Seventh Year
Remus paced in the Gryffindor Common Room. Althea was going to be released from the Hospital Wing today, and he was a little nervous. She had been attacked and he didn't know how quickly she would be able to get over that. It's Althea, Remus reminded himself, she's tough and she's strong. There is no need to worry about her. She'll be fine. She's got all of Gryffindor standing behind her to support her against those slimy gits that call themselves Slytherins.
Sirius snorted, "Careful Moony, you're going to wear a hole in the floor." Remus didn't cease his pacing. "Why are you so worried, Moony?"
"I don't know," Remus mumbled, running a hand through his sandy hair. "I just…I don't know!"
Sirius smiled slyly, "I know why." Remus halted his pacing looking at one of his closest friends in confusion. "You're in love with her," Sirius said.
Remus's eyes widened. "No, no I am not in love with her, Sirius. We're just good friends, but I am not in love with her!"
"Then why else would you be so worried, and pacing so much?" Sirius questioned. He sighed, "Moony, I've never been in love myself, but I've seen how Prongs acts around Evans, and you are behaving in the exact same way. If Evans had gotten hurt how would Prongs be reacting?"
"Pacing," Remus mumbled, looking down at the ground in embarrassment.
"Yeah, and he'd be so worried but he wouldn't be able to tell us exactly why he was worried. Face it Moony, you're in love with her."
In a daze, Remus sat down on the couch beside Sirius. Could he really be in love with Althea? She was fantastic and intelligent, and beautiful, but he had never really thought of her in that light. Or had he? He remembered that day in Hogsmeade when Lily had told them she wouldn't want to interrupt their date, and how everything after that had been awkward between the two of them. Maybe it was then that he first started to have feelings for her. To be honest, Remus wasn't quite sure but he had to admit that Sirius did have a point and that the revelation wasn't quite as shocking as he would have expected it to be. It only took her being tortured for Remus to realize it.
"I can't be with her though Sirius," Remus murmured hoarsely staring at the flames in the fireplace. "I'm a werewolf."
"She knows that, and she's shown that she doesn't care. She still wants to be your friend Remmy," Sirius reminded him. "Honestly, I doubt she would care if the two of you were to start dating. Mate, she's head over heels for you."
"It doesn't matter, I can't be with her. I'm a werewolf," Remus answered caught in thoughts of self-pity.
Sirius sighed irritably, "Remus John Lupin, don't do that. She knows you're a werewolf, and she wouldn't run away from you if you told her that you're practically in love with her. I told you, she's head over heels for you, I guarantee it. Don't let being a werewolf stop you from going after something that would make you so incredibly happy. The two of you deserve each other – you're both fantastic and wonderful, and smart." A miniscule smile appeared on Remus's face. "Now man-up mate, and tell her how you feel about her." He sighed, "And don't tell anyone that I ever gave you this heartfelt speech, otherwise my reputation will be ruined and people will think I actually have feelings." Sirius shuddered.
Remus barked out a startled laugh, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Thank you Sirius."
"No problem mate," Sirius beamed.
Remus still felt unsure about telling Althea that he fancied her, because he was a werewolf and if the relationship ever went anywhere, prejudice would soon follow them. Remus was no stranger to it, but he didn't want Althea to suffer because of it. As Sirius had pointed out, Althea could make him happy. He shouldn't let his reservations and insecurities hold him back. That was it then, Remus decided, I'll tell Althea how I feel about her and leave it up to her. She wouldn't fancy me back anyways.
The portrait swung open and Lily and Althea walked into the Common Room. Lily was carrying Althea's textbooks and Remus's eyes raked over his friend's appearance. She looked fine; the bruises that had adorned her skin from before were gone and she looked healthy and happy. Althea turned her head, and their eyes met. His heart stuttered and he hesitantly grinned at her.
"Remmy!" Althea yelled, shuffling over to him. "I missed my Hospital Wing buddy," she grinned, plopping down on the couch next to him.
"I missed you too," Remus murmured quietly. Softly he asked, "Can we talk?"
She looked at him, concern brimming in her eyes. "Sure, what's wrong Remmy?"
"I just have something important to tell you," he whispered. "In private."
"Sure," Althea readily agreed. "Let's go."
She stood up, looking at him expectantly. With a growing sense of dread Remus stood up, his hands shaking. I can do this, he thought, I just have to tell her that I fancy her and leave the decision up to her. Together, the two walked out of the Common Room and to an empty classroom, where they were guaranteed to have some privacy. Althea closed the door to the classroom and turned to Remus, a confused expression on her face.
"What did you want to tell me Remmy? What's wrong?" Althea asked, stepping close to him and peering at him with concern.
At her close proximity, Remus fought off a shudder and a red flush crawled up his neck and cheeks. "I wanted to tell you something very important, and I don't want it to make things awkward between us." Remus whispered. Althea nodded encouraging him to continue. "I fancy you," he blurted out and closed his eyes preparing himself for her rejection.
When she didn't say anything, he opened his eyes peering at her in resignation. Althea opened and closed her mouth like a fish, her eyes wide with shock as she absorbed what Remus had just told her. Finally, a smile bloomed on her face and she looked away from him and at the floor, a blush burning on her face.
"I fancy you too, Remmy." Althea murmured. She looked at him, "Don't look so surprised!"
"I just never thought that you would fancy me. That anyone would fancy me," Remus whispered.
"Oh Remmy, don't think that way just because you're a werewolf," she admonished. "Being a werewolf is a part of you, it doesn't solely define you. Besides, I think being a werewolf is kind of cool."
"Even though once a month I lose control over myself and turn into a bloodthirsty monster?" he questioned skeptically.
"No one's perfect," Althea answered airily. She sobered, "Remmy, I don't care that you're a werewolf. Okay?"
He nodded, still dumbstruck that she shared his feelings and that she didn't care that he was a werewolf. Any sensible person would have run away screaming, but Althea was different. She only saw the good in him.
She beamed, grabbing the front of his school robes, "Good, now shut up and kiss me."
There were no other words to describe the kiss than: fantastic. It was to put it quite simply fantastic. As far as first kisses go, it was tame, but there was no denying the affection held between the two of them. Althea smiled into the kiss wrapping her arms around Remus's neck and stretched up on her tip toes trying to get closer to him. Remus's hands settled on her hips, and a feel of happiness bloomed through him. Too soon, Althea pulled away but didn't move from the shelter of his embrace.
"So, what now?" she asked.
"I believe that now we are in a relationship," Remus mumbled, looking down at her fondly. "If that is okay with you."
"Of course, it is," she quickly assured him. "We don't have to tell Lily or Sirius do we?"
"I'm afraid we do," he answered laughing a little when she pouted.
"Remmy!" she shouted, a pout on her face.
Telling their friends wasn't as terrifying as Althea had thought it would, and Remus found it quite amusing how afraid she was of Lily's reaction. The first person they told had been Sirius because had been the only one of their friends in the Common Room, and he had immediately seen their interlocked hands. He had burst out laughing and then shouted that he was happy for them and that he knew it was going to happen someday. The newly formed couple had sat on the couch, both blushing heavily as Sirius relentlessly teased them but even that couldn't wipe the content smiles off their faces. The next person they had told had been Peter, but it didn't seem that he had really cared that much.
Then the two waited with bated breath to tell Lily and James. Althea had been fearing Lily's reaction the most, for reasons that Remus couldn't fathom. When he had asked why she had simply said, "It's a girl thing." He shook his head, smiling at her fondly. There was this sort of delirious happiness that was surrounding the two of them, this moment seemed far too surreal and neither could believe that this was actually happening. To any watching, it was just too sickeningly sweet the way the two acted around each other. The portrait hole opened and in walked the last two people that they had to tell talking and laughing. Sirius got up from where he was playing Exploding Snap with Peter, and directed James and Lily over to Althea and Remus.
"She's not going to be mad," Remus whispered in Althea's ear and she shivered. "If anything, she'll be trying to plan a wedding."
Althea scowled, "She'll be mad at me."
"No, she won't," Remus assured her squeezing her hand.
The two fell silent as James and Lily approached them inquisitive expressions on their faces. "Did something happen, Althea? What's wrong?" Lily asked, a frown pulling at her ethereal features.
"Nothing's wrong Lily," Althea assured her but that was all she said.
Lily turned to Remus for answers and he sighed. Best to just get this over with, he thought. "As of tonight, Althea and I are in a relationship. To put it simply, we are dating."
Lily beamed, a squeal emerging from her throat. "Really!?" She gasped, "Oh thank Merlin! You two are going to be the cutest bookworm couple ever." The two flushed.
"Congratulations Moony," James said. "I guess we have something to tell you too. Evans and I are going out on a date, so who knows we might become the next couple in Gryffindor?"
From across the room Sirius groaned in annoyance. Lily bounded forward, "Althea you must let me plan the wedding. I promise it will be wonderful, do you prefer summer or winter? Or what about fall?"
James snorted grabbing Lily, "Leave them alone Evans. Bombard them with wedding ideas tomorrow."
With that the two walked away and Remus turned to Althea a victorious smile on his face. "Don't say it," she warned him.
"Say what?" he asked playing dumb. She glared at him. "That I was right?"
She moved to stand up but he quickly wrapped his arms around her tugging her back down and inadvertently onto his lap. She froze, and then started to squirm a little when his breath tickled the back of her neck.
"You were right, happy?" She grumbled.
"Good enough," he murmured releasing her and she tumbled off of his lap, curling up at his side.
"You're the one who chose to date me."
"Shut up Remmy."
"God those two are sickeningly sweet. Make it stop Prongs!"
"Aw but they're so adorable Padfoot!"
"Not adorable. Gross."
"Grossly sweet, then."
"Too true, Prongs, too true."
Althea laughed. Remus turned his head, "Shut up you two!"
"Did you hear that Padfoot? He just told us to shut up."
"I know, I thought Moony was our friend," Sirius gasped dramatically.
Remus snorted, pressing a kiss to Althea's hair. She mumbled, curling closer to him, her hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt. Maybe, things would finally start to look up for the seventh-years, but I wouldn't be too optimistic for that, he thought. Still, things are starting to look up.
And the Althea-Remus ship has finally set sail. Aren't they just the cutest? I thought I would make this a sort of fluffy chapter as the next one might be a little more dark and angst-y. What did you think of this chapter? And of Althea and Remus as a couple?