AN: Oopsie. The phrase "Spell On My Heart" belongs to She's a Star. And remember: Jumper in England = Sweater in America. That is all.
~
Chapter Ten-The Actual Date
About twenty minutes later, James was dressed and was valiantly fighting his hair to make it lie flat. Remus was shaking his hair out, not unlike a dog, and pulling on his jeans. "I hate going on dates," Remus grumbled as he pulled on a jumper. "Why couldn't we just meet in a nice coffeehouse somewhere, and discuss books, literature, politics, and history? Why does it have to always be some sort of commercialized, evil thing where there is too much noise to discuss anything?"
"Well, generally because normal people are more interested in snogging their dates within an inch of their life than talking about books," James said, yanking a comb through his hair.
"Besides," Sirius said, eyeing Remus' attire, "don't you think a jumper might be a bit heavy for-"
"No. It's April. A bit nippy at night, isn't it?"
"In England, yes, but not in Florida," Peter piped up. "Didn't you feel the humidty today?"
"Don't be stupid. It will be cool," Remus said firmly, feeling that there had to be at least one aspect of his life that he, not his friends, could control.
"At least wear a T-shirt underneath so that when we are right, you will have the option of taking off the jumper."
"NO, DARN IT! I WILL HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF CONTROL OVER MY LIFE!" Remus shouted.
Sirius coughed, "Control freak!"
Remus glared. And Remus' glares are pretty life-threatening, you know.
"Anyway, it's almost six," James said, glancing at the clock. "Probably we should head on down."
"Very well," Remus said stiffly.
"Want some cologne, Moony?" Sirius offered angelically.
"Die."
"Okay. Sorry about the control-"
"SHUT UP!"
"Okay, then."
Remus and James left, closing the door loudly, but not quite slamming it, behind them.
"Well, Sirius, old buddy, looks like it's just me and you," Peter said cheerfully, throwing his arm around Sirius' shoulders.
"Okay, no," he replied, throwing Peter's arm off. "I say we give them fifteen minutes head start, and then we follow them."
"What?"
Sirius sighed deeply. "Okay, Peter, in fifteen minutes, we leave. Then-"
"No, I understand that, dummy, I just meant that Remus is nervous enough already, why bother him more?"
Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "Obviously, my teachings have not sunk in, my young apprentice. We must torture! Maim! Kill! Most of all. . . Bother!"
"Sometimes you really scare me, Padfoot."
"Good," Sirius said, rubbing his chin with his special All-Knowing Look. "Here's The Plan."
~
Meanwhile, as we backtrack a bit and follow Remus and James out the door, Remus was growling quietly, and tugging at his jumper.
"Moony, relax. She's just a girl. Nothing to worry about."
"I am not worried about some silly girl from Alabama!" Remus snapped. "And besides, I will never see her again, so why would I care about some chick that I will never see again? And she's -"
"Okay, okay, I get the point. And since when do you say 'chick'?"
"Since I am extremely stressed and angry at my so-called friends who set me up with a ridiculous woman!"
James sighed. "Lighten up. Don't be a jerk to Millie, she's just an innocent standby."
"Of course I'm not going to be a jerk to her!" Remus hissed. "I am just making absolutely plain to all of you exactly how pissed off I am!"
"It is plain, Moony."
"Good."
They walked in silence until they got to the lobby. There was Lily, looking like a gorgeous specimen of femininity, smiling gently. And then there was Millie. Now, Millie wasn't an ugly creature, by any means, but she wasn't exactly pretty. She was wearing what Remus supposed was a perfectly acceptable outfit, but. . . Well, Millie was a girl who looked best in jeans and T-shirts. Millie looked somewhat ridiculous wearing a skirt and peasant top, and she looked like she felt ridiculous. Remus swallowed his pride, and went over to her, holding out his arm in a gentlemanlike manner. "Hello, Millie," Remus said in what he hoped was a kind and pleasant voice.
Apparently it was, because Millie smiled foolishly and said, "Hello there, Remus."
Evidently, Remus thought, her nervousness comes out in the form of a broad Southern accent. But he put away his uncharitable thought and smiled.
~
As Remus and Millie walked ahead of Lily and James toward Main Street, where the parade was going to pass through, they made rather awkward conversation and then walked in silence, trying desperately to ignore Lily's and-to Remus' amused disgust-James's lovesick giggles. Remus was a fairly observant person, and he was not oblivious to the way Millie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and tried to "accidentally" brush his hand as they walked. (Remus had soon stopped 'escorting' Millie around, as they got strange looks from people, which, although not unfamiliar, was certainly uncomfortable in this situation.) Remus, in a last-ditch attempt to start up a conversation, asked, "So. . . do you read much?"
"A little bit, not a whole lot. I'd rather watch TV. Reading strains my eyes."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, so who is TV?" Remus thought perhaps he was a Muggle singer or actor. He vaguely remembered something about TV being said in Muggle Studies.
Millie stared at him. Oh, crap, Remus realized. "Tee-vee," Millie sounded out slowly. "Television."
Remus thought wildly for something to cover his rear end. "Oh, oh yes, of course, in- in England we refer to it as, erm, the telly! So, erm, you know, I was slightly thrown off." Remus began to sweat a bit. Darned jumper. It was a bit hot.
~
By the time the parade started, Remus was absolutely on the point of being sweat-soaked. He was flushed, red, and hot, and somewhere along the way, Lily and James had disappeared, and he had an uncomfortable feeling he was being watched, and not just by Millie, who seemed to think he was nervous over her. He had an extremely unnerving feeling that he would occupy her, ah, more questionable fantasies for months to come after this damnable week. Remus inwardly cursed Sirius, Millie, James, Lily, the day he was born, Florida, jumpers, and the whole bloody United States of bloody America. He had hit rock bottom.
Millie leaned over practically on his lap, and said, staring adoringly into his eyes, "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Her face edged ever closer to his.
Now, he thought, rock bottom has just hit me.
~~~
End Chapter Ten!
Will Millie kiss Remus? What happened to James and Lily? Why does Remus feel he's being watched? Is he? What is Sirius Black up to? Review!
Oh, and by the way, the "Now, rock bottom has just hit me," was borrowed from "Draco, the Amazing, Bouncing. . . RAT?!" by Maya at fictionalley.org in the Schnoogle section. Read it. Laugh. Repeat.
~
Chapter Ten-The Actual Date
About twenty minutes later, James was dressed and was valiantly fighting his hair to make it lie flat. Remus was shaking his hair out, not unlike a dog, and pulling on his jeans. "I hate going on dates," Remus grumbled as he pulled on a jumper. "Why couldn't we just meet in a nice coffeehouse somewhere, and discuss books, literature, politics, and history? Why does it have to always be some sort of commercialized, evil thing where there is too much noise to discuss anything?"
"Well, generally because normal people are more interested in snogging their dates within an inch of their life than talking about books," James said, yanking a comb through his hair.
"Besides," Sirius said, eyeing Remus' attire, "don't you think a jumper might be a bit heavy for-"
"No. It's April. A bit nippy at night, isn't it?"
"In England, yes, but not in Florida," Peter piped up. "Didn't you feel the humidty today?"
"Don't be stupid. It will be cool," Remus said firmly, feeling that there had to be at least one aspect of his life that he, not his friends, could control.
"At least wear a T-shirt underneath so that when we are right, you will have the option of taking off the jumper."
"NO, DARN IT! I WILL HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF CONTROL OVER MY LIFE!" Remus shouted.
Sirius coughed, "Control freak!"
Remus glared. And Remus' glares are pretty life-threatening, you know.
"Anyway, it's almost six," James said, glancing at the clock. "Probably we should head on down."
"Very well," Remus said stiffly.
"Want some cologne, Moony?" Sirius offered angelically.
"Die."
"Okay. Sorry about the control-"
"SHUT UP!"
"Okay, then."
Remus and James left, closing the door loudly, but not quite slamming it, behind them.
"Well, Sirius, old buddy, looks like it's just me and you," Peter said cheerfully, throwing his arm around Sirius' shoulders.
"Okay, no," he replied, throwing Peter's arm off. "I say we give them fifteen minutes head start, and then we follow them."
"What?"
Sirius sighed deeply. "Okay, Peter, in fifteen minutes, we leave. Then-"
"No, I understand that, dummy, I just meant that Remus is nervous enough already, why bother him more?"
Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "Obviously, my teachings have not sunk in, my young apprentice. We must torture! Maim! Kill! Most of all. . . Bother!"
"Sometimes you really scare me, Padfoot."
"Good," Sirius said, rubbing his chin with his special All-Knowing Look. "Here's The Plan."
~
Meanwhile, as we backtrack a bit and follow Remus and James out the door, Remus was growling quietly, and tugging at his jumper.
"Moony, relax. She's just a girl. Nothing to worry about."
"I am not worried about some silly girl from Alabama!" Remus snapped. "And besides, I will never see her again, so why would I care about some chick that I will never see again? And she's -"
"Okay, okay, I get the point. And since when do you say 'chick'?"
"Since I am extremely stressed and angry at my so-called friends who set me up with a ridiculous woman!"
James sighed. "Lighten up. Don't be a jerk to Millie, she's just an innocent standby."
"Of course I'm not going to be a jerk to her!" Remus hissed. "I am just making absolutely plain to all of you exactly how pissed off I am!"
"It is plain, Moony."
"Good."
They walked in silence until they got to the lobby. There was Lily, looking like a gorgeous specimen of femininity, smiling gently. And then there was Millie. Now, Millie wasn't an ugly creature, by any means, but she wasn't exactly pretty. She was wearing what Remus supposed was a perfectly acceptable outfit, but. . . Well, Millie was a girl who looked best in jeans and T-shirts. Millie looked somewhat ridiculous wearing a skirt and peasant top, and she looked like she felt ridiculous. Remus swallowed his pride, and went over to her, holding out his arm in a gentlemanlike manner. "Hello, Millie," Remus said in what he hoped was a kind and pleasant voice.
Apparently it was, because Millie smiled foolishly and said, "Hello there, Remus."
Evidently, Remus thought, her nervousness comes out in the form of a broad Southern accent. But he put away his uncharitable thought and smiled.
~
As Remus and Millie walked ahead of Lily and James toward Main Street, where the parade was going to pass through, they made rather awkward conversation and then walked in silence, trying desperately to ignore Lily's and-to Remus' amused disgust-James's lovesick giggles. Remus was a fairly observant person, and he was not oblivious to the way Millie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and tried to "accidentally" brush his hand as they walked. (Remus had soon stopped 'escorting' Millie around, as they got strange looks from people, which, although not unfamiliar, was certainly uncomfortable in this situation.) Remus, in a last-ditch attempt to start up a conversation, asked, "So. . . do you read much?"
"A little bit, not a whole lot. I'd rather watch TV. Reading strains my eyes."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, so who is TV?" Remus thought perhaps he was a Muggle singer or actor. He vaguely remembered something about TV being said in Muggle Studies.
Millie stared at him. Oh, crap, Remus realized. "Tee-vee," Millie sounded out slowly. "Television."
Remus thought wildly for something to cover his rear end. "Oh, oh yes, of course, in- in England we refer to it as, erm, the telly! So, erm, you know, I was slightly thrown off." Remus began to sweat a bit. Darned jumper. It was a bit hot.
~
By the time the parade started, Remus was absolutely on the point of being sweat-soaked. He was flushed, red, and hot, and somewhere along the way, Lily and James had disappeared, and he had an uncomfortable feeling he was being watched, and not just by Millie, who seemed to think he was nervous over her. He had an extremely unnerving feeling that he would occupy her, ah, more questionable fantasies for months to come after this damnable week. Remus inwardly cursed Sirius, Millie, James, Lily, the day he was born, Florida, jumpers, and the whole bloody United States of bloody America. He had hit rock bottom.
Millie leaned over practically on his lap, and said, staring adoringly into his eyes, "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Her face edged ever closer to his.
Now, he thought, rock bottom has just hit me.
~~~
End Chapter Ten!
Will Millie kiss Remus? What happened to James and Lily? Why does Remus feel he's being watched? Is he? What is Sirius Black up to? Review!
Oh, and by the way, the "Now, rock bottom has just hit me," was borrowed from "Draco, the Amazing, Bouncing. . . RAT?!" by Maya at fictionalley.org in the Schnoogle section. Read it. Laugh. Repeat.