"Cheers!"
The five students were gathered around a table at the Leaky Cauldron, drinking to the end of a very long summer and the impending beginning of their final year at Hogwarts.
"I can't believe we're almost done with school! It seems like I've just joined," said Minette, who was sitting in the corner next to Remus and nursing a White Russian.
"You did just join," Lily pointed out giggling.
"Oh, right," Minette looked put out for a moment, but then began giggling, too, her cheeks slightly pink.
"A'right, a'right, a toast!" Sirius shouted suddently, springing up from his seat, firewhiskey in hand. "To the besht of friends and the greatest that Hogwarts'll ever see, at that!"
"'Till our kids're all here, at least!" James interjected, jumping up, himself, next to Sirius and throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders. Lily blushed, but raised up her Gillywater in the toast, nonetheless.
"Hear, hear!" the rest of them cheered, each throwing back a swig of their own drinks. They sat and continued talking and laughing for the evening before leaving the table and heading up to their rooms again.
They had decided to stay the last few nights of summer holiday together in the Leaky Cauldron to enjoy the end of summer together and to get all of their new school supplies. Besides, Sirius had pointed out they were spending every evening together anyway ever since they had all come together for Remus, and no one had anything better to do with the days, really. Sirius was staying with James, who also had had Lily for a houseguest since the beginning of August, and, of course, Remus had been staying with Minette and Mr. Espoir since his father's death. None of them had seen Peter at all since the start of the summer until Sirius and James had taken Sirius' motorbike a few weeks ago to surprise Peter. They'd only caught him briefly, as his mother had shooed them away, insisting that Peter was sick and very contagious and needed his rest.
Minette and Remus parted with the other three at the bottom of the staircase that lead up to the rooms and were soon strolling down Diagon Alley, the hazy twilight around them signaling the ending day. Several of the shops were starting to close down, and it seemed that only couples were left wandering down the cobbled lane. Minette sighed and rested her head on Remus' shoulder.
"It's such a lovely evening," Minette murmured happily.
"Mmm," Remus agreed. "I wish we didn't have to end this and go back to school and all."
"Too true. It's so nice, just being like this, you know?" Minette said, stifling a yawn.
"I wish it could just stay this way."
Minette stopped walking and stiffened a bit, and her hold on Remus' arm caused him to stop, as well.
"What is it?" Remus asked concernedly.
"Did you mean that?" Minette said rather quickly.
"What?"
"That you wish…that we could stay this way?"
"Yes, I suppose," Remus replied, startled. "What are you getting at?" Minette spun around to face Remus and took his hands, looking resolutely into his eyes.
"Marry me."
"What?" Remus asked, his eyes widening as he took a small, involuntary step backwards. He didn't know what he had expected Minette to say, but it certainly was not that.
"You heard me. Marry me, Remus, please." Minette was still staring into his eyes with a kind of soft firmness that made Remus want to say yes, yes, a thousand times, yes and kiss her and whisk her away to some mansion where they could live forever and ever. Unfortunately Remus' brain did not allow him this kind of impulsiveness, and rationality caught up with him.
"We-we can't," Remus gasped. "There're the laws against, remember? I'm a werewolf?"
"Who cares? So…so maybe we won't be officially married. We'll just have the ceremony and say we're married and who will argue with us?" Minette stepped forward toward Remus.
"There's a war on, you know!" Remus yelped frantically.
"Exactly! Who knows how long we have left together… and I want to spend all the time I can with you."
"But we're still in school!" Remus flailed, stepping back again. "When…How…?"
"We can wait until we're out of school! I can wait a year or two or three… I just want to be with you." Another step forward.
"Are you sure? I'm poor," Remus said bluntly. Another step backwards. "I'm dangerous. Wouldn't you want-"
"No, I wouldn't. I want you, Remus! I don't care if you're poor, don't be ridiculous. You're the person I want to marry, exactly the way you are. Unless you just don't want to marry me…" Minette's face fell. She took a step backwards, away from Remus. Remus rushed towards Minette and did kiss her this time, taking her tightly in his arms and twirling the two of them about.
"Of course I want to marry you," Remus murmured softly, pressing his forehead against Minette's. "I just- I just wanted to make sure, that's all. I don't get too many good things in my life, so I try not to mess up the ones I do have." Minette kissed Remus and returned his embrace.
"Don't try so hard."
"Ooh- I- this- I can't believe we're engaged!"
Minette and Remus were heading back up to their rooms now, and Minette was practically jumping up and down from ecstasy. Remus, sharing in his part of the happiness, too, was keeping a tight grip around Minette's waist and had whirled her around to kiss her at random several times already. Both of them were smiling like the giddy fools they were.
"I love you, Minette," Remus said for perhaps the hundredth time in the past fifteen minutes, kissing her on the side of her head.
"I love you, too, Remus," Minette said contentedly, relazing and leaning her head against Remus' shoulder. After just a few moments, though, she sprang back to life again. "Oh! I must tell my father! I'll owl him- no, that's too impersonal, of course- I'll floo him!"
As they reached the room, Minette rushed in and fell back onto her bed. Her cheeks were tinged pink and her whole face seemed to be flushed. She seemed to have been bursting with energy and joy as they were walking back, but now she was lying unmoving on the bed with her arms thrown straight out and her eyes closed. Her chest was still rising and falling rapidly, though, and that smile was surely set into her face for life. There seemed to be a glow about her at this moment that had penetrated even Remus and that sheer bliss that he always seemed to feel whenever Minette was happy had filled Remus to the brim so he thought he must be glowing, too. Remus sat down on the bed beside her and put his hand on hers. She immediately sat up again and beamed at Remus.
"I'll floo Dad, then!" Minette said, rising to her feet.
"Right. I should tell the others," Remus added rather absently as he stood up, as well.
"Of course! Yes!" Minette babbled, as if she'd only just remembered them. "You should tell them! I'll come and join you, then, when I'm done!"
And with that, Minette pecked Remus on the cheek one last time, did a sort of floppy pirouette, and fluttered from the room. Remus blinked, took a deep breath, and followed suit, smiling athat he always seemed to feel whenever Minette was happy had filled Remus to the brim so he thought he must be glowing, too.
Here's a nice happy chapter I know you all have been wanting! This is a big moment in the story, obviously, and I wanted to get it perfect, so…I hope you like it. I really wanted it to end after the first break, but I couldn't bear to put up a chapter with only 800-some words in it, so I included that end bit, as well.
Looking back, actually, it seems that all of the chapters with major Remus-Minette moments have been the shortest ones coughChapters8through10cough. So…sorry about that, I didn't know I was doing it!
In other news, this is officially the longest author's note ever, so I hope you liked it and don't forget to leave a review! Reviews tend to inspire me to write, though you may not be able to tell judging from the dates because hpff takes two weeks to get a chapter up. Anyway, really, I hope you're liking the story still!
