Disclaimer: I own nothing except that which you do not recognize. Everything else is J.K's.
A/N: Every time I write a new chap I like it better than everything else I've written – and I hope you do too! Thanks to those who reviewed – Aljinon, Remus will eventually come to his senses – but you'll just have to keep reading to find out when! Anyways, here's another one – yes, I'm going to keep this going until the end that I have envisioned for it – so…enjoy!
On with the Story!
Chapter 10: Awkward
"Oh, that's good…" Bill Weasley sighed with relief as he plunked himself down onto one of the various chairs around the kitchen table. Grimmauld Place was no Burrow, but it was somewhere he could rest. Laying his head down on his arms, he soon found himself drifting off.
His rest, however, was soon disturbed by a quiet "Oh, Bill!" from the doorway. He looked up groggily to see Sarah standing a few feet in front of him, smiling gently and shaking her head.
"I suppose we're not going out tonight, then?" she grinned cheekily at him and moved closer. Bill shook himself awake and got up to hug her.
"How are you Sarah? I haven't seen you for – what – four weeks, now? Where've you been?"
"I went to see my grandmother." Sarah replied, returning his hug and then walking over to the cupboards.
"Look at you, you're dead on your feet." she shook a finger in mock exasperation at him.
"Harry's right." said Bill. "You are way too much like my mother sometimes. Are you sure you're not a long lost Weasley cousin?"
Sarah stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to start making them hot chocolate. "Is Harry all right, then? He must be glad to be back at school."
"Oh, yeah." Bill said emphatically. "He got back just in time to play quidditch – that cheered him right up. Although… I think he and Remus must have had a talk or something. He seemed much better by the time he went back to school."
Sarah stiffened at Remus's name, but Bill didn't notice so she quickly continued. "That's good, then. Oh – the third bedroom on the second floor is ready for you – I know, I'm doing a Molly."
Bill grinned as she rolled her eyes at him. "You know, I've never met her."
Bill started. "Really? You two would get along splendidly – you'd be a real surrogate Weasley in no time. You'll see her at Christmas if you're here. Merlin, that's only a bit over three weeks away!"
Sarah frowned at him. "Christmas, here? What about your home – the Burrow, right?"
Bill's face momentarily darkened, and Sarah quickly caught on – it wasn't exactly safe nowadays.
"Yes, of course, Christmas here… well, I should be here." She said, saving Bill the trouble of having to continue.
"Good, good." Bill yawned. For a few seconds, the only sound in the kitchen was that of the kettle - the hot chocolate was almost ready. "Yeah…" he continued. "You, me, Charlie, Tonks…" he looked quizzically at Sarah. "You met Tonks?"
Sarah nodded. "She's fun."
Bill laughed. "That's the understatement of the year. Well, we'll all go out and have a good time – hopefully we'll all be off duty. Goodness, Sarah, without you girls… me and Charlie wouldn't know what to do with ourselves."
"You that bored with all of us old folk?" Remus asked, entering the kitchen.
Bill turned and gave Remus a long stare. Sarah got up to get pour the now ready hot chocolate, grateful for the distraction. Bill had no idea about her and Remus.
"We don't know what we'd do without the girls to…spice things up a little." Bill waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Sarah, and she rolled her eyes and laughed at him. Remus's head snapped towards Sarah – he hadn't realized that she was the one in the kitchen with Bill. "And you," Bill pointed an accusatory finger at Remus. "have been taking over Sarah's affections lately, and me n' Charlie find that this we must protest."
"Bill!" Sarah cried, giving him a small slap to the back of his head. "My affections are mine to distribute as I see fit." She said loftily, setting down a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of him.
Bill grinned at her while Remus chuckled half-heartedly. Well, Bill, Remus thought. You've got Sarah all to yourself now. I don't think she'll ever want anything to do with me for a very long time. It had been five days since Sarah had left him in the drawing room, and during that time he could barely tell that someone else was living in the house. He knew that she was there – he'd heard her talking to Dumbledore about something she was doing for the Order, but she'd made sure that they never crossed paths. What made it all the more worse is that it seemed as if she was doing it for him, as if she thought that he didn't want to be around her anymore. If he came home late, he'd find that she'd cooked dinner and left it for him, and she made sure that during his transformation that week that he had everything he needed. But it had still been five days since they'd said a word to each other, five days in which Remus was already regretting what he'd said to her.
No, he told himself. It was for the best. It would never have worked between the two of us, anyway. I just shouldn't have told her like that, that's all. I'll be lucky if she even wants to be friends after what I said.
Not daring to look Sarah in the eyes, he smiled at Bill. "Deeply sorry Bill, she's all yours – if you don't mind, Sarah, that is." He ducked his head to avoid a slap from Sarah. At least she's being nice to me around Bill. Maybe…
"Is that hot chocolate I smell?" He asked.
"Don't be ridiculous." Sarah snorted, her patience wearing thin. So this is how it was, then. Muggles were fit to be acquaintances with, maybe even friends – but anything more? No, they just weren't good enough. "Of course it is, my dear wolf friend – you of all people should have no problem smelling what it is." The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to calm down.
Bill looked startled at the obvious bitterness of her voice, and Remus just dropped his eyes, disappointment and resignation covering his face. Sarah felt her chest constrict as she looked at him – she hadn't meant to hurt him like that – but what he said to her still rang through her mind. 'You're… a muggle. I'm a wizard.' he'd told her, as if she was second-class to him. Still, she argued with herself. You know you're better than that. Just because others act like that doesn't mean you have to.
"Sorry!" she said, smiling apologetically. "Here, Remus, have mine. I wasn't planning on having any in the first place, and I know that you like them after.. well, you know. I'm just a bit tired. Michael's been working me hard all week, and you know how I get when I don't have enough sleep." Just then she yawned – she really was exhausted. Bill looked relieved at her explanation and Remus smiled a little.
"Of course, Sarah." Remus said. "I think we all need to turn in."
"Well, then, I'll see you two in the morning." Sarah turned to leave the kitchen but Remus turned and caught her arm without thinking. Sarah gasped and pulled away quickly, anger flashing in her eyes.
"What-" she began furiously, but Remus cut her off.
"Sorry – I just meant – I – why don't you stay and have some hot chocolate with us?" he smiled gently at her. It was worth a try, he thought.
Sarah's gaze softened a little, but she didn't smile back at him. "I've got to work." She explained. "You remember Nolan? Some of his colleagues are giving us a bit more trouble than we originally anticipated. I should be gone all night. Don't stay up too late, Bill."
"Couldn't if I tried." Bill replied, looking curiously at the two of them. Although he'd brushed off Sarah's earlier comment, this display of veiled animosity was a bit much to play off as fatigue. The two men watched Sarah leave, sitting in silence until they heard the front door closing as she left for work. The quiet reigned for a while as they sipped their drinks, Bill eyeing Remus suspiciously while Remus kept his head down, fully aware of Bill's gaze on him.
Finally, Bill could take it no more. "What happened just now?" he asked.
"Sarah left for work?" Remus answered, draining his mug and getting up to leave.
"Oh, no you don't." Bill said, suddenly wide-awake. Before Remus knew it a strong hand was on his shoulder forcing him to sit back down. "Don't even think about apparating away. I will find you, so you'd better answer my questions now."
Remus sighed, and decided it would be in his best interest to answer Bill – an angry Weasley was never a pleasant thing. "I grabbed her a little to harshly – and you know how Sarah gets about that type of thing. She's very much her own person, she is."
Bill didn't answer, but looked him up and down sceptically. Finally, he shook his head. "I may not know her as well as you do, but I do know that Sarah is the type of person who also appreciates the fact that someone is looking out for her. She wouldn't be so angry with you just for that. And what about earlier? Her dear wolf friend? That was not like her at all."
Remus sat quietly for a few seconds. "Do you know about her job, Bill? And her 'talents'?"
"Yes." Bill said, exasperated. "She told me a week after she told you. What does that have to do with anything?"
"It – well – it doesn't, I suppose." Remus ran his hands through his hair. "She and I, well, especially after I found out – we've been getting closer." Bill arched an eyebrow, but remained silent. "And then, I didn't - I mean, I don't think it would work between us, so I … stopped things."
Bill looked incredulous. "What the hell is wrong with you, Remus?? This amazing girl – and yes she's just my friend but that doesn't mean I don't see it – this amazing girl clearly wants to be with you and you don't think it would work?? Old age is getting to you, man."
"And that is exactly it, Bill." Remus said. Bill looked confused for a second before understanding dawned.
"Nah, come on, you're not that old – I was just kidding with you! You're only what, thirty-five? Thirty-six?"
"Thirty-eight." Remus dryly responded. "I'm an old man next to her twenty-two."
"Still – look, other couples with bigger age differences have made it work! Please tell me you didn't tell Sarah that you were too old for her."
"Are you joking?" Remus laughed sadly. "She would have utterly and totally ignored me and proceeded to keep on doing whatever we'd been doing before."
Bill smirked at this last comment. Both he and Charlie had noticed the mutual attraction between Remus and Sarah. They even had a bet going to see when they'd actually get together. With the two of them mostly all alone in the big house, the brothers had agreed that it wouldn't be far off.
"No," Remus continued. "I didn't say that."
"Then what else could you have possibly said? I don't like you?" Bill was searching his brains as to what could have caused the rift between the two.
"Yes, that was in there." Remus admitted. Bill sighed.
"Oh, you're hopeless. But it's blatantly obvious that you do like her, so what other reason…" he trailed off as a an idea suddenly occurred to him. "No." he said after a few seconds. "Tell me you didn't say that – oh, no."
Remus raised an eyebrow at Bill, telling him to continue.
"Remus," the younger man said. "Please, please please tell me that you didn't say that it was because she was…" he didn't want to finish the sentence. If Remus had told her that, he could definitely see how she would be so upset.
"I told her she was a muggle. And that I was a wizard. Therefore, nothing could happen." Remus said flatly. When Bill didn't respond, he got up to leave the kitchen.
He was almost at the doorway when Bill's voice stopped him. "How," Bill said, sounding like his teeth were gritted together. "How could you have said that to her?? You, of all people! Merlin, what were you thinking??"
Remus turned around slowly. Bill's fists were clenched together. He has every right to be angry, Remus thought. Unlike me, he's her friend. "I wasn't thinking." He told Bill. "And now I'm paying for it."
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A/N: Good? Bad? Remus is such an idiot, isn't he?? (I know, I wrote it, but still…) Anyhoo, let me know what you think! Your reviews are greatly appreciated!