Disclaimer: Not mine.

His Calling

Chapter 29

The Summer of Tiffany

The summer between third and fourth year was one that Remus would always think of as one of freedom and as the summer of Tiffany. It was the first time he was allowed to travel into the Muggle world alone and the first time he walked into a cinema and saw and heard what he was sure was a magic all of its own. At the first flicker of the lights, he was mesmerized, and by the time the movie was over, he was surprised to find Sirius snickering at him and the world he had been immersed in gone.

"Gods, Moony," his friend laughed. "It's not even a good one. Wait until there is really something worth watching."

"Cor," Remus breathed, looking around the emptying theatre, getting his bearings back. "You come here often?"

"Nah, I like the old movies. There's a place up at Stafford that shows all the good ones. There's this one, The Great Escape, that has these guys in a prison, and one gets hold of a motorcycle and tries to jump the barbed wire. It's about the coolest thing I've seen. Seen it seven times."

"Yeah?" Remus stood up and stretched. "Maybe we could head up there."

"My favourite is Easy Rider," Sirius talked over his shoulder as they made their way between the seats to the aisle. "Wait until you see that one."

"Does it cost as much as this one did?" Remus slid his hand into his pocket and felt the small number of coins he held.

"Not if we go earlier," Sirius frowned. "Hey, man. Sorry about this, I should have thought. We could have come to the matinee."

"Matinee?"

"Yeah, same movie, just around noon time, before it gets busy. Full of lonely old women, but it's cheap."

Remus squinted as they stepped into the lobby, lowering his eyes and following Sirius out into the dark streets. "I need to head back."

"Ever ride in a taxi?"

"Yeah, that and the trains. Mum would bring me here sometimes. We used to go to the museums and stuff like that. Don't do it much anymore, only the bookshops once in a while."

"Ever had a hot fudge sundae?" Sirius asked with a wide smile.

"Had them with chocolate." Remus smiled.

"Nah, these are better. Come on, we have time if we hurry. Wait until you see who makes them."

"Ah, come on, do I have to watch you do this again?"

"What? She's built."

"Aren't they all?"

"Yeah, you got a point. It's over there." Sirius pointed to a small café across the street. "My treat, honestly you're gonna love it."

"Fine, just remember I got to get back before John grounds me."

They waited until a car shot past them before darting out into traffic and dodging the next one that careered towards them, horn blaring and brakes screeching. Sirius flipped the driver his middle finger as he sauntered into the café, holding the door open for Remus to catch up. Once they were both inside, they slid into an empty booth, looking around and seeing only two other tables taken.

"There," Sirius nodded to a young girl in a pink nylon uniform behind the counter. "What'd I say?"

Remus dropped his head and peeked back under his arm to see who Sirius was after this time and for the first time felt his breath catch. "Cor," he grinned. "Yeah, that one is okay. Thought all you wanted were the blondes."

"She is," Sirius frowned and leaned over the table to swat him on the head. "Not that one you oaf, the one at the end."

Remus looked back over his shoulder glancing at the blonde as his eyes wandered back to the brunette, who chose just that moment to look up and catch his gaze. He quit breathing as she smiled and held up one finger, signalling she would be with them shortly.

"Fuck," Remus turned back to the table and swallowed hard. "Now what? She caught me looking."

Sirius leaned back and looked from him to the brunette and back again before leaning over the table. "Just tell her she looks good."

"Yeah, I see how well that works for you," Remus snorted.

"It does too work," Sirius snipped.

"That's why you are taking me out on Saturday night and not some bird," Remus said flatly. "In case I forgot to mention it, I don't kiss on the first date either."

"Shut up, Moony," Sirius wadded up the paper placemat and threw it at him grinning.

"Take your order?" The brunette asked looking at Remus.

"We thought this was Gloria's section." Sirius craned his neck up and looked toward the counter.

"It is." The brunette said as she tapped her order pad with her pen. "She told you last time she wouldn't wait on your arse again. Remember?"

Remus snorted and let out a loud guffaw as Sirius tried to cover his embarrassment.

"Fine, just bring two of your special Hot Fudges with the works," Sirius grumbled and sneered as she turned away with a giggle. "Cow."

"She is not," Remus said wiping his eyes. "You need lessons?"

"Me? It's not me that's never got a feel of tit," he said hotly. "Remember the chick down at the river?"

"Shhh!" Remus looked back at the counter. "She's going to hear you, you know."

"Yeah, well she should."

"And the one down at the ferry didn't let you. That fat guy pushed you."

"It still counts," Sirius grinned.

"Here you go." One sundae slid in front of Sirius as Remus looked up at the tray she was holding and saw it empty. "You haven't been here from what I remember so I didn't know what you wanted on it. Do you want nuts and a cherry?"

"Um," Remus looked at the sundae in front of Sirius and frowned. "No, no nuts, but I would like your cherry."

Sirius choked, spewing out a mouthful of ice cream and fudge as the waitress slowly reached for his sundae, picked it up and dumped it over Remus' head then calmly walked away.

Remus sat still as clumps of ice cream slid onto his face and dripped down onto his back and shoulders. "What happened?"

"Oh my gods," Sirius gasped for air. "I don't believe you said that! I don't believe it!"

Remus tipped his head down and scraped the mess onto the table. "I need to find someplace to use my wand," he muttered. "What is she? Nutters or something?"

"Yeah, well I think we wore out our welcome out here anyway." Sirius stood up and threw a couple of pounds on the table then waited for Remus to follow his lead and stand up.

"Should I apologise for something?"

"You really don't know?"

Remus stood and looked at the waitress who was standing at the counter wiping her eyes. When she saw him watching her, she turned and ran into the back room, but not before Remus saw the fury on her face.

"I guess it's not a real good time," he muttered heading for the door.

"Come on, Remus. It's okay." Sirius followed him out and pulled him into a small alley. "Hey, come off it, it was funny."

"I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I know," Sirius sighed. "Listen, I keep forgetting you don't know the slang and stuff, but it's okay. She hears that kind of stuff all the time working in there."

"Yeah, I need to push off anyway," Remus said flatly as he moved back and stepped into his Apparation, knowing it was past time to be home.

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.

"Remus!" John called up the stairs. "Your Mum has breakfast on the table."

"I'm not hungry," Remus called back down.

"See? He came home last night, an absolute mess, went straight to his room, and hasn't come down since. I know something happened," Rhea said.

"You should have flooed." John stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up.

"He used Apparation again. I cannot keep hiding it. He is just lucky it was me pulling monitor watch last night."

"I told him." Rhea held up her hand. "If he could just wait, he will be legal in a few years. I knew it was a mistake to let him run with that crowd."

"Yeah, well their parents are saying the same thing about him," John muttered.

"He's a good boy. He wouldn't be off getting into trouble if it wasn't for them."

"He is a teenage boy, of course he would." John heard his stomach growl and started up the steps. "He's coming down. He may not be hungry but I am."

"Remus," John called as he smacked the door with the flat of his hand. "This is the only meal of the day where we sit down together as a family and I'm not about to face your Mum alone. Now open up."

John heard a ward come down and cocked his eyebrow, opening up the door.

"Where did you learn that one?"

"Black."

"You almost got it right," John said feeling somewhat proud. "Grab your wand, I'll show you how to put your signature on it. Makes it harder to break."

Remus rolled his eyes to the ceiling and groaned, surprised at how fast John's hand was in his hair, yanking his face within inches of his own. "Don't you ever…ever...pull that face on me boy."

"Leave me alone!" Remus pulled against John. "You don't have any right to touch me! None! You're not my father!"

John released him and stood watching him angrily. "What the bloody hell has gotten into you? We let you go to a cinema and you come home an hour late, looking like a mess she said. Add to that the illegal Apparation you used and I have every right to haul you out to the barn. Remus, I have never hit you, but you have no idea how close you are. Now start talking before I have to explain to your mother why I have her fourteen year old son over my knee with his pants pulled down."

"Black doesn't have to be…"

"Because Black's parents don't give a fuck what he does! We do! Now where were you last night?"

"The cinema, like I said," Remus stepped back and sat on the edge of the bed.

"After that."

"We … we went for an ice cream."

"Ice cream? Black went for an ice cream. You do know why I don't believe that don't you?"

"Yeah, well… he wanted to pick up this girl that works there."

John pulled the desk chair around and straddled it, sitting down and watching Remus. "So, go on… what happened."

"I don't know," Remus looked up guiltily. "I … there was this… umm, she…"

"Was she pretty?" John smiled at the blush that was creeping up Remus' neck.

"Yeah, I guess so. She seemed nice then she just got mad and started crying. Well, she cried after she … you know."

John frowned and rested his chin on the back of the chair. "Remus, did you … did you do anything that should have made her angry at you, or did you say anything inappropriate to her? Girls can be a little touchy about some things. We've talked about this."

"No, that's what I don't get. She asked me what I wanted on my ice cream and next thing I knew I was wearing it on my head."

John sat up and looked at him oddly. "Maybe she knows Black."

"Dad," Remus whined. "No, I told her I wanted her cherry and she got all funny."

John bit the inside of his cheek as he swung his leg back over the chair and stood up. "Yeah, well…"

"What'd I do wrong? She was crying and ran out of the room. I wanted to go back and say something but Black just said I should leave."

"Nothing son, you did nothing wrong." John smiled and shook his head. "I think breakfast is going to get cold. We need to go fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Yep, you need to learn about teenage girls and…ice cream toppings."

"Ice… like whipped cream and stuff?"

John stopped and turned back to Remus, trying to read his face. "Has Black ever said anything about … umm, other things he does with food or what … bloody hell what am I saying? The kid is fifteen."

"Don't ask me, it's you that wants to talk about sex."

John rubbed his face and wondered how he would ever look at whipped cream and think of fishing poles without seeing Remus' face. "No," he choked. "Today we won't be pretending to fish. But we will mention … poles."

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.

It was late that night when Remus walked up to the café and leaned against the outside of the building, waiting for the shop to close. He did not know exactly what to say to her, and although he had tried to practice in front of the mirror, he could not find the right words. John had rattled off a long list of things not to say to Muggle girls and then proceeded to tell him why, only now it was all mixed up with the things he should say.

He felt the heat of his blush starting under his collar as he remembered John's own embarrassment when he explained the comparison of a cherry to a girl's hymen and then slipped into the more comfortable term of maidenhead. When he even had to explain that, John had thought to tell Rhea that in teaching only the proper terms she was the one at fault, and that is exactly what he told Remus and laid the blame for Remus' snafu on his mother.

The inside lights went out and the door finally opened. Remus stood away from the building, watching the waitering staff as they started in different directions and then quickly followed the brunette.

"Excuse me," he called to her, and hurried to walk beside her.

"What do you want?" she spat, looking around fearfully.

"I… I just wanted to … I needed to … I just … to say, you know …I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"I… I'm not from around here, see? I didn't know that … I shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't mean it the way it came out."

"How did you mean it?"

"Just that …" He saw her grin and stopped. "I am not going there again." He laughed.

"Thanks. I've never had anyone come back to apologise before. It's …nice."

"Well, I'll let you go now. I just wanted to say that."

"Sure, night." She turned to walk away.

"Umm, wait," Remus stepped back close to her. "You shouldn't be out by yourself. It's late."

"I walk home three nights a week. I'm fine."

"Can I … can I walk with you?"

"I don't know," she looked back over her shoulder and then down the pavement. "I … I don't know you, and it's late."

"Remus, Remus Lupin." He smiled. "Promise, I have a whole list of things I won't say. Promise."

She laughed at his seriousness and nodded. "Tiffany, Tiffany McCann. I live four streets away and have to go right home."

"Let me walk with you," he said earnestly. "Really, it's not safe. You should have someone meet you or take a taxi."

He took her elbow the way he would take his mother's, and then tucked her hand under his the way he had seen John tuck in his mother's hand, feeling a need to protect her sweep over him.

"If I could afford a taxi I wouldn't have to work," she said, turning to look up at him. "Do you live around here?"

"Close enough. We have a small place, out of the city."

"I wish we didn't live in the city, but there is no work I can get to unless we live close, or near the train, and my Mum needs to be close for her treatments."

"What kind of treatments?"

"She's got cancer, same as took me dad. Don't remember much of him."

"My Dad died too," Remus said softly. "Only my Mum, she got married again."

"Did he have cancer?" Tiffany looked up at him.

"No, he had an accident, in the barn." Remus found the lie easy to spin as he walked along with Tiffany on his arm, telling her about lofts and faulty ladders.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, then lifted her free hand and pointed to a three story brick building. "I go to school over there. At least I will for one more year. I can quit then and get a job down in Southampton. My Uncle owns a silk screening shop and he says business is so good he will take me on."

"Silk screening, yeah, okay," Remus looked around uncomfortably.

"Yeah, you know… they do the t-shirts for some of the rock groups and all." She looked at him oddly. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know," he said, realizing no one had ever asked him want he would have wanted to do if Greyback had not changed his life forever. "Mum wants me to do like my Dad did, maybe have a farm out in the country. But, my Dad, my real one, wanted me to go to University and go into research."

"What do you want?"

He shrugged and looked down at the pavement as they walked along. "I always thought I would like to teach, that or build things, like an architect. Designing things and fitting them to the people that will use them. It's a stupid idea."

"No it's not," she said. "If that's what you want you should at least try for it."

"Things are different where I come from." He looked at her and grinned. "Hey, come on, I didn't mean to go on about me."

"That's my house," she nodded to the next one on the block. "Thanks for walking me home, Remus."

"Wait!" He hurried after her, putting his hand on hers before she could turn the doorknob. "Can I do this tomorrow?"

Tiffany chewed her lip and turned to peek in the window. "Mum doesn't let me date, or even talk to boys much."

"I'll talk to her." Remus smiled.

"You'd talk to my mother?"

"Umm, yeah… shouldn't I?"

She laughed and nodded. "Okay, I'll tell her you want to meet her tomorrow. Okay?"

Remus waited until she disappeared into the house, and then snuck around the back and Apparated home feeling as if he was walking above the ground. Rhea watched him walk into the house and saw the goofy grin plastered on his face as he headed upstairs. Looking at the clock she made a note of the time and ran to the floo.

"John?" she called.

"I see he made it home on time."

"I'm worried, John. I don't know who this girl is."

"She's a Muggle. I checked it against the Apparation log."

"I'm worried about him."

"Good Merlin," John sighed. "Rhea, leave it alone. We can trust him. He knows a hell of a lot more than I did at that age."

"It's not that and you know it." She sat back on her knees. "What if she finds out?"

"She's a Muggle, Rhea. She won't know the signs, and even if she did he will have plenty of time to get away. We have to let him grow up."

"Marcus was his age when he left, just a year older anyway. I … I don't know what to do with him anymore, how to protect him."

"He's home safely, and I have to get back to work, we can talk when I get home. Remember, don't let him know you flooed, he will think I don't trust him," John asked of her. "And Rhea, I can't think of another kid at his age that I would trust as much as I trust him with a girl. Whoever her parents are, they should know just by meeting him that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

"Does he know he should meet them?"

"Fishing, lesson three. Yes, he knows. Now go on, I'll see you in the morning." His face disappeared as he returned to work.

Remus stepped back from the railing not wanting his mother to know he had listened to her conversation. He did not like the fact that they had been tracking his Apparation. There is no other way I can see her, he thought. He could not very well expect to see her if he had to take trains, and to use the floo at the Leaky Cauldron would mean he would have to cut his time with her short to start the long walk back to the café.

He was surprised the next day when he asked, and was easily granted, an hour extension on his curfew and could not finish breakfast quickly enough to rush off to London. Walking up to the door of Tiffany's house he saw the curtain twitch as she peeked out and gave him a wide smile, before opening the door and asking him in. Her mother was less receptive, but relented, laying down her own curfews, and demanding Remus bring her straight home after work, and giving permission for only afternoon dates in public places.

Remus left feeling the old woman's eyes boring into his back but sauntered back to the Leaky Cauldron already planning where to take her.

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.

They spent the summer going to matinees and eating cold sandwiches in Potters Field, overlooking the slow moving current of the Thames. Remus would lay with his head in her lap, as she stroked his hair and told him stories of growing up in London, her hatred of school, and how mean her mother was. He would not comment or share stories of magic and spells, wondering time after time if there was any way to tell her what he really was, and knowing as he thought it that there was not.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around his legs, feeling her move beside him, putting her hand on his back.

"Remus?" She peeked around to look at his face.

"When you get all quiet like this…did I say something wrong?"

"No," he said quietly and turned to look at her, not able to stop this time as his hand went behind her head and dragged her mouth to his.

He felt her stiffen, and brought up his other hand and held her still until he could pull his head back and take a deep breath. "I…I'm…"

"It's okay," she said huskily, leaning into him and kissing him back.

"I should have asked... but."

"No, it's … it's okay," she whispered, bringing her fingers up and touching his lips. "I liked it."

"Good," he grinned, pushing her onto her back, and then laid down next to her, resting his head on his elbow. "I've wanted to do that a long time now."

He put his hand on her stomach, feeling her body heat through her t-shirt, and snaked a finger under the hem, drawing circles on her skin. He felt his body reacting, and snatched his hand away, sitting up quickly and looking away from her.

"Remus?" she said, sitting up slowly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I have to get you home." He struggled to his feet, feeling uncomfortable and needing to adjust his trousers.

"Sure." She bit back tears that welled in her eyes.

"What's wrong? I thought you… I'm sorry Tiffany, I shouldn't have…"

"You didn't like it."

"Sure I did."

"Then why…"

"I have to get home early." He frowned, letting his eyes drop to her breasts. Fuck, he thought, I have to get out of here.

"Walk me home?"

He nodded and reached down his hand to help her up, barely able to breath as she effortlessly slid her hand into his and pulled herself up. He knew he was in trouble when she slid her arm under his and they began to walk back, with her chatting and him looking for places to pull her into. They were almost at her house when he stopped, yanked her back to him, and pulled her off the pavement behind a hedge.

"Tiffany, I…" he started as his head fell to her mouth and he clasped her awkwardly, pulling her against his body. "Please, I …"

She nodded and returned his kiss, parting her lips and pushing her breasts into his chest. "I love you," she whispered as she clung to him.

"I've never done this before," he admitted as his hands glided over her body, sliding one hand under her t-shirt and then up under the band of her bra. "Gods, you feel good."

He felt her arms tighten around his neck and heard her gasp of surprise as he was unable to stop the forward thrust of his hips, pushing his erection into her, and groaning with the sensation of her moving against him as he dragged her closer.

"I need to stop," Tiffany pushed him away gently. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

"I… I didn't mean to … I …"

"I know," she whispered looking down as she reached into her top to put her breast back into her bra. "I have to go."

"Can I see you again? Please, Tiffany."

She studied his face and nodded, before turning and running away.