Chapter Two
Dreaming
There was nothing wrong with wishing. Everyone had told Remus Lupin this thousands of times. Each time, he listened, and always wished but never acted on what he wished for. Then he'd miss an opportunity and felt extremely stupid. Now, this "wishing" had never really been a problem when it came to girls, until now. She was all he could think about, though he knew silently he could never even hold her in his arms. Was this love or merely an infatuation? Whatever it was, he knew that he was in love with Gloria White.
Gloria White. Her name was the only thing that he repeated in his thoughts. She was all he thought about. But could be it be love? After all, he was only fifteen.
Turning on his side, he flicked his amber colored eyes to the clock. Three thirty in the morning. Propping himself up on his elbow, he noticed that Sirius was out of bed. James and Peter, though, were snoring peacefully in their beds. Interesting, though. Wherever Sirius was, James usually was or vice versa. Not tonight. Rubbing his eyes, Remus stepped out of bed, rumpling his hair. He couldn't sleep.
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Apparently, neither could Gloria. Sitting in front of the dying fire, she hugged her dressing gown against her thin frame, staring off into space. Since when was it that she ever slept anymore? Brushing a curl from her eyes, she turned her attention to her pale hands. Suddenly she seemed too pale, too thin. Too. delicate. The very thought of her shattering into a million pieces floated through her overactive mind.
Hearing footsteps from the boy's dormitory, she turned her head, trying to make out the dark figure coming down the stairs.
"Who's there?" she called out sharply.
"Glory, it's me," Remus answered hoarsely, now in the common room.
"Oh. can't sleep?"
"Yeah, something like that. What are you doing in the wee hours of the morning?"
"Sitting and thinking. No harm in that is there?" she asked quietly, giving him a small smile.
"Of course not," he said politely, taking a seat next to her on the floor. He flicked his eyes down to her chest briefly, then managed to stare at the fire. or the wall.
"I'm worried about you, Glory," he added quietly, staring at the rug.
"What? Why. Remus, I'm fine. I'm better now. you know that, don't you?" she asked gently, turning her head to look at him.
"Gloria, I'm not worried about you wanting to die or anything like that. it's just that you never. truly smile anymore. You don't laugh. I don't even think I've heard you laugh." he said weakly, trailing off.
"You've never heard me laugh?" she echoed, feeling tears sting her eyes.
Remus shook his head. "No. I'd remember if I have," he said quietly.
"Please go." she said hollowly, staring at the ground.
"No," he muttered, placing a hand on top of hers, "You shouldn't be alone."
"Remus, please." she whispered, turning her teary eyes on him.
"No. you shouldn't be alone, not in this state," he said insistently, lacing his fingers with hers.
Gloria brushed his hair out of his face with her other hand. "You don't have to stay, Remus," she murmured, looking into his eyes. There was a small, dancing red light in his eyes. Trick of the firelight?
He followed the movement of her hand with his nose, breathing her in as if she was an exotic flower. Gloria caught her breath as Remus curled his fingers around her wrist, pressing his lips against her palm. He couldn't help it.
She hadn't expected this at all. She'd thought they might sit together and talk, that he might distract her from being alone with her thoughts. The moment she felt his lips on her skin, all of her nerves suddenly stood to attention. She thought it was possible she had stopped breathing.
He turned to look at her then; the red light in his eyes no longer seemed to be a trick of the firelight. It didn't scare her, though, and she watched, fascinated, as he leaned over and captured her lips with his. She put her hand against his chest to brace herself, and to push him away if need be. What would she do if he opened his mouth? That had been part of her undoing with her first kiss, Jonathan Wood. When he had suddenly, mercilessly (she thought) thrust his tongue into her mouth, she thought she would choke to death. Surely people didn't like doing this? she had thought. It was disgusting.
And yet--Remus was different. She parted her lips slightly and when she felt his tongue lightly brush against her lower teeth, she finally felt as though she was starting to understand why people did this, why they wanted to. He moved his mouth against hers a little more insistently, slowly bringing his tongue against hers in a gentle caress that was making her react in ways she also hadn't expected. She felt perspiration rise on her skin, she felt a warmth in her chest, and before she knew it, he was removing her dressing gown, she was on her knees before him, his mouth clamped on her neck, his hands--God, she thought, he has amazing hands....
Her mind whirled as they continued, their breathing becoming more labored, their pulses racing. Then, without warning, Remus lifted his head and sniffed the air. "Sirius." he growled.
"What?" she gasped, feeling her racing heart skip beats.
"There." he growled again, jerking his head in the direction where Sirius, standing under James's invisibility cloak was standing, frozen in place. Crossing the room, Remus whisked the cloak off of Sirius and tossed it to the floor.
"Moony-I swear, I just-I just came in!" Sirius choked, trying his hardest not to look at Gloria.
Snatching her dressing gown from the ground, she put it on rather quickly, pressing herself against the wall, inching towards the stairs that led to the girl's dorms.
Remus gave Gloria a quick glance before he turned and practically ran up the stairs to the boy's dorms. Sirius stared at her in disbelief.
"Sirius. it wasn't. I didn't mean. it just. happened," she muttered.
"I'll see you at Quidditch practice tomorrow, Glory. Get some sleep," Sirius said dully, following Remus back upstairs. He didn't realize how much he cared for her until he saw them two together. He also didn't realize how much it hurt him for him to of seen what he saw.
Gloria sank down on the stairs, covering her face with her hands.
She didn't know why this upset her so.
Dreaming
There was nothing wrong with wishing. Everyone had told Remus Lupin this thousands of times. Each time, he listened, and always wished but never acted on what he wished for. Then he'd miss an opportunity and felt extremely stupid. Now, this "wishing" had never really been a problem when it came to girls, until now. She was all he could think about, though he knew silently he could never even hold her in his arms. Was this love or merely an infatuation? Whatever it was, he knew that he was in love with Gloria White.
Gloria White. Her name was the only thing that he repeated in his thoughts. She was all he thought about. But could be it be love? After all, he was only fifteen.
Turning on his side, he flicked his amber colored eyes to the clock. Three thirty in the morning. Propping himself up on his elbow, he noticed that Sirius was out of bed. James and Peter, though, were snoring peacefully in their beds. Interesting, though. Wherever Sirius was, James usually was or vice versa. Not tonight. Rubbing his eyes, Remus stepped out of bed, rumpling his hair. He couldn't sleep.
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Apparently, neither could Gloria. Sitting in front of the dying fire, she hugged her dressing gown against her thin frame, staring off into space. Since when was it that she ever slept anymore? Brushing a curl from her eyes, she turned her attention to her pale hands. Suddenly she seemed too pale, too thin. Too. delicate. The very thought of her shattering into a million pieces floated through her overactive mind.
Hearing footsteps from the boy's dormitory, she turned her head, trying to make out the dark figure coming down the stairs.
"Who's there?" she called out sharply.
"Glory, it's me," Remus answered hoarsely, now in the common room.
"Oh. can't sleep?"
"Yeah, something like that. What are you doing in the wee hours of the morning?"
"Sitting and thinking. No harm in that is there?" she asked quietly, giving him a small smile.
"Of course not," he said politely, taking a seat next to her on the floor. He flicked his eyes down to her chest briefly, then managed to stare at the fire. or the wall.
"I'm worried about you, Glory," he added quietly, staring at the rug.
"What? Why. Remus, I'm fine. I'm better now. you know that, don't you?" she asked gently, turning her head to look at him.
"Gloria, I'm not worried about you wanting to die or anything like that. it's just that you never. truly smile anymore. You don't laugh. I don't even think I've heard you laugh." he said weakly, trailing off.
"You've never heard me laugh?" she echoed, feeling tears sting her eyes.
Remus shook his head. "No. I'd remember if I have," he said quietly.
"Please go." she said hollowly, staring at the ground.
"No," he muttered, placing a hand on top of hers, "You shouldn't be alone."
"Remus, please." she whispered, turning her teary eyes on him.
"No. you shouldn't be alone, not in this state," he said insistently, lacing his fingers with hers.
Gloria brushed his hair out of his face with her other hand. "You don't have to stay, Remus," she murmured, looking into his eyes. There was a small, dancing red light in his eyes. Trick of the firelight?
He followed the movement of her hand with his nose, breathing her in as if she was an exotic flower. Gloria caught her breath as Remus curled his fingers around her wrist, pressing his lips against her palm. He couldn't help it.
She hadn't expected this at all. She'd thought they might sit together and talk, that he might distract her from being alone with her thoughts. The moment she felt his lips on her skin, all of her nerves suddenly stood to attention. She thought it was possible she had stopped breathing.
He turned to look at her then; the red light in his eyes no longer seemed to be a trick of the firelight. It didn't scare her, though, and she watched, fascinated, as he leaned over and captured her lips with his. She put her hand against his chest to brace herself, and to push him away if need be. What would she do if he opened his mouth? That had been part of her undoing with her first kiss, Jonathan Wood. When he had suddenly, mercilessly (she thought) thrust his tongue into her mouth, she thought she would choke to death. Surely people didn't like doing this? she had thought. It was disgusting.
And yet--Remus was different. She parted her lips slightly and when she felt his tongue lightly brush against her lower teeth, she finally felt as though she was starting to understand why people did this, why they wanted to. He moved his mouth against hers a little more insistently, slowly bringing his tongue against hers in a gentle caress that was making her react in ways she also hadn't expected. She felt perspiration rise on her skin, she felt a warmth in her chest, and before she knew it, he was removing her dressing gown, she was on her knees before him, his mouth clamped on her neck, his hands--God, she thought, he has amazing hands....
Her mind whirled as they continued, their breathing becoming more labored, their pulses racing. Then, without warning, Remus lifted his head and sniffed the air. "Sirius." he growled.
"What?" she gasped, feeling her racing heart skip beats.
"There." he growled again, jerking his head in the direction where Sirius, standing under James's invisibility cloak was standing, frozen in place. Crossing the room, Remus whisked the cloak off of Sirius and tossed it to the floor.
"Moony-I swear, I just-I just came in!" Sirius choked, trying his hardest not to look at Gloria.
Snatching her dressing gown from the ground, she put it on rather quickly, pressing herself against the wall, inching towards the stairs that led to the girl's dorms.
Remus gave Gloria a quick glance before he turned and practically ran up the stairs to the boy's dorms. Sirius stared at her in disbelief.
"Sirius. it wasn't. I didn't mean. it just. happened," she muttered.
"I'll see you at Quidditch practice tomorrow, Glory. Get some sleep," Sirius said dully, following Remus back upstairs. He didn't realize how much he cared for her until he saw them two together. He also didn't realize how much it hurt him for him to of seen what he saw.
Gloria sank down on the stairs, covering her face with her hands.
She didn't know why this upset her so.