Day 2: Talk

He fell forwards, burying his face in his hands as he took a few deep breaths. He found he had knocked his cup of tea to the floor, but hadn't heard the crash. Aunt Lynn was staring worriedly over at them, and Rianna was looking quite embarrassed, but didn't seem to be standing up to run away anytime soon...

"I'm sorry, that was... A bit of a shock, shall we say?" Remus said, sitting up straight again and coughing into his hands. He wiped at his eyes for a moment, as though they might tear up, and Rianna could guess why.

"It's like having him die all over again, isn't it? You've just managed to push him to the back of your head, where you put.. James, was it? Yes, and then you find out that he had a daughter..." Rianna said slowly, speaking to him as a mother might tell her child that their pet dog had been hit by a car.

Leaning down over the table, blinking the tears from his eyes now, he coughed once more and looked up. His amber eyes were swollen slightly already, and his face suddenly looked more pale and sullen than before, "On the button."

Rianna's eyes went slightly misty as she gazed at Remus, as though she wasn't seeing him anymore. Reaching out, she touched his cheek gently and smiled softly, the corners to her mouth turning upwards ever-so-slightly.

"It hurts.." She said, blinking slowly and removing her hand from his face, "Not just you... I loved him, even if it was a short relationship. I hadn't known who he was, I should have, but I didn't. He was the handsome stranger with mystical blue eyes. His hair, of course, was quite a mess when we met, and I've learned now that it was during his journey to find Harry Potter that we met. It was a week-long relationship, him and I, short and sweet...." She now, looked like she was going to cry.

Remus moved to reach out to her, but stopped when she looked into his eyes.

"I gave birth to Melanie exactly 9 months after the last night we spent together. It had only been a week, and I saw him in her every time I touched her, held her... Can you imagine it? 4 years of your life hating someone for leaving you? Wondering why they left, thinking they hated you and you were just some fling? Can you imagine kissing your daughter goodnight and feeling hatred and love all at once?"

Remus was silent, quite still for several moments, digesting her words, then slowly shook his head. He now did reach over and touch Rianna, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She seemed surprised by the action, as though she could never have guessed that the tears were there.

The comforting silence seemed to make them both feel better, when Rianna finally whispered quietly, "Can we talk about something else now?"

A Remus nodded his reply, Rianna smiled once more, sitting up, her eyes slightly puffy and swollen, but the look across her face made her seem just as beautiful as before.

"What do you do, Remus?"

"Well, I'm a teacher, actually, though lately I've had quite a bit else on my mind..." he stopped, "I taught at Hogwarts for a year, in fact."

"Really, what subject?" Rianna seemed quite interested now.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts..." He said, thinking back to the good times he had had that year...

Rianna seemed to stare blankly at him for a moment, then smiled, "You taught during Harry Potter's 3rd year, didn't you? You were the werewolf teacher?"

Remus gulped slightly, looking nervously away, but he nodded his answer. He knew he shouldn't be afraid of the world knowing, but the hatred shot at him for being what he was, it was unbearable...

"Interesting." Rianna said with a smile, "My brother's a werewolf, actually, bitten last year, you know... When he came back from the hospital he said that some red-haired balding man kept trying to speak to him about a friend of his that was a werewolf..."

Remus chuckled, "A Mr. Weasley, by any chance?"

"That would be it."

"Then I suppose he was speaking about me..."

"Well, give him my apologies, as my brother has always been too stubborn to do so..." She laughed slightly as she reached across the table and took Remus's hand, blushing a soft pink.

"I don't think I've ever been able to actually talk to someone, tell someone, about Melanie... Thank you."

Remus had nothing to say to that, he simply smiled comfortingly and squeezed her hand a little, leaning a little further over the table.

"What's it like? Being a werewolf, I mean... My brother's afraid of telling people, and has already told me 'If you tell a soul I'll make sure that the first person i bite is you!' though I doubt he'd ever do that..."

Remus went a little rigid, staring at Rianna, "He wouldn't have a choice. The Wolfsbane potion is the only way for him to keep his thoughts clear during that single, horrible night... If he doesn't take it, and you're near, you may very well be the first person he bites, whether he meant to or not..."

Rianna's face fell slightly as she stared back at him, a look of worry and anxiousness crossing her face, all she could say was a very quiet and meek "Oh."

The werewolf looked away, then back again, noticing that Aunt Lynn was trying to catch their attention. He waved her over and the woman scurried her fastest.

"A snack, perhaps?" The woman asked, a smile crossing her cherubic features.

Remus shook his head slowly, but Rianna looked up and smiled, "A cauldron cake, please?" She asked, and the woman nodded, scurrying off again.

"What is the... Transformation, like?"

"Painful." Remus said quietly, not even realizing that his hands had clenched themselves into such tight fists that his knuckles had turned white, "Very painful. Every bone in your body shifts and changes, feeling your face elongate, watching your fingers turn into claws... It hurts.."

Rianna nodded slowly, "So it's nothing like transfomring into an Animagus... I'm sorry I asked and made you have to relive it again, it sounds as though you do it enough... I was just curious... You see, I'm animagus for a wolf..."

Remus nodded slowly, "He... He was an Animagus." He said softly, feeling that pain resurface. Everything reminded him of Sirius Black, and it was amazing how much it hurt. Sirius had been like a brother to him in school, and of course Remus thought Sirius had murdered James and Peter like the rest of the Wizarding world, but he was the first to figure out that the man had not. After that, they had been like brothers once more, which made it hurt even more to have watched him die...

He didn't realize he was crying, he just looked down and saw a few darker spots on the tablecloth, and knew. He immediately went about wiping them away. He shouldn't be doing this, not in front of a woman that was pretty much a complete stranger...

When he looked over at Rianna, though, he saw her tears as well. Her cheeks were damp once more, and Remus felt as bad for her as he did for himself. She felt his pain, even if it was in a different way...

Rianna coughed, then smiled slightly, "I see you have the same feelings as myself. Everything reminds you of him.. I can't go into the muggle world anymore, thanks to motorcycles." she laughed a little, then took in a deep breath, "I'm happy I've found someone I can talk to Remus..."

He felt a tingle run up his spine as he stared at her, golden eyes meeting each other.

"I'm happy I can help." He finally said after what seemed to be hours...

After an awkward moment of silence in which both had begun to blush a pale pink hue, Remus finally spoke up once more..

"If... If you'd like, because I know I would, we could... Go out again?" He stuttered out, realizing he hadn't asked a girl out on a date often, and that he must sound stupid.

"I would love to, Remus Lupin... Here..." She reached down and scribbled down on a napkin by her plate, only now noticing her cauldron cake had arrived, "My address, muggle telephone number and I'm connected to the floo network."

Remus nodded, taking the napkin and stuffing it into his pocket, "I'll get a hold of you on my next night off..." he said, smiling.

"Anyway... What do you say we speak about something a little more cheerful? Last week Melanie..."

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3 hours later

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"I have to pick melanie up from Daycare, now don't lose that napkin Remus!" Rianna said with a smile, giggling slightly as she stood up, dropping a few pound son the table. Remus shook his head at that and pushed her money back towards her.

"You're so very sweet Remus, it's a shame we've only met now..."

He watched as she left, feeling light-hearted and cheerful, but that sunken feeling came tumbling back as he only now remembered that he was supposed to meet Harry at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes 30 minutes ago...

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That's the end of chapter 3, and I thank you all for the reviews I've gotten! I'm willing to add a few requests to the story if you people are willing to send them. I've got several more chapters to do, as the song I'm basing this all off of is fairly long *L*