The next morning Eve was up early for her first run in about seventeen years. She cast a thankful look at Remus thinking about how handsome he was, his arm still protectively covering the spot where she had been she sighed and in an attempt not to wake him went over bent close enough to his face that she could actually feel him breathing and whispered softly more to herself than anything else,
"You've taken me back into the sun." and she left for an early morning jog through the town. About 30 minutes after Eve left Lupin woke up to find the other side of the bed empty he was really quiet anxious,
"No, it couldn't have been..." and just as he was opening the door Eve came through into the room. "Eve, Eve are you alright where have you been?"
"I've been out for my first run in about seventeen years, Tom wouldn't let me run...thought I'd run away, he was right. But not from you." Eve said as she looked at Remus's expression of shock and relief.
"Oh right..." He said with a sigh
"You didn't think I'd leave did you?" Eve asked looking Remus square in the eye.
"Not that you would leave." He paused
"That you'd be taken from me. Eve, sit down, it's time that I told you the way it was back when I was a different man. When I was a young boy I was bitten on the neck by a werewolf, this much you knew." Eve nodded her piercing blue eyes fixed on his stormy gray eyes giving him almost all of her attention. He continued speaking "At the age of eleven, I attended what is said to be the best school of witchcraft and wizardry of its day: and its day goes back over 1000 years. Well I made more friends than I ever imagined I would or even could; I thought my condition would hold me back. Instead I made friends..." He trailed off sighed looked down at the floor and continued "Friends that have slowly dwindled, whether they went to the other side, or were killed it still stands that I'm the only one left and up until now aside from Harry, I've felt alone but you gave me back a world I knew the story of my life began again with you." Lupin said as he stood up and walked over to the window leaving Eve sitting pondering until she stood up walked over to Lupin and said softly
"Now I have a secret to tell you. Turn around and look me in the eyes Remus and see if you don't remember me." Slowly Lupin turned around and there before him stood a woman two years his junior and finally he realized why he had felt so comfortable around her, "Genevieve? Genevieve Porter?" Eve stood before him in old school robes of scarlet and gold.
"I thought you had been killed in the explosion in front of the ministry three days before Lily and James were murdered." Lupin said rushing toward her picking up her hands from her side and holding them tightly.
"Well," She said softly "I almost did, but an Auror sent me to a top medical facility in the states which is where I stayed for about six months until the healer came into my room and told me that there was someone to take me home. When he came in I really didn't recognize him although, well I don't think I would have recognized many people. So I went along with it he told me that we had gone to the same school and that he was just a few years older than me although he wouldn't say how many exactly. He asked if I remembered his name and I remember shaking my head no and he said 'Eve, honey, you don't remember Tom, me Tom Reynolds and so to make him feel better I nodded and we left the hospital and moved to that little shack in the woods. Tom kept me under lock and key and then I started to remember but I still didn't remember Tom although he said I would someday....But I remember you Remus." Eve trailed off looking back at Lupin twisting at her finger for about a minute Lupin just stared at her gawking.
"Eve, I can't believe it, it's like you're back from the dead I had hoped and hoped for months when your body never turned up but I lost hope after a year. First you then Lily and James and then Peter"
"Oh Remus, Remus...Peter.... Peter's a---"
"Eve, we know it was Peter that betrayed Lily and James but there's something else you should know- Sirius is, dead." Remus said the final word quietly as though it would make the impact less harsh. Eve stepped back from Remus and sat down suddenly on the bed
"Dead?" She said "How did- he- die?" she asked as tears started to swell in her eyes.
"Look Eve, I know that you and Sirius were well, dating up until that day but he thought you died too." Lupin said walking to her "REMUS! Tell me please how he died." Eve said with tears rolling down her cheeks
"Well, it was Voldemort. Eve, It was Harry's fifth year. You remember Harry right, Lily and James's son?" Eve nodded. "Well Sirius was hit with a stunning charm by a death eater in the room with the black veil and he fell and he was gone."
"Did he feel pain?" Eve asked
"I think he felt more losing you." Lupin said as he sat down beside her and scooped her into his arms as she softly cried thinking to himself, 'I hate to feel this way but I don't think anyone can step in the way anymore, I set Sirius up with her, it was me she should have been dating in school I'm the one with all those sweet songs and duets she knew and I just taught them to Sirius and all the while he stood as a shining star while I helped him along but not this time. This time Eve will fall in love with me like it should have been in school.'
"Eve, honey, look at me." Lupin said as he took her chin in his hand and held it there. "I'm here now to protect you who ever that 'Tom' was because he certainly wasn't anyone you should be around ok?" Eve nodded
"You know Remus, I remember when Sirius and I had just met and the song we sang together Eve said,
"When I was a kid I'd play on this street I always loved illusion, I thought make believe was truer than life but now it's all confusion. Please can you tell me what's happening I just don't know anymore if this is real how should I feel what should I look for?" Eve sang and it sent Lupin down memory lane and before he could stop him self he started in with her.
"If you were smart you would keep on walking out of my life as fast as you can, I'm not the one you should pin your hopes on. You're falling for the wrong kind of man. This is crazy you know we should call it a day. Sound advice great advice lets throw it away. I can't control all the things I'm feeling I haven't got a prayer If I'm a fool well I'm too much in love to care. I knew where I was I'd given up hope made friends with this illusion no one in my life, but I look at you and now it's all confusion." Lupin sang and when he looked at Eve's amazement and look of a dawning truth.
"Remus?" She asked guardedly Biting his lip he answered her
"Yes?" a look of worry in his eyes
"Remus, I want the truth, did you teach Sirius those songs was it you telling him what to say to me?" Lupin stayed quiet for a moment trying to figure out whether lying to her would hurt her more than telling her the truth so he settled with a compromise.
"I taught him the songs, knowing which ones you sang and knowing which ones were duets and which ones weren't. What he said to you was all of his own thinking." He told her hoping that he just hadn't ruined any chance with her.
"You've taken me back into the sun." and she left for an early morning jog through the town. About 30 minutes after Eve left Lupin woke up to find the other side of the bed empty he was really quiet anxious,
"No, it couldn't have been..." and just as he was opening the door Eve came through into the room. "Eve, Eve are you alright where have you been?"
"I've been out for my first run in about seventeen years, Tom wouldn't let me run...thought I'd run away, he was right. But not from you." Eve said as she looked at Remus's expression of shock and relief.
"Oh right..." He said with a sigh
"You didn't think I'd leave did you?" Eve asked looking Remus square in the eye.
"Not that you would leave." He paused
"That you'd be taken from me. Eve, sit down, it's time that I told you the way it was back when I was a different man. When I was a young boy I was bitten on the neck by a werewolf, this much you knew." Eve nodded her piercing blue eyes fixed on his stormy gray eyes giving him almost all of her attention. He continued speaking "At the age of eleven, I attended what is said to be the best school of witchcraft and wizardry of its day: and its day goes back over 1000 years. Well I made more friends than I ever imagined I would or even could; I thought my condition would hold me back. Instead I made friends..." He trailed off sighed looked down at the floor and continued "Friends that have slowly dwindled, whether they went to the other side, or were killed it still stands that I'm the only one left and up until now aside from Harry, I've felt alone but you gave me back a world I knew the story of my life began again with you." Lupin said as he stood up and walked over to the window leaving Eve sitting pondering until she stood up walked over to Lupin and said softly
"Now I have a secret to tell you. Turn around and look me in the eyes Remus and see if you don't remember me." Slowly Lupin turned around and there before him stood a woman two years his junior and finally he realized why he had felt so comfortable around her, "Genevieve? Genevieve Porter?" Eve stood before him in old school robes of scarlet and gold.
"I thought you had been killed in the explosion in front of the ministry three days before Lily and James were murdered." Lupin said rushing toward her picking up her hands from her side and holding them tightly.
"Well," She said softly "I almost did, but an Auror sent me to a top medical facility in the states which is where I stayed for about six months until the healer came into my room and told me that there was someone to take me home. When he came in I really didn't recognize him although, well I don't think I would have recognized many people. So I went along with it he told me that we had gone to the same school and that he was just a few years older than me although he wouldn't say how many exactly. He asked if I remembered his name and I remember shaking my head no and he said 'Eve, honey, you don't remember Tom, me Tom Reynolds and so to make him feel better I nodded and we left the hospital and moved to that little shack in the woods. Tom kept me under lock and key and then I started to remember but I still didn't remember Tom although he said I would someday....But I remember you Remus." Eve trailed off looking back at Lupin twisting at her finger for about a minute Lupin just stared at her gawking.
"Eve, I can't believe it, it's like you're back from the dead I had hoped and hoped for months when your body never turned up but I lost hope after a year. First you then Lily and James and then Peter"
"Oh Remus, Remus...Peter.... Peter's a---"
"Eve, we know it was Peter that betrayed Lily and James but there's something else you should know- Sirius is, dead." Remus said the final word quietly as though it would make the impact less harsh. Eve stepped back from Remus and sat down suddenly on the bed
"Dead?" She said "How did- he- die?" she asked as tears started to swell in her eyes.
"Look Eve, I know that you and Sirius were well, dating up until that day but he thought you died too." Lupin said walking to her "REMUS! Tell me please how he died." Eve said with tears rolling down her cheeks
"Well, it was Voldemort. Eve, It was Harry's fifth year. You remember Harry right, Lily and James's son?" Eve nodded. "Well Sirius was hit with a stunning charm by a death eater in the room with the black veil and he fell and he was gone."
"Did he feel pain?" Eve asked
"I think he felt more losing you." Lupin said as he sat down beside her and scooped her into his arms as she softly cried thinking to himself, 'I hate to feel this way but I don't think anyone can step in the way anymore, I set Sirius up with her, it was me she should have been dating in school I'm the one with all those sweet songs and duets she knew and I just taught them to Sirius and all the while he stood as a shining star while I helped him along but not this time. This time Eve will fall in love with me like it should have been in school.'
"Eve, honey, look at me." Lupin said as he took her chin in his hand and held it there. "I'm here now to protect you who ever that 'Tom' was because he certainly wasn't anyone you should be around ok?" Eve nodded
"You know Remus, I remember when Sirius and I had just met and the song we sang together Eve said,
"When I was a kid I'd play on this street I always loved illusion, I thought make believe was truer than life but now it's all confusion. Please can you tell me what's happening I just don't know anymore if this is real how should I feel what should I look for?" Eve sang and it sent Lupin down memory lane and before he could stop him self he started in with her.
"If you were smart you would keep on walking out of my life as fast as you can, I'm not the one you should pin your hopes on. You're falling for the wrong kind of man. This is crazy you know we should call it a day. Sound advice great advice lets throw it away. I can't control all the things I'm feeling I haven't got a prayer If I'm a fool well I'm too much in love to care. I knew where I was I'd given up hope made friends with this illusion no one in my life, but I look at you and now it's all confusion." Lupin sang and when he looked at Eve's amazement and look of a dawning truth.
"Remus?" She asked guardedly Biting his lip he answered her
"Yes?" a look of worry in his eyes
"Remus, I want the truth, did you teach Sirius those songs was it you telling him what to say to me?" Lupin stayed quiet for a moment trying to figure out whether lying to her would hurt her more than telling her the truth so he settled with a compromise.
"I taught him the songs, knowing which ones you sang and knowing which ones were duets and which ones weren't. What he said to you was all of his own thinking." He told her hoping that he just hadn't ruined any chance with her.