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Chapter 22

Ariana sat down in a comfortable arm chair while Remus fetched a glass of water for her. She gazed around his living room nervously as she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about. It must be important if he had hunted her down.

She smiled her thanks when he handed her the glass and drank deeply. She was acutely aware of the fact that he was watching her guardedly and it just added to the anxious feeling. What if he decided I'm not worth it, she thought in horror.

"Umm. Thanks for doing that for us Remus. That was very sweet of you. I think it added an element of closure. " She said as she shifted in her seat.

"Your welcome. I felt helpless watching you cry. Made me feel like my insides were being shredded." He answered as he continued to stand in front of her.

Remus watched as shifted again, plainly uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" He asked and slipped a finger under her chin to tilt her head back so he could meet her anxious blue eyes.

"You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about..." She prompted as she swallowed hard and looking absolutely terrified.

He laughed loudly as she watched him unsurely. "It's not that bad Ariana. Relax."

"Are you going to laugh all day or are you going to tell me what was so important you had to follow me to a grave yard?" She said with annoyance after a couple of minutes of continued mirth.

"I'm sorry." He replied as he tried to get a hold of himself.

"There. All better." He said, his gray eyes still twinkling merrily.

"Hmm." Was all she managed.

"Let's go to Madame Puddifoots." He said suddenly.

"Now?" She asked with surprise.

"Now."

"What about what you had to talk to me about?"

"We can talk about it over dinner." He coaxed.

"Ok." She said as he wrapped his arms around her and Disapparated for Hogsmeade.

When they were seated at their table in the fluffy pink restaurant Remus suddenly became all business. Gone was the laughing man of just a few minutes ago and was now replaced with a bundle of nerves.

"Remus? What's wrong with you? Are you ill?" She asked noticing how pale he'd gone in the last couple of minutes.

"No. I'm fine. Can we talk now?"

"Sure." She said.

Remus grabbed for her hand and began "Ariana, I'm..."

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Madame Puddifoot interrupted.

Remus dropped Ariana's hand and glared daggers at the kindly old witch. Great timing, he thought with irritation.

"Hot tea." Ariana said.

"Same." He said. "And I'm ready to order." He didn't want to be interrupted again.

Ariana looked surprised but went ahead and gave her order also.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" She asked.

But now that moment had passed. "I was going to tell you I'm glad you came."

Ariana looked puzzled but accepted it. "Me too." She said and reached for his hand to give assurance. It was obvious he was still worried that she was going to leave him.

"I'm pleased you got to meet my father." She continued, trying to start a conversation.

"I am too. It's obvious where you get your easy going personality from." He said as their drinks arrived. "He seems very nice."

"Thank you." She said.

"Remus? What did he say to you when he wanted to talk to you alone?" She asked curiously.

"He told me to quit blaming myself for his death and to move on." He said telling her the partial truth. Ariana squeezed his hand gently and looked at him with softly empathetic eyes.

"And he told me to take good care of you." Remus added.

"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for seventeen years now." She said indignantly.

"I just think he doesn't want you to be alone anymore."

Madame Puddifoot returned with their meals and they lapsed into eating in silence.

"You're not angry are you?" Remus finally asked.

"No. I don't find the idea of you having take care of me bad at all. In fact, I rather like that thought." She said through a smile.

"Let's go dancing." He suggested quickly with a brilliant thought. I'll tell her when we're dancing, he told himself resolutely. Soft music, mood lighting. Perfect.

"Sure. This is just like our first date." She said.

Remus smiled and continued eating quickly, anxious to get to the pub. He waved Madame Puddifoot over so he could pay and in less than five minutes he was hurrying Ariana along a deserted street of Hogsmeade to the swing pub.

She was almost running to keep up with him and breathing rapidly as he ushered her in the door.

"Are we in a hurry for some reason?" She asked, panting, when they entered the dark pub.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly. "I couldn't wait to get you here."

She smiled and tugged him to the dance floor behind her and wrapped her arms around his neck, happy they were playing a slow song. She stretched up on tip toe and pressed a soft kiss his surprised lips. It was the first time she'd kissed him since she'd found out the truth and she realized how much she had missed it. And how much she had missed him.

Remus felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders when she kissed him. It was the first sign of her acceptance and he closed his eyes in excitement as he tugged her closer to his warm heat. She snuggled into his neck and pressed another kiss to the taunt cords there and felt him shudder.

"Ariana?" He said as he rocked rhythmically back and forth to the music.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"I'm in love with you." He finally answered and waited with baited breath.

"Oh Remus! I'm in love with you too." She said as she pulled away and looked into his searching eyes.

"Thanks Merlin." He said, obviously relieved. "I thought I'd ruined any chance of us."

"What?" She asked as the slow, soft music suddenly became very loud and the dance floor crowded.

Remus tried again but she shrugged her shoulders so he Apparated them back to his house.

"I said, I was afraid I'd ruined any chance of what we had."

"Ahh. Truthfully, I was absolutely miserable without you this week, despite all that I knew." She said. "Like there was something missing. Like I wasn't whole."

"I know just what you mean. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. All I could see was the look on your face. And it made me feel like shit." He replied as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"So we're going to be ok then?" She asked as she cried into his shoulder.

"Your dad told me to love you well. And dammit, that's what I'm going to do." Remus said fiercely before he pulled back and kissed her passionately until they were both breathless.

He brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheek to erase her tears and listened to her soft sigh as she turned into his palm.

"I love you Remus." She said as she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.

"I love you too Ariana." He replied as he sat down on the sofa and tugged her into his lap.

"Do you think we should tell Dumbledore?" She giggled as he pressed kisses to her neck.

"Later." He mumbled through nibbles.

"What happens now?" She asked as she pulled away slightly, looking concerned.

"We live happily ever after. Isn't that how the story goes?" He answered as he pulled her back.

"Happily ever after huh? I think I can handle that." She said through a smile as she allowed herself to be tugged back into his welcome embrace. Funny how things end and begin and just work themselves out, she thought as she melted into another hot kiss.

That's it. That was the last chapter. This story is over. (Tearful sobbing)

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I hope to see you all on the next one!

Hippie