Demorior Mori Mortuus Amaris
To die for love
By Silver Sparklze

Epilogue

See chapter 1 for disclaimer

"Adeline!" Minerva gasped, as Adeline reappeared, arms wrapped around Remus, who was dressed as a teenage Death Eater.

Adeline smiled, a small smile, to be sure, but one nonetheless. "Hello, Minerva."

"We were just about to set up a search party again. It got too dark last night."

"Well," Adeline regretfully withdrew her arms from around Remus, "There's no need now, is there? We're here, safe and sound, and Voldemort is going to be furious when he finds Peter Pettigrew locked in our cell."

Remus grinned, and looped his arm around her shoulders, ignoring her when she tried to shrug him off.

"I'll go inform Albus." Minerva said, "It's obvious that you two want to be alone." She walked off, chuckling, leaving Remus and Adeline gaping like goldfish.

"What was that about?" Ada asked, turning to Remus.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I wonder." He responded.

"What?!" Ada asked.

"Well, er..." Remus blushed, "She thinks we're...together?"

"Oh! Well...do you wanna be?" Ada bit her lip.

"Huh?" Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Don't make me say it again!" Ada's whole face was red, and most of her neck too.

In fact, Remus could almost be sure that her whole body was crimson. "Um...together...with you?"

Ada nodded. "Look, forget it," She said, "I don't know what I was thinking. You could have anyone you like, there's no way in hell you'd want to go out with someone like me, who's frightened of everything, a muggle, a weirdo, and too young anyway."

"Ada," Remus began, but Ada held up her hand.

"No, Remus let me finish. I know that you can't possibly like me, and not only for the aforementioned reasons. After all, relationships rely on a healthy dose of lust, and, well, let's face it; I'm not exactly alluring. In fact, I'm quite plain. So, now that I've finished embarrassing myself, I'll be on my way."

Before Remus could say anything, Ada had fled to the castle, and Remus grabbed both his and her cloaks, before following.

"Watch where you're going, Weaselette!" Malfoy snapped as Ginny hurried along the corridor.

She turned back, smiling. "Sorry, Draco, I'm in rather a hurry." She said politely, enjoying the way his face reddened with rage. It really was amusing, how your enemies went ballistic if you were polite to them.

"How dare you call me Draco." Malfoy snarled.

"It's your name, isn't it?" Ginny turned to walk away, only to have Draco grab her arm.

"Not so fast." He said, "Nobody turns away from me."

"Sorry, Draco, didn't mean to offend." Ginny said sweetly, "I'll be going now, all the same, I have to get to DADA." She gently extracted her arm from his grip, and skipped down the corridor, giggling.

Rule number one of pissing off a Malfoy, always be polite. That way, if they hire an assassin, it's not in retaliation.

As Ginny reached her destination, she slowed, a frown appearing. Remus had been gone since yesterday, and there was no guarantee that he'd ever be back. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing with all her heart for the impossible, before walking in, a cheery smile pasted on her face. She only just managed to stop it from falling when she saw Snape sitting at the teacher's desk.

She flopped into a seat next to her friend Colin Creevey, and her shoulders flumped, before a few hot tears slid down her cheeks. C

olin rubbed her shoulders comfortingly.

"He's not coming back." She whispered. "And neither is Adeline."

"Have faith, Ginny," Colin replied, his eyes large and trusting, "If you lose faith there's nothing worth living for."

"When you're finished." Snape snarled. "As I was saying before Miss Weasley and Creevey began their little hen night, Professor Lupin is away again." A slightly worried expression flitted across his face, before disappearing so quickly that none could be sure they'd even seen it. "So I will be teaching you once more. Now, today we will be learning about Sirens..."

Ginny tuned out, resting her head on her arms, and beginning to cry once more.

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Adeline ran blindly through the halls of Hogwarts, only stopping when she got to the bathroom where she'd first met the guy she loved.

She stripped off her dirty clothes almost frantically, and hopped into the bath which had magically began to fill itself in her distress.

She practically dove in, and washed her hair quickly, the water swirling around her.

The air smelt like daisies and sunshine, and she closed her eyes against the harsh light of the sun.

That was how Remus found her, floating in the water, her darkening hair spread around her face, which showed mixture of pleasure and pain.

He couldn't help but look at her. She looked so beautiful, so haunting, especially with the bruises on her face and body.

He blinked, when she sighed, and grabbed her towel, standing up, the water streaming from her body as she dried her face first.

She shook her head like a dog, and her hair flopped over her forehead, curling into ringlets that framed her face. Ada opened her eyes, and gasped, tripping over the edge of the tub, which she'd been about to get out of.

She fell directly into Remus' arms, the whole glorious length of her.

Remus staggered back slightly, although she was not heavy, he wasn't expecting her weight. He couldn't help himself; he ducked his head slightly, and captured Ada's mouth with his own.

Moments later, he pulled back. Ada hadn't responded, and yet, the kiss was still better than any other he'd had in his life. If her kisses were so powerful when she didn't respond, what would they be like if she did?

Ada raised her face to his, and the look in her eyes almost broke his heart. "Please," she whispered, "don't play with my heart like that. I can't take it..." A tear slowly made its way down her face.

"Don't cry, Ada," Remus said, wiping the tear away gently, "I can bear just about anything else, but I can't bear it when you cry." Merlin, he thought, being in love has turned me into a major cliché.

"Since when do you watch sappy movies?" Ada sniffed, a watery smile turning up her lips for a moment, before they fell again.

"I don't. Ever since you entered my life, you've turned it into a soapie." Remus joked. Ada's lip trembled, and he hastened on. "Ada, I love you." She opened her mouth, but he overrode her. "I think I loved you since the moment I walked in on you in my bathroom." He grinned at the memory. "You looked so beautiful lying there, like a mermaid or a Selkie. So alluring, and so out of my reach. I mean, I'm an old tired werewolf, and you're a young, beautiful, talented, smart, funny, nice, compassionate, saucy temptress. What chance would I have with you? And you saw me transform, and didn't kill me. You could have, you know. All you'd have needed to do was take that silver letter opener around your neck, and driven it through my heart. You would have been quite justified in doing so. I was a monster."

"No!" Ada cried, eyes wide, "That would be murder! You're a human being! And I would never kill anyone! Not even...ok...maybe Pettigrew..."

Remus smiled. "You see?" He said, "How could I not fall in love with you? And I do love you. I love everything about you.

"I love the way you twist your hair around your fingers when you're thinking, and the way you crinkle your nose when something confuses you. And I love the way your hair refuses to be controlled, and how it isn't red, nor is it brown, but somewhere in the middle. And I love how you jump to the defence of people that you don't even know. How you'll do anything to help your friends, and how you refuse to betray people even under pressure. And I love how resourceful you are, and how you can stay bright and happy and hopeful even after every last person has given up.

"I adore the way you try your hardest not to pry, and hate to upset or disappoint anyone. I adore the way you have thrown yourself into teaching students who you have every right to be afraid of, since they could hurt you should they wish to. I adore the way you don't see your abilities as a curse, but rather as a gift. I adore the way you try to understand even the most confusing of people, and how you are willing to give people second chances and be friends with them even if they are mean to you. And yet you don't take crap from anyone, and you will stand up for the underdog…as I already mentioned.
"I admire the way your skin glows, and how you treat house-elves with respect, rather than as servants. And I admire your modesty about your artistic talents.
"I adore the way you gave up your fear for me, to help me, and how, even after I could have killed you, you still want to be with me.

"And most of all, I love the way you are so oblivious to your own beauty, and while seeing beauty in all things around you, you cannot see it in yourself. I love you, Adeline Chandler, all of you, even the bits you don't like, I love them too, because they are what makes you...you."

Ada blushed, and tears spilled down her cheeks, as she smiled. "That is the nicest thing anyone ever said to me," She said in a choky voice, "And most likely the most saccharine. But it's still sweet, so I can forgive you. I love you too, Remus."

She seemed to rather suddenly become conscious of her attire...or lack thereof, and flushed even darker. "We've got to stop meeting like this. But...are you sure? Because if you want to take it back..."

Remus kissed her, pouring all his love, desire, and admiration into the brief caress. "I love you, and I plan to show you that every single day for the rest of our lives, starting now." He vowed.

Ada looked at him with hooded eyes, darkened with desire. "Well," She said, her lips curving into a slow smile, "I think we have a problem there."

"What?!"

"You're a little over-dressed for such an endeavour, don't you think Mr. Lupin?" Ada teased, giving him a rather disappointed once-over.

Remus grinned, pulling the shirt over his head. "I guess I'd better remedy that," He said, beginning to undo the trousers.

Myrtle slipped out of the room unnoticed. She had a heck of a lot of people, ghosts, and paintings to tell...

Finite