A/N: I'm going away for three days, so the next chapter may take a bit longer. I'm sorry. But I will be back with a nice long chapter for you. I promise

Chapter 13: Requited Love

"My dearest Remus,"

Emily began composing the letter in her head. But could not seem to find her way past those three words.

"My dearest, darling, sweet, wonderful, perfect Remus" She muttered to herself as she grabbed one of his pillows and gave it a body hug as if it were the last thing she would ever hug again. A string of small giggles ( the fourth in the twenty minuets that she had been laying on his bed.) issued from her mouth, and she made no attempt to hold them back.

This was surely love. The butterflies in her stomach, the little letters, and the sweet smiles they sent to each other. Yes, it was love. And it would be love forever and ever until the world stopped spinning

Emily did, of course, realize vaguely that she could not simply stay in this dorm room forever. But that was a small issue, which did not matter in the slightest.

She now only had one issue that seemed worth tackling: did it have to be three children? She'd had her heart set on two. Oh, well. Along with chocolate she could simply add that to the list of things she would have to change his mind about before the marriage...

There was a knock on the door. Remus.

Another fit of pleasurable giggles threatened to envelope her. This time she had to hold them back. After all, he wasn't supposed to know that she knew about the letter.

Suddenly her feeling of euphoria was replaced by a strange sensation that she was being entangled in something way over her head.

(The hero's in novels usually told the lady's, more or less, that they loved them. They didn't hide it in "never to be read letters". Unless you counted Cyreno de byrzurac, but that was a completely different story.)

"Come in." She said attempting as best she could to hide the rebellious giggles that were still fighting their way out of her mouth.

"Hi Emily." He seemed a bit shyer today than normal. That was to be expected though.

"Evening Remus. So what is it today?" She asked in continuation of their now normal routine.

"Lamb chops. And lemon tart for dessert." He answered

"No chocolate?" She asked, not hiding the fact that she was a bit disappointed.

"Nope, sorry." He said wearing a hint of a smile. Her love of chocolate always seemed to amuse him for some reason.

She heaved a sigh and gratefully took the chocolate less plate he handed to her.

"I can't stay long tonight. We've got final exams tomorrow." He said taking his usual chair next to her bed.

"I understand." She said.

Though she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit disappointed. After all, she'd spent the last several minuets drawing up quaint, romantic scenarios, all taking place over this particular dinner break.

"Besides it's probably best I don't spend too much time up here." He said suddenly standing up from his chair.

"Why not?" Emily was taken a back. Half an hour ago he was madly in love with her. A person can't possibly have a change of heart in 30 minuets. (Then again she would never have thought that it was possible for a person to fall in love in two weeks at the age of 16 either.)

"Well, you know the others are starting to talk..." He made a very daring attempt to laugh this piece of information off, but failed.

"So? Who cares what they think?" Emily sat up on her bed and gave a defiant pout.

She had just found the love of her life, and damned if Sirius Black, or James Potter, or even Peter Petigrew for that matter, was going to mess it up for her.

"I do." He answered in the boldest tone she had ever heard him use with her. "They're the only friend's I've got."

Loyalty. Chivilrous trait. However, it wasn't doing him any good in this case, and she could tell.

"Remus, if they're half as loyal as you are, I highly doubt that they'd abandon you simply because of me."

Emily reasoned. She could tell by looking at him that he was more relaxed about the subject then he had been. She wondered, if this was a good time to, tactfully of course, bring up the romance issue. She'd give it a shot she decided.

"Besides, even if there was something going on...which there's not." She added, remembering once again that she "hadn't seen the letter".

" It wouldn't be any of their business. Would it?" She stood up and walked closer to the spot where Remus was standing.

He became rather visibly flustered as she did this, but made a very bold attempt to hide it.

" I guess it wouldn't" He answered straightening himself up and trying very hard not to look at the floor.

"No. It wouldn't." She said definitely, as she took a small step closer to him.

"Honestly, Remus. I know they're your mates and all, but you can't answer to them your entire life." She took a larger step closer.

Even she wasn't entirely sure of what she was planning to do.

In fact, this was beginning to remind her of that horrid Sirius Black episode two weeks ago. The one she was glad that Remus hadn't witnessed.

"Then who would I have to answer to?" He asked rather quietly as he swallowed.

Feeling rather rebellious, and with full knowledge that this went against most of the chivalrous principals which she so avidly preached,( A lady is never supposed to make the first move), she took one last step towards him.

"Well..." She was never able to finish that sentence. At that precise moment the door swung open.

"Hey Romeo, We're waiting."

Sirius Black. Impeccable timing as ever. (By her mother's standards he would never make it as an actor. Although he did have the looks...)

"Tell them I'll be there in a minuet Padfoot." Remus answered not taking his eyes off Emily.

"Oh I'm not sure I should trust you moony. I mean after our little...discussion today, who knows what you might do."

Remus looked threateningly at Sirius and shook his head slightly. He was obviously afraid that Sirius would let something slip about the letter he had written to her. (the one she didn't know about).

"Tell me," Emily said rounding on Sirius and sounding, to put it mildly, rather agitated.

"Has your mind always been buried so deeply in the gutter or is this a recent development?" Of course, she finished this off with another one of her flourishing death glares.

"Only since I met you love." Sirius answered with a cheeky grin.

Emily gave Sirius a shocked and rather venomous look as she sulkily turned away from him so that neither he nor Remus would see the slight blush in her cheeks.

"Sirius, please." Remus said rather firmly. (And with a hint of jelousy.)

"OK, OK." Sirius started to head to the door, before turning around and adding.

"But we're not waiting much longer. So whatever you're...er... planning to do, moony, bettered make it quick." With one last signature wink at Remus, Sirius left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Emily felt an urge to throw another one of her shoes at the door while Sirius was closing it. Instead she settled for a small frustrated "ugh".

"Has he always been that...cheeky?" She asked Remus, still in a quite vindictive mood.

"Really, he's not as bad as he seems." Remus said placently.

"Sure he sometimes acts like an idiot around girls, but once you get to know him..." He trailed off, realizing that once again Emily was mere inches from him. In almost the exact same spot she had been before the rather unfortunate interruption.

"Well. I'm still glad that you're not at all like him." She said quietly.

Once again, not entirely sure of what she was doing, she raised herself on her toes and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Good night Remus." She said, beginning to move back to her bed.

He simply stared at her for a moment. His hand was touching the place where she had kissed him as if not daring to believe what had happened.

"Right. Good Night Emily." He began to back out towards the door, though he did not take his eyes off her, or remove his hand from his cheek. She could not suppress a giggle as she watched him stumble on a drawer as he walked backwards into the door frame.

"I...uh...might not be up here before bed tonight. After all the meeting-"

He stopped suddenly looking furious with himself.

"I mean...er... studying could take a while." He corrected slowly.

A meeting was it? This was interesting. It meant that whatever it was that he was hiding from her, the others were in on it.

"So I'll... uh...see you in the morning." He said finally beginning to close the door behind him.

"See you in the morning Remus."

He smiled broadly at her before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

So, at this very moment her four protectorates were having a secret meeting. About what she wondered. It was barely a moment before she recognized, rightly, that wondering was getting her nowhere.

James had not bothered to come up and fetch his cloak after dinner. It was still lying on the end of his bed, where Emily had placed it safely before dinner.

So doing what any self-respecting, Nobel, young heroine would do. She slipped the cloak over her head, opened the door, and made her way down stairs,

Finally she caught up with Remus who was half way into the common room. It was mostly empty save for a few people studying at the tables or in the arm chairs by the fireside.

Remus walked past all of them and headed toward a small table in the far right corner where Peter, Sirius, and James were already seated.

"Finally." James whispered feircly as Remus sat down.

"What were you doing up there?" Peter asked eagerly.

"Do you even have to ask?" Sirius said with a grin as he nudged Remus in the ribs.

Emily blushed again, but was far too interested in why they were all meeting in a darkened corner to feel too embarrassed.

"Right." Remus said definitely, ignoring Sirius and James's smirks. "Are we ready?"

"Now we are." James said, the slightest ebb of impatience in his voice.

"The ..." James stopped confussed for a minuet.

"Sirius what number are we on?" He turned to Sirius.

"What?" Sirius said putting his feet up on the table. "You expect me to keep track?" James waved an impatient hand.

"Oh well, the number...something...monthly meeting of the maurader's has officially come to order."

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