A/N: Thanks to my new reviewer, Kerichi. I'm glad you are reading the fic, even if you are a little confused at times. I'm sorry if things seem to happen so suddenly; the story is only about 20 chapters long. I chose the name Potak because I needed a Jewish surname and the first one that caught my eye was Potak, the man who wrote The Chosen. Although Celeste is obviously the star of the story, this HP prequel is really all about Severus. you will see much more of him in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for reviewing!
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Remus woke early Sunday morning and sat in bed waiting for Sirius to wake, thinking. He had decided to tell Sirius how he felt about Celeste. He felt a bit cruel, springing this on his friend only two days after Sirius had been dumped, but it occurred to Remus that even a month from now it would be just as hard, so perhaps today was as good a time as any. James and Sirius were planning to take their brooms out for a ride before breakfast and Remus figured that if Sirius took the news badly, at least he would be able to let out his frustration in the air.
Tired of just sitting and waiting for Sirius to wake up, Remus dressed and went down to wait in the common room. He decided that after his talk with Sirius he would find Celeste, he knew from the Marauder's map that she had spent the night in her mother's chambers, he would try to meet her on her way back. What he would say to her, well Remus wasn't quite sure. He knew he loved her, he should probably tell her that, he just wasn't sure how. Usually Remus could say anything and everything to Celeste, but he wasn't sure confessing his feelings for her would come out the way he would like.
Remus spent almost an hour waiting in the common room, insides tied in tiny knots, before James and Sirius, still yawning, stumbled down the stairs from their dormitory and into the common room.
"Morning, Moony," said James, ruffling his hair although there was no need, it was standing up all over the place.
"Morning, James," said Remus. "Sirius, mind if I have a word with you before you go down to the quidditch pitch?"
Sirius nodded in agreement and sank down onto a couch while James went ahead to get the brooms, leaving the two friends alone in the empty common room.
Remus struggled to find the right words to begin while Sirius dozed on the couch. Finally, he was ready.
"Sirius," he said, "I'm not real sure how to tell you this, but I think you ought to know, I care about Celeste a lot. In fact, I love her."
Sirius, whose head had been lolling on the arm of the couch, jerked wide-awake.
"You what?" he exclaimed, looking at Remus in surprise.
"I love her," said Remus, very seriously. "And I mean to tell her so today. I've cared about her for a long time, when you asked her out I figured that I should just ignore how I felt, maybe she cared for you more than she could care for me. But now, Sirius I don't want to hurt you, that's the last thing I would ever want to do, but I love her and I have to tell her so."
He stopped waiting for Sirius to respond. At first Sirius just sat there, staring at Remus in surprise, then suddenly he grinned.
"Why," he said, almost laughing, "that's great! I mean, you and Celeste, wow. I, well, if she doesn't want me I can't think of anyone else who might deserve her. Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Remus was pleased, though slightly surprised, to see Sirius taking the news so well. He pointed out to Sirius that he hadn't yet told Celeste and that there was no way of knowing if she would be so pleased.
"Who knows," said Remus,"prehaps we'll both be mourning our loss together."
Sirius, however, was convinced that Celeste would be very pleased to know how Remus felt, and he left the common room to join James in a much better mood than he had been in since Friday. Who could have guessed that finding out one of his best friends was in love with his ex would do him so much good? Remus, feeling extremely relieved, sank onto the couch Sirius had just vacated, and instantly fell asleep.
-
At the time Remus was falling asleep on the couch in the common room, Celeste was waking up on the couch in her mother's apartment. Sitting up and spotting her finished Potions essay on the table, Celeste breathed a sigh of relief.
At least that's finished, she thought.
"Good morning, Celeste," said Minerva, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. "Are you going to stay for breakfast?"
"Morning," yawned Celeste. "Yes, I think I'll stay."
While her mother summoned up some eggs, bacon, toast, and juice, Celeste told her of her recent split with Sirius. Minerva pursed her lips as she listened, but she agreed with James's advice.
"I think its best to just give him some time," she said, when Celeste had finished. "You see, I believe he cared more for you than you ever cared for him, you, er, have someone else in mind I believe?"
Celeste sighed, how did she know these things? "Well yes," she answered. "I've finally come to realize that I love Remus more than a friend, he always has been a friend, and a good one. I just hope he feels the same way."
Minerva smiled into her coffee cup. She wasn't exactly blind. She had noticed the way Remus Lupin looked at Celeste, if that wasn't love...But she didn't say this to Celeste, no, it was best to let the two of them work things out. Minerva merely wondered how young Sirius Black would take the news.
-
She needn't have worried. Sirius Black was at that moment flying about the quidditch pitch, wind blowing through his long black hair, imagining what the kids of Celeste and Remus would look like, and if one would be named after him.