The next morning, Poppy woke before dawn and sat bolt upright in her bed.
It took her a moment to realize why she'd woken so abruptly. It came back
to her then. It hadn't been a dream. It couldn't have been. She lay back
down for a moment, staring at the ceiling of her rooms, thinking of the
evening before. The evening that had changed everything for her.
"I still can't believe it..." she murmured sleepily, raising herself upright once more. Combing out her semi curly golden ashy tawny hair, she changed from her nightclothes to appropriate wear for the day and moved to don some shoes. After wrapping her robes tightly about herself she went about tidying her room and proceeding down to the hospital wing.
Once she'd organized everything the way she liked it, neat and clean, she drew her robes tighter around herself and marched herself down through the main school and out onto the grounds. Intending to greet Remus and make sure he got proper care after his transformation the evening before.
With that thought in mind, she made to go tap the knot at the base of the tree, but before she could do so, Remus emerged from the door looking quite ill and worn. However, when he caught sight of her there, he smiled. Stepping forward quickly, she caught him before he slumped over, very familiar with the equilibrium problems he was forced to endure due to his condition.
Gently draping his arm around her neck and shoulder, she eased him so that he was able to stand upright and yet lean on her to walk. He glanced at her, an appreciative and slightly sheepish glint in his beautiful grey green eyes. "Thank you, Poppy. For everything." Remus said quietly, his voice a little hoarse, caressing her cheek softly. "You've no need to thank me, Remus..." she responded, entranced by his closeness.
He smiled and shook his head, leaning in a little to capture her mouth in a kiss, sweet and chaste, the hand that had been previously caressing her cheek now twined in her hair. She smiled through the kiss, more than content to stay as she was, in his embrace forever. However, she pulled away, looking concernedly into his eyes. "Remus, you really need to get a little rest. I'll help you to your rooms." She told him. "All right, Poppy." He smiled his soft smile.
Smiling a little herself, she helped him back into the castle, taking it slow on the stairwells, making sure he wasn't over exerting himself, much to his amusement. It was another few minutes until they'd reached his quarters, and another minute more to help him inside, to his bed. If Remus hadn't already been amused by her, he would have been more so when she made to tuck him in.
"Don't you think I'm a little old to be tucked in, Poppy?" He asked, with the tiniest of smirks as she fluffed his pillow. "Nonsense," she chuckled, knowing full well she was more than doting on him. Clearly, he knew too. Catching her hand, he gently pulled her closer so that she sat on the bed beside him. He traced the lines on her hand with his finger, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine.
He tenderly kissed the tips of her fingers, easing her closer to him. "Poppy, I love you," he looked into her eyes then. "I didn't get to tell you last night, but I do." He said. Hearing those words then, whispered in his quiet and reverent voice, caused her heart to skip several beats. Happy was too soft a word to describe how she felt in that moment with him.
"I love you, Remus. I have for years." She kissed him then, savoring the taste and the feel of his lips on hers. Relishing the soft movement his hand was making over her neck and jawline. She didn't want to come up for air. What need had she for oxygen when there was so much love and tenderness to be given and had?
Remus tenderly brushed a lock of her golden ashy tawny hair from her face, lovingly tucking the lock behind her ear, his fingers lingering there. His grey green eyes gazed into her own grey eyes, his lips curling into a small smile. "When Albus contacted me about the position and after I'd agreed to come, I never expected this..." Remus remarked quietly, tracing her lips. She kissed the tips of his fingers. "Neither did I. It was a real shock, your appointment, but a very nice one." She smiled, gently pushing him back down on the bed so that he could rest.
"All the way up, I dreamed of being back and telling you early on of my affections for you, but I hadn't the courage." He told her, closing his eyes a moment. "I never imagined that you could see me as anything other than a former charge." He admitted, his eyes opening to reveal a little bit of a sheepish glint in them.
Of course, when Poppy heard these words, she smiled widely. This had not been an issue for her and she had often worried about the fact that it hadn't. "You imagined wrong, love." She rose from the bed, wishing she could stay a bit longer with him, but she knew it would not be prudent to do so. Aside from the impropriety of staying longer in his rooms with him, she had work in the hospital wing to attend to.
"I wish I could stay longer, but you need rest and I have work to attend to." She reluctantly told him, giving in to the urge to tuck him in. She made sure the blankets were nice and settled around him and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Poppy. I'll come by to see you later this evening." He smiled a little, holding her hand a moment. She shook her head, smiling a coy smile. "You'll do no such thing," she tutted, wagging her finger. "I'll come to see you." She told him firmly, smiling her warm smile as she did so.
He laughed, looking upon her with an adoring expression. "All right, Poppy. See you this evening." He said, letting go of her hand. "See you, love." She crooned, moving to the door with a backward glance at him, whom she'd loved for years upon years. She truly wished she could stay the day with him, tend to him, be with him, but she knew she couldn't.
"Si seulement..."
"I still can't believe it..." she murmured sleepily, raising herself upright once more. Combing out her semi curly golden ashy tawny hair, she changed from her nightclothes to appropriate wear for the day and moved to don some shoes. After wrapping her robes tightly about herself she went about tidying her room and proceeding down to the hospital wing.
Once she'd organized everything the way she liked it, neat and clean, she drew her robes tighter around herself and marched herself down through the main school and out onto the grounds. Intending to greet Remus and make sure he got proper care after his transformation the evening before.
With that thought in mind, she made to go tap the knot at the base of the tree, but before she could do so, Remus emerged from the door looking quite ill and worn. However, when he caught sight of her there, he smiled. Stepping forward quickly, she caught him before he slumped over, very familiar with the equilibrium problems he was forced to endure due to his condition.
Gently draping his arm around her neck and shoulder, she eased him so that he was able to stand upright and yet lean on her to walk. He glanced at her, an appreciative and slightly sheepish glint in his beautiful grey green eyes. "Thank you, Poppy. For everything." Remus said quietly, his voice a little hoarse, caressing her cheek softly. "You've no need to thank me, Remus..." she responded, entranced by his closeness.
He smiled and shook his head, leaning in a little to capture her mouth in a kiss, sweet and chaste, the hand that had been previously caressing her cheek now twined in her hair. She smiled through the kiss, more than content to stay as she was, in his embrace forever. However, she pulled away, looking concernedly into his eyes. "Remus, you really need to get a little rest. I'll help you to your rooms." She told him. "All right, Poppy." He smiled his soft smile.
Smiling a little herself, she helped him back into the castle, taking it slow on the stairwells, making sure he wasn't over exerting himself, much to his amusement. It was another few minutes until they'd reached his quarters, and another minute more to help him inside, to his bed. If Remus hadn't already been amused by her, he would have been more so when she made to tuck him in.
"Don't you think I'm a little old to be tucked in, Poppy?" He asked, with the tiniest of smirks as she fluffed his pillow. "Nonsense," she chuckled, knowing full well she was more than doting on him. Clearly, he knew too. Catching her hand, he gently pulled her closer so that she sat on the bed beside him. He traced the lines on her hand with his finger, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine.
He tenderly kissed the tips of her fingers, easing her closer to him. "Poppy, I love you," he looked into her eyes then. "I didn't get to tell you last night, but I do." He said. Hearing those words then, whispered in his quiet and reverent voice, caused her heart to skip several beats. Happy was too soft a word to describe how she felt in that moment with him.
"I love you, Remus. I have for years." She kissed him then, savoring the taste and the feel of his lips on hers. Relishing the soft movement his hand was making over her neck and jawline. She didn't want to come up for air. What need had she for oxygen when there was so much love and tenderness to be given and had?
Remus tenderly brushed a lock of her golden ashy tawny hair from her face, lovingly tucking the lock behind her ear, his fingers lingering there. His grey green eyes gazed into her own grey eyes, his lips curling into a small smile. "When Albus contacted me about the position and after I'd agreed to come, I never expected this..." Remus remarked quietly, tracing her lips. She kissed the tips of his fingers. "Neither did I. It was a real shock, your appointment, but a very nice one." She smiled, gently pushing him back down on the bed so that he could rest.
"All the way up, I dreamed of being back and telling you early on of my affections for you, but I hadn't the courage." He told her, closing his eyes a moment. "I never imagined that you could see me as anything other than a former charge." He admitted, his eyes opening to reveal a little bit of a sheepish glint in them.
Of course, when Poppy heard these words, she smiled widely. This had not been an issue for her and she had often worried about the fact that it hadn't. "You imagined wrong, love." She rose from the bed, wishing she could stay a bit longer with him, but she knew it would not be prudent to do so. Aside from the impropriety of staying longer in his rooms with him, she had work in the hospital wing to attend to.
"I wish I could stay longer, but you need rest and I have work to attend to." She reluctantly told him, giving in to the urge to tuck him in. She made sure the blankets were nice and settled around him and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Poppy. I'll come by to see you later this evening." He smiled a little, holding her hand a moment. She shook her head, smiling a coy smile. "You'll do no such thing," she tutted, wagging her finger. "I'll come to see you." She told him firmly, smiling her warm smile as she did so.
He laughed, looking upon her with an adoring expression. "All right, Poppy. See you this evening." He said, letting go of her hand. "See you, love." She crooned, moving to the door with a backward glance at him, whom she'd loved for years upon years. She truly wished she could stay the day with him, tend to him, be with him, but she knew she couldn't.
"Si seulement..."