Knock-knock.
Two raps to let the residents of the house in front of him know that he was here. Remus straightened himself and ran a hand through his hair. Dressed in a pair of slacks and blue shirt he toyed with the flowers in his other hand. The bouquet of Tulips in his hand was just something he had picked up last minute to distract himself from going crazy with nervousness.
The door opened a few moments later to reveal Sirius who sported a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Well well. Look who cleaned up," his friend said stepping aside to let Remus in. "Padfoot," he said in a no-nonsense voice.
"Finally doing it aren't you guys. Took you long enough," he commented while Remus stood in the small dingy hallway. Sirius almost felt sorry for his best friend. He looked extremely nervous.
Sirius had spent a good part of the last week fielding unannounced visits from Remus at his new job at Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. Moony would show up during lunchtime asking him about date ideas until Sirius had finally snapped one day and told him to keep it simple. Remus had left without a word after that, so he really didn't know what his friend had planned in the end.
"Where is she?" Remus peeked around the ground floor trying to spot her and relieved when she didn't show up immediately. It gave him a few extra seconds to prepare himself for the evening.
What if she hated it?
He only got one second chance at this. He did not want to start it off by taking her on a date of horrors.
"Almost ready. You're early," Sirius said when Remus turned to look at him with a concerned expression. "Don't worry about it. You'll be fine," he tried to go the encouraging route.
"It seems you forget that I'm not you. I don't sweep beautiful women off their feet with scandalous promises," Remus retorted. "No, but you're better. Not to mention this one's already in love with you," Sirius said making him hold back a small smile at the corner of his lips.
"He's right about that," Emma interrupted them before Remus could get in another word.
Stopping in his tracks he looked up to see her descending down the stairs. It was only yesterday that an almost identical vision had led them to go at it in Sirius' hidden balcony for the very first time. Remus' face must have betrayed the same because Emma saw the look on his face and smiled knowingly as if reading his mind.
Her snug red dress showed how she had filled out in the last month and a half since the war had ended. Pregnancy on track, the dress did well to show the swell of her belly making Remus secretly beam in pride that it was his child in there. Her eyes darted between Remus and Sirius shyly before looking at the bouquet in Remus' hands.
He held it out for her to take as she reached the bottom. "For you," he said and she took it, smelling it up close.
"You remembered," she made a quick stop to put them in a vase on the dining table with an Aguamenti charm. She looked at him properly. He looked neater than usual, not that it mattered to her otherwise. He had trimmed his beard down a lot too. She knew he did it for her. She loved how it felt when his stubble prickled the sides of her mouth..and her thighs when he..
"Okay! Off you go- before you two start ripping off each other's clothes in public spaces of my house like always," with one hand on both their backs, Sirius pushed them towards the door. Now standing outside the door, she held his hand and squeezed it- a small gesture of her excitement.
"Have her back by eleven," Sirius winked. "You know unless you two start practicing for the little devil's sibling," he added.
Emma bit down on her lip and she looked at Remus who turned red and was trying to stammer out words when she decided to interject for the sake of his sanity.
"That's not the kind of pep talk you give when seeing off someone on a date," she rebuked.
"What kind of Godfather would I be if I didn't?" Sirius pouted as he stood looking at his best friend and soon to be wife.
They weren't engaged yet. They were far from it. But Sirius just knew. Don't ask him how but he did. It was the same intuition he had when he had to keep James' spirits up each time Lily scowled at him. Harry was proof of Sirius' knack for spotting these things.
Rolling her eyes, she pulled Remus away and he led her to their usual apparition spot wordlessly.
"Ready, love?" he asked her softly once they were positioned. Emma blushed and nodded. She didn't know why her heart was speeding like a Firebolt. This wasn't the first time they were going to be alone. But this was their first date.
With a crack! they were no more outside the steps of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. When Emma opened her eyes again, swaying a little on her feet but Remus held her steady.
"Sorry. I know apparating makes you nauseous. The floo at my new place wasn't set up yet," he explained sheepishly.
She turned to the left and saw a cottage. It resembled Shell cottage a bit on the outside with the exception of large French windows and the fact that it was brown.
"I err decided to keep it simple. I wasn't sure what smells might set you off in a restaurant, so I thought we'd stay in," he said indicating to his new home. His shiny new Order of the Merlin First Class had opened up some doors when it came to finding his own place after the war. With the help of his father's connections, he had been able to buy this cottage for them. But he wouldn't tell her that part yet.
"I hope that's fine with you?" he added as an afterthought. She raised her eyebrows impressed. She knew he could cook. She just hadn't seen it first-hand. She gave him a reassuring smile, "It's perfect."
Just like you, Remus thought. He was having a hard time not pulling her into his arms right away. But he couldn't screw this up by being rash. He led her in hoping she wouldn't bolt at the first sign of his cooking. Entering the cottage, the smell of fresh-baked bread hit her first making her mouth water on the spot. Although looking at Remus as he was had already done half the trick of making her mouth water. Bot for food though.
"I like it. It's home-y," she said taking in the interior. There was a small sofa and an armchair in the tiny living room along with an adjacent room that looked like the dining. Everything was beige other than the furniture which was clearly from pawn shops in Diagon Alley.
"I'm glad. There's an extra room at the top. I thought it could be a nursery for the baby," she smiled when Remus said that.
"Not that I'm presuming anything. You know in case you were ever busy at work or needed extra help. I thought a nice little room might be-"
"Remus it's fine. It's actually a great idea," she put an arm on his shoulder to stop him from rambling further. She liked the cute nervous side of him. Usually it was her who went crazy like that when Remus made bedroom eyes at her.
"Speaking off.." she trailed off. "How's your new job at the Ministry?" She looked at him.
"Still settling in. Some people still find it hard to adjust- I think not just to post-war but also having someone like me in their midst," he admitted averting his gaze.
"They'd be fools to think they could find a better Auror. Well other than Harry perhaps," she said lightly. She followed him to the kitchen where the food was just finishing being cooked.
"You forget that I was the one who taught Harry in his best year," Remus said as he took out the bread from the oven. She went to charm the remaining food on to the dining table. First date or not, he didn't need to tell her anything. She helped as always. He was just thrilled that she felt comfortable enough to do so in his house. It gave him hope.
"How could I Professor?" she purred softly standing in front of him as he finished putting the bread on the table and setting the plates. She had him wedged between his dining table and herself. He didn't bother moving her. His eyes darkened as he saw the look in her eyes.
"Emma," he said raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She hummed in response and closed her eyes at the contact.
"You know I'm trying to do right by you, but you make it so damn hard," he murmured gently moving to lift her chin up and make her look at him. Without saying anything she raised her face a little more to press her lips against his and he curled an arm around her waist and pulled in.
With soft kisses, he took care to take it slow, tasting every bit of decaf coffee on her. He nipped her lower lip making her gasp and he slid his tongue in. She pressed herself against him, as much as she physically could and rubbed against him. He groaned at the contact and stopped coming to his senses when his now painful erection twitched. He was the first to break away.
"Dinner," he said with finality in his tone and she sighed and placed her head on his chest for a few moments. "One day we're going to go through this fantasy of mine," she said also with a sense of finality in her voice.
"Trust me when I say that it's not just yours," he said pressing into her to show her the effect she had on him. "But right now. We need to feed you and the baby," he pulled out a chair and she sat down. He took the seat next to her and they were munching on Italian pasta and fresh cheese focaccia soon.
Dinner was a light affair. She caught him up on her re-institution at the ministry but in a different department from where she once worked. She now worked with Arthur on raids but after the baby was born, they would put her on office duty for a few months assessing muggle artefacts.
Every now and then their knees would brush lightly, they would look at each other and smile like teenagers sending love notes in class. At one point, Remus reached his hand out to hold hers which she did during dessert.
All things considered, Emma loved the comfort of spending quality time with him without thinking of anything beyond the walls of his cottage. Which is why when the night was over, they found themselves sitting on his sofa with a blanket drawn up to her waist while she leaned back against Remus.
"I had a wonderful time today," she said leaning her head back on his chest. He pulled up the blanket that kept slipping down.
"Does that mean I get a second date?" he asked.
"Maybe even a third and a fourth," she teased. He kissed the spot below her ear on the neck at the announcement. He took this as the perfect chance to say what he had been rehearsing in his head all night..and for the last week in front of Sirius.
"I'd love nothing more. I'll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I want to be there for you if I have to. I'm not leaving your side."
Emma's heart leapt in her chest as she tried to calm herself at his admission. She had come around to the idea that maybe he did want her too.
Before she could reply they heard a crash outside making them get up instantly on alert. Warily they walked outside, with Remus ahead of Emma keeping her body shielded by his.
"Sirius?" Emma asked in disbelief at the sight in front of her. The man had grey sweats on and one leg stuck to a piece of newspaper which he was trying to shake off vigorously with his foot.
"It's 11.30. You're late. I got worried," he slurred if only slightly. "And you thought of coming to save me while drunk," she said crossing her arms over her chest. "It's the dedicated Godfather service you signed up for, love," he said as Remus went to help him stand straight and mumbled something about the miracle of not being splinched.
Remus and Emma shared an amused look between them. Perhaps they could start practicing for the baby by handling the one in front of them.