Disclaimer: All original themes, characters, etc, are property of J.K. Rowling. Content of this story is mine, yo. ;D
Rated T: Not intended for slash-haters or 'littleuns'. Mild sexual scenes, adultry, inappropriate language, and some more stuff.
Lips
Chapter 2: Late Night Pondering
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Harry drew back from Remus quickly, and, thinking rashly, struck the werewolf across the face, repositioning himself so that it looked like he had jumped and attacked his ex-professor. Remus jerked back in shock, making a noise of surprise and pain. His eyes were round, his pupils contrasting frighteningly with the whites of his eyes.
As their audience of Hermione, Ron, Molly, and Arthur Weasley, as well as Ginny Potter and Nymphradora Tonks gasped, realization set into Remus's face, though he quickly masked it. He's acting as if we were fighting to hide what's happened!
"Bastard!" yelled Remus, drawing his fist back, matching Harry's distorted, angry face with his own, and hitting the the green-eyed man in the belly, throwing him onto the floor.
"Remus!" Tonks voice was shrill, as she and the others all scrambled to seperate the two men, all easily fooled by the act.
"What in the world are you two doing!" The unmistakable mothering tone of Molly's voice reigned over the blubbering of the others and the mock fighting. Remus and Harry ceased their over-exaggerated kicking and screaming.
Harry turned to feign a glare at his mother-in-law, saying, a little too harshly, "It's not your business!" Though Harry regretted the remark, he knew it was a good play in masquerading the incident. He understood better than anyone that when he lost his temper, he directed it at everyone. Ginny tentatively looked at Harry, laying a gentle hand on her offended mother. "Harry?" she asked, eyes furrowed, brilliant red hair trailing around her shoulders and delicate face.
Freezing over, Harry felt his body completely stop, overwhelmed with guilt at betraying his kind wife. "It's... Nothing," Harry said, smiling. "Sorry," he mumbled, looking down in shame at the dirty floor.
--
Everyone had politely let the issue drop, as Remus and Harry would confess to nothing, and did not speak to eachother about it. Still, Harry felt a tinge of worry that someone might have noticed something, however overpowered by guilt his worry was.
Soon after the arrival of Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley arrived alongside Fleur Declour, and a few other guests. The Weasley family was to be the host of a small get together of friends in celebration of Arthur having won some useless award crediting him for a muggle understanding or some such nonsense.
Remus and Harry had, unknowing of the other, both offered to help clean, and had thusly arrived early. After completely, and somewhat obsessively, cleansing the kitchen, without a word to eachother, all but the two had left on errands. Despite knowing the two rarely even acknowledged eachother's existance, they had left the two with only eachother as company.
Pondering what had conspired, Harry felt himself blush as he and Ron walked down the cramped hall, carrying dishes of food out to the yard. As shameful as Harry felt, he could not deny the nervousness and excitement those moments with Remus had filled him with.
"Hey," Ron whispered to Harry, stopping him halfway through the hall. "I don't know why Remus and you aren't getting along, but please don't fight with him. Mum feels terrible about what happened."
Harry's face crumbled, and his heart ached. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I don't know what came over me."
Ron smiled lightly. "What's going on with you and Remus? You used to visit him more than you'd go see Ginny!" Ron seemed a bit desperate, and it was the first time Harry noticed that his friends might feel a bit rejected that he wouldn't tell them what was going on. Again, Harry felt guilt grip at his gut.
"Really, it's nothing. He and I just had a row a few years back, and we said some pretty bad stuff to eachother. Don't worry about it, Ron." Harry smiled brightly, in hopes of washing out all of his best friend's worries, and his own betrayal of his marriage vows. He failed.
--
Ginny was reading Cheese and Broccoli Soup for the Young Witch's Soul, her bedside table light casting a dim light across her face, giving her a skin a gray, ghostly look, as Harry scruffed across their scratchy carpet, tossing himself onto the bed with a grunt.
Having pulled the covers over his face to block the light from the other side of the room, Harry traced his right index finger over his left hand gently, lying on his side. What exactly had happened between him and Remus? The little pangs of excitement that ran up and down his body at the thought of their kiss was definately testament to Harry that it had had a deep meaning for him. He still had love for Remus, and his body ached painfully for him after realising that Remus wasn't against the idea entirely. Is he? thought Harry. Perhaps Remus, not wanting to offend Harry, had only acted as if he were interested. He was certianly timid enough. Worry set into Harry's mind, and he unabashedly let his face fall, glad that he was hidden from Ginny.
Running his finger across a vein that potruded from the back of his hand, Harry blushed, his throat feeling thick at the flood of memories. It was the first time in a long while that he had thought of Remus naked, and Harry couldn't help but recall all the veins, scars, freckles, everything, that had been so uniquely Remus's. His arousal grew.
Pulling him away from his thoughts, Harry heard the scraping sound of a wrapper opening, and felt his wife reposition herself. Annoyed at having such pleasant thoughts interrupted, Harry glared at a thread hanging from the inside of the dirty blue colored blanket he was hidden under.
Trying to get his thoughts back on track, he was distracted yet again as he heard the sloshy, smacking sound of Ginny chewing gum. It was a joke amidst the entire family that she ate rather grossly.
Springing up in anger, Harry turned to her and yelled, "Will you stop that bloody gum-chewing? And while you're at it, would you turn that damn light off! I'm trying to sleep!"
"What are you so angry about?" Ginny snapped back. They glared at eachother. "Fine." She violently turned off the lamp, allowing her book to fall off her lap onto the floor, and spat her wet gum at Harry.
And that was when he realised he would undoubtedly leave her, at some point in time.
--
Remus's heart beat had not returned to it's regular, steady beat, since he had been with Harry earlier that day. All throughout the Weasley get-together, he had been nervously gripping at his collar, his sleeves, his hair, and even Tonks's hand. When she had asked Remus, with a perplexed look, what he was worried about, he quickly, in shame, turned his head in the opposite direction and assured her that it was nothing. It was probably not his best choice of action, as from that point on, Tonks seemed a bit down. Remus did his best not to worry about anything, and enjoy his time.
Lying in bed, the feminine, pale orange blankets up to his armits and his hands on his belly, Remus watched as Tonks entered. Her hair was a shimmering brown, slightly wavy toward its tips, swirling around her delicately concealed breasts. Her nightgown was a sheer white, gracefully reaching mid thigh. Noticing her youthful beauty, and the dark patch of color between her legs, Remus felt a sting of perversion, guilt and self-disgust. Harry's even younger. He felt like dying.
The shape-changer smiled softly, and climbed into bed, her stomach flat on the mattress, and cream colored arms curled under her head. Her eyes were drowsy, and a light purple discolored her skin under her eyes, betraying her need for sleep. Remus was amored by the way she subtlely looked up at him, her long, dark eyelashes rising smoothly.
Her eyes were emerald green.
Remus's stomach lurched.
Why would she choose green of all colors? Remus thought as he pulled the fluffy, scratchy blankets tighter around himself. He hated these blankets. They reminded him of rashes, or scabs. He thought about some of the other decor he hated in his house, in an effort to distract himself from his more troublesome thoughts.
"Remus..." She looked at him sadly, her face etched in concern. "You look... Angry, almost." His face weakened at the words; he had not realized he had allowed his feelings to be so easily read. Or perhaps it was more likely that Tonks was simply good at understanding him, and this thought made Remus feel a great sense of graditude toward her, followed by a thick feeling of guilt for having deceived her. She really did deserve better, Remus was certian. She touched him lightly on the face. "Dear." She tried to sound reassuring, but her eyes, lined with eyes, betrayed what she really felt: sadness.
"I'm not angry... Just a bit upset with myself regarding my behavior this morning." She continued staring at him with a small frown, not saying anything. "What's wrong, dear?" He asked, smiling at her. She deserved it.
"I... You were really nervous all day..." She looked at him, asking for some kind of sign that said she could continue. Remus nodded. "Er, well... Why? I mean, becuase..." Her movements were dire, clutching at Remus animalistically, closing her eyes violently. "Do you... Want to leave me!" Her voice shook, and tears trailed down her cheeks.
Yes, was what Remus immediately thought, and almost as immediately became overcome with shame. "No!" His voice cracked. This was wrong. Thinking rashly, Remus went through a list of possible ways to remedy this, and then thought of Harry's secret confessoin that morning. Divorce. Marriage.
"Tonks, no! It's the opposite! I," he stopped mid-sentence to gage her reaction. Her eyes were wide with shock, but still rimmed with salty tears. "Will you marry me?"
The only sound that followed was a quiet noise of surprise from Tonks.
And then, overjoyed, Tonks replied in a breathly voice, "Yes, of course!" Her eyes were shut, but her tears still shown in the light as she embraced Remus fiercely, saying, "And to think I was worried that you didn't love me!" Morbidly, Remus thought, You should be.
Soon the hug initiated by Tonks became more. Every time they kissed, Remus imagined Harry's hot, passionate lips from that morning. As he pressed his face against Tonks's smooth skin, he imagined it was Harry's. As he heard Tonks moans, he imagined they were Harry's. As he held her hand, he thought of Harry's. As he pushed inside of her, he imagined it was Harry.
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A/N: Sorry this is so short. I did my best to convey their thoughts more clearly and explicity. Thanks to the reviewers, who encouraged me to continue. Sorry this was such a late update (I'm lazy)! Next chapter is the longer, I hope...