Where I Stood
Chapter 10
Sileni did not sleep the two hours before dawn, her nerves on high alert. But come morning she put up a front so her brother wouldn't know the fear she was feeling of the possibility that she can die early rather the date Andi gave her; then again the last predicament did come true. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Sileni smiled and bid goodbye to both Lily and Severus, hugging the both of them. Of course Severus stiffened at this but at her mock glare and tightening her hold, he gave a pat or two on her back.
With another shake of her head, but a smile nonetheless, the fifteen year old went back to the Marauder's; running and jumping into James arms as it was now their custom. After swinging her around and a brotherly kiss to her hair, James sits her down. However, Sirius picked her up from behind and swung around, as it has become their custom too. With a chuckle, and not to mention, dizzy, Sileni fell into Remus waiting arms, grateful for the security that he brought.
"Are you sure you can't stay at James' house?" Remus whispered, holding her close.
"Trust me, it's for the best," Sileni muttered, holding the werewolf just as tightly.
She inhaled his scent, wanting to remember it as she will not see him for nearly three months. She stored away his body against her own, his arms tight around her, and the butterfly kisses he would sometimes leave on her neck or shoulder. Pulling slightly back, Sileni went on her tip toes and kissed him softly, but long, savoring the taste and feel of his lips. As the whistle blew both teens were reluctant to part from each other, but did so.
"Behave yourself, Luke. One wrong move and you're back at Hogwarts, doing Muggle summer school!"
Luke sighed, nodding, "Promise."
Sileni also gave a glare to Sirius and James in warning before turning to a crest fallen Remus. She smiled both in sadness and shyly, placing a hand to his cheek.
"Promise to write, as I will write to you. And try to think of me once a month." Remus nodded, seeing the hidden meaning behind those words. "Okay, go before the train leaves you. See you in September!"
Waving and smiling until the train rounded the corner, she walked into the small town to floo to a day's work at the Leaky Cauldron. Throughout the day, guilt hit her hard, knowing Remus really wanted her to meet his parents. Many times, Tom asked her if she were all right and each time Sileni would tell him that she was fine.
Two hours until the end of her shift, the rowdy tavern was winding down, but not enough to ease the many chores the teenager had to do. Sileni dropped the tray full of glasses on the bar counter with a tired huff. Tom only chuckled, waving his wand at the glasses to the sink for wash. Before Tom could ask if she wanted a break, a voice startled them both.
"Sileni?"
The said girl quickly turned around and smiled widely, "Remus!"
She jumped into his arms, kissing him with a smile on her lips. He held her tightly, smiling and blushing, leaning slightly back as he set her down on her feet. As she went to kiss him, they heard someone clearing their throats startling them both, looking back. Sileni's face turned beet red from embarrassment, quickly taking a step away from Remus, chuckling nervously.
"Mom, dad, this is Sileni Thorn, my girlfriend."
Sileni continued to turn scarlet red, holding out her hand to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, it is nice to meet you."
Both of Remus parents shook her hand, Mr. Lupin amused while Mrs. Lupin pursed her lips to a firm line, looking the girl up and down. Sileni cleared her throat, cursing herself to have had a bad impression on Remus' mother already.
"Why don't you go ahead and end your shift for the night, Sileni? I can clean up." Tom suggested, grinning like a mad man.
Glaring at the amused old wizard, she smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, praying that this would end well on her favor. As they sat over at a corner table on the right, food immediately was before them, as well as pumpkin juice—or in Sileni's case, grape juice. The fifteen year old quickly bit into her sandwich, savoring the taste as she was starving. She nearly moaned in pleasure, though she remembered whom it was she was eating with. Becoming her shy self, Sileni took small bites and looked down at her food.
"So, Sileni, how old are you?" Mr. Lupin asked nicely.
Wiping her mouth, she looked at the man who Remus did not look like at all. The only thing that Remus had from him was his hair color.
"Fifteen, sixteen in July sir." she told him quietly.
"Where are your parents?" Mrs. Lupin suddenly asked, "Where are you living? And why are you working... here?"
"I cannot say anything about my parents, due to the war that is brewing. I am currently living at Hogwarts while my brother is staying with the Potter's. I work here so I can save enough money to buy an apartment or flat." Sileni answered all her questions, desperately trying to hold back her anger, "As well as school supplies for next year."
Both Mr. Lupin and Remus looked to one another, recognizing female territory. Remus loved both his mother and Sileni, and so prayed that he will not be stuck in the middle. However, he knew that was just wishful thinking.
"Mrs. Lupin, I understand Remus is your only son and you love him regardless," the family of three knew the hidden meaning while Sileni did not finish the whole sentence. "My mother was the same way with my brother; I am the same with my brother. He's your baby boy, the only boy, but you must learn to let go and let him live his life. I'm not the type of girl to change Remus in any shape or form; I like him just the way he is."
Blushing and smiling, Remus takes hold of her hand, squeezing slightly to reassure her that he felt the same. Mrs. Lupin, however, was flushing in anger; not believing that not only this girl understood what she was going through but had confronted her in front of Remus as well. Mr. Lupin on the other hand was smiling widely, looking back and forth between his son and the girl that caught his heart.
"I dare say you did rather well in choosing your girl, Remus my boy."
Both teenagers blushed at the comment, both of them trying not to laugh. Mrs. Lupin glared at her husband, not able to believe he actually accepts this girl for their son. In all honesty she does not believe anyone deserves to be with her son, especially because he is a werewolf. But it seems that despite her decision on the matter her son was going to be with this girl no matter what.
"Well, seeing as my opinion on this will not matter, I have no choice but to accept it." Mrs. Lupin finally said, looking grimly at her son.
Knowing that this was hurting him, Sileni cleared her throat. "Will you gentlemen please leave us to talk in private?"
Remus went to protest but a look from his father had him shutting his mouth. Father and son walked towards the bar, Sileni taking a deep breath for the decision she knows she is not going to like. Clearing her throat, Sileni clasp her hands on top of the table, looking straight into the woman's icy golden eyes.
"Because of his problem, you don't want any girl near your son; that's understandable." she took a deep breath, her heart thumping quickly inside her chest. "With respect for you, tell me now do you want me with your son or not? Because if you do not, I will leave here and him right now."
Mrs. Lupin looked at the girl carefully, wondering if this was some sort of trick. Sileni only looked back, praying to anyone that was listening that this woman will want to see her son happy and will not let her break up with Remus. Mrs. Lupin, it seems, only wanted to see the family of three, not a family of three and an extra person.
"No, I do not want you with my son." she hissed quietly.
Nodding, Sileni void her face of any emotions, trying to hold in her tears. She let out a strangled sigh before getting up and quickly walking over to the fireplace. She could hear Remus calling after her, rushing towards her. But as Sileni called out Hogwarts, Sileni let the tears go, whispering a goodbye to Remus who was looking at her confused and hurt.
When she stumbled out of the fireplace Sileni did not try to get up, rather she just cried, hugging herself tightly, not knowing what to do. Perhaps she could take up Dumbledore's offer of going into hiding, that way she won't have to face Remus when school starts again.
4545454545
It was a couple of days later and Remus was pacing in his room, angry and confused at both his mother and Sileni. His mother had told him that Sileni finally saw the reason to not be with him and had decided to just up and leave. After he has calmed down some, the werewolf scolded himself to think or even be angry with the girl as it was utterly uncharacteristic of Sileni. Besides, it was she who told him that she did not care for what he was, rather who he was. He knew her as much as she knew him to figure out that something else was said between his mother and Sileni. He knew for a fact that neither female was going to say anything, frustrating him to no end.
With a growl, Remus sat on the edge of his bed, his face in his hands. That was how his father found him not long after Remus sat down. Mr. Lupin closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, annoyed; annoyed and angry at his wife after he was able to get the truth out of her. How he hated his wife for hurting their son when this could have been avoided completely if she would only accept her son as he is and let him out of the protective circle she put him in.
"Sileni made a deal with your mother," Mr. Lupin started, Remus looking up at him slowly. "That she would leave you alone only if your mother wished it and Sileni would honor out of respect." Mr. Lupin's heart ached at the bloodshot eyes his son had, and his heart broke even more when he saw anger and hurt flashing in his golden eyes. "Your mother wanted Sileni out of your life."
Fresh tears started to roll down Remus face, feeling anger, betrayed, and hurt. Mr. Lupin sighed, walking over to his son and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as he sat down next to his son.
"Son, you have to stop trying to please your mother! Despite your furry little problem—" father and son grinned at this "—you can't stop living your life. If Sileni likes you as much as you like her—especially for who you are—then be with her! So your mother disapproves, so what? Girl's like Sileni are very rare in both the Muggle and Wizarding World; especially if she has accepted you. Remus, don't let her go!"
Remus was quiet for a while before he nodded furiously, standing up. His father also stood up, grinning like a mad man. He didn't even need to hear his son's answer for he already knew, so he merely took his arm and Apparated. Remus stared up at the gates to Hogwarts, which were opening up for him.
"If you decide to stay, let me know and I'll send some clothes for you."
Remus hugged his father, thanking him, before sprinting towards the castle. Mr. Lupin smiled before turning with a loud crack to return home. Remus pushed himself, praying that Sileni was still at the castle. Once inside, he stopped, not knowing to go to Gryffindor Tower or to the room she uses to floo. Suddenly a suit in armor pointed to the stairs, Remus grinning before taking off once more. He quickly took the secret passages to get to the tower quickly.
As he ran up the stairs he noted the Fat Lady was gone, but the door still opened, Remus thanking Hogwarts (as he doesn't know the name Sileni gave it) before stopping inside the common room, leaning on his knees, panting. He just looked up in time to see Sileni bounding down the girl's staircase and freeze at the last step, her eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Remus smiled only to let it fall as he looked in direction of her bag and her trunk over by the couch, slowly standing up.
"Remus, what are you doing here?" Sileni asked in panic.
Remus, looking back and forth between Sileni and the trunk, narrows his eyes at her. He took a step forward but saw the hesitation in her eyes, which hurt him but didn't move even further. He wanted her in his line of vision, to at least get some answers.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Sileni squared her shoulders and walked the rest of the way down, heading towards the couch. She saw the hurt by her hesitation as she saw the anger in his golden eyes. Maybe if she didn't look at him she would be able to leave him and everyone for the next two years before she dies. Less heartache all around... she hoped.
"Something I should have done the night Dumbledore told me to do."
He moved fast, that was certain, for she was roughly turned to face an angry looking Remus. His eyes were shining brightly in anger. Sileni gulped down the fear, hoping that it didn't come through her eyes, though she doubted Remus would notice with how angry he was.
"Don't tell me that you're leaving Hogwarts without saying goodbye to anyone?" he asked angrily.
Sileni inhaled sharply, trying to push the emotions back to save her already aching heart. "Damn it, Remus, don't make this harder as it is, please!" she whispered desperately.
Remus' eyes narrowed, shaking the girl in his arms. "My father told me what you and my mother spoke about, and I want you to know that as much as I love my mother I want to be with you!"
Try as she might, her emotions that she tried to hold back started to come forth. She sniffed, holding back the tears that started to form and wanted to spill. Sileni didn't want to be seen even weaker in front of him. She knew that she was running away, but it would have helped with the pain—or rather numb it for a while.
"Remus, I don't want to tear your family apart! That is the only reason—"
Remus interrupted her. "My mother will understand. Besides, my father likes you for me and, despite not knowing you long, he truly likes who you are." he smiled, kissing her forehead. "My mother will come around; it's like you said she needs to let me go and live! And I intend to do just that!"
Sileni started to sob, trying to push away from the werewolf, shaking her head. "No, Remus, please,"
But the werewolf didn't let her go, rather he held her tightly, burying his face into her hair, trying to hold back his own tears and fears. He felt his heart start to break as Sileni tried to push him away, not wanting to hear what he has to say; that he wanted to be with her and no one else. Slowly she started to lean into him, Remus holding her even tighter, crying into his chest.
"I have to go, Remus. If don't all those I love will come to harm, and I can't do that!" she cried, clinging to him as a last resort.
Remus held her, trying to calm her down. Sileni started to calm her cries, turning red in embarrassment of crying in front of him. Pulling away, she looks up to the hopeful eyes of the werewolf, smiling slightly. Remus took hold of her face and wiped the tears away, kissing her forehead ever so softly.
"I'll stay," Sileni's voice broke. "I'll stay."
A/N: All right you guys, PLEASE review and give me your thoughts on the story thus far; thanks!