment as they got to the door.
"We-ell," he said, "we could do it a little differently this time," he grinned, "I'll tell you later," They went into the house and were careful to close the door quietly behind them.
Mrs Weasley was in the kitchen washing up, whilst Clara was showing Ginny her guitar. It was a baby pink acoustic with a paisley pattern on the front. The kitchen door opened. They all looked up to see Rose and Lupin. They winced as they saw Lupin's face. Mrs Weasley hurried over to him.
"Now you come and sit down, dear," she said firmly.
"Really I'm fine," Lupin began.
"No you're not," said Rose. Unable to protest, Lupin was ushered over to the table and made to sit down. Rose sat down next to him. Clara spotted they were holding hands and looked at Rose with an eyebrow raised, who grinned back at her blushing slightly. Mrs Weasley came back over to the table with a cloth soaked in warm water. Lupin flinched away from it,
"Really," he said desperately, "it's not as bad as it looks!"
"I'm sure," muttered Mrs Weasley, "now hold still," she added, "and let me clean that blood off your face." Lupin made a face as Mrs Weasley wiped the dried blood off the side of his face. Clara let out a giggle at Lupin's expression, but stopped when she saw Rose looking from her to Ginny meaningfully. She coughed.
"Didn't Ron say he wanted to look at the guitar too?" She said to Ginny. Ginny seemed to have got the point as she nodded and they left the kitchen. Once Mrs Weasley had finished patching Lupin up she noted that Clara and Ginny had gone and muttered something about going to see where Arthur had got to as she closed the kitchen door behind her. Rose waited until Mrs Weasley's footsteps died away then turned to Lupin.
"So," she said, grinning, "Tell me the rest of this plan."
"Ok, so, instead of just locking them in here, like last time-"
"Which didn't work," Rose put in.
"Which didn't work," Lupin agreed, "So this time we'll plan it more carefully."
"You think it'll work this time?"
"Well, they can't just keep arguing. It's pretty obvious they like each other they just don't want to admit it."
"They really, really don't want to admit it," said Rose.
"We've got to set this room up some how and we'll." Lupin thought for a moment, "We'll say we need to have a meeting in here tonight. And. and lay out food and everything."
"What about the others?"
"Oh, we'll tell them the plan too so they keep out of the way. And this time," Lupin's eyes gleamed mischievously, "they're going to stay in there until they've made up." There was the sound of raised voices from upstairs. Rose sighed, "Not again."
As Rose and Lupin reached the top of the stairs they saw Clara holding her guitar protectively and, once again, arguing with Sirius.
"You're doing this just to annoy me!" Sirius was shouting. Ron and Ginny tentatively tried to cut in,
"Actually I asked-"
"Actually Ginny asked-"
"What, can't I play any music anymore?!" Clara shouted back, "this is ridiculous, this house is dull enough as it is!" Lupin coughed loudly. Clara and Sirius stopped and looked at him, Sirius looking momentarily shocked at Lupin's bruised face. He opened his mouth to say something but Rose shot him a look of warning and he turned to Clara again.
"Just stop playing that stupid thing!" He snarled, "and don't you dare say I'm like Kreacher again!" He stormed out of the room and down the stairs. Lupin and Rose looked at each other.
"I'll go and talk to him," said Lupin. He winked and hurried downstairs after Sirius.
"Um." Rose cleared her throat. Lupin stopped muttering to himself and turned to her,
"Oh." He looked at the ground. Rose went to sit down beside him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She said. Lupin didn't look up and stayed silent for a moment. Rose waited for him to speak.
"I." Lupin began at length, "I just. thought. well, I mean it's not something you generally bring up in conversation is it?"
"I suppose not."
"I generally don't tell people because. they don't really want to know me. Well except the Order." There was a long silence before Lupin spoke again,
"Why did you come to find me?" He said. Rose felt her cheeks deepen.
"I just, erm, wondered if you were okay. You just ran off and you didn't turn up the next day so."
"But I nearly attacked you! It was all my fault." Lupin added, half to him self.
"What do you mean?"
"Snape," said Lupin, "he makes this potion every month for me. It makes me less dangerous as a werewolf and I forgot to take it, I forgot it was full moon. How could I have been so stupid?" He put his head in his hands again and groaned. Rose looked around awkwardly. She'd never been very good at comforting people. What were you supposed to say in situations like this? But she didn't need to say anything as Lupin carried on, his voice slightly muffled by his hands.
"Maybe it's just best if I stay away." He said quietly.
"What? Leave? But-"
"This shouldn't have happened. If I forgot this time I could forget again. It's too dangerous."
"There's something I have to tell you." Rose twisted her fingers nervously. Lupin looked up at her expectantly, but Rose's expression changed when she saw his face properly, "what happened?" Half of Lupin's face was covered in blood and bruised.
"Oh," Lupin lifted a hand to his face and winced, "I. don't really remember. I must have run into something." Rose decided it best not to explain it had been the door. Best to try and forget what had happened last night.
"Does it hurt a lot?" She asked.
"No it's fine." Said Lupin, but winced again. Rose, not knowing what else to do, put an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.
"Doesn't look fine." She said quietly.
"Honestly it's all right. Just a bit sore that's all."
"Look at me." Said Rose. Lupin turned his face to hers. "Oh yeah. The way you winced just then, just a bit sore."
"Okay it's very sore." Admitted Lupin. Rose smiled. "We can clean it up for you."
Lupin smiled at her gratefully. They sat looking at each other for a moment. Even through the blood and bruises she could see the handsome face and his green eyes shine in the sunlight that was let through the treetops above them. Slowly they moved closer together and then she felt his lips brush against hers. She felt her heart jump. It felt as if they stayed like that forever.
A while later they emerged from the trees hand in hand into the early afternoon sunlight. They didn't say anything but walked in a comfortable silence. As they approached the house Lupin stopped,
"Erm, are they still fighting?" He asked cautiously.
"Afraid so."
"Don't you think we should try and do something?" Rose laughed,
"Oh, you mean like before? Oh, but that didn't exactly work did it? They just sat in there sulking the whole time," they both laughed at the look on Clara and Sirius' faces as they had emerged from the room even more, if it was possible, annoyed with each other. Lupin looked thoughtful for a moment as they got to the door.
"We-ell," he said, "we could do it a little differently this time," he grinned, "I'll tell you later," They went into the house and were careful to close the door quietly behind them.
Mrs Weasley was in the kitchen washing up, whilst Clara was showing Ginny her guitar. It was a baby pink acoustic with a paisley pattern on the front. The kitchen door opened. They all looked up to see Rose and Lupin. They winced as they saw Lupin's face. Mrs Weasley hurried over to him.
"Now you come and sit down, dear," she said firmly.
"Really I'm fine," Lupin began.
"No you're not," said Rose. Unable to protest, Lupin was ushered over to the table and made to sit down. Rose sat down next to him. Clara spotted they were holding hands and looked at Rose with an eyebrow raised, who grinned back at her blushing slightly. Mrs Weasley came back over to the table with a cloth soaked in warm water. Lupin flinched away from it,
"Really," he said desperately, "it's not as bad as it looks!"
"I'm sure," muttered Mrs Weasley, "now hold still," she added, "and let me clean that blood off your face." Lupin made a face as Mrs Weasley wiped the dried blood off the side of his face. Clara let out a giggle at Lupin's expression, but stopped when she saw Rose looking from her to Ginny meaningfully. She coughed.
"Didn't Ron say he wanted to look at the guitar too?" She said to Ginny. Ginny seemed to have got the point as she nodded and they left the kitchen. Once Mrs Weasley had finished patching Lupin up she noted that Clara and Ginny had gone and muttered something about going to see where Arthur had got to as she closed the kitchen door behind her. Rose waited until Mrs Weasley's footsteps died away then turned to Lupin.
"So," she said, grinning, "Tell me the rest of this plan."
"Ok, so, instead of just locking them in here, like last time-"
"Which didn't work," Rose put in.
"Which didn't work," Lupin agreed, "So this time we'll plan it more carefully."
"You think it'll work this time?"
"Well, they can't just keep arguing. It's pretty obvious they like each other they just don't want to admit it."
"They really, really don't want to admit it," said Rose.
"We've got to set this room up some how and we'll." Lupin thought for a moment, "We'll say we need to have a meeting in here tonight. And. and lay out food and everything."
"What about the others?"
"Oh, we'll tell them the plan too so they keep out of the way. And this time," Lupin's eyes gleamed mischievously, "they're going to stay in there until they've made up." There was the sound of raised voices from upstairs. Rose sighed, "Not again."
As Rose and Lupin reached the top of the stairs they saw Clara holding her guitar protectively and, once again, arguing with Sirius.
"You're doing this just to annoy me!" Sirius was shouting. Ron and Ginny tentatively tried to cut in,
"Actually I asked-"
"Actually Ginny asked-"
"What, can't I play any music anymore?!" Clara shouted back, "this is ridiculous, this house is dull enough as it is!" Lupin coughed loudly. Clara and Sirius stopped and looked at him, Sirius looking momentarily shocked at Lupin's bruised face. He opened his mouth to say something but Rose shot him a look of warning and he turned to Clara again.
"Just stop playing that stupid thing!" He snarled, "and don't you dare say I'm like Kreacher again!" He stormed out of the room and down the stairs. Lupin and Rose looked at each other.
"I'll go and talk to him," said Lupin. He winked and hurried downstairs after Sirius.
