This Love

Rating: pg-13

Chapter Three – Talking

Remus's POV

Remus Lupin was nervous and confused. Why did the very pretty blonde girl, who seemed a lot younger than him, want to meet him, of all people, for a drink? After all, he was a werewolf, he was poor, and he was thirty one years old, he wasn't a catch at all. Don't be so arrogant, he told himself, she probably just wants to be charitable to me so she can feel like a good person.

Whatever the reason, the pretty French girl was making him nervous. He walked into the Leaky Cauldron after an hour of ignoring anyone at the Counselling, his thoughts full of Ally Summers. He watched her from the entrance, knowing that he could back out now, that he didn't have to meet her at all.

What would James say, he asked himself, if a pretty girl asked you out for a drink and you refused? He immediately regretted thinking that, because it brought back memories of better times and depressed him. Before he realised what he was doing, he walked up to her where she was sitting at the bar with her back to him, and he coughed to get her attention.

She turned around and her face lit up. "Remus!" she exclaimed, smiling. She jumped off the stool and took his hand and dragged him over to an alcove. Remus immediately felt guilty for even thinking about standing her up. Tom came up to them, winked discreetly at Ally, and they ordered their drinks. "So..." said Ally, "You are my only English friend," she told him. "And my hero, for saving me from the wrath of Janie," she teased. Remus laughed.

"She is very protective of what she likes to call 'her pack' of werewolves," he told her. Ally frowned, looking confused.

"What did she think I was doing?" she asked, worried. Remus smiled, thinking she was very naïve.

"We have had people come in and rant about how werewolves should be executed. I think that's what she thought you were going to do," he explained, feeling a bit bitter. She looked shocked; her dark brown eyes were wide.

"I am really sorry," she told him, and he believed her. "She just surprised me a bit," she explained further. Remus noticed that she had a dimple in her left cheek when she smiled.

"It's ok," he told her. He moved the conversation away from his condition and related topics, and asked her what she wanted to do in England. For hours they discussed famous places, famous English people and books, until Remus asked where she was going to stay.

"Uhhh, I am looking for a flat, but I don't want one in London, because it is too noisy, you know?" Remus nodded, taking a sip of wine. "But I can't afford to buy, even a cottage or something, or even a flat, so I'll have to rent a room, I guess," she said. Remus had a sudden inspiration.

"I live in a cottage in Derbyshire, and I'm looking for a lodger," he told her, feeling excited. She looked at him with delight and grinned.

"Really? Are you sure? But..." her face fell. Remus felt his heart sinking; of course she wouldn't want to live with a werewolf.

"It's ok, I'm a werewolf, I get it," he assured her, feeling the horrible disappointment wash over him. Ally frowned.

"Don't be stupid. I only meant you don't really know me and I could be insane, or have a fetish with cauliflowers or something," she said, hating the horrible closed feeling on his face. Remus raised his face again, he's been staring at the table, and smiled again.

"Well, I would have to ask some proper interview questions," he said, feeling much better. "Such as...what's your full name?" he asked.

"Alexia Anna Summers," she told him, smiling. He raised his eyebrows playfully. "Make one comment about my name, Remus Lupin," she dared.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Ok, question two, what do you work as?" he asked, being curious.

"As a translator. I mean, I could get a better job, if I tried, because translating isn't exactly hard and pays crap, but, um," she was getting flustered and going pink now, which contrasted amazingly with her white blonde hair and Remus thought was endearing, especially as she felt bad because she thought she was offending him, "But, um, it gives me time, to uh, do other things," she finished lamely. Remus laughed, amused at her. She smiled sheepishly.

"And, the most important question of all..." he asked. Ally looked at him, expectantly, "Do you have a fetish with cauliflowers?" Ally snorted. "I take that as a no, then?" She nodded and grinned. "Then, you, Miss Summers, have a place to stay," She lifted her glass and clinked it with Remus's.

"Thank you, Mr Lupin," she said.

One Day Later, Remus' cottage.

Remus's little cottage was little, but it had a cosy, homely feel, and was stocked to the brim with books. From the outside, it was just another Muggle whitewash cottage, although it had a thatch roof, with a chimney and a slightly overgrown garden. The garden was quite big, and the garden was surrounded by fields, so it looked even bigger. Walking inside, the sitting room and the small coffee table were on the right, and a slightly worn kitchen was on the left, separated by a stair case that lead up to the tow bedrooms and the bathroom.

"I'm in love with your cottage," declared Ally, after she had stepped out the fireplace and looked around. Remus looked at her, wondering if she was just being polite.

"It's not much," he said, looking around it, with a critical eye, adding silently, but its home. Ally, who had had her back to him, looked at him incredulously.

"Are you kidding? It's gorgeous, and it reminds me of my parent's house, except it's tidier," she said, looking about dreamily. Remus inwardly sighed with relief; he had thought that she would not find it up to her standards. Normally, he would never have offered someone he didn't know a room in his house, but Ally was so open and friendly and naïve and he had been a bit of an outcast for a while now, and he needed a lodger because getting paid work was getting harder. He hadn't even thought twice before offering her. She'll probably hardly ever be here, Remus, she's young, she'll make friends and be out with them all the time, he told himself.

"I'll show you to your room," he said, picking up her suitcase and walking up the stairs with it. He showed her the bathroom and her bedroom and let her get settled in.

One Hour Later Outside on the Grass

Remus and Ally were lying on their backs in the garden, looking at clouds. Ally had her arms behind her head, as had Remus, and her feet were bare.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked, feeling curious.

"I've got an older brother, called Simon, he's a writer, quite famous but he uses a pseudo name. He's married and I've got two adorable nieces," he told her, smiling.

"I've got too many brothers," she told him.

"Too many, how can you have too many?," he asked, sceptically. Ally rolled over onto her side so she could look at Remus, screwing up her eyes as the sun blinded her.

"Trust me, you can have too many. I've got two stepbrothers, one of them is my best friend the other is the crush I had at school. I've got a half brother on my dad's side, he's eleven I think, and I've got the triplets, who are my half brothers and are three and totally mad. So all in all I have six brothers," she explained.

"Are your parents separated?" Remus asked tentatively, wondering if it was a sensitive subject, but feeling very curious.

"They were never married," she said.

Illegitimate children were a big taboo in the wizarding world, because the purebloods felt it messed up the bloodlines, and the wizarding world was several decades behind the Muggle world when it came to social classes and such. "Does that bother you?" she asked, sounding if it didn't bother her at all.

"No, it doesn't matter what you are, just who you are and the choices you make," Remus said, remembering a young man from his past saying that passionately a long time ago.

"That's philosophical," remarked Ally.

"A friend of mine said that to me once," said Remus, remembering fondly.

"Smart friend. Hey, that cloud looks like a lion, don't you think?" Remus smiled, and followed her finger to where she was pointing, thinking that it would be interesting with Ally around.

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