Chapter 8
Contrary to what James had told her, upon reaching the common room, Darwin found that Remus hadn't been "sweating bullets" and was instead, quite calmly put together. He sat on a sofa located in a corner of the room and he was playing a game of chess with Peter. He looked as though he was winning. James was there too, giving not-so-helpful advice, like telling Peter to have all his pieces attack at once so as to annihilate Remus' forces. Sirius was leaning against a nearby wall, removed from the situation.
"James!" Peter whined. "I'm trying to concentrate."
"Like I said before, I'm helping."
"No you aren't."
"Are."
"Aren't."
Darwin walked over, almost self-consciously. There was something about the four of them when they were together, something that just removed them from their surroundings and made approaching or joining them difficult. As soon as she reached them, Remus looked up from the chess board while Peter continued to consider his next move.
"Sorry I took so long. I ran into some technical difficulties." She apologized. She still felt a little confused and flustered from what had happened with Sirius and just thinking about it made her feel uneasy.
"Don't worry about it. These two are always entertaining." Remus gave her a warm smile and she immediately forgot about Sirius.
"My mum says I'm obnoxious." This was from James, who looked rather proud.
"Should we go?" Remus asked. Even though he seemed to enjoy the company of his friends, it was obvious that there was something amiss between him and Sirius which was making him feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, please." Darwin replied, relieved.
James stood and slapped Remus on the back.
"Go away a boy, come back a man." He intoned.
"Sod off." Remus called as he looped his arm around Darwin's and they began walking away.
They left the common room to James' catcalls, interchanged with rather inappropriate comments, and were soon making their way down the staircases, which were being rather playful, at times moving half-way to a new spot, then changing their minds, and coming back. This was hardly perplexing as there was no rush to get somewhere.
"So, will you tell me where we're going yet?" Darwin asked hopefully.
"I should think not. We're almost there and it'll ruin the surprise." Remus told her. "You look great, by the way."
"Thanks." She replied quietly. She momentarily thought about adding in the fact that Sirius had helped her get ready, but decided that would just make things a little awkward.
They continued to walk through the castle, which was slowly unwinding from the day. Some of the figures in the portraits were already sleeping, some of the lights in a few of the hallways had been extinguished, and instead of the constant babble of voices that one would hear during the day, there was only the occasional murmur and the sound of doors softly opening and closing far off.
Remus and Darwin talked about a variety of things, the conversation flowing easily from topic to topic. Darwin found that she felt as though she could literally tell Remus anything. He seemed so nonjudgmental and open that any guard that she might've had in place soon disappeared. He was just one of the girls, in a very non-homosexual, attractive way.
They made their way down to the entrance of the castle and just before they walked outside, Remus quickly darted his eyes to Darwin, the shyness evident all over his face, and then took her hand in his. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze and smiled up at him.
"You're quite new to this, aren't you?" She asked bluntly.
"Is it that obvious?" He asked.
"Well, at first, considering the reputation you have with the female population, I would say no. But throughout this whole episode of courting, if you could call it that, it's become quite apparent." Darwin told him in a way she hoped didn't make him feel demeaned.
"Well, it's the truth, to be honest. I've never actually had a girlfriend." He didn't really seem ashamed or embarrassed as he said this, he was just simply stating a fact.
Oddly enough, it didn't come as a surprise to Darwin.
"Oh well. I've only ever had the odd fling. Never ever anything remotely serious. Sirius made sure of that. Besides, it's no matter, really. It's not like anyone is it in to get married. Not yet, anyway. Have you ever fancied a girl though?"She asked.
Remus gave a chuckle.
"'Course I have. Quite a few, actually. I'm no poofter. Although, I doubt you think that anyway." He gave her hand a small squeeze and moved his thumb in a few small circles on the back of her hand.
Darwin momentarily considered asking him about his level of experience with girls, but quickly decided against it. That, she thought, might truly embarrass him if the answer was that his experience was not very extensive, which was quite possible.
It was just beginning to get dark outside, and the grounds had a very empty, solemn look. A few trees in the Forbidden Forest swayed gently in the wind far off and there was the odd sound of waves lapping against rocks coming from the lake. They continued to walk, his hand feeling like a warm glove around hers, and eventually she found that he was leading her to the Quidditch pitch.
"Are we going where I think we're going?"She asked.
"Dunno. Where do you think we're heading?" He asked, cracking a smile.
"Quidditch pitch?"
"Bang on."
"I don't think I ever told you this, but I'm an awful flier." She said.
"Really? Just dreadful, then?" He seemed rather amused.
"That. But I also hate flying." Which was true. Sirius flew enough, and risked serious bodily harm, for the both of them.
"Well, I guess you'll just have to hold on tight then." He gave a laugh.
"Gripping a wobbly wooden stick way up in the air doesn't exactly make me feel secure." She told him, giving him a little shove.
"I didn't mean the broom." He dropped his voice and gave her a little wink.
"Why you sly little-"
"Hey, hey, none of that. Play nice."
He led her to the players' entrance which was a small wooden door located on the north end of the pitch. Although nearly everyone knew where this door was, very few actually passed through it. The Quidditch teams were notorious for pulling pranks, particularly the Gryffindor team, and the students who had been the victims of said pranks would often try to exact their revenge on the Quidditch team when they were in the change room after a game. Hence, the doorway had been hexed a multitude of times, but of course, Remus was in on it and knew the counter spells.
They walked down a wide passage way, lit by a few random torches, with long, dark shadows dancing on the vaulted ceiling.
"This place is cheerful." She commented.
"It's not so bad during the day. Ah, here we are." He said as they reached another door, which resembled the one which they had entered through. "Our locker room." He gave her a smile.
She returned it easily. "You know how many girls would kill to be me right now?"
"Quite a few?" He asked, but didn't really seem interested in the answer.
He led her into the room, which, admittedly, didn't smell all that great and muttered 'Lumos' quietly. His wand sprang to life to illuminate a rather cluttered room, filled with Quidditch equipment, dirty jerseys, benches and lockers. He walked over to one of these, which Darwin assumed was his, and pulled out a very sharp looking broom. His locker, unlike any of the others, was organized nicely.
"Here we are." He said. "Really though, I can't understand what all these silly girls think is so spectacular about our locker room. It's just a big mess."
"I don't think it's so much the room, as it is it's occupants. Especially if it's after a game - you know, some girls find sweaty, tired men very attractive." She teased.
"Honestly? I'm surprised that girls actually talk about that sort of thing. I thought it was just the lads that did that. Case in point, some of the conversations concerning girls that happen in this place are just ridiculous."
Darwin gave a long laugh. "Of course girls talk about that sort of thing. Well, not so much me in particular, but anyway, ridiculous, how so?"
He looked like he was considering telling her, but then decided against it. "Just ridiculous, perverted things."
They returned to the corridor and continued walking, passing several more doors on the way. When they reached the pitch, they, as Darwin expected, found it completely deserted.
She had only ever been on the actual pitch a few times, most often to congratulate Sirius after a game. Ever time she was on it though, she was always amazed at how much larger it seemed from this point of view. When she was sitting in the stands, she had no idea of the feeling of endless, open space one had, or of the way the stands looked so small and distant. Now that she thought about it though, she realized that she had never been on the pitch when it was completely empty. Of course, this made it seem much larger.
"Don't you get nervous? I mean, playing in front of the whole school. I know I would." She asked quietly at Remus's side.
"I used to, when I first started playing. But eventually, I just forgot that anyone else was even there. I just tend to concentrate only on the game now."
They had walked to the centre of the pitch now, and had turned to face each other. Everything was silent and there was a feeling of complete and utter privacy, everything else seemed miles away, and for a moment, Darwin thought she might kiss him, but then he dropped her hand and mounted his broom.
"Ready to go then?" He asked. His voice was soft and his eyes were bright with reflected light.
She was more then a little reluctant.
"Isn't it kind of dangerous though?" She moaned.
"No way. Look." He said simply before kicking off from the ground and speeding off into the air, flying upside down, weaving from side to side, diving down, racing upward, and all the while, Darwin's heart in her throat. From the stands, these airborne antics didn't look half as dangerous.
Just as she was thinking this, Remus swooped in behind her and she soon found herself ungracefully scooped onto the front of the broom. She let out a gasp of surprise and clutched at the front of the broom with her hands, holding on so tight that her knuckles soon turned white.
"Don't worry, you're fine." Remus said, his mouth very close to her ear. Darwin doubted that he knew of the effect this had.
The ground was rapidly disappearing below her and the air was consistently getting colder and windier. Remus momentarily let go of the broom and Darwin nearly screamed, only to find that he was moving her hands forward slightly, into the steering position. He then left his right hand on tops of hers, while he curled his other arm about her waist.
"Is this okay?" He asked shyly.
"Yes." She said simply - there was just too much sensory input at the moment for her to say much else. Beyond the slight dizziness and upset stomach that flying always caused, there was the added sensation of Remus's warm, callused hand on hers, gently steering the broom, as well as his obviously strong arm around her waist, holding her in a slight grip.
He flew all around the pitch, weaving around the stands, rising steadily, only to plummet back downward in a nosedive, every minute trying to go faster, but being stopped by Darwin's good-natured pleas.
Eventually though, it seemed like Remus had something else in mind as they soon left the pitch and began to fly over the grounds. They flew over the lake, where the light of the now risen moon reflected brightly on the small waves that lapped against the shore. They skirted the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where no light could penetrate and dark things stirred just within it's borders. They flew past the greenhouses, all around the turrets and towers of the castle, past the Great Hall and Gryffindor Tower, catching the occasional surprised face of a student wondering the halls or gazing out the window. Eventually though, they came to a stop atop a small tower, it's bricks blackened with age, the tiles of the flat roof cracked. Darwin was not entirely sure of it's use, but it was located near the back of the expansive castle and she supposed that it was probably a low-traffic area of the castle.
"Here we are."Remus said as he brought them to a gentle stop. Darwin clambered off the broom, as did Remus. He then leaned the broom against the waist-level brick wall that run the perimeter of the roof.
"This is great! You can see everything here."Darwin exclaimed, taking advantage of the view the spot provided. The tower was one of the highest points of the castle and gave one a terrific view of the whole grounds. "Do you come here often?"
"Sometimes. It's a great place to get away. Sometimes I'll come here and read or just to think, you know, when the castle gets too noisy." He said gazing momentarily at the half moon in the dark sky and then quickly turning his back to it.
There was a moment of silence and then Remus spoke.
"I, uh, haven't gotten you into trouble with Sirius, have I?"He asked timidly.
"No, no,no, definitely not. It's just, you have to understand, he's really protective of me. We've been friends forever. I guess he just doesn't want me to get hurt. Has he said anything to you?" She asked, hoping his response would be in the negative.
"Well, he's given me the odd warning look whenever I'm around you, not mention he just lays on the sarcasm whenever the issue of you and me comes up." He didn't seem all that concerned. "I think he'll get over it though. Sirius is just like that."
"Yeah don't I know it." Throughout the whole conversation, Darwin had been leaning on the wall, her face toward the moon while Remus kept his back to it. Now though, she chanced to glance over at him, only to find a very strange expression on his face.
"What?"Darwin asked slowly, meeting his eyes.
"I want to kiss you but I don't know how." He said very quietly, the smallest hint of a blush creeping into his cheeks.
"Oh. Um, okay, have you ever.....?"Darwin asked. She was a little surprised at how forward he was being, but was quite enjoying herself, all the same.
"No. Never."
"Really? Wow, I would've thought - well I guess it doesn't matter." She stopped herself before she got flustered and took a step so that she was standing in front of him.
She gave him a small, encouraging smile and then loosely wrapped her arms about his neck. He did the same with her waist.
"Here we go." She said softly before leaning her head towards his. He did the same and very soon their lips touched in a gentle kiss. Darwin angled her lips slightly upward so that Remus's upper lip was in between hers, while Remus tightened his arms slightly about her waist. He was a quick learner and soon he was using his lips to their full potential. He was the one to break the kiss, and when he did, he kept his eyes closed for a moment while a contented smile spread across his face.
"We should get back."
"We should."
He mounted the broom first and then Darwin climbed on after him. This time though, she let him steer and just wrapped her hands around his arm, which was around her waist.
Flying didn't seem nearly so terrifying now, she thought, as they flew at a gentle pace, weaving in and out of the many towers and turrets of the castle. Very soon, they came to a stop outside a window that looked vaguely familiar.
"That's my dorm room!" Darwin exclaimed once she recognized it.
"Did you think I was going to make you walk?" He asked, a laugh in his voice.
"No, I suppose not." She said as she smiled up at him.
He flew in as close as possible to the window, and thankfully the window opened easily, and silently, when she pushed it. She climbed, rather ungracefully in her opinion, off the broom and nearly fell into the dorm. Once she collected herself, she turned back to face Remus who was still hovering very close to the window.
"You better get going. It's getting late." She said quietly, so as to not wake her room mates.
"Yeah. Goodnight." He replied as he leaned forward, cupped face in his hand and gave her a quick, but playful, kiss goodnight. "Bye." He whispered and then flew out of sight, no doubt heading toward his own dorm.
Darwin silently closed the window, only to be confronted by the squeals of her room mates, who, as it turned out, had only been pretending to sleep.
A/N:WOAH. Okay. Sorry for the HUGE lag in updating, but you see. I've just spent a month in Ireland and then about three weeks missing Ireland and all that time I just couldn't bring myself to write anything. But now I'm back. Sorry this chapter is short/crappy, but I just needed to get back into the habit of writing. As for my month abroad, let's just say, there's definitely going to be a very cute Irish character popping up very soon. I love Ireland.........anyway. It was very nice to read all your lovely reviews while I was there. I'd love to respond to each one, but I think everyone would rather that I just post this now. One review that sticks out in my mind, and I don't remember who it was from (sorry), but it was about Darwin and my lack of a physical description. Simply put, Darwin is anyone. She could be someone you know, or maybe even you. I think it's easier to relate to the character that way, plus, it prevents her from becoming a cliche/ mary sure. Well, that's about it for now. See ya!
Contrary to what James had told her, upon reaching the common room, Darwin found that Remus hadn't been "sweating bullets" and was instead, quite calmly put together. He sat on a sofa located in a corner of the room and he was playing a game of chess with Peter. He looked as though he was winning. James was there too, giving not-so-helpful advice, like telling Peter to have all his pieces attack at once so as to annihilate Remus' forces. Sirius was leaning against a nearby wall, removed from the situation.
"James!" Peter whined. "I'm trying to concentrate."
"Like I said before, I'm helping."
"No you aren't."
"Are."
"Aren't."
Darwin walked over, almost self-consciously. There was something about the four of them when they were together, something that just removed them from their surroundings and made approaching or joining them difficult. As soon as she reached them, Remus looked up from the chess board while Peter continued to consider his next move.
"Sorry I took so long. I ran into some technical difficulties." She apologized. She still felt a little confused and flustered from what had happened with Sirius and just thinking about it made her feel uneasy.
"Don't worry about it. These two are always entertaining." Remus gave her a warm smile and she immediately forgot about Sirius.
"My mum says I'm obnoxious." This was from James, who looked rather proud.
"Should we go?" Remus asked. Even though he seemed to enjoy the company of his friends, it was obvious that there was something amiss between him and Sirius which was making him feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, please." Darwin replied, relieved.
James stood and slapped Remus on the back.
"Go away a boy, come back a man." He intoned.
"Sod off." Remus called as he looped his arm around Darwin's and they began walking away.
They left the common room to James' catcalls, interchanged with rather inappropriate comments, and were soon making their way down the staircases, which were being rather playful, at times moving half-way to a new spot, then changing their minds, and coming back. This was hardly perplexing as there was no rush to get somewhere.
"So, will you tell me where we're going yet?" Darwin asked hopefully.
"I should think not. We're almost there and it'll ruin the surprise." Remus told her. "You look great, by the way."
"Thanks." She replied quietly. She momentarily thought about adding in the fact that Sirius had helped her get ready, but decided that would just make things a little awkward.
They continued to walk through the castle, which was slowly unwinding from the day. Some of the figures in the portraits were already sleeping, some of the lights in a few of the hallways had been extinguished, and instead of the constant babble of voices that one would hear during the day, there was only the occasional murmur and the sound of doors softly opening and closing far off.
Remus and Darwin talked about a variety of things, the conversation flowing easily from topic to topic. Darwin found that she felt as though she could literally tell Remus anything. He seemed so nonjudgmental and open that any guard that she might've had in place soon disappeared. He was just one of the girls, in a very non-homosexual, attractive way.
They made their way down to the entrance of the castle and just before they walked outside, Remus quickly darted his eyes to Darwin, the shyness evident all over his face, and then took her hand in his. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze and smiled up at him.
"You're quite new to this, aren't you?" She asked bluntly.
"Is it that obvious?" He asked.
"Well, at first, considering the reputation you have with the female population, I would say no. But throughout this whole episode of courting, if you could call it that, it's become quite apparent." Darwin told him in a way she hoped didn't make him feel demeaned.
"Well, it's the truth, to be honest. I've never actually had a girlfriend." He didn't really seem ashamed or embarrassed as he said this, he was just simply stating a fact.
Oddly enough, it didn't come as a surprise to Darwin.
"Oh well. I've only ever had the odd fling. Never ever anything remotely serious. Sirius made sure of that. Besides, it's no matter, really. It's not like anyone is it in to get married. Not yet, anyway. Have you ever fancied a girl though?"She asked.
Remus gave a chuckle.
"'Course I have. Quite a few, actually. I'm no poofter. Although, I doubt you think that anyway." He gave her hand a small squeeze and moved his thumb in a few small circles on the back of her hand.
Darwin momentarily considered asking him about his level of experience with girls, but quickly decided against it. That, she thought, might truly embarrass him if the answer was that his experience was not very extensive, which was quite possible.
It was just beginning to get dark outside, and the grounds had a very empty, solemn look. A few trees in the Forbidden Forest swayed gently in the wind far off and there was the odd sound of waves lapping against rocks coming from the lake. They continued to walk, his hand feeling like a warm glove around hers, and eventually she found that he was leading her to the Quidditch pitch.
"Are we going where I think we're going?"She asked.
"Dunno. Where do you think we're heading?" He asked, cracking a smile.
"Quidditch pitch?"
"Bang on."
"I don't think I ever told you this, but I'm an awful flier." She said.
"Really? Just dreadful, then?" He seemed rather amused.
"That. But I also hate flying." Which was true. Sirius flew enough, and risked serious bodily harm, for the both of them.
"Well, I guess you'll just have to hold on tight then." He gave a laugh.
"Gripping a wobbly wooden stick way up in the air doesn't exactly make me feel secure." She told him, giving him a little shove.
"I didn't mean the broom." He dropped his voice and gave her a little wink.
"Why you sly little-"
"Hey, hey, none of that. Play nice."
He led her to the players' entrance which was a small wooden door located on the north end of the pitch. Although nearly everyone knew where this door was, very few actually passed through it. The Quidditch teams were notorious for pulling pranks, particularly the Gryffindor team, and the students who had been the victims of said pranks would often try to exact their revenge on the Quidditch team when they were in the change room after a game. Hence, the doorway had been hexed a multitude of times, but of course, Remus was in on it and knew the counter spells.
They walked down a wide passage way, lit by a few random torches, with long, dark shadows dancing on the vaulted ceiling.
"This place is cheerful." She commented.
"It's not so bad during the day. Ah, here we are." He said as they reached another door, which resembled the one which they had entered through. "Our locker room." He gave her a smile.
She returned it easily. "You know how many girls would kill to be me right now?"
"Quite a few?" He asked, but didn't really seem interested in the answer.
He led her into the room, which, admittedly, didn't smell all that great and muttered 'Lumos' quietly. His wand sprang to life to illuminate a rather cluttered room, filled with Quidditch equipment, dirty jerseys, benches and lockers. He walked over to one of these, which Darwin assumed was his, and pulled out a very sharp looking broom. His locker, unlike any of the others, was organized nicely.
"Here we are." He said. "Really though, I can't understand what all these silly girls think is so spectacular about our locker room. It's just a big mess."
"I don't think it's so much the room, as it is it's occupants. Especially if it's after a game - you know, some girls find sweaty, tired men very attractive." She teased.
"Honestly? I'm surprised that girls actually talk about that sort of thing. I thought it was just the lads that did that. Case in point, some of the conversations concerning girls that happen in this place are just ridiculous."
Darwin gave a long laugh. "Of course girls talk about that sort of thing. Well, not so much me in particular, but anyway, ridiculous, how so?"
He looked like he was considering telling her, but then decided against it. "Just ridiculous, perverted things."
They returned to the corridor and continued walking, passing several more doors on the way. When they reached the pitch, they, as Darwin expected, found it completely deserted.
She had only ever been on the actual pitch a few times, most often to congratulate Sirius after a game. Ever time she was on it though, she was always amazed at how much larger it seemed from this point of view. When she was sitting in the stands, she had no idea of the feeling of endless, open space one had, or of the way the stands looked so small and distant. Now that she thought about it though, she realized that she had never been on the pitch when it was completely empty. Of course, this made it seem much larger.
"Don't you get nervous? I mean, playing in front of the whole school. I know I would." She asked quietly at Remus's side.
"I used to, when I first started playing. But eventually, I just forgot that anyone else was even there. I just tend to concentrate only on the game now."
They had walked to the centre of the pitch now, and had turned to face each other. Everything was silent and there was a feeling of complete and utter privacy, everything else seemed miles away, and for a moment, Darwin thought she might kiss him, but then he dropped her hand and mounted his broom.
"Ready to go then?" He asked. His voice was soft and his eyes were bright with reflected light.
She was more then a little reluctant.
"Isn't it kind of dangerous though?" She moaned.
"No way. Look." He said simply before kicking off from the ground and speeding off into the air, flying upside down, weaving from side to side, diving down, racing upward, and all the while, Darwin's heart in her throat. From the stands, these airborne antics didn't look half as dangerous.
Just as she was thinking this, Remus swooped in behind her and she soon found herself ungracefully scooped onto the front of the broom. She let out a gasp of surprise and clutched at the front of the broom with her hands, holding on so tight that her knuckles soon turned white.
"Don't worry, you're fine." Remus said, his mouth very close to her ear. Darwin doubted that he knew of the effect this had.
The ground was rapidly disappearing below her and the air was consistently getting colder and windier. Remus momentarily let go of the broom and Darwin nearly screamed, only to find that he was moving her hands forward slightly, into the steering position. He then left his right hand on tops of hers, while he curled his other arm about her waist.
"Is this okay?" He asked shyly.
"Yes." She said simply - there was just too much sensory input at the moment for her to say much else. Beyond the slight dizziness and upset stomach that flying always caused, there was the added sensation of Remus's warm, callused hand on hers, gently steering the broom, as well as his obviously strong arm around her waist, holding her in a slight grip.
He flew all around the pitch, weaving around the stands, rising steadily, only to plummet back downward in a nosedive, every minute trying to go faster, but being stopped by Darwin's good-natured pleas.
Eventually though, it seemed like Remus had something else in mind as they soon left the pitch and began to fly over the grounds. They flew over the lake, where the light of the now risen moon reflected brightly on the small waves that lapped against the shore. They skirted the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where no light could penetrate and dark things stirred just within it's borders. They flew past the greenhouses, all around the turrets and towers of the castle, past the Great Hall and Gryffindor Tower, catching the occasional surprised face of a student wondering the halls or gazing out the window. Eventually though, they came to a stop atop a small tower, it's bricks blackened with age, the tiles of the flat roof cracked. Darwin was not entirely sure of it's use, but it was located near the back of the expansive castle and she supposed that it was probably a low-traffic area of the castle.
"Here we are."Remus said as he brought them to a gentle stop. Darwin clambered off the broom, as did Remus. He then leaned the broom against the waist-level brick wall that run the perimeter of the roof.
"This is great! You can see everything here."Darwin exclaimed, taking advantage of the view the spot provided. The tower was one of the highest points of the castle and gave one a terrific view of the whole grounds. "Do you come here often?"
"Sometimes. It's a great place to get away. Sometimes I'll come here and read or just to think, you know, when the castle gets too noisy." He said gazing momentarily at the half moon in the dark sky and then quickly turning his back to it.
There was a moment of silence and then Remus spoke.
"I, uh, haven't gotten you into trouble with Sirius, have I?"He asked timidly.
"No, no,no, definitely not. It's just, you have to understand, he's really protective of me. We've been friends forever. I guess he just doesn't want me to get hurt. Has he said anything to you?" She asked, hoping his response would be in the negative.
"Well, he's given me the odd warning look whenever I'm around you, not mention he just lays on the sarcasm whenever the issue of you and me comes up." He didn't seem all that concerned. "I think he'll get over it though. Sirius is just like that."
"Yeah don't I know it." Throughout the whole conversation, Darwin had been leaning on the wall, her face toward the moon while Remus kept his back to it. Now though, she chanced to glance over at him, only to find a very strange expression on his face.
"What?"Darwin asked slowly, meeting his eyes.
"I want to kiss you but I don't know how." He said very quietly, the smallest hint of a blush creeping into his cheeks.
"Oh. Um, okay, have you ever.....?"Darwin asked. She was a little surprised at how forward he was being, but was quite enjoying herself, all the same.
"No. Never."
"Really? Wow, I would've thought - well I guess it doesn't matter." She stopped herself before she got flustered and took a step so that she was standing in front of him.
She gave him a small, encouraging smile and then loosely wrapped her arms about his neck. He did the same with her waist.
"Here we go." She said softly before leaning her head towards his. He did the same and very soon their lips touched in a gentle kiss. Darwin angled her lips slightly upward so that Remus's upper lip was in between hers, while Remus tightened his arms slightly about her waist. He was a quick learner and soon he was using his lips to their full potential. He was the one to break the kiss, and when he did, he kept his eyes closed for a moment while a contented smile spread across his face.
"We should get back."
"We should."
He mounted the broom first and then Darwin climbed on after him. This time though, she let him steer and just wrapped her hands around his arm, which was around her waist.
Flying didn't seem nearly so terrifying now, she thought, as they flew at a gentle pace, weaving in and out of the many towers and turrets of the castle. Very soon, they came to a stop outside a window that looked vaguely familiar.
"That's my dorm room!" Darwin exclaimed once she recognized it.
"Did you think I was going to make you walk?" He asked, a laugh in his voice.
"No, I suppose not." She said as she smiled up at him.
He flew in as close as possible to the window, and thankfully the window opened easily, and silently, when she pushed it. She climbed, rather ungracefully in her opinion, off the broom and nearly fell into the dorm. Once she collected herself, she turned back to face Remus who was still hovering very close to the window.
"You better get going. It's getting late." She said quietly, so as to not wake her room mates.
"Yeah. Goodnight." He replied as he leaned forward, cupped face in his hand and gave her a quick, but playful, kiss goodnight. "Bye." He whispered and then flew out of sight, no doubt heading toward his own dorm.
Darwin silently closed the window, only to be confronted by the squeals of her room mates, who, as it turned out, had only been pretending to sleep.
A/N:WOAH. Okay. Sorry for the HUGE lag in updating, but you see. I've just spent a month in Ireland and then about three weeks missing Ireland and all that time I just couldn't bring myself to write anything. But now I'm back. Sorry this chapter is short/crappy, but I just needed to get back into the habit of writing. As for my month abroad, let's just say, there's definitely going to be a very cute Irish character popping up very soon. I love Ireland.........anyway. It was very nice to read all your lovely reviews while I was there. I'd love to respond to each one, but I think everyone would rather that I just post this now. One review that sticks out in my mind, and I don't remember who it was from (sorry), but it was about Darwin and my lack of a physical description. Simply put, Darwin is anyone. She could be someone you know, or maybe even you. I think it's easier to relate to the character that way, plus, it prevents her from becoming a cliche/ mary sure. Well, that's about it for now. See ya!