A Furry Little Problem

( AKA ; Remus Lupin )

( The title, might I add, has almost naught to do with the story ..

Anyway .. )

The Present

Her apartment was a mess, but she didn't notice. Her hair was a mess but she didn't care. Her friends continuously banged on her door, but she didn't hear. Her tears blotched the paper but she didn't see.

All she could see were photos of Remus. All she cared about was the fight they had over a month ago. All she heard was his voice telling her it was over. All she noticed was that she missed him more than words could ever describe.

And she hurt. For him, for her, and for what once was.

The Memory

"Remus, we've been together since sixth year, why does being a werewolf matter to you now?" She stood in front of him in his dining room, hands on hips, almost-black eyes glittering with rage. Her boyfriend of five years sighed, running a weary hand through his dark hair, his amber eyes tired. "Why? Do you really need to ask that Shenavyre? You know damned well why."

"No I bloody well don't! I wouldn't waste my breath if I knew the answer, you prat! Answer me, Lupin!" Shenavyre exploded, her rage consuming the air around them, almost alive in its existence. Remus took his time, taking a deep breath before replying, "Because, Vasforth, I almost killed you last full moon. I don't want to endanger you ever again." His voice was soft, almost a whisper. Her heart stopped suddenly as she realized the finality of his sentence. "Remmy .. Remus .. Please .. Don't do this to yourself. To me. To us." Stepping towards him, Shen took hold of his hands, so cold, "What happened that night was my fault. I should have remembered it was the full moon, but I didn't. In my worry, I .. I forgot." Glancing up into his eyes, she saw the immense pain stored inside him. "I'm sorry, but please don't do what I think you're going to do."

The desperation in her eyes tore at his heart, but his decision held firm, "I'm sorry too, Shen. But .. I can't live like this, wondering if next full moon .." He looked away, unable to finish the sentence. She squeezed his hands gently, "It won't happen again, ever! I promise!"

Despair thickened his voice, "How do you know that? You can't promise me something that can be broken in an instant, with no second thought!" He turned his face to her and saw the tears trailing down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, Shenavyre. Babe .." His hand reached up and caressed her cheek, "It's over."

A sob caught in her throat and she tore herself away from him, trying not to break down completely, "No! No, Remus! You can't end it just like that! You can't!" She stared about wildly, desperately, trying to stay afloat as her emotions threatened to drown her.

Remus slowly strode to his font door and opened it, his eyes never leaving hers, "Goodbye Shenavyre." Realizing that he meant what he said, she stalked to the door, then turned to him. "I don't know how you can throw our relationship away so easily. Goodbye Remus." She walked away, out of his life. Forever. Closing the door behind her, he slid to the ground, finally letting the tears fall, and he whispered, "It wasn't easy. Trust me."

Walking down the street, away from his house, and the memories, Shenavyre apparated into her bedroom. The first thing her eyes fell upon was a photo of her and Remus at graduation from Hogwarts. They looked so in love .. A sob escaped her and she picked up the photo frame, hurling it at the wardrobe. Glass shattered on the floor, unnoticed by her as she collapsed onto her bed and sobbed herself to an uneasy sleep.

The Present – Again,

A hand slapped her hard across the face, bringing her crashing back to reality. An apologetic face swam into view, "Sirius?" She asked groggily, blinking up at him. He smiled softly, "Sorry 'bout the slap, Shen but you were so far out of it .. We were worried."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, "Who's 'we'?"

Sirius' dark eyes stared at her for a moment, unbelieving, "Me, Liv, Lily .. Even James was starting to get worried, and that's saying something." That brought a reluctant grin to her face.

"Hey! I'm a caring person!" A defiant voice replied as an invisible person shoved Sirius aside.

"Hi James .." Shenavyre turned to look at him, smiling. James studied her for a long while and was starting to make Shen feel uncomfortable when he commented rather untactfully, "You look almost as bad as Remus."

Smack!

"Ow! What was that for?" Prongs complained glaring at Sirius balefully.

"For bringing up Remus, turdface. No wonder Lily didn't like you, you have no tact." As the two boys began to bicker like an old married couple, Shenavyre saw herself in a dusty mirror and grimaced, realizing how badly she appeared.

"Guys, I'm going to shower."

Drying her long hair with a fluffy pink towel, Shenavyre walked over to her lounge room where Sirius and James sat drinking Fire Whiskey and discussing Lily.

"Can you believe she wants to have a baby already? I mean .. We haven't been married that long!" He ran a hand through his already-ruffled hair and scowled, "Plus, she keeps thinking of the stupidest names. Who'd name their kid Nyphadora or Barnaby? I say, if we ever have a child and it's a boy, he should be named Harry. It's like James, really. Normal, dependable.."

Sirius cut into his ramble, "Uh .. James? What kind of name is Harry? It's sooo boring!"

Before the two started another argument over baby names, Shenavyre coughed quietly, "Uh, guys? Weren't you here to talk to me about Remus?"

Padfoots and Prongs grinned innocently. Well, as innocently as those two could, at her and patted the seat in between them. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she sat in the middle of lounge.

"So .. Dahhhlink," Sirius began in a feminine voice, "About Remmykins.."

James took over, again with the untactfulness, "He's in hell. Dahhlink, seriously."

Scowling over her shoulder, Sirius smacked James on the head, "Stop copying me!"

"I didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Guys!"

A hand smacked the back of both Marauders on the head, "About Remus?"

James pouted rather prettily, "You're so mean, Shenavyre, we come to help you and you just smack us."

Her hand raised again threateningly, "Maybe if you two stopped with the bickering and got on with it, I wouldn't feel the need to hit you."

Rolling his eyes, Sirius began again, "Look .. Shen .. After Remus broke it off with you, he got majorly depressed, like you. Even on the full moon, all he did was mope around. It's pitiful really."

"We tried to get him to come talk to you but he told us to piss off," James continued, finally calming down, Then .. When we didn't leave, he threw us out. Spoilsport."

Shenavyre sighed, "So, if he feels so horrible, then why doesn't he come see me?"

"Ego, maybe?" Sirius offered, shrugging.

James frowned, "What ego? I reckon he's just a wuss."

Coughing again, Shen looked at the two, "Right you two, out. I need to think."

"Haven't you done enough of that already?"

She growled.

The two Marauders headed out the door, grumbling, "If we get kicked out from peoples houses fro trying to help, I reckon we should stop trying."

"Well, I reckon we should sew your mouth shut."

The door slammed behind them, muffling their voices, leaving Shenavyre to consider what to do about Remus.

/her long black hair whipped around her in the wind and she wrapped her coat tighter around her slim body. She had been standing outside Remus' house for the past five minutes, trying to work up the courage to knock. A pale, shaking fist finally lifted and rapped on the dark mahogany door lightly but insistently. Footsteps were heard from inside, nearing the door and a males voice muttering to himself incoherently. Shenavyre stopped knocking at once and licked her lips nervously. What if he rejected her?

The door was yanked open and an annoyed voice was saying loudly, "No, James, I will not – " The rest of the sentence died away as Remus laid his eyes upon the girl on his doorstep. The both openly examined the other, seeing how the had fared.

Shenavyre saw disheveled hair – was there gray there? – lines that weren't there before on his face, red, puffy eyes and tatty, worn and dirty clothing. She also saw the love of her life, At his worst, of course.

Remus saw beauty. He didn't see the eyes red from crying, or the fidgeting hands, or even the bad choice of clothing she wore. Instead he saw the luscious black hair falling in waves down her back, almond-shaped chocolate eyes that reflected every emotion she felt, clear alabaster skin that seemed to almost shine, and he saw .. The missing piece of the puzzle called his life. The woman he wanted to be with forever.

With a cry, Shenavyre collapsed into his open and loving arms, "I'm sorry, Remus! I should have come sooner!" Her head rested against his chest as she cried. Tears were sliding down his cheeks as well, as he held her to him, kissing the top of her head, so exhilarated. "No, Shenavyre, I'm the one who should apologise. I was scared for your safety, so I broke it off. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done, letting you walk out of my life." Gently he pulled back and took her hand, "Come inside, its cold out here." She nodded ever so slightly and followed him into the familiar house, allowing a small smile to form on her lips. As they sat down on his worn-out couch and they snuggled up to another, she murmured cheekily, "So does this mean we're back together?" Both Remus and Shenavyre laughed quietly at that, and suddenly fell silent, their thoughts distracting them, while they held each other.

"Hey Remus!" A voice yelled over the slam of his front door being kicked open, "We've come to kidnap you and re-unite you with … " James and Sirius burst into the room and skidded to a halt at the scene they'd inruded upon. Remus cocked an eyebrow, "Thanks guys, but as you can see, you're a tad late." The grin fell from James' face and Sirius congratulated the two, "Knew you'd work it out."

Shenavyre beamed brilliantly at the guys and just wriggled closer to her boyfriend. The last thing she heard before tuning out to the conversation was James commenting sulkily, "I really wanted to kidnap you, too .."