Disclaimer: Won't say it again
Chapter 12: I Breathe You
Remus and Phoebe were looking a little better, Lily noted as the four of them ended their second double date at another fabulous new café. Phoebe had recommended it. It was really cute and unique----certainly not a place they had expected a young heiress to love. Remus was no longer snapping at Phoebe, and on occasion even acted nice to her. Sirius himself was looking very pleased with what was happening. Lily caught his eye, and they could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. Sirius abruptly pushed his chair back. "Lily, are you about done?" Lily shrugged. "Yeah." He reached for her hand. "Come on. I fancy a walk on the beach." Lily smiled. "Sure." They glanced briefly at Remus, but he just stared broodingly into his butterbeer and did not protest. Lily noticed that Phoebe was also looking hopefully at him. Sirius cleared his throat. "All right, then. Have fun, you two." Lily followed him outside the restaurant. "So, what are we going to do?" she asked. Sirius smiled. "Walk on the beach." Lily stared at him. "Where are we going to find one?" "Just trust me," was his calm reply. Sirius started walking, and Lily had no choice but to follow him.
They ended up at a deserted beach ten minutes later. Lily looked around in wonder. "Whoa," was all she could see. The place was very peaceful and beautiful. The moonlight shone on the cool sea, reflecting silvery light. "It's like paradise," Lily mused. "How on earth did you find this place?" Sirius sat down on the sand. "I found this place when I was young. It was my hideout, my escape from my family." Lily sat down beside him, her red hair tossing in the wind. She knew Sirius loathed his family. It was the reason why he had moved out on his own during their seventh year. But he had never really discussed why. Was he finally going to tell? "Ever since I was born, my mother was always controlling me," Sirius began. "She was always telling me what to do. She was always training me to become a proper, high-society pureblood, and always ranting about the "cause" I should support." Lily understood. The anti-Muggleborns campaign. "I felt so trapped. My brother Regulus lapped it all up, but I just couldn't. I did not understand this kind of hatred. So I was often beaten, and yelled at by my family." Lily gasped. No wonder Sirius hated his family. To have to experience such a horrible home life. "I'd always been a free spirit. I hated being confined in such a way. So one day, when I was ten, I just fled. I didn't know where I was going. I just kept running until I ended up here." A light rain was falling now and soaking Sirius, but he did not look like he wanted to stop. "I was found eventually and dragged back home. On the way back, I memorized the road to here. While I was forbidden to go out, just the thought of this place gave me security, enabling me to hold on. The following year, I went to Hogwarts and met Prongs and Moony. Having them as my best friends enraged my mother even more, but I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was myself. I still came here all the time though, during nighttime. Sometimes, James and Remus would come along." Sirius looked up at the night sky, not minding the rain. "When I started growing up, one of my dreams was to be able to take the woman I loved here." He turned to look at her. "And I just did." Lily had never felt so touched. Tears pooled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. Staring at her and breaking down himself, Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around her, as if afraid she would leave him. Lily was openly crying on his shoulder. They stayed like that as the rain continued falling around them.
Remus stormed out of the restaurant a while after Sirius and Lily left. Phoebe felt confused and bewildered as she grabbed her purse and rushed out as well. "Remus! Wait!" she called. Remus continued walking, giving no indication that he had heard her at all. Phoebe ran even harder and grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to turn to her. "Why are you doing this?" she choked out. "Why are you avoiding me?" Remus put on a confused face. "Avoiding you? I think not?" He turned to walk again, but Phoebe hung on. "Eyes don't lie, Remus. I know what I feel for you. And I know that you are trying to make me hate you, trying to dissuade my affections. But can you tell me that you have never liked me?" Remus stopped short. She had clearly struck a nerve. "Do you even know who I am?" Remus finally replied. "What makes you think that you can read me so well?" "I know exactly who you are, Remus Lupin," Phoebe said. "You're proud and arrogant, so proud that you can't even acknowledge your own feelings. You're afraid of falling in love because it would mean admitting that your defenses were defeated. Have I got it right?" Remus was speechless. "You accused me of being a puppet. I have worked my hardest to break that stereotype. I have made myself so tired just trying to prove to you that I am not like those other girls you hate. All I want is for you to like me!" She was crying now. Remus looked like he wanted to break down as well, but he didn't. "Exactly what do I have to do to make you like me?" she asked. She suddenly raised her wand and summoned her violin. Picking up the case, she hesitated for a moment before throwing it out on the street, right in the path of an oncoming car. Remus barely paused before he leapt out to the middle of the street and grabbed the violin case, rolling out of the way a split second before the car would've made contact with his body. "Have you gone crazy?" he shouted as he dropped the case on the sidewalk. "What the hell are you trying to prove?" "I don't need it anymore," she yelled back. "It's not important anymore!" Remus grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her towards him. Then, as if he could no longer hold back, he bent down and kissed her.
Chapter 12: I Breathe You
Remus and Phoebe were looking a little better, Lily noted as the four of them ended their second double date at another fabulous new café. Phoebe had recommended it. It was really cute and unique----certainly not a place they had expected a young heiress to love. Remus was no longer snapping at Phoebe, and on occasion even acted nice to her. Sirius himself was looking very pleased with what was happening. Lily caught his eye, and they could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. Sirius abruptly pushed his chair back. "Lily, are you about done?" Lily shrugged. "Yeah." He reached for her hand. "Come on. I fancy a walk on the beach." Lily smiled. "Sure." They glanced briefly at Remus, but he just stared broodingly into his butterbeer and did not protest. Lily noticed that Phoebe was also looking hopefully at him. Sirius cleared his throat. "All right, then. Have fun, you two." Lily followed him outside the restaurant. "So, what are we going to do?" she asked. Sirius smiled. "Walk on the beach." Lily stared at him. "Where are we going to find one?" "Just trust me," was his calm reply. Sirius started walking, and Lily had no choice but to follow him.
They ended up at a deserted beach ten minutes later. Lily looked around in wonder. "Whoa," was all she could see. The place was very peaceful and beautiful. The moonlight shone on the cool sea, reflecting silvery light. "It's like paradise," Lily mused. "How on earth did you find this place?" Sirius sat down on the sand. "I found this place when I was young. It was my hideout, my escape from my family." Lily sat down beside him, her red hair tossing in the wind. She knew Sirius loathed his family. It was the reason why he had moved out on his own during their seventh year. But he had never really discussed why. Was he finally going to tell? "Ever since I was born, my mother was always controlling me," Sirius began. "She was always telling me what to do. She was always training me to become a proper, high-society pureblood, and always ranting about the "cause" I should support." Lily understood. The anti-Muggleborns campaign. "I felt so trapped. My brother Regulus lapped it all up, but I just couldn't. I did not understand this kind of hatred. So I was often beaten, and yelled at by my family." Lily gasped. No wonder Sirius hated his family. To have to experience such a horrible home life. "I'd always been a free spirit. I hated being confined in such a way. So one day, when I was ten, I just fled. I didn't know where I was going. I just kept running until I ended up here." A light rain was falling now and soaking Sirius, but he did not look like he wanted to stop. "I was found eventually and dragged back home. On the way back, I memorized the road to here. While I was forbidden to go out, just the thought of this place gave me security, enabling me to hold on. The following year, I went to Hogwarts and met Prongs and Moony. Having them as my best friends enraged my mother even more, but I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was myself. I still came here all the time though, during nighttime. Sometimes, James and Remus would come along." Sirius looked up at the night sky, not minding the rain. "When I started growing up, one of my dreams was to be able to take the woman I loved here." He turned to look at her. "And I just did." Lily had never felt so touched. Tears pooled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. Staring at her and breaking down himself, Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around her, as if afraid she would leave him. Lily was openly crying on his shoulder. They stayed like that as the rain continued falling around them.
Remus stormed out of the restaurant a while after Sirius and Lily left. Phoebe felt confused and bewildered as she grabbed her purse and rushed out as well. "Remus! Wait!" she called. Remus continued walking, giving no indication that he had heard her at all. Phoebe ran even harder and grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to turn to her. "Why are you doing this?" she choked out. "Why are you avoiding me?" Remus put on a confused face. "Avoiding you? I think not?" He turned to walk again, but Phoebe hung on. "Eyes don't lie, Remus. I know what I feel for you. And I know that you are trying to make me hate you, trying to dissuade my affections. But can you tell me that you have never liked me?" Remus stopped short. She had clearly struck a nerve. "Do you even know who I am?" Remus finally replied. "What makes you think that you can read me so well?" "I know exactly who you are, Remus Lupin," Phoebe said. "You're proud and arrogant, so proud that you can't even acknowledge your own feelings. You're afraid of falling in love because it would mean admitting that your defenses were defeated. Have I got it right?" Remus was speechless. "You accused me of being a puppet. I have worked my hardest to break that stereotype. I have made myself so tired just trying to prove to you that I am not like those other girls you hate. All I want is for you to like me!" She was crying now. Remus looked like he wanted to break down as well, but he didn't. "Exactly what do I have to do to make you like me?" she asked. She suddenly raised her wand and summoned her violin. Picking up the case, she hesitated for a moment before throwing it out on the street, right in the path of an oncoming car. Remus barely paused before he leapt out to the middle of the street and grabbed the violin case, rolling out of the way a split second before the car would've made contact with his body. "Have you gone crazy?" he shouted as he dropped the case on the sidewalk. "What the hell are you trying to prove?" "I don't need it anymore," she yelled back. "It's not important anymore!" Remus grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her towards him. Then, as if he could no longer hold back, he bent down and kissed her.