Big News
Dedication: Dedicated to--Dark and prone to violence, Faerie Lover, Hi Im Crazy, tigerlily98, Frankie Beeblebrox, squidluvr4eva, From the Silent Planet, blackbow, Briana Marie, WalkingCensure, charlotte, feline go meow, and FlamezFlyer. Thanks for reviewing my last UPLARS! story.
I hope you enjoy. Oh, and in case anybody didn't know or wasn't sure, here's the definition for platonic. Or well, platonic love.
Webster says: "a close relationship between two persons in which sexual desire is nonexistent or has been suppressed or sublimated"
Basically it just means that Lily and Remus are friends and love each other as friends with no desire to date.
The common room was quiet. Well, over course it was quiet; James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew all had detention. Separate detentions (for which the teachers were most grateful). The Gryffindors enjoyed a peaceful evening. Even Gideon and Fabian Prewette and their friend Philip Fortescue were taking a break from mischief making. The three of them played a fairly quiet game of poker in one corner of the room. There was a group of students playing Exploding Snap by the fireplace, and another group studying in the corner. Dorcas Meadowes had her radio out and there were a few people gathered around her, listening to soft classical music. Lily Evans and Remus Lupin sat in chairs by the window, playing a game of Wizard Chess and staying unnoticed by the rest of the students.
Lily pulled a great move and won the game. Remus and Lily were both pretty brilliant at Chess, so you never knew how a match between them would end.
Remus smiled, "You win."
"It was about time. You won the last two matches. I can tell you've got something on your mind right now. What is it?"
"Could we go for a walk? I've got some news."
"News? Sure."
Remus stood up and stuck out his hand to help Lily. She let him help her up, then let go of his hand. After all, they were in public. No one really knew the depth of their relationship.
Remus left the common room and Lily followed a few minutes after, she had had to go get her cloak from upstairs.
He was waiting just outside the common room entrance when she got to him. She took his hand and they walked, arms swinging.
"So what's the big news, Re?" she asked when they were finally out of the castle. They walked over to the lake slowly. No moon shone, just brilliant stars. Remus lived for nights like this, the longest time before another transformation.
"You're my best friend, Lillers."
"I already know that. So what is your big news? You know you can tell your best friend anything."
Remus took a deep breath, "I finally asked her out."
"You finally asked Dorcas out?" Lily asked. "That is so great. I'm so happy for you!" She hugged him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, numbskull?" She grinned at him, still holding on.
"Well, I was with the others earlier. They wouldn't leave me alone. I had to wait for them to go off to detention before I could talk to you about. But I didn't tell them yet. I wanted to tell you first. I mean, you were the one that gave me the courage to ask her out in the first place. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to even talk to her."
"So my advice was more helpful than Black and Potter and Pettigrew's?"
"Much more helpful. Thanks, Lillers."
"You're welcome." She put her head on his shoulder as they walked. "That's the best news. When are you going to go out?"
"We arranged it for the next Hogsmeade weekend. That's this Saturday."
"My little Re is growing up," she teased. "His first date."
"Oh knock it off, Lillers. I'm not done needing your help yet."
"Then you'd better be nice to me."
"I don't know what to do on a date. I don't know what to say."
"Listen, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be every girl's dream date. You're pretty close already though, I'll have to admit."
"Huh?"
"You're smart, funny, sensitive, and cute. What more can a girl want?"
"I don't know."
"Besides, obviously Dor likes you enough to go out with you."
"Well…"
They sat down on a large, flattish rock by the water's edge. "Where and when are you meeting?"
"Noon at the Three Broomsticks."
"Good choice. Lots of people there so it won't be awkward. You've talked to her a few times this week like I told you to, right? A girl likes to feel like she knows you before you date."
"Yeah. We've known each other four years now, but we never talked all that much. But I did talk to her a few times this week before I asked her out today."
"Good, good. So, when you go out, just talk to her like you've been talking to her. Don't start with something stupid like the weather. Talk to her about something she likes. She likes painting and music. I think she likes Quiditch. Her favorite class is…I don't remember."
"Herbology," Remus said promptly.
"Oh, right!"
"Any other advice?"
"Like on date procedure?"
"Yeah."
"Just be yourself. Hold the door for her; pull out her chair, that sort of thing. You're always real gentlemanly with me. Be the same way with her."
"I love you, Lillers."
"I love you too, Re."
"Did I mention you're saving my life?"
"I don't think you can die of a bad date. I mean, Dor is usually nice, she probably wouldn't kill you."
Remus hugged Lily. "I still really appreciated this."
"I know. You'd do the same for me if I needed you to."
"You bet I would."
She grinned at him. "Now, when it comes to Dor, or any other girl, respect her space. Not like you do with me. We just hang all over each other. But if you're on a date, if you want to do something, get approval. Like, if you wanted to hold her hand for example. Put your hand on the rock and we'll pretend it's a table." She turned so she was sitting across from him instead of next to him. "Now, I'll be you and you be Dor. Just kind of edge your hand toward hers, then make eye contact. That way you can tell if it's okay with her to hold her hand. Basically the same sort of system works with anything else too. Putting your arm around her, kissing her, it's the same general idea."
"What about kissing her?"
"Huh?"
"I don't know how. I've never kissed anybody before, Lillers."
"You don't have to kiss her on a first date. She might not want you to even."
"But what if she does?"
"You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. That's the number one rule dating. Of course, lots of guys tend to disregard that rule. But they shouldn't and neither should you."
"But what if I want to kiss her and she wants to kiss me and I don't know how?" he explained.
"I don't know if kissing can really be explained," she said, chewing on her lip in thought. She always chewed on her lip when she was thinking, it was a wonder she hadn't worn a hole in it after all these years. "I could try to show you, I guess. If you don't mind."
"Do you mind?"
"You're my best friend. I'd do anything to help you."
He thought about it for a minute. It'd be kind of weird to kiss Lillers. Lily Evans was his best friend really. But did he want to look like an idiot in front of Dor? "Alright."
"Okay. So…"
"Yeah…"
"Just lean forward and try to find my mouth."
"Doesn't sound to hard."
They started to lean forward, about 3 inches away from her, he stopped.
"Have you had secret boyfriends you haven't told me about?" he asked suddenly.
"What?" she asked, shocked.
Remus pushed himself back to a normal sitting position. "You've been giving me all this advice, and now you're going to teach me how to kiss, and I don't remember you ever going on a single date in your life or mentioning anyone to me." He folded his arms. "Full explanation, Lillers."
Lily was shy toward Remus. She hadn't been shy toward him in ages. Not since second year at least. Maybe first year. Probably first year. "Well, I haven't had a boyfriend. But I know things from a girl's perspective and I can tell you that the way your friends handle dating isn't the right way to go about it. I know how most girl's wanted to be treated because it's the same way I would want to be treated. So I really was helping."
"And the kissing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've never kissed or been kissed. But you're my best friend. I don't know. I don't like the thought of you kissing somebody else first. We do everything important together. Remember first year? I fell in the lake and I couldn't swim, so the next summer, you and I took swimming lessons together and we both learned how. In second year, weren't you the one who found a way to clear up my acne? And in third year wasn't I the one who taught you to dance for your cousin's wedding? And wasn't I the one that got the other kids to stop teasing you when your voice started changing? And fourth year, when we both fell out of that tree and broke our arms when we were spying on Sirius and James? Heck, Re, I think my monthly friend comes the same time as yours."
Remus made a face. "That's gross, Lillers."
"Grow up. The point is, we've been through a lot together. Nobody else knows about most of it of course, but it's special to me. And to you, I hope."
"Of course it is, Lillers. I think you're right. I think that this is another milestone we've got to cross together."
"Yeah. Let's do it then."
"On three?"
"Yeah."
"1…"
"2…"
"3…"
Lily and Remus moved forward slowly, to make sure they didn't miss and end up lip-on-nose or something like that. They succeeded and their lips met. The kiss was fairly short, a few seconds long only. But it was short and sweet and obliterated the fears either of them had about a bad first kiss on a date with someone else.
Lily grinned at him. "Well, that's another milestone crossed," she said.
"Yeah. I don't think I have anything to worry about when I go out with Dorcas on Saturday…if she wants to kiss."
"You'll be fine on the date. Like I always said, you're a great guy and any girl would be lucky to go out with you."
"Thanks, Lillers. Come on. Let's go back inside. It's getting chilly."
"Here, you big baby. You want my cloak?"
"No, I'll live…I hope," Remus said dramatically.
Lily giggled. It was great to have a best friend.
Hand in hand, they walked back to the castle, grabbing a bunch of flowers from one of the bushes on the way in. The only person that saw them was the caretaker, Mrs. Norris.
"What are you kids still doing out this late at night?" she asked as they passed her on the third floor. She eyed them suspiciously, but she was generally a good person as long as you didn't cause trouble for her.
"We brought you some flowers," Remus told her, handing over the flowers.
"Where were you? The library is closed."
"We heard there was going to be some troubling activity in the vicinity tonight and thought that as Prefects, it was our job to put a stop to it if we found it. It turns out it was a false alarm," Lily said smoothly.
"Shouldn't have been any trouble tonight. Potter and Black were both in detention."
"Like I said, false alarm," Lily said sweetly.
"Alright, get a move on. Don't let anybody else catch you out this late." Mrs. Norris winked at them. "I imagine you picked these flowers for her, so I'll give you these back." Mrs. Norris stuck one flower behind her ear and handed the rest back to the Prefects.
"Thanks, Mrs. Norris," Remus said, putting an arm around Lily. Mrs. Norris always seemed to suspect that Remus and Lily had something going on. This wasn't the first time she'd caught them out late. It was easier to pretend than to try to explain the truth. Mrs. Norris understood that it was a "secret" and that she shouldn't tell anybody.
They gave a cheery wave and Lily and Remus headed back to Gryffindor Tower. The portrait of the Fat Lady was under the same impression as Mrs. Norris, but had agreed not to gossip about it with the other portraits. She knew they were good children.
Lily and Remus entered the empty common room just past midnight. Lily put the flowers down on top of the Chessboard and gave Remus a hug.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Re."
"Sweet dreams, Lillers."
They disappeared up separate staircases.
-FINIS-
What did you think? I know this one was a little odd. There will be more UPLARS! stories, but I'm not sure what yet. I hope you like this, please review. You know you want to. The button is so pretty.