In the Present
A HariPo fanfic
by mew-tsubaki
Note: I haven't finished To the Future and already I'm starting its second companion story. AGH! However, J.K. Rowling's characters are in good hands by now, so I hope everyone enjoys this Rena story. But to reach the present, one must glance at the past, where our story begins… READ & REVIEW!!!
-------------------------------- ^-^3
The Tenth Wax
Remus wasn't stupid, she knew that much. But Luna was sure he was beginning to see the whole picture now. That, and she had been quite bold.
The reporter returned with Neville to Augusta's house. Neville kissed her forehead before heading into his bedroom, and Luna went straight to the guest room.
Her cheeks burned like they never had before. She meant to change, but her legs felt a little wobbly, so she instead sat down at the vanity. Luna looked into the mirror; cherry red cheeks did not go well with her vibrant, pale cerulean eyes. She closed her eyes thinking back on tonight's kiss.
She still couldn't believe she had done that! After all, his taking her hand could have been purely platonic…but she had seen it as an opportunity. He had definitely enjoyed the kiss, even when it had gained a little more passion. And then, afterwards, for the rest of the night, the chemistry between them had sizzled. It was so hard to not whisk him away for herself. She had been wondering if he had felt the same way, and then… Then he had said, "Happy Christmas, love."
Luna stood and put on her pajamas then. Her cheeks had faded into a healthy bubblegum pink, a color she thought went very nicely with her wheat-blonde hair and ice blue eyes. And his brown hair, eyes, and wardrobe, she thought as she laid her head on her pillow. She was a bit giddy from the excitement of things, and her mind buzzed with many jumbled thoughts. Or just some wrackspurts.
----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3
Christmas morning was a sight to behold. Outside, a thick blanket of snow covered the houses and streets, and hundreds of snowmen, women, and children popped up. Families kept the cold out with their fireplaces running and comforters pulled up over their heads.
In the Lupin household, it was still, and yes, one could probably hear that stupid mouse scurrying about. But 'Santa' had already been by, so when Remus and Tonks awoke and trudged groggily into the living room, many gifts were under the tree. Tonks happily sat down in the recliner, and Remus sat on the floor by the tree. He passed the first present to her. "From your mother," he said.
Tonks unraveled the package and cooed appreciatively. "Oh, it's beautiful. Take a look, dear." She unfolded a baby blanket that was green, with beautiful lattice work sewn all over it in various animal shapes.
"Andromeda did a spectacular job," Remus commented.
"Well, she is a mother. Maybe I should try my hand at sewing…"
He raised his eyebrows. "Urm, Dora, you have a hard time not walking into things. Are you sure sewing's a good idea?"
"Oh, shut up," she said, but she smiled. "This was my baby blanket. It was my mother's before then. It's the one of the few things from the Black family that she cherishes." She trailed off, her eyes glistening at the thought of all her childhood memories.
"Dora…" Remus passed her another gift. "Uh-oh. This one's from Fred and George. Maybe we shouldn't open this…"
----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3
"Okay, I've had my fill of candy canes," Tonks said later that evening. "Time to pay a visit to Mum and Dad."
"Right." Remus stood and helped his wife out of the chair. "You go get dressed while I clean up here."
"Oh, all right…" She waddled off to their bedroom, muttering something about having to wear "the jacket from Molly and Arthur, the only thing big enough for my water balloon right now".
The werewolf stretched and kicked at all the paper on the floor. He took out his wand and burned all the wrappings away, leaving the gifts under the tree or on the couch, like the clothes that had to be folded before they were stored away. He had just stuck a rocking hippogriff from Hagrid and Maxine back under the tree when he spotted a small package they had missed. Remus took it out and unwrapped it –and understood why he had missed it before.
The gift was a pair of Spectrespecs. He had seen some before, but these were different from the others. In a way, they seemed customized for him, since they were a toned-down navy with shiny black lenses. He uncrossed the legs, pulling out a folded note:
Dear Remus,
Spectrespecs help you see the wrackspurts fuzzing one's brain. Even if you don't believe me about them, they can still show you whose minds fuzz just around you. Give them a try.
Don't stress out too much on Christmas Day,
Luna
The L she flourished her name with was flourished all right, but…it seemed a little shaky, as if she had wanted to right another L-word before signing the note. There was even a blotch of ink near it, showing a possible moment's hesitation. Remus wondered. I think Luna's much more than a tease, he thought, thinking of those kisses –both instances in which she had kissed him.
He heard Tonks coming back, so he stuffed the gift and note into his sweater pocket. Suddenly, he was really glad his sweater had really big pockets. That, and he always wore it.
The Metamorphagus reentered the living room in a lovely magenta dress. She plucked the Weasleys' jacket from the couch and pulled it on, and then she looked at Remus. "Come on, then. We've got to get going, and you're still in your pajamas."
"Hmm? Oh, right." He went back to their room, grabbed a clean shirt and pair of slacks, and dressed. He eyed his old sweater and waved his wand. It was suddenly pressed and clean, looking a whole hell of a lot more presentable than it had a second ago. The wizard returned to his wife, grabbed his robe, and they stepped out the door.
They Apparated a little bit away from her parents' house, since the Tonkses always kept up the barrier Dumbledore had set up for them years ago. It was a brisk walk from their landing point to the front door, and they soon were rapping the door with the knocker.
The door swung open, and Ted greeted them. "Nymphadora! Remus! How good to see you!" He turned around, waving them to follow. "Come straight to the dining room. 'Dromeda finished the goose a few minutes ago."
And he was right. The dining room table was laden with a plentitude of foods, of which the goose Andromeda was just placing in the middle when then entered. She put it down, wiped her hands, and went open-armed to her daughter. "Nymphadora!!"
Tonks hugged her mother as fiercely as she could with her pregnant belly in the way. "Hi, Mum! Merlin, it smells wonderful in here!"
"Tastes wonderful, too," Ted complimented, sticking his finger in the roast pumpkin and licking it off.
Andromeda gasped. "Ah! How many times have I told you not to do that?!" She took off her apron and hit his arm with it, causing Tonks and Remus to laugh.
"Sorry, dear…"
They sat down and enjoyed the meal. Remus found it was as varied as any meal at Hogwarts, but this food had been cooked with familial love, and thus tasted much better. As the meal came to a close, Andromeda started ferreting dirty dishes into the kitchen, while Ted poured a drink for himself and Remus, and Tonks spooned a plum pudding into her mouth.
"Have you started setting up the baby's room yet?" the father asked after a small sip of brandy.
"No," Remus answered, while Tonks shook her head, spoon swinging in her mouth. "We haven't had much time. Dora needs to take it easy, but I've been busy with teaching. It's going to get busier when I return, too, because the studies will become more exam-specific, and then there are the finals, O.W.L.s, and N.E.W.T.s a few months after."
"You have to make the time," Ted scolded, raising his eyebrows. "A child comes into the world, whether or not you are ready. I suggest that you be ready, because once that child is here, then there sure as hell won't be any time to do what you could be doing now."
"What about tomorrow?" Tonks interjected. "You have off the next two days, actually, as I recall, Dad."
"One of those days you promised to me, Ted!" Andromeda yelled from the kitchen.
Ted winced. "As I did."
"Well, the other day we could take and you could both help us start picking some things for the baby room," Tonks suggested, pushing aside the empty pudding cup. "We have things for the baby, but not really things for the room."
"That sounds like an excellent idea!" her father exclaimed.
"I can't," Remus said, and he shook his head. "I brought home some tests and essays I have to grade. I'll need a day to get them done."
Tonks's face fell, enough so her dad noticed and more than Remus thought Ted could. "Oh. Well, then… I'll go for both of us." She looked at both of her parents, Andromeda just coming in. "How about tomorrow?"
Andromeda smiled at her daughter. "That's fine, dear." She gave Remus a sad smile. "It's a shame you can't do this over the holiday break with us, though."
"I'll try for the next holiday," Remus promised. "No homework, whatsoever."
There was mumble agreement on that, and it was then time to go. Andromeda and Ted walked Tonks and Remus to the door, hugs and handshakes all around.
"Thank you again for the baby blanket, Mum," Tonks said. "It brought tears to my eyes."
"Oh, I know what you mean, darling," Andromeda stated, hugging her daughter again.
"Yes, she was on the verge of bawling," Remus said to Ted, who chuckled and nodded, knowing that trait had been passed through the mother. "Happy Christmas, Andromeda, Ted." He and Tonks stepped over the threshold and waved once more to her parents.
"Happy Christmas!" Andromeda called after them. "Happy Christmas, dears!!"
When they stepped out of the No-Apparation barrier, they popped back home. It had been a quiet evening. One that deserved rest.
----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3
"Thank you, Gran, for the new hat and scarf," Neville stated that same Christmas night.
"Well, you know I love you, Neville," Augusta said. She raised the bottle with a bow in her hand. "I love you and the steady supply of firewhiskey you keep me in each Christmas." She stood, and started upstairs to her room. "Good night to all, and to all a Happy Christmas!!" she shouted.
"How much of that was left in the bottle?" Luna asked Neville.
He shook his head. "I dunno. But if you ask me," he said with a laugh, "I think I should introduce her to Professor Trelawney. They'd probably be excellent drinking partners."
Luna's smile was like his, laughing at that kind of merry-making. She sipped at her eggnog. "I like the hair cage you carved me, Neville. Thank you."
The Herbology teacher bashfully shook his head. "It was fun, actually. I carved it from some dead wood I found, so I wasn't hurting any creatures. 'Sides," he added in a small voice, "it's for you, Luna. I'd do anything for you."
She smiled at him, but her stomach sent a warning signal to her brain. I like Neville, but… He's such a little boy when it comes to romance. He- Her train of thought derailed when he brushed some hair out of her face and kissed her on the lips. It wasn't any different from the kisses they had shared before, but it had surprised her. When he pulled back, he didn't smile. He looked like he was focused on something else.
And that made her a wee bit nervous.
"Neville…," she began.
He cut her off again with another kiss, this time unlike what she had been used to before from him. It wasn't just a sweet, childish kiss. It was closer to an adult kiss –not that they hadn't made out before, but that was usually as far as they ever got. And he had never reached this level of fervor, of passion, before.
Though that feeling in her stomach buzzed, telling her this was not just another make-out session, she was a little helpless against natural human carnal desire and Neville's arms pulling her closer to him. She felt the couch's armrest at her back, and only then did she notice he was quite practically on top of her. Her senses partially returned to her, and she pushed on his chest whiled breaking her lips away from his. "Neville, please-"
Another kiss, and he started undoing the buttons on his shirt. Her fingers brushed his chest and he held her hands there, wanting her to touch him. He nuzzled her neck, and only then did she finally get the break she was looking for.
"Neville, stop!"
He did, and backed off. Neville's expression was clearly apologetic as he sat down and she brushed her hair out of her face. "I-I'm sorry, Luna. I don't know what came over me. I just really wanted to kiss you and then-" He stopped and looked her in the eye. "-I just really wanted you."
Some of the color that had left her cheeks once he had moved off her returned at his admission. "Neville, that's-"
"So you don't want this then?" he asked quietly.
"Neville?"
He clasped his hands together and leaned forward, facing the coffee table, elbows on knees. "We've taken it slow for over two years. Still you don't want to do anything?"
Even Luna reddened at the implication of sex, but she understood where he was coming from. And she didn't. He had been the one taking things slowly. Now he suddenly wanted everything and anything from her?
"I thought tonight would be perfect," he mumbled. "The best gift ever: Being with each other, fully. I thought the kissing-"
"I don't want to kiss you!" That did it. The buzzing in her stomach stopped, now that it had forced her to admit that feeling. Now her stomach sank at the pain in his eyes, which she could see even though his profile was facing her. But the pain masked some of the anger –possibly fury –at what she had just said.
He was as angry as he had ever been, but Luna had seen something similar to this before: Once, back in her fourth year when Harry, Hermione, and Ron began the D.A. Neville had been trying his best, but when news reached them that Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped Azkaban, his determination gave way to anger and revengeful thinking, and a pure loathing filled his eyes whenever he stared at that newspaper clipping on the mirror. Only later did she find out why, that Bellatrix had been the one who had tortured his parents to insanity.
That pure loathing? It ran a distant second to the anger she saw in him now. But she knew he wasn't angry at her. "Neville…?" she asked tentatively.
Neville stood and buttoned part of his shirt back up, the fury still there in his eyes; he looked like he had a headache. "I'm sorry, Luna," he said in a low voice, and he patted her shoulder as he exited the sitting room and went to his bedroom.
Now alone, Luna shuddered, still not releasing her arms around herself. That had been scary, but then patching it up had not gone quite right. She frowned, feeling that –knowing that it was her fault. I should have said something before the school year began, she rebuked herself for. I should have said something before the holidays, this happy time, came up.
I should have said something before it became only Remus whom I wanted touching me.
Guiltily, she arose and quietly padded to the guest room down the hall. She closed the door behind her and flicked on the light. Her messenger bag hung off the back of the vanity's chair, and she rummaged through it to get out paper and a quill to catch up on the holiday Quibbler's articles. But there was something in her bag that had not been there before.
The witch pulled it out and placed it on the vanity. It was a box wrapped in brown- and lilac-striped paper. There was no bow or anything on the outside, so she opened up the package.
Inside was a dark blue box. When she shook it, it rattled, so she put it back down and lifted off the lid to reveal a silver bracelet with tiny charms on it. Lavender bicone beads hung in between the silver charms, and there were exactly ten charms: five crescent moons alternating with five five-pointed stars. A note was written inside the lid:
Dear Luna,
I don't know what your Christmas wish is, but remember mine? To get through this hell? Part of that hell is the anxiety that very nearly gives me ulcers when I worry about you gallivanting in the Forbidden Forest. This bracelet has two Charms on it: one that changes the beads a dark red to warn you of danger and a Shield Charm I added to protect you when you do get into danger.
Take care of yourself.
-Remus
She felt a laugh bubble up in her throat, but she couldn't release it. It was drowned out by small sobs. She was thankful for his gift, but she wish she had unwrapped it before tonight. Maybe then she would've had some of his protection when she had needed it the most.
----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3
Not much to say. I think the chappie is pretty self-explanatory. But things will take a turn in about two chapters, so please stay with me, folks, and REVIEW!!!!! I need it, Remus needs it, Luna needs it –you get the point.
Happy Christmas in July,
-mew-tsubaki
P.S. –I forgot to mention at the end of 9 that 9 coincides with chapters 13 of To the Future and 16 of From the Past, this story's companion stories. Please read and review them when you get the chance. Thank you!
