Disclaimer: I am merely playing around with the products of the goddess of Imagination, J.K.Rowling, so, please don't sue me. (But anything you don't recognize belongs to me!!!)
A/N: I had sooo much fun writing this chapter, I really hope that you all have fun reading it. Also, Harry's romance (or non romance) will be coming to light in this chapter – Cassandra, your character may just come into play here. Hint hint: She may be a certain SOMEONE's girlfriend – or not. You'll just have to read it to find out, soo…
On with the story!
Chapter 7: An Apparent Lack of Clothing
"REMUS!!!!" Sarah frantically grabbed onto the front of Remus's robes.
"Why. Can't. I. Find. The. Plates?????" She ground out, her eyes darting around his bedroom in search of 'The Plates'.
"Plates?" Remus innocently enquired, knowing full well what she meant.
"For my grandmother!!!!" Sarah hissed, tugging urgently at his clothing. She had been all over the house looking desperately for the plates she was taking for her grandmother, but for some reason, they refused to appear. Remus's room had been the last place she'd looked – but still – no plates.
"Ah, see, about that" Remus began, a wicked glint in his eyes. "I don't think that you actually bought them. You know, what with the minor distraction we had and…" he trailed off, as Sarah was looking rather menacingly at him.
"Of course," he said, gently prying her hands from his robes and stepping back. "I could always apparate back to the store and see if they have anything similar left." In the back of his mind he could hear Sirius's voice, laughing. "Moony, look at you. You're not even dating the girl and yet you're already whipped!"
Sarah smiled sweetly – a little too sweetly for Remus's liking, and then impatiently said. "Well?!? I have to catch a flight in AN HOUR and I should have been at the airport AGES ago but nooooo, Remus says, 'Just one omelette, Peaches, don't you want just one omelette. Goodness knows what they give you on those muggle flights'. Well you know what?!?" Remus cringed. At the time, making up the impromptu silly nickname had seemed like a good idea, but now it was coming back to haunt him. "I don't want any more omelettes, PEACHES!!" She waved her clenched fist in his face, obviously about to continue, but Remus snatched the money she held in it and promptly disapparated before she could get another word in.
"Whipped, whipped, whipped." He heard Sirius's voice singing. He shook his head, frustrated. "I'm going crazy." He said to himself. "Sirius's death has pushed me over the edge. First I fall for some muggle girl, now I'm hearing his voice in my head. Absolutely nutters."
He shook his head again, walking into the large department store. "All right. I need to make this as quick as possible." He marched determinedly towards the staircase. Sarah would be none too happy if she missed her flight that day.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Ugh!! Men!!" Sarah fell back onto Remus's neatly made bed, thoroughly messing it in the process. "UGH!!!" she pulled the covers up to herself, finding some small satisfaction in momentarily forgetting that she was an adult.
Harry, passing by, heard Sarah's grumpy exclamation and popped his head in the doorway.
"Hi, Sarah, you alright…" The words drifted away as he stopped dead. Sarah was sitting on Remus's bed. Her hair was disheveled, her face slightly red and she was in Remus's bed, holding the covers tightly to her. All he could see was skin – her long legs and smooth arms coming out from underneath the sheets.
His eyes bulged as she began to talk. "Harry, promise me you'll never be like that."
Harry barely managed to squeak out a response. "Like?"
"Like that!! See how he just left me here?? Ran off right afterwards? He didn't even want to talk!!!"
'DANGER!!!!' Harry's mind screamed at him. He desperately wanted to run for the door, but his feet seemed to have grown rooted to the ground.
"Doesn't matter to him if I just needed to cool down a bit – take it easy for a bit before getting into anything too intense again." Sarah continued, oblivious to Harry's plight.
Harry gulped. 'I knew he liked her!!!' He thought wildly. 'But – I mean – wouldn't I have heard something if they – OH NO!! Don't go there! Professor Lupin!! NO!!!!'
"Ugh!" Sarah exclaimed again, utterly and totally unaware of the extreme distress that Harry was in. She seemed to calm down after a few minutes, remembering that she was indeed an adult and that frustrated as she was, it was ultimately her fault. "Oh well." She sighed, pushing aside the covers to get out of the bed.
Harry was now more desperate than he had been in a long time. He was alone with Sarah in the house and she was in front of him, on his ex-professor and dad's best friend's bed – naked!! Not only that, but she had just.. well.. done… THAT with him and she was about to get up! NAKED!!
"No!" he managed to choke out. But it was too late. She'd already swung her legs over the side of the bed. He instantly shifted his gaze to the floor; that one flash of smooth skin had been too much for him. Slowly, he began to back out of the room.
"No?" Sarah asked, curious as to why Harry was looking anywhere but her. "Harry, are you alright? Harry, look at me!"
Terrified, Harry slowly lifted his eyes, taking as long as he possibly could. 'Remus is going to kill me,' he thought. 'he'll use me as food next time he transforms. I might as well kill myself now, really. Save him all the trouble.'
"Is something wrong with what I'm wearing? I know it's a bit chilly for England this time of year, but I'm going to the Dominican, so…" She trailed off, thoroughly confused. Remus had warned her that Harry could be a bit strange sometimes, and she'd experienced as much in their occlumency lessons. This, however, was a bit much.
Harry finally looked up and saw Sarah fully for the first time. She stood directly in front of him, looking puzzled and concerned all at the same time. Her hands were smoothing down the front of her light khaki miniskirt, which she'd paired with a strapless red top.
"What?" Harry spluttered, suddenly the more confused of the two. Sarah opened her mouth to reply when a soft 'pop' announced Remus's return.
"Here you go, Sarah." He said, handing her a box labeled "Royal Doulton Fine Bone China" She smiled gratefully at him and placed it inside a suitcase that Harry hadn't noticed before. She closed it, but not before taking out a matching khaki jacket and putting it on.
"Okay, then." She said. Remus rolled his eyes. Sure, now she was in a good mood.
"All ready to go?" He asked her.
"Just a sec." Sarah said. She walked over to Harry, while fixing her messy hair. Enveloping him in a hug, she said, "See you some time soon, Harry. Have fun at Hogwarts if you get to go back before I see you again."
She pulled back, smiling, and Harry managed a shaky "Yeah", while not trying to blush too hard. "Have lots of fun – take plenty of pictures and send them to me. And say bonjour to your grandma for me."
"Hola, you mean!!" Sarah said, laughingly. "We're Spanish!" And with that, she took hold of Remus's arm and they both disappeared.
* * * * * * * * * * *
A short time later, Remus reappeared. He looked at the room critically. "What happened here? Hurricane Sarah?"
Harry stammered. Remus arched an eyebrow and leveled his gaze at him. "Harry," he said, in his best concerned professor voice. "I saw how you didn't really hug Sarah back. Did something happen?"
Harry went very, very red. 'Oh Merlin, NO!' Remus thought. 'Not that – he's only sixteen – she's twenty-two… they couldn't have! They wouldn't have – but my bed!!! How could he?? HOW COULD SHE!!!!' his thoughts became more and more frantic as he waited for Harry's reply.
"I came in…. Sarah.. on you bed…only… sheets on… no clothes…she said….you ran….off, no talking to her…"
Harry hadn't managed to form a coherent sentence, but after a few seconds, the few words that he had said had sunk into Remus's mind and he laughed. It was slightly embarrassing, but that did not stop the laughter from pouring out until tears threatened to come.
Harry was at first shocked by Remus's laughter, then found himself rather hurt. Remus, upon seeing the expression on Harry's face, calmed down and began to apologize. "Oh, Harry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just that I thought that…" he stopped, thinking better of what he'd been about to say. "No, Sarah and I aren't together – I told you that three weeks ago."
Harry grinned wickedly. Having recovered from his embarrassment, he knew that he was on much firmer ground here. "No?" he said, his eye glinting. "Could've fooled me. I mean, you obviously like her-"
He was immediately cut off by Remus's indignant "I do NOT!"
"Okay," Harry conceded, causing Remus to breathe a sigh of relief. He knew full well that his feelings for her were well beyond platonic. The two days after he'd found out about her job had done nothing to ease his mind about her; if anything, he'd wanted to be around her more and more. It was going to be a long three weeks without Sarah, he thought. Suddenly, Harry's voice jerked him back to reality.
"Of course you don't like her. You love her."
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Remus roared at the teenager, who was currently doubled over with laughter. "Not funny, Harry. Here, since you know so much – help me tidy up, mister." He threw one side of the bedcovers to Harry, who caught them and proceeded to place them properly on the bed, still breaking into muffled snorts of laughter every few seconds.
"Well?" Harry smirked at Remus. He was not going to be put off of this one. It was plain to see just how much Remus did like Sarah, and he for one thought that Remus deserved some fun.
Remus took a long look at Harry. He looked incredibly like James in that instant, determination written all over his face. 'Great. James never failed to get anything out of me when he looked like that.' He sighed – it was no use denying it.
"All right, Harry." He began. Harry whooped and Remus gave him a look. "Maybe I do – well, enjoy her company a lot."
He was surprised to hear a loud snort come from Harry. "Enjoy her company??? You've got a wolf – a wolf – inside of you and you're going to tell me that all Sarah – who is extremely pretty, you'd have to be blind not to notice – that all she is to you is good company????"
Remus's head shot up. What happened to innocent little Harry who had been so very flustered a minute ago. 'I wonder if Harry fancies a girl at school? I know there was that one girl he liked last year… what was her name again? So? Ho?' he mused. Instead, though, he told Harry the truth.
"Sarah's amazing, nice, intelligent, young, beautiful, and young – there's no way that she returns my feelings, Harry."
Harry looked shocked for a second, and then began to protest that Remus was NOT old at all, when Remus, who was beginning to be rather embarrassed, abruptly changed things towards him.
"The other night, Harry, when you first got here…"
"That was three weeks ago," Harry mused aloud. "I wonder how much longer I'll have to be here for."
Remus smiled gently and continued. "You said something about me getting to be with Sarah…"
"Aha!" Harry crowed, triumphant. "You are together!"
Remus had to fight back the urge to laugh. Harry was too much like James for his own good, sometimes. Just now he was sporting a classic goofy grin, the same one that crossed James's features so very often. The gleam in his eyes was identical to his father's, despite the fact that it was Lily's green gaze twinkling back at him.
"No, we're not!" he repeated, for what felt like the thousandth time. He sighed – Harry would probably never let that go unless he was seeing Sarah. "But it certainly sounded like you want to be with someone."
The smile instantly faded from Harry's face, quickly replace by the dull, downcast expression that had been so commonplace over the summer. There were a few moments of silence, broken only when Harry got up and went to stand by Remus's small, overstuffed bookcase.
"Well, that won't happen, will it?" He slammed his hand down onto the bookcase. It shook dangerously, causing some scrolls to fall off of the top. "It's a little too dangerous to get close to me nowadays, isn't it??"
"Harry-" Remus began, but it was no use.
"Don't 'Harry' me, all concerned. I mean, come one, everyone around here is so bloody full of B.S. most of the time and if you were going to tell me that 'it's not you, Harry, it's Voldemort' and 'don't ever blame yourself, Harry, your parents wouldn't have wanted that'"
Remus winced. That had been exactly what he was going to say.
"Well look!! I appreciate that you all care for me." Harry seemed to be trying to calm down. He paused, took in a deep breath, and prayed he wouldn't lose control leading to a repeat of the scene in Dumbledore's office at the end of last year. He unclenched his fists, which he had balled up in anger frustration, and continued. "You – I would be absolutely insane if it wasn't for a lot of people, you included. I honestly just don't want anyone else close to me to get hurt. And since I can't change the fact that for some unknown reason you all are sticking by me-"
Harry's voice was now shaking slightly, and Remus made to protest that Harry was indeed, very, very, much worth his time. He closed his mouth, however, after a look from Harry.
"I don't want to let anyone else get too close to me. And I wish people wouldn't stop skirting about what it means to be around me – how dangerous it is."
He sat down beside Remus, utterly spent. Remus looked at Harry's now dull green eyes and was reminded eerily of what he'd once said to James and Sirius one night long ago. They had been demanding as to why on earth he never did ask out the really nice Ravenclaw girl who he'd obviously had a crush on for the greater part of 7th year. Finally, he had snapped.
"She'd - she'd just end up getting hurt, okay?" he told them, eyes flashing. "Hurt either because she'll be upset when she finds out what I am, or hurt because…" the 18 year old Remus couldn't bring himself to say that as a werewolf he was too much of a danger to her, that he couldn't possibly let anyone else into the walls he'd built around himself.
"Dangerous…" he said now, a hollow laugh escaping him. Harry looked startled, then offended. "Yes," Remus continued. "I know all about being dangerous."
Harry had opened his mouth to respond to Remus's laughter but quickly closed it. There was absolutely nothing he could say to Remus's statement. Somehow, it actually made him feel better. He'd always thought that Sirius was the only one that understood how he felt, but now, he wasn't so sure. Exhaling slightly, he bent and leant his head on Remus's shoulder.
"I'm tired." Harry said, after a while. Remus awkwardly put an arm around Harry's shoulder as the teenager gave a small laugh. "And it's not even midday!"
"Tell you what." Remus said. "Why don't we take today off and listen to the WWN? There's a Puddlemere game on today – against the Tornadoes."
Harry's face slowly broke out into a grin, and Remus felt his heart lighten considerably. "Sure." he said.
Remus stood up and grandly indicated the door. "To the kitchen, then?"
Harry smiled at Remus's grandiose behaviour. He'd obviously got that from Sirius. Sirius. The pain momentarily flared, but it quickly subsided to a dull ache that was almost unnoticeable. 'I can do this.' he told himself, getting up and throwing his shoulders back as he walked out the door. 'I can move on.'
A/N: Wow!! Longest chapter yet!! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'd started this one earlier, but I was really inspired to finish it and post when I got reviews. It even got me started on extra chapter that wasn't even meant to be written, which I'll be putting up either today or tomorrow, as well.
Just a side note: If you're into time-travelling Hermione fics, yesterday I read not one but 2 amazing ones! One is on Fictionalley.org, and it's called 'Before the Moon Rises', by Penelope (on Astronomy Tower) and the other is here on ff.net, called 'Lost' by Venus DeMilo. Both extremely similar plots, but believe me – they are amazingly well written. They are definitely worth your time. Be warned – read Lost only if you have plenty of time on your hands!! You won't want to stop halfway through! Oh! I just went on ff.net and Before the Moon Rises is there as well, by Penelope78! Go check it out!
Please pretty please review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is much appreciated. Thanks to everyone, especially my beta, Swordsmistress!