Chapter three: The Wrong Time
"Emily?" She heard a faint whisper from her bedside as she blearily began to open her eyes
"hmm...?" She muttered turning her head to the source of the voice. She really had needed the sleep, though she couldn't exactly think why. It seemed she'd been doing nothing but sleep for the past 24 hours. Not exactly the excitement she'd been hoping to find when she ran away. Still, she couldn't complain.
"Sorry, it's just me." Remus Lupin was standing over her looking apologetic and slightly awkward
"Hello" Emily said smiling blearily. Due to the fact that she was still half asleep, she seemed to have completely forgotten about dramatic timing.
"How was dinner?" She asked
"Fine." He said quietly staring at the floor. "I brought you a couple of biscuits if-if your hungry." He rummaged in his pockets and produced two small biscuits which he set on her bedside table
"That was all I could manage to sneak out with out getting caught. I could get more later if you like." He added hastily, still not meeting her eyes.
"No, I'm fine. thanks." He really was very sweet. Suddenly Emily found herself inadvertently moving her gaze downward also.
There was a rather awkward pause. Emily considered saying something several times before reminding herself that in cases such as these the gentleman is always supposed to speak first. So, it was only fitting that she kept silent.
Besides, the colour rising in her cheeks seemed to have rendered her void of articulate speech.
She had never been completely alone with a boy her age before. And judging by his mannerisms, the situation was new to Remus as well.
"How's your leg?" he asked finally.
"A little better. Still hurts but not as much."
As she spoke Remus moved his gaze from the floor to the end of her bed, where a pillow had haphazardly propped up her broken leg.
"Hmm..." He muttered indistinctly. He walked over to the edge of the bed and began examining the bottom half of her leg. Hesitantly he reached out and touched a bruised spot where her stocking had torn, she gave a small grimace of pain
"Sorry." He said removing his hand quickly.
"It's all right." She assured him. Even though it had hurt when he touched her she realised that somehow she didn't mind at all.
"We really should do something about this leg." He said after another slight pause.
"Well, since apparently the 'Circumstances' won't allow me to be taken to the hospital wing, what else is there to do?" This time putting the dignified sound that she had used earlier back into her voice.
Remus looked thoughtfully at her leg and then quizzically back up at her.
"Well... There is something we could... that is, there is something I could do. But..." He looked very apprehensive, though she couldn't think why. Anything would be better than leaving her leg like this for days on end.
"But what? If you can do something to help please, just do it." She gave another grimace as he put his hand to her leg again.
"All right." He said hesitantly. "But you have to promise not to be too alarmed. This will come as quite a shock." Emily was becoming very excited now. Anything that could cause shock after the monotony of being a politician's neice would be gladly welcomed.
"I won't be alarmed, I promise."
Remus took a deep breath and slowly reached his other hand into his pocket. She began to lean forward to see what he was pulling out when the door creaked open.
He jumped and took his hand out of his trouser pocket. She heard the laughter of the other three boys coming into the room.
She silently cursed them. Now she would have to live with her leg aching like this for who knew how long. If they had only come up maybe two minuets later...
James, Peter, and Sirius turned the corner and stopped dead as they stared at the sight before them.
It was only then that Emily realised precisely what they were staring at. While Remus had removed one hand from his pocket, his other hand, for some reason, remained resolutely on the bare portion of her leg.
Remus seemed to have noticed this to. After barely a moments hesitation he removed his hand and stepped approximately two feet away from her bed. (A shame, Emily thought, she was getting quite used to his hand being there).
This action however did nothing to stop a devilish grin from spreading across each of their faces as the three new comers stared between Emily and Remus.
"Nothing...er... fresh huh?" James asked pointedly, his grin widening.
"Well, that didn't last long." The other two sniggered behind him.
Remus and Emily simultaneous rushed into a flurry of explainations.
"...It's really not what it looks like-"
"You've got it wrong. I would never..."
"It was just my broken leg he was checking..."
"...Making sure it was all right. That's all."
The fact that they were both staring at the floor and turning various shades of red as they said this did not seem to be helping their situation.
"No need to explain Moony." Sirius said still wearing his devilish, yet oddly attractive grin. (If only he weren't such an arrogant bastard, Emily thought to herself).
Remus's cheeks turned from beet red to a shade of scarlet that roughly matched the colour of the drapes around the beds
"I'm sure it was all her idea." Sirius moved toward his bed, clamping his friend on the shoulder as he went. James Followed suit.
"Really!" Emily nearly shrieked. "As if your lack of manners were not enough, but now you have to turn every situation into some steamy sexual encounter." Remus turned his head away, and stared almost guiltily down at the floor.
He wasn't helping the situation Emily thought.
"Just because you see such disgusting potential in every tiny meeting doesn't mean every member of your sex shares this view point. And I for one will not stand for..."
"All right, all right. I get the point!" Sirius yawned as he began to pull the drapes over his bed hanging. Emily doubted weather he'd heard a word of what she had said.
"No. I don't think you do..." She began again.
She was going to drill chivalry into his stupid head or she was going to die trying.
"Emily, let it go" Remus whispered to her.
She glared once more in Sirius's direction but pursed her lips and kept silent. He probably wouldn't listen to her anyway, even if she railed at him all night.
With a sigh she sunk herself back onto her pillows. Remus awkwardly pulled the covers over her, taking care not to touch her broken leg ( a pitty, she thought again). The other three were soon changing behind the drapes of their beds.
At least they had some decency she thought.
"I'm going to bed." Remus announced to the general room.
"Good night Emily." He almost whispered to her, still avoiding eye contact as best he could.
"Good night Remus." She smiled at him.
With a nod he slowly made his way to the door.
"Still sleeping on the couch then Moony?" Sirius asked poking his head through the drapes.
Remus began to blush all over again but didn't say anything as he closed the door behind him.
Once he was gone Emily fixed Sirius with a deadly glare.
"Sorry," He said, not looking in the least bit apologetic. In fact he was grinning again.
"Couldn't resist."
"Emily?" She heard a faint whisper from her bedside as she blearily began to open her eyes
"hmm...?" She muttered turning her head to the source of the voice. She really had needed the sleep, though she couldn't exactly think why. It seemed she'd been doing nothing but sleep for the past 24 hours. Not exactly the excitement she'd been hoping to find when she ran away. Still, she couldn't complain.
"Sorry, it's just me." Remus Lupin was standing over her looking apologetic and slightly awkward
"Hello" Emily said smiling blearily. Due to the fact that she was still half asleep, she seemed to have completely forgotten about dramatic timing.
"How was dinner?" She asked
"Fine." He said quietly staring at the floor. "I brought you a couple of biscuits if-if your hungry." He rummaged in his pockets and produced two small biscuits which he set on her bedside table
"That was all I could manage to sneak out with out getting caught. I could get more later if you like." He added hastily, still not meeting her eyes.
"No, I'm fine. thanks." He really was very sweet. Suddenly Emily found herself inadvertently moving her gaze downward also.
There was a rather awkward pause. Emily considered saying something several times before reminding herself that in cases such as these the gentleman is always supposed to speak first. So, it was only fitting that she kept silent.
Besides, the colour rising in her cheeks seemed to have rendered her void of articulate speech.
She had never been completely alone with a boy her age before. And judging by his mannerisms, the situation was new to Remus as well.
"How's your leg?" he asked finally.
"A little better. Still hurts but not as much."
As she spoke Remus moved his gaze from the floor to the end of her bed, where a pillow had haphazardly propped up her broken leg.
"Hmm..." He muttered indistinctly. He walked over to the edge of the bed and began examining the bottom half of her leg. Hesitantly he reached out and touched a bruised spot where her stocking had torn, she gave a small grimace of pain
"Sorry." He said removing his hand quickly.
"It's all right." She assured him. Even though it had hurt when he touched her she realised that somehow she didn't mind at all.
"We really should do something about this leg." He said after another slight pause.
"Well, since apparently the 'Circumstances' won't allow me to be taken to the hospital wing, what else is there to do?" This time putting the dignified sound that she had used earlier back into her voice.
Remus looked thoughtfully at her leg and then quizzically back up at her.
"Well... There is something we could... that is, there is something I could do. But..." He looked very apprehensive, though she couldn't think why. Anything would be better than leaving her leg like this for days on end.
"But what? If you can do something to help please, just do it." She gave another grimace as he put his hand to her leg again.
"All right." He said hesitantly. "But you have to promise not to be too alarmed. This will come as quite a shock." Emily was becoming very excited now. Anything that could cause shock after the monotony of being a politician's neice would be gladly welcomed.
"I won't be alarmed, I promise."
Remus took a deep breath and slowly reached his other hand into his pocket. She began to lean forward to see what he was pulling out when the door creaked open.
He jumped and took his hand out of his trouser pocket. She heard the laughter of the other three boys coming into the room.
She silently cursed them. Now she would have to live with her leg aching like this for who knew how long. If they had only come up maybe two minuets later...
James, Peter, and Sirius turned the corner and stopped dead as they stared at the sight before them.
It was only then that Emily realised precisely what they were staring at. While Remus had removed one hand from his pocket, his other hand, for some reason, remained resolutely on the bare portion of her leg.
Remus seemed to have noticed this to. After barely a moments hesitation he removed his hand and stepped approximately two feet away from her bed. (A shame, Emily thought, she was getting quite used to his hand being there).
This action however did nothing to stop a devilish grin from spreading across each of their faces as the three new comers stared between Emily and Remus.
"Nothing...er... fresh huh?" James asked pointedly, his grin widening.
"Well, that didn't last long." The other two sniggered behind him.
Remus and Emily simultaneous rushed into a flurry of explainations.
"...It's really not what it looks like-"
"You've got it wrong. I would never..."
"It was just my broken leg he was checking..."
"...Making sure it was all right. That's all."
The fact that they were both staring at the floor and turning various shades of red as they said this did not seem to be helping their situation.
"No need to explain Moony." Sirius said still wearing his devilish, yet oddly attractive grin. (If only he weren't such an arrogant bastard, Emily thought to herself).
Remus's cheeks turned from beet red to a shade of scarlet that roughly matched the colour of the drapes around the beds
"I'm sure it was all her idea." Sirius moved toward his bed, clamping his friend on the shoulder as he went. James Followed suit.
"Really!" Emily nearly shrieked. "As if your lack of manners were not enough, but now you have to turn every situation into some steamy sexual encounter." Remus turned his head away, and stared almost guiltily down at the floor.
He wasn't helping the situation Emily thought.
"Just because you see such disgusting potential in every tiny meeting doesn't mean every member of your sex shares this view point. And I for one will not stand for..."
"All right, all right. I get the point!" Sirius yawned as he began to pull the drapes over his bed hanging. Emily doubted weather he'd heard a word of what she had said.
"No. I don't think you do..." She began again.
She was going to drill chivalry into his stupid head or she was going to die trying.
"Emily, let it go" Remus whispered to her.
She glared once more in Sirius's direction but pursed her lips and kept silent. He probably wouldn't listen to her anyway, even if she railed at him all night.
With a sigh she sunk herself back onto her pillows. Remus awkwardly pulled the covers over her, taking care not to touch her broken leg ( a pitty, she thought again). The other three were soon changing behind the drapes of their beds.
At least they had some decency she thought.
"I'm going to bed." Remus announced to the general room.
"Good night Emily." He almost whispered to her, still avoiding eye contact as best he could.
"Good night Remus." She smiled at him.
With a nod he slowly made his way to the door.
"Still sleeping on the couch then Moony?" Sirius asked poking his head through the drapes.
Remus began to blush all over again but didn't say anything as he closed the door behind him.
Once he was gone Emily fixed Sirius with a deadly glare.
"Sorry," He said, not looking in the least bit apologetic. In fact he was grinning again.
"Couldn't resist."