Shake It Off

"What happened? Where the hell were you?!" Sirius asked as Emma got back. "Not now Sirius," she gritted through her teeth and stormed into the living room.

Remus wasn't there.

"Where is he?" she asked walked around the ground floor of the house peeking into different rooms.

"Not back yet. That's all I know," she looked at Sirius as if she was about to punch him for what Remus had done. "A-although he went back out not even five minutes after he returned," Sirius added quickly. Sirius had seen how Emma handled Doxies that pissed her off. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of her hexes.

"Now, do you want to tell me what happened?" Sirius tried to ask her calmly.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?! I'm sure he'd love to tell you how it all went down. What a jolly good addition it will be to the infamous Marauders' escapades!" she stormed up to her room in a huff.

Sirius stood there confused as to what he had done wrong. "Women," he muttered before deciding not to press any further. He went back to finish his dinner. This had to be one of the weirder evenings. He didn't question where they went- or even care that they did. A little heads up would've been nice though. Would've helped him avoid a full-blown panic search of the house for its remaining two residents.

Two hours later they heard the front door open. Emma looked down into the hallway and saw Remus walk in. She could smell the alcohol on him from where she stood. "What the hell was? Is this some joke to you?" Emma was at the bottom of the stairs blocking Remus from going up.

"Not now. We'll talk about this later," he grumbled in response avoiding eye contact. By now Sirius was out as well and quick to support a stumbling Remus up the stairs.

But the later never came.

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"What is his problem?" Emma asked Sirius one day after the full moon had passed. She had hoped that maybe after the full moon and his hormones calmed down it would be fine. But Remus still hadn't let up.

Sirius just shrugged in response. He was just as clueless too.

Every time Emma entered a room, Remus made some excuse and left. It's as if suddenly he couldn't physically be in the same room as her. And every time he did that Emma's heart sunk a little, although a few days later, she felt herself get more annoyed instead.

Three days later Emma stopped trying to talk to him.

If he wanted to be this way. Fine. She wasn't going to let it affect her. She finally had an assignment of helping keep an eye out at muggle stores as a temporary employee. That was enough to keep her distracted.

The kids were about to return in a week for their Christmas break and she and Molly had to prepare for the Christmas party as well this year.

Plenty to keep me distracted, she thought.

ϟ

It had been a difficult few weeks for Remus. Firstly, after that kiss, Remus had wanted nothing more than to grab Emma and have his way with her every time he saw her. He figured it was probably the full moon. So he avoided her like the plague.

However, even after the full moon, all he could think of was Emma running her hands through his hair. Yes, she never did that the first time they kissed. But he liked to imagine how it would feel.

Which is why he still found himself avoiding her still. Moony certainly wasn't making it easy on him. But then suddenly she stopped trying to talk to him. And he felt his stomach drop when she wouldn't look up when he entered a room anymore. Usually she would try to catch his eye and get him to talk about Hyde Park.

But then she became busy.

Muggle store assignment, laughing at Sirius' jokes, keeping Molly company, helping Sirius clean the house, Shopping for the kids, snorting at Sirius' stupid antics…Remus frowned.

Sirius wouldn't, he thought. In fact, Sirius had tried to get him to talk as well. Initially Remus suspected that Emma had put Sirius up to this task which is why Remus had kept mum. But now all he saw was them chatting up each other.

It's like I'm digging my own grave here.

He heard Molly and Emma come back from their Christmas shopping as he was walking downstairs to hopefully scour the kitchen for dinner.

"Moony," Sirius who was at the dining table, gave him a curt nod which Remus returned. Remus hadn't even touched on the whole, she knows about my condition situation. He really needed to talk to Sirius.

"Remus dear! I just keep missing you, don't I? How've you been?" Molly exclaimed as she Remus. Replying that he was fine, he went to help Molly put some bags in the dining room. He was about to offer to pick up one of Emma's bags too when she whooshed past him, bumping into his shoulder and not looking back.

As Remus turned to watch her walk without even flinching, he saw Sirius wince at what had just happened. Remus sighed as he put the bags next to Sirius.

"Emma, I'm going to put some dinner on for the five of us- Arthur will be coming in a bit. You'll join us, of course won't you?"

"Sorry Molly, you better make that four. Those pastry puffs at the bakery really filled me up," Emma gave Molly an apologetic smile. Remus suspected that wasn't the reason though.

"Come on love. I haven't seen you refuse Molly's cooking in all the months you've been here. Sit with us, it'll be like before" Sirius said. He was really trying to ease the tension which Molly seemed oblivious to.

Remus glared at Sirius at the mention of calling her love. Yes, that was how Sirius talked to most women in the Order. It still bothered Remus though.

"I'm fine Sirius. Don't think I could handle the before," Remus heard Emma mutter under her breath as she went back to hide in her room upstairs not to be seen again that night.